The Flyers are winning playoff games this is exciting for sure, but what is concerning is the fact that they are not receiving contributions in the goal department from the players they pay to do so.
If not for the excellent play of both Carter Hart and Brain Elliott in net throughout the course of these playoffs, the current series lead might belong to the Montreal Canadiens. Carter Hart has been extraordinary between the pipes posting a 1.51 Goals Against Average (GAA) thus far with a .949 Save Percentage (SV%). To go along with that Hart became the youngest goalie in Flyers franchise history to achieve a shut out in the playoffs in the Flyers last game against the Canadiens. Brain Elliott’s numbers have not been too shabby either posting a 1.47 GAA with a .913 SV% along the way.
Some guys that should be thanking the men between the pipes with a gold watch or two are some of the most highest paid players on the Flyers roster.
- Claude Giroux– makes $8.275 Million dollars a season and has just 2 assists in 6 Games played (GP) and whose salary accounts for 10.21% of the team’s total cap.
- Kevin Hayes- makes $7.14 Million dollars a season and has 4 assists in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 8.8% of the team’s total cap.
- James van Riemsdyk– makes $7 Million dollars a season and has 0 points in 5 GP and whose salary accounts for 8.64% of the team’s total cap.
- Ivan Provorov– makes $6.75 Million dollars a season and has just 2 assists in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 8.3% of the team’s total cap.
- Matt Niskanen– makes $5.75 Million dollars a season and has 0 points in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 7.10% of the team’s total cap.
- Travis Konecny – makes $5.5 Million dollars a season and has just 2 assists in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 7.10% of the team’s total cap.
- Shayne Gostisbehere– makes $4.5 Million dollars a season and has 2 assists in 3 GP and whose salary accounts for 5.55% of the team’s total cap.
- Sean Couturier makes $4.3 Million dollars a season and has 2 assists in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 5.35% of the team’s total cap.
- Justin Braun – makes $3.8 Million dollars a season and has 0 points in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 4.69% of the team’s total cap.
- Derek Grant – makes $700,000 a season and has 1 assist in 6 GP and whose salary accounts for 0.19% of the team’s total cap.
All of these man who are looked at as leaders on this team have not been able to produce a single goal amongst them during these playoffs! Together they made $53,715,000 dollars this year. That’s a total of 65.93% of the team’s total cap. This percentage includes the team’s previous buyouts and retained percentage of salary from players that were traded away as well.
That’s not the only disturbing thing though. The Flyers Power Play has only scored once during these whole playoffs! This is not for lack of chances though. Philadelphia had numerous chances on the power play in the third game against the Canadiens. They weren’t even able to capitalize on a four minute power play that was given to them when Center Nate Thompson took a stick to the face which left a cut on his nose. With the current chances seemingly better for this writer to win the Powerball or Mega Millions than the Flyers are to be able to convert on their next power play something has to be done!
The team has been relying on players like leading scorer Scott Laughton who has 3 goals and 5 points in the playoffs, Nicolas Aube-Kubel who has 2 goals in the playoffs thus far, and Joel Farabee who has 2 goals as well so far. With this being so expect more changes occurring within the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
Ideas for a shakeup in the lineup:
An idea that should be going through Head Coach Alain Vigneault head is Joel Farabee replacing the pointless James van Riemsdyk. Farabee had 3 points in 4 GP. My question is why was he taken out of the lineup to begin with? He has twice as many goals as the above ten guys mentioned put together, in many cases in fewer games played as well.
Could it in fact be time to take out Center Derek Grant from the lineup? Grant came into the Flyers fold when traded from Anaheim at the deadline where he played lights out before the break in play, now you can watch two thirds of the game before you even hear his name being announced during a play on the ice. Should then the Flyers give young Center Morgan Frost a taste of playoff hockey? Frost who did NOT come in and set the league on fire has had five months to progress and get stronger physically. Morgan plays a nice defensive game and should not hurt the team that much with forth line minutes to start out.
Or should one of the ex-Centers Claude Giroux or Scott Laughton be taken off the wing position and placed back in the middle of the ice to try and shake up the lines? Causing to then replace them with Farabee and keep JVR on the fourth line.
Should former Montreal Head Coach Michel Therrien be relieved of his duties of being in charge of the Flyers power play for the rest of this series? Could it be that some of the Canadiens veteran players like goaltender Carey Price might know the in’s and out’s to Therrien’s systems and therefore making them ineffective?
Who knows what will in fact solve these problems, or if Vigneault even sees them as problems at all with the Flyers still winning games. Carter Hart’s play has been nothing short of amazing but should the team really require a kid that just turned 22-years-old days ago to have to stand on his head in order for his team to achieve a victory? If we have learned anything from watching the meticulous Vigneault at work over the course of this season Alain should be spotted spending long nights in the bubble at the hotel bar with a dry martini in hand contemplating new ways and lineup combinations that will end these stars droughts in the goal column very soon!
