NHL Daily: Flyers’ GM Needs to Upgrade Special Teams; Isles Clinch Spot

Long before analytics became trendy, former Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock was an astute observer of hockey statistics.

Hitchcock said that if your team’s power play and penalty kill were under a combined 100 percent, you were in trouble.

Big trouble.

With one game left in a season that has been encouraging because of the young players’ development, and discouraging because of the lack of overall talent, the Flyers’ power play (15.2%, last in the NHL) and penalty kill (75%, 26th) is at a combined 90.2%.

Big trouble.

By comparison, Boston is at a combined 109.8%, Toronto is at a combined 108.2%, and Dallas is at combined 108.1%.

Yep, all are strong Stanley Cup contenders.

Blame the special teams’ coaches for the Flyers’ failures, if you will. But those coaches are different than last season, when the Flyers were also poor on the power play (12.6%, last in the NHL)  and penalty kill (75.7%, 26th).

Their combined percentage a year ago was an unfathomable 88.3%, slightly better than this season.

Rocky Thompson ran the Philadelphia Flyers’ power play this season, and Brad Shaw directed the PK.

Assuming Danny Briere is named the full-time general manager and has the interim tag removed, one of his many challenges in the offseason will be this: finding players who make the special teams click.

Tyson Foerster figures to be a regular next season, and the hard-shooting right winger should help the power play. Ditto the return of Cam Atkinson. And the return of Sean Couturier should aid both special teams’ units.

But the Flyers need more finishers. Younger finishers.

Meanwhile, in stories affecting the playoff races …

The Islanders clinched a berth Wednesday with a 4-2 win over visiting Montreal. The victory eliminated Pittsburgh, which had its streak of 16 straight playoff appearances end.

Dallas, thanks to a 5-2 victory in St. Louis,  moved one point ahead of Colorado and into first place in the Central Division. The Stars have one game the left, the Avs have two.

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Around the NHL and National Hockey Now

New York Islanders: Brock Nelson had two goals — his 35th and 36th of the season — to spark the Isles into the playoffs with a hard-earned 4-2 win over the Habs. Isles.

Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson had three points as the Stars whipped St. Louis and put the pressure on Colorado in the Central Division. Stars. 

Florida Hockey Now: Former Flyers goalie Alex Lyon has led Florida into the postseason with a 6-0-1 run in which he has a .952 save percentage and 1.52 GAA. He might even get the Game 1 playoff nod over Sergei Bobrovsky, who has recovered from an illness. Florida Panthers.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs, and a wildly inconsistent reason is the reason they will be watching for the first time in 17 seasons. Pittsburgh Penguins.

Boston Hockey Now: David Krejci will be available for the Bruins’ first playoff game, coach Jim Montgomery said. The playmaking center has missed the last five games with an unspecified injury. Boston Bruins.

Colorado Hockey Now: Winger Artturi Lehkonen could return for the final two games, and he would give the defending champion Avs a big boost. Lehkonen, who has 20 goals in 62 games, hasn’t played since breaking his finger on March 13. Colorado Avalanche.

Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs are set up to get a high-quality player at the NHL draft.  Montreal Canadiens.