(Kate Frese/SB Nation)
By Jeff Quake, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
It has been an interesting but crazy ride for the Philadelphia Flyers during the last month and a half. They lost 10 in a row but lately have seem to get back on track by winning six straight.
Following a 2-1 overtime victory against the Dallas Stars, it is time to take a deeper look at the Flyers line combinations and how that has played a role in the turnaround.
During the 10-game losing streak, the line combinations changed almost every night, so it was hard to keep up with the line structure without much consistency. But lately, there has been some changes that have stuck.
Michael Raffl got bumped up from the fourth line to the second line which brought Travis Konecny down to the fourth line. It also helped that the team got Radko Gudas back in the lineup after serving his 10-game suspension.
But the biggest change in the lineup was Wayne Simmonds and Jake Voracek switching spots.
The move hasn't done anything to change the success the Flyers top line was having. And Voracek's presence on a line with Raffl and Valtteri Filppula has increased the scoring overall. On the six-game winning streak, Voracek's line has accounted for five goals, three by Raffl and two by Filppula. Voracek has 10 assists in that time, including helpers on all five of the goals by his linemates.
Voracek and Claude Giroux had been separated from being linemates at 5-on-5 and even in 3-on-3 overtime for a while. But the trio of Giroux, Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere was reunited for overtime on Saturday.
"I think we had success, the three of us, in the past. We find ways to get a goal for the win," Giroux said. "But earlier in the season, we didn’t get the job done. Going back together, we kind of get a little excited again."
This team is continuing to prove that the recent changes made by head coach Dave Hakstol are paying off. Thanks to the six straight wins, they currently sit just two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins with 35 points, and are four points out of a wildcard spot.
Philadelphia also would not be where they are currently without the strong play from goaltender Brian Elliott, who has been in goal for all six games on the winning streak, posting a 1.39 GAA and .947 save percentage in his last five starts.
"Our team has confidence in him," Hakstol said. "That’s a real position of strength for our bench and for the guys that are out on the ice. It’s not just the things that you see on a nightly basis on game nights. Brian does such a good job on a daily basis of approaching his day of work. I think that is something guys can feed off of. They know he does the work. He is prepared. I think that gives everyone a level of confidence."
Confidence is a theme in the Flyers recent wins. With some renewed life after snapping the 10-game streak, the Flyers have turned the tide by trying to create their own opportunities and limiting those of the opposition. For Hakstol, the results turning in the Flyers favor are fueled by confidence, but come in many different ways.
"It’s a combination of things. I think it’s confidence, swagger, whatever you want to attach to it is a big part of this game," Hakstol said. "You can ask anybody, that’s a big part. You can be playing really well, but when you’re going good, you just have that as a group you have that mentality that you’re not going to take less than finding a way to win a game.
"I can tell you when you’re on the other end of close losses, tight losses, it starts to wear on you. You didn’t see much of that in our team until maybe until the San Jose game or the Boston game when we were tired towards the end of that stretch. You have a couple good things happen along with working hard, paying attention to detail and really sticking together you get that little injection of adrenaline that helps push you in the right direction."
Regardless of whether it is confidence or the team finding their identity again, one thing is for sure. You can never turn your back against a hungry hockey team. The Flyers are certainly a hungry team right now, and one that is starting to turn some heads in the league as they rise back up the standings.
