The Flyers will hit the midpoint of the season on Wednesday, in what figures to be their most important game yet, against a team they have been chasing since the drop of the puck back in October.
The Boston Bruins visit Wells Fargo Center. Boston has been in and out of the wild-card spot all season. At the moment, the Bruins have the No. 1 wild-card spot and are tied with No. 2 New Jersey at 47 points. The Flyers are four points behind both clubs.
This is a four-point game as Dave Hakstol’s team tries to extend its win streak to four games.
“The rest of the games before the All-Star Game are all big games, but the one thing we do this year is look at the small picture and not the big picture and we need to start with Boston,” said team captain Claude Giroux.
“We know they have been playing pretty good. They’re a good team. We have to be responsible out there.”
Claude Julien’s team has struggled from the get-go, slipping to fourth in the Atlantic Division, going 3-6-1 in its last 10 games. Although, the Bruins have a winning record against the East and in particular, the Metro Division (9-5-2).
Boston has five players in double-figure goal scoring, led by Patrice Bergeron’s 15 goals (38 points). The Flyers have two: Giroux (10) and Simmonds (12).
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Between now and the All-Star break, the Flyers will play eight consecutive game against conference opponents. It’s a make-or-break month to position themselves for a playoff spot.
“Every single game is going to be huge,” Jakub Voracek said. “We can’t afford to lose any points in big games like that and we all know that. I remember last year. It was the same thing with like 20 games left. We were up in Boston and battling for the playoffs, as well.”
Last March, with 16 games left in the season, the Flyers went into Boston in fifth place in the division, just four points behind the Bruins for a playoff spot, and lost in overtime in what players described as a “crushing” defeat.
They would lose four straight and watch their playoffs hopes die.
Now, they catch the Bruins in the same situation — four points behind, but much earlier in the season and in better shape to control their destiny in the second half of play.
“One hundred percent,” Voracek said. “Over the last month or month and half, we have played really, good hockey. Obviously, we had that tough West Coast trip after Christmas, but otherwise, I think we played very good.
“We don’t have to be worried. We’re playing very well at home this year, as well, which is different than last year. It’s a huge game against Boston. It’s always physical and tough. We gotta find a way to win somehow.”
The Flyers are 10-5-4 on home ice.
Both Hakstol and his players say there will be no retaliation for what happened in Boston on Oct. 21 when Zac Rinaldo crushed Sean Couturier with a head shot and concussed him. Rinaldo was penalized and ejected for the hit but never received a suspension from the NHL.
The Flyers overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to win 5-4 in overtime but lost Couturier for six games.
“If something happens, it happens, but that is not our main goal,” said Wayne Simmonds, who leads the Flyers with four fights this season (3-0-1). “That is not what we are focused on. We’re going out to get the win.
“You’re not going to try and let him get under your skin. That’s his game and that’s what he wants to do. We’re here to get the two points. They are four points ahead of us right now and they have (played) one more game.
“Either way, it’s a four-point game for us. We don’t allow them to pick up two points. This is a huge game for us right now. We have to be ready.”