Flyers Starter Jacket Recipient
Zack MacEwen. He had a career high 4 shots on goal. He had 4 scoring chances and two beautiful dangles. He should be playing higher up in the lineup.
Eye Test
The Flyers are not fast enough to beat any team of class with speed, nor are they skilled enough when they are not at full strength. Their strength is the cycle game which works when you impose your will on the other team by outworking them.
This mentality and game plan worked with the Stanley Cup winning teams like the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues of the past. Even with the recent New York Islanders team, this has worked with will over skill and elite goaltending.
That is where this Flyers team is at. But they have not be out willing their opponents consistently enough. Carter Hart can play good enough to be elite and steal games for this team. Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, Cam Atkinson, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny must produce offensively on a more consistent basis.
Nate Thompson, Patrick Brown, Max Willman and company in the bottom-six help this team in no way. Play four lines of skill and speed. Call up Morgan Frost, burn the first year off of Elliot Desnoyers’ contract as he is currently scoring two points a game in juniors. Give Zayde Wisdom the arm from the Winter Soldier.
Make it work. No more of this Andy Andyman (Andy Andreoff) or Tommy Thommyman (Nate Thompson) type of players. (Credit goes to insta: onespaghetto for the Andy Andyman)
Things I Loved
Travis Sanheim had a great back-check to deny Mathieu Joseph a scoring chance. Sanheim has really turned it around after a lackluster start. Being paired with Ristolainen and developing a solid partnership can help bring this team to the playoffs. Sanheim needs to be the long-term middle pairing answer.
Zack MacEwen was the most dangerous Flyer. He shot the puck coming down the wing instead of trying to make a low percentage pass across the ice. He has been a solid, free addition and the Flyers need more players of his ilk that play a straightforward game.
Carter Hart was very good for the Flyers. He was hung out to dry by the team in front of him. It’s hard to win when almost the entire team is still on the plane.
Things I Hated
Letting up a long goal from the point in the first five minutes is not ideal. The Flyers came out with absolute zero jam after being off for three days. Another putrid Peco Penalty Kill (read the Flyers’ power play).
The entire team froze on the Lightning’s second and third goals. They gave no help to Hart.
The thing where the Flyers players shoot the puck on net is great, but instead of going to the net and getting an offensive zone faceoff, the Flyers instead skate around and don’t go to the net. It’s truly infuriating.
Fire Michel Therrien part seven. The power play is atrocious. They are making dumb little passes and not shooting the puck.
The Nick Seeler-Keith Yandle pairing was not fun to watch. They looked lost in their own zone and did nothing in the offensive zone.
Tampa did an extraordinary job of getting their sticks in the Flyers passing lanes. Especially between the two Flyers defensemen. The lightning blocked passes in the offensive zone and got some good scoring chances. If not for Hart, it would’ve produced goals.
The Flyers have lost three in a row now. They need a shake up and Derick Brassard, who has been one of the Flyers’ better players during this losing streak, only skated four shifts before not returning with a lower-body injury.
The Flyers also haven’t scored more than 2 goals in 10 games. That’s bad and not good.
Random Thought(s)
Matthew Tkachuk is an ultimate pest. He would look great in Orange and Black. Tkachuk/Laughton/Konecny would be the most hated line in the league.
Joel Farabee must be taking chirping lessons from Konecny and Giroux, he is getting elite at getting under other players’ skin.
If I was starting a team and could pick any player not named McDavid, Draisaitl or MacKinnon, Brayden Point would be my top forward. He plays a 200-foot game and is an excellent offensive forward.
Al Morganti had an absolute Joker suit on. I thought it looked good.
