Flyers Need Points
Philadelphia Flyers
As much fun as it is to simply watch the Flyers play in an outdoor game, they need to leave Heinz Field with a win.
Whether you’re talking about the Winter Classic or the Stadium Series, outdoor games really are amazing. Fans love them, players love them. Regardless of the score, they are incredible experiences.
In 2010, we got to see overtime hockey in the shadow of the Green Monster at Fenway Park. And in 2012, with the Flyers down by a goal with 20 seconds left, Danny Briere—Mr. Clutch himself—took a penalty shot against Henrik Lundqvist under the lights of Citizens Bank Park. Sure, the Flyers lost both of those games, but they were so much fun to watch.
All that being said, the Flyers need these two points.
Ups and Downs in 2016–17
Expectations for this season weren’t too high. The Flyers started this year with essentially the same roster that squeaked into the playoffs last year before losing in the first round. But after a ten-game win streak, those expectations rose a bit. We knew that they weren’t Cup contenders, but maybe they were a step or two closer than we thought.
Coming into the Stadium Series, they’ve since gone 9-15-4, getting just 22 points out of a possible 56. And after losing to Washington in their last game before heading out onto the gridiron, that optimism is now hard to find.
Too warm. Reschedule the Stadium Series game to next year. Maybe the Flyers will know how to hockey by then. #stadiumseries
— Nicholas (@Nick_K_H) February 23, 2017
Taking the Rivalry to the Next Level
At this point, pretty much every game within the conference is a must-win, but this is bigger than that. Bigger even than a Flyers–Penguins game usually is.
Beating their archrival on one of the NHL’s biggest stages—and on the Penguins’ home turf (sort of)—could be just what this team needs to make another late-season playoff push. We’ve seen Giroux step it up against the Penguins, and with all the criticism he’s been under this season, we need him to do it again at Heinz Field.
And it’s high time the Flyers won an outdoor game!