After winning Round 1 of the playoffs last year, the Philadelphia Flyers started this season with a nine-game losing streak.
This isn’t the start fans expected from this Flyers roster. Despite a long-awaited 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers still have a long way to go if they want a shot at the playoffs.
With offensive talent and two skilled goaltenders, this team should have started stronger. The Metropolitan Division is competitive, but it is still early in the season.
Even if they miss the playoffs this season, not all hope is lost. Philadelphia can find more reliable defense, strengthen their forward group, and become a really good team in a few seasons.
The Flyers Need More Reliable Defense
The Flyers have been outscored 34-14 in their first ten games. Despite this, their goaltending has been solid, with both Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll posting save percentages above .910 in seven of ten games for Philadelphia.
These goaltenders are facing significant shot volume. In the first four games of the season, the Flyers have allowed between 36 and 44 shots on goal. This reflects the effectiveness of the Flyers’ defensemen.
Since this tough start, Philadelphia has become more consistent. Specifically, they have blocked more shots. Defenseman Nick Seeler has blocked 27 shots in 10 games, ranking third in the league. The Flyers have also benefited from a top-ten penalty-killing unit, which has killed 83.8% of the power plays it’s faced.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim leads the Flyers in time on ice this season, averaging more than 25 minutes a night. In this time, he has posted three points, but has been a -9. The rest of the Flyers’ D-core hasn’t been any better offensively, with only three points from the rest of the group. This team undoubtedly struggles without offensive support from the backend.
The Flyers have gotten solid defensive production from Jamie Drysdale in seasons past. Last year, Drysdale posted 32 points, a career high. The Flyers need Drysdale to contribute again to keep the momentum going and build off of their first win.
A Jump-Start to the Flyers’ Offense
The Flyers have some serious firepower up front. That firepower includes goal scorers Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras, plus young, creative wingers Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov.
Flyers fans should be most excited to see how Martone and Michkov develop. In their first win, Michkov and Martone combined for two goals, including the game-winner. At Michigan State, Martone had 50 points, 25 goals, and 25 assists in 35 games. Martone has proven he can drive offense, leading his NCAA team in scoring.
Michkov has been explosive offensively in his first few NHL seasons. In his first full season, Michkov posted 26 goals and 63 points in 80 games. Last season, he remained effective with 51 points. In the last few games, head coach Rick Tocchet has played Martone on his line. This could be the jump-start the Flyers’ offense needs.
Given how far the Flyers have fallen in the standings, the team has nothing to lose by giving Martone and Michkov more minutes. In the Flyers’ first win, Martone and Michkov played fewer than four minutes each in the third period, despite earning the team the lead in the second. More ice time would let these two players build chemistry, develop their skills, and gain confidence.
What’s Next?
The Flyers have a long way to go before they are contenders. Still, there’s plenty to be excited about in Philadelphia. With a few more pieces, the Flyers could be a team to watch in the coming seasons.
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