Flyers must work

to return to play
PHILADELPHIA (KRT) — They are all just Flyers again.
The sons of five countries, they now wear only one jersey, and there is only one goal — to bring a hockey championship to Philadelphia for the first time in 27 years.
For the past two weeks, the talk has been about Canada’s 50-year drought for Olympic gold, about the United States’ 18-game undefeated streak on home ice, about how 22 years ago a young U.S. team shocked the world and beat the Soviet Union in the greatest upset in sports.
With the Winter Olympics over, that is all just history again, and what matters now to the Flyers are the next 25 games and the impending playoffs.
“The Stanley Cup, the playoffs, winning the last 25 games, that’s the big focus now,” said Kim Johnsson, who played for Sweden.
The stretch run to the playoffs begins Tuesday night at the First Union Center when the Flyers face the Chicago Blackhawks.
During the next 48 days, the Flyers will play 25 games, another frantic pace that will challenge their health and resilience.
It’s not as if they have been off all summer and are beginning a new season, but two weeks is a long time to be off with 57 games already played.
“I know most of the guys really struggled with this, had a really hard time trying to relax, unwind, get rest, because you’re always so used to playing this time of year,” captain Keith Primeau said.

— from wire reports