Flyers Midseason Report Card: Joel Farabee provides the team with a shot-first mentality

The Philadelphia Flyers have a bonified star in the making with Joel Farabee. He is absolutely taking off in his second season of play. Farabee has 11 goals and 11 assists in 22 games played thus far. He is arguably the most valuable player through 23 games for the orange and black.

The Farabeast provides something the flyers haven’t had since Jeff Carter. He is a pure goal scorer playing with a boatload of confidence. A perfect example of his confidence was the goal he scored against the Washington Capitals on March 7th. Sean Couturier made a nice chip out of the defensive zone that Farabee picked up.

James van Riemsdyk saw the play develop and broke early, which created a two-on-one heading into the Washington zone. Farabee carried the puck in, and instead of making the pass, he ripped a perfectly placed wrist shot between the legs of Ilya Samsonov.

It was a goal-scorers goal. A goal the Flyers seem allergic to at times. Simply shooting the puck instead of trying to be too cute and add a pass. For years they have had a reluctance shooting the puck. So many times with point-blank shooting lanes, they will add an unnecessary pass that amounts to nothing.

Part of the problem is the Flyers haven’t had a true sniper in years. They have found one in Farabee. Farabee has netted all 11 of his goals this year at even strength, tied for second in the league. That’s an astounding statistic. He has a shot-first mentality, and boy, can he blast it. He has developed brilliant chemistry with JVR and Coots. They are the number one line for Philly, without question.

Pros:

Farabee has excellent offensive awareness and goal-scoring acumen. Above-average speed and skating ability that, with time, could prove elite. He shoots the puck with purpose and confidence. He has an accurate wrist shot with a quick release and a potent one-timer. Farabee isn’t afraid to throw his weight around despite his small stature, he plays “big.” He can play in any situation and is just as effective at even strength than with the man-advantage. And he always plays hard in all zones.

Cons:

He can get knocked off the puck at times by larger defensemen. Farabee can get caught out of position in the defensive zone occasionally.

Overall there is not much to complain about with Joel Farabee. His continued success and development will be crucial for the competitiveness of the future Philadelphia Flyers.