Philadelphia Flyers playing better than their recent record indicates …
When the Philadelphia Flyers racked up 10 consecutive wins it seemed like a given they would make the playoffs.
They were 19-10-3, on pace for 105 points, and, generally speaking, teams that put together winning streaks of 10+ games don’t miss the playoffs. The Flyers seem set on testing that theory, though.
Since their winning streak reached its end they have struggled, particularly of late, winning just twice over their last 10 games. For perspective, they’re tied for last in wins with Arizona and Colorado during that span.
While the Flyers haven’t been getting results, and their playoff chances have taken a significant hit (they’re now 10th in the conference in points percentage), they haven’t played that poorly. In fact, at least at 5v5, they have been pretty good.
As you can see, the Flyers have controlled a larger percentage of the shot attempts and scoring chances than their opponents. When that happens teams, especially talented ones like the Flyers, generally don’t get outscored by 17 at 5v5 over a 10-game span.
A big reason that has happened is poor goaltending as Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth combined to stop just 89.8% of the 5v5 shots they’ve faced in that span.
Given the Flyers had the 2nd best 5v5 save percentage in the league last season with the same goaltending tandem, I’d say they’re unlikely to continue to struggle like they have of late.
If the Flyers continue to keep their heads above water at 5v5, and if they can get a save or two, they should get back on track sooner than later.
The Detroit Red Wings need more AA …
Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.
What do those two have in common? Besides being two of the three youngest captains in NHL, the leading scorers in terms of points per game, and being born in the same country, they’re also the only two players to produce points at a higher rate than Andreas Athanasiou over the last two years.
Andreas Athanas-who? You best remember his name. The highly skilled Red Wings’ forward has 16 goals and 26 points in just over 600 minutes of 5v5 ice. That averages out to 2.55 points per 60 minutes played.
Among 405 eligible forwards (minimum 500 5v5 minutes), Crosby (2.70) and McDavid (2.64) are the only players to outproduce Athanasiou.
Obviously, the sample size isn’t overly large, but given Athanasiou’s dynamic skill set, and the fact he has rockets in his skates, it seems like no fluke he has piled up points at such an impressive rate.
If you need convincing, take a look at this.
Hop onboard the AA bandwagon while you still can folks. My goodness. pic.twitter.com/LVU1rJy5oA
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 15, 2017
Need a little more?
Andreas Athanasiou finishes a beautiful move for this week’s @MonroeShocks Play of the Week. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Ls5FcIyCM2
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 6, 2017
Athanasiou is as skilled of a player as you’ll see and has produced at an elite rate during the minutes he’s been given.
If the Red Wings don’t want their incredible playoff streak to be snapped, giving Athanasiou more minutes would certainly help their cause.
Written by Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell)
