Philadelphia Flyers Cannot Afford To Lose Any Ground During Crucial Homestand

The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to pull off the turnaround off the year as they push toward a playoff berth this season. The Flyers are currently in 11th place with a 16-14-8 record but just a mere four points out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. Yes, that’s how tight the East has been this year. The Flyers will embark on four-game homestand beginning January 2, 2018. If they can come out of that with at least six points, that will set the stage for the rest of the season.

But it won’t be easy for the Flyers. Even with their turnaround, the team is still a robust 8-7-4 at home. The good news is they’ve won four of their last five at home against some top competition.

During the crucial homestand, the Philadelphia Flyers will face off against two teams they’re battling for the 8th spot. If the Flyers can feed off their 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 29th, then the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins won’t stand a chance. With the Islanders currently in the 8th spot and 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, the Flyers cannot afford to lose any more ground to them. The same goes for the hated Penguins. Sidney Crosby and Co. are just one point ahead of Philadelphia in the standings while also struggling through a 3-7 mark in their last 10 games. For the Flyers, anything short of a victory against their in-state rivals could be catastrophic.

Flyers Could Walk Away With 8 Points

After the Pens and Islanders, the Flyers will welcome the St. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres. What’s interesting about these matchups is that the Flyers could earn garbage points against the Sabers and pull off the sweep against the Blues. The Sabers recently beat Philadelphia on December 22, however, Buffalo is still the worst team in the Conference. This game is one the Flyers should capitalize on for an easy two points. The Blues should be the Flyers toughest test. But the Flyers hold the edge as they beat the Blues early in the season 2-0.

Looking at the schedule, it will just show four games with plenty of time left in the season. However, the Flyers cannot afford to let ANY games slip by. This is a homestand they could easily sweep and walk away with eight points. While the Blues may pose the toughest test, the Flyers should not look past the Islanders or the Penguins. It’s time to put the big boy pants on now.

Mark Wilson

Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.