Caleb Weiler
The National Hockey League has taken a page out of the book of the National Football League and instituted a mandatory bye week for all teams this year. Due to the World Cup of Hockey being played before the start of the 2016-2017 NHL season, the NHLPA advocated for a bye week for their players since they will have been playing for a much longer time due to their performance in the world cup. The bye week has never happened in the NHL before and it could not have come at a better time for the Philadelphia Flyers.
After a spectacular 10-game winning streak, the Flyers have only won three of their last 14 games after the streak; it’s a miracle they are only two games out of a playoff spot.
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After the streak, the Flyers have not had any pep in their step, being outscored 51-27 since their streak ended. Not only has their offensive zone play been flat, but they also have not been able to keep up in the defensive zone or in the net.
While fans may have been happy to get a break from the Flyers’ horrendous play over the last 14 games, Ron Hextall hates the idea of the bye week, saying that it is the most asinine thing he has ever seen. While Hextall might be saying that because it can break up the good play of a team, it seems like the Flyers could have used the week off.
The Flyers dazzled during their 10-game winning streak, but have since fizzled out into a bottom-of-the-league team. There is a chance that the streak was just an anomaly and that this team just does not have what it takes to be a team that can make the playoffs this year.
While the Flyers have not put themselves in a hole, they have given up many chances to further themselves from their competition in the Eastern Conference. If the Flyers want to prove they have what it takes to be a playoff team two years in a row, they are going to have to make a statement tonight against the Devils.