At the break, reasons for optimism
PHILADELPHIA >> Alain Vigneault has roamed behind the benches of two Stanley Cup finalists, reading their faces, their spirit, their skills, the way they compete.
The Flyers’ coach knows the difference between a hopeless hockey club and one with a chance. He knows when the standings matter and when they should be studied another day.
He knows what a contender looks like, feels like, sounds like, on the ice, in the room. So before the Flyers would pause Tuesday night for an All-Star break and a bye week, not to be seen again in action until Jan. 31, their coach would throw it out there.
“We’re in a great position,” Vigneault said. “We’re right where we want to be.”
A 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, one in a recent set of telling victories over some of the NHL’s better clubs, would add support to Vigneault’s position, even if it was enough only to match the 60 points of fourth-place Columbus in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers were quick to the puck, alert, confident and stingy on defense, with goalie Brian Elliott cleaning up any of their few mistakes.
As going-away prizes can go, it was welcome.
“A win always feels good,” said Travis Konecny, who will
have played in his first AllStar Game by the time the Flyers next are together. “But it feels even better against these guys. They have been playing good hockey and we were able to shut them down.”
The Flyers have played 50 games, giving them 32 left in the unofficial second half of the season. Providing comfort would be that a couple of ridiculous scheduling tests already are behind, including the one that sent them to the Czech Republic and then for three in western Canada early in the season. Also in the process of being forgotten is the usual holiday exit from the Wells Fargo Center to make way for an ice show, and the five losses in six games that it helped to cause.
In recent weeks, the Flyers have defeated the Metro-leading Capitals, the Atlantic-leading Bruins and the Stanley Cup champion Blues. A victory over the Pens, second in the Metro, was a soothing way to slide into the break, particularly after a 7-1 loss in Pittsburgh in October.
“I sort of tried to turn the page on that one,” Vigneault said. “We’re past that. That was a long time ago. We know they’re one of the best teams in the NHL. For quite some time now they’ve been rolling on all cylinders, playing real well offensively and defensively. It’s a lot like some of the opponents we’ve been playing lately. They’re on top of their game.”
Vigneault said that Tuesday morning, after a light, early practice, an indication that he knows it is time to start pushing a little.
“I’m not a believer in morning skates,” he said. “We’re trying to keep everybody focused on the task at hand. We have one more game here before a long break and we need to play well.”
The Flyers did play well, winning nearly every shift. They held the Penguins to eight shots in each of the first two periods and three in the third. They took a 2-0 secondperiod lead when Konecny fed James van Riemsdyk in front for his 14th goal and fourth point in the last two games, then played even better in the third.
Justin Braun slipped a goal into an empty net, just before the Flyers would slip into a weekplus of inactivity having won four of their last five.
“For whatever reason, we have a lot of gamers on this team,” van Riemsdyk said. “That was a topof-the-standings team we beat tonight. We are still looking for more consistency night in and night out. But we are showing that we can rise to the occasion.”
The Penguins did have some chances against Elliott, including an open second-period shot from Sidney Crosby that the Flyers’ goaltender just deflected. Elliott also smothered a wide-open attempt from Bryan Rust in front with 11 minutes left, preserving a twogoal lead. With Carter Hart continuing to fight off an abdominal injury, it’s the kind of goaltending effort the Flyers will need if they expect to make a late-season push toward the playoffs.
“As a goalie, you are only as good as your team,” Elliott said. “Tonight, the guys were really good. They were blocking shots and paying attention to detail. That always makes a goalie’s job easier.”
Some nights will be easier than others. And the last 32 games will have their own playoffrace stakes.
“We had one road swing that set us back a little bit,” Konecny said. “But we know what kind of team we can be.”
They can be a good team. They can be a playoff team. But Vigneault was even willing to go to the next level.
“We said coming in here that we’re going to get into the playoffs and we’re going to have an opportunity to challenge to play for the Stanley Cup,” Vigneault said. “We’re right where we want to be. It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be fun.
“It’s going to be an opportunity for our leadership group and our young players that are all getting better to go out and prove that we’re a good team.”
They have the chance. Vigneault sees it in their eyes, in their spirit, in their recent results.