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Philadelphia Flyers 2 Up 2 Down: Myers, MacDonald, Discipline

By Wes Herrmann

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 17: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Philippe Myers (61) warms up before the NHL Preseason game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 17, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 17: Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Philippe Myers (61) warms up before the NHL Preseason game between the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 17, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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In a new weekly feature, Broad Street Buzz will look at two “Ups” and two “Downs” or positive and negatives for the Flyers over the previous week. This first edition will look back from the Blue Jackets game to the Capitals game.

Up

Philippe Myers

It may have taken some time for Myers to get into the lineup — and with only five other blueliners dressed — but once he did, he ran away with the spot. Myers sat once after his NHL debut but has played the last seven for the Flyers.

He’s looked better each game, scored his first goal last night and has found himself in the top four, playing with Shayne Gostisbehere. Myers’ minutes have also remained steady, dipping below 16 minutes just twice in the seven-game stretch and reaching above 17 four different times. Head coach Scott Gordon even trusts the 22-year-old enough to play him on the penalty kill.

Myers’ play has forced veteran Andrew MacDonald (more on him later) out of the lineup and it’s hard to imagine the 6-foot-5 blueliner relinquishing control as long as he keeps playing as he has been. Fans have waited a long time for Myers and he is not disappointing.

Discipline

The Flyers’ penalty kill issues have certainly improved since Scott Gordon took over as head coach, but things get much easier when you don’t take penalties.

In five games, the Flyers were shorthanded a total of nine times. That’s an average of just under twice per game.

It also helps that Philly killed all but one of those power plays. The biggest help, though, is that it opens up more attacking time for the team. The two minutes on a penalty kill are largely spent defending. Changing that time into even-strength gives the team more of a chance to score.

It maybe isn’t a coincidence that when the Flyers were shorthanded just twice against the Islanders and once against the Devils, they scored a combined 10 goals in those two games.

Down

Andrew MacDonald

I alluded to this earlier and given how much Myers has played, that means one blueliner was sitting more often. That’s MacDonald, who has sat two of the past five games. To make matters worse for the veteran, he only appeared in the three games because of injury to Jake Voracek and Nolan Patrick. In those games, he averaged just 9:32 of ice time.

MacDonald has been a whipping boy for Flyers fans for a long time — even if it’s not totally his fault. The former Islander is overpaid and is a third-pairing defenseman at best. Unfortunately for all parties involved, former coach Dave Hakstol and former GM Ron Hextall saw him as more.

Finally, though, MacDonald is being played like the player he is — a seventh defenseman. With a single year left on his deal, this stretch makes it seem likely GM Chuck Fletcher will explore buying out MacDonald or packaging him with a draft pick to a team that has cap space.

Cam Talbot

It looks like fortune will turn for Talbot after Brian Elliott’s lackluster play versus the Capitals, but we’re looking at past performance/inklings. It’s not that I think Talbot had a bad game in his Flyers debut against the Devils — not that I necessarily thought he was that good — it’s more of how the team has played him.

It took over two weeks for Talbot to get into the Philadelphia net after his acquisition as he waited behind Carter Hart and then a hot Brian Elliott. The former Ranger made 30 saves and helped earn the Flyers a 6-3 win over the Devils last Friday, but I wouldn’t say he led the team to that win.

It seemed Gordon felt a similar way, opting to return to Elliott in Sunday’s game against the Islanders. Elliott played well in that one too and was named the starter against the Capitals on Wednesday night also, but Talbot ended up in the crease in the second period anyways.

The Flyers didn’t pay a premium price for Talbot since Anthony Stolarz was likely going to become a UFA if he stayed with Philly, but it would be a shame if the team never really gauged Talbot’s skill while he was here. That doesn’t seem to be the case after last night’s game, but there are only 15 games left at the same time. Talbot will need to start playing more soon.

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