Philadelphia @ Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 3, 2019 ) Carolina 5, Philadelphia 3

The Carolina Hurricanes were on the fast track toward their first postseason berth since 2009 after enjoying a sublime 17-5-1 run, but the upstart club stumbled after a home-and-home sweep in their last two outings. The Hurricanes aim to regain their footing on Saturday afternoon when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at PNC Arena.

"You kind of live for these big moments, right? We all want to be in these pressure games because the reward is so much fun and worth it," forward Warren Foegele told the Raleigh News & Observer on Friday, one day after Carolina was swept by Washington to sustain consecutive regulation losses for the first time since mid-January. The Hurricanes, who brought out the brooms in back-to-back wins over Philadelphia to bookend the new calendar year, are clinging to a one-point edge over Columbus and Montreal for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers remain mathematically alive for a playoff spot, although they reside eight points out with five games remaining. "We just know what's at stake every game now," said forward Travis Konecny, who helped Philadelphia stave off elimination with a goal in Wednesday's 5-4 shootout win over Toronto.

TV: 1:30 p.m. ET, FS Carolinas, NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE FLYERS (37-32-8): Although Sean Couturier boosted his career-high goal total to 32 on Wednesday after scoring for the seventh time this month, the 26-year-old cited the overall growth of the team as reason to be inspired despite facing daunting odds for a postseason berth. "I think everyone has pride in here and wants to win games," said Couturier, who sits two points shy of last season's personal-best total of 76. "It's a lot more fun to win games. We need to finish strong and build something here." Couturier scored in Philadelphia's 5-3 setback to Carolina on Jan. 3 while captain Claude Giroux set up a pair of tallies in that contest.

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (42-28-7): Sebastian Aho, who has club-best totals in goals (30) and points (81), has failed to score in nine consecutive contests while fellow forward Micheal Ferland is mired in a 12-game goal drought. Aho, however, notched two of his team co-leading 51 assists in the win over Philadelphia on Jan. 3 while Ferland also set up a goal in that contest. Teuvo Teravainen, who scored two goals and set up another in that tilt, has tallied just once in March to go along with 10 of his team high-tying 51 assists.

OVERTIME

1. Philadelphia G Cam Talbot, who will start Saturday's game, made 30 saves in his lone start with the club in a 6-3 win over New Jersey on March 1.

2. Carolina's 25th-ranked power play is 0-for-15 in the last nine games.

3. Flyers LW James van Riemsdyk will face his brother, Hurricanes D Trevor van Riemsdyk, on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Flyers 3, Hurricanes 2