PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: An overall view of the arena is shown prior to the start of this afternoon's game featuring the Philadelphia Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Flyers just won their first playoff series in over eight years this past Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens. There has been one unique saying this past weekend with General Manager Chuck Fletcher speaking, and Head Coach Alain Vigneault speaking for the past two days, “We have another level we can get to,” Vigneault said today at his press conference.
Chuck Fletcher says, “We’ll probably have to find it if we want to continue to win games and move on. You have to give a lot of credit to the Montreal Canadiens. They played a very structured, very fast game. They put a lot of pressure on us. I think we put a lot of pressure on them at times too. There wasn’t a lot of free ice out there. We had to battle for everything we had. I do think we started to get a few more chances offensively as the series went on. I think our power play got a little better as the series went on. There’s no question, I think there’s another level we need to get to and that probably goes for every team that’s still playing.”
Fortunately, the Flyers are are spear headed by an experienced coaching staff. I’m confident they can get this young Flyers team to the level they need to get to, to beat a tough similar opponent in the New York Islanders. Some may ask why am I so confident? Well, for starters most analysts and some fans alike did not have the Flyers making the playoffs before the season began. Furthermore, some had the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils finishing ahead of the Flyers in the standings before the season began. Also, some did not believe the Flyers could get back to the level they were playing before the pause. Well, here they are the top seed in the East, ousted a tough Canadiens bunch, and I feel like they are underdogs.
It’s not easy to win in the playoffs. The Flyers know they have to play better in order to keep this magical season alive. Knowing is half the battle, for once though the Flyers have a quality netminder go pull off another series victory in the playoffs. Has Vigneault lied to anyone yet? No, that’s why we should trust him, and believe this team will reach another level against the Islanders. Vigneault remains confident in his team to find that next level, sooner rather than later, and we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
Joel Farabee
I asked Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier a fun question at yesterday’s media availability of who the best gamer on the team is, “Beezer is, he’s pretty good at gaming, Beezer is the best gamer,” Konecny said. I would like to challenge Farabee to a game of NHL 20 with the winner receiving a pack of Sour Patch Kids. Let’s make this happen Joel.
