Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
The Flyers are rocking, and they are 4-0 since the All-Star break. It appears that the Flyers needed a mental reset, as they struggled right before the break. Sometimes all that is needed is a mental reset, or a reset of the mind. How did they find their winning ways again?
First things first, it starts with team overall defense. The orange and black have done a great job at limiting shots that both Samuel Ersson and Cal Petersen are facing. With that being said, they have also done a great job at limiting quality scoring chances. Have teams had some quality scoring chances against both goaltenders? Absolutely, but the Flyers are limiting those quality chances to five or six per game for the most part. It starts with sacrificing your bodies to block shots, which they are doing well. Moreover, it also starts with suffocating the neutral zone so teams have a hard time gaining speed into their zone.
“Our team defense did a great job. Most of the night blocked shots,” Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said following the game last night against the Arizona Coyotes. He also alluded to the fact that the Flyers played well through the neutral zone. About taking time and space away from their opponents, but if they can take the speed factor away it becomes that much more difficult to maneuver their way into the Flyers zone.
“We weren’t as bad as many people think. We kept on playing and stuck with it. Good for them,” John Tortorella said on the comeback victory last night against Arizona. One of the most important keys to how the Flyers have played since the All-Star break are timely saves. Yes, blue Flyers that minders have given up one or two goals, but more often than not they have made timely saves until the Flyers find their legs. This is an important key, as they will not start off on the right foot every single game. Sometimes you need your goaltenders to step up, and they have.
The Flyers have been fiesty, while sticking up for one another. The last key reason for their success is they are having fun, “It’s been fun coming to the rink,” Sean Couturier said following the Seattle Kraken game. While Joel Farabee says, “We’ve had some great fans at the Wells Fargo the past few games. It’s a lot of fun when Flyers fans are going nuts.” Winning cures a lot of things, and it usually makes the room that much more vibrant. It’s how they have won the past few games that’s been impressive. They are fighting for the puck each and every shift, while having fun in the same process. That’s half the battle with winning and losing this time of year.
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Carter Hart left while the Flyers were experiencing “mental lapses”, just because no one can comment about Hart doesn’t mean the players were not affected by his leaving, and they knew that a he is lost forever…