Flyers are practicing hard for ‘seeding games’ they deem important
Now that their one official exhibition game of their bubble-hockey restart has been completed, the Flyers are working hard to get ready for their next three practice games at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Officially, their “seeding mini-tournament” are meant to be games that count.
Unofficially, these three games against other top-4 seeds next week, against Boston on Sunday at 3 p.m., Washington Thursday and Tampa Bay next Saturday, seem fairly meaningless, considering there’s no such thing as home ice advantage in the Toronto “bubble.”
But don’t tell any of the players that. “I think the most important thing is to find your game within those three games,” Claude Giroux said in a video media chat. “Obviously the higher seed we are, the better position we’re going to put ourselves in. I think mostly it’s finding your game. Whatever seed you’re in, hopefully when playoffs starts you have your game where you want it to be as a team and also personally.”
So perhaps having a top seed (which should have gone to the Bruins but won’t because the NHL needs the extra television contract cash) could put a team in better position against whatever team is the fourth and final team to come out of the “qualifier” tournament that will be held between eight other Eastern Conference teams in Toronto.
The same thing is going on in the West in the ever-exciting “hub” city of Edmonton, four teams playing for four seed spots and eight other Western clubs vying for four available “qualifier” playoff positions.
After all that is hashed out the real Stanley Cup playoffs begin with the usual full, four-round set of best-of-seven matches for a real-game tournament that could run as late as Oct. 4. That would likely push the start of the 2020-21 season back until after the New Year.
Coronavirus willing, of course.
Then again, the Flyers are only focused on the now, as it should be.
“I feel it with this group of players, the focus we have on the task,” head coach Alain Vigneault said. “With playoff hockey there is a lot to be said for momentum, in-game momentum. How you create it, how you get it back. How you bounce back from a hard-fought game, win or lose.
“A big, big part of this is mental. Mental focus, mental strength that players bring. A lot of it has to do with the preparation that they need to do. The will to put yourself in the right frame of mind to go out there and play your best.”
Although Vigneault knows the three seeding games is the right time for him to test line combinations and use both of his seemingly sharp goaltenders, Carter Hart and Brian Elliott, he sees the games’ real value in the way they can improve the sharpness of his players just in time for real playoffs.
“You’ve got to bring your best hockey,” Vigneault repeated. “We’ve got, obviously, a reseeding phase to go through. Those three games, we’re going to need to play good. We’re going to need to play hard; have a real strong and smart work ethic. I believe this group has learned that and has learned about playing the right way and executing and bringing the right work ethic to the games.
“These three games are going to be important. I think the will to win is there. It’s up to us to go out there and prove it.”