The Flyers were well on their way to a playoff berth when the world decided to stop turning. While the world is on hold, the excitement from the Flyers fanbase isn’t. People still want to re-live the success from the season before COVID-19 took hold of the world. There’s a lot to remember, quite frankly. From scratching and clawing to the top of the Metropolitan Division, to seeing the emergence of some young, talented skaters. The Flyers have found success up and down the lineup.
It’s no secret that most of their success has come from the safety of the Wells Fargo Center. At home the Flyers are 25-6-4. That’s good for 54 points, the most points a team has at home across the entire NHL. Powered by a powerplay converting about one out of every five at home, and anchored by a penalty kill that’s killing off 85.58% of their penalties at home, the Flyers are arguably the best team at home in the NHL.
That home record has been powered by some stellar play up front, on the blue line, and especially in net. Let’s take a look at some of the top performers at home for the Flyers this season.
Honorable Mentions
Some little things stand out about some players who don’t necessarily have the performances or point production to put them at the top of this list. You have a guy like Scott Laughton, who has 17 points in 27 home games, but his 18.18 shot percentage is about double what his previous best was on a year. You have Kevin Hayes who is tied for the league lead in short-handed goals, and has posted 15 goals in 35 home games.
Then you have the defensemen like Matt Niskanen and Ivan Provorov. The Flyers top defensive unit is a combined +54 at home this year. Niskanen is a +30, while Provorov is a +24. Provorov has 21 points (8g, 13a) in 35 home games, while Niskanen has added 18 points (4g, 14a) of his own. Adding to their case, Niskanen is averaging 21:56 on ice per night at home, while Provorov is averaging 24:38 under the same circumstances. Chuck Fletchers move to acquire Niskanen in the off-season has paid off in spades so far.
Jakub Voracek
For as much flack as Voracek catches, he’s been very good at home. If you’re one of the ones yelling “SHOOT!” you may be upset. If you’ve been yelling “PASS!” you’d be very happy. While Voracek only has six goals on home ice this season, he has nearly four times that many assists (27). Those 33 points have come in 35 games at home, all the while averaging 17:02 per night. His +13 at home is pretty solid as well.
Travis Konecny
While his performance this year may come as a surprise to some, it’s a very welcomed one at that. Konecny has been phenomenal for the Flyers, and half his seasons points have come at home. His 13 goals and 19 assists at home make up 32 of his 61 total points on the year. He’s doing all this averaging 16:16 on ice per night. Pair that with his 18.31 shot percentage at home, and you have a breakout year for the 23 year old.
Sean Couturier
Continuing with the usual suspects, Couturier has been his Selke-ish self at home this year. With 13 goals and 20 assists, he has the most points out of all Flyers on home ice. He’s averaging just under 20 minutes per night, as well as boasting a +17 at the Wells Fargo Center. Couturier led the way mid-season in Selke voting, and was potentially well on his way to claiming that award at year’s end. If the season resumes, we may be seeing that toothless grin up on stage in Vegas, accepting his first (of many) Selke Awards.
Carter Hart
There is no better Flyer on home ice than Carter Hart. His 20-3-2 record indicates such. In 25 appearances on home ice, Hart has only allowed 41 goals on 722 total shots. That puts his goals against average at a measly 1.63, and his save percentage at a stellar .943. Hart’s play away from home has been sub-par, but his play at home almost makes up for it.
Keep your eyes peeled for the top performers away from home, coming out later in the day. As always, make sure you’re following the Flyers team at PhillySportsNetwork for the latest and greatest in hockey-related content.
Mandatory Credit – © Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
