Can Flyers do something they've done only once since 2015?

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For the second straight game, the Flyers face an unbeaten team.

This time, it's on the road.

The Flyers (2-1-1) open a three-game Western Canada trip Wednesday when they face the Oilers (5-0-0).

Let's get into the essentials for the game:

  • When: 10 p.m. ET
  • Where: Rogers Place
  • Broadcast: TNT with Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk and Keith Jones on the call

• The Flyers have not fared well against Connor McDavid in Edmonton, Alberta.

Since McDavid's rookie season in 2015-16, the Flyers have gone 1-4-0 on the road against the Oilers. They've been outscored 22-13 and their lone victory came in December 2017. The Flyers received goals from Jordan Weal, Dale Weise, Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds in a 4-2 decision.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Flyers have not played the Oilers in over two years. The last meeting was Oct. 16, 2019 — a 6-3 Edmonton victory at Rogers Place. It was Alain Vigneault's fifth game as Flyers head coach.

• The world class duo of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is off to a roaring start this season. As those two go, the Oilers go.

Edmonton has won its first five games by a combined score of 24-13. McDavid has had a multi-point effort in every game and has recorded at least a point in 11 of the Oilers' 15 periods.

Over last season and this season, McDavid leads the NHL with 118 points in 61 games. The next closest player is Draisaitl with 95 points. After those two, it's Brad Marchand with 76 points.

The Flyers are coming off a productive season-opening homestand in which they earned at least a point in three of four games. They scored four and a half goals per game and their only regulation loss was to the 6-0-0 Panthers last Saturday.

For the number of new players they acquired, the Flyers have shown well so far, but ...

• They're expected to miss top-pair defenseman Ryan Ellis against Edmonton. Ellis, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury and considered day to day, missed the team's 4-2 defeat to Florida.

No Ellis is a big hole against a team like the Oilers. The all-situation blueliner recorded 24:09 minutes per game, four points (one goal, three assists) and a plus-3 rating through the Flyers' first three games.

Carter Hart, who is from right outside of Edmonton (Sherwood Park), will start in net for the Flyers.

Projected lineup

 

Forwards

Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny

Joel Farabee-Derick Brassard-Cam Atkinson

Oskar Lindblom-Scott Laughton-James van Riemsdyk

Nicolas Aube-Kubel-Nate Thompson-Zack MacEwen

Defensemen

Ivan Provorov-Justin Braun

Travis Sanheim-Rasmus Ristolainen

Keith Yandle-Nick Seeler

Goalies

Carter Hart

Martin Jones

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