Brian Elliott gets the nod (again) as Flyers try to get back into win column against Detroit Red Wings

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol danced around the question Wednesday after the morning skate at the Wells Fargo Center.

Asked if he wanted to finally give workhorse goalie Brian Elliott a night off later this week — Michal Neuvirth is close to returning from an unspecified injury — Hakstol said: "Ells has handled things very well. Every situation is a little different. Like I've said all along, since Neuvy's been out, we have confidence that if it's time for Alex (Lyon) to go in and Brian to have a night off, we'd do that. But right now, Brian's feeling strong and has played very well for our team and has really shown no signs otherwise."

On Wednesday, Elliott will make his ninth straight start — and 18th in the last 19 games — when the Flyers host the Detroit Red Wings at 8 p.m. (NBCSN, 97.5 The Fanatic).

The 32-year-old goalie showed signs of fatigue as the Flyers' six-game winning streak was snapped by the Los Angeles Kings, 4-1, on Monday.

"That's not a question for me; that's a question for the coach," Elliott said when asked after Monday's loss if he would like a night off. "Like I said, I will take the opportunity anytime I get it."

Overall, Elliott is 12-7-6 with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. He carried the Flyers during their winning streak and was named the NHL's No. 2 star of the week. The previous week, he was named the league's No. 3 star.

In his career against the Red Wings, Elliott is 5-6-2 with a 2.34 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

Look for Neuvirth to start one of the upcoming back-to-back road games. The Flyers are in Buffalo on Friday and in Columbus on Saturday before starting their holiday break.

Despite their recent 10-game losing skid, the Flyers have a chance to move to within two points of a wild-card spot with a win Wednesday.

— Jimmy Howard (10-9-6, 2.83 GAA, .908 save percentage) is expected to start in goal for the Red Wings, who are playing on back-to-back nights. They scored a 6-3 win over the goalie-challenged Islanders on Tuesday.

— The Flyers (14-12-7) will play 42 of their last 49 games against Eastern Conference opponents, adding to the significance of the matchups.

— The Flyers have allowed two or fewer power plays in the last eight games. They have killed 12 of 13 (92.3 percent) during that stretch

— Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg has scored 11 goals in 19 career games against the Flyers

— Flyers center Val Filppula had 251 points in 483 games for the Red Wings from 2005-13. "It's always nice to get a chance to see some old friends and play against them," said Filppula, who has eight goals and 16 points in 33 games. "It definitely would be extra fun to be on the winning side."

— The Red Wings (13-13-7) have points in five of their last six games, going 3-1-2.