Report Cards
Flyers Report Card: Something Has to Give
Something has to give for the Philadelphia Flyers as their struggles continue. The Flyers fell to the New Jersey Devils 3-1 on Sunday, after yet another slow offensive game.
The Flyers played a much better game than they had in the last three games, yet their offensive struggles continued to hurt them as they lost their fourth straight.
Like the last three games, the loss was a cumulative team effort, but certain aspects of the game stuck out more than others. Here is a Flyers report card after Sunday’s loss.
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Flyers Report Card
Jamie Drysdale: B+
Since the 4 Nations Break, Jamie Drysdale has been noticeable on the ice, in a good way.
The Flyers knew he would be a project when they got Drysdale last season, and his development had been continuously derailed by injury. Things had been slow for Drysdale to start the season, but ever since that break, he has been much more aggressive on offense. His game is starting to really pop.
Drysdale is such a good skater, and he showed flashes of it in his offensive game throughout the year. Now, it’s becoming more consistent. During Sunday’s game, he had several great offensive possessions, using his skating ability to create space for himself and create chances.
It was fitting that Drysdale scored a goal today–it was well earned. It was an all around great rush. Drysdale’s burst of speed put him in a great position to score. It was a great give-and-go between him and Travis Konecny.
Travis Konecny: B
Travis Konecny is still not out of his funk, but his frustration seemed limited on Sunday.
Again, Konecny has not been playing poorly; he’s just having difficulty getting on the scoresheet. While he did not find the back of the net, he got the primary assist on the Drysdale goal. From start to finish, it was a perfect play.
The assist was big for Konecny. It was his first point in five games. He has been able to pick up assists, but it looked like his goal drought was starting to seep into his overall scoring. That assist was just his sixth point since the beginning of February. Hopefully, it will help get him back on top of his game.
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Ivan Fedotov: B
The Flyers’ No. 2 netminder has continued to look sharp, despite not getting a consistent slate of games. The Flyers have remained loyal to Sam Ersson, even through his struggles. Thus, Fedotov has continued to sit and watch. Despite that, he has looked excellent in the time that he gets.
He needs to stay sharp to give the Flyers a chance to win the games he starts. In his three combined games since Sam Ersson’s struggles began, Fedotov has allowed just five goals–including the two goals against him on Sunday.
Fedotov turned in a 20-save performance against a relatively low Devils’ shot total. He made a handful of crucial stops, and kept the Flyers in the game until the very end.
It is still Ersson’s net, but you have to wonder if Fedotov’s steady play lately gives the coaching staff more confidence to give him more games down the stretch.
Travis Sanheim: D
Travis Sanheim did not have a bad game. Honestly, he looked like one of the better Flyers’ defensemen in the game.
My grade for Sanheim does not come from his play, rather the late penalty he took.
With just 1:30 left on the game clock, Sanheim was called for a cross-check against Brett Pesce, forcing the Flyers to either play five-on-five with no goalie, or play down a man with a goalie. Either way, the Flyers were at a significant disadvantage just when the game became back in reach.
It was a soft call, one that likely would not have been called in the 58:30 of game play before that moment, but there is no arguing that it was a cross-check. It was a selfish penalty to take late in the game. Hockey is an emotional sport, but you cannot take that penalty in that spot in the game. It derailed any momentum the Flyers had built off the Drysdale goal, and made it easier for Dawson Mercer to pot the empty net dagger.
Rocky Thompson (& the Power Play): Fail; A Miserable, Miserable Fail
The Flyers have had 10 full power-play chances during the homestand (11 if you count the 18 seconds of one before a PHI penalty against SEA). After Sunday’s game, the Flyers have officially gone 0/10(~11) on the power play during the homestand.
It’s not because the Flyers are not scoring. The Flyers’ power play is miserable because they have no structure or plan. Here is a generic rundown of the Flyers’ power play: pass around the perimeter, run about 30 seconds off before they take a shot, puck gets cleared, failed zone entry, reset, and keep passing around the perimeter until someone shoots, time expires.
The Flyers lack someone with a dangerous net-front presence.
The worst part? It has been miserable all season, and absolutely nothing has changed except for a rotation of forwards. For some reason, Rasmus Ristolainen is still running the point on the top unit. I don’t know why that is, especially when you have someone like Jamie Drysdale on the second unit.
If you swap Drysdale and Ristolainen on the top unit and put Travis Sanheim or Cam York on the second, the personnel problem isn’t there. Â They would be a lot more effective if you just gave them a structure. Less dancing around the goal, and more getting pucks towards the net. It should not be that foreign of a concept.
Hopefully, the Flyers will take notice of how bad their power play has been—not just on Sunday, not just during the homestand, but all season—and make some changes to help improve it. The Flyers have to be able to take advantage of their power play chances to win games.
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Four straight losses on the longest home stand of the season. Same as last year, they stumble into and out of the trade deadline and as usual Rocky’s power play is anemic and impotent. Currently lined up for pick #7 behind Sharks, Hawks, Preds, Sabres, Pens, Kraken. Hopefully they drop to 5 or 6, too difficult to get top 4. Of course Pittsburgh has no problem tanking, unlike Torts. It’s how they drafted three HOF’s in Fleury, Malkin and Cindy three straight years.
Pittsburgh didn’t tank to get those players. They were just incredibly incompetent. So bad they almost moved to KC.
Also having a higher draft pick doesn’t mean you’re going to get the best player. Pittsburgh passed on Toews, Niklas Backstrom, and Phil Kessel with #2 pick in the 2006 draft pick for Jordan Staal.
And you can’t always blame the team for a bad pick. Often times the entire league gets player evaluations wrong.. one recent example, Nolan Patrick. He was the consensus number one until he got injured and most teams still thought he was the most talented player in that draft. Turns out it was Cale Makar, but he wasn’t even the highest ranked defenseman going into the draft.
Maybe it’s been pointed out, but the Flyers have lost 6 NHL players (Hathaway included). They have brought zero on. The Phantoms don’t appear to have much in the way of forward help. Cutter Gauthier may not have the personality to make it, but he has hurt the rebuild. Things look pretty bleak right now. Draftees are far away. PS- Any word on the Ryan Johannsen situation and his salary?
I have not heard anything more than the NHLPA was getting involved. Don’t think much comes from it.
That is so NHL…..the RyJo situation should have been resolved months ago. Bottom line it will probably be a half-a-loaf outcome for both sides.

Actually, Flyers don’t change a thing! Just trying to improve draft position!
The current play is reminiscent of last years play at this same juncture of the season Collapse….In my opinion this is the flyers rendition of tanking and it’s not a problem in my book…..Let’s get the best 1st round pick
For a coaching staff that demands accountability in its players, there is none at the coaching level. Rocky Thompson has been in charge of the pp, which has ranked last, every year, except this one, only due to Michkov having a clue what to do.
There is no structure, no system. They can hardly get the puck out of their zone. When they go into the offensive zone, they have no idea what to do.
This is not an NHL caliber coaching staff. The Kraken dominated us for two periods and they’re a terrible team.
It is so exasperating!