3. GOALS, GOALS & MORE GOALS
The Flyers rank third overall in the NHL in goal per-game at 3.80, recording 19 goals in five games… However, the Flyers are in the bottom 5 of shots per-game, ranking 26th at 27.2 shots per-game… The Flyers have also recorded a least a goal on the power play in their last three games, going 4-for-15 (26.6%)… Their opponent tonight, leads all NHL teams thus far by averaging 4.00 goals-per-game with Montreal outscoring their opponent 20-8 in the first five games.
4. THIS, THAT & THE ROOKIES
THIS: The Flyers have earned at least a point in the last four meetings against the Canadiens, going 2-0-2, but are winless at Montreal in their last three seasons, going 0-2-2.
THAT: This is the first meeting with Montreal since they acquired defenseman Shea Weber in a blockbuster off-season trade with Nashville for PK Subban… Weber has five points (1g-4a) in his first five games of the season, which is the best start to an NHL season in his career.
THE ROOKIES:Travis Konecny ranks third among all NHL rookies with five points, all assists - which is tied for the rookie lead… Ivan Provorov is coming off his first multi-point game of his NHL career with two assists vs. Carolina… Canadiens 18-year-old rookie, Mikhail Sergachev, became the youngest defenseman to play a regular season game in Montreal history.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (RW: #17 - Wayne Simmonds)
Simmonds is riding a four-game goal-scoring streak and will look to tie his career-high, five-game streak in tonight's game… Three of Simmonds four goals have come on the man advantage, which is tied for the lead among all NHL players early this season… Since coming to the Flyers in 2011-12, he leads the team in goals scored (136), power-play goals scored (62) and tied for game-winning goals (23).
CANADIENS (C: #27 - Alex Galchenyuk)
Galchenyuk has a five-game point streak, tying for the longest point streak of his career, after finding the scoresheet in every game so far this season with five points (1g-4a)… He is known for getting off to hot starts to the season, recording at least four points in the first five games in each of his first four NHL seasons… He's also had a lot of success against the Flyers, averaging over a point per game with 12 points (4g-8a) in 11 games.
TODAY AT 50
On Oct. 24, 1999, John Vanbiesbrouck blanked his old team, the Florida Panthers, on 22 shots in a 2-0 home win at the First Union Center. The shutout was the third in a row for "Beezer." Over the course of the game, Vanbiesbrouck sets a franchise record for consecutive shutout minutes. His streak would eventually reach 227:40 before it was finally snapped. His franchise record would stand until March 12, 2012, when Ilya Bryzgalov shattered the mark with a 249:43 shutout minute streak.
