The chemistry experiment has begun for the Flyers.
That’s what Peter Laviolette and most of his players — both old and new — say the preseason is all about. To mix and match all those elements, all those unfamiliar faces, and blend it all together.
Which is why it may take awhile before they find the right solution.
“We have to find the right chemistry,” said Danny Briere, who figures to be on the ice when the home portion of the preseason gets under way tonight. “The first couple of weeks might be tough trying to find the right combinations, but hopefully it won’t take as long as a couple of years ago [2009] when it cost [then coach] John Stevens his job. We took too long to gel then.”
That, of course, was when Laviolette arrived and proceeded to take those listless Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals. But each year presents its own set of challenges
“There’s always opportunity,” said Laviolette, just 16 days from the Oct. 6 season opener in Boston. “But this year presents itself a little bit more.
“Certainly more so than last year, where we were coming off a [Stanley] Cup run and had a lot of the same pieces and line combinations in place.”
That goes for everyone on the roster, from holdovers to newcomers.
“It’s going to be fun playing home with the fans supporting the new players,’’ said leading scorer Claude Giroux. “Obviously it’s a different look and attitude. But it’s going to take time to get to know each other; to find the chemistry with the lines.”
Figures to be a busy two to three weeks in the hockey laboratory.
Orange and Black score 4-0 win over Toronto
The Flyers officially kicked off the preseason with a 4-0 win last night in Toronto.
New winger Wayne Simmonds (acquired in the Mike Richards’ deal) scored a power-play goal in the second period. Zac Rinaldo and Mike Testwuide also notched second-period goals for the Flyers, with No. 1 draft pick Sean Couturier scoring on an unassisted wrister in the third period. Defenseman Matt Carle assisted on two of the goals (Simmonds, Testwuide).
Sergei Bobrovsky got the start in net for the Orange and Black and stopped all 21 shots fired at him. Meanwhile, Toronto goalie James Reimer was 18-of-22. The two switch venues today, playing at the Wells Fargo Center.
