Are we getting to the point of the season now where we don’t even expect a win? Maybe I’m crazy and we reached that point a while ago, but I honestly believed the Flyers would win on Tuesday in Carolina. I believed they’d beat Washington and Anaheim. I believed they’d beat the Devils on Saturday too, and, well, they barely did that.
Tonight, I’m just hoping I don’t spend the night bored. I just want to be entertained, and a win would really just be gravy. Coming off of one of the ugliest hockey games I’ve ever watched, I really just hope something on the ice makes me not regret my decision to watch tonight’s game against the Devils. And I’m not even paying for a ticket.
New Jersey Devils (3-7-4, 10 pts) at Philadelphia Flyers (4-9-1, 9 pts)
7 p.m. | Wells Fargo Center | South Philadelphia
Local TV: CSN Philly, MSG+ | Radio: 97.5 FM
Get the New Jersey perspective at In Lou We Trust
This is what it’s come to for the 2013-14 Flyers. Am I hopeful that they can start scoring, simplify their game and turn this ship around? Absolutely. I think they’re a better team than they’re showing and lord knows they can be a playoff team in this awful Metropolitan Division. They’re only five points out of a playoff spot despite the miserable start.
But I’m not going into tonight’s game with the expectation or frankly even the hope of a win. Every time I do that, I wind up disappointed. The Flyers will have to prove to me that they’re better before I start to believe they’re ready to turn this season around. It starts with the captain getting on the board, and it goes down the list from there. The only guy on the Flyers right now without something to prove is Steve Mason, and it looks like Ray Emery will probably get the start tonight … so yeah, everybody has some work to do this evening.
Kris Newbury will probably be in the lineup tonight, replacing Tye McGinn on the fourth line. Then again, Jay Rosehill could find his way in considering New Jersey recalled Cam Janssen from the AHL yesterday. That’s the only personnel change. The rest of the lineup has been tossed like a salad for the hundredth time this season, with Vincent Lecavalier moving back down to the second line and last year’s top line reunited.
Martin Brodeur will get the start in goal for New Jersey. Travis Zajac, who missed the game on Saturday between the two teams, will be back tonight. Peter Harrold and Anton Volchenkov will return from injuries as well for the Devils.
Our game thread will be up around 6 p.m. Go Flyers.
