Matvei Michkov and the Flyers face the Flames on Sunday in Calgary at 4-10-4, and they badly need a way to stop the slide.
The Flyers practiced in Calgary on Saturday, and Rick Tocchet, Michkov and Cole Knuble met the media afterward. It was the Tocchet and Michkov media session in Calgary that set the tone for a game the team can't afford to drift through.
The Flyers have 12 points through 18 games and have lost two straight, the latest a 3-2 defeat at the Rangers on Thursday.
The goal numbers explain the record. Philadelphia has scored 39 and allowed 61, a -22 differential that tells you the games have not been close often enough.
The road has been the bigger problem. The Flyers are 1-6-1 away from home, so a trip to Calgary is not a spot where they can count on a bounce.
The team posted that Tocchet, Michkov and Knuble spoke to reporters after the skate.
Who scores for the Flyers beyond Michkov
Right now, almost nobody. Michkov has 10 goals and 13 points, and five of those goals have come on the power play.
Trevor Zegras has 14 points, so the top of the scoring sheet belongs to those two. It's the same Michkov and Zegras offensive load we flagged earlier today.
Behind them, it's thin. Sean Couturier has 5 points, Noah Cates has 5, and Tyson Foerster has 5 in 17 games.
Couturier is a $7.75 million centerman with one goal, and that should worry Tocchet more than any single loss. A team can't ask two players to do everything and expect to climb out of a -22 hole.
Knuble has three goals in eight games, which makes him one of the few depth forwards giving the Flyers anything. He also sits at -4, so the production hasn't turned into winning.
Calgary isn't in great shape either. The Flames are 7-9-1 and have lost two straight, the latest 3-5 to Anaheim on Friday, when Dustin Wolf allowed four goals on 28 shots.
That leaves a Flyers team with a window. If the depth forwards show up and the power play keeps cashing in, Sunday is winnable.
Puck drop in Calgary is Sunday, and a third straight loss would make the road record even harder to explain.
Quick hits
DETROIT RED WINGSThe Avalanche are projected to start MacKenzie Blackwood tonight against Detroit, according to Colorado Hockey Now. The Red Wings will face a fresh look in the Colorado crease.
MINNESOTA WILDMichael Russo posted the Wild's confirmed lines for tonight against the Lightning, and both Foligno brothers are in. That's a family reunion on the Minnesota forward group.
NEW YORK RANGERSMike Sullivan's Rangers survived a late Kraken push to win 4-3 in Seattle, with Joonas Korpisalo making his debut in net. Not pretty, but they'll take it.
OTTAWA SENATORSTim Stutzle and the Senators are running back the same lineup against Utah tonight, the team confirmed on its official account. No tinkering this time.
SAN JOSE SHARKSRobert Tiffin reports that Ryan Warsofsky is starting Alex Nedeljkovic in goal for the Sharks tonight at Dallas. The veteran gets the call on the road.
Latest Stories
Flyers carry a 1-6-1 road record into CalgaryTHE FLYERS TALK IN CALGARYThe Flyers put Rick Tocchet, Matvei Michkov and Cole Knuble in front of the media after Saturday's practice in Calgary, one day before facing the Flames.
Rick Tocchet and Michkov speak before Flyers-FlamesTHE FLYERS' NUMBERS TELL A CLEAR STORYThe Flyers posted "Back in the Saddle again" as the road trip rolls on, and the numbers say Philadelphia has a steep climb ahead.
Flyers' road record sets a tough test in CalgaryA QUIET MILESTONE LOOMS FOR THE FLYERSZach Aston-Reese is one goal shy of 50 career NHL goals, but he has yet to play a game for the Flyers this season.
Zach Aston-Reese is one goal shy of 50 with FlyersTHE FLYERS BLUE LINE HAS A PROBLEMThe Flyers defense is sitting at the center of their road problem as the team heads to Calgary on Sunday at 4-10-4.
Flyers defense is sinking the road trip in CalgaryTHE FLYERS HAVE A SCORING PROBLEMThe Flyers head to Calgary on Sunday at 4-10-4, and Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras are carrying an offense with very little behind them.
Flyers still lean on Michkov and Zegras ahead of CalgaryWHO IS GETTING THE MINUTES IN PHILADELPHIADans Les Coulisses pointed out this morning that Christian Dvorak is playing almost 20 minutes a game for the Flyers.
Christian Dvorak's minutes put Rick Tocchet on the spotTHE FLYERS HAVE A ROAD PROBLEMThe Flyers are 1-6-1 on the road, and they get back on the ice Sunday at Calgary still looking for answers away from home.
Flyers carry road problem into Calgary on Sunday