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Flyers-Maple Leafs preview: Philly trying to sweep season series

The Flyers, coming off a one-sided loss to the Rangers, will host a Toronto team that is hungry to end a three-game losing streak Thursday.

Former Flyer James van Riemsdyk  is having another outstanding season for Toronto,
Former Flyer James van Riemsdyk is having another outstanding season for Toronto,Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Maple Leafs (25-17-4) at Flyers (20-16-8)

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday.

WHERE: Wells Fargo Center.

BROADCAST & STREAMING: NBCSP, NBCSports.com/live, 93.3 FM

SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: @BroadStBull and @samdonnellon on Twitter.

KEY PLAYERS: Another game, another team trying to end a three-game losing streak when they face the Flyers.

The Rangers did just that on Tuesday, whipping the visiting Flyers, 5-1.

Now Toronto will try to get back on track. The Leafs have just two victories in their last eight games (2-3-3) and have dropped three straight.

With a win, the Flyers would sweep the season series with Toronto for just the second time in the last 20 years.

Toronto, 1-4 in its last five games against Eastern Conference opponents, has gotten 19 goals from Auston Matthews and former Flyer James van Riemsdyk. Patrick Marleau, 38, who is in his first year with the Maple Leafs after a sensational career with San Jose, has chipped in with 15 goals.

Goalie Frederik Anderson is 22-13-3 with a 2.67 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

Michal Neuvirth is expected to make a rare start for the Flyers, who are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a winning record. Neuvirth, who has made just nine starts during an injury-plagued season, is 3-5-1 with a 2.39 GAA and .923 save percentage.

All-star left winger Claude Giroux (54 points), Jake Voracek (53 points), and Sean Couturier (career-high 25 goals) are among the NHL leaders. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has nine goals and 32 points in 40 games.

THINGS TO KNOW:  Eric Lindros' No. 88 will be retired in ceremonies that begin at 7 p.m. On Friday, Lindros will be reunited with Legion of Doom teammates John LeClair and Mikael Renberg as they play on a Flyers alumni team in an outdoor matchup against former Hershey Bears. The game will be played at Hersheypark Stadium…..Wayne Simmonds has a five-game point streak……On Tuesday, the Leafs allowed a goal with 57 seconds left, then lost in overtime to St. Louis, 2-1…..Toronto just finished a 2-2-2 homestand.

HEAD TO HEAD:

The Flyers lead the overall series, 96-57-22-4, including a pair of 4-2 wins this season. This is the final regular-season meeting between the teams in 2017-18,

COMING FLYERS GAMES:

Saturday: 1 p.m. vs. New Jersey.

Sunday: 12:30 p.m. at Washington.

Tuesday: 7:30 p.m. at Detroit.