November gives the Flyers a few spots on the calendar that stand out, and not all of them are for the right reasons. Philadelphia opened the season by dropping its first nine games, then briefly stopped the bleeding with a three-game winning streak before ending October with three straight losses. That leaves plenty to clean up, but the new month at least offers a few games that could shift the mood.
The first one to circle comes on November 9th, when the Flyers visit the Canucks. Philadelphia went through all of October without a major road trip, but that changes here as the team heads out for its first West Coast swing of the season.
The trip begins against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8, and then a day later the Flyers face Vancouver. The Canucks have been even worse than the Flyers so far, sitting 32nd in the league.
Philadelphia is down at 29th, with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver underneath them. That makes this a game that could offer the Flyers a chance at two points and a little bit of confidence.
The Buffalo Sabres show up on November 17th, and that’s another matchup Philadelphia will probably look at and like its odds a little more than usual. The Flyers already beat Buffalo once, taking that Oct. 21 game, and now they get the Sabres again at home. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does give Philadelphia a familiar opponent and the benefit of home ice.
Later in the month, the Canucks come back into the picture. On November 27th, the Flyers host Vancouver to finish the season series against the West Coast club.
It comes right after American Thanksgiving, and it has the feel of a game that could tell us plenty about where both teams stand. If the Flyers complete the season sweep, that would be a welcome outcome.
If Vancouver gets one back, it will not sit well in Philadelphia.
Then comes November 28th, when the Flyers immediately turn around and face the Islanders in the final back-to-back of the month. It’s a home-and-home series, with New York coming to Philly the day after Vancouver leaves town. That gives Flyers fans another division-rival matchup to carry them through the American Thanksgiving weekend.
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