Updated 7:30 p.m.
This past week, the Flyers stuck to the script they’ve written for themselves with another uneven week of hockey.
They continued to pump the puck in the net, but they also continued to have defensive breakdowns all over the ice and didn’t receive a ton of relief from their goaltenders, both of whom have struggled immensely over the first month of the season.
The week that was featured a 3-2 shootout loss to the Red Wings at home, an ugly 6-3 defeat to the Maple Leafs in Toronto and a 3-2 win over the Wild at the Wells Fargo Center.
Let’s take a look back, shall we?
• Goaltending and Philadelphia – a match made in hockey writers heaven. There’s just always something there. Before the season began, the Steve Mason-Michal Neuvirth tandem had the Flyers feeling like netminding could be a strength for once. But that thought has come crashing down as both have struggled this season and continued to do so for much of this week before Mason took over Saturday against the Wild (more on that in a bit). Mason was OK in the shootout loss vs. Detroit, but fell off the cliff Friday night in Toronto when he gave up six goals on 23 shots, including four goals on nine third-period offerings. Sure, there wasn’t much help in front of him, but Mason needs to be better for the Flyers to contend this season. Neuvirth, too, as he’s been just as shaky. It’s not that they’re not making tough saves, it’s that they’re letting in their fair share of ones they should have. And those are the ones that continue to bog the Flyers down. As of Sunday morning, the Flyers are now tied with Calgary for last in the league in both total goals allowed (58) and goals allowed per game (3.63). The Flyers have not allowed less than two goals in a game yet this season. Mason is now 3-5-2 with a 3.41 goals-against average and a .880 save percentage. Neuvirth is now 4-2-0 with a 3.54 goals-against average and .859 save percentage. Again, the defense has not been great at all and needs to improve, but the Flyers need more consistent play in net from both their goaltenders, like they got from Mason on Saturday night…
• One night after falling apart in Toronto, Mason was excellent in relief of Neuvirth, who left after suffering a lower-body injury in the first period of the win over Minnesota. After it seemed like his latest chance to run with the No. 1 job went up in flames, Mason made big stop after big stop and enabled the Flyers to hang on for the victory by turning aside 19 of 20 shots he faced. A showing like that proves Mason is clearly capable. Afterward, Mason told CSN’s John Clark that he was tired of being “embarrassed” out on the ice. He certainly played like it. There are moments in a season that, when you look back, you can say were clear turning points. For Mason, it could be the remarkable pad save he made on Eric Staal as time wound down to preserve the Flyers’ win. It’s a moment like that, that can ignite confidence, especially in a goaltender. The Flyers announced Sunday that Neuvirth will be out four to six weeks with a lower body injury. With Neuvirth out, the Flyers will need a confident Mason in net. And a confident Mason is capable of running with No. 1 goalie job, just as he did down the stretch during last season’s playoff push.
• If there’s anyone out there who still thinks Wayne Simmonds is a one-dimensional player, show them Simmonds’ highlight tape from this past week. Simmonds scored twice more this week, once on a power-play deflection in his office in front of the net and once on a shorthanded breakaway in his new penalty-killing role. But he’s got playmaking skills, too, as evidenced by his lovely setup on Brayden Schenn’s winning goal Saturday night against the Wild. Simmonds sent a no-look pass through his legs to Schenn, who waited patiently before putting the puck past Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk. Simmonds now leads the Flyers with eight goals and his 15 points put him one behind Jake Voracek and Claude Giroux for the team lead. In this writer’s opinion, it’s a tight race between Simmonds and Voracek for the Flyers’ very early-season MVP. Giroux isn’t far behind, either.
• The Flyers’ power play is just lethal right now. It’s up to second in the entire NHL, as it’s cashing in at a 29.3 percent clip. With Schenn’s power-play goal Saturday against the Wild, the Flyers have now scored with the man advantage in five straight games and 12 of the last 14. Over the last 14 games, the Flyers are hitting on the power play 32.7 percent of the time. Quite the far cry from when they couldn’t shoot the puck into the ocean on the power play against the Capitals in the playoffs last season. All 17 of the Flyers’ power-play goals this season have come with the 5-on-4 advantage. They’ve yet to score with a 5-on-3 advantage or a 4-on-3 advantage. Simmonds is tied for the NHL lead with five power-play tallies.
• If it seems like we talk about Travis Konecny every week in the Flyers observations, it’s because we do. The rookie forward continues to impress and make an impact. His goal in Toronto on Friday was beautiful, as he kicked the puck ahead to himself and then made a slick backhand deke before putting it in the net. The kid is a sparkplug. The puck always seems to find him and good things happen when the puck is on his stick. He’s starting to bring his physical edge, too, as he’s been throwing his body around more often. Oh, and he’s just 19-years-old.
• Saturday night marked the Flyers' 16th game of the season. They’ve held a lead heading into the first intermission just once.
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• Whereas the Flyers’ defensive corps hasn’t played the most sound hockey in its own end, the flip side is the unit continues to produce on the offensive side of things. The Flyers lead the league in points by defensemen with 48. Shayne Gostisbehere and Mark Streit each have 10 points, tying them for fourth in the NHL among defensemen.
• I get Dave Hakstol is looking for chemistry and consistency among his Flyers, but how is there supposed to be chemistry and consistency when there is a lineup change or two or line change or two every night? Line magic doesn’t just happen with the snap of fingers. It takes time to jell together. The healthy scratch of Brandon Manning, who arguably has been the Flyers’ best defenseman this season, Friday night in Toronto was a bit of a head-scratcher. I get the reasoning behind trying different things as Hakstol is trying to find some sort of spark. But when something new happens every night, it can be tough to find that spark.
Coming up this week: Tuesday vs. Ottawa (7 p.m./CSN), Thursday vs. Winnipeg (7 p.m./CSN – 50th Anniversary Tough Guys celebration night), Saturday vs. Tampa Bay (1 p.m./CSN).