Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

PHILADELPHIA - Many hockey players talk about the road being a sort of Fortress of Solitude, a place to avoid the distractions of home and bond as a team, putting them in the most concentrated position to focus on nothing but hockey.

The Flyers are in the midst of a stretch that, according to Jake Voracek, “is going to define if we make the playoffs or not,” and they couldn’t be happier to be at home, sweet home.

There’s just something about sleeping in your own bed, having the home crowd behind you and playing at the rink you know best that tells the Flyers they might have a shot at a playoff spot.

“We’re confident playing at home,” Wayne Simmonds said. “We’ve played some really good hockey here. We don’t really have a choice. We’ve got to put a streak together if we want to make the playoff still. We’re going to be coming down the stretch with a big push.”

Just how big will that push have to be in the Flyers’ six-game home stand that began Thursday against the Minnesota Wild?

“When I look at the big picture, which I don’t like very often to do,” Voracek said after Thursday’s morning skate, “when I look at it we’ve got to make at least 10 points out of the next six games.”

The Flyers began the day five points out of a playoff spot, unchanged after Wednesday night’s action because the Boston Bruins topped the Pittsburgh Penguins. If they were a little closer in the race, the Flyers may have been watching intently but Simmonds was not.

“I try to stay away from watching it and just focus on what we have at hand,” he said.

Among the biggest questions surrounding the team, as the trade deadline approaches Monday, is whether captain Claude Giroux will soon return from the “upper-body injury” that is believed to be a concussion.

Giroux hasn’t skated since the Flyers’ shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday in which he took a hit up high from P.K. Subban, but stayed in the game.

“G is our best player and has been for a long time,” Simmonds said. “We’re just trying to fill the void. Obviously there’s no one individual that can stand in and take all the responsibilities that he has. I think as a group, as a whole, we can definitely plug in there and have success. We’ve played a couple good games without him.”

Jimmy Watson impressed by ‘Ghost’

Monday the Flyers will welcome back Jimmy Watson as the team puts him in their Hall of Fame. The former defenseman, now 63, runs a rink in Delaware County, Pa. and has remained in the area.

As he’s watched this season he’s been particularly impressed with the Flyers’ most exciting young player, Shayne Gostisbehere, who he thinks would have fit in during the 10 seasons he played from 1973 to 1982.

“He would have fit in definitely, my goodness,” Watson said of Gostisbehere. “He's been outstanding, what can you say. Honestly, I felt that he could have came up a couple years ago and played for the Flyers. That’s how strongly I felt about him. I just love what he's done for the game of hockey. He's a smaller-type defenseman, and he's proving those smaller type defenseman can definitely play in the NHL.”

Watson played 613 games in his NHL career, all with the Flyers. His career was cut short by a back injury, but not before he amassed 38 goals and 186 points, was a five-time All-Star, won two Stanley Cups and as he’s stayed around the game, Gostisbehere reminds him of a former teammate.

“I think today with the modern era with a guy like Gostisbehere, I'm sure his teammates have supported him, but I can see he's also becoming a leader on that team,” Watson said. “I would say that he’s in that vein of a Bobby Clarke without putting a bunch of pressure on him. He’s a leader you can see that. That’s what the team needs, or any team needs.”

Loose Pucks

For the second straight game, R.J. Umberger and Evgeny Medvedev were healthy scratches. … After taking over during Saturday’s game, goalie Michal Neuvirth got the start for his third straight appearance. The Flyers list goalie Steve Mason as healthy.

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479;disaac@gannettnj.com.