Flyers bubble hockey6/21/2023 ![]() ![]() “They want to win they want to have success. “These are competitive athletes,” Dillabaugh pointed out. Generally, though it is business as usual once the puck drops. Holding the playoffs without fans is a unique situation, and Dillabaugh admitted that it does trickle into the sport itself, as the players miss the crowds and the momentum that it brings. They did consider coming back to the Cowichan Valley, but opted to stay in south New Jersey, where they live during the season. The Dillabaughs maximized their time together during the layoff, knowing that they might end up separated for a lengthy period if the NHL season did resume in a bubble. “They understand it’s a unique situation, a unique time,” Dillabaugh said. It helps to be able to connect via FaceTime every day. “Any time you’re away from your family for an extended period of time, it’s challenging for sure.” “The goal is obviously to use this as a jumping point for hopefully a long playoff run.”įor Dillabaugh, being in the bubble means being away from his family: his wife Bonnie, also from Duncan, and his nine-year-old-daughter and three-year-old son. “Obviously the guys in front have done a good job of limiting the quality of work they’ve seen,” Dillabaugh said. They split work in the exhibition game, a 3-2 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, and combined to stop 73 of 76 saves in the three round-robin wins. Philadelphia goalies Carter Hart and Brian Elliott have been big parts of the team’s early success. Hopefully they can build off that as we get ready for Montreal.” “But they got back in sync and got off to a great start. “You never know what to expect coming off a lengthy layoff when not a lot of guys have had access to ice or have been limited in what they’ve had in terms of equipment for training,” he said. The Flyers’ next test will be a best-of-seven series against the Montreal Canadiens starting on Wednesday, Aug. Dillabaugh’s team has been among the most successful in the early going. ![]() The Flyers arrived in Toronto and entered the bubble on July 26, playing their first exhibition game on July 28 and starting round-robin play on Aug. The team earned a bye through the qualifying round by virtue of having the fourth-best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference, then earned the top seed in the first round by sweeping three games in a round robin between the top four teams in the conference over the first week of August. This is Dillabaugh’s third trip to the playoffs with the Flyers. He later coached with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets and worked in goaltender development for the Los Angeles Kings before becoming the Flyer’s full-time goalie coach in 2015. RELATED: Fans still drawn to arenas despite secure zones as NHL returns to iceĭillabaugh grew up in the Cowichan Valley before embarking on a major junior hockey career. RELATED: NHL announces no positive COVID-19 tests over final week of Phase 3 Playing in Toronto, the Flyers also have access to BMO Field for outdoor training purposes. The NHL’s bubble format, which has proven extremely successful so far, without a single positive test for COVID-19, restricts teams to their hotels and one arena in each hub city. That’s what they have to do to make it work.” “Obviously you’re confined to certain areas. “They’ve done a pretty good job of coordinating as much as they can,” said the Duncan-born goalie coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s different, being inside the “bubble” for the National Hockey League playoffs, Kim Dillabaugh admits, but he’s impressed with how well the situation has been structured. ![]()
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