The Philadelphia Flyers haven't gotten off to the start they wanted, and at this point, blaming it on early-season rust isn't going to cut it. Every team will have some issues when the season starts, but Philadelphia has had enough problems that it can't just be brushed off as players getting back into the rhythm of things.
There is obviously going to be some rust early in the season. Players are still getting used to their lines, the systems, and the pace of regular-season games. That's normal, especially with the shortened preseason. They didn't have much time to acclimate to each other and get back into game shape.
The problem is that some issues have continued to show up. Philadelphia hasn't been consistent enough, and when the same problems keep happening, it becomes harder to say that the team just needs a few more games to figure things out.
Flyers had high expectations this season
This is also a team that came into the season with expectations. The Flyers are trying to keep themselves in the playoff picture, so early-season points are huge. There is still plenty of hockey left, but the standings don't wait for a team to get comfortable.
That doesn't mean Philadelphia needs to panic. A bad start isn't going to ruin the season, and there is still plenty of time to turn things around. But there is a difference between giving a team some time and pretending there aren't real problems because it is still early.
For the Flyers, the next few games should show some improvement. The team doesn't need to suddenly become perfect, but it needs signs that the problems from the first few games of the season are being fixed. The front office likely felt the same way, so they wasted no time signing Michael Bunting to a one-year deal to spark something. It’s a gamble, but if he can help solidify the middle six, it could go a long way toward turning this club around.
It is clear the organization is aware of the terrible start. They need to fix the issues before things get too far out of hand. The Flyers still have plenty of time to change how this season is going. They just can't keep using the fact that it's early as the reason everything hasn't gone right. Eventually, the results have to match expectations, and things will settle down. However, for now, panic levels are relatively high in Philadelphia.
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