Radical changes to fix the scoring woes
The Philadelphia Flyers need a miracle, sitting four points out of the final wildcard spot with 20 remaining.
The Philadelphia Flyers final push will ultimately go one way or another; a turnaround run into the postseason or a continued nose dive in the standings. With an average 1.53 goals per game over the last 15 games, the Flyers sputtering offense needs to find its chemistry fast if they plan on playing for the cup come April.
The inconsistent production from Jake Voracek, Brayden Schenn and Claude Giroux, and their combined 22 million dollar cap hit, combined with little help from the team’s role players. Their recent struggles have the Flyers searching for answers just days before the NHL’s March 1 trade deadline.
With the cap-related repercussions of the Holmgren era still looming, Ron Hextall will have to continue to work his managerial magic if the Flyers hope to nab a top 6 forward before next Wednesday’s deadline. But is Ron Hextall looking too far and willing to spend too much when the answer could be right under his nose?
Enter: The Ghost.
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Shayne Gostisbehere blast onto the scene for the Orange and Black last season leading Flyers’ defensemen in points with 46, half of which came on the power play.
Ghost was the glue holding the Flyers together during last year’s campaign and it was on the back of the untested 22-year-old that the Flyers were able to sneak into last year’s playoffs; although their effort came up short.
This season has been a different story, both for Gostisbehere and the Flyers. Going 4-4-1 in the month of February, the 10 game winning streak that had the Flyers on top of the Eastern Conference could not be a more distant memory.
Ghost’s lackluster performance has earned him a seat as a healthy scratch three times this season and even as he returns from his most recent stint, he has yet to reach second-year coach Dave Hakstols’ expectations.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ struggles begin with their offense. With only four forwards at 30 points or better this season, the Flyers are relying far too heavily on the men between the pipes in order to win every night; a formula that won’t work on a consistent basis. Hakstol has shown his willingness to shake up the lineup when the team’s performance is not up to par, with mixed results. But there is one move he’s yet to try.
Move the offensively gifted talent in Gostisbehere to a wing position alongside the likes of Claude Giroux or Brayden Schenn. It may be untested waters but it’s a solution with the potential for the perfect turnaround the Flyers need.
One of the few teams in the league rostering 8 defensemen, the Flyers have the blue line depth to experiment with a move this dramatic and the results could render the team a birth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Ghost ranks fifth on the team with 25 points and his production in the offensive zone is a critical void to fill in the Flyers game and with more defensive-minded players, see Nick Schultz, in front of the Flyers net, production both offensively and defensively should improve.
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Last season, Shane Ghostisbehere burst into the league and was the answer to Flyers fans’ prayers and this year, the city of Philadelphia looks to their prodigal hockey son again to resurrect the broken pieces of the Flyers’ season. Only time will tell if he can bring the city of brotherly love similar magic for the rest of the 2017 campaign.