The Philadelphia Flyers are currently in the middle of their bye week and are now tied with the Ottawa Senators for the second and final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference (Ottawa does have four games in hand though). The Flyers definitely have some concerns and needs that have to be addressed if they want to return to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
Illness
Offense:
The Flyers have been an up and down offensive team during the first 46 games of the season. They are currently 13th in the league in goals averaging 2.76 goals per game. When your goals against is at 3.13, you have to figure out ways to score. The team does not have a sniper who is going to score 40-50 goals a season. Wayne Simmonds is the only player on pace for even 30 goals (31 actually) and I don’t know if he puts the fear of God into opposing defenses because of his scoring ability, its more because he is arguably the best power forward in the league. The Flyers are blessed with some gifted playmakers in Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek and Travis Konecney. But they are missing that finisher. So they need to score in other ways.
The Flyers have been an up and down offensive team during the first 46 games of the season. They are currently 13th in the league in goals averaging 2.76 goals per game. When your goals against is at 3.13, you have to figure out ways to score. The team does not have a sniper who is going to score 40-50 goals a season. Wayne Simmonds is the only player on pace for even 30 goals (31 actually) and I don’t know if he puts the fear of God into opposing defenses because of his scoring ability, its more because he is arguably the best power forward in the league. The Flyers are blessed with some gifted playmakers in Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek and Travis Konecney. But they are missing that finisher. So they need to score in other ways.
Prescription
Get creative:
It would be easy to say make a big trade, but there are not many Alex Ovechkin’s or Steven Stamkos’ out there coming to Broad Street any time soon. So the offense has to come in other ways. The Flyers have the 6th best power play in the league, but a team does not maintain success relying on the man advantage. So what do the Flyers have to do? Learn to score ugly.
Without a true sniper, the Flyers need to simplify their game. Get bodies in front of the net (not around the net), take away the goalies eyes and make it uncomfortable for them. They can’t stop what they cant see. Shoot the puck and crash the net. Everyone loves to see the highlight reel goals, but when you are not scoring, there are very few highlights. The Flyers have some big bodies (Simmonds, even Dale Weise). But they must be willing to pay the price and get to the dirty areas to score. It’s amazing what scoring a few goals can do not only for a player’s confidence, but that of the entire team.
Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
