The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to get top goaltender Ed Belfour back as they try to extend their home unbeaten streak to 14 games in a matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Belfour and the Leafs haven't lost at Air Canada Centre in more than two months, going 12-0-1 there since a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 16.
This is the team's longest unbeaten run at home since a 14-game streak during the 1970-71 season.
Belfour, however, has missed Toronto's last two games with back spasms. The Leafs won both contests on the road -- at Washington and Montreal -- to extend their winning streak to three games.
Toronto is hoping Belfour can play on Tuesday because backup Trevor Kidd is also hurting with a groin injury. Leading scorer Alexander Mogilny, forward Tom Fitzgerald and defenseman Jyrki Lumme have also missed time of late, but are looking at a possible return.
If Belfour and Kidd are unable to play, Mikael Tellqvist will get the start in goal. Tellqvist made his NHL debut when he replaced an injured Kidd in the third period on Saturday, and stopped nine of 10 shots as the Leafs beat the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime.
Toronto also would like to have Belfour in net Tuesday because he has been very good against Philadelphia this season. He beat the Flyers 6-0 and 3-0 this season, and had a shutout streak of 167 minutes, 10 seconds against them before giving up a pair in the final period in a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 12.
The Flyers also are riding a three-game winning streak after beating the New York Rangers 4-2 on Sunday. They have won nine of 10, and are 5-0 on the road over that span.
Philadelphia showed on Sunday why it is an Eastern Conference-best 14-6-3-0 away from home this season.
The Flyers were outshot 18-8 and outscored 2-0 in the first period against the Rangers, but Keith Primeau scored the tying goal in the second period and added an empty-netter in the final minute after receiving a tongue-lashing from coach Ken Hitchcock at the first intermission.
``He challenged my line, me personally, and I deserved it because we weren't very good in the first period,'' Primeau said. ``It was an open challenge to the whole club and we responded.''
STANDINGS (through Jan. 19): Flyers - 61 points, 1st place, Atlantic Division. Maple Leafs - 55 points, 2nd place, 11 PB, Northeast Division.
TEAM LEADERS: Flyers - Jeremy Roenick, 15 goals and 32 points; Kim Johnsson, 19 assists; Donald Brashear, 92 PIM.
Maple Leafs - Mogilny and Mats Sundin, 20 goals; Mogilny, 29 assists and 49 points; Tie Domi, 94 PIM.
SPECIAL TEAMS (through Jan. 19): Flyers - Power play: 12.4 percent (24 for 194), 27th in NHL. Penalty killing: 82.1 percent (170 for 207), 20th. Maple Leafs - Power play: 18.7 percent (40 for 214), 7th. Penalty killing: 87.3 percent (207 for 237), 2nd.
GOALTENDERS: Flyers - Roman Cechmanek (17-10-5, 1 SO, 2.04 GAA); Robert Esche (9-2-3, 2, 2.01). Maple Leafs - Belfour (21-12-3, 5, 2.07); Kidd (3-6-1, 3.43).
SEASON SERIES: Maple Leafs, 2-1.
LAST MEETING: Dec. 12; Flyers, 2-1. At Philadelphia, Simon Gagne and Eric Desjardins scored 1:02 apart midway through the third period to lead the Flyers.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Flyers - 14-6-3-0 on the road; Maple Leafs - 16-7-2-0 at home.
Da hoffe ich doch mal auf ein Duell der penalty-leader
!!
Méschda Hoschbess holy
...und nichts ist wie es scheint!!If you dropped the gloves in the office over an injustice and bloodied your boss, you'd get slapped with a lawsuit and five years in the tank. Drop the gloves in hockey and you get five minutes.
<<<<<<<<<<<...visit: broadstreetbully´s or the flyer´s seats or flyers.com>>>>>>>>>>>>
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!! Ich kenn mich mit sowas wirklich überhaupt nicht aus
!!