Since the start of 2016, the Flyers have gone 20-9-5. Four of those five overtime losses come from shootouts. If the Flyers were able to cope with the pressure and succeed in the shootout like their lineup says they should, they could be close to 25-9. Now, lets think about where this team was at the beginning of the season. A new coach with zero NHL experience. A defense that was comparable to some AHL affiliate lineups. And realistically three consistent offensive weapons in Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, and captain Claude Giroux. A wild card position for this team was best case scenario at the beginning of the season, and a stretch at that. All of Philadelphia knew that this team had some work to do, and most fans that I was able to speak with at the beginning of the season understood that. Most people were expecting the 2015-2016 Flyers to be a bubble team at best. Well my friends, the Philadelphia Flyers are currently at their best.
There are many things I can get into with how this team has improved over the course of this season, but there is one factor in particular that needs to be stressed for the ultimate turn around for a team that was previously using this season as a stepping stone in the building of the franchise's future.
Shayne Gostisbehere was called up from Lehigh Valley and entered into the lineup on November 14th. 2015 in Carolina against the Hurricanes. He received his first NHL point off an assist to win this game 3-2 in overtime. Before entering the lineup, the Flyers were 6-8-3. Since Ghost has been in the locker room asking for more clear tape, the Flyers have gone 29-17-9. Now, this may not be that dramatic of a stat - but lets break this down comparing Shayne's stats with the success the team has had after his call up from the Phantoms...
Ghost currently has 16 goals and 23 assists for a combined 39 points in 53 games played. Every time he steps on the ice, there is a 73% chance he finishes the game with at least one point. That statistic alone is jaw dropping for a rookie defensemen who was called up a fourth of the way through the season.
But lets break these numbers down even further…
As of now, 14 out of 16 goals from Ghost either tied the game to force OT, or were game winners. According to his stat sheets, Shayne currently has 5 game-winning goals – thus leaving 9 goals that forced OT. Now, they obviously did not win all 9 games, but let’s split the difference and give him the benefit of the doubt. That leaves us with 5 games he forced into OT that led to a win (2 points in the standings), and 4 games he forced into OT that led to a loss (1 point in the standings). So, when we add it all up:
5 Game Winning Goals, total of 10 points in the standings.
5 Games forced into OT that led to wins, another 10 points.
4 Games forced into OT that led to a loss, still 4 points to Ghost.
This equation gives the Flyers a total of 24 points in the standings strictly off the stick of Shayne Gostisbehere. Out of the 67 points the Flyers have earned since his presence in the locker room, he owns 24 of them single handedly.
What if Shayne Gostisbehere didn't get called up? What if Medvedev and Striet didn't get injured? Where would the Flyers be without Shayne?
Clearly, Shayne has not only provided a spark for this squad to perform on a elite level daily, but he is responsible for the Flyers even being in the playoff push they are in today. Almost 30% of the points in the standings as of now (82) can be accredited to him.
Moving on, the Flyers began the first part of their playoff push following a 4-0 loss at home against the Edmonton Oilers on March 3rd. This embarrassing loss in front of the Philly Phaithful really lit a fire under the locker rooms ass and got everyone out skating hard, finishing checks, and breaking out in the neutral zone every night. Since that loss, they have gone 6-1-1. Along with the extremely consistent goaltending in Philadelphia - the Flyers have averaged over 30 shots on goal in these past 8 games. The Pittsburgh loss last Saturday had a lot of people questioning if this is the end of this squad’s hot streak. Fear not Flyers fans, the numbers don't lie. In last nights win against the Islanders, the Flyers were right back in the push with 27 SOG, 4 finding twine. Many have tried to address the power play issue - primarily with PP1. However, when you really look at this push, the Flyers have 5 PPG in 8 games, and have only allowed 1 PPG to the opposition in that time. I get that we want more success out of out front power play unit, but you can't hate these stats. If the other team isn't scoring on the PP, then we can't scold our guys for not scoring. I think the biggest issue with this squad in these last 10 games will be the neutral zone play. The biggest issue with the Pittsburgh loss was that the neutral zone was so sloppy, no breaks could be made. This was apparent in the first period of the game last night in Brooklyn. But things seemed to turn around in the second period, especially with the third line. Looking at our schedule - facing Detroit once and Pittsburgh twice in April, we need to be able to break out of the neutral zone and set up our offense properly against these kinds of teams. Our forwards also have to have the skating ability to drive back to compensate for a pinch by defensemen to cut off the slot.
The Flyers are a team that can compete with the best of them. And if you ask me, this group of guys has come together with such great chemistry since the emergence of Shayne Gostisbehere. This stretch almost reminds me of our run in 2010 (when the Flyers ultimately made it to the Stanley Cup Finals). Momentum is crucial for a hockey club, and the Flyers have debatably the most momentum in the league right now. I predict that the game in Detroit on April 6th will be the decision maker for our position in the playoffs, unless the Red Wings fall beforehand or the Islanders slide turns into a snowball.
Flyers play tonight in Columbus on a short rest. Puck drops at 7.