The Flyers will be hoping to extend their winning streak to four games against the Yotes.
The Flyers will be hoping to extend their winning streak to four games against the Yotes.
The Flyers look to continue their great form as they face off against the Arizona Coyotes at the Wells Fargo Center, their last game before traveling to Toronto on Thursday and heading to MetLife Stadium for their outdoor game against the New Jersey Devils. The playoff spot is theirs to lose at the moment, and they're not looking to take their foot off the gas anytime soon.
Finding the Right Defensive Pairings
It's no secret that the Flyers have been a bit congested in their defense, especially since bringing in Jamie Drysdale without losing a member of the roster in the trade. The defense has had to shuffle around a bit, particularly the positioning of Travis Sanheim, who John Tortorella admitted has been "inconsistent."
Speaking on the Sanheim-Ristolainen and York-Drysdale pairings, Tortorella said during morning skate, "I think [Sanheim] is better on the right side. Since [the trade for Drysdale] was made, we knew he would have to play more on the left. I think Sanny's been inconsistent, but still playing on a higher level than last year. And the big picture is, if we keep on going here, I'd like to see him fall back on the right side...We moved him [to the left side] because I thought we made a mistake keeping [Cam York] on the right side last year, especially after watching this year. k
"We only gave up 11 scoring chances against Seattle," he continued. "I thought we were really good as a team on defense, so we found our way. We have work to do with Jamie—understanding our coverages...He's 21, he's going to get stronger, close some things out, get coverages. [York] continues just to grow and I think he's got a great year of growing. It hasn't been bad, but, as a coach, you're always looking for it to be better."
Success When Scoring First
The Flyers struggled with scoring first before the All-Star break, but they haven't had a problem doing so in their recent stretch of games, and it's worked out in their favor. Getting that first goal, especially early on, gives them a jolt of energy that has proven to be enough of a spark to carry them across the game to get the win.
It's all about cultivating the right energy with this team, and jumping ahead of their opponents early on is the perfect way to send their confidence through the roof. When they've got a lead, they feel more comfortable and feel a little more freedom, which makes for some really fun hockey to watch.
Busy Schedule Ahead
While they don't leave the Eastern time zone in February (except to play the Chicago Blackhawks), the Flyers have a fairly packed schedule ahead of them. Just this week sees them fly to Toronto, play the Maple Leafs on Feb. 15, then immediately turn around and practice at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16 for the Stadium Series on Feb. 17. Proper rest and rotation will be key to pushing through this month and maintaining momentum as playoffs loom closer.
Projected Flyers Lineups:
Forwards:
Tippett - Couturier - Konecny
Farabee - Frost - Atkinson
Cates - Poehling - Deslauriers
Hathaway - Laughton - Zamula (7th D)
Defense:
Sanheim - Ristolainen
York - Drysdale
Seeler - Walker
Ersson
Projected Coyotes Lineup:
Forwards:
Keller - McBain - Schmaltz
Maccelli - Bjugstad - Crouse
Ruzicka - Kerfoot - Zucker
Cooley - Hayton - Guenther
Defense:
Moser - Durzi
Dermott - Dumba
Valimaki - Kesselring
Vejmelka
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