Flyers (11-10-3) at Senators (14-8-1)
7:30 p.m. on CSN and CSNPhilly.com, Pregame Live at 7
The Flyers look to tie their season-best winning streak of three games when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Let’s get you ready for the matchup with five things to know:
1. Let the good times roll
Steve Mason is a goaltender that lives and dies on confidence.
In early November, he said the position is 95 percent mental. With Mason, that rings particularly true. When he’s in a rough patch, it tends to linger. When he’s in a groove, his state of mind carries him.
He should be as confident as ever entering this one against the Senators. Mason will be building off a season-high 45 saves last time out, a 3-2 shootout win over the Bruins in which the netminder also stopped eight shots in the skills competition.
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The Flyers were outshot, 47-21. Without Mason, they don’t have their first back-to-back wins since Nov. 2-3.
“The type of performance Mase had [Tuesday] is something that injects a lot of confidence into the group,” Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said after the game. “Again, you have to look at everything within reality and say, we have to be a lot better.”
2. Facing the second string
So much of Ottawa’s early success has been because of goalie Craig Anderson.
The 35-year-old veteran is 12-5-1 with a 2.20 goals-against average and .930 save percentage, all while supporting his wife, Nicholle, who is battling throat cancer.
Anderson will not be in net against the Flyers as he has taken a leave absence while his wife undergoes radiation and chemotherapy.
Mike Condon, who the Senators acquired on Nov. 2 in a trade with the Penguins, will start in his place. Condon is 2-1-0 with 100 saves on 106 shots faced in four games this season.
Ottawa is 2-3-0 in games Anderson hasn’t played.
3. Schenn shuffles again
Brayden Schenn has played on all four lines this season.
He’s also played on the wing and at the center position.
Tonight, he’ll see another new spot. He’s expected to center the Flyers’ second line between Travis Konecny and Wayne Simmonds.
“We’ll just try to play responsible at both ends of the ice,” Schenn said Wednesday after practice. “Both guys are capable of making a lot of plays.
“Hopefully, this gives us some more 5-on-5 scoring. I’m at the center spot and playing with two great wingers. Hopefully, the three of us can click and make it happen.”
Schenn, who had a career-high 26 goals last season, has one in his last 16 games.
4. Keep an eye on ...
Flyers: Wayne Simmonds continues to make a game-to-game impact. The winger has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his last 10 games and is one of the top power-play producers in the NHL. He also has nine goals in 19 career games against Ottawa.
Senators: Center Kyle Turris scored the big wraparound goal in the final two minutes of regulation against the Flyers on Nov. 15, forcing overtime before the Senators eventually stole two points in the shootout. The 27-year-old leads Ottawa with 10 goals, seven of which have come at home.
5. This and that
• Mason is 8-4-2 with a 2.10 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and two shutouts in 14 lifetime matchups with the Senators.
• Condon is 1-1-0 in two career games against the Flyers, making 67 saves on 72 shots.
• Ottawa has won four of its last five games and is in second place of the Atlantic Division.
• Claude Giroux leads the NHL with 12 power-play points.
