VOORHEES, N.J. — The Flyers must fare better at the Wells Fargo Center than they did during the regular season to keep their momentum going Sunday against the Penguins.
The series returns to Philadelphia knotted at 1-1, putting the Flyers in position to gain the upper hand with home ice. Then again, they haven’t exactly dominated in their own building, particularly against the Penguins.
Though they had a winning record of 22-13-6, the Flyers finished with the fewest home wins of any playoff team in 2017-18. They’re also 2-4 against Pittsburgh at the Wells Fargo Center over the last three seasons.
Despite the appearance of any issues, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol didn’t sound concerned.
“We’re just going to worry about playing a good hockey game,” Hakstol said Saturday. “I think we had a winning record at home, didn’t we? So we were OK.
“I’m not real worried about what the regular-season record was or games that are passed.”
The Flyers have performed better at home of late, coming in with a five-game winning streak. And there’s no doubt the place will be ready to rock the moment the puck drops for Game 3.
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The question is whether the Flyers are ready for the pressure of playing in front of their own fans.
“It will be another interesting challenge for our team, especially for our young guys to manage,” Hakstol said. “Can you harness that and use that in a positive way rather than have it weigh you down?”
For budding stars such as Travis Konecny, Nolan Patrick and Ivan Provorov, this will be their first playoff experience at the Wells Fargo Center. While it’s difficult to put a finger on what exactly prevented the Flyers from owning home ice this season, youth is the one constant.
“Maybe it’s just the maturity of our team,” Flyers center Sean Couturier said. “Sometimes in front of your own fans, you try to put a show on, try to look good. Sometimes less is more.”
The Flyers have two playoff games under their belts already. They’ve had a chance to experience the level of intensity NHL fans come with when the Stanley Cup is on the line.
Of course, PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is nothing like playing in Philly.
“I don’t think you can really compare to our building,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “Our building is pretty loud, and a 3 o’clock game, the people are going to be ready for sure.”
How the Flyers manage their emotions Sunday could go a long way toward determining the outcome of Game 3, not to mention the remainder of the series.