Three days into Flyers training camp, the team has begun to heat things up on the ice.
The Flyers opened up their training camp on Monday. The day was about getting the legs back under them and seeing where every player was at. Now three days in, the practices have begun to ramp up as the Flyers get closer to the start of the playoffs.
Alain Vigneault has always had a high-tempo to his practices. A shorter version of training camp means things will have to be accelerated quickly, but safely. Most players hadn’t skated since the season was paused in March.
Finding the right balance of play is of the upmost importance. It includes mixing in up-tempo play among the drills at camp. That’s where things were at during Wednesday’s practice. It included a lot of intensity for the goaltenders especially. They were put through the ringer with various odd-man rush drills.
With an off day on Thursday, the Flyers will meet again on Friday before their first set of team scrimmages on Saturday. Vigneault has liked what he has seen from the team so far.
"“If you look into their eyes, they want to be here. They want to put in the work. They want to get ready. They’re really looking forward to this challenge and this opportunity. I like the spirits. I like the mood and I like our guys right now.”"
Under these unique circumstances, having all the players buying in at the same time will be important. And this is a Flyers group that has shown they can put it all together at the right time.
No matter if it’s veterans like Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier or youngsters like Travis Konecny and Carter Hart. Having a locker room that is as close as the Flyers are is an added bonus. It becomes especially important when you add in a guy like Kevin Hayes to bring everyone together.
There is a time and place for the fun-loving nature that Hayes brings. Having a guy like him gives the Flyers someone who knows how to loosen things up. And at a time like this, it is important to take some time to step away from the situation at hand.
But the Flyers know what the task at hand is. And it involves looking past the exhibition game against the Penguins and even the round-robin stage. Their minds are already focused on the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
They won’t know their opponent until after the play-in round. But that hasn’t stopped them. This is a Flyers team that knows what has to be done.