The Philadelphia Flyers have been left reeling after a dismal stretch of consecutive blowout losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the team's struggles in front of netminder Sam Ersson and Dan Vladar raising concerns about their ability to weather the storm.
While the Flyers' recent 7-2 rout on Saturday was largely attributed to goalies with high save percentages, captain Sean Couturier acknowledged that his team has a long way to go before reaching the Lightning's elite level. "We have a lot of work to do to get to that level," he said postgame Monday. "They're a pretty experienced team that plays the right way and sticks to their gameplan."
In reality, however, this season represents a critical juncture in the Flyers' rebuild process, with a mix of veteran players and prospects vying for playing time amidst a rebuilding core. The Flyers are still some distance from Tampa's level of execution on the ice or possession of elite talent like Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel.
Defenseman Nick Seeler pointed to "little things" such as puck management and team cohesion that set apart playoff-caliber teams like the Lightning. "It's a good hockey team over there," he said. "It's a measuring stick, so you can't get frustrated. You just gotta keep working, and you gotta do the proper things."
For Matvei Michkov, a promising young winger with high expectations, struggles have been a major setback this season. Despite flashes of potential, Michkov has yet to find his footing, scoring only nine goals and 23 points in 43 games. Head coach Rick Tocchet noted that Michkov must work on separating himself from defenders in the corners.
Despite a tough stretch, the Flyers are still clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division at 22-14-8 for 52 points. The team is scheduled to face Buffalo and Pittsburgh over the next week, with key games carrying significant playoff implications.
Finally, Trevor Zegras has finally found validation as a Flyer after an acrimonious exit from Anaheim. His two goals against the Ducks on Tuesday was a cathartic moment, but now he faces the prospect of negotiating a long-term contract extension that would secure his place in Philly.
While the Flyers' recent 7-2 rout on Saturday was largely attributed to goalies with high save percentages, captain Sean Couturier acknowledged that his team has a long way to go before reaching the Lightning's elite level. "We have a lot of work to do to get to that level," he said postgame Monday. "They're a pretty experienced team that plays the right way and sticks to their gameplan."
In reality, however, this season represents a critical juncture in the Flyers' rebuild process, with a mix of veteran players and prospects vying for playing time amidst a rebuilding core. The Flyers are still some distance from Tampa's level of execution on the ice or possession of elite talent like Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel.
Defenseman Nick Seeler pointed to "little things" such as puck management and team cohesion that set apart playoff-caliber teams like the Lightning. "It's a good hockey team over there," he said. "It's a measuring stick, so you can't get frustrated. You just gotta keep working, and you gotta do the proper things."
For Matvei Michkov, a promising young winger with high expectations, struggles have been a major setback this season. Despite flashes of potential, Michkov has yet to find his footing, scoring only nine goals and 23 points in 43 games. Head coach Rick Tocchet noted that Michkov must work on separating himself from defenders in the corners.
Despite a tough stretch, the Flyers are still clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division at 22-14-8 for 52 points. The team is scheduled to face Buffalo and Pittsburgh over the next week, with key games carrying significant playoff implications.
Finally, Trevor Zegras has finally found validation as a Flyer after an acrimonious exit from Anaheim. His two goals against the Ducks on Tuesday was a cathartic moment, but now he faces the prospect of negotiating a long-term contract extension that would secure his place in Philly.
. They're never gonna catch up to the Lightning, not with their current roster and system. The fact that they're only 3rd in the Met division with only 52 points says it all. I mean, 22-14-8 is a decent record, but it's not like they're putting up any serious numbers, you know? Trevor Zegras might get his long-term contract extension, but it won't matter if the team can't make a deep playoff run. The Flyers are just too old and too slow to compete with teams like Tampa. They need to blow this thing up and start over from scratch 
they're like super close to cracking the code but then they have these blowout losses and its like "what's going on?" 
gotta give it to sean couturier though, he's being real about how far they've got to go. 7-2 is brutal, especially against a team like the lightnin who are just straight fire 
like nikita kucherov and co, they're like a finely tuned machine over there. little things add up, you know? but at the same time, matvei michkov's struggles are super relatable 
and now they get some crucial games coming up against buffalo and pittsburgh. fingers crossed for a turnaround! 
. Seriously though, they're not exactly setting the world ablaze this season. 7-2 to the Lightning? Yeah, okay, goalies having a bad day, maybe. But what's going on with this team?! They need to figure out what little things Nick Seeler mentioned, like puck management and cohesion... I mean, it sounds super vague, but come on guys! Get your acts together 
. The coach is right, though - he needs to work on separating himself from defenders. Maybe a few more highlight reels won't hurt his case for a contract extension... Trevor Zegras got his validation, now it's time to secure his spot in Philly! 
these flyers just cant seem to catch a break, and now ppl r saying they gotta work on puck management? like, come on we got sam ersson in goal already, what more do we need? 
️ the flyers are still holding on for dear life 
their rebuild process is super important and they need to focus on those "little things" like puck management & team cohesion 
nick seeler said it best, can't get frustrated and just gotta keep working 
. They need to master those "little things" 
. Can't just copy Tampa's style and expect to win 
️
i mean, comin' off a 7-2 loss is brutal but they cant keep expectin' sam ersson and dan vladar to bail 'em out all the time... it's time for those vets like couturier to lead by example 
nick seeler's right about puck management tho, if they can just get their act together on D, they might have a shot 
. Plus, I'm not convinced these "little things" like puck management and cohesion are that hard to learn 
. I know we've had some tough losses recently, but we're learning from our mistakes and working on our gameplan 
. And let's not forget, we're still in third place in the division with 52 points! That's something to be proud of 
. Bring on Buffalo and Pittsburgh – let's show them what we're made of 
. I'm still hoping Matvei Michkov can turn his season around, he's got so much potential 
. And can Trevor Zegras really keep this momentum going? His contract extension is definitely worth keeping an eye on 
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. 22-14-8 isn't bad at all, but still not good enough to catch those Lightning 
️ " Elite Zone" (Tampa Bay), 
"Rebuild Zone" (Flyers) and 
"Neutral Zone" (all other teams). They're currently stuck in the Rebuild Zone 
