PHILADELPHIA, Pa – The Philadelphia Flyers slid through October looking like a team that might make their way back in the playoff picture by the end of the season. The Flyers played well to start the season but have been hit hard at the start of November by injuries, especially to their blueline. Shayne Gostisbehere, Radko Gudus, and Andrew MacDonald have all felt victim to the injury but no more so than MacDonald who should be out of the lineup for at least another month.
Center Matt Duchene (#9) of the Colorado Avalanche in on Goalie Michal Neuvirth (#30) of the Philadelphia Flyers as Right Wing Jakub Voracek (#93) trys to defend.
Unfortunately, the offense has been hit hard by Gostisbehere’s absence, but Sean Couturier has been a revelation leading the team with nine goals at the time of this article. Being on a line with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek does not hurt either becoming one of the most productive lines in the NHL.
At the time of this article, the Flyers were tied for eighth in the league in goals for (43), 17th in goals against (38), 12th in shots per game (32.3%), 22nd on the penalty kill (79.6%), 8th on the power play (20.8%), and 12th in face-offs (29.5%).
The “Wayne Train” Wayne Simmonds Valtteri Filpulla have been having strong starts as well and the Flyers have gotten goals from 11 different players on offense.
If it were not for the injuries to the blueline, and some sub-par goaltending from Brian Elliott the Flyers would look more like a playoff team rather than a team that may or may not make the playoffs. The Flyers cannot afford to have below average goaltending if they are to make the playoffs much less go very far once they get there.
Some things in life are as certain certainties in life: Death, taxes, and the Philadelphia Flyers needing a goaltender. The Flyers have some solid goaltending prospects but for now Michal Neuvirth are holding down the fort until someone takes the range in the future.
Right Wing Tobias Rieder (#8) of the Arizona Coyotes and Defenseman Brandon Manning (#23) of the Philadelphia Flyers
Head Coach Dave Hakstol has worked some magic with the forward lines and so far so good. You get the feeling that once he has a healthy lineup Hakstol’s team will actually give Philadelphia yet another reason to have a great sports team to root for this fall and winter.
The Flyers are considered to have one of the best crop of prospects in the NHL and you get the feeling that when some of them start making it to the big club that the Flyers could end of making the playoffs on a yearly basis rather than every so often.
Brian Jennings covers the Philadelphia Flyers for prohockeynews.com and can be found on twitter at @Flyersfan22.
Photos by Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com
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