The Philadelphia Flyers have done the impossible: lost 10 games in a row twice in the same season.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, the Flyers dropped 10 consecutive contests, a losing streak that spanned into the second week of December. To Philadelphia’s credit, the team rebounded with points in seven straight games (5-0-2) to enter the new year.
However, the overtime loss on December 30 turned out not only to be the last game of the point streak, but also the first game of the losing streak. In 2022, the Flyers have not yet won a game, and they are 0-7-3 on the losing streak that is now 10 games long.
I suppose if we’re talking about a team that is expected to be among the worst in the NHL, two losing streaks of this nature wouldn’t be a total shock. The Flyers, however, always come into a new season with at least some type of legitimate expectations. Yet, here we are, watching this team once again fall to the lowest of lows.
The Flyers are being sunk by another 10-game losing streak.
As Philly looks ahead to Saturday’s matchup with the Buffalo Sabres, the team sits at 13-19-8 (34 points). Their .425 point percentage is the worst in the Metropolitan Division, as is the club’s -36 goal differential.
Defense is the usual suspect in Philadelphia anytime something goes wrong for the Flyers, but over this particular stretch, it’s the offense that is to blame. The Flyers have scored only 19 goals over their last 10 games, scoring more than two goals on only two occasions, while being held to one goal three times.
On the season, both the offense and the defensive have been to blame for the Flyers’ woes. Philadelphia is conceding 3.3 goals per game (24th in the NHL) while scoring 2.5 goals per contest (27th).
I’ve argued before that the Flyers should begin a full-fledged rebuild and abandon any thoughts of trying to compete for the Stanley Cup as currently constructed. The defense is bad, the offense is bad, and nothing in recent years should give this organization a reason to feel like it’s anywhere near competing at a championship level.
As a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, it could be easy for me to incorporate my bias into my thoughts on the Flyers’ lack of success, but speaking as a general fan of hockey, I enjoy watching good teams with great talent succeed, and that’s where the Flyers are so frustrating.
The talent has been there for years, and this team should have been labeled a contender each year in the last decade. Instead, it’s a franchise that has never really felt competitive and has annually underachieved.
This is the second 10-game skid for the Flyers this season, and if that’s not a sign that it is time to hit the reset button, then I’m not sure what is.