Flyers giving fourth line a chance to shine

A Flyers fan on Twitter nicknamed the trio the "Scrabble Line" because their lengthy full names would provide lots of points in the word game.

The Flyers' fourth line - Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare centering Chris VandeVelde and Vinny Lecavalier - also has scored lots of points with coach Craig Berube.

Berube has been giving the line more minutes lately because of its effectiveness. The group has been one of the Flyers' best units in the last few weeks.

"They've done a great job of defense-first and scoring big goals for us," said Berube, whose team returns to action Thursday when it hosts the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders. "The line has good chemistry. I'd put them out there against anybody."

Lecavalier, 34, is chatty and gives his linemates direction when they are on the ice, Bellemare and VandeVelde said.

"Vinny's always talking to teammates; he's been around a long time, he's been a very good player, he's won a Cup," Berube said. "He knows a lot of stuff, and he's been very helpful."

VandeVelde, a natural center who has moved to left wing, has been the line's biggest surprise. He has five goals in his last nine games after scoring just three goals in the first 78 games of his career.

"We're just trying to bring energy," said VandeVelde, 27, who started the season with the Phantoms but seems to have cemented a spot with the Flyers. "We've been getting more and more minutes and there are a lot of good signs, but we just have to hold that level."

In addition, Lecavalier has contributed on the power play, and Bellemare and VandeVelde have played well on the Flyers' much-maligned but improving penalty kill, which has been successful in 13 of its last 14 attempts.

Their penalty kill ranks 28th (74.8 percent success rate) in the NHL, ahead of only Buffalo and the Islanders. But it has been more aggressive lately.

"Finally clicking," said Bellemare, whose team has won four straight.

"I think we're pressuring more, and me and Belly can read off each other pretty well, since we play together on a line as well," VandeVelde said.

The team's penalty kill has been successful 81 percent of the time at home (22d in the NHL), and just 69 percent on the road (29th).

"It's a mind-set," Bellemare said. "There's no reason why we should be better at home than away."

When the Flyers are on the road, the home players "may be pumped up, but you have to find a way to be pumped up yourself," he said. "It seems we make little individual mistakes that bite us pretty hard."

After Thursday, the Flyers will play four straight road games against Washington, Montreal, Columbus, and Buffalo.

Thursday will be their first game in five nights. Long breaks in the schedule have not always produced positive results when the Flyers have returned to action, so Berube has altered the regimen a bit. He gave the players off Monday, hoping that hard practices Tuesday and Wednesday will get them ready for the speedy Islanders.

"I don't think it's about how long you're out there practicing," Berube said. "It's about pace and tempo for me, and doing things quick and getting in game situations."

@BroadStBull