No rest for the Flyers as they head into their second game in as many days on the road.
The Philadelphia Flyers will have their stamina tested as they head straight into their game against the red-hot Winnipeg Jets after a thrilling OT win against the Minnesota Wild. Several standout performances against the Wild will surely have the team feeling strong going into Winnipeg. (And, we daresay, the player train/conga line from their practice that morning probably didn't hurt either.)
The main storyline from the game against the Wild was how relentless the Flyers were, even after falling behind in the game. That, along with the added pressure of going up against future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury (who also had the chance to move up to second on the list for most NHL wins), would've been enough to make any offense to be a little more reserved. Instead, the Flyers answered the challenge emphatically. Joel Farabee recorded two goals (including the OT winner), while Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster both scored one of their own, ending a 16-game goal drought for Foerster.
Despite some slip-ups, the defense continued to look solid as well. Jamie Drysdale continued to show a hockey IQ and skating abilities well beyond his 21 years, along with looking more comfortable with getting physical on the blue line. He recorded his second point in two games for the Flyers, and even got his first Flyers penalty, which he argued in a most Travis Konecny-esque fashion.
Most notably, he performed an astonishing backcheck after turning over the puck, saving what could have very well been the final nail in the coffin for the Flyers.
The comeback win was indicative of the strength and, as Sam Ersson called it, "mental toughness" of this team, along with the incredible team chemistry that has built up in the locker room. Farabee said, "It's been a story of our team all year. Doesn't really matter what's going on in the game. We try to pick each other up."
Head coach John Tortorella echoed this sentiment: "I like the group. They just keep on playing and find a way to play...I trust the group that they're going to play hard, and play for one another. We've had some stuff going on with the team and everybody just seems together...We're just playing. I think we've handled ourselves well the first half of the year. Some kids are playing well. Our goaltending's been good. I think we've been fairly consistent. We don't get too far ahead of ourselves. We just try to play one game at a time."
Flyers Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Farabee - Couturier - Konecny
Tippett - Frost - Atkinson
Foerster - Laughton - Hathaway
Poehling - Deslauriers
Defense:
Sanheim - Drysdale
York - Walker
Seeler - Ristolainen
Zamula (7th D)
Ersson
Jets Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Ehlers - Vilardi - Niederreiter
Perfetti - Namestnikov - Iafallo
Barron - Lowry - Appleton
Toninato - Kupari - Jonsonn-Fjallby
Defense:
Morrissey - DeMelo
Dillon - Pionk
Samberg - Schmidt
Brossoit