Flyers Prove Their Mettle Again

There's a glaring difference between an average hockey team on a hot streak and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

At this point, you'd have to say the Flyers fall into the latter category.

The Flyers shut out the defending Cup champion Anaheim Ducks last night at Wachovia Center, pushing their record to 13-3-1 since Christmas, a stretch that has seen the Flyers elevate their Atlantic Division standing from worst to first.

The 2007-08 Flyers have shown an uncanny ability to bounce back from losses that would have crippled them a year ago.

Last year, a 7-3 loss to New Jersey would have sent the Flyers into a tailspin.

This year, they followed the loss to the Devils with subsequent wins over Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

Last year, a shutout loss at home against the Rangers wold have crushed the fragile psyche of a young hockey team.

This year, the Flyers rebounded with a shutout win of their own.

You could attribute the success to the veteran leadership of the three former captains (Jason Smith, Kimmo Timonen, Danny Briere) they acquired in the offseason, the coaching of John Stevens, who won AHL championships as a player and coach, or the experience gained from last year's debacle resulting in breakout years from all-star Mike Richards and defenseman Braydon Coburn.

In truth, its the confluence of all of these that has transformed the Flyers into one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference. With 63 points through 51 games, the Flyers are on pace to eclipse the 100-point plateau a year after finishing with the worst record in the league in what would be an epic turnaround.

So evidentally the ability to bounce back in not limited to single games.