Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Posted: 3:07 p.m.
By Tim PanaccioCSNPhilly.com
The scramble has already begun.
There are five clubs in the Eastern Conference all within eight points of a playoff berth as the final 2 months of the NHL season winds down.
A year ago today, the Flyers were among that group, lodged in seventh place. A year later, the Flyers are sitting pretty as the No. 1 seed in the East while they prepare to play three games over the next nine days against teams battling to make the playoffs.
It just so happens that Peter Laviolettes former club, the Carolina Hurricanes, visits Wells Fargo Center on Thursday as the reigning eighth seed with 59 points.
It's safe to say the 'Canes, who consider themselves buyers at this point (the trade deadline approaches in three weeks), figure to be a desperate group, especially after losing in overtime to New Jersey on Tuesday.
Theyre as dangerous as the next opponent and the one after thattheyre all dangerous, Laviolette said on Wednesday after another brisk workout at Skate Zone.
NHL
The Flyers will have had four days off when they meet Carolina. That's not what you want when your team has won 12 of its last 15 games. You want to play, not sit. Ah, but thats the ugliness of the NHL schedule.
You address things, you try to present everything and hope you play the game the right way, Laviolette said. I liked the practice. I thought we had lots of zip out there. You hope that carries over to tomorrow.
Bubble clubs, like Carolina, tend to bring some fire to their game.
Yeah, we were kind of in that position last year, Brian Boucher said. The last 30 games, every game was real important.
Were going to get a lot of that and weve been getting teams that when they come to play, theyre ready for us because they know weve played well this year. Were a measuring stick. We expect to get the best out of every opponent.
Carolinas Eric Staal ranks 10th in NHL scoring with 54 points. If the playoffs began today, the 'Canes would be the Flyers first-round opponent.
Theyre right there in the mix and theres five or six teams you could play, Scott Hartnell said. Every time they come into the Wells Fargo Center, you want to make it hard for them, be hard on them. So, when they leave, they have bumps and bruises.
First round of the playoffs, it'd be a tough series with them. Every game is so tight nowadays. Every point is huge. Every game is huge. Every little play ... you dont think it means that much, but it does.
Just about every facet of the Flyers' game is working right now. Their sluggish power play has shown signs of a recovery. The PP is 6-for-23 over the past seven games, which is a solid 26 percent.
Our power play has stepped up in a few games where its gotten us a late goal to tie it up or win it, Hartnell said. Those are the positive things you stick in your mind. Weve got a great squad. Weve been lucky on injuries. Guys are having career years.
Indeed, both Danny Briere (40-goal pace) and Claude Giroux (29-goal pace) are headed for career numbers in goals scored
Oddly, as good as the Flyers areNo. 2 in the league to Vancouverthey dont have a single top-10 scorer.
What the Flyers do have, however, is eight players in double-digit goal production; four players with 45 or more points; and 180 goals scored. Only the Canucks have scored more goals this season (183).
One desire the players have been chatting about is putting some distance between themselves and clubs behind them.
Pittsburgh, despite missing its two best forwards in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, remains three points behind them in the Atlantic Division.
And the surprising Tampa Bay Lighting is just four points behind the Flyers in the East.
These next few games here, we want to put some distance between some teams that are trying to catch us, Hartnell said. The effort has been there. Weve had a few days off. Thursday night has to be a big effort for us.
Loose pucks
On this day, back in 1964, the Beatles made their American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. It would be three more years before the Flyers would make their debut in Philadelphia. ... Dont forget: Sundays game against the LA Kings has been moved up to 3 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center. ... The Feb. 20 Flyers-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden has been moved to 12:30 p.m. on NBC. ... A high school teamSt. Thomas Aquinasfrom Lindsay, Ont., watched practice and got autographs, courtesy of Flyers video guru, Adam Patterson. That team is here to play in a tournament against Father Judge High (Lower Northeast). ... If Carolina werent in playoff contention, the Flyers would love to get their paws on Erik Cole. At this point, the 'Canes arent moving anyone. They appear to be buyers at the deadline. ... Speaking of, Toronto general manager Brian Burke hasnt given up on the playoffs, even though his Leafs are eight points back. He traded defenseman Francois Beauchemin to Anaheim for Joffrey Lupul and prospect Jake Gardiner today. Beauchemin returns to where he won a Stanley Cup in 2007.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net