Past the first quarter of the road trip, the Flyers aren't just off to a good start. They are working on an excellent road trip as a whole.
The trip will meet its halfway point on Saturday and carry on for another week. By the time the Flyers return home, the standings could look very different.
For the Flyers to start to make their visions of being a playoff team more of a realistic possibility, they needed to deliver on the road trip in a huge way. They needed something close to 12 points, which would require points in at least six of the eight games. In just three games, the Flyers have six points in the standings – including Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild – against three of the tougher teams they will face.
"We've been trending in the right direction for three weeks," head coach Craig Berube said. "They're playing well right now as a team."
"It's a tough trip. It's a tough part of the year," Ray Emery said. "That's the best possible result we could ask for is three wins."
The team has been playing so well, there was wonder what a short break would be doing for the team's momentum.
"You want to skip Christmas?" Berube joked. "I don't mind."
The players had been talking about chemistry for several games. As the Flyers started to get points in the standings, they started to show more confidence on the ice. It may be the best stretch of hockey the Flyers have played in some time.
Part of that is due to the contribution of the fourth line. Vincent Lecavalier has three goals in the last two games.
"It's a good start," Lecavalier said. "We're looking for each other as a line. We're forechecking really well. It's paying off."
The Flyers have also continued to push through tough situations on the ice. Through the second, the Wild were in control and had erased the Flyers 2-0 lead. It wasn't until Wayne Simmonds' goal in the final five minutes that changed the momentum.
"We're doing a better job of keeping our composure," Claude Giroux said. "It's going to happen during a game that we're going to not play well, but I think we stayed focused."
Giroux scored the Flyers second goal as the Flyers continued to get production from the top line. With the success of the road trip, the Flyers are trying not to focus on the playoff picture.
"We're trying to focus game by game. Right now we're focused on Nashville," Giroux said. "Right now we get to enjoy time with our families, but I think we're excited to get it going again.
For now, the Flyers go into a three-day break feeling strong about the performances to start the road trip. As Emery said, they couldn't have asked for a better start to a crucial road trip.
"We've got four lines rolling. They are all contributing. Six D are playing well. Goaltending's playing well," Berube said. "They're playing like a team. That's it."
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
