Fortunately for the Flyers, Philadelphia is known as a patient and understanding sports city. (If only there was a universal sarcasm font.)
All the good vibes the Flyers generated from last season’s surprise appearance in the second round have completely evaporated following the worst start in franchise history (0-6-3). It has been nearly 30 years since a playoff team started the following season on a nine-game winless streak. The dubious mark could reach 10 when the Flyers meet the Ottawa Senators on Rogers Saturday Night Hockey (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
Before the season, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere expressed concern about how his team would handle its unexpected success.
“The part that keeps me up at night is having some of your players feel complacent, feel like they’ve made it,” he told reporters.
But not even in his worst nightmares could Briere have imagined such an awful start.
So, what’s going wrong?
Well, everything. This isn’t a matter of bad luck. The Flyers have been downright terrible. They rank last in the NHL in several critical categories by wide margins.
Philadelphia powered its late-season surge (18-7-1 after the Olympic break) with elite defensive play. After play resumed in late February, the Flyers ranked third in expected goals against per 60 minutes. Specifically, they revamped their transition defence, which allowed the fewest rush scoring chances per 60 minutes over their final 26 games of last season. That carried into the first round when the Flyers bottled up the high-scoring Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both of those successful elements have vanished. The Flyers are 30th and 22nd, respectively, in expected goals and rush scoring chances against per 60 minutes so far this season. Philadelphia’s opponents have already scored 11 goals off the rush in nine games (1.2 per 60 minutes), compared to eight in 26 post-Olympic games last season (0.3 per 60 minutes).
Goaltenders Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll are not to blame, because they are having to stand on their heads to keep the games even remotely close. They have combined for six quality starts in nine tries and 4.1 goals saved above expected (third most) in harsh conditions. Vladar and Woll can’t do anything about the fact that their teammates have scored only 11 goals.
“There’s just moments in a game you’ve got to come through somehow,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet told reporters after the team’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. “Whether it is scoring a goal or making a defensive stop — we’re getting great goaltending. We’ve got to see some big moments here, and we’re not getting them.”
How about the Flyers’ young players? Are they taking the next step?
There are two players in particular who entered this season with high expectations — Porter Martone, 19, and Matvei Michkov, 21.
Martone has not taken off the way the Flyers hoped after he recorded a combined 15 points in 19 regular-season and playoff games following his NHL debut in March. A pre-season favourite for the Calder Trophy, Martone has scored just one goal through nine games this season, and his ice time has dropped by nearly four minutes to 13:14 per game. After making his mark by firing 19.6 shot attempts per 60 minutes over his first nine NHL games, Martone is down to 9.6 shot attempts per 60 minutes across the same number of games this season.
As for Michkov, who arrived at training camp much leaner and quicker, he leads the Flyers with three goals. But Philadelphia is getting pummeled during his minutes at five-on-five, generating only 33.9 per cent of the expected goals and losing 7-2 on the scoreboard. Even so, Michkov is one of the Flyers’ top offensive generators, ranking first on the team in expected goals and second in slot-driving plays (carries and passes) per 60 minutes. Despite that, Michkov is seventh among Flyers forwards in average ice time.
“We’re a team that needs to have everybody working in the same direction,” Briere recently told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “The way we’re built, the full team is important, to have everybody going. We don’t have a superstar (who’s) going to come out and score four or five goals in a game to win a game by himself. I think they’ve shown enough in the past last year to believe in them still, but there’s no doubt the competitive level has to raise up.”
All stats via Sportlogiq
