Flyers Notes: Downie returns against Edmonton

EDMONTON, Alberta - After missing two games with an upper-body injury, winger Steve Downie returned to the Flyers lineup Saturday in Edmonton, but he dropped down to the fourth line.

Downie was on a line with center Adam Hall and winger Zac Rinaldo.

"I'm excited to get going here," Downie said before the game.

"Steve brings an element of skill and grit," coach Craig Berube said. "He's effective in a lot of different areas, so it's nice to have him back."

Downie had been on a productive third line with Sean Couturier and Matt Read, but the lines have been juggled because of Vinny Lecavalier's return from a back injury. Scott Hartnell is now on the third line.

As for Hall, he missed Friday's practice because of the flu, but he recovered and was in Saturday's lineup.

The Flyers started a six-game trip Saturday, trying to end a five-game road losing streak. They play in Vancouver on Monday.

"It's the halfway point of the season, and we still have a long ways to go to be where we want to be," Hall said. "We want to improve the way we play on the road. I think we can be a lot more consistent. We see how much potential we have as a team."

Hall said the Flyers "need to take care of the details" and "welcome the challenge" of playing on the road.

"We may do the details for 50 or 55 minutes, but if you have lapses, every team in this league is so good, they're going to make you pay for it," he said. "We have to play a complete 60 minutes."

Entering Saturday, the Flyers were 0-3-1 in Edmonton since their last win here in 2001. . . . The Flyers' were just 3 for 26 (11.5 percent) on the power play in their last six games before Saturday. . . . Jake Voracek took an eight-game points streak into Saturday, and Claude Giroux had a seven-game streak; both are career highs. . . . The Flyers began the night ranked 11th on the penalty kill (82.8 percent success rate) and 18th on the power play (16.9 percent).

Saturday's Flyers-Oilers game ended too late for this edition. For coverage, go to www.inquirer.com/sportsEndText