TAMPA, Fla. — With an impressive homestand completed and a few days to unwind, the Flyers get to wind it up again against a Lightning they thoroughly outplayed on Monday evening at the Wells Fargo Center.
But the rest of the way will be the ultimate grind. Seventeen games remain and come in a 31-day span.
There are six sets of back-to-backs in that stretch, and that includes the four games in five days at the end of the season.
The first of those back-to-backs start Friday night.
“We’re not going to think too far ahead,” Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said. “[Saturday] may be a bit too far ahead. But, we’re in a good spot.”
“We understand every game is important,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “We’ve done a better job of not letting it affect our play. Right now, we have a different mindset. We’re going game by game.”
The Flyers went 5-1 on the homestand, capped by Monday’s 4-2 win over Tampa Bay that ended the Lightning’s nine-game winning streak.
“I’m sure that wasn’t their best effort,” Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. “They should bring their best.”
This time, they’ll have to contend with Ben Bishop, whose 2.04 goals-against average is the best of any netminder to play at least half of his team’s games.
“We’re going to have to put as pucks as we can on him,” Giroux said. “I think we can play better (than Monday).” On Monday, the Flyers pumped 39 shots on Lightning backup Andrei Vasilevskiy, including 22 shots in the second period, a season-high for shots in a period.
As of Friday afternoon, the Flyers are four points behind Detroit for the first wild-card spot with two games in hand and two games left against the Red Wings. The Flyers are three points behind rival Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot with a game in hand and three games left against the Penguins. But the Flyers must deal with the reigning Eastern Conference champion Bolts again on Friday first.
“This is the time of year you want to be playing for something,” Hakstol said.
In the 10 prior sets of back-to-backs, the Flyers are 7-9-4 – 3-3-4 on the front end and 4-6 on the back end. They are 3-3 when playing after three off days.
“It’s a huge four points (available) in the standings,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s a business trip, so we’re going to do whatever we can to get four points.”
Steve Mason will get the nod in net again against the Bolts after beating them on Monday. In seven career games against the Lightning, Mason is 2-3-2 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .875 save percentage.
'Ghost' comes home
Gostisbehere is a rarity, but not just for what he’s done on the ice for the Flyers this season.
He is a Florida native, and even got to play on the Florida Panthers’ practice facility in Coral Springs.
Friday night will be the first game the 22-year-old Margate native will play as a professional in Florida. The Flyers opened the season with the Florida swing, but Gostisbehere was with the Phantoms.
He’ll have a dozen friends and family at the game at Amalie Arena on Friday night.
At Union College, Gostisbehere did play in a competitive game in Tampa in 2012. He was a freshman on the first Union College team to reach an NCAA Frozen Four. The experience lasted just one game, as Union lost in the semifinals to Ferris State, 3-1.
He has yet to play in the BB&T Center in Sunrise, but has seen numerous games there. He’ll get that chance Saturday (7 p.m., TV: CSN) with more friends and family in attendance.
“It’ll be pretty special (to hit the ice),” Gostisbehere said. “You watch the pro team your whole life and now you get to play on it.”
His favorite players at the time were Pavel Bure, Jay Bouwmeester and goalie Roberto Luongo, who may be the opposing goalie on Saturday.
The last time he played in Broward County, where he grew up on Florida's southeast coast, was with the Junior Panthers. Then it was off to South Kent School in Connecticut, where he got noticed by college and pro scouts.
Projected lineup
Forwards
Simmonds – Giroux - Schenn
Raffl – Coutourier - Gagner
Laughton – Cousins - Read
Bellemare – White – VandeVelde
Defense
Streit – Schultz
Gostisbehere – MacDonald
Gudas – Manning
Goalies
Mason
Neuvirth
Scratches
Umberger
Medvedev
Injured
Del Zotto (wrist, out for season),
Voracek (lower body, could return Tuesday), Weal (upper body, day-to-day)