Searching for Scorers: Goals at a premium for Flyers

A five-day break bred a 2-1 loss to Dallas on Tuesday night, dropping the Flyers to 2-2-1 on the season. Five points in five games is not miserable, but the Flyers could certainly have done better.

As expected, this team has experienced growing pains of learning a new system under a new coach and trying to adjust to new players. That said, there is one problem that stands out.

If there is one problem the Flyers need to solve soon, it's the lack of goal scoring.

In five games, the Flyers have scored the following amount of goals: 2, 1, 1, 3, 1. Maybe more alarming than the goal totals are the goal scorers.

Brayden Schenn has two goals. Matt Read has two goals. Then the combination of Mark Streit, Sam Gagner, Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier have the other seven.

No goals from Jake Voracek. No goals from Michael Raffl. No goals from Wayne Simmonds. All three are staples to the power play.

That was among the main reasons the Flyers lost on Tuesday. Inconsistent and sluggish, yes, but going 0-for-4 on the power play when your top unit is as lethal as they come is really unacceptable, especially when given a chance in the third period to get the game-tying goal.

Dave Hakstol said following the loss that the power play was getting opportunities and just needs to find ways to cash in and that maybe simplifying things will help them do that.

Simplifying things is a good start, considering the Flyers reverted back to their old power play ways of looking for the perfect shot instead of taking the chance on getting a rebound or deflection or a greasy goal of some sort.

Realistically, the Flyers need to be looking at this from two ways. First, they need to just find ways to finish. For three games now, against teams with clear scoring ability, the Flyers limited the opposition on the scoreboard.

It doesn't matter who puts the puck in the back of the net as long as it finds its way there. That's what made Couturier's first, a gritty play going hard to the net, such a good goal. 

Secondly, it is about the guys who are scoring. Secondary scoring is crucial and the Flyers need Couturier, Read and Schenn, among others to step up.

But it's really about the lack of scoring from the top line. Giroux scored in Wednesday's win over the Blackhawks — at even strength no less — with assists going to Raffl and Voracek. Through five games, that is the only point for Voracek and Raffl and one of two for Giroux.

Four combined points in five games from your top line is not acceptable either. This is the line that is supposed to be producing points, if not at even strength then definitely on the power play. 

There are worse problems to have if you can't find a reason to complain about the defense, who while having a rough night against Dallas due to a speedy Stars team and puck troubles on sloppy ice still only allowed two goals. But this lack of scoring isn't exactly new for a team with not as many new faces as everyone wants to mention and in need of having a complete turnaround mentally under a new coach.

The Flyers are in Boston on Wednesday night, then get the Rangers on Saturday night. Then, a nice long consistent wave of games starts. And the Flyers are going to need consistent scoring to keep up in the standings.

Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.