Youve heard players use the expression before: Scary good.
If ever there were a hockey team this applies to, then Thursdays opponent, the Nashville Predators, would seem to fit the bill perfectly.
Barry Trotzs Preds are 13-2-0 in their 15 games. In 14 of those games, theyve averaged 3.26 goals a game while yielding just 1.86, than to goalie Pekka Rinne, who was brilliant in January.
Perhaps even more daunting for the Flyers, who are notoriously s-l-o-w starters at home this season, Nashvilles record says much when it scores first21-2-3.
Allow the Preds the first goal tonight, and well, the Flyers will likely finish 0-2 against them this season.
Their record is pretty good when they score first, coach Peter Laviolette said. Its more important what we do and how we start and play the game. Those things typically determine our outcome and success.
What helps here is that the Flyers saw the Preds a couple weeks ago during a 4-2 loss in Music City. The advantage is, this isnt a Western Conference team coming in here that they havent seen in year or so, like Minnesota or Chicago.
NHL
The Flyers already know what theyre up against.
They can skate, they can make plays, they have a lot of good players with some good forwards and defense, Claude Giroux said. They have everything you want in a team. When we last played them, we werent at our best. It should be a pretty exciting game tonight.
Lifetime, Martin Erat has nine points against the Flyers in eight games. Hes their top scorer against the Flyers even though thats not a lot of points. Then again, Erat is one of the few longtime vets still around on a club thats had a lot of turnovers in recent years.
Hes pretty shifty, ex-teammate Scott Hartnell said. Hes not overly big by any means. He can skate and hang onto that puck, a little bit like Girouxstrong on his skates. Hes pretty elusive and on the power play, he can make you pay.
Interestingly, for a club as hot as the Preds, who occupy the fourth seed in the West are, they have only two more points than the Flyers66. Flyers catch one break. Backup goalie Andrews Lindback will go tonight as Rinne is on track for 70-plus this season, which may be too much.
Briere update
After sitting out of Wednesdays practice, Danny Briere was back on the ice with the Flyers at todays morning skate. It was, as he told reporters, another step in the right direction.
Theres not much new, Briere said. I felt good today. I was able to push myself fairly hard on the ice this morning, which is a good sign. I havent had any contact, but I felt better than yesterday, so thats a good sign.
The Flyers center sustained a concussion Jan. 21 in New Jersey, and has missed the Flyers last three games because of it. He didnt skate until Mondays practice, and followed that up by participating in Tuesdays morning skate before the Flyers game against the Winnipeg Jets.
That hes back on the ice is a good signbut Briere said hes still feeling symptoms. He said he experienced headaches after Mondays practice and still didnt feel all that great yesterday.
I was always wondering before, when I saw guys with concussions, how did they feel when they were saying they were in the fog, Briere said. Now I understand better. Youre just not quite yourself. Its hard to explain.
All that said, Briere said hes optimistic hell return to the Flyers lineup sooner rather than later, though he doesnt know when hell be cleared for contact.
Im confident that Im not very far away, he said. Its not like Im worried about my career or about the season or anything like that. I really think that Im getting close. Its just a matter now of making sure everythings in the right place.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net or Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com