VOORHEES, N.J. — Like many teams in the NHL, the Flyers have positives and negatives.
We know one of those negatives is their record on the road, among other things, but through the ups and downs of the season, one of the biggest positives gathered from this team can be described in one word — response.
The way this team has been able to respond to adversity in game situations, schedule situations, shorthanded situations, etc. has relieved some of the stress and frustrations of the season.
The Flyers struggled in the first 20 minutes of several games on the road. They allowed a combined 11 goals in the first period during a three-game stretch from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4. The players will tell you, it wasn’t ideal to be in situations in which they were chasing the game, but in two of those three games, the Flyers had the chance to take control in the final minutes.
The Flyers have had three four-game losing streaks this season and while it isn’t a good sign to see a team drop four in a row, they have never let it go any further. The most notable game was their 3-2 statement win over the best team in the league, the Washington Capitals, this past Wednesday.
“There was a lot to build on in our last two games," head coach Alain Vigneault said Saturday. "We’re obviously missing a couple key components but all teams go through that. You have to continue to find ways to compete and to win and that’s what we’re trying to do.
"Our schedule is a challenging one, tough opponent tonight (Tampa Bay Lightning), tough opponents coming in … so it’s important that we stay in the present, stay in the moment, focus on what we we’ve got to do tonight against Tampa Bay.”
The Flyers' success on home ice has certainly helped the way they’ve been able to respond to different situations, specifically after the tough six-game road trip in which they went 1-5.
They returned home Wednesday, where they are currently riding a five-game winning streak and have the fourth-highest goals per game average in the NHL (3.75).
“I think our confidence wasn’t really great but obviously coming back home, our record has been pretty good this year," Claude Giroux said. "Washington is a pretty good team and for us to be able to get the win, I think it’s good for everybody in this room right now.”
The Flyers are 14-2-4 at Wells Fargo Center this season and will look to continue their home ice success against the Lightning, who haven't lost since Dec. 21.
The team still has much to prove and will need to continue to battle through adversity with injuries to two of its key defensemen, Justin Braun and Shayne Gostisbehere.
A positive response in the remainder of this three-game game homestand is exactly what the Flyers will need.
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