If there is such a thing as a "trap" game this early in the season, the Flyers game in Ottawa tomorrow night may be one. The Senators entered the 2011-12 campaign widely predicted to finish 14th or 15th (dead last) in the Eastern Conference this season. So far, the Sens have done little to change people's minds -- or, more importantly, to gain confidence in themselves. The club is off to a 1-4-0 start and has allowed a league-worst 23 goals.

The Senators' game is sandwiched in between the emotion-filled game on Saturday against Los Angeles and Thursday's marquee matchup with the Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center, tomorrow's tilt. As such, it is a game the Flyers could potentially overlook and ultimately regret if they fail to come out with a focused effort.

The fact that the match is a road game should help. Tomorrow's game is the lone contest away from the Wells Fargo Center until Oct. 26 (Montreal). Coming off a penalty-filled overtime loss on Saturday, the Flyers should be focused on nothing else but getting right back on the winning track.

****

Sergei Bobrovsky has yet to play during the regular season, and has not played in a game since the Sept. 23 preseason match in Detroit. He needs some work, and I have a feeling -- although it has yet to be confirmed -- that it will be Bobrovsky rather than Ilya Bryzgalov in net tomorrow night.

Bob had an outstanding preseason but everything starts over for him again when he makes his initial start of the 2011-12 season.

****

Nevertheless, part of playing winning hockey is for players to constantly challenge themselves to get better -- not just in lip service but in reality. Every player on the team has room for improvement.

Among the Flyers' forwards, Jakub Voracek is the player whom I think most needs to push himself to pick up his game in Ottawa and beyond. He has played OK, but I'd like to see him push himself to do a little more that may or may not end up on the scoresheet at the end of the night. I think he's certainly capable of it and has shown it in flashes.

Yes, Voracek has scored two goals in the four games so far. He has shot the puck more frequently, as the team asked him to do at the start of the preseason. He scored on a nice turnaround shot in the opener and convert a Sean Couturier feed in the home opener against Vancouver. But other areas of his game still need to come around. There were signs of it in the LA game. Now he needs to build on it.

Perhaps we were spoiled by the instant chemistry that Ville Leino established with Danny Briere in the 2010 playoffs, and it will just take time for Voracek (who brought a playmaker's reputation with him from Columbus) to get in synch with Briere and Wayne Simmonds. But Voracek will have to start making better use of his linemates. There has to be a happy medium between passing up good shots and getting tunnel vision about beating three defenders to look for your own shot.

Thus far this season, Briere only has five shots on goal through the first four games. You can say that it is up to Danny to get open more when he's away from the puck and create more of his own shots when he's carrying the puck. But Voracek also has some responsibility in this. On at least four occasions in the first two home games, I have seen Briere get himself free of the traffic with an open passing lane and Voracek (who had the puck) either didn't make the read or else did not put the pass where Briere could handle it.

I would also like to see Voracek make a little better use of his size. During the preseason, he showed flashes of being able to protect the puck for lengthy stretches and then dishing to an open teammate. That has yet to happen through the first four games of the regular season. Voracek needs to be a little better on the boards and to force some more turnovers so that his line can pin other teams deep in their own end of the ice.

The two goals so far are nice, and it's good to see pucks going in for Voracek after he struggled to finish plays in the preseason. I'm sure that the assists will also come, as they did in the exhibition schedule, where Voracek had a couple of beautiful setups.

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Musings and Quick Hits: Flyers Power Play, Phantoms vs WBS Preview

» Quick Hits: Flyers Daily, Phantoms, TIFH

» Quick Hits: Phantoms Playoff Series Set

» Phantoms Clinch Playoff Spot; Briere and Tortorella Presser

» Quick Hits: Briere & Tortorella, Ristolainen, Phantoms, Exit Day Wrap