Photo Credit: Katelynn Reiss
Chuck Fletcher refaced the Flyers organization by adding more leadership, to create more chemistry within the team. He also refaced the organization in hopes of creating faster starts:
“We just can’t keep bringing the same players back, and expect different results. We had to make changes this year. The players we added I would call high energy, competitive people. How often have we talked about our slow starts over the past two or three years? We need some juice, we need some energy,’’ Fletcher said. “We need to change the mood in the room. It’s nothing against the players we had here before, it’s about trying to create a new group, a new leadership group. New chemistry. All these guys, besides being good hockey players, bring a lot of those qualities, bring experience and professionalism to our roster.’’ – Chuck Fletcher
Kudos to Fletcher and Head Coach Alain Vigneault, the Flyers have outscored their opponents 4-0 in the first period through two games played. That’s one of the biggest improvements from last year. Time after time last season Vigneault was on record saying he wanted the Flyers to have faster starts.
How is this possible, Why Now?
New blood. Fletcher added Cam Atkinson, Ryan Ellis, Derick Brassard, Nick Seeler, Rasmus Ristolainen, Keith Yandle, and brought back Nate Thompson into the fold. With that of course the Flyers had some key departures in Jakub Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hägg, Nolan Patrick, and Philippe Myers. Now I want to make this clear I am not blaming one player for the Flyers misfortunes with slower starts in the past, but Fletcher is right when he said he could not bring back the same players in hopes of this correcting itself. Evidently there was a problem from the players as a whole for the past few years.
If the Flyers want to continue to win or prove to their fans that they are indeed a different team this year, then they need to continue with fast starts. It wears players down as the season progresses with continuously coming from behind, especially if the Flyers want to make an extended playoff run. Flyers fans know all too well of teams in the past being worn down as the playoffs near, thus leading to an all familiar early playoff exit.
What will happen next is anyone’s guess, but the Flyers need to keep their feet on the gas pedal, especially against a dangerous Boston Bruins team tomorrow night at 7pm.
