Kyle Phillippi
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty now that preseason hockey for the Flyers is over.
The Flyers are in a transition year; not necessarily one in terms of their roster makeup, but in the way the team will operate. That’s because of Dave Hakstol and the new up-tempo system he’s bringing from college to Philadelphia – hey, that sure sounds familiar.
The first-year coach preaches aggressive forechecking and two-way play from his forwards and defensemen that can jump into the rush.
Gone are the days of dump and chase hockey in the City of Brotherly Love. If you caught any action in the preseason, you could tell the team’s approach has been much different with the puck. The two stars of the team, Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, are getting a full head of steam as they carry the puck into the offensive zone rather than relying on a 50-50 chance of getting a bouncing puck in the corner.
This style of play results in faster action and more excitement for the fans.
While the Flyers went 3-2-2 in what Hakstol grades as a “C” performance in the preseason, the team did provide a ton of optimism this month. Let’s run down some of the things that caught my eye from the practices and the games:
“Stone Cold” Steve Mason
Seriously, this guy just keeps getting better. All throughout camp he spoke with a ton of confidence and just seemed like a man who really believes in himself and his teammates. Before the preseason started, he explained how he wanted to face as many shots as he could in the games leading into the season. He sure got bombarded with shots in a few contests but held strong in each game. He was in his regular-season mode as he robbed shots with his glove and hugged the post on corner shots. The Flyers could very well be in every game this season because of the play of Mason. For a team that could sneak into the playoffs as an eighth-seed, having someone like Mason will be essential.
Offensively-skilled defensemen
Michael Del Zotto, Mark Streit and Evgeny Medvedev will all be major players on this squad. These three are easily the most dynamic defensemen with the puck on their stick. Throughout training camp, it was clear that the trio fit what Hakstol wants in his blue-liners. Del Zotto and Medvedev will pair up, creating what I believe was the most entertaining defensive duo on this team. While their offensive prowess occasionally turns into over-aggressiveness, leaving the other team with an odd-man rush, the two really gave the offense a tremendous spark. Between them and Streit, there were shots being fired off from the top of the zone left and right. Medvedev has an absolute bomb of a shot as does Streit. These three will be very entertaining to watch in the regular season.
The power play is filthy
Check out this stat: the Flyers finished 10-for-30 on the power play despite going 1-for-5 in the finale.
Voracek, Giroux and Raffl flourished on the man-advantage last season as the unit ranked among the top five in the league and continued to do so through September.
Earlier in the week, Voracek explained how the team considers it unsuccessful if they don’t go at least 1-for-3 (33%) on the power play in a given game. Mind you, the top unit last season finished at 25%. That’s pretty high expectations, but can you blame him after seeing how effective the group has been?
Hakstol’s system will take time
If this reminds you of Chip Kelly, you’re not that far off. Both guys have a set system in their place. While Hakstol doesn’t seem as hard-set on getting his guys he does preach a few similar things as Kelly does, such as fast-paced, staying in shape and playing aggressive.
The team showed glimpses of what they can do when things are clicking. Of course, with a few minor injuries, guys in and out of the lineup and some prospects filling in, there wasn’t as much continuity as needed to fully grasp the system in a matter of a couple of weeks. This thing will take some time to be picked up 100% by the players. It could take a month, maybe two. Remember, Berube turned the team around two years ago after about a month and a half at the helm.
When Hakstol’s system is picked up fluidly by everyone, this team will be exciting to watch. Just the sheer fact of watching someone like Del Zotto or Streit having the freedom of leading the rush or pinching in the corner to keep a play alive make it worthwhile. There will be some defensive breakdowns in the beginning, but the offensive firepower should help to offset any miscues that arise because of it.
The future is bright
Travis Konecny. Samuel Morin. Robert Haag. Shayne Gostisbehere.
The list goes on. It seemed that every prospect on the team left an impression on the staff, their teammates and the fans this training camp. Konecny, the No. 24 pick in this year’s draft, dazzled the fans with some electrifying moves, passes and shots. He has a ton of upside as he already begins to draw comparisons to some of the upper-echelon guys in the league.
The young defensemen are also extremely talented and provide an immense amount of hope for what should be a dynamic defensive unit in the coming years.