Another trip, another reason to be positive

PHILADELPHIA >> Facing one of those troublesome onegame homestands between games in Prague and Vancouver, Alain Vigneault had two chances he did not want to waste Wednesday night.

With four of his first five games away from the Wells Fargo Center, the first-year Flyers coach did not want to miss a chance for a quick two points.

And with that, he didn’t want to pass on his only opportunity for a favorable first impression.

With a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, he would go 2-for-2.

“I’m looking at it as our first time in front of our fans, to come and play with energy and play hard and play smart,” Vigneault said, outside the Flyers’ dressing room before the game. “I think everybody is real excited. I believe that nerves are going to come into play a little bit at the beginning, but hopefully once we get pucks in deep and start working, it will change.

“That’s a real good team we’re playing, so we’re going to have to be real sharp from start to finish.”

The Flyers excelled in just about every area, from goaltending to their penalty-kill to their power play to their physical domination. For that, including a victory over Chicago in the Czech Republic, they have a 2-0 record for the first time since 2011.

“Guys have been waiting for this moment for quite some time,” Vigneault said. “We just got back from a European trip. We’ve been able to re-energize and refocus here. This is our only game before we leave again for another week again on the road. So we want to play well. We want to do well. And I’m confident that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Flyers will open a three-game road trip Saturday against the Canucks, then will visit Calgary and Edmonton before an Oct. 19 return home to face the Dallas Stars.

••• With a corny yet compelling and somewhat cool players video, an endless array of Flyers introductions and a stirring national anthem with Lauren Hart backed by a children’s choir, the Flyers marketing department came out roaring for their home season debut.

The team kind of followed suit, though it would take a while for them to dent the scoreboard.

Unlike recent home openers, however, the Flyers didn’t allow themselves to instantly get caught up in the hype and forget about some defensive responsibilities on the ice in what became a runaway victory over the Devils.

It says a lot that this Flyers club didn’t get carried away at the start, especially after waiting five days since they opened the season with a win over the Blackhawks in Prague.

“Anytime you play the first game of the season at home there’s a different feel to it,” Claude Giroux said beforehand. “We feel we have something to prove. The fans are going to be ready to go ... I’m looking forward to it.”

••• As it was in Prague, Vigneault began the game with Kevin Hayes up top, centering Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, and Sean Couturier centering Oskar Lindblom and Travis Konecny on the second line.

That theoretically left James van Riemsdyk out of the scoring-line mix, playing third-line left wing with Scott Laughton and Carsen Twarynski.

But he figures he’ll get enough chances.

“Coaches have different preferences on how to do that,” van Riemsdyk said of the formation of forward lines early in the season. “We’re just going and riding the wave out, and when your number is called you’re ready to go. Obviously, they’re trying some different things out to try to figure out where the best chemistry is and stuff like that, and where that lies. Certainly I’m sure it’s a fluid process. You just have to be prepared to play every night and go from there.

“As players, ultimately our job is just try to prepare and play in the situations and roles the coaching staff decides for you.”

Van Riemsdyk agreed that most teams in the league now try to engage three scoring lines with one checking line as opposed to the old 2-and-2 philosophy. Of course there’s always going to be mixing and matching, but JVR knows Vigneault is bent on trying to create offense from every source possible.

“To be a successful team in the league you have to have depth in all areas,” van Riemsdyk said. “You can’t just rely on one or two guys to create offense. Obviously, it has to come from everywhere. That seems to be a winning recipe all around the league.”