The Flyers can put a winning touch on their four-game road trip.
To do so, they'll have to overcome a unique challenge Monday night when the Flyers (6-7-1) visit the Coyotes (7-5-0).
Let's look at the essentials:
• When: 9 p.m. ET with Flyers Pregame Live at 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Gila River Arena
• Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Live stream: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and the NBC Sports MyTeams app
• The Coyotes are not a team to scoff at like the past four seasons.
Arizona is building a tough-to-play-against style under second-year head coach and former Flyer Rick Tocchet. The Coyotes are allowing the NHL's fewest goals per game at 2.00 and own the top-ranked penalty kill at 92.1 percent.
For some context, the Flyers have allowed 30 more goals than Arizona and their PK is 30th at 68.6 percent.
The Coyotes have scored a league-most seven — yes, seven — shorthanded goals through 12 games. Last year, 13 teams didn't amass seven shorthanded markers all season, including the Flyers, who finished with three.
Arizona's penalty kill gets after you and overall the team plays mistake-free hockey.
• The Coyotes are on quite a run, winning five straight by a combined score of 24-7. Against the Flyers Monday night, Arizona is looking to complete a 5-0-0 homestand for just the second time in franchise history, according to Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic.
Meanwhile, the Flyers have picked things up with 11 goals over their last three games. Still, the power play is 1 for 8 on the road trip and 2 for its last 28 since Oct. 13, which is 30th in the league at 7.1 percent over that span.
NHL
• For Game 15 of the season, did anyone think Calvin Pickard would be your starting goalie with Alex Lyon as the backup?
OK, don't answer that question. Given the health concerns with Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth, it probably isn't all that surprising.
But here we are Monday with Pickard the starter in net and Lyon the backup. Elliott was dinged up Sunday in practice and will miss Monday's game (see story). Neuvirth was placed on injured reserve Monday morning to make room for Lyon.
Pickard and Lyon have a combined 16 games of experience since the start of last season. Not the ideal goalie situation this early into the 2018-19 campaign.
• A victory Monday would be a major feat for the Flyers. It would give them a 3-0-1 road trip before a five-game homestand. They would be 7-7-1 overall, not all that different from last season's 7-6-2 start. Given the outlook prior to this road swing, things could be worse.
Projected lineup
Forwards
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Oskar Lindblom-Nolan Patrick-Jakub Voracek
Dale Weise-Jordan Weal-Wayne Simmonds
Scott Laughton-Jori Lehtera-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Defensemen
Ivan Provorov-Robert Hagg
Shayne Gostisbehere-Christian Folin
Travis Sanheim-Radko Gudas
Goalies
Calvin Pickard
Alex Lyon
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