The Flyers hit the ice on Wednesday night for the first of the final two preseason games that will take place this season. In the five games so far, they have a 3-1-1 record.
But Monday's game, to this point, has been the most telling, with the majority of the Flyers final roster taking on the majority of the Rangers final roster. It was a chance to see how the Flyers could stack up against one of the league's best.
An admirable effort by several players fell short. The Flyers will get two more chances to show how ready they are for the regular season, and if Monday was any indication, there is plenty left to prove.
Steve Mason showed he was in midseason form, making 41 saves in the Flyers overtime loss to the Rangers. Mason has been solid all preseason and was particularly sharp in the first two periods.
The Flyers are going to lean on Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek offensively. Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl are currently dealing with injuries that could end their preseason. Brayden Schenn has been effective on the scoresheet, but will it carry over? Matt Read is trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled season, but left Tuesday's practice early after suffering a charley horse in Monday's game.
Injuries will halt any progress this team would make in an effort to come close to the playoffs. The Flyers obviously can't afford to lose Giroux, Voracek or Mason. Losing any of the secondary scoring options they may turn to will not help either.
While Mason was so good on Monday, the defense in front of him was not. The Flyers are still learning under Dave Hakstol and there are positives and negatives to that learning experience so far.
The Flyers are still struggling to move the puck out of their own zone. It was the reason Mason was so busy in the first period and there were other offensive chances that went by the wayside by poor passing on both ends of the ice.
Defense is a team game. The Flyers need the six defensemen on any given night to be effective in their own zone, but to get the 200-foot game from forwards as well. For all of the times the defensemen could factor into the scoring and be moving the puck, it is the play without the puck that Hakstol and Ron Hextall have stressed that will separate this team from the bottom of the pack.
What has been impressive is the penalty kill. Hakstol's style has been an aggressive penalty kill that was on display in Monday's game. With the Rangers top players on the ice, the Flyers killed off all six New York power plays.
There are two games left for the Flyers to get into regular-season form before six days off and the trip to Florida to open the regular season. Monday's game had its moments, many of them from Mason, but the Flyers are still trying to find the rhythm that will help them avoid the slow start they desperately need to avoid.
And there are only two games and eight days left to find it.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
