Flyers scored six goals in first game after the Four Nations Tournament.
If you looked at the score the other day and saw that the Flyers had bested the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 6-3, you were probably stunned. The Oilers are one of the West's top teams, just two points away from tying for second place in the Conference. They have two of the best players in the NHL: Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the hero for Canada in the Four Nations Tournament. In contrast, the Flyers have been struggling to find any consistency all season.
Philly has scored five or more goals four times this season and six goals twice with the other occasion being a 6-0 shutout against the Ducks in January. We've seen that this team has talent. We know that they can score, but many times it just doesn't happen for some reason.
And yet here we are. Against one of the best teams in the NHL, the Flyers came out raging. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov led the way with a goal and two assists each. Owen Tippet scored twice. Rasmus Ristolainen, sidelined for a few games, scored a goal. Even newcomer Andrei Kuzmenko scored his first goal as a Flyer.
Being sensible here, we know that this team won't score six goals every night. However, this team has won two games in a row. This could be a sign of things to come. If so, there could be some reasons why.
1: Shakin it Up
Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were popular guys in the clubhouse. They were well-liked by their teammates. They are, for the most part, good players. Yet, the Flyers traded them off. Perhaps this sent a signal to other players that they need to get better. Nobody is a sacred cow and must be held onto. If you aren't pulling your weight, you can be moved.
Fear can be a motivator. Now, that can have negative consequences as well. Fear only goes so far. However, if players get too complacent with their roles on the team, this is a wake-up call. Which brings us to our next point.
2. Addition by Subtraction
Again, the two were popular in the clubhouse. However, maybe they were part of a larger problem here in Philadelphia. Maybe they were too used to losing and just kind of accepted it.
Two years ago, Keith Jones and Daniel Briere said that besides changing the team around, they were going to change the culture. Jones and Briere were part of teams that were tough, scrappy, and (more importantly) winners. For the last decade, the Flyers have gotten used to playing mediocre hockey. That needs to shift.
Vince Lombardi has said, "Winning is contagious, and so is losing." In Philly, we can see this in action. Bobby Abreu was a great outfielder for the Phillies and is a borderline Hall of Famer. However, the rise of the Phillies in the 2000s started immediately after they traded him away. Likewise, the Eagles went to a Super Bowl and lost to the Chiefs, fell apart the year after, and have become Super Bowl Champions. Some of that was removing negative influences in the clubhouse.
It is possible that with Frost and Farabee out of the way, the Flyers can give other guys a chance to showcase what they got instead of waiting for those two to finally break through.
3. New Additions and New Opportunities
Maybe the new additions to the Flyers have brought some new life into the team. Kuzmenko has played just two games in Philly. He has a point in both of those. In 37 games in Calgary, he had 15. Perhaps he clicks better here. Jakob Pelletier, who came over in the trade with Kuzmenko, has played just one game so far but did register a shot on goal while playing in a fourth-line role.
It could be that these guys could inject some new life into the team. That, combined with a well-needed rest after missing two weeks could change the trajectory of this team. While the Flyers are still most likely missing the playoffs, a pair of victories against the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins this week could jumpstart the season.
We are also less than two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline (Mar. 7). The Flyers could make more moves or just as likely make none. It's interesting to see where this team is heading. But if this recent game is a sign of things to come, I want more. Stay tuned folks.
