Monday night was fruitless, too; Briere bombed out early.
Poker expert Scott Hartnell made it to the final table, where, according to Briere, Jaromir Jagr's girlfriend won the tournament.
Jagr turned 40 yesterday. He missed a vigorous workout, the second hard session during the rare, 3-day layoff from games. Jagr has scored once in his last 16 games. He attended Tuesday's practice, where he said he has battled the sort of flu that knocked Ilya Bryzgalov out for three games and has Laviolette speaking in a raspy voice.
Briere said that he, for one, has been as healthy as a horse. He is just slumping.
"We all go through stretches in the season when the puck isn't going in. You worry more about the process," Briere said. "I thought, skatingwise, I've been skating really well the last three games. I believe [tonight] is the game when the floodgates are going to break open."
Certainly, the 3-day layoff after a brutal, dissatisfying stretch could turn things around for the Flyers. They have not had a stretch of more than 2 days without a game since the All-Star break, Jan. 25-30. They also had 3 days without a game beginning Christmas Eve.
Battered by injury and pressured by deficits, the Flyers were flagging.
"We've been playing a lot of games and the guys have been taxed with a lot of minutes," Hartnell said. "Playing from behind is hard on the mind as well. I think to have a couple days' break here is great."
"We're trying to clear our heads," Briere said. "Having some good, long, hard practices."
The event on Monday was just a springboard to the past 2 days, and toward tonight, when the Sabres visit.
"It's nice to have team-building stuff. You get the guys' wives and girlfriends and friends and coaching staff, away from the practice or arena, get together and have fun," Hartnell said.
