Monday Morning Fly By: That was a hockey game

*It was a scrimmage, sure, but that was a COT DANG hockey game last night folks! On The Farg ice, beats tweeting pictures, JJ on the TV... we’re home again.

*Feels like lines are starting to shape up, and they look quite good. [BSH]

*In fact the fourth line is shaping up to be one of the best fourth lines in the whole damn league. [Inquirer]

*On this last weekend before the real stuff begins, Alain Vigneault is calling out his vets. Challenging them. You kind of love to see it, right? [NBC Sports Philly]

*Travis Konecny is calling himself out. Again, you love to see it. [Inquirer]

*How about Kevin Hayes? His first season with the team was pretty outstanding; should we expect to see him at that level again this season? [BSH]

*Charles brought us some various and sundry pre-season information in the form of his most recent mailbag. [The Athletic]

*One thing Charlie looks at is the Flyers power play, which maybe will be better? Lord knows it can’t be worse. [Inquirer]

*The Flyers’ new — and mostly old — division is going to be a real party. [ProHockeyTalk]

*JVR speaks on the tenuous nature of a professional sports season happening in the middle of a pandemic. The elephant in the room, if you will. [Inquirer]

*It’s something we’re all going to need to be worried about for the length of the season, probably. Since we last spoke the Penguins ended up cancelling a practice due to potential exposure (they did play their scrimmage last night, which is good news), the Kings reported that five players were “unfit to play” with no detail of course, the Canucks had to cancel a practice because of exposure to the virus, and the Dallas Stars had six players test positive for COVID-19 ahead of practice. Not great!

*Anyhoo, let’s key in on the New York Islanders... [Flyers]

*... who somehow managed to re-sign Mat Barzal. ANNOYING. [Lighthouse Hockey]

*Some NHL GMs and ‘experts’ ranked the league’s goalies and were extremely fair to our boy Carter! [The Athletic]

*Speaking of, Corey Crawford retired. [Second City Hockey]

*Finally, someone is asking the important questions: what have the team puppies been up to through all this?? [ProHockeyTalk]

*And finally finally, in case you missed it, a new pre-season Flyperbole! [BSH]