Philadelphia Flyers: Are they really this bad?

After a bit of a surprising playoff appearance last season, the Philadelphia Flyers now find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

What happened to the Philadelphia Flyers? Although usually hovering around 40 wins, they surprised some last season, winning more than half of their games for the first time since 2013-14.

How did they do this last season? Well, their success came from a lot of different places. For starters, they got decent goaltending. This came mainly from Brian Elliot and Michal Neuvirth.

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Offensive production came from the likes of a seemingly brand new Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, and Shayne Gostisbehere. They also allowed 169 fewer shots than average and were fantastic overall, defensively.

Yet now, it seems that they have taken a turn for the worst. Their scoring ability has vanished as has their entire defense. Early on, they’ve also run into goaltending difficulties. Elliot, while not perfect, is a usable starter. Last season, Neuvirth also proved that he is a legitimate NHL goalie. They’re both injured.

Calvin Pickard, who was claimed off waivers by the Flyers before the start of the season, has suddenly been thrown into the starter’s position. Having only played one NHL game last season, this has been a shock for him.

So really, how different are the Flyers from last season? Why have they encountered these difficulties?

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This Season

The offense is always a good place to start. One thing to note is that while the Flyers had some offensive superstars, individual players’ point totals dropped off very quickly.

After Gostisbehere, the next highest scorer was Travis Konecny with 47. Once you drop to eighth on the list, below Wayne Simmonds and Ivan Provorov, no one on the team has more than 35 points.

Go even lower on the points hierarchy and you start to see how the Flyers function. Most of their points came from a few at the very top. With the very highest scoring teams, like the Lightning, Jets and Leafs, you tend to see points spread out more across the entire roster. This is why the Flyers only scored 5 above average last season.

This season, their offense has actually only seen a slight decrease in quality. They are on pace for 242 goals instead of 249 like last season. Because of the way their team is built, they really are only destined to be average scorers. Alright then, they haven’t changed much offensively.

But, the difference isn’t a defensive problem either. Contrary to the image you may have over the past few games, the Flyers have a very talented defense. Their defensive ability seems to be continuing over from last season.

The league average for shots allowed is 744. They have only allowed 680. This is good for 5th best in the league. In fact, they’re on pace to allow even fewer shots than last season.

In terms of possession, they’re doing just fine at a 51.6 CF%, or 10th in the league. This team has an average offense and a pretty great defense. They’re even usually outpossessing the other team. This is where the goaltending comes in.

The effect of a goalie on a team never ceases to amaze. An average goalie can make a team look so much better than it really is. For example, someone like Brian Elliot might get a team like the Philadelphia Flyers to the playoffs.

So if you haven’t caught it, yes, the problem is the goaltending. Before his injury, Brian Elliot was having a decent season. A .911 save percentage isn’t great, but it’s doable. It will usuaully give the team a chance to win.

Michal Neuvirth’s single game was not too great, but he maintained a .915 save percentage last season. Elliot and Neuvirth are a decent tandem.

What’s the point?

Ron Hextall did not need to be fired. The Philadelphia Flyers are just as good as they were last season. Their offense is scoring at a similar rate and their defense is allowing a similar amount of shots.

The only difference is their goaltending, and their goaltending is only poor because their two best goalies are injured. The Flyers are struggling because Calvin Pickard is clearly not fit to be a starting goalie.

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Upon the return of Elliot and Neuvirth, the Flyers will begin to see glimpses of last season. If Dave Hakstol also gets fired, the new coach will receive credit. If a tiny trade is made, the new GM will get credit.

The Flyers are not this bad. Yet, Hextall lost his job because of two injured goaltenders.

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