The 82-game grind draws closer for the Flyers, now less than a month away from training camp and the preseason and 43 days away from the season opener in Tampa Bay.
This season will be about signs of improvement, making an attempted return at a playoff appearance.
There will be stretches of the season that will define this team, that will help them form an identity and show what they are made of.
Here are five key points to the Flyers schedule.
October – Slow starts have plagued the Flyers in each of the last three seasons. This season, the Flyers start with a wave of tough opponents – Tampa Bay on Oct. 8, Chicago on Oct. 14, Boston on Oct. 21 and the Rangers on Oct. 24. That’s four tough matchups in seven games. So to avoid the slow start, it will take some determined play and victories in at least one or two of those games to put some questions of a slow start to bed.
November 25-December 1 – Four games in seven days for the Flyers, all against tough teams. It start on the road against the Islanders before the Flyers play their only home game of the stretch, the Black Friday game against Nashville. Very quickly, the Flyers return the very next day in New York against the Rangers before closing out the stretch three days later in Ottawa. Given the Flyers road struggles a season ago, this could be a turning point in the season for the team.
January 21-February 9 – Nine straight games against playoff hopefuls and well-established teams. It starts with the first meeting of the season against the Penguins, on the road, before moving on to another road match against the Islanders. A quick stop at home against the Bruins sets the stage for a game against the Capitals on the road. After a five-day break, the Flyers return to face the Canadiens, Predators, Rangers, Capitals and Ducks in the first five games of February. And if that wasn’t enough…
February 29-March 22 – March really does come in like a lion for the Flyers. This stretch begins at home against the Calgary Flames in the final game of February. The Flyers first 10 games in March feature Connor McDavid and the Oilers, a meeting at home with Columbus, a home-and-home with Tampa Bay, the dreaded Florida trip, a back-to-back series against Detroit and Chicago, a game at home against Pittsburgh and another game against the Islanders. Everywhere you look, there is a playoff contender. This will be the make or break stretch for the Flyers, considering they may need every point they can get.
March 30-April 9 – The final six games of the season are all interesting matchups. Two games against the Penguins, another with the Red Wings, another with the Capitals and two home games against Ottawa and Toronto round out the schedule. For a team that could still be on the bubble, this stretch could be the difference between a playoff appearance and another early summer. While the Penguins seem to always bring out the best in the Flyers, there are four other opponents who could stop the Flyers momentum.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
