SoCal NHL Preview

Anaheim (27-21-7) at Philadelphia (28-17-5), 4:00pm

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- For the Anaheim Ducks, Teemu Selanne's return cannot come fast enough. The Ducks will try to avoid their sixth consecutive loss Saturday night, when they continue their nine-game road trip in the City of Brotherly Love against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Anaheim, which has played just one home game since January 15 and will not have another until February 15, has scored a total of just five goals during its current five-game skid. Selanne, who on Monday put off retirement and signed a one-year contract with the Ducks, led the team with 48 goals and 94 points last season. The "Finnish Flash" could provide the remedy for the club's recent scoring woes. However, Anaheim is not expected to have Selanne in the lineup when it faces one of the Eastern Conference's top offensive clubs.

The Flyers, who are third in the East with 163 goals, lacked punch Thursday, managing just 20 shots in a 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers. Philadelphia owns the NHL's top power play, clicking at a 24.6 percent rate. Mike Knuble has been a top contributor on special teams, scoring a team-leading 11 goals with the man advantage. Entering one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for first place in the Atlantic Division, the Flyers have been one of the league's hottest teams, going 12-3-1 since a shootout loss to Buffalo on December 22. Philadelphia is 3-2-0 on its current six-game homestand.