Flyers Still Hunting a First Win as Senators Come to Philadelphia
Ottawa sits near the top of the East and has owned this matchup lately; the Flyers have yet to win in their own building this season.
Written before the game
The Philadelphia Flyers are still searching for their first win at 0-6-3, and the Ottawa Senators (6-2-0) are a hard team to get it against. The Flyers' issue goes beyond bad luck. Philadelphia has simply been on the wrong end of the chances.
Across nine games, the Flyers have averaged 2.33 expected goals per game, which measures how much their scoring chances were worth. They have given up chances worth 3.74 a night. A -22 goal differential follows from that. Ottawa has been close to even in chance quality, but it keeps finding ways to win and sits 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
What Philadelphia needs: It has to close the gap in chances allowed and get a big night in goal. The Flyers are 0-2-2 at home, so they have been close in their own building without breaking through.
What Ottawa needs: It has to keep doing what it has done, which is tighten up with a lead. The Senators are 3-1-0 on the road, and the standings gap between the teams is nine points. Ottawa should be careful not to give a desperate team life.