Flyers aim to continue momentum against woeful Red Wings

The Philadelphia Flyers will be searching to maintain their positive momentum with a third straight victory when they host the reeling Detroit Red Wings on Friday.

The Flyers picked up a rare win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday -- a 3-2 win that was just their second in 15 tries in that city.

Philadelphia, which has earned at least one point in 12 of the last 14 games thanks to a league-high eight shootouts, will attempt to extend the momentum against the Red Wings.

"It feels nice, coming back from an injury and everything that has kind of happened this year," said Scott Laughton, who scored one of the three goals and has looked fresh after returning from a 13-game injury absence with a broken finger. "It was my third game back, so I'm starting to get my legs underneath me and feeling better."

Goaltender Brian Elliott was superb with 28 saves, including several in the final frenetic minute as the Blue Jackets had an empty net. But after the game, Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault announced that second-year goaltender Carter Hart will start against Detroit.

Captain Claude Giroux scored what turned out to be the go-ahead goal and eventual game winner on the power play. The Flyers' power play struggled for a while as they missed on their first four attempts before Giroux connected.

"They were doing a good pressuring us and we really didn't have an answer," Giroux said. "We finally got our stuff together and started attacking a little quicker and were able to get one. It was huge."

Defenseman Robert Hagg also played arguably his best game of the season with three blocked shots and three hits. Hagg also single-handedly stopped a two-on-one with slightly less than 11 minutes remaining in regulation.

The Red Wings will enter this game at 7-17-3 for the worst record in the league.

Detroit was utterly throttled 6-0 at home by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

"If you look at the end of the first period, and our chances were fairly even," Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said. "Obviously we played terrible in the second. When you are chasing people around the rest of the game, it's frustrating. The third period is the third period. At that point, the game was over. At the end of the night, it's a loss. We have to move on."

Following the loss, which could be considered the Red Wings' most disheartening all season, the players were reflective on what transpired.

"We keep saying that we have to find it in this room," right wing Luke Glendening told the Detroit Free Press. "I'm sure you guys are tired of hearing it and we're tired of saying that we have to do it. I don't have a lot for you guys, I'm sorry. It's frustrating. I'm always proud to wear this jersey and it's something that I think everyone in this room is proud to wear, but we have to go out and prove we're proud to wear it every night.

"I don't know how much further rock bottom is, but it has to be pretty close. So we have to find a way to play a simple game and keep pushing forward."

The Red Wings, who are 3-9-2 on the road, are also 0-5-2 over their last seven games overall while being blanked in back-to-back games. Their defense scuffled all night against Toronto and allowed a season-high 26 shots on goal in the second period.

--Field Level Media