Two road games down – with 3 points gained between Buffalo & Winnipeg – and two remaining on the current trip, which continues tonight in Philadelphia.
The Flyers (4-6-0) have been nothing if not streaky thus far, cobbling together a somewhat heart-rate monitorish three losses, followed by two victories, three further losses, and their present two-game win streak. Of course within those completed games lies the freakish nightmare which was the evening of January 26, which witnessed Matt Read’s first career hat trick amid goals by four other Flyers, Ilya Bryzgalov stopping 27 of 28 shots, and what must rank as one of Florida’s most wretched defensive “efforts” of the past half-decade. All of that from the cozy confines of the BB&T Center.
That was a different Panthers roster, at least psychologically, as the Cats have gone 2-1-1 since. Even allowing for Tuesday’s OT loss at the Jets, the confidence factor has shifted dramatically out of the red. Is there reason to believe it continues? Does Erik Gudbranson finally see his debut? And if he plays, who sits?
For all the scoop on the hosts, check in with Broad Street Hockey. The LBC Live GameThread shoves off for uncharted territory once again at 6:30 ET.