Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Vigneault trying to keep streaking Flyers focused
Coming off a riveting performance against the New York Rangers Friday night, the Flyers get another opportunity Sunday to prove their season stretch drive mettle.
The vengeful Rangers, who had been on a 9-1 run entering that Friday Flyers visit, will be out to simply give the Flyers their lunch in the 12 noon start at Madison Square Garden.
But Alain Vigneault, head coach of a team that has won five straight games, including the 5-2 dismissal of the Rangers in the first of this homeand-home series, figures all will be fine so long as all his players take things the old one-game-at-atime way.
“With our group, one of the things we have done real well is stay in the moment, stay focused on the task at hand,” Vigneault said after a Saturday practice at the Skate Zone. “Our business tomorrow is to get ready for the Rangers and make sure we play the right way. You don’t want to get caught not thinking about the next game. You have to really focus on one game at a time. It’s a tough league. Everybody’s good. So you have to get yourself ready, get yourself in the right mindset.
“(Saturday)’s a little different with a 12 o’clock start, but I’m real confident that we’ll be real good tomorrow.”
Vigneault is showing just as much confidence as his players are these days. He’s got the aura of a coach who knows he’s connected with his players, something that may be at the root of their 3720-7 record and 81 points standing, second place in the Metropolitan Division and fourth-best in the Eastern Conference through Friday.
To that end, Vigneault is still making sure he’s doing the right things when motivating his players to not be overconfident, just because they’re coming off a big win over a team they’re about to play again.
“When you’re doing the right things, when you’re preparing yourself the right way, when you’re working off the ice the right way, when you’re taking care of yourself off the ice ... I firmly believe the results will be on your side,” Vigneault said. “Not every night, but on most nights, if you do the right things you give yourself a real good chance. We’re in a league of parity, so you have to do the right things everywhere and all the time.”
Stopping himself in mid-philosophical thought, Vigneault thought to add about his players, “They might find we’re a little pain in the (butt) sometimes ... can you say that on camera? They might think we are demanding a lot. But at the end of the day you have to demand. We have a group that continues to progress. We’ll have another opportunity to show it tomorrow.”
• • • One thing likely different Sunday from Friday night will be the presence of 20-year-old rookie Joel Farabee, last seen getting demoted just last week by general manager Chuck Fletcher. He spent a lot of time on Trade Deadline Day talking about the need to get Farabee some regular playing time, something he didn’t foresee up here with new acquisitions Nate Thompson and Derek Grant.
Fletcher said Farabee would rejoin the club at some point, but indicated that probably wouldn’t be anytime soon. But after Grant was missing from practice Saturday, it was announced Farabee was on his way back to rejoin the Flyers.
And yet, according to Vigneault, Grant had a maintenance game. More likely is Grant is dealing with an injury and his status is uncertain for Sunday. Just a guess.
• • • The Flyers and all other teams in the NHL received a memo the last couple of days regarding Coronavirus. Not only is the hyped and spreading disease causing a stick shortage, it had the league leaders needing to remind players about keeping it clean. From a hygiene perspective, that is.