VOORHEES, N.J. -- With a 5-7-1 record in a February to forget, the Flyers hit a low point in an otherwise productive season.
But with a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday to kick off March with a much-needed victory, and with the struggling Washington Capitals in their crosshairs on Sunday, the club is happy and willing to turn the page.
The season is long and youre going to hit some speed bumps along the way, said forward Jake Voracek. Weve done well overall, were fifth in the playoffs right now, we just have to keep working hard.
February wasnt just a speed bump, it was a mountain for the Flyers. Watching as players like Matt Read, Claude Giroux and Danny Briere combine for just six goals in 13 games and going 0-4-1 against the Atlantic Division, the month was one to forget.
We were having a tough month, said Read, who had just one goal and three points in February, but scored twice against the Islanders. Its one of our goals to be over .500 every month. It was a set back that we didnt hit that objective but March is a brand new month.
Its a combination of a bunch of things. It could be bounces, guys falling in slumps and trying to do too much. There are a lot of factors that come into play. We responded well the other night, gained some confidence and hopefully some things start happening for us.
Despite the troubling stretch, one reason for March optimism is the improved play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, who is expected to start against the Caps. Allowing three or less goals in five of his last eight games and averaging a 2.45 goals against average in his last four starts, Bryzgalov is gaining noticeable confidence. Enough, that even coach Peter Laviolette remarked that his goalie was, very much in charge of his net right now.
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For the players, Bryzgalovs improvement isnt surprising, but a matter of the veteran shrugging off pressure and playing a more comfortable and contained game.
Hes been around for awhile, he knows what hes doing at this point, said Voracek. He struggled early, the pressure was hard for him here. He settled down and realized that he cant put that much pressure on himself. He realized that and started playing better. I think hes going to be his best in the playoffs.
And if the Flyers can move on from their winter dip with Bryzgalov leading the way, so will they.
Playoff implications
The Flyers will try to continue their momentum at the Verizon Center on Sunday against the troubled Capitals, who sit ninth on the Eastern Conference with 69 points. However, in a weak Southeast Division, the Caps, current playoff outsiders, are just three points behind the Florida Panthers for the division lead and third-seed in the post-season.
If the Caps were to win the division and claim the third spot in the East, their first-round foe could be none other than the Flyers, who are expected to land between the four and six spot in the conference.
Were focused on the two points right now, said Laviolette. I havent thought about any playoff implications, just two points on the road.
Missing defense
The Flyers top defensive pairing of Kimmo Timonen and Brayden Coburn, along with defenseman Andrej Meszaros, missed practice on Saturday afternoon. Both Timonen and Coburn were no-shows at the Skatezone. Meszaros was the first player on the ice but left very shortly after and was not available to the media.
General manager Paul Holmgren was also unavailable for comment.
While maintenance days are common for high-minute players, injury concern was raised by Laviolette, who also seemed in the dark about his missing defenders.
Were searching (for bodies) right now, there was only four defenseman out there today, said the coach. Im not sure if it was maintenance at this point. But everything (all injury news) comes from Paul.
E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com