2. HOT & HEALTHY
The Bruins come in having won their last game, a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay, and are riding a streak in which they've won five of their last six overall… In addition, the Bruins have won their last three road games… The Bruins are starting to get healthy after suffering an injury spell - they have had 109 man-games lost due to injury (compared to the Flyers 33), but now have David Backes (12 missed) and Brad Marchand (8 missed) back in the lineup… It's unknown whether forwards David Krejci (12 missed) and Anders Bjork (7 missed) will be out, but both are with the team on the trip... Rookie Jake DeBrusk (1 missed) has been ruled out with an upper-body injury.
3. MATINEE RIVALRY
The Bruins took the season series last year with two of three wins, but the lone Flyers victory came at the Wells Fargo Center... Expect a close game as well when these two teams get together - six of their last seven meetings have been decided by one goal... Tuukka Rask has started every game vs. Flyers since the start of the 2013-14 season (12 straight starts) and owns an overall record of 12-2-3 with a 2.10 GAA and .926 save percentage... However Anton Khudobin is unbeaten in regulation this year with a 7-0-2 record and was the last B's goalie to start vs. the Flyers on Apr. 25, 2013 - he was replaced by Rask after surrendering three goals on 16 shots.
4. GOALS BEHIND THE GOALS
The Flyers are tied for the fewest goals allowed at even strength (5 on 5) with 36 through 25 games, averaging 1.44 goals-against per-game... The Bruins are ranked sixth in the NHL in goals scored in the first period (25), while the Flyers are tied for fifth in the NHL in goals scored in the second period (30)... Both teams rank in the bottom of the NHL for goals scored in the third period - Bruins are tied for the fewest (17) while the Flyers have the fifth least (20).
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (LW: #28 - Claude Giroux)
Giroux continues to produce, riding a five-game point streak (2g-5a, 7pts) which is tied for the longest active streak in the NHL… He also is among the best in the NHL in playing at home, recording eight of his 11 goals at home and has a +12 rating… He is tied for fourth among all NHL players in overall scoring on home ice with 18 points (8g-10a) in 13 games… Last year against the Bruins, Giroux led the team with four points (1g-3a) in the three-game series.
BRUINS (D: #73 - Charlie McAvoy)
The 19-year-old rookie defenseman is off to a hot start with 13 points (3g-10a) in 23 games on the Bruins blueline… He has five points (2g-3a) in his last six games and now ranks second on the B's defense in scoring… He also ranks second in time-on-ice, averaging nearly 24 minutes a game (23:42), which also leads all rookie by nearly four minutes… His 13 points rank third among all rookie d-men
