Yes, that’s right, your Philadelphia Flyers have opened the season 2-0 with 2 straight wins over their now Eastern Division rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maybe the most impressive takeaway from these games is the Flyers didn’t look particularly great for extended stretches of play, yet outscored Pittsburgh 11-5 en route to consecutive 3 goal victories.
11 goals in 2 games? Hm, this doesn’t sound like a team that needs a 22 year old, former 40 goal scorer, does it?
With all four lines clicking offensively, the Penguins just couldn’t keep the Flyers offense off the scoresheet and Pittsburgh’s starting goalie, Tristan Jarry, was chased early in game 2.
The best part of this weeks offensive explosion? If you check out the Flyers stat sheet, the big guns are leading the charge. You’ll find names like Konecny, Giroux, Van Riemsdyk, Voracek, Hayes all at the top with your Farabee’s, Lindblom’s, and Patrick’s sprinkled in between.
I know what some of you are thinking. Despite being perfect, the Flyers were far from it. Against a better opponent and without one of the top goalies in the NHL in Carter Hart, these games could’ve easily been losses. But let’s not think about that right now. This team is 2-0 and they were somewhat fun to watch in doing so!
So for the sake of positivity and excitement, I’m choosing to ignore the defensive woes and the sloppiness I’m sure most of you noticed as well and I’m going to blame it on COVID. Why? Cause fuck COVID that’s why.
Instead let’s look ahead to this week’s matchups.
The Flyers will play 4 games against 2 teams. Playing the same team consecutively will be a recurring theme this season incase you somehow had not previously known that this is a thing this year.
Next on the docket are the Jack Eichel led, Buffalo Sabres, aka the only team in the Eastern Division without a win.
After coming away empty handed against last year’s Metropolitan Division Champions, the Sabres will be itching for points against a Flyers squad of which they were outscored 9-2 last season going 0-2 against the Orange and Black.
Before I tell you that I expect the Flyers to win both of these games rather easily, let me catch you up on what the Sabres did over the off-season.
They added Taylor Hall…Oh and Eric Staal. Yeah That’s pretty much it.
Even without reigning Selke Trophy winner Sean Couturier to lock down Jack Eichel, these seem like games the Flyers should take pretty easily if they’re the team we’re all hoping they are.
No, I’m not saying it’ll be easy by any stretch. I realize this is the NHL and the Sabres have some talent on their roster. I also realize they are winless and should be hungry for points. But if this Flyers team is going to contend for a division crown and potentially a Stanley Cup, they need to put teams like the Sabres in their place.
Later on in the week is another back to back matchup with the way over-hyped and undermanned, Boston Bruins. Yeah I said it. I said it before the season began. This team is getting way too much hype and quite frankly I have no idea why.
They lost not 1, but 2 key defenseman in former Captain Zdeno Chara and arguably their best defenseman in Torrey Krug and did not replace either one. Next, they’re playing in a much tougher division. They won’t play the Senators and Red Wings 8 times this year and instead will have to face the Capitals, Flyers, Penguins, and Islanders 32 times out of 56 games.
Now I’m not saying the Flyers are going to go undefeated this year but I believe we could be looking at a 6-0 Flyers team once this week is all said and done. The Bruins have a couple studs in Bergeron and Marchand but will be without their top goal scorer in David Pastrnak until at least mid February.
Yeah, I just don’t get the hype. They’ve lost 3 of their most important players AND switched to a tougher division and I’m to believe they’re going to win said division? I don’t think so.
Enjoy the ride Flyer fans, this team is good and will be near the top of the NHL all season long.
Let’s have fun while we can!
Follow me on Twitter @JimIkeHW
Photo Credit: Mark Blinch/NHL via Getty Images
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