(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
When Dave Hakstol arrived in Philadelphia prior to last season as a rookie head coach, he was expected to bring a new system that put an emphasis on 200-foot play, making forwards do more for their two-way game as the Flyers tried to become more of a high-powered offense while trying to turn around a defense that had struggled for years.
The Flyers have gotten some of the offense back, ranking eighth in the league in goals per game this season. But problems remain defensively, and they go far beyond goaltending and the blue line.
The writing was on the wall as the Flyers 10-game winning streak ended last month. In the final four games of the streak, the Flyers held on for a 6-5 win over the Oilers, rallied from the brink of defeat for a 4-2 win over Dallas, played a complete defensive game in a 1-0 win over Detroit and then held on again for a 4-3 win over Colorado.
In the games since the winning streak ended, the Flyers have allowed 34 goals while posting a 2-6-3 record. In those games, they have averaged 3.09 goals allowed per game. In contrast, during their 10-game winning streak, the Flyers allowed 22 goals at a rate of 2.2 goals allowed per game.
Of the 34 goals allowed, four goals were into an empty net. That leaves 30 goals allowed in all other game situations.
In addition, the Flyers five lowest players in plus-minus are all top players — Shayne Gostisbehere (-13), Jake Voracek (-11), Wayne Simmonds (-10), Brayden Schenn (-9), Claude Giroux (-9). Plus-minus is a stat that tells very little of the story, but the numbers there on paper are alarming.
But taking a deeper look, the Flyers aren't really ranked that bad among the rest of the league. In team Corsi for per 60, the Flyers are ranked third at 59.96 percent. In team Corsi against per 60, the Flyers are ranked 11th at 54.11 percent. Those are percentages based on the entire season. Even in the last 10 games, the Flyers are ranked in the Top 12 of all teams in the league in both Corsi for per 60 or Corsi against per 60.
So what's the problem? For one, execution.
The Flyers have struggled in each game in various aspects — passing, zone entry, zone exit, neutral zone play, physical play, puck battles — but one consistency since their return from the holiday break has been allowing goals at a rapid rate, typically in a particular period.
The Flyers allowed two goals in a five minute span in the first period against St. Louis on Dec. 28. They took a 3-2 lead in the third, then allowed four goals in the next 13 minutes.
Ryan Kesler scored a hat trick on New Year's Day against the Flyers in Anaheim. All three goals in the first 21:09 of the game. The Ducks didn't score again and eventually won the game in a shootout.
The Rangers held a 1-0 lead after two periods on the Flyers on last Wednesday. The Rangers scored four goals in the third period for a 5-2 win.
The Sabres on Tuesday night scored three goals in the second period. They carried that through the rest of the game for a 4-1 win.
Whether it's a slow start or a crawl to the finish line, the Flyers struggle with execution as a team over a full 60 minutes defensively, whether it's chasing the game or mistakes and lapses that come in the later crucial points of a game.
It's a big reason why the Flyers are still facing an uphill battle. A team with that kind of inconsistency doesn't make the playoffs. The Flyers are currently holding a playoff spot, but won't be for long. With a turnaround needed, only more consistent play across the board will get them back on the winning track.
