It had been over a month, but the Flyers finally put together the complete effort that had them rolling in early November and that they desperately lacked in a freefall at the close of the month.
The biggest reason for that was a total team effort, with all lines playing a part in their 4-1 win over the Devils.
The stars of the night were Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds. All three scored goals and played at a level that makes the Flyers successful.
The Flyers had wins on Nov. 8 – where they nearly let a 4-0 lead slip away in a 4-3 win over Colorado – Nov. 22 – a tough 4-2 win over Columbus – and Dec. 6 – a 2-1 decision over the Kings where they held on for dear life in the third.
Parts of this win against New Jersey were no different. The Flyers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. Despite a 12-6 shot advantage in the second, it was a conservative period for the Flyers, who didn't push the play and allowed the only goal of the period.
But a huge response in the third – they out-shot the Devils, 14-7, in the third and 36-18 for the game – lifted the Flyers to victory. The Flyers hope this win, which opens a four-game homestand, is only the beginning.
"I thought it was probably our best period," head coach Craig Berube said.
"Sometimes it's tough to get it going at home. Those games are kind of stagnant," Ray Emery said. "We made an effort to really fight against that and make good on our time at home."
Past the scoring, the Flyers strongest lines were the second and third. Game after game, it was all about the top line – what Claude Giroux or Jake Voracek did.
That was the beauty of Thursday's win. Giroux and Voracek played a role, but it there were several other contributors. Couturier and Read were right at the center of it.
"To me, it's about speed and shooting the puck and an attack mentality," Berube said. "They can't just go out there and think about checking. They have to do that, but when they have the puck they have to make something happen."
One that will fly under the radar is Emery. Making a rare start, Emery stopped 17 of 18 shots from the Devils. For as strong as the secondary lines for the Flyers were offensively, it was also one of the Flyers better defensive games.
"I think our defensive game on the road trip was good," Berube said. "There's areas and things that happen that you want to correct, but the overall defensive game is getting better."
"All around, we played solid," Couturier said. "Not only on defense, but I think our forecheck was good. We didn't just sit back in the third. We kept pressing and that was what made the difference."
It's certainly a start for the Flyers, who have three more games at home in the next week. The next comes Saturday afternoon against Carolina.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
