Flyers visit Leafs in key battle

Tonight, the Flyers are up north to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a big Eastern Conference battle. The Flyers are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Capitals, while the Leafs handed the Sabres their first regulation loss on Saturday. These are two teams heading in similar directions right now, as the Leafs are building youth around the aging Mats Sundin, while the Flyers are doing the same around Peter Forsberg.

Toronto is currently 2nd in the Northeast Divison, with 16 points. Toronto though has already played 16 games, compared to just 13 for Montreal, who trails Toronto by two points. The aforementioned Sundin is leading the Leafs with 18 points, while Darcy Tucker has scored 10 goals and has 6 assists. Tucker has not lost his edginess on the ice though, as he is 2nd on the team in penalty minutes with 25.

The Flyers meanwhile will be looking to rebound from Saturday's loss against Washington. They trailed 4-1 after just one period, and pulled goaltender Robert Esche after just 20 minutes of play. Antero Niittymaki will get the start in net tonight for the Flyers. Jeff Carter's health is in question for tonight's game. He skated on Sunday in practice, but will be a game-time decision. Mike Rathje will miss his second straight game with a back injury that may require surgery. It is reported that Rathje will receive Botox shots instead of cortisone shots because he has used up the allotted amount of cortisone. The Botox will apparently relax the muscles in his back. At this point, he's just trying anything to stay away from surgery.

Game Information: 7:00, ComcastSportsNet, 610WIP