Flyers embrace comeback role once again

The Flyers have overcome a franchise-worst 1-7 start. They have made more comebacks than Joan Rivers, winning a club-record 11 games after trailing in the third period this season.

And, so, you can understand why they are not overwhelmed because they face a two-games-to-one series deficit against the New York Rangers. Game 4 is Friday at the Wells Fargo Center.

"We believe in ourselves," center Sean Couturier said after the Flyers held a team meeting Wednesday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. "We know we have the character to come back. We've done it all year, so I don't see why we couldn't do it again."

The Flyers are behind in the series after the defensively superior Rangers scored two early goals, blocked 28 shots, and excelled on the penalty kill en route to a 4-1 victory Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

"Obviously, we're used to coming back," winger Wayne Simmonds said. "I think we just have to stick with it. I thought we played a good game [Tuesday] for 50 minutes, 45 minutes. We just have to get a better start going and carry the momentum from there."

"I personally think we did a lot of good things, and if we play the same way, we're going to win here on Friday," captain Claude Giroux said. "We did a good job with the puck; we won a lot of battles to be able to get pucks through."

After Tuesday's loss, Giroux, who predicted the Flyers would make the playoffs when they were 1-7, pledged that his team would even the series Friday.

"We're going to be ready for Game 4, we're going to tie up this series and go back to New York," he said.

For that to happen, the Flyers have to find a way to get shots past Ranger defenders.

"A team blocks [almost] 30 shots, that's on us," coach Craig Berube said.

The Flyers also need to get more quality chances on goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who has a 1.68 goals-against average in the first three games of the series.

"We have to do a better job of screening Lundqvist. I mean, what he doesn't see is going to be hard for him to stop," Couturier said. "Right now, he's seen a lot of pucks, and it's up to us to create more traffic. We have to jump on those second and third chances. He's that good, he's going to make the first save."

Goalie Steve Mason, who is expected to make his first start in 13 days Friday, said the Flyers gained strength after recovering from a miserable regular-season start.

"You look around the dressing room and the type of players we have in here, everybody cares," Mason said. "There's a lot of heart in this room, and from the start of the season to where we are now, we've come a long way, and you gain confidence from that. Because it's the playoffs, things don't change. You just have to stick with your guns and things will work out. Everybody in the dressing room is confident. It's only 2-1; it's not 3-1 or 4-0 or anything like that. We're still in the series."

But their playoff lives will be hanging by a thread if they lose Friday.

"Every game in the playoffs is pretty much a must-win," Mason said. "But because of the stakes and having to go back to MSG [Sunday], I think that's as big of a must-win as you can get."