Will break reenergize Flyers' sagging 5-on-5 play?
Some Flyers went to tropical islands during the team's four-day break. Some stayed home. Right winger Wayne Simmonds got engaged.
Some Flyers went to tropical islands during the team's four-day break. Some stayed home.
Right winger Wayne Simmonds got engaged.
Simmonds was reminded that when teammate Claude Giroux got engaged in late November, the Flyers then won eight straight to run their winning streak to 10 games.
"We need everyone in here to get engaged then, I guess," Simmonds said with a smile after the Flyers returned from their break and practiced Friday in Voorhees.
Hoping their bye week reenergizes them after looking fatigued and losing 11 of their last 14 games, the Flyers (22-18-6) will host the New Jersey Devils (19-18-9 entering Friday) on Saturday night, their first game since Sunday.
"It was good to get away and recharge the batteries a bit," defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said.
"I think we refocused," said right winger Jake Voracek, who shaved off his mountain-man beard - it had been 1½ years old - during the break. "Everybody was excited to get back to work today and push this thing to the playoffs."
If the Flyers are going to secure a playoff spot for the second straight season, they need better goaltending and improved overall team defense.
They also need to make major strides in their five-on-five play.
So far, only Arizona and Colorado - the NHL's two worst teams - have been less effective in five-on-five play than the Flyers, who have been outscored, 98-75, in those full-strength situations.
"We obviously have to get better at that," Voracek said. 'Special teams win and lose some games, but over a longer period of time, you have to be good five-on-five."
Simmonds said the team's commitment and its backchecking need to get better in even-strength situations. "We have to get back to the way we were playing in the beginning of the year than the stretch before the break," he said.
Early in the season, the team's five-on-five play "was winning us hockey games, not special teams," center Brayden Schenn said. "We have to get better in our own end, give up less chances, less rushes. That starts in all three zones, too. Everyone working together.
"Once we clean that up, we'll be a better hockey team and we'll be fine."
Based on Friday's practice, right winger Matt Read will return from a lower-leg injury and will be on a line with Michael Raffl and the struggling Giroux. The other lines Friday: Sean Couturier centering Nick Cousins and Voracek; Schenn centering Travis Konecny and Simmonds; and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare centering Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov.
Dale Weise, expected to be scratched Saturday, alternated with Konecny.
Entering Friday, Konecny topped the Flyers with 1.78 points per 60 minutes in five-on-five play, but was ranked just 103rd in the NHL.
Voracek (1.70) was 136th, Simmonds (1.22) was 270th, Giroux (1.01) was 313th, and Schenn (0.87) was 335th.
Bottom line: The Flyers need more from their core players in five-on-five play.
Heading into Friday's action, just four points separated seven teams battling for the last Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
"We all know where we're at; we're in a dogfight," said Schenn, who leads the NHL with 11 power-play goals.
Breakaways.
It appears Michal Neuvirth will start in goal Saturday. . . . Coach Dave Hakstol: "It was a real good time for them to have a mental and physical break. Now it's time for all of us to get back to work." . . . New Jersey will be playing on back-to-back nights. . . . The Flyers have allowed the first goal in eight of the last nine games.
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