Flyers’ Recent Success Exemplifies Turnaround from Past Season

By Matt Mastrogiovanni, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 

This time last year, the Flyers were in bad shape. For weeks they had been trying to gain ground in the standings in an effort to salvage what was left of their already tumultuous season. Those efforts fell short and they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons.

Now, with the team on a six-game winning streak and in second place in the heavyweight Metropolitan Division, it feels like night and day compared to just a year ago.

Perhaps the biggest factor of the team's turnaround has been the coaching change. When GM Chuck Fletcher brought the "three-headed monster" coaching staff of Alain Vigneault, Michel Therrien, and Mike Yeo aboard, it was the first of multiple steps back in right direction. Between the three coaches, a whopping 2,512 NHL games worth of experience were brought to the bench. New systems, better player accountability, and revamped game-by-game lineup changes have proved highly beneficial for the Flyers. 

Another factor playing into the team's success has been the recent surge of Kevin Hayes.

When Hayes signed with the Flyers back in June, it had many fans worried that a player who produced as much as he had in the past wasn't worth the money he was being given. Since then, he's proven his worth. Not only has he been a force on the penalty kill, he's been lighting up the scoresheet too. 

In the last six games, the first-year Flyer has tallied seven points, three of them coming against the San Jose Sharks last Tuesday night. Hayes is also currently three goals away from tying his career high of 25 and has potted four shorthanded goals this season which has him in a three-way tie for most in the league. As a whole, the Flyers have an 18-0-1 record when their star center scores a goal.

Hayes has even garnered the attention of the local breweries with his play. On Friday, Yards Brewing Company, based in Philadelphia, released the "Big Hayes-y 13" beer in his honor. The release came just before Hayes and Flyers defeated the Rangers in the first game of a weekend home-and-home. 

Finally, the last pillar of success for the Flyers has been something they have had for quite some time: a balanced mix of core and new talent. 

For years now, the team has been fortunate in having the talent of core players like Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Sean Couturier, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny. The younger stars have only ramped their game up, while the vets like Giroux have kept their scoring touch constant throughout.

The bottom-six talents have also been stellar. Mainstays like Michael Raffl and Scott Laughton have more than proved their worth as key members of the team. Penalty kill, offensive flexibility, and overall hard work have gained them top tier status as teammates. Mix in the new talents like Nicolas Aube-Kubel and even the lower-caliber lines on the Flyers are dangerous.

In so many aspects, this Flyers team has come a long way in a short time. The pieces weren't always together, but it seems like their finally falling into place. With a continuous, all-around effort, it will only propel the Flyers further into success.