VOORHEES, N.J. – If the Flyers needed a wake-up call on the eve of their longest homestand of the season, they got it with Tuesday's 5-1 loss in Carolina.
Their lead as a wild card team in the Eastern Conference is now just one point over Toronto.
The good news is they have five games at home to rebuild their confidence and their wild card lead starting with Thursday's game against Montreal, which has been every bit as inconsistent as the Flyers lately.
"The homestand we had last year was successful and kinda put us in the playoff spot," team captain, Claude Giroux said. "Hopefully, we're looking for same thing."
He was referencing a late-February homestand last year that saw the Flyers win five of six games that cut their wild card deficit from five points to two.
The lack of energy, emotion and concern from the loss to the Canes doesn't go silently into the night. The fact is, the Flyers have been too streaky and inconsistent this season.
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They had a three-game win streak on the line and were trending upward. The way they lost in Carolina was inexplicable given their previous outings.
"We got frustrated again; we have to keep our composure more," Giroux said, adding he felt this club being labeled "up and down," was "dead on."
"We're gonna play some really good hockey and they we're gonna have a letdown," Giroux said. "But at the same time, we find a way to come back every time.
"We find our game … we had three big wins there. We have to overcome [the loss]. Have confidence and believe in yourself."
The Flyers are 15-7-3 on home ice this season as opposed to 10-13-3 on the road.
Sean Couturier said while the Flyers are a streaky, up-and-down club, he feels that indicative of many teams in the NHL this season.
"It's probably like that for everyone," he said. "It's about winning and getting points every night. We got to limit these two and three-game losing streaks that kill us. Get in the win column."
Loose pucks
Brayden Schenn missed practice with an illness … Michael Del Zotto (leg bruise) saw a team doctor which raises concern. Could his bone bruise be something worse? Del Zotto said pain initially kept him skating, but also said he was feeling much better and thought he could play in Carolina. He didn't. An update is expected on him on Thursday … Flyers' optional morning skate will move to Voorhees on Thursday – not Wells Fargo Center … Based on Wednesday's practice, the lines and defensive pairs are the same. Dale Weise took Schenn's spot in drills … Michal Neuvirth appears to be the starter against Montreal as he was first off the ice.
