Flyers-Canadiens preview: Two teams trying to end 6-game skids; Carey Price gets call for Habs     

The Philadelphia Flyers have found their equals.

After losing their last six games, the Flyers will play Thursday in Montreal, which is also trying to snap a six-game skid.

Both teams are among the worst in the NHL. The Flyers (23-43-11; 57 points) have the 30^th-best record. Montreal (20-46-11; 31 points) is at 31 in the 32-team NHL. Arizona has the fewest points (50) in the league.

This is a game that seems destined to go into a long shootout.

The Canadiens will be finishing a four-game homestand in which they are 0-3 and have been outscored, 13-4, by the Islanders, Capitals, and Wild.

Storylines

Both teams are trying to stop six-game losing streaks, and the Flyers are aiming to avoid being swept by the Habs in the season series. Montreal is 2-0 against the Flyers, winning 3-2 (shootout) and 4-3 (overtime).

Can the Philadelphia Flyers’ patchwork defense get the job done? The Flyers will use three defensemen – Egor Zamula, Ronnie Attard, and Linus Hogberg, who is making his NHL debut – with a combined 17 games of NHL experience.

Flyers’ projected lineup

Line 1:  Kevin Hayes centering Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny.

Line 2: Joel Farabee centering James van Riemsdyk and Bobby Brink.

Line 3: Morgan Frost centering Noah Cates and Owen Tippett.

Line 4: Nate Thompson centering Oskar Lindblom and Zack MacEwen.

Defense: Ivan Provorov and Attard; Hogberg and Travis Sanheim; Keith Yandle and Zamula.

Goalie:  Martin Jones.

Numbers Dept.

Both teams have not-so-special special teams.

The Flyers’ power play is last in the NHL (12.2% success rate), and Montreal is next-to-last (13.2%).

On the penalty kill, the Flyers are 27^th (75.2%), and Montreal is 28^th (74.6%).

Who’s hot?

Ryan Poehling (eight goals), a first-round pick in 2017, has three goals over his last four games for Montreal.

For the Flyers, RW Travis Konecny has four points over his last three games. Konecny has five goals in 13 career games against Montreal.

Projected goalie matchup­­­

Jones (3.53 GAA, .897 save percentage) will get the call for Philly. Carey Price (2.02, .918) will start for Montreal, his third appearance since returning to the lineup recently. Less than a week before the start of the season, Price, 34, entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to deal with substance-abuse issues.

Price led the Habs to the Cup Final last season.

How to watch

NBCSP, 7 p.m.

How to bet

Money line (FanDuel)

Flyers: plus-125.

Canadiens: minus-150.

Prediction

Canadiens 3, Flyers 2 in a shootout.

Prediction record: 30-12.