Philadelphia Flyers: 3 Keys to Success for 2017-18
The Philadelphia Flyers are looking for new ways to win, and here are the three keys to their success for the 2017-18 NHL season
The Philadelphia Flyers did not come out to play last season. Despite a promising roster with plenty of talent, the Flyers found themselves on the outside looking in, and were unable to compete with the rest of the Eastern Conference powerhouses.
This season, the Flyers are hoping for a different outcome. While they have a made a few roster changes, it is still the same group of core players. As always, the Flyers also have a great group of prospects waiting for their chance. With a strong training camp and preseason, the Flyers could be in the mood to give their youth a chance. They did it with Claude Giroux, and looked what happened there.
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Speaking of Giroux, he will need to be the player of old for the Flyers this season. He was an offensive dynamo, and made the players around him better. Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek have continued to perform, but the NHL is far from a one-line league now.
Sean Couturier is a prime example. As a third line center and primary penalty killer, Couturier excelled. He was one of the most promising defensive centers in the league, and still is. However, as a top 10 pick in the NHL Entry Draft, a lot more is expected of him from an offensive perspective. He was shifted to the second line last year, but failed to perform at a high level. He finished the season with 14 goals and 20 assists in 66 games. However, Couturier has the potential to do better.
The Flyers will need to do even more work in the offensive zone after the loss of Brayden Schenn. He finished third in team scoring, and was one of the better offensive players on the roster. The Flyers may not have replaced him with a proven offensive NHL talent, but they have some promising young players who could squeeze into an offensive role as early as next season.
Need to be Better Defensively
The Flyers were so bad in their own zone. They gave up a total of 236 goals, and were only able to score 219, which is a small example of their overall issues. While scoring chances need to grow, the defensive unit has to be more consistent and responsible.
The one thing about the Flyers defensive group is their age. Shayne Gostisbehere is still trying to prove that he is first pairing quality, and Radko Gudas is unable to stay healthy. Brandon Manning had a minor coming out party, but his 12 points with a minus-12 rating is nothing special. Ivan Provorov is the most promising defensive prospect, after putting up amazing rookie numbers. At the same time, offensive numbers are one thing, but being a great defensive presence is a whole different beast.
Highly-touted prospects like Samuel Morin and Travis Sanheim could be next in line to prove themselves. The Flyers tend to rely on some of their youth to fill out the roster, and these two have a great shot at making the team with a strong training camp and preseason. If they do, expect all eyes to be on them, as they prove themselves at the NHL.
Have to Perform Better on the Road
The Flyers were a 25-11-5 home team, but a 14-22-5 on the road. This needs to improve. Over the course of 82 games, the argument could be made that the Flyers missed the playoffs primarily because of poor road performances. They were the fourth worst in the Eastern Conference, and their minus-17 goal differential only made things worse.
It is hard to distinguish if this was a goalie issue, a defensive issue, or a lack of offense. However, the Flyers can afford to be better in all three areas. The loss of Steve Mason is one thing, but adding Brian Elliot could work out for them. Even if it does not, Michal Neuvirth will have the opportunity to finally land a number one starting role, which should create some healthy competition between the two.
As mentioned, offensive opportunities and defensive consistency is the name of the game for the Flyers this season. If they can improve in both those areas, which is easier said than done, the Flyers will likely become a better road team in the process. With that said, it is very clear where the Flyers need to improve, but it will be interesting to see if they can make it happen over the course of one season.