The Flyers are what they are even with the injuries

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The Flyers are the 13th worst team in the Eastern Conference, and have endured two 10 game losing streaks. Yes it is embarrassing, it is somewhat of a shocker. It’s not a shocker that they are not a Stanley Cup contender, rather that they are having trouble scoring goals, which is good enough near the basement of the Eastern Conference.

Regardless of injuries to Ryan Ellis, Sean Couturier, Derick Brassard, Nate Thompson, Patrick Brown, Wade Allison, or Kevin Hayes throughout a large portion of the season. Having them in the lineup wouldn’t have done much to improve upon their record. They are what they are, and that is a team that lacks an identity. Even if the team didn’t have Covid affecting their lineup, not much would change.

That’s it just like last season, you never know who’s going to be playing, as covid is affecting the NHL big time once again this season.

On a different note, breakouts, puck support-to include puck support from the Forwards, and a lack of energy continue to be problems on a nightly basis. Injuries, and a Phantoms “A” squad are all major factors into the lack of identity for this current Flyers team, which is having trouble scoring. They are currently averaging 2.50 goals per game, which ranks 25th in the league, coupled with 118 goals scored which is good for 27th in the league. Now, injuries are not the only reason they cannot score goals, they were having trouble scoring well before all these injuries occurred.

As a matter of fact, when Mike Yeo became the Interim Head Coach of the Flyers, the Flyers were scoring at a clip of 2.61 goals per game. They have regressed, and that shall be noted. However, it is hard to properly assess how Yeo is doing when he’s had so many players in and out of the lineup due to injuries or covid. For instance, look at the past few games he has had mainly a Phantoms “A” lineup, but these are the cards he’s been dealt, while Fletcher has noted, “He was put in a tough spot.”

A team just isn’t going to win many hockey games with scoring a tad over two goals per game on a nightly basis. Scott Laughton has been the Flyers most consistent forward for over a month now, and that is a tall tale sign that things are starting to go South. Laughton is a grinder and does everything well, he is an asset. However, he is not a game breaker typically like Claude Giroux or Cam Atkinson. James van Riemsdyk remains inconsistent, and he’s a goal scorer.

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To make matters worse, the Flyers own the 30th worst power play in the league, with a success rate of 13.9%, while Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher backed his staff four days before Alain Vigneault and Michel Therrien were dismissed:

“It’s interesting. We haven’t had a good power play since ’14-‘15. That’s the last time. I think it’s six years, seven years. We’ve had a couple of 14th place finishes, 17^th, 18^th and 24^th.  We were 14^th in the first 10 games. We were 29^th in the last 10 games. Power play since I’ve been here has been an everyday question and clearly going back to ’14-’15, it has been an everyday question here. It’s something personally, I think that way too much blame or even credit gets attached to the power play coach. I think there’s certainly things we can do. When I look at our power play right now, the biggest thing to me is just our entries. We’re really having a hard time entering. I think in-zone, we need to shoot the puck more. There are certain things we need to do, but when you can’t enter and successfully set up, you can’t shoot the puck because you’re not in there. We’re spending a lot of our power play going back retrieving pucks and coming down. The biggest thing to me that we have to fix right now, coaching is a part of it. A lot of it is execution and mindset. We have to find a way to enter the zone more successfully. That’s clearly something that’s dropped off for me the last year or two. In-zone, there’s up and down. I don’t think we’re getting enough shots, but yet the first 10 to me, there were signs of good things happening. In the last 10, nothing’s happening. We got to get it going. Again, it’s been an issue since I’ve been here every day, the power play. We talk about it internally. You guys ask about it. It’s been seven years, so it’s something that probably goes above and beyond the coaching.” – Chuck Fletcher

Believe it or not, the power play is six for it’s last 47 under the direction of Interim Head Coach Mike Yeo and Assistant Coach John Torchetti. The Flyers have the 30th ranked power play, with a success rate of 13.9%. Nonetheless, obviously this remains a work in progress once again this season.

This was supposed to be a rebound season, not a rebuild season from last year’s debacle. The only thing that has remained consistent throughout the course of this season is the Goaltending. Carter Hart is enduring a big rebound season, and Martin Jones has played well to support him. Both goaltenders have played well, given the unfortunate circumstances of this team lacking an identity. With the quality of goaltending this team has received on a nightly basis, it is a shame that this team is this mediocre.

Flyers fans have been patient enough through seemingly a rebuild since 2014. They have stuck with this team through thick and thin, and Flyers fans see the same product on the as last season for the most part. It’s getting tiring for them to see the same product on the ice year after year.