Philadelphia Flyers: Five Best Moments of 2016

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Dec 21, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol (C) looks on during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers won 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Hiring Dave Hakstol

Ok, so technically Dave Hakstol was hired in 2015, but his first season was the 15/16 season so it counts.

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When the Philadelphia Flyers announced the hiring of the head coach from North Dakota University, many fans scratched their heads and said who? Flash forward a year and Hakstol has a playoff birth under his belt along with an NHL record of 61-41-19.

So far it seems that the hiring of Hak has been successful by GM Ron Hextall. Coming out of college Hakstol’s record was 289-143-43 and he was well documented as a 2nd half coach. The last trait was noticeable at the end of the Philadelphia Flyers season, last year, when the team went on a fabulous run to make the playoffs.

He seems to be the perfect fit for a Philadelphia Flyers club who is getting younger with every call-up.

The younger players on the roster had breakout seasons under Hak, coincidence I think not. Hakstol was a very successful college coach who lead his team to the NCAA Frozen Four seven times under his tenure. Younger players respond well to him and veterans seem to respect his knowledge.

Hopefully his continued success makes his hiring one of the best by GM Ron Hextall.

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