Bounce Back Season for Ivan Provorov

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Despite his lack of offensive production so far this season Ivan Provorov has no doubt been the Flyers best defenseman. The durable stalwart has already shown major improvements in certain aspects of his game in comparison to last season. Even more impressive is that Provorov has been playing very well without Ryan Ellis and with Justin Braun as his defensive partner instead.

Some of these refinements in Provorov’s game are strictly defense-related however, considering the season he had in 2020-2021 the changes to his game defensively and overall steadiness this season is definitely welcomed. There would be various points last season where after being pressured by the opposition’s forecheck in the defensive zone the young defender would show panic in certain situations. Consequently, resulting in a loss of coverage in front of the net or turning the puck over when attempting to clear the zone. 

On the other hand, when examining Provorov’s defensive play through 10 games the Flyers most important defenseman seems much more poised and relaxed on the ice. Typically where the player would panic in certain situations under tight-checking the defenseman has shown an increased level of calmness so far this season. 

When forecheckers have been bearing down on him in the defensive zone he’s simply either taken a few extra strides with the puck on his stick and then dumped it out of the zone or made an outlet pass to a teammate. Along with this, the defenseman has also shown the ability to make some tight turns in his own zone with the puck on his stick and then clear the puck. This was also a part of Provorov’s game that was missing in action in the previous season. 

Instead of panicking and throwing the puck in a spot on the ice where it could be intercepted which was done many times last season, the defenseman has been doing the exact opposite. While the young defender has been pressured by forecheckers through the first 10 games Provorov has shown an ability to refine his play, on-ice decision making, and the deficiencies that plagued him last season. Such adjustments made by Provorov appear to be paying dividends for the Flyers already.

To demonstrate Provorov’s impact on the Flyers as a whole this season the defenseman has been on the ice for only one, 5 on 5 goal against in over 100, 5 on 5 minutes played. This speaks to how Provorov has been limiting other teams’ high danger scoring chances while on the ice. Not to mention the defender’s ability to ensure the puck is being broken out effectively up the ice after these scoring chances against have been thwarted. 

To further cement Provorov’s significance to the Flyers overall game his Corsi for percentage so far this season is listed at 53.1 % percent in all situations (per hockey-reference.com). When a player’s Corsi for percentage is above 50% that means a team is controlling the puck far more often than not during this player’s shifts on the ice. 

Evidently, throughout Provorov’s shifts this season to date the Flyers have usually controlled the play in all situations. Even when the Flyers have not controlled the puck the defenseman has been an integral part of retrieving pucks from the other team. Therefore ensuring the touches of the puck they do have does not materialize into substantial scoring chances against. 

Another aspect of Provorov’s game that makes him so valuable is his durability and willingness to put his body on the line for the benefit of the team. During the 2021-2022 season, the top pairing defenseman has averaged 24:45 of ice time per game which ranks him at 16th in the league in that statistic amongst a myriad of other top tier defenseman in the NHL (per NHL.com). What this brings forward is how many crucial plays within a game Provorov is a part of due to playing so many minutes. 

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It’s truly astounding that with the minutes the defender is playing he has only been on the ice for one, 5 on 5 goal against, and is a cumulative +6 on the season in regards to goals for and against differential. Additionally, an underrated part of Provorov’s play has been his shot-blocking as he’s blocked 28 shots in just 10 games this season placing him at 13th in the NHL (per hockey-reference.com). In turn, this exhibits the player is willing to put his body in harm’s way if it means preventing a goal against. 

Altogether, these analytics above relay the importance of Provorov to the Flyers in several different manners. Coupled with the fact the defenseman is currently on a 381 games played streak without missing a game dating back to his debut with the Flyers in 2016 speaks to Provorov’s dedication. The veteran defenseman is one of the key pieces to this team’s success. When he is on his game as he is at this moment Provorov is easily the Flyers best defenseman relative to value and the team securing a win as the current lineup is constructed. As a result, it will certainly be interesting to see where Provorov is able to take and enhance his play once he can reform his pairing with Ryan Ellis who should be back in the lineup shortly from injury.