NHL game of the week: Bruins vs. Flyers

On Saturday, the reigning President Trophy winners, the Boston Bruins, will travel to the Wells Fargo Center to take on one of the biggest surprise teams of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Bruins enter this one with a record of 30-9-9 and on a hot streak, having won six out of their last seven games.

Most recently, they defeated the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2 on Thursday night.

Hart Trophy candidate David Pasternak has carried the load offensively as he leads the black and gold in goals (31), assists (38) and points (69).

Pasternak is a player to watch in this one, as he will surely give the Flyers a ton of trouble in the defensive zone.

Brad Marchand is having another all-star caliber campaign with 24 goals and 23 assists, while Charlie Coyle has done a stellar job taking over the first-line center job from Patrice Bergeron.

On defense, Charlie McAvoy has continued to play an elite two-way game with six goals and 25 assists while being a plus-13. Look for him to make an impact, especially on the man advantage, where he has 11 apples.

Between the pipes, Linus Ullmark has taken a step back from last season's Vezina Trophy-winning campaign but is still putting up solid numbers with a 2.82 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.

The Flyers enter this one with a record of 25-18-6 but have lost their last four games.

Most recently, they got shut out by the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 3-0 on Thursday.

Travis Konecny is leading the way offensively, pacing the squad with 22 goals and 20 assists, while Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett have supplemented the scoring with 40 and 30 points, respectively.

Tippett will not be featured in this one, as he is on an injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury.

After struggling with injuries the past two seasons, Sean Couturier has returned not only to the lineup but to form, providing some much-needed defensive security.

On defense, it has been the Travis Sanheim show, as he is playing 24:09 minutes per night while putting up some solid offensive statistics with four goals and 22 assists.

New acquisition Jamie Drysdale should improve the Flyers' dreaded powerplay that sits near the bottom of the league.

Following Carter Hart taking a leave of absence, Samuel Ersson is set to be manning the crease for the foreseeable future and should get the start in this one.

Ersson is posting a 2.46 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage this season.

The Swedish native will have to make some big saves if the Flyers want to walk away with two points.

The puck is set to drop at 12.30 p.m. EST.

Ben Palillo is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.