Flyers continue trip in New Jersey

The Flyers spent a brief but welcome spell at home before continuing to the third game of their six-game trip, Friday in New Jersey against the Devils.

The Flyers lost, 5-2, in Toronto on Monday and beat the Jets, 3-2, on Tuesday in Winnipeg. They returned home after the win, practiced Thursday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, then headed to Newark.

Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, who has been sidelined since Jan. 24 with a shoulder injury, returned to practice. He was wearing a noncontact yellow jersey and skated in the beginning. He did not take part in drills. There is no timetable for his return.

"I am feeling better and progressing, and I am obviously not where I want to be, and we will see where it goes the next few weeks," said Meszaros, who was injured in the fourth game of the season, a 2-1 win at home over the New York Rangers.

Meszaros underwent surgery on a herniated disk in his back in March. The 27-year-old returned to play in the Flyers' final playoff game, a 3-1 loss to the Devils in the fifth game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

During the summer, Meszaros ruptured his right Achilles tendon while working out in his native Slovakia, but he returned in time for the Flyers season.

"To come back and then after four games to get hurt is frustrating," he said. "It's bad luck."

Sean Couturier returned to practice after missing the last two games with the flu. Couturier traveled with the Flyers to Toronto but was so sick that he did not attend Monday's game, opting to stay in his hotel.

Couturier went home the next day. He said the rest was beneficial.

"I feel great," he said. "I feel good to go and hopefully I will play" Friday.

The Flyers, who are 2-6 on the road, were also feeling good after the victory.

"It was a big win and we sacrificed and paid the price to win that game physically, and we're hoping that carries over for the rest of the road trip," forward Danny Briere said.

The Flyers were glad to spend some time at home before continuing their longest road trip of the season.

"It's good to break up the monotony of being on the road and check in with your house, your family, significant others, and change your clothes, get refreshed, and go back out," said coach Peter Laviolette, whose team is 6-7-1. "It's also good to get back to our rink and have a practice and work on things we need to work on."

One thing they have to work on is stopping the Devils' recent dominance.

New Jersey beat the Flyers, 3-0, on Jan. 22. A Stanley Cup finalist last season, New Jersey leads the Eastern Conference at 8-2-3.