Philadelphia Flyers: No Cause for Concern

Don't panic, Flyers fans.

In the wake of yesterday's loss to the Penguins on home ice, some have been calling for Marty Biron's head. They shouldn't be.

He's human. He made a mistake, and he won't make it again. Marty is normally a very smart goalie, and this is one rare instance where his mind went missing.

But, like all good players, he will learn from this. Biron is the Flyers' starting goaltender, and now is not the time to start looking for another answer.

Yesterday was just one game. And although at this time of the year every game is critical, there are a few things to bear in mind.

First, don't overlook that this team just won five of their last seven games and are finally back healthy. It appears the flu bug has finally run its course, just in time for the stretch run.

The Flyers are still in fourth place in the conference, and have at least two games in hand on every team in the top 10. With 71 points, they trail the Devils by just eight and have three games in hand on them, with two games remaining against each other.

The only difficult test remaining on the schedule is a five-game stretch in March. It begins with a four-game road trip that starts in Manhattan on the 15th. The team will then visit the defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings two days later, head up to Buffalo, and then back down to Pittsburgh before returning home to face the Devils for the final time this season.

Other than that stretch, the Flyers have a favorable schedule. Five of their final nine games are against sub-.500 teams, and they have defeated every team in that stretch at least once. They need just 12 wins to equal last season's point total of 95.

Lest we forget that Daniel Briere will be healthy very soon, and his reappearance will only create more competition among the forwards, which will make them better. The only concern here is freeing up cap space.

The next task at hand is Washington on Tuesday, a team the Flyers have handled well this season, gaining points in both games. The first time around, the Caps were trounced 7-1 in Philly behind a hat trick from Scott Hartnell and a stellar 47-save performance from Antero Niittymaki. The second meeting resulted in a 2-1 shootout victory for the Capitals against a short-handed Flyers squad that was at the end of a grueling six-game west coast trip. Both games featured inspired play from both teams, and fans should expect nothing less the next time around.

This team has shown it can be resilient all season. No reason to think they won't do it again this time.