The Flyers have not taken the ice for a regular season game since February 8, thanks to the Olympic break. It’s been over two weeks and to some fans it likely seems like much longer. In case anyone has forgotten the goings on of the team since before the break, we’ve compiled some information for you to bring you up to speed as we anticipate the team’s return on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.
Now, without further adieu, we present: When We Last Left The Flyers.
When we last left our Flyers…
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The team was riding a four-game winning streak
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Claude Giroux was on a four-game point streak
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Wayne Simmonds had four points in his previous four games
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Scott Hartnell had four points in his previous four games
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Michael Raffl had two goals in his previous two games
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Steve Mason was riding a three-game winning streak, with just three goals allowed
There are 23 games left in the regular season, ten of which are against division rivals and 14 of which are being played at home. The team has played decently at home, with a 16-10-1 record (vs a 14-13-5 record on the road). This will be a very important stretch for the Flyers as they attempt to reach the playoffs after not doing so last season.
To make the playoffs, the Flyers will either need to finish in one of the top 3 spots in the Metropolitan Division or be one of the two highest placed finishers in the Eastern conference outside of the top 3 in the Atlantic or Metropolitan Divisions. If the playoffs started today, the Flyers would face the New York Rangers. ESPN has a nifty matchup guide that you can find here.
It will be interesting to see what moves, if any, are made by the team prior to the March 5th trade deadline. The team seems to have a handle on the scoring front (though they could always use more scorers) and goaltending has been fairly solid, for the most part, so if anything, it’s likely they’ll make a deal for a defenseman. Then again, this is the Flyers, so they might end up with a goaltender, an entirely new second line, and Bobby Clarke. And I hear Peter Laviolette is still looking for a job…
