Let’s just go ahead and face it — the Flyers‘ trip to California has been pretty disappointing. Hopefully they’re able to turn things around tonight and pull out a win against the L.A. Kings.
Now, when I say disappointing, I should note that I’m not implying that they’ve been a total disaster. In San Jose, they put forth a solid effort for at least the first 20 minutes, and they were able to force a shootout in Anaheim. So there certainly have been bright spots on this recent road trip.
But it really hasn’t been enough. For a team that was widely considered as having a 50-50 chance of making the playoffs, the Flyers really aren’t in the position to leave any points on the table. Especially since they’ve lost their last 10 out of 11 games.
One bright spot is that secondary scoring finally made an appearance the other night in Anaheim, with Wayne Simmonds and R.J. Umberger (!!!) collecting some goals. The Flyers have been lacking any offense beyond their top line guys, so seeing some other in the top nine contribute is certainly a good thing.
Especially when you’re about to face off against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.
One thing that people always lauded about the Kings is that while they lacked any hugely offense-heavy players, the team was extremely well-balanced. Right now they seven forwards with 10 points or more, and two defensemen who are putting up fairly decent offensive numbers (take a wild guess who).
“That 70s Line” (ugh) of Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, and Tanner Pearson have emerged as one of the best offensive lines in the league, so you have to think Berube will be giving Sean Couturier and Co. that matchup. But damn, the Kings seem to be getting some help from everyone right now, which could make things tough for Berube.
If the King’s offense weren’t enough to scare you, then let’s take a look at the back end. They’ve got Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, and Jonathan Quick all protecting the puck from getting into the net. That’s uhh, not good for the Flyers, especially considering all three of them are playing at the top of their game so far this season.
But let’s go into this game with a positive attitude — the Flyers did beat the Kings back in October. They’ve also won the last six out of ten against the Kings. Sure, that spans over the past six years when these teams were wildly different but shut up I’m trying to be happy over here.
According to Frank Seravalli, Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn will be riding the scratch carousel tonight. I’m not really sure what he’s trying to accomplish here, so I’ll just stay quiet.
Jonathan Quick will be in net for the King’s tonight. No word on the Flyers, yet, but why not just go ahead and assume it will be Steve Mason?
Game starts at 4 p.m. EST, and you can catch it on CSN or whatever newfangled device you kids use today. Go Flyers.
P.S. — Mike Richards and Jeff Carter used to be Flyers. People forget that.
