The biggest prediction we made was that the Flyers would return to the playoffs after a disappointing miss. It was a season to forget for many reasons that we won’t go in to. But it was unlikely that the team would be as unlucky as they were.
For starters, the depth on this team proved that it could stand up to the challenge when needed. The Flyers have dealt with injuries to quite a few of their top skaters. They even had to go without Carter Hart for a few weeks. But Brian Elliott stood tall during that stretch.
They have gotten contributions from some unlikely sources. Nicolas Aube-Kubel has been a huge surprise as he has carved out a role on this team for the near future. Ivan Provorov bounced back after a tough season. Alain Vigneault has done an excellent job with this team during his first season as the Flyers head coach.
And Chuck Fletcher made the moves he needed to help propel this team to the next level. Adding in players such as Hayes and Matt Niskanen has provided a boost to both the forward and defensive groups.
The Flyers were threatening to take over the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. They were just a single point behind the Washington Capitals. Their eight-point cushion over the final two wild card teams has put them in a solid spot as they were heading into the final weeks.
It’s almost a guarantee the team will return to the playoffs this season, but we will have to wait and see how the league plays things out.
It’s been a much more successful season for the Flyers. In 13 fewer games, the team has posted a higher point total this season. They had 82 points last season, sitting at 89 currently. So the team has improved after a disastrous season. They were bound to, but it has been good to see the results pan out.