Not only are the Flyers struggling to prevent goals at an alarming clip, but they also now welcome one of the NHL's hottest teams to start the 2018-19 season.
The Flyers (3-4-0) play host to the Devils (4-1-0) on Saturday afternoon, aiming to find a cure for their defensive and goaltending woes.
Let's look at some notables before puck drop:
• When: 1 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live at 12:30 p.m.
• Where: Wells Fargo Center
• Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports MyTeams app
• Following a disastrous 6-3 loss Thursday to the Blue Jackets, the Flyers have allowed 31 goals through seven games, second worst in the NHL to only the Red Wings, who have permitted 32 and are 0-5-2.
The 31 goals surrendered matches the most in franchise history over the first seven games of a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Flyers also yielded 31 in the opening seven games of the 2008-09 campaign.
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• And it doesn't get easier with the Devils coming to town. Before losing Thursday to the Avalanche, 5-3, New Jersey rolled through the Oilers, Capitals, Sharks and Stars by a combined score of 17-4.
The Devils are scoring four goals per game, tied for third best in the league, while allowing the fewest at 1.80.
However, forward Travis Zajac and defenseman Ben Lovejoy both suffered lower-body injuries Thursday and will not play against the Flyers. The 33-year-old Zajac has four points (two goals, two assists) in five games, while the 34-year-old Lovejoy sports a team-best plus-5 rating.
• The Flyers could see the timely return of Nolan Patrick, who has missed the last three games because of an upper-body injury. The 20-year-old center practiced Friday and is set to be back either Saturday or Monday.
Through three games and 3:30 of a period, Patrick has no points and a minus-5 mark. Still, the offense will come and his two-way focus would be a major boost for a team in need of much better forechecking and coverage, top to bottom.
A return would also set up another matchup between the top-two picks of the 2017 draft. No. 1 overall selection Nico Hischier had four points (two goals, two assists) in four games against the Flyers last season.
• Rookie center Mikhail Vorobyev may sit for a second straight game, especially if Patrick reinserts the lineup. It's not a bad time to have Vorobyev watch from the press box for a few games and understand what it takes to play night in and night out at the NHL level (see story).
• Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid is 4-1-0 with a 1.61 goals-against average and .941 save percentage through the first five games this season. In seven career matchups against the Flyers, Kinkaid is 6-1-0 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
• This is the first of four regular-season meetings between the Flyers and Devils. Dave Hakstol and company went 2-1-1 against New Jersey last season after going 1-3-1 vs. the Devils the year prior.
Projected lineup
Forwards
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Wayne Simmonds
Oskar Lindblom-Jordan Weal-Travis Konecny
Scott Laughton-Nolan Patrick-Jakub Voracek
Michael Raffl-Jori Lehtera-Dale Weise
Defensemen
Ivan Provorov-Shayne Gostisbehere
Robert Hagg-Christian Folin
Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas
Goalies
Brian Elliott
Calvin Pickard
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