Flyers-Caps Preview: Two Teams Desperately Seeking a Win

The Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, two scuffling teams, will meet Wednesday night in D.C.

The game will be shown on TNT at 7:30.

Philly has lost seven straight, and the Caps have dropped four in a row. Both teams have just two wins in their last 10 games.

Game notes

• Peter Laviolette’s Caps are coming off a 4-0  loss to Colorado, while the Flyers were defeated by Calgary, 5-2, in their last game. Two Flames goals were empty-netters.
• Both teams have struggled mightily in the first period. The Caps have been outscored, 19-7, in the opening session, and the Flyers have been outscored, 22-12.
• Kevin Hayes, who played left wing in the last game, has a six-game point streak.
• Philly has been outscored, 32-15, during its seven-game skid.
• The Flyers’ power play, which is connecting at just 15.9% and is 29th in the NHL, needs to get going because its offense is depleted by injuries. Philly is missing six key forwards.
• Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps with 17 points and nine goals.
• The Capitals are hoping right winger T.J. Oshie and defenseman Dmitry Orlov come off the injured list.
• Both teams have been chasing games. The Flyers have fallen into a 2-0 hole in 10 of their 19 games. Washington has not had a lead at any point in five of its last six contests. The Caps have lost five of six in that span.
• John Carlson, Washington’s star defenseman, criticized his play and his teammates’ recently. Will it be a wake-up call? Carlson has has five goals and 11 points in 14 games and is minus-5.
• The Philadelphia Flyers are 16th in goals allowed (3.21 per game); the Caps are 17th (3.25). Washington is 26th in scoring (2.75 per game) and the Flyers are 30th (2.53)

Prediction

Capitals 4, Flyers 2.

Breakaways

Flyers coach John Tortorella hinted he may break up the Flyers’ top line of Morgan Frost centering Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett. … The injured Travis Konecny and Hayes lead the Flyers with 19 points. … Nick Seeler tops the Flyers with a plus-9 rating. … Tippett has scored on 15% of his 40 shots.

Flyers’ Tanner Laczynski’s Special Night; Collects ‘Gift’ for Infant Son