The final result finally was in the Flyers favor.
The Flyers had lost four straight games. But their last win had come on Nov. 8 against Colorado. A two-week drought didn't feel like it lasted just four games.
The 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team that started the four-game losing streak, came just in time for a lengthy stretch of road games, 15 in their next 20 games.
"In our situation, we’ve got to start picking up points on teams in front of us," Steve Mason said. "You try not to watch the standings, especially because it’s still early in the season, but when you lose four games in a row it’s easy to see points slipping away. Tonight, I thought was probably our best all-around effort of the season."
"You lose four straight games and it’s tough to swallow," Wayne Simmonds said. "I thought we played a strong game last game and unfortunately didn’t get the two points. We kept playing the same way. We were diligent, we got pucks deep and everyone was backchecking, Mase played awesome."
Simmonds was one of the Flyer goal scorers in the win. Brayden Schenn, Mark Streit and Braydon Coburn added the other three Flyers goals.
Jake Voracek and Claude Giroux may not be on that list of scorers, but each had two assists. Voracek holds a three-point lead on Sidney Crosby for the league lead in points with 29 and leads the league in assists by four with 22. Giroux moved into a tie for third in points with 24 and is tied for second in assists with Crosby at 18.
The two players have been the leaders this season, but credit the Flyers as a whole for playing a solid game with a new-look lineup, 11 forwards and seven defensemen. One of those forwards was Scott Laughton, who continues to improve with more ice time.
At 8-9-2, this was a must-win game for the Flyers in a sense. The Flyers will play seven of their next eight games on the road, including a West Coast road trip. The Flyers first test on the road is against the upstart New York Islanders.
The Flyers are 2-6-0 on the road this season. A win now was perfect timing for a team that needed confidence.
"I think the guys really took it to them and didn’t give them the opportunity to really get any sustained momentum," Mason said. "That’s the kind of effort we need on a more consistent basis."
"The thing in this league is that when you compete and work hard, good things happen," head coach Craig Berube said. "That’s the two things you are in control of a lot of the time."
The Flyers will have to control the play against some of the teams they will face on the road in order to continue moving up in the standings. The Flyers controlled the play in each of their last two games.
On Thursday, they just missed one point and a possible second in overtime. On Saturday, they were finally rewarded for the effort with two points, just when they needed it most.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
