Flyers-Avs preview: Philly aiming for second straight upset  

The Philadelphia Flyers, coming off Thursday’s stunning 5-2 win in St. Louis, will try to make it two consecutive road victories Friday night.

It won’t be easy.

Colorado (45-14-5), which has a league-high 95 points, is up next for the Flyers (21-32-11, 53 points), who haven’t won consecutive road games since Dec. 10-11, when they defeated Vegas, 4-3, and Arizona, 5-3.

The Avs whipped the Flyers, 7-5, on Dec. 6, the first game Mike Yeo became the Philadelphia Flyers’ interim coach. Colorado had 50 shots, the second-most ever allowed by the Flyers in a home game.

Storylines

Can the Flyers, playing on back-to-back nights, sustain the energy to keep up with the rested, powerful Avalanche?

Colorado will be trying to bounce back from Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to visiting Vancouver – and avoid losing two straight at home for the second time this season.

Flyers’ projected lineup

Line 1:  Joel Farabee centering James van Riemsdyk and Cam Atkinson.

Line 2: Kevin Hayes centering Hayden Hodgson and Oskar Lindblom. (Travis Konecny is injured).

Line 3: Morgan Frost centering Max Willman and Owen Tippett. (Lindblom, who sat out Thursday, will be a game-time decision.)

Line 4: Patrick Brown centering Kevin Connauton (a usual defenseman) and Zack MacEwen.

Defense: Ivan Provorov and Cam York; Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen, Keith Yandle and Nick Seeler.

Goalie:  Carter Hart.

Numbers Dept.

In their last 14 road games, the Flyers are 5 for 44 (11.4%) on the power play, while their opponents are 17 for 41 (41.5%).

Who’s hot?

Nathan MacKinnon has nine points (3-6) in his last five games, and Mikko Rantanen has five goals in his last seven games. MacKinnon has 69 points, and MacKainnon has 75, including 31 goals.

For the Flyers, Hayes has nine points (4-5) in his last six games, and Konecny has six points (2-4) over his last three games. But Konecny, who has had three straight two-point games, is listed as day to day with a lower-body injury.

Projected goalie matchup­­­

Hart (2.97 GAA, .910 save percentage) is expected to face backup goalie Pavel Francouz (2.50, .919), who will make his first start since a 5-3 win in San Jose on March 18.

How to watch

NBC Spots Philadelphia 9 p.m.

How to bet

Money line (FanDuel)

Flyers: plus-320.

Avs: minus-420.

Prediction

Avs 5, Flyers 3.

Prediction record: 22-8.