The NHL's hottest team returns to the Wells Fargo Center with a chance to gain more ground.
The Flyers (22-23-6), winners of six straight, open a five-game homestand Saturday when they welcome the Oilers (23-24-3).
Let's look at the essentials:
• 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
• Over the six-game winning streak, the Flyers have scored the NHL's second-most goals with 23, while allowing only 12.
Before winning seven of their last eight games by a combined score of 27-16, the Flyers dropped their previous eight (0-6-2) and were outscored 31-15.
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• Carter Hart has been arguably the biggest reason for the team's streak and climb to within nine points of a playoff spot.
Since Jan. 5, the 20-year-old has gone 6-2-1 with a 2.33 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and a league-most 283 saves, en route to winning NHL Rookie of the Month honors.
Not only is he looking for his sixth straight win Saturday, but he'll also be facing two friends. In the opposite crease will be Cam Talbot, who has helped Hart.
"He's actually the guy that I called the night before my first game," Hart said Friday, "just to ask him a couple questions a little bit, get some knowledge from him.
"He's been a guy who has texted me every now and then throughout the season to see how I'm doing and he's a really good guy."
Hart has also worked with Oilers goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz since he was 13 years old.
• After beating the Flyers, 4-1, on Dec. 14, the Oilers have really struggled, going 5-12-0 since with a minus-20 goal differential.
Edmonton had its bye week after the All-Star break, so it hasn't played since Jan. 22.
While the Oilers have fallen on hard times, Connor McDavid hasn't. The 22-year-old superstar has gone scoreless just three times in his last 25 games, a stretch in which he has 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists). Overall, he has 73 points (29 goals, 44 assists) in 49 games.
Projected lineup
Forwards
James van Riemsdyk-Claude Giroux-Travis Konecny
Oskar Lindblom-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek
Scott Laughton-Nolan Patrick-Wayne Simmonds
Michael Raffl-Mikhail Vorobyev-Phil Varone
Defensemen
Ivan Provorov-Travis Sanheim
Shayne Gostisbehere-Robert Hagg
Andrew MacDonald-Radko Gudas
Goalies
Carter Hart
Anthony Stolarz
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