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TGIF: Five NHL games to watch this weekend

Flyers

Saturday: Philadelphia at Detroit (7 p.m. ET)

A win was a win Tuesday over Florida, but Philly didn’t exactly look fantastic against the Panthers. Claude Giroux still doesn’t have a point. Ditto for Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell. If not for Steve Mason, Craig Berube’s head-coaching debut may not have ended so well. As for the Wings, they’ve dropped two straight since opening with a pair of wins, and head coach Mike Babcock was fuming after Thursday’s home loss to Phoenix.

Saturday: Colorado at Washington (7 p.m. ET)

If you haven’t seen the undefeated Avalanche play this season, make an effort to catch this one. Not only does new coach Patrick Roy have his young forwards showing off their speed and skill, the Avs’ goaltenders have combined to allow just three goals in their first four games. Semyon Varlamov should get the start against his old team after Jean-Sebastien Giguere shut out the Bruins on Thursday. On the other side of the ledger, with just one victory in their first four games, the Caps could really use a win here. And if somebody besides Alex Ovechkin would like to score for them, we bet Adam Oates would be most appreciative.

Saturday: Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay (7 p.m. ET)

No shortage of star power in this matchup. Not that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have needed to be dominant in the Pens’ first three games. Not with Marc-Andre Fleury providing all his doubters with something to think about. The 28-year-old starter has allowed just three goals in three starts and boasts a save percentage of .963. But Tampa Bay is playing pretty well, too. The Lightning blew away the Panthers, 7-2, on Thursday, with Steven Stamkos notching a hat trick.

Saturday: NY Rangers at St. Louis (8 p.m. ET)

If only to see if the Rangers can pull out of their death spiral against one of the best teams in the NHL. Alain Vigneault’s club has lost two straight shockers, 9-2 to San Jose and 6-0 to Anaheim. Meanwhile, the Blues are a perfect 3-0-0, including Wednesday’s 3-2 last-minute win over the defending champs from Chicago. Good luck, Martin Biron.

Sunday: Ottawa at Anaheim (8 p.m. ET)

Bobby Ryan returns to The Pond. That should be interesting. But more importantly, it’s Throwback Night! The Ducks will be celebrating their 20th anniversary season by wearing their retro purple jerseys and inviting old members of the original 1993-94 team to partake in festivities throughout the game. We hear Bob Corkum will be shot out of a cannon in the second intermission.