SUNRISE, Fla. -- Peter Laviolette was actually smiling. You can DVR it if you dont believe it.
The Flyers had actually won a shootout against the Florida Panthers to head into the All-Star break just three points behind the No. 1-seeded New York Rangers with a lineup that included eight rookies and was minus Chris Pronger, Danny Briere, Jaromir Jagr, James van Riemsdyk and Zac Rinaldo.
Thats not too shabby given where this team was projected to be at seasons start with a completely revised roster and so many questions about team chemistry.
Ive said it from the start, I think we have had a good start, Laviolette said. Weve gotten a lot of contributions from a lot of young players, players who have been here on pace for career years.
Theres always things you can be better in. Theres been a lot of positives. I hope we continue to work and get better and put on a good second-half push and take the All-Star break a different direction than we did last year.
I felt last year, we got by and got through. Id really like to see us get better in this last half.
The Flyers have 63 points after 48 games. Last year, they had 67 but fell apart down the stretch, losing (regulation and overtime) 13 of their final 20 games.
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Still, they finished as the second seed in the East with 106 points. Right now, they could finish with 107 and still not be the top seed given how fiercely competitive things are between themselves, the Rangers, Bruins, Penguins, Senators and, surprisingly, Panthers.
Its been great, Scott Hartnell said. Theres a lot of excitement in this dressing room with the young guys. The veteran guys are stepping up. Its a good combination.
Were getting points, were finding ways to win, were right at the top of our standings three or four points behind the Rangers. Its a good spot to be in.
The competitive balance in the East is more level this season than last. Winning the top seed is going to be very difficult.
I would say on a scale of one to 10, I would give us nine points, said Kimmo Timonen, the veteran defensive voice of the club in Prongers absence (Pronger is battling post-concussion syndrome).
Coming into the season, we had a lot of big changes. A lot of new faces and young players. I thought it would take a little more time for everyone to get used to each other. The new system, get everybody on the same page.
It surprises me, too, how well weve been in adjusting to everybody and changes. These young guys coming in have played pretty well.
Where would this team be without these rookies?
Think about this. Marc-Andre Bourdon has been very good, learning on the job as Prongers replacement, playing alongside Matt Carle.
General manager Paul Holmgren admits the organization had all but given up on Bourdon as a serious NHL prospect until they recalled him and were bowled over at how easily he fit.
No one knew if Sean Couturier would be NHL-ready at age 18 when he arrived. Or that 25-year-old rookie Matt Read would be a legit Calder Trophy candidate.
Both players are among the rookie leaders in a long list of categories, including goal scoring, overall scoring and plusminus.
The past two games have seen eight rookies in the lineup while the Flyers came away with three of four points against good clubs.
Look at how many rookies in the lineup, especially now with missing guys, Timonen said. I know how hard it is to play 82 games. And expect to play well every night. As a rookie, sometimes you get so many things going on and so many gamesbut these young guys have matured. Theyre not like rookies. Thats been a surprise to me in a nice way.
Thats not to diminish the importance of the veterans, either.
Claude Giroux, the heir-apparent to Mike Richards title as the Crown Jewel here, has acted very much like a captain without wearing the C.
He is a viable candidate for both the Hart Trophy (MVP) and the Art Ross (scoring title).
Hartnell? A career year so far for the winger with 25 goals and 44 points. Hes a different, happy guy playing with Giroux and Jagr, who remains sidelined with a groin pull.
Jagr helped pull the best out of both his linemates and was a gamble worth taking in free agency.
Whereas scoring droughts have plagued the Flyers at various points in prior years, this is one season where scoring may end up bailing them out, given the unsteadiness in goal, and the fact the defense is not as strong without Pronger back there.
The Flyers 162 goals scored ties them with Chicago for second in the NHL behind Bostons 171. Alas, their 142 goals against is awful. No other playoff team in the East (seeds one through eight) has given up that many.
Ilya Bryzgalov needs this All-Star break to refocus. Figure out what happened between the start of the season and now. He needs to find a rhythm amid Laviolettes goalie carousel with Sergei Bobrovsky, even if thats difficult to do.
Right now, Bryzgalov would start the playoffs by virtue of having the No. 1 tag butthere is no guarantee he would finish a series, let alone a playoff run.
Do you think the Rangers or Bruins or Red Wings have that same question facing them?
They dont.
Better goaltending, better defense in front of the goalies, has to be the Flyers primary goal for the second half that begins next week.
I dont feel any different than I have the last number of years, Holmgren said of his goaltending while avoiding a direct answer.
If you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. That is what were focused on nowjust trying to get into the playoffs.
The good ...
The Flyers power play under beleaguered Joey Mullen has risen from the dead this season and is fourth overall at 20.4 percent.
The Flyers are the No. 1 road warriors in the NHL with an 18-7-2 record (38 points).
The Flyers are well-represented in the league stats across the board with both rookies and veterans, a sign of team balance.
When was the last time the Flyers had such a dynamic, one-two rookie punch like Read-Couturier that impacted them five-on-five and special teams?
The bad ...
The Flyers penalty kill has been a disappointment, even without Pronger in there. It is ranked 15th at 82.43 percent. It should be a top-10 unit.
The ugly ...
The Flyers are 1-3 in the shootout. Nuff said.
The Flyers home record is 11-7-3. Thats 27th-worst overall in the NHLinexcusable for a Stanley Cup contender. Home losses could cost the Flyers dearly in playoff seeding.
The uncomfortable truth ...
Statistically speaking, Bobrovsky has been the better goalie with a 2.42 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. Many fans want to see him in net full-time.
Bryzgalov hates the goalie rotation, but needs to accept thats the way it will be under Laviolette and move on. Laviolette wont hesitate to pull him in the postseason. Remember, he replaced Martin Gerber with Cam Ward and won a Cup.
Bryzgalov needs to go into games thinking he has to steal points like he did in Phoenix. That will refocus him on playing better and perhaps making a difference.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net