The Philadelphia Flyers need these gifts under their tree this upcoming Christmas.
It is 19 Days until Christmas, and some people already know what Santa has in his bag for them. In fact, some of them have seen this gift before. It’s the same one that they received last year and quite possibly the same one from 3 years ago. What’s under the tree for this year’s Philadelphia Flyers team? It’s consistency. The Flyers have a way of playing up or down to the level of their competition, as we’ve seen in recent years.
The Flyers finished the 2018-19 campaign 37 up and 37 down. In the season prior, they got off to a 3-5-1 start. After that, they won 3 in a row and then went on to lose 3 in a row. They had a magical 10 game unbeaten streak and then gave it all back by going 3-12 in the 15 games after. That my friend is the epitome of mediocrity.
Parity has become the norm in today’s hockey world. There are usually a high number of teams in the running for the playoffs, but it’s around February when things really heat up. Teams are gearing up and focusing on not giving up the “extra” point. As you likely already know, if two teams are tied at the end of 3 periods, then you play a 5 minute overtime or a shootout to determine who gets the final “winner” point, which is especially valuable during that time of year.
The thing that you don’t want to have happen is your squad being a dozen points out of a playoff spot and behind X number of points with a bunch of clubs needing to pass to get to the 8th seed. Now is the time to bank points. Don’t leave anything on the table, play with no regrets, and treat every game like it is game 1 of the cup finals.
The Flyers will be looking under the tree for the following:
- Chemistry set. Get your line combinations set now and ice them with a relative form of continuity so the players can get used to playing alongside each other.
- Defense. Assuming there are always injuries, having a solid, capable 7th D-Man would be invaluable. Robert Hagg is one but there isn’t a whole lot behind him down in the AHL if he himself gets sidelined, and he’s a player that can be improved upon.
- Goalie protection. Be sure that Carter Hart and Brian Elliott can continue to perform at 100%. This obviously comes with a bit of luck, as nobody can control an injury taking place.
- No gift exchanges. If the Stanley Cup is in reach, then almost nobody on the roster can be had for picks and prospects via trade. Don’t allow a promising young talent rob you of the opportunity to lift the Cup. A prospect can be hit or miss, but a real shot at the cup comes once in a decade.
If the Flyers receive these presents from Kris Kringle on Christmas morning, then they should have an exciting couple of months ahead of them leading up to a playoff berth.