Resilient is not a word anyone would have used to describe the Philadelphia Flyers in the beginning of the season, and now, past the halfway mark, it’s pretty much the only word to describe them.
A sleepy start would result in a two goal deficit halfway through the second period, Phoenix up 3-1. That resilient spirit kicked in, though, and the Flyers were able to claw their way back into the game and score four straight to bury the Coyotes in an exhilarating win.
- Incredible effort by the second line tonight. You might not have been crazy about the lineup when it was first experimented with, but hell if it isn’t working out like gangbusters now. Goals for Hartnell, Schenn, and Simmonds. That’s exactly what you need out of them.
- Shout out to Craig Berube for a Peter Laviolette-esque timeout. The first shift after? Scott Hartnell scores. Berube said the team needed a wake-up call. Looks like he got one.
- If you like fighting, you liked Jay Rosehill’s bout tonight. Whether it was the major momentum shifter in the game or not (argue in the comments, if you like), it was fun as hell to watch. Also, it was so, so cute that Paul Bissonnette asked Dave Tippett for permission to fight. Absolutely hilarious that Tippett said yes.
- Keith Yandle, recently snubbed by Team USA, got stripped by Jake Voracek halfway through the third and Jake capitalized, scoring the game winning goal. That number 93…man, he plays pretty hockey.
- Aside from one messy turnover, Mark Streit continues his streak of proving me wrong and playing really, really well. He’s doing it all: playing solid in his own zone, joining rushes, and coming up with some sick stretch passes.
- Zac Rinaldo took a couple penalties early on in this one, but man, that says nothing about his play tonight. He performed very well and proved that he can blend in on a third line if the situation deems necessary.
- After Charlie’s article on the potential of the Flyers penalty kill (a great read), they killed off all four of their penalties tonight. Coincidence? I think not.
The Flyers have gone 8-2-0 in their last ten games and went 4-1-0 in their trip to the West. No matter what way you slice it, the team is doing something right.
Sure, I could nitpick problems about the game. Steve Mason had a lot of trouble with rebounds tonight. Of course, you’d like to see cleaner line changes. But really, who cares? The Flyers did what they needed to do, played with passion and yes, resiliency. Because of the two points and a Capitals loss, the Philadelphia Flyers are now sitting proudly in second place in the Metropolitan division. Hard to find things to hate about that kind of game.
If you missed it in favor of the Eagles game, tonight’s game will be rerun on the Comcast Network (5 PM) and Comcast Sports Network (8 PM) tomorrow evening.
Good night and good hockey!
