NHL: Briere, Flyers Ready for Stretch Run
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Flyers have 13 regular season games left as they try to hold onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. That includes tonight's game in Atlanta against the Thrashers.
Flyers' forward Danny Briere called in to KYW Newsradio to talk about the stretch run.
"It's getting exciting because, obviously for us, Washington is just a point behind us, and teams are fighting for that last spot, so it's starting to feel more and more like playoff hockey -- and it's a good thing," Briere told KYW's Matt Leon.
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Briere says as they roll down the stretch they have to keep the intensity level high, with an eye on the postseason.
"We have to start treating games a little bit more like playoff hockey, even though we know that it's not quite the same intensity yet, so when it starts we're not looking behind us and saying, 'What happened? What's going on here?' You know, it's not a switch you just turn on and off as you want," Briere says.
The Flyers will be without defenseman Chris Pronger for the next few weeks after he had that surgery on his broken hand. Briere says they'll miss the All-Star blueliner, but they have to overcome his absence.
"It gives a few guys more responsibility and more ice time. We want him (Pronger) on the ice, but in the meantime we believe we can survive without him."
The Flyers played the Thrashers this past Saturday and blew a three-goal lead in one of the most painful losses of the season (5-4 in OT). Briere is happy they get another chance against Atlanta, with that loss fresh in their minds.
"We want to get right back at it, and we know that if we play sixty minutes, with the team that we have, the results should be in our favor."
But Briere says it won't be easy.
"With a team like Atlanta, they have some firepower, especially on defense," Briere says. "Late in the game they can hurt you, and we didn't do a very good job (last time) of that. So it's going to be good to get back on the ice against them once again."
Briere is second on the team with 29 goals, and fourth in points with 56.
Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio 1060.
