Eklund: Post Season Preview...The Philadelphia Flyers

First and it's Cup Time!

Here we go. Flyer Buzz.........again. Yawn!

Sorry The Flyers always suck in the Playoffs...
What is their playoff record % wise as compared to their regualr seaosn record ??

very good regualtr season team

Crappy PLayoff team ....Always were.

I forgot that according to Hockeybuzz, there are only two teams: Devils and Flyers.

I think it’s silly to compare this team to previous Flyers team. Especially recent playoff series losses. This is a different team whether it’s players or coaching. This team enjoys playing for AV (and for eachother) which is something I think this team severely lacked since Lavy was fired. I think we will do well in the playoffs because as some analysts have mentioned, we have a young team and the young legs will be an advantage.

Someone beat me to it but who cares...

FLYERBUZZ 🙄

Unfortunate that it is looking like Nolan Patrick will not be ready to join the playoffs.

Hope he is ready to go at the start of next season

Sorry The Flyers always suck in the Playoffs...
What is their playoff record % wise as compared to their regualr seaosn record ??

very good regualtr season team

Crappy PLayoff team ....Always were.
- thechezman

Erm.

Playoff Winning %
Devils = 52.9% (259 games)
Flyers = 51.0% (433 games)
Bruins = 49.8% (645 games)

Should they just hand them the Cup Ek? Maybe throw a socially distant parade for them this coming weekend? Wait...is Philly even in the yellow phase yet?

For someone who is so close to the Flyers...your theory on why they improved from last season seems to miss the mark.

Sure, Konecny and Provorov improved, but Voracek didn't bounce back. Last year he had 66 points and was on a similar pace this year.

The biggest difference is playing a more disciplined, defensive game. Last year the Flyers were bottom 10 in shots surrendered per game. This year, they improved to #1 in the league. Nobody allowed fewer shots than them. The PK was bottom 5-10 in the NHL and improved to top 10-15. So did the PP. That's just looking at percentages. What many overlook is the discipline improved. Last year the Flyers were shorthanded more often than they were on the PP. This year, they were on the PP far more often than the PK. One of the biggest positive spreads in the whole NHL. A sign of being disciplined, not retaliating.

Strange that you didn't mention any of this. I only watched the Flyers 15-20 times last season and the eye test was very obvious that they were playing a far more structured game. You didn't notice this?

For someone who is so close to the Flyers...your theory on why they improved from last season seems to miss the mark.

Sure, Konecny and Provorov improved, but Voracek didn't bounce back. Last year he had 66 points and was on a similar pace this year.

The biggest difference is playing a more disciplined, defensive game. Last year the Flyers were bottom 10 in shots surrendered per game. This year, they improved to #1 in the league. Nobody allowed fewer shots than them. The PK was bottom 5-10 in the NHL and improved to top 10-15. So did the PP. That's just looking at percentages. What many overlook is the discipline improved. Last year the Flyers were shorthanded more often than they were on the PP. This year, they were on the PP far more often than the PK. One of the biggest positive spreads in the whole NHL. A sign of being disciplined, not retaliating.

Strange that you didn't mention any of this. I only watched the Flyers 15-20 times last season and the eye test was very obvious that they were playing a far more structured game. You didn't notice this?
- Kooleus

To see what he means about Voracek you can’t just look at points and pace. Voracek completely adjusted his defensive game. Actually started to back check this season under AV. He’s become a better well-rounded player (same with JVR).

I think it’s silly to compare this team to previous Flyers team. Especially recent playoff series losses. This is a different team whether it’s players or coaching. This team enjoys playing for AV (and for eachother) which is something I think this team severely lacked since Lavy was fired. I think we will do well in the playoffs because as some analysts have mentioned, we have a young team and the young legs will be an advantage.
- arichardson22

Maybe during a normal regular season. But with 2-3 months off for COVID, even the old guys legs are well rested

Yes enough can't be said about Brian Elliott
POS goalie - nuff said

For someone who is so close to the Flyers...your theory on why they improved from last season seems to miss the mark.

Sure, Konecny and Provorov improved, but Voracek didn't bounce back. Last year he had 66 points and was on a similar pace this year.

The biggest difference is playing a more disciplined, defensive game. Last year the Flyers were bottom 10 in shots surrendered per game. This year, they improved to #1 in the league. Nobody allowed fewer shots than them. The PK was bottom 5-10 in the NHL and improved to top 10-15. So did the PP. That's just looking at percentages. What many overlook is the discipline improved. Last year the Flyers were shorthanded more often than they were on the PP. This year, they were on the PP far more often than the PK. One of the biggest positive spreads in the whole NHL. A sign of being disciplined, not retaliating.

Strange that you didn't mention any of this. I only watched the Flyers 15-20 times last season and the eye test was very obvious that they were playing a far more structured game. You didn't notice this?
- Kooleus

You make very good points, but Voracek got his mojo back with a vengeance in the second half of the season. Split the season of 69 games into 2 almost equal parts and Voracek has 33 points in the last 35 games.

Both Giroux and Voracek looked much more motivated and inspired.

If Eklund said it it is true. Never seen him wrong in his predictions either.
- Signed Eklund's boyfriend

For someone who is so close to the Flyers...your theory on why they improved from last season seems to miss the mark.

Sure, Konecny and Provorov improved, but Voracek didn't bounce back. Last year he had 66 points and was on a similar pace this year.

The biggest difference is playing a more disciplined, defensive game. Last year the Flyers were bottom 10 in shots surrendered per game. This year, they improved to #1 in the league. Nobody allowed fewer shots than them. The PK was bottom 5-10 in the NHL and improved to top 10-15. So did the PP. That's just looking at percentages. What many overlook is the discipline improved. Last year the Flyers were shorthanded more often than they were on the PP. This year, they were on the PP far more often than the PK. One of the biggest positive spreads in the whole NHL. A sign of being disciplined, not retaliating.

Strange that you didn't mention any of this. I only watched the Flyers 15-20 times last season and the eye test was very obvious that they were playing a far more structured game. You didn't notice this?
- Kooleus

Sorry The Flyers always suck in the Playoffs...
What is their playoff record % wise as compared to their regualr seaosn record ??

very good regualtr season team

Crappy PLayoff team ....Always were.
- thechezman

Over a long term, the draft system and competition for scouts/ execs/coaches etc should make every team converge roughly to the same % chance of winning a playoff series. Indeed, if you look at this chart

https://en.wikipedia.org/...of_all-time_NHL_standings

you see almost everyone is 0.5 +/- 0.1, and about 2/3 are between .5 +/-0.05. The teams that are outliers at both ends are teams that have very few playoff appearances.

The team that jumps out to me are the Coyotes. Been in the league a long time, but yet few playoff appearances, and a aberrantly poor record once in.

Carter Sharthispants gonna go 16-0 1.000sv% 0.00 GAA in the playoffs.

To see what he means about Voracek you can’t just look at points and pace. Voracek completely adjusted his defensive game. Actually started to back check this season under AV. He’s become a better well-rounded player (same with JVR).
- arichardson22

Agreed. Can't just measure on points. Just did that to keep an already long post shorter. Yes Voracek is playing better this year than last. But for a Flyers expert to list this as a key reason for the resurgence in the Flyers, without making a single mention of the more disciplined defensive team structure and vast improvement in special teams is pretty far off the mark.

Some of you didn't get enough attention when you were young and it shows.

Some of you didn't get enough attention when you were young and it shows.
- Scoob

Some of you didn't get enough attention when you were young and it shows.
- Scoob

My parents ignored me, but the Buzztron was always a reliable friend.

Some of you didn't get enough attention when you were young and it shows.
- Scoob

Man the devils and pens people on here are depressing. Must be liberals

There's a saying - which I think comes from the stock market - that, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." This saying could always be applied to sports, but all the more so this year, imo.

There has never been a season before with a three-month break between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. Every individual player on each team is a separate variable in the whole equation of how the playoffs will play out (assuming they do, of course). Coaches have to devise/update systems in ways they've never done before. And so on.

Just as a sort-of wild guess, I'd say that in a typical year, regular-season performance probably gave a good idea for about 60%-70% of what would happen in the playoffs. But this year, that number isn't higher than 30%-40%. Especially in the early rounds.

Sorry for such a long discourse - but to sum up, as much as I'd love to see the Flyers go a long way in this year's playoffs... let's just say, they have to survive the first round, which is a crapshoot, pretty much for everybody. If they do, then my confidence level would go up.