This is a game that the Flyers should win. The Flyers have had four days off and three days rest to prepare for this game. Peter Laviolette worked the team hard in practice on Monday and Tuesday in response to his their poor play over the weekend. He then shifted gears on Wednesday and focused extensively on the struggling power play. The extended practice time also gave Nick Boynton and Chris Versteeg valuable time to get acclimated to Laviolette's system and their new linemates. This will be Versteeg's first game against his former team and he sounds motivated to prove to Brian Burke that he made a mistake when trading him.
The Maple Leafs won a hard fought overtime game against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night and then quickly got to the airport to fly to Philly. The Leafs have played eight one-goal games in a row, winning five of those games. If the Flyers can come out of the gate and quickly set the tempo, they should be able to take advantage of a tired Leafs squad.
I think that this will be a win for the Flyers. Reading a few player interviews, it sounds like Laviolette has marked this game as the beginning of the build to the playoffs. I think the team will come out fired up and show the coach that they are ready to put in the work it takes to win. Even with all that, I don't think that the Leafs will roll over. They are only four points out of a playoff spot, and will be desperate for a win.
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