MELTZER'S MUSINGS: DECEMBER 26, 2015
1) One year ago, the Flyers had 34 points and a 14-14-6 record at the Christmas break. Although the team endured an horrific 0-8-1 spell in the latter part of November to early December, the team took a 6-1-3 run and a three-game winning streak into Christmas. Things seemed to be headed in the right direction as the team reconvened in Nashville on Dec. 27 for the fourth game of a seven-game road trip.
Unfortunately, the Flyers staggered to four straight losses (0-3-1) over the rest of the road trip. Even as the team surged again right before and immediately after the All-Star break, the Flyers spent the rest of the season struggling in vain to get back into the playoff race.
This year, the Flyers are in a little better shape exiting the Christmas break. The club has 37 ponts (15-12-7) in 34 games and has points in 14 of its last 18 games (10-4-4). Just as important, the team is closer in the playoff race, exiting the break five points (with one game in hand) behind the New York Islanders for the automatic playoff spot that comes with a third-place finish in the Metropolitan Division, four points in back of the Detroit Red Wings for the upper wildcard berth and three points (with a game in hand) behind the Ottawa Senators for the final wildcard spot.
The Flyers navigated a tough slate of games with decent success prior to the break and are 5-2-2 thus far in December. Now, the next nine games are critical. All but one are against teams that are currently in playoff position in their respective conference.
The first team of the stretch opens against the disappointing Anaheim Ducks. While the team finds itself in the basement of the Western Conference and has been the lowest scoring club in the NHL -- the Flyers remain the second-lowest but scored three or more regulation goals in eight of their last 12 games -- Anaheim is still a dangerous opponent exiting the break.
For whatever reason, the Flyers often seem to play their worst games against teams that are struggling against the rest of the league. That cannot happen again. The Ducks have been a better team at home (8-5-4) than on the road (4-10-2) this season.
After this game, the Flyers will take on the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday and then finish their California road trip in Los Angeles on Jan. 2.
2) The World Junior Championships open in Helsinki, Finland on Dec. 26. The schedule breaks down as follows, with Flyers prospects noted in parenthesis:
7 a.m. ET: Russia (Ivan Provorov, Radel Fazleev) vs. Czech Republic (David Kase) 9 a.m. ET: Sweden (Oskar Lindblom, Felix Sandström) vs.Switzerland 11 a.m. ET: Finland vs. Belarus 1 p.m. ET: Canada (Travis Sanheim, Travis Konecny) vs. USA
3) AHL: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (14-15-1) return to post-Christmas action on Saturday. Scott Gordon's team will play host to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (16-12-2) at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. Game time is 7:05 p.m. ET.
FLYERS ALUMNI IN 7TH ANNUAL JEFF BURD MEMORIAL GAME: DEC. 27
The seventh annual Jeff Burd Memorial Game fundraising benefit between the Flyers Alumni and Cherokee Chiefs Alumni teams will take place at the Skate Zone in Voorhees on Dec. 27 from 4:05 p.m to 5:35 p.m. ET.
Last year, the younger legs of the Chiefs Alumni players carried them to a surprise comeback win over the Flyers Alumni team. More important, the 2014 game and after-party grossed $37,263. After direct expenses were paid, every penny of the proceeds went to the Jeff Burd Memorial Scholarship Fund, the National Meningitis Association, USA Wounded Warriors and Wings of Steel Sled Hockey.
The Jeff Burd Memorial Scholarship Fund is an educational fund co-created by the Burd family in remembrance of the 16-year-old standout student and Chorokee Chiefs player who passed seven years ago after a bout with meningitis. Each year, donations and matching funds for college are awarded to the Cherokee Chiefs player with the highest academic performance in school.
This year, in honor of the recovery of Flyers Hall of Fame left winger Brian Propp, the Neuro-Rehabilitation Center for stroke patients at Magee Hospital has been added as a fifth beneficiary of proceeds from the game.
Apart from Propp, who is a longtime close friend of Chief's coach and event organizer Scott McKay, a host of Flyers, Phantoms and Hershey Bears Alumni will be participating in the event, including Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Joe Watson, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Brad Marsh, Ray Allison, Frank "the Animal" Bialowas and Mitch Lamoureaux.
Longtime NHL referee and South Jersey resident Kerry Fraser will officiate the game. Legendary Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan will be behind the SkateZone mic.
The after-party with the Flyers Alumni will be held at the Victory Lane Bar and Grill in West Berlin, NJ (795 Route 73) from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. with food and drink. Tickets to the game are $20, and admission to both the game and the after-party is a $45 donation.
For more details on tickets, sponsorships or making donations in lieu of attending the event, please contact Scott McKay by phone at (609) 377-6866 or via email at RowdyMAX@aol.com.