PHILADELPHIA, Pa – Well, it is that time of year. No not tax season, but the yearly freefall of the Philadelphia Flyers. It usually happens in the second half of the hockey season. Well, Team Rebuild is still in rebuild mode. All you needed to do was look at this seasons standings.
Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles players look to the blue line for an upcoming shot. Photo credit: Jack.SMart@prohockeynews.com
It wasn’t that long ago when Philadelphia was staring up at the Carolina Hurricanes fighting for first place in the Metropolitan Division. A 2-6-2 record in their last 10 games changed things in a hurry. Today Philly is not only nine points out of a playoff position and are looking more and more like a NHL Draft Lottery team. If the draft were today they would pick ninth overall. All of a sudden Gavin McKenna doesn’t seem like such a pipe dream.
The Flyers won’t get help from the pipeline at least until the Frozen Four Tournament is over. Porter Martone and Jeff Luchanko won’t be a factor this season. The soonest goalie Yegor Zavragin will be in the AHL is next season. Oliver Bonk needs at least a full seasons worth of games before he will be considered a call up to the big club. Denver Barkey has been a bright spot since being called up from Lehigh Valley in Tyson Foerster’s absence
The goaltending has let the team down lately. Even Dan Vladar has struggled at time despite his strong start. The blue line has been its usual inconsistent self. Oddly enough Emil Andrae is second in plus/minus at +11. Only Noah Cates has been better at +15. The Flyers have 9 players listed as winning 50% or more in face-off wins. The Flyers have 8 players with 10 or more goals.
The Olympic break can’t come soon enough for a struggling franchise desperate to make the playoffs. A rebuild does not mean you give up in making the playoffs. Unfortunately, making the playoffs this season is slowly fading away.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
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