Against all odds, the Flyers clamped things down defensively recently and picked up 5 straight wins. It was encouraging to see, and bodes well for the playoffs. It is even better that they did this with many injury concerns.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this run is Bryzgalov looks like a different goalie. I've said it's not reasonable to expect him to flick and switch and be a different goalie, but that is what he has done. He is more aggressive, confident, and most importantly looks like he is out there playing with competitive fire. The key, however, is to carry this new form forward, rather than allowing it to stand as an isolated hot streak. We'll have to check back on April 1 on this.
The Flyers did crash and burn last night to the Devils in a 3rd period collapse, which is understandable. It was the second straight game where the Flyers were clearly out-chanced. The injuries and very busy schedule will catch up with you eventually. Without Mesz, Timo, Voracek, Kubina and JVR, and with Jagr, Giroux and Briere probably not at full health, the Flyers are missing an awful lot of puck moving ability. That element of the Flyers's game should return with rest and health.
The key will be getting the offense back in their game while remaining as scrappy and tight in the defensive zone. If you go back to the start of the Flyers west coast road trip which began 3 weeks ago in Winnipeg (and exclude the Devils game last night), the Flyers only allowed 9 even strength goals in 9 games. That is a huge change for them.
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