Measuring Stick Tonight
The Flyers have collected 11 of a possible 14 points in their last 7 games. That just makes tonight's clash in Pittsburgh that much more of a measuring stick.
Measuring Stick Tonight
PITTSBURGH - Here’s a newsflash for you: the Toronto Maple Leafs are not going to make the playoffs this season.
Neither are the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s a good bet the Tampa Bay Lightning will be trading their composite sticks for composite golf clubs come April.
The Rangers and Islanders are toss-ups to qualify in the jam-packed Eastern Conference.
That’s not a knock against the Flyers’ current 5-1-1 roll that includes wins over those teams: those are the games this Flyers team should have been winning all along this season. Those five teams have a combined record of 81-94-39 through last night.
It’s just one way of saying that tonight’s meeting in Pittsburgh with the Penguins is the Flyers’ first true measuring stick since their recent transformation took place on Dec. 23 in Tampa.
Sure, the Flyers have a lot of things stacked against them tonight:
- They are playing on back-to-back nights in different cities, while the Penguins were sitting at home waiting for them.
- They have won just twice in their last 13 regular season attempts at the Igloo.
- They waddled out of Pittsburgh with their tails between their legs as Dec. 15, when they were pounded, 6-1.
But the Flyers need these two points – and not just because a win would put them back in 8th place in the Eastern Conference. It would legitimize their bounce back, for now at least. It sure seems like a loss, especially a blowout loss, would have fans and players wondering if this team will be able to get over the hump as some point this season.
A few weeks ago, the Flyers came into Mellon Arena afraid. They had no confidence. It showed on the ice against the defending Stanley Cup champs.
If there ever was a time for the Flyers' to have their druthers and schedule Pittsburgh, it would be now. They're vulnerable. Almost exactly when the Flyers started to find their rhythm again, the Penguins lost theirs. They trounced Ottawa 8-2 on Dec. 23 and then started off a five-game losing skid with a 4-3 loss against Toronto. They followed that up with losses to Buffalo, New Jersey, Tampa and Florida (all on the road) before downing Atlanta 5-2 on Tuesday.
The Flyers are on the opposite path. For the first time in a while – probably since the middle of November – the Flyers have that swagger about them back.
“We should be excited to go and play that team, and look forward to that opportunity,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said on Wednesday night. “We have a good hockey team, and were starting to move and take steps and it will be a good challenge for us.”
The Flyers have a chance to reel off some serious points in the month of January, with eight of their next 10 games (after Pittsburgh) at the Wachovia Center. But they’ll have to take care of business – and answer a few tough questions tonight – first.
"Pittsburgh has given us a hard time this year," Danny Briere said. "So it's a good time to face 'em."
Oh but I forgot the goaltending difference. That is definitely talent.— jtgallagher1
Yeah, MrHocky, I hate the NHL and the Penguins because I love Hockey. Crosby is the posterboy for everything I think is wrong with the dive-fest that is the modern NHL. If I could stop watching the NHL without giving up the Flyers, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I am fully aware that I'm basically the same as a wrestling fan, rooting for the "heel" that the script will never allow to win. The Penguins have been the dirtier team in this rivalry for at least the last decade. People just can't look past the Flyers logo and see that this is not a dirty team, not a physical team. The biggest problem the Flyers have had is a lack of physicality, a lack of intimidation. They cannot play a competitive game with their hands tied behind their back. Last nights game against Toronto was a perfect example of the liberties other teams can take against the Flyers, The Leafs took cheapshots against Scott Hartnell all night, and only the most drastic of them was penalised. These Flyers remind me of the late 90s Senators, with a large amount of talent, but unable to stand up to the bigger, dirtier teams in the league.— Pelti
just hope they win tonight so i dont have to hear all their $hit on the boards tomorrow. seriously, what a bunch of losers, they are the only team in the league has has fans post on other peoples boards. guess they are still sore at us for beating up on them for so long. oh yea... F Crosby, F malkin, F Fleury, F the penguins fans and F Pittsburg itself for being a $hitty city that smells like cat pi$$— Inchon- Seriously, Crosby is a disgrace to the NHL...whining, diving,crying. Yes he has skill, but no class. And the fact that Talbot getting pummeled somehow inspired the Pens it just ridiculous. Give me a break. I expect a good effort tonight.— flyer4life
Comment removed.- Also, Tyler Kennedy looks exactly like a bat. There is no denying it. Thank goodness I am not a penguins fan...go Flyers beat the batguins!— flyer4life
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- Penguin fans are no different from Cowboys fans, Steeler's fans, ETC. When their team is playing good, they come out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Maybe if they had real fans, the team wouldn't have to threaten the city by moving to Kansas City.— Sminkey
- Funny how all these penguin fans are reading the Philly news papers. Let the games speak for itself. Pitts fans should be thinking why couldn't the superbowl champs make the playoffs. Let the games speak for themself. Crosby will gets his a.. kicked, maybe not tonight, but we can only hope it happens soon!!!— Balt Mark
- Between the Flyers streaky effort and marginal goaltending, the Peni's need to show up for like 10 minutes tonight to win. The Flyers on the other hand need every guy to play like there's no tomorrow for 60 minutes to win. I don't really think the peni's as a team have the desire to win on a lot of nights, but they have the talent to capitalize on any let down or mistake.
- Between the Flyers streaky effort and marginal goaltending, the Peni's need to show up for like 10 minutes tonight to win. The Flyers on the other hand need every guy to play like there's no tomorrow for 60 minutes to win. I don't really think the peni's as a team have the desire to win on a lot of nights, but they have the talent to capitalize on any let down or mistake.
- Kansas City Penguins..hehehehehe— aid2
- Guess my tone was too acerbic so my last comment got deleted, in short get ready for a crapstorm of refguin fans on the comments page, we all know they live here on a regular basis even if we dont have a meeting close, because i guess pittsburgh has nothing better to offer than trolling philly.com comment threads. lately they have noticed us getting wise to 90% of the trolls on here pulling for crysby so they try to pose as ex-flyers fans. its really sad, that being said im not going to talk trash about the matchup tonight, it will be a tough game and hopefully we come and play a full 60 minutes for the second time in the season. We definitely have the talent, the big question mark has always been the discipline.— PhoenixFlyer
- PSU Hockey you are an idiot that thinks only of philadelphia. The fight didn't help the Flyers last year, it helped the Pens like it was supposed to. You are a a complete moron. You really think that Carcillo started that fight to spark it? It was the other way around. It works, it does work and that one example is why fighting is still around. Please don't comment on hockey ever again. Your probably watched the meaningless capital one bowl and your precious lions in a boring football game instead of the Winter Classic which only happens once. Just stick to www.psu.edu and leave the major league stuff up to the big boys.— epbowls
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