Flyers aim to build off modest momentum, face Oilers

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart (79) makes the save on Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson).

The Philadelphia Flyers will look to build a rare winning streak when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.

The Flyers snapped a six-game skid (0-4-2) with a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Earlier this season, Philadelphia was mired in a 10-game winless streak (0-8-2) and a franchise-worst 13-game skid (0-10-3).

Injuries to key players such as Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes and defenseman Ryan Ellis have derailed the Flyers this season. As the losses piled up, Alain Vigneault was fired and Mike Yeo was named as the interim head coach.

Under Yeo, the Flyers have scuffled more than they've succeeded. Saturday's one-goal victory over the Capitals looked different in a positive way.

"The guys competed extremely hard, the emotion was there, and obviously the physicality was there," Yeo said. "Obviously, we had a great start, and now getting a win, maybe we can start to build some confidence."

Cam Atkinson collected a goal and an assist and captain Claude Giroux added the other tally. Giroux's name continues to circle in rumors before the NHL trade deadline on March 21. Giroux scored his 290th career goal, which tied Eric Lindros for the eighth-most in franchise history.

Simply getting Joel Farabee and Derick Brassard back from injuries made a big difference and opened up scoring chances for players such as Atkinson and Giroux.

"It made us a bit of a deeper lineup," Yeo said. "The commitment was there from the drop of the puck. Again, I think we can be better. We don't want to be a team that defends all night when we're playing with the lead. We want to stay on the attack and extend the lead."

The Oilers will look to rebound after a hard-fought 2-1 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.

Captain Connor McDavid missed much of the first period after receiving a high stick to the face. The Oilers already were without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto because of injuries.

But the electric Oilers' offense was still buzzing the entire game. The team just fell a bit short.

"I thought our compete (level) was off the charts," Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. "They pushed us, we pushed them. It was a heck of a hockey game with lots of good in it."

As for the injured players?

"He was banged up in yesterday's game," Woodcroft said of Yamamoto. "I don't think it's anything major going forward. He's day-to-day and dealing with some bumps and bruises."

The Oilers have dropped close games to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Hurricanes while defeating the Florida Panthers on this five-game trip. The Flyers are the weakest team the Oilers will face. But nothing is guaranteed.

"We came away with one out of three," Edmonton's Zach Hyman said. "We wanted more, but I thought we played well in all those games. Later on, when it gets down to the nitty gritty in the playoffs, games are tight, teams are good. This was a big learning experience for us, and we'll be better moving forward."

--Field Level Media