No one can compare the 2020-2021 season to 2019-2020. The concept of bubble hockey was wild already, but even that has turned upside down. Division opponents will play each other eight times through 56 games. It’s a schedule that has been unheard of in previous hockey history. The sheer volume of repetitive matchups in 2020-2021 calls for a dependency among veterans and, for the Flyers, this means players like Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek.
Both of those players have consistently ranked in the top-five of team scoring since Voracek joined Giroux on the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011. Last season, the Flyers made a case to be considered an elite franchise. En route to a 13-5-2 record against their 2020-2021 Eastern Division opponents last season, Giroux and Voracek had a lot to do with the team’s success. Both players finished third and fourth in team scoring.
During the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, Giroux and Voracek had a hard time getting anything started. They weren’t alone as Philadelphia was consistently outscored by their playoff opponents. The Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games despite a -2 goal differential. That caught up to them versus the New York Islanders. However, Voracek had his best postseason to date, while Giroux kept his identity as a playoff playmaker.
The Common Complaint
Philadelphia has a love-hate relationship with their sports figures. When discussing the Flyers, the scapegoat is Giroux. He’s the captain of the team and should take on a scoring role in the postseason. That much is true. It’s this idea that because he is the team captain, he is responsible for the losses that are unfair criticism.
In the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, Giroux tallied eight points. That’s top-five in team postseason scoring. For a powerplay unit that was horrid in the postseason, Giroux was responsible for setting up what scoring plays took place. No matter what perversion of the truth, Giroux remained a fixture in Philadelphia’s championship chase.
His partner in crime, Voracek, was a competent scorer during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. His nine points rank in at second in team scoring during the postseason. Voracek also accounted for three powerplay goals, leading the Flyers. If responsibility is placed squarely on the shoulders of these veterans, it’s hard to fault them for an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals exit.
How Did The Flyers Get There?
Alongside a terrific season from Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, and Kevin Hayes, the duo of Giroux and Voracek complimented the forwards. Philadelphia can afford not to have Giroux and Voracek be at the forefront of every forward statistic because of their quality of depth. Players like Oskar Lindblom, Joel Farabee, and James van Riemsdyk offered enough to show that the Flyers no longer live or die by the first line. It’s why, even though Giroux and Voracek’s number dipped, they were still valuable to the team’s success.
Of Giroux’s 21 goals, over half had clutch value to them. Two of them tied games, both on the powerplay. Eight of them gave Philadelphia the lead when tied. Two other goals provided the Flyers with room to breathe, making a two-goal lead. If at all, Giroux was a timely savior during the 2019-2020 regular season. If he’s finding the back of the net, it’s likely Philadelphia is winning because of it.
Comparably, Voracek’s seemed to only score in crucial situations for the Flyers in 2019-2020. Of his twelve goals, ten of them came in clutch situations. Two of his goals scored tied games. Seven of them gave Philadelphia a lead. One other increased a lead against the Anaheim Ducks.
Without a doubt, the Flyers still turn to Giroux and Voracek to create separation in close games. Voracek acted as a catalyst to goal scoring through most of the games when he found his way to the stat sheet. They’re scoring more important goals than they are in quantity, which aides the rest of Philadelphia’s scorers.
Can They Win With Giroux and Voracek?
They can. While the two players are climbing in age, they’re a big part of Alain Vigneault’s formula. It’s a tired story from the pages of a ho-hum “Negadelphian” to say this team cannot still be successful. They’re closer to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance than they have been since a decade ago. Now, the Flyers have many of the correct pieces in place to advance even further.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Nicole Fridling/Icon Sportswire
