The Philadelphia Flyers travel tonight to take on the Florida Panthers. There is a bit of a story behind this match up. Last season the Flyers made a trade for left-winger Kris Versteeg during the end of season stretch. It wasn't a good fit and the two parties ways in the off season. Versteeg is now a member of the Panthers and is a game removed from his first career hat trick.
The Flyers are coming off of a disappointing 2-1 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa used a 1-3-1 defense which limited the Flyers to only 15 shots on goal. The Flyers usually average 3.08 goals a game. This is a direct contrast to the Panthers team they face tonight, who allow an average of 33.0 shots a game, one of the highest marks in the NHL.
The Flyers will also benefit from the return of Chris Pronger, who was out for six games due to a stick to the eye. It is the first match up between the two teams in the 2011/2012 NHL season. Last year the Flyers won three of the four. This year Philly is 4-1-1 on the road.