PITTSBURGH – The relief was evident.
Vinny Lecavalier had not scored since Jan. 3. He had been in and out of the Flyers' lineup all season. He had fallen to the fourth line.
Not a great place to be for the one-time Tampa Bay captain, a former first overall draft pick and someone who has topped 50 goals in an NHL season.
In the moments after the Flyers’ 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was Lecavalier’s eighth goal of the year that had him smiling, regardless of how late in the season it had come (see Instant Replay).
“It felt good inside. I was happy to get that,” said Lecavalier, who ended a 27-game goal drought by scoring the Flyers’ first goal of the game on a rebound.
“It was a great play by [linemate Pierre-Edouard Bellemare] to get it on net. It was fun to get one.”
Lecavalier said it felt as if a weight was lifted.
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“It’s just good for your confidence,” he said. “For your next shift and the rest of the game, you feel good out there. Your vision’s better. Everything’s a little bit better. You don’t squeeze your stick as much.
“The important thing is to maybe carry it over to the next game and try to finish strong.”