Flyers

Too Bad the NHL Didn’t Pause the Season When the Flyers Were Crappy

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Dec 21st, 2021 · 10:11 AM EST

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After enduring a 10-game losing streak, the Flyers have won four of their last five.

So here comes the NHL to institute a brief pause to the action:

The @NHL and @NHLPA have agreed to begin the Holiday Break after Tuesday’s games. Practices will resume on Dec. 26 and the League’s regular-season schedule will resume on Dec. 27. https://t.co/0Bmu8dlZ1M pic.twitter.com/JHbxtzMX6D

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2021

This leaves only three games on the NHL calendar before the break, which includes tonight’s matchup between the Flyers and visiting Capitals, who are tied for the division lead with Carolina.

After that, we pause for a few days before coming back on Sunday, then the Flyers get a few days of practice before flying out to Seattle to kick off a road swing that includes a back-to-back with San Jose and then games in LA and Anaheim.

The story headline is goofy because we would have loved for the NHL to take a COVID break during the losing streak, when the Flyers were stinking up the joint. Now they’re playing relatively well under Mike Yeo and you wonder if they’re better off keeping up this momentum, even though the shorter break was already scheduled. Maybe the rest and practice helps, or maybe it doesn’t. Different philosophies for different fans, I guess.

The good news is that the Kraken blow, while the Kings and Sharks are just okay. Anaheim is pretty tough, but the Flyers get two days off before playing that game, with no plane ride in between. They’ve been decent on the road under Yeo, beating Vegas and Arizona and getting a point in Montreal. There’s a 10 point gap separating the Penguins and Flyers in the Metro, but Philly is in a position here to jump Columbus and claim 5th heading into the break.