from Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer,

Laviolette has become a hot-button topic because the Flyers have underachieved in this lockout-shortened season. The fact they have played the most murderous schedule in the NHL - 29 games in 56 days, seven sets of back-to-back contests - hasn't helped.

Here's the thing: The schedule now loosens considerably. Counting Saturday's off day, the Flyers will play just once in the next eight days. They have 19 games in the final 43 days of the season, and they have only three more sets of back-to-back games.

In other words, they cannot use fatigue as an excuse for failing to make the playoffs.

Another positive: Winger Matt Read and defenseman Andrej Meszaros started to show their old form in Friday's escape against New Jersey. Both recently returned from injuries, but both have struggled to look like their old selves.

If Read and Meszaros get back to their form, it will be like adding two difference-makers at the trade deadline.

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