Game #28

Well, it's finally back to hockey for the Flyers. After a weeklong layoff, the Flyers will travel up the New Jersey Turnpike to take on the Devils in the Meadowlands tonight. The Flyers last played on Saturday, losing to the Devils in a shootout, 4-3. Though the Flyers are still fifth in the division and last in the Eastern Confernce, they have been playing much better recently and are 3-1-1 over their last five games. (They have also gone 5-3-2 over their last 10.) Antero Niittymaki will be in goal tonight, as Robert Esche is still out following groin surgery. The Devils come into the game in first place in the Atlantic Division, 12 points better than the Flyers. New Jersey is coming off a win against Montreal on Wednesdya night, while riding a three-game winning streak (itself following a four-game losing streak). Beginnig tonight, the Flyers will play eight games in the next 16 days -- including two sets of back-to-back games -- that will take them into the three day Christmas break. Niittymaki will be the key to this stretch drive. Despite starting something like 16 of the 20 games since the coaching change, with Esche out, the team is now his for the taking. If Niittymaki turns into the true #1 goalie many think he can be, then the Flyers have a chance to win every night and Esche becomes tradeable. If Niittymaki stumbles, backup Martin Houle will be called upon as a stop-gap until Esche can come back. Another factor here is Niittymaki's hip. Suffering from a torn labrum, he has already received one cortisone shot in order to postpone surgery until the offseason. Scheduled for a second shot this month, Niittymaki is putting it off for now since he hasn't experienced many problems. Inside the Numbers TEAM STATS   GP W L OT Pts G/G GA/G PP% PK% align="left">PHI 27 8 15 4 20 2.48 3.70 15.0% 86.6% align="left">NJ 26 15 9 2 32 2.31 2.50 16.2% 87.0% TEAM STAT LEADERS   Philadelphia New Jersey align="left">Points Simon Gagne 22 Patrik Elias 21 align="left">Goals Simon Gagne 14 Brian Gionta 11 align="left">Assists Joni Pitkanen 16 Brian Rafalski 16 align="left">Plus/Minus Todd Fedoruk +4 Zach Parise +4 align="left">GWG Simon Gagne 2 Zach Parise 4 PIM Ben Eager 66 Cam Janssen 63 align="left">TOI/G Joni Pitkanen 25:23 Paul Martin 25:11 See: Game Day See: Preview Headlines See: Perplexed Forsberg hopes for the best See: Forsberg doesn't find answer to skate problem See: Forsberg still seeking comfortable skates See: Captain Footnote See: Skate problem continues to vex Forsberg