"Trying to change it up a little bit," Briere said with a laugh.
Briere has been here before. He went a full 23 games without a goal last season, but he finished strong and added 13 points in 11 playoff games.
"It's not the first time," Briere said. "This has happened in the past. One thing I know, you keep working at it. It seems almost every year that I've been here, there's been a stretch where things don't go my way. It seems to work itself out. I know at some point things will open up."
A natural center, Briere said he is not willing to let playing on the wing serve as an excuse for his lack of production. He is paid ($6.5 million salary-cap hit) to score.
"That's not really a question for me," Briere said. "I've said it for me, all along, that wherever they feel comfortable, is where they're going to use me the most. Yes, I've obviously been a center my whole career, but that's out of my control. If that's what he feels is best for the team, then that's what we're going to do."
Peter Laviolette countered by noting that Briere has played as much center in Philadelphia as he has on the wing.
"It's just the way it goes sometimes, based on the lineup and who's available and what we need," the coach said. "Matt Read [has dealt with] the same thing. I think we need everybody to dig in here. We've got big games here coming up. Certainly we need all the guys we count on and lean on for minutes to make sure we're ready to play."
Briere is on pace for his worst professional season (.50 points per game) since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2001-02, while with Phoenix. This year, Mr. Playoffs - one of the few players of his generation to be better than a point-per-game player in the postseason - might not have the opportunity to work his magic if he can't help get the Flyers there.
"We could be pouting every day, but that's not going to change anything," Briere said. "All we can do is what we did today: Come here and work hard, hope that we can all get hot together at the same time during this little stretch. You never know what can happen."
Luke's Troops
A group of 15 to 20 members of the military, representing all five branches, visited the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees on Friday. The troops, stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, spent time in the Flyers' locker room, posed for pictures, chatted with Laviolette and even ate lunch with the team.
It's become an annual visit for the group, and one that makes defenseman Luke Schenn smile. Schenn, 23, gave more than just his name to the charity "Luke's Troops" while with the Maple Leafs over the past four seasons.
Being one of the most recognizable Canadians, Schenn spent three nights in Kandahar, Afghanistan, visiting Canadian troops with then-general manager Brian Burke in July 2011.
"It was a real eye-opening experience for me," Schenn said. "To see what they go through, the heat and the conditions, it was incredible. I can't explain how hot it was there. You definitely have a newfound respect for everyone who serves."
Schenn's charity donated tickets to every Maple Leafs game, where service members receive a standing ovation. He's glad to see that the Flyers continue in a similar tradition, honoring "community heroes" at every home game.
"No matter what the score of the game is, it's nice that both teams stop whatever they're doing and honor the troops," Schenn said. "It was easy for me to get involved; they are an underappreciated group and they do a lot for us and our freedom. They are the real heroes."
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