Kevin Durso

When the Flyers announced the rest of Alain Vigneault’s coaching staff on Monday, it was clear experience was a key factor.

The Flyers announced the hiring of Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo as assistant coaches on Vigneault’s staff.

According to a report from TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie, the Flyers will hire former Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien as an assistant on Alain Vigneault’s staff.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes both made the playoffs in the two wildcard spots in the East and pulled off upsets of the two division winners in the first round. Now, both teams hold the lead in their respective second round series after three games.

For teams like the Flyers, the first focus of the offseason is on yourself, the players and moves you can control. For the Flyers, those moves center around several pending free agents that will need new contracts.

Kirill Ustimenko, the Flyers third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers, the team announced on Wednesday.

Last week, it was already known that the President’s Trophy winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning, were eliminated, as were the Pittsburgh Penguins. Six other teams have joined, and many of them were near the top of the regular-season standings.

As of Friday morning, the Flyers are no longer using “God Bless America” and the statue of Kate Smith outside Xfinity Live has been covered on the heels of reports that Smith has a history of offensive lyrics in other recorded songs.

Early in Vigneault’s introductory press conference on Thursday, it became apparent why Fletcher felt he had found the right person for the job. Vigneault talked at length about the approach he will bring to the Flyers, one that involves approaching the game with the right mindset.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that tied an NHL record with 62 wins in the regular season, were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in four games. The Pittsburgh Penguins, the Stanley Cup champions in 2016 and 2017, were also swept by the New York Islanders in four games.

There are many factors that go into determining why the Flyers chose to hire a veteran head coach like Alain Vigneault. Here are a few of them.

With Alain Vigneault now in as the Flyers head coach, what is next for Scott Gordon?

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher announced Alain Vigneault as the next head coach of the Flyers on Monday, noting that the process was short because it simply became apparent during conversations with Vigneault that he was the right person for the job.

On Monday afternoon, the Flyers named Alain Vigneault as the 21st head coach in franchise history.

With Joel Quenneville off the board, the Flyers are left to explore other options for their next head coach. Here are a few options that still remain.

Say this about Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher: he knows this team has fundamental problems that go far beyond just adding players and changing coaches. There’s a reason the Flyers allowed the first goal in 50 games this season and trailed 2-0 in 32 of 82 games. It’s a mindset issue.

The word going around is that the Flyers are going to be “aggressive” this offseason in the free agent and trade market, looking at all the ways they can upgrade the team. Quite frankly, they have no choice. All you have to do is look across the street for a reminder of just how relevant they are right now.

The Flyers season is over, and it sets up for an interesting offseason for GM Chuck Fletcher, one that begins now that the season is over and will carry over throughout the summer and as the 2019-20 season approaches.

For the fifth straight game and 10th time in the last 13 of the season, the Flyers suffered a loss, 4-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes, a fitting end to a disappointing season. 

The Flyers, who have lost four straight games since their playoff hopes were officially dashed a week ago, and have lost six of the last seven games and nine of the last 12 games, close out the 2018-19 season at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The season will ultimately be known for the failure to meet expectations, to take that next step in the development of a contender, and the massive fallout behind it.

The Flyers called up defenseman Mark Friedman from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms ahead of Saturday’s season finale and sent down Phil Myers, GM Chuck Fletcher announced on Friday.

In total, eight goals were scored in the first period between the two teams, including seven in the first 9:41 of the game, as the Flyers fell into a 5-2 deficit by the midpoint of the first period on the way to a 7-3 defeat to the Blues on Thursday night.

Whether the Flyers stick with interim head coach Scott Gordon or look elsewhere for a new head coach, GM Chuck Fletcher said the search will not last long.

There are just two games left on the Flyers schedule, including one final game away from home which the Flyers will play on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.

The Stars scored two goals in each period on their way to a 6-2 win over the Flyers on Tuesday night, handing the Flyers their third straight loss and eighth in the last 11 games.

Three games remain for the Flyers over the final week of the 2018-19 season. For the Orange and Black, there’s nothing left to play for but pride and to be a spoiler.

The Rangers handled the Flyers easily on Sunday, as Alexandar Georgiev came through with 29 saves in a shutout win as the Flyers fell to the Rangers, 3-0, at Wells Fargo Center.

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor  The Flyers playoff push is officially over after a 5-2 loss to the…