Flyers Notes: Flyers take 7-game road slump into San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Flyers' 1-7-1 funk is their worst stretch since they started 1-7 last season, when they recovered and went a commendable 41-23-10 the rest of the way.

"We had a week off last year after the bad start and then had a couple practices and got in a little better shape and started outskating teams," right winger Jake Voracek said the other day. "I think that's what we're missing now. We're slower everywhere in the battles, in the corners."

Heading into Tuesday's matchup in San Jose, the Flyers (8-12-3) have lost seven straight road games.

"There's only one way to figure it out, and that's together," winger Wayne Simmonds said. "If you start abandoning guys now and don't have everyone supportive, then it's going to keep going the wrong way."

The Flyers will meet an 11-10-4 San Jose team that snapped a four-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over Anaheim on Saturday. Logan Couture, hospitalized earlier that day with a swollen eye that impaired his vision, scored two goals to pace the Sharks.

San Jose is just 3-4-2 at home; no NHL team has fewer home victories.

After facing the Sharks, the Flyers play at Anaheim on Wednesday, at defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles on Saturday, and at Columbus, which is getting healthier, next Tuesday.

The Flyers' power play was ranked eighth in the NHL (22.2 percent success rate) entering Monday, while their penalty kill was last at 73.8 percent, although they had killed 16 of 19 in their last five games. San Jose has the league's fourth-best power play, clicking at 23.8 percent. . . . Claude Giroux leads NHL forwards in average time on ice - 21 minutes, 51 seconds per game.