Nice Flyers win: Next up, defending champion Blackhawks
The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, in their only Wells Fargo appearance of the season, will provide a major challenge for the Flyers on Wednesday.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, in their only Wells Fargo appearance of the season, will provide a major challenge for the Flyers on Wednesday.
"They have great skills, great players and a very good power play," goalie Michal Neuvirth said after taking part in an optional practice Tuesday in Voorhees. "We have to make sure we don't spend too much time in the penalty box."
Starting goalie Steve Mason, who missed Monday's 1-0 win over Florida because of a family matter, will take part in Wednesday's morning skate, but the Flyers wouldn't say if we would play in the game.
In his first start with the Flyers, Neuvirth made 31 saves in Monday's shutout.
"I'm just trying to prepare like I'm going to play" Wednesday, Neuvirth said.
If he does get the call, he will be trying to extend the Flyers' regular-season home winning streak to 12 straight over the Blackhawks, who last won a non-playoff game in Philadelphia in 1996, back when the building was known as the CoreStates Center.
"They're world champs. Obviously they come in on top," winger Wayne Simmonds said. "It'll be a good test. We got a chance to play the Tampa Bay Lightning [Saturday], and I thought we played good enough, but unfortunately we didn't get the two points. Now we have the team that beat Tampa Bay in the Finals. We've got a lot to prove here; we've got a lot to show."
The Blackhawks (2-1) have one of the league's fastest teams.
"It's almost like they play a fast-paced game of pond hockey," winger Brayden Schenn said.
"They control the puck, but they also fly around all over the place. It'll be a challenge and give us a viewpoint of what it takes to be a top team in this league this year," winger Matt Read said.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews played for new Flyers coach Dave Hakstol when he was at North Dakota. Hakstol was asked if he would seek out Toews before the game.
"If we run into each other, I'll have a chance to say hello," Hakstol said. "But this is game day, and that's what our focus is."
In Monday's hard-earned 1-0 win over Florida, the Flyers (1-1-1) avenged a 7-1 loss two nights earlier.
"We have to build off that," Simmonds said of a win that included the Flyers' 6 for 6 penalty killing. "Last year, we seemed to find ways to lose games like that."
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