Flyers begin preparing for Bruins with lineup moves and scrimmages on tap this weekend
Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said he will start putting together his forward lines and defense pairings.
Flyers training camp is about to get more serious.
Coach Alain Vigneault expects to start putting together his probable playoff lines and pairings starting with Friday’s sessions in Voorhees. On Saturday, the team will have intrasquad scrimmages.
Having not played a game since March 10, the players aren’t as worn down as they would normally be as the playoffs approach.
“You don’t have the wear and tear, but you also don’t have that rhythm,” defenseman Justin Braun said.
They will start to get into a rhythm over the next few days, and playing an exhibition game against Pittsburgh on July 28 will also help.
The Flyers will restart the bizarre season Aug. 2 against Boston, the NHL’s top team, in a round-robin, seeding tournament. The Flyers went 2-1 against the Bruins during the regular season, beating Boston in a pair of shootouts (3-2 and 6-5) and dropping a 2-0 decision March 10, ending their nine-game winning streak.
Memorable moment
Vigneault got emotional Thursday when talking about his favorite moment after serving a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Quebec in early May.
“The first trip I made was to my parents’ senior-care residence,” he said.
» READ MORE: Alain Vigneault turned Flyers into Stanley Cup contenders. COVID-19 hasn’t changed that. | Mike Sielski
He was excited to visit with his 87-year-old mother, Loraine, who has been battling dementia, and his father, Maurice, 85.
“It was a very cold day in May, but it was a good day for my mom. She recognized me and that was a real good day for me,” said Vigneault, who visited with his parents every other day that month.
“... This moment was no doubt the highlight” of being away from hockey.
Breakaways
The Flyers were off the ice Thursday. ... Derek Grant, who was the Flyers’ third-line center when the season was halted, can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, but he downplayed his free-agent status. “I think everyone in the room, regardless of your contract status, our focus is getting ready for the playoffs,” he said. Grant, 30, had a career season with a combined 15 goals in 56 games with Anaheim and the Flyers.