Bryzgalov trying to find his groove as the Flyers' new goalie

Maybe it's playing behind a new defense. Or maybe it's because he has faced mostly Eastern Conference teams and is unfamiliar with their tendencies.

Whatever the reason, new Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov conceded he hasn't felt sharp in the early going.

"I'm happy with the team overall, but not with my performance," Bryzgalov said after Friday's practice in Voorhees. "It's still not there. Some parts of my game, I'm still trying to find."

Specifically?

"I just don't feel right," said Bryzgalov, who is expected to get the call Saturday against the visiting St. Louis Blues.

Even with Bryzgalov still searching for his comfort zone, the Flyers are 4-1-1 overall and 3-1-1 with their new goaltender in the net.

After allowing one goal, total, in the first two games, Bryzgalov has struggled a bit. Overall, he has a 2.59 goals-against average and .905 save percentage and is coming off a strange, 5-2 loss to Washington, which scored three of its goals on deflections off Flyers.

"It's still a process, a long season," he said. "Something is missing, and I cannot understand what exactly it is. I can't explain it, but only I know what it is."

Line changes. The Flyers made numerous line changes during Friday's practice, though coach Peter Laviolette said: "I wouldn't read too much into it just yet."

Still, it is likely that some of the changes will be in place Saturday against the Blues.

These were the lines Friday:

Brayden Schenn centering Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr.

Matt Read, who had been playing wing, centering James van Riemsdyk and Wayne Simmonds. Read played center in college.

Danny Briere centering his former linemate Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek.

Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Jody Shelley/Andreas Nodl. When Nodl was with this group, it was the only unit that also was used in Thursday's loss to Washington.

"Things get switched around and you try to find some different chemistry," van Riemsdyk said. "You're not going to have the same lines playing together the full year."

Briere scored a career-high 34 goals last season on a line that included Hartnell. Laviolette is trying to jump-start both of them. Briere has one goal, Hartnell has none.

"It makes it easier when you know each other," Briere said. "But it's still early in the year. We've said it all along coming into the season that there might be some growing pains early in the season, trying to figure out what the right combinations are. I think we're still at that stage. . . . We're not winning the Cup in October. It's a long process."

Simmonds said the Flyers were eager to redeem themselves after collapsing in the third period against the Capitals on Thursday.

"That's the beauty of the sport. You have one off night and two nights later get to go again and prove ourselves," he said.

Breakaways. Veteran defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who suffered a bruised right hand when he blocked a shot Thursday, practiced and is expected to play Saturday. . . . The Flyers are 1-1-1 at home and 3-0 on the road. . . . Defenseman Matt Carle and rookie forwards Read and Couturier lead the Flyers with plus-4 ratings.

Peter Laviolette says Blues' speed could be trouble. www.philly.com/flyersvideos.EndText