By Jeff Quake, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
With Radko Gudas being suspended for 10 games following a slash to the head of Mathieu Perreault during the Flyers shootout loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, the Flyers lose size, strength, but most importantly grit to their lineup. The loss to the Jets, followed by Saturday's overtime loss to the Flames, have Philadelphia looking at a four-game losing streak while only scoring six goals in that span.
The main question now is what should the team do in order to get a spark going?
The most logical option is to call up Sam Morin to replace Gudas for the rest of his suspension, as Morin instantly reclaims the size, shot and of course toughness that needs to be in the lineup.
Not only that, but the Flyers should consider calling up a forward that has done his part in potentially earning a shot at the NHL roster, like Mike Vecchione, Oskar Lindblom, or even Danick Martel.
Vecchione has been on fire as of late, and has started the season with 18 points — six goals and 12 assists — in 17 games. Lindblom, who is slowly but surely adjusting to the AHL in his second year in pro hockey in North America, has nine points — three goals and six assists. Last but not least is Martel, who currently leads the Phantoms in points with 19 and has 14 goals to lead the team as well.
It’s clear that the team is heading down the wrong path, as they currently sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division. On the bright side, rookie Nolan Patrick is back with the team after missing nine games due to a concussion, which should provide some offensive firepower for the team. Although Patrick has not had a breakout performance yet, he may be asked to fill in for a more important role within the next few weeks to see if he can help provide the spark that the orange and black need.
Most fans are begging for the firing of head coach Dave Hakstol, but that won’t do the team any good at this point. It will lead them right back to square one after firing Craig Berube back in 2015. Just like there has been a goalie carousel, this team does not need one again with the head coach position.
Hakstol is here to stay but one simple change to the lineup could be what this team needs. Whether that it is more jumbling with the lines, or a call up, one thing is for sure, this team cannot afford to let this streak of bad play continue and something must be done. It falls on GM Ron Hextall and management to make it happen and Hakstol to utilize the players properly to help climb out of the slump.
