The Philadelphia Flyers are six games into their season and things are looking absolutely grim, sitting at a brutal 0-4-2 record and barely scraping over one goal per game. Seriously, over one goal per game in six games? That’s just wild, and it’s making some fans over there feel as bad as the Dave Hakstol eight-goalie season or the end of the John Tortorella era. Even the 1-6-1 start before Ken Hitchcock got canned probably felt better than this. With the general manager, Danny Briere, not making any moves on coach Rick Tocchet, it’s totally on the players right now to pull themselves out of this mess before they completely drown.
The Flyers’ Skid is Real, But Can They Turn It Around?
Honestly, a lot of folks would argue there isn’t anyone on that current Flyers roster who can turn things around right now. They’re struggling so hard, just over one goal per game, that it’s tough to see a path back to respectability without a serious change. But, if there’s any glimmer of hope, it rests on a few players who might be able to drag the team on their back, at least for a little while, to get Philadelphia back on track. The most damning part of their current situation is that the three players usually highlighted for turning things around have a combined 195 games as Flyers heading into Sunday’s game. That just shows how little experience they’re relying on.
Woll’s Wall: The One Bright Spot
If there’s one player who actually is doing something, it’s goalie Joseph Woll. Yeah, we know, he can’t score goals or run the power play, but he is standing on his head back there. Woll is still chasing his first win with Philadelphia, but he’s made a spectacular 102 stops on 110 shots for a .927 save percentage as the so-called backup to Dan Vladar. His 2.61 goals-against average is seriously one of the only bright spots in their incredibly dire start. He’s literally responsible for the two points the Flyers have in the standings! On top of that, Woll has shown off some impressive puck-handling, which helps them nip dump-ins quicker than most. He’s kept the Flyers in most of the three games he’s played, with two of those being just one goal away from winning in overtime. It just didn’t happen for them. But he’s going to have to probably steal a game or two if they want to get back on track, which isn’t easy when Philadelphia has been so inept five-on-five, something that used to be a major advantage for them last year. An ugly 1-0 win in overtime might be enough to snap the streak and give their skaters a tiny bit more confidence.
It’s a big ask for them to win a few games this coming week against Carolina, and then against the Emerald City and Detroit. They’re definitely going to have their work cut out for them against our boys. The Kraken just put up a solid 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings, so Philadelphia better be ready for us. This is a chance for our boys to pounce on a team that’s clearly struggling and keep our momentum going!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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