Happy Presidents' Day: Flyers in Long Island for Rare Weekday Matinee

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We wanted to talk a little today about the increasingly dire
situation the Flyers find themselves at the season’s one-third mark, coming off
of a deflating collapse in New Jersey followed by a no-show effort in Montreal
over the weekend. As it turns out though, the Orange & Black are right back
in action this afternoon, and we’re not very good planners.

So we’ll put the sky-is-falling talk on hold for the time
being, and focus on the Philadelphia’s task at hand, the New York Islanders –
who by the way are already showing their hospitality by sharing the Atlantic
Division basement. That’s right: if the Flyers lose today, they will be all
alone again in last place, with the bottom of the entire Eastern Conference not
far behind.

This is the first meeting of the season between the two. The
Flyers posted a 4-1-1 record over the Islanders in 2011-’12, and are a
hilarious 28-3-1 dating back to ’07-’08.

The Isles are a dangerous team nonetheless, one loaded with
scoring potential. New York is ranked seventh with 3.14 goals per game, their
explosive offense keyed by budding superstar John Tavares. The first-overall
pick of the draft in ’09 is currently tied for second in the NHL with 11 goals,
and tied for sixth with 20 points.

On the flip side, the Islanders are one of the league’s shakiest
defensively. They are 26th in goals against per game, surrendering 3.36 on
average.

Of course the match-up numbers haven’t often dictated much
for the Flyers this season, who have been prone to uneven performances since
the first pick dropped back in January. The key number today is probably this:
2-8. That’s their record on the road this season, compared to 4-1-1 at home.

The good news on that front is the Flyers will be back in
front of a Wells Fargo Center crowd on Thursday, finally bringing an end to
their six-game road trip. They can still salvage the trip somewhat however by
earning two points today, with Pittsburgh looming on Wednesday. And even though they’ve routinely had the Islanders’
number the last few years, the Flyers should be treating every opponent like
they’re the damn Eastern Conference All-Star right now – as opposed to just
making their opponents look like it.

Anyway, feel free to join us for the game in our esteemed comment section if you would like.

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