After a near 100-point season, the Philadelphia Flyers showed promise. While it was not the best season, there were many aspects of the team that looked impressive. The Flyers had moments of looking great and moments of looking bad. Observing the season with a positive view, this team has a lot of young talent that can make them great in the future.
Some highlights from the season included Claude Giroux putting up 100 points for the Flyers for the first time since the 1995-96 season. Another highlight worth mentioning was Sean Couturier getting his 100th goal with his short time being in the NHL. The Flyers goalie, Brian Elliot, got his first career shutout win for the Flyers against the New York Rangers. The Flyers were also the first team to beat the Las Vegas Knights at home in their new stadium. This Philadelphia team and its players have done a lot to be proud of.
The Flyers were on a 10-game win streak following the new year. This win streak showed that they had potential to be a top team in the NHL. Aiding in the win streak and the season was the trade to receive a young goaltender, Petr Mrazek, who looked to be outstanding through the mid-way point.
Something that is cause for hope is the young talent Philadelphia has. Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov have very promising futures in the NHL given the demonstration of their scoring ability and shut-down defense. Having young guys like this on the team can give fans confidence knowing the Flyers can be a top team in the future. This Philadelphia team has many young players who will be crucial for a high caliber team.
Having the playoffs in sight, the Flyers made a late push and the team fought for a wild card spot. One can say the Flyers had a sub-par season but they still managed to sneak into the playoffs and they deserve to be there. After all, the Flyers placed third in their division and are a better team in the league.
Headed into the playoffs, the Flyers do not have much depth. The team relies heavily on the veterans to push them to victory. The lack of depth the Flyers have will be hard for them to accomplish much in the playoffs with such a competitive atmosphere. The Flyers struggled throughout the season with a weak defense. With that being said, a lack of depth and poor defense could be their demise in the playoffs.
A preview of how the team will look in the playoffs happened on Wednesday night when they played their first game of the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh had themselves an easy victory with the final score being 7–0. The Flyers did not have a good first outing in the slightest. The team simply lacked any offense or defense.
Moving forward into the series, it is hard to predict if the Flyers will step up and win the series against Pittsburgh. But as fans we can do our best to remain optimistic and hope the Flyers start playing like they want the trophy. Hopefully, there will be better games ahead after their devastating loss. The Philadelphia Flyers are a team that made it to the playoffs for a reason, the talent they have is capable of making greatness.
Ryan Bednash is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. ✉ RB842278@wcupa.edu.