Battling key injuries to leading-point getter center Claude Giroux and defenseman Chris Pronger, the first-place Philadelphia Flyers will try to extended their current five-game winning streak and hang onto their spot in the Atlantic Divisions standings Tuesday, as they travel to the Washington Capitals to play an Eastern Conference contest at the Verizon Center (7:00 p.m. ET on COMCAST).
Giroux, who has tallied a team-best 16 goals and 23 assists, will not play for the Flyers (18-7-3, 39 points) Tuesday, as he's still recovering from a blow to the head that happened in Saturday night's, 5-2, victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. Philadelphia's lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers is just one point in the Atlantic Division standings. The Flyers have currently earned victories in seven of their last eight games
Meanwhile, Washington (15-12-1, 31 points) has won three of its last four games, but currently sits in second place in the Southeast Division standings, which features the Florida Panthers (16-9-5, 37 points) in first place.
Center Nicklas Backstrom leads the Capitals in goals (11) and assists (20), while superstar forward Alex Ovechkin has scored just nine goals and tallied 12 apples in 28 games.
On Oct. 20, the Capitals defeated the Flyers, 5-2, at the Wells Fargo Center.
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