PHILADELPHIA – There was a certain irony that two of the three members of the famed (and consistent) Legion of Doom line — Eric Lindros and John LeClair — were inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame before a game Wild coach Mike Yeo tossed three of his four lines into a bingo cage despite a three-game winning streak.
These days, all NHL coaches scramble lines more than yesteryear, perhaps because more players are interchangeable in today's game because skill and speed are spread throughout a lineup and there's fewer stereotypical checkers relegated to third- and fourth-line roles.
Case in point: the Wild's third line against the Flyers included Thomas Vanek, who most would label a goal-scorer, speedster Jason Zucker and talented Charlie Coyle. That's not exactly the makeup of a prototypical, shutdown checking line, which was proved with 45.4 seconds left Thursday when the line combined for Zucker's winning goal to beat the Flyers.
Thursday morning, Yeo gave three explanations for tinkering with his second, third and fourth lines despite a run of victories.
First, the Wild's pattern the past few years is a team that gets on winning streaks, then losing streaks, almost as if players get "stale" after they've won consecutive games, Yeo said. So the Wild wants to keep players "on edge."
But most of all, Yeo said the Wild needs to score more on the road (32 goals at home vs. 20 on the road) and jump-start Vanek, who has one goal and 35 shots in 18 games (14 of those shots came in two games).
"We have to get some more scoring throughout our lineup and if that means we have to split up some lines and try some things, … we have to try to continue to get better here," Yeo said. "Hopefully this works and if it doesn't work, then we'll find something else."
As for Vanek, Yeo said, "We have to get him going," adding that every time he has moved Coyle this season, it has been to spark another player, such as Mikko Koivu or Mikael Granlund.
"And now we put him with Thomas because we think he can help Thomas," Yeo said.
Yeo indicated Coyle's move from right wing to center could stick if he jolts that line into production. For one night at least, it worked. Coyle was terrific and assisted on Zucker's first goal in 11 games.
"We don't seem to be, right now anyway, a team that has two lines that are going to go out and just score basically every night," Yeo said "So we've got to make sure that we have another line that gives us that threat. When we've struggled, it's because we don't score."
Toughened up
Expecting the Flyers to be surly after GM Ron Hextall blasted them following Wednesday's loss at the Rangers, and with the Wild having won at Dallas last weekend with defenseman Stu Bickel playing forward, Yeo dressed the former Gopher for a second time this season.
"I like what he brought last time we were on the road and coming in to play against a team that I think is going to be very motivated, I want to make sure our guys are ready to play a physical-type game," Yeo said Thursday morning.
Kyle Brodziak, who once scored an overtime winner at Philadelphia, was scratched for a sixth time this season but for the first time in 11 games.
Left wing Matt Cooke (hip flexor) missed his 10th game but is on the three-game trip. Frustrated by how slow his injury has healed, Cooke hopes to begin skating early next week.
Etc.
• Goalie Josh Harding, who hasn't played in the NHL since Dec. 31, will back up for the Iowa Wild in Rockford on Friday.
