Flyers look to continue surging ahead vs. Senators

The Philadelphia Flyers are taking the momentum of two resounding victories this week north to the capital of Canada.

The Flyers visit the Ottawa Senators for the third and final time this season on Saturday night.

The teams have split the season series so far in a pair of one-goal games that resulted in victories on home ice. The Senators won 2-1 on Nov. 15, but Philadelphia recorded a 4-3 victory on Dec. 7.

The momentum for both teams should be high as they prepare to square off for the final time in the regular season.

After losing three straight against Western Conference clubs on the road, Philadelphia began its winning streak with a 4-1 victory at home over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.

The Flyers then scored three times in the first period and three more in the second Thursday en route to a 6-1 trouncing of the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres played without captain Jack Eichel, who was ruled out after warmups. Buffalo was outscored 6-0 and outshot 25-9 after 40 minutes of play.

Philadelphia has played complete games in the two wins.

Sean Couturier scored a goal and set up three others and Travis Konecny had four assists for the Flyers. Goalie Carter Hart stopped 56 of 58shots in nabbing both victories.

Without left wing Oskar Lindblom, who is likely lost for the season with a form of bone cancer, Philadelphia will have to turn to the likes of van Riemsdyk for more production.

"We need (van Riemsdyk) to continue," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. "I need him to play well with the loss of Oskar on the left side. We need him to step up and play important minutes and do what he is doing for us right now."

The Senators are 1-1-1 this week and will be playing their fourth game in six days, and their results have run the gamut of emotions.

The Florida Panthers throttled Ottawa 6-1 with a five-goal second period on Monday, but the Senators rallied back against the Lightning before losing 4-3 in overtime.

On Thursday, Anthony Duclair scored in a four-on-three power play, giving Ottawa a 5-4 overtime win over the visiting Nashville Predators.

Duclair passed with defenseman Thomas Chabot twice before finally scorching a one-timer by Nashville goalie Juuse Saros for the game winner.

The goal also made the 24-year-old Duclair a 20-goal scorer for the second time in his career.

The 2013 third-round draft pick of the New York Rangers, who is playing for his fifth team in six years, generated 20 goals for Arizona in the 2015-16 season.

"It's a good feeling," said Duclair, who has an NHL-leading 10 goals this month. "I'm just happy the way things have been going this year. I want to keep going. I think I've obviously got a lot of hockey left.

"Personally, I think the confidence is pretty high. Highest it's ever been, for sure."

--Field Level Media