1. METRO MAYHEM
Tonight's game features both teams in a fight for the playoffs who both have 90 points in the standings... The Flyers own the first wild card with 90 points, one point behind Columbus, two behind the Penguins and two up on the Devils in the second wild card... None of the teams mentioned above are in action tonight, however the Panthers, who are three points behind the Devils for the wild card (and have two games in-hand) will play the Maple Leafs... The Flyers are coming off back-to-back losses, but also enter tonight's game having recorded nine out of a possible 12 points in their last six games, and have earned points in all six of those contests, going 3-0-3.
2. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Colorado has won six of their last nine games and sit just one point out of the final wild card spot in the West with one game in hand on Anaheim in the second wild card... The Avs 90 points are already a 42-point turnaround from last season when they had 48 points the entire season with a 22-56-4 record... Colorado also has one of the best home records at 26-10-2, compared to nearly the reverse from last season when they went 13-26-2 on home ice... In the goal-scoring department, the Avs have 240 goals through 76 games this season after potting just 166 goals last year.
3. MILE HIGH SUCCESS
The Flyers dropped the first meeting, 5-4 in a shootout on Nov. 4 in a game that saw four of the eight goals scored on special teams and the Avs commit six minor penalties... A total of 19 different players recorded a point in the game, (PHI: 11, COL: 8)... The Flyers have had recent success against the Avalanche, recording points in seven of their last eight meetings (5-1-2), including three straight at the Pepsi Center (2-0-1)... The Flyers have also scored four goals against the Avs in each of the last four meetings.
4. FAREWELL TO THE WEST
Tonight marks the final game against the Western Conference for the Flyers, who currently own a 13-11-5 mark against the West... In each of the last two seasons, the Flyers have recorded 14 wins against the Western Conference, going 14-10-4 last season for 32 points... A win tonight will give the Flyers the most points against the Western Conference (33) since the 2013-14 season when they went 15-10-3 for 33 points.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (RW: #11 - Travis Konecny)
Konecny comes into tonight with four goals in his last four games and five goals in his last seven... He has been one of the most consistent goal-scorers and points producers on the Flyers since the New Year began - he leads the Flyers and ranks in the NHL's Top 10 of goal-scoring with 18 goals in 37 games, while his six game-winning goals since Jan. 1 are tied for second in the NHL.
AVALANCHE (C: #29 - Nathan MacKinnon)
MacKinnon has been the Avs best player all season and is at the top of the NHL leaderboard as a result... He is T-4th in the NHL (with Claude Giroux) with 92 points (38g-54a) and leads all players in points per-game (1.35)... He has had 27 multi-point games, including 13 games of three points or more which has included two five-point games... MacKinnon has gone scoreless in his last two games, but hasn't gone three straight games without a points since the beginning of the season (Oct. 19-27)... He has just one goal and four points against the Flyers in eight games during his career.
