Durso: Hot start could lead to major cold spell for top line, Flyers

 

 

Make no mistake, the Flyers top line has been incredibly productive over the course of the first month of the season.

 

Jake Voracek leads all NHL players with 13 assists. Michael Raffl is on pace to trump his goal total from his rookie season in 2013-14 with six goals already. Claude Giroux remains at the center of the production – just two goals but 12 assists.

 

But all hot streaks go south as some points. Take away the top line, and the Flyers have just 39 points divided among the remaining 11 forwards that have played in a game this season, the same amount as the top line.

 

When the cold spell comes and the top line can't seem to buy a goal, with the rest of the forwards be able to step up in their place?

 

A prime example of this drop-off is Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds scored five goals in his first four games. In the seven games since, Simmonds has one goal and two assists.

 

The Flyers had a 5-10-1 record before Giroux scored his first goal of the 2013-14 season on Nov. 9 in the team's 17th game of the season. Voracek had just three points – all assists – during the Flyers 1-7-0 start.

 

This is the big question facing the Flyers: can they trust and rely on Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn to be the scorers when Giroux, Voracek and Simmonds aren't getting it done? It's hard to make a case that any other group of players will be able to do that.

 

What's even more alarming is that the Flyers are relying on players that have been virtually invisible to be big on offense and follow the top line. The second line consists of Vincent Lecavalier, R.J. Umberger and Simmonds. Lecavalier and Umberger have combined for seven points in 11 games – of course, Lecavalier missed seven games with an injury.

 

To put that into perspective, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde, two players on the fourth line, have combined for six points in almost the same amount of games and half the ice time.

 

Lecavalier wasn't consistent in putting up points in his first season with the Flyers, so there's little reason to believe he won't be a similarly streaky player. Even Simmonds, who has the capability to be a 20-30 goal player, can get very streaky, evidence by his success and lack thereof in the first 11 games.

 

When you think of the Flyers woes, you instantly look at the blue line. For the most part, it's been one of the Flyers strengths of late. One of the Flyers weaknesses, to me, is confidence. There are forwards that don't seem to show confidence in their own abilities on the attack.

 

It's one thing to have lapses on defense. Forwards with great two-way ability are rare. But for players like Schenn, Read and Couturier – players who should still possess some offensive prowess – they should have more confidence in their own abilities.

 

This is why I believe there are so many doubters that they can be goal scorers. Are Couturier and Read good defensive players. Absolutely, we've seen it on the penalty kill many times. And both will amass a solid number of goals by being placed in certain situations.

 

But look no further than the second power-play unit – a group that has seldom found success – and you'll see players that aren't sure what the next move should be. And with aggressive penalty killers on the puck at all times, there is no room for hesitation.

 

These are the players the Flyers must trust under Giroux, Voracek and Raffl. When the top line cools off, others will have to pick up the slack in order to avoid an even colder spell in the standings.