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Better play, but Flyers have a scoring problem

With their 1-0 overtime loss Thursday, the Flyers have now scored 1.79 goals per game, worst in the 30-team NHL. They are averaging just 1.50 goals in 10 home games.

There were a lot of things to like about the Flyers' game against San Jose on Thursday.

They outshot a team (34-21) for the first time in 12 games, played terrific team defense, and did not give the Sharks many quality scoring chances.

On the other hand, their offense is still stuck in neutral.

With their 1-0 overtime loss Thursday, the Flyers have now scored 1.79 goals per game, worst in the 30-team NHL. They are averaging just 1.50 goals in 10 home games.

"We're doing a better job of taking care of the puck and chipping it in and getting on the forecheck, but at the same time, we have to do a better job of making plays," top-line left winger Brayden Schenn said after the Flyers' practice Friday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.

Schenn said the Flyers are "doing a pretty good job of getting pucks to the net and screening. But maybe we need to get a little more creativity in our game - whether it's cycling down low or maybe a few cutbacks and spins on the cycle and trying to beat a guy to the net. I think some plays like that will hopefully open things up.

"If we're cycling on the perimeter the whole time and we're not beating anyone to the net, we're not really opening anything up for the next guy to grab the puck" in good scoring position, he added. "We have to do a better job of that. Maybe some creativity will go a long way for us."

Despite their offensive woes, the Flyers (6-8-5) will take a three-game point streak (1-0-2) into Ottawa (9-5-5) on Saturday night. Senators winger Bobby Ryan, a Cherry Hill native, was injured in Thursday's 3-0 win over Columbus but hopes to play Saturday, according to the Ottawa Sun.

Ryan, who is second on the Senators with 17 points, had to be helped off the ice late in the third period after being smashed into the boards by Columbus' David Savard. Ryan will test an apparent shoulder injury at Saturday's morning skate.

The Flyers will try to get their disappointing power play clicking against an Ottawa penalty kill that is ranked 25th in the league, killing just 75.8 percent.

The Flyers' power play is 27th in the league with a 14.3 percent success rate. That's a major drop from last season, when the club had the NHL's third-best power play, scoring 23 percent of the time.

"When you look at [Thursday], if we score one on the power play, we probably win the game," winger Jake Voracek said.

In even-strength and power-play time, "we sometimes overwork things," Voracek said. "Sometimes you're pushing too hard . . . and you just have to slow things down a little bit and let things open up."

Breakaways. Goalie Steve Mason, who is expected to get his fifth straight start Saturday, has had three consecutive quality performances, raising his save percentage to .905 overall and .931 at even-strength. His biggest weakness: a .686 save percentage on the penalty kill - 11 goals on 35 power-play shots. . . . Ottawa has won just four of 11 home games (4-3-4).

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull