- Thread starter
- #1
JBM73
Well-Known Member
- 2,705
- 246
- 63
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2013
- Location
- Clarksboro, NJ
- Hoopla Cash
- $ 1,000.00
- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
From Bill Meltzer:
REASONS FOR FLYERS' SCORING WOES
During the Flyers' 6-0-1 stretch in November, the club averaged a healthy 3.86 goals per game and outscored opponents by a 27-10 margin in regulation in the process. That was partially due to facing some weak -- or at least defensively struggling -- opposition but also because the team was doing a lot of little things right to generate and finish scoring chances.
That stretch of play was like an oasis in an offensive desert. Over the first 15 games of the season, Philly produced a microscopic 1.47 goals per game (with a sole five-goal road game against the Islanders as the lonely exception). Over the team's most recent five games, the club has scored just seven regulation goals; an average of 1.40 per game.
At times, the Flyers' level of offensive ineptitude this season has been staggering. While some of it may be attributable to the club playing a much more defensively oriented style under Craig Berube than Peter Laviolette, when the puck support and collective moving feet have been there, the club has generated some chances. However, that has not happened on nearly a regular enough basis.
Philadelphia's offensive drought is not simply a matter of players "squeezing the stick" or being reluctant to take open shots. With the exception of the seven-game stretch in November, the team has not done enough of the things that lead to scoring opportunities.
Here are a half-dozen interrelated reasons why the Flyers are one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL this season:
1. Breakouts are often laborious.The Flyers are plagued by errant passing, especially from defensemen to forwards, and by forwards who become stationary rather than moving their feet. The team fails to clear its own zone too often under even moderate forechecking pressure and takes too many needless icings. Additionally, too many would-be rushes go offside or, worse, end up as turnovers between the bluelines and potential counterattacking chances for opponents.
2. Can't carry pucks in, can't dump in and retrieve. The Flyers often have trouble navigating the puck over the blueline. When they attempt to dump pucks behind the net, the opposing defense or goalie often gets to them first and the opposition breakouts are all too easy. It is the rare night when the Flyers string together multiple consecutive shifts of good forechecking pressure or even have more than a couple sustained cycling shifts to wear down the opposing team.
3. Too many perimeter shots, not enough rebounds. Even on nights where the Flyers generate a healthy number of total shots, the shot quality is often lacking. Opposing teams give up the perimeter and there are too many one-and-done rushes where there is no rebound opportunity or rebounds are easily steered to the corners and then cleared.
4. The offensive puck support is often poor as a team. The Flyers have reverted to losing the majority of the battles along the walls. This has been especially true in the offensive zone, where the Flyers' forechecking work has frequently been subpar. Again, when you can't carry the puck into the offensive zone and you can't get the disc in deep and then retrieve it by winning the battles in the trenches, there won't be enough puck possession time to generate scoring chances.
5. Shot attempts do not get through traffic. For all the talk about the number of Flyers shots from good shooting range that miss the net, an equal concern from my standpoint is the team's inability to get the puck to the net in the first place rather than having them blocked down by opposing teams.
6. No one consistently and effectively crashes the net. The Flyers play too much of a perimeter game much of the time. They talk the talk about scoring "greasy" goals off deflections, rebounds and loose puck scrambles in close but even when they manage to get the pucks to the vicinity of the net, the Flyers attackers too often get boxed out or their stick gets neutralized. Players like Wayne Simmonds do go to the net but often end up either in too close to get to pucks or otherwise fail to claim the puck and stash it home.
REASONS FOR FLYERS' SCORING WOES
During the Flyers' 6-0-1 stretch in November, the club averaged a healthy 3.86 goals per game and outscored opponents by a 27-10 margin in regulation in the process. That was partially due to facing some weak -- or at least defensively struggling -- opposition but also because the team was doing a lot of little things right to generate and finish scoring chances.
That stretch of play was like an oasis in an offensive desert. Over the first 15 games of the season, Philly produced a microscopic 1.47 goals per game (with a sole five-goal road game against the Islanders as the lonely exception). Over the team's most recent five games, the club has scored just seven regulation goals; an average of 1.40 per game.
At times, the Flyers' level of offensive ineptitude this season has been staggering. While some of it may be attributable to the club playing a much more defensively oriented style under Craig Berube than Peter Laviolette, when the puck support and collective moving feet have been there, the club has generated some chances. However, that has not happened on nearly a regular enough basis.
Philadelphia's offensive drought is not simply a matter of players "squeezing the stick" or being reluctant to take open shots. With the exception of the seven-game stretch in November, the team has not done enough of the things that lead to scoring opportunities.
Here are a half-dozen interrelated reasons why the Flyers are one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL this season:
1. Breakouts are often laborious.The Flyers are plagued by errant passing, especially from defensemen to forwards, and by forwards who become stationary rather than moving their feet. The team fails to clear its own zone too often under even moderate forechecking pressure and takes too many needless icings. Additionally, too many would-be rushes go offside or, worse, end up as turnovers between the bluelines and potential counterattacking chances for opponents.
2. Can't carry pucks in, can't dump in and retrieve. The Flyers often have trouble navigating the puck over the blueline. When they attempt to dump pucks behind the net, the opposing defense or goalie often gets to them first and the opposition breakouts are all too easy. It is the rare night when the Flyers string together multiple consecutive shifts of good forechecking pressure or even have more than a couple sustained cycling shifts to wear down the opposing team.
3. Too many perimeter shots, not enough rebounds. Even on nights where the Flyers generate a healthy number of total shots, the shot quality is often lacking. Opposing teams give up the perimeter and there are too many one-and-done rushes where there is no rebound opportunity or rebounds are easily steered to the corners and then cleared.
4. The offensive puck support is often poor as a team. The Flyers have reverted to losing the majority of the battles along the walls. This has been especially true in the offensive zone, where the Flyers' forechecking work has frequently been subpar. Again, when you can't carry the puck into the offensive zone and you can't get the disc in deep and then retrieve it by winning the battles in the trenches, there won't be enough puck possession time to generate scoring chances.
5. Shot attempts do not get through traffic. For all the talk about the number of Flyers shots from good shooting range that miss the net, an equal concern from my standpoint is the team's inability to get the puck to the net in the first place rather than having them blocked down by opposing teams.
6. No one consistently and effectively crashes the net. The Flyers play too much of a perimeter game much of the time. They talk the talk about scoring "greasy" goals off deflections, rebounds and loose puck scrambles in close but even when they manage to get the pucks to the vicinity of the net, the Flyers attackers too often get boxed out or their stick gets neutralized. Players like Wayne Simmonds do go to the net but often end up either in too close to get to pucks or otherwise fail to claim the puck and stash it home.
