Caleb Weiler
Leading up to the Christmas break, the Philadelphia Flyers were a stunning 20-12-4 thanks to a 11-2-1 record in their last 14 games. The Flyers had a spectacular 10-game winning streak within that stretch, but floundered in their last five, going 1-3-1, including a loss in St. Louis on Wednesday night. While it may have been tough for them to open on the road after a five-day break, the Flyers will look to get back on track tomorrow in San Jose.
Flyers fans know that over the last few years, the team hasn’t had strong starts or strong finishes. Including overtime and shootout losses, this is the first season in three years that the Flyers are over .500 at the Christmas break.
In the 2014-15 season leading up to the Christmas break, the Flyers had a record of 14-14-6. In 2015-16, they had a record of 15-12-7 before December 25th. There was a slight improvement from the 2014 to 2015 season, but nothing like the success that they are experiencing this year.
With the infusion of new players and a new coach the last two seasons, the Flyers are seeing a change in culture that is allowing them to play hockey at a higher level this year. Adding young guns like Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny to the lineup to go along with the veterans like Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek, is opening up a window for the Flyers to be playoff contenders for a long time.
While the team has had a good start to the season, winning 20 of their first 37 games, they do not have a good start compared to the rest of their division. They are currently in fifth place in the top-heavy Metropolitan Division behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Washington Capitals, respectively. The Blue Jackets are riding a league-high (and franchise-high) 13-game winning streak, which vaulted them into first place overall in the NHL before the Penguins took that honor back with their win over the Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
Right now, the Flyers have a strong hold on the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they are seven points ahead of the Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs, who each have played three less games than the Flyers. The Blue Jackets have played four less games than the Flyers. Go figure.
The NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint. While the Flyers had a spectacular December, they still have to continue to play well and rack up points since 25 of their last 48 games are against divisional opponents. It’s a long road ahead, but with their best start in three years, they can be well on their way to consecutive playoff appearances.