The Flyers hit the road again to play three games in four days, kicking things off against the Minnesota Wild.
Excitement to watch the Philadelphia Flyers has hit quite a high this season, thanks to an unexpected good start after being relegated to nothing but a "rebuild team" before the season even began. Then, of course, there was that trade for Jamie Drysdale that has truly united the Flyers fanbase and given them hope that this team can subvert the expectations and be more successful than any TV analyst or podcast host gave them credit for. (Yes, this is all after Drysdale has played one game in orange and black.)
Can you blame the fans for feeling so optimistic about what this team is capable of? Not only is the performance of the team improving (Morgan Frost scored a power play goal and everything!) but the organization as a whole has won back an immense amount of respect. Just a few examples: The way Danny Briere in particular handled the seemingly endless drama surrounding former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier, John Tortorella calling out a reporter for making unsubstantiated allegations against Kevin Hayes (even though the two didn't part ways on the best terms), and the fact that the team chemistry looks better than ever.
But anyway! The Flyers are in Minnesota for their second outing against the Wild, who they beat 6-2 at the Wells Fargo Center back in October. They're coming off of a thrilling 3-2 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens, while the Wild suffered a 7-2 thrashing against the Dallas Stars in their last game.
The great thing is that there will be plenty of players to focus on during this game. Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury currently has 551 career wins, needing just one more to surpass Patrick Roy for the second-most in NHL history. Flyers first-liners Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee have been unstoppable on offense: Konecny having six points in his last five games and leading the Flyers in goals and points, while Farabee has had a resurgence since being placed on the first line, collecting five assists in five game and being a second on the team in points. Of course, Jamie Drysdale will once again be a major focus, as he continues to learn the Flyers' defensive style and steps more into the "rover" head coach John Tortorella sees him taking on as he develops.
Flyers Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Farabee - Couturier - Konecny
Tippett - Frost - Atkinson
Foerster - Laughton - Hathaway
Deslauriers - Poehling
Defense:
Sanheim - Drysdale
York - Walker
Seeler - Ristolainen
Zamula
Hart
Wild Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Boldy - Hartman - Zuccarello
Johansson - Eriksson - Foligno
Maroon - Rossi - Gaudreau
Duhaime - Dewar - Raska
Defense:
Middleton - Faber
Goligoski - Bogosian
Merrill - Mermis
Fleury