Multi-day breaks in the schedule are nice but for a team like the Flyers, the question is whether they will be able to maintain the momentum they built before the holiday.
At least the Flyers had Saturday to practice before Sunday’s game in Seattle.
Philadelphia swept its two games before the break and that in itself was rather eye-opening.
By defeating Vancouver at home last Monday and at Chicago on Tuesday, the Flyers completed a sweep of back-to-back games on consecutive dates for the first time since Nov. 29-30, 2024.
In the process, they took a brief hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Coach Rick Tocchet is aware just traveling across the country can present a challenge. But it’s another instance of where the team gets a chance to see what it’s made of.
“Well, 32 teams have to deal with it, right?” Tocchet said after a workout in Seattle. “Hopefully the maturity, leadership and things like that take ahold of this.”
The Flyers have been improving in several areas of their game and the coach plans to utilize those gains. Especially when they try to shake off any rust from the interval in the schedule.
“For me it’s the little things,” Tocchet said. “I think when you do the little things you can get back to your game quicker. It could be something simple like what you do off the draw. If have a puck in a good scoring chance, shoot it. Don’t try to overpass. That’s when you get in trouble when you have three or four days off, from my experience.”
>Sanheim, Barkey OK to play
Both Travis Sanheim and Denver Barkey were injured in the game against the Blackhawks but have been cleared to play against the Kraken.
“We dodged a bullet and both are good,” Tocchet said. “I think ‘Sanny’ is fine. Barkey had a headache but it’s gone away so he’s pretty good.”
Barkey knows all about quirky schedules. While playing for Lehigh Valley, Barkey has been on the Phantoms who sometimes play three games in three nights.
“I really commend the guys down in the minors,” the coach said. “They’ll play three in three nights. They’ll play two games in a row, then have a five o’clock game so they’re in a grind but they’ll get more days off. These guys are kind of used to the grind.
“But there’s consistency that he (Barkey) is going to have to find. It’s hard to keep playing at a level you want to play at. He’s a smart kid, the hockey IQ is an attribute. So I don’t think that’s a problem.”
Barkey, who posted a pair of assists in his very first NHL game (vs. Vancouver), doesn’t sound too concerned with the status of the current schedule. Right now he’s just having fun.
Besides, he had a lot of exciting stories to tell back home in New Market, Ontario over Christmas dinner.
“It was cool to get home to see your family and friends,” he said. “They’re proud and excited for you to share some of the stories about the experience I was able to get.”
What’s his comfort level now? It doesn’t look like he will be heading back to the Phantoms any time soon?
“It’s getting there for sure as every game goes by,” Barkey said. “You get more comfortable with pace, systems, all that stuff. The staff helped me with the transition, made me feel really comfortable. It just helps me play more freely.”
>Busy schedule
The Flyers play their next 20 games in 39 nights before the start of the Olympics. Tocchet’s staff has given that situation a lot of thought.
“It’s important to balance practice time,” Tocchet said. “When to give guys rest. How do we deal with travel? I think the guys do a good job taking care of their bodies. You’re basically playing every other night. There’s not a lot of two-, three-day breaks.
“That’s why it’s important we crammed in that system stuff. Everyone (in the NHL) is dealing with it, so there are really no excuses.”
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