The bye week/all-star break came at a bad time for the Orange and Black. The Flyers, who haven’t found consistency all season long, were finally looking like they were beginning to click. Carter Hart was on fire, JVR and Nolan Patrick were heating up, and oh yeah, they had won three straight. Sadly, there’s nothing they can do. The bye week happened and the team was forced to rest for what seemed like forever.
The Flyers, who practiced yesterday for about an hour, last played nine days ago when they took on the Montreal Canadiens in the final game before the bye week/All-Star break.
So what will this team look like coming out of the bye week when they take on the Jets tonight to kick off the post-all-star break stretch? Will they come out ready to play against one of the best teams in the NHL; or will they come out flat-footed and start to look like the Flyers team we knew about three weeks ago. That’s something we won’t know until about a period or two into tonight’s game.
Carter Hart, who has dominated since joining the Flyers in mid-December, talked about how important Sunday’s practice was for the team after being off the ice for over a week and in advance of a stretch in which they’re set to play three games in four days.
”I think it’s important we got a good skate in today. Kind of shake off all the rust from the bye week now. Today was really important just to kind of get the speed going and get ready for tomorrow. Playing three of four, it’s important that we make sure that we’re rested and that we really take care of our bodies”.
Hart, who has started the last five games for the Flyers, is slated to start tonight against the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets.
Flyers RW Travis Konecny, who has been quiet of late but is bound to get going being on a line with JVR and Giroux, talked about how the team will try to pick up where they left off before the break.
“Winnipeg’s going through the same thing we did so everyone has to come back just ready to go. Do what you got to do to prepare and try not to let those seven days get in the way. You got to be back mentally, and like today we got ready and physically we should be good to go”.
Flyers coach Scott Gordon, who has a record of 7-8-2 since taking over for Dave Hakstol, talked about the upcoming week, where they play three games in four days starting tonight, and how the guys can prepare for it physically.
”I think the biggest thing is to make sure we manage our shifts. Not get overextended; try to stay on top of the guys that play a lot of minutes making sure that there not getting overextended and we’ll have an off day on Wednesday and then play the game against Boston and come back and practice. That’s the way the schedule is and I guess if there is any saving grace it’s the fact that Winnipeg is going through the same thing”.
The Flyers are back in action tonight as they take on Patrik Laine and the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets at the Wells Fargo Center. With a win tonight, the Flyers will have won four straight for the first time all season. Puck Drop is at 7PM.
As always, Lets Go Flyers!!
Photo credit: Alex Mclntyre
