One area that is a constant issue for the Flyers is their power play. The unit has been toward the bottom of the league in recent years, and is easily a reason the team has previously lost more than a few games.
It's too early in the season to make sweeping declarations, but the Flyers have had 10 power plays through three games and have converted on only one of them. The puck movement is much improved, and they haven't lacked opportunities to score.
The problem is, neither have their opponents. While the Flyers are understandably controlling most of the play when they are on the man advantage, they are giving up far too many odd-man situations the other way. It forces their goaltenders into tough situations where they need to bail out their teammates.
The Flyers are controlling nearly 80% of the chances at 5-on-4, according to Natural Stat Trick. But teams are still finding opportunities as well. Four shots against is not that much, but it stands out when one of them is a goal. It is more noticeable when the Flyers only have one power play goal to their credit. So despite carrying a majority of the play, they are breaking even in goals.
That was a big point of emphasis for Rick Tocchet and why he made a specific tweak to the Flyers' power play units. Sean Couturier and Trevor Zegras flipped spots, with the former moving to the top unit.
"We've just been giving up too many 2-on-1s. It's a work in progress. You cannot give up, I don't care what power play, you can't give up - every game we're giving up a shorthanded situation. And that can't happen."
Before setting up a power play, winning puck possession is important. And that starts at the faceoff dot. Using Couturier as the example, he has won over 50 percent of his faceoffs on the power play, which allows the team to set up its unit right away. Now, he's only taken four faceoffs, but winning 75 percent of them still gives his team a better shot at setting up a play.
Zegras, on the other hand, sits at 50 percent. He has taken eight faceoffs on the power play. While he is breaking even, those extra ones that he is losing give opponents more of a chance to strike shorthanded. It hasn't happened yet, but statistics alone say it was more likely with Zegras taking the faceoff than with Couturier.
"It's a skill that [Zegras] has gotta get better at, just like power play. I think last year the Flyers were last in power play faceoffs or something. I think this year we've been a little bit better. You need the puck to start the power play, so that's another thing. [Couturier] is a good faceoff guy."
The Flyers have taken 14 faceoffs while on the power play, and have won eight of them. Quick math says that's an almost 60 percent winning percentage. It's a much larger sample size, but the Flyers ended last season barely winning half of those same faceoffs. Across the league, Philadelphia was fifth-worst at power play faceoff percentage. Right now, they are 15th.
So while Tocchet is technically right that they have been better, it's hard to use that small a sample size specifically. But it can be looked at to show how important it is to win the faceoff in general. The Flyers' only power play goal this season came shortly after a faceoff, happening about nine seconds after the win by Zegras.
But even though Zegras was the one to win the faceoff, Couturier's numbers still suggest he has the better odds. It may not be an immediate impact, but switching the two players could open up a variety of different things. It gives Couturier more power play time as he has over four fewer minutes than Zegras. And with the former feeling healthier and more mobile, he can play a larger role with a puck-moving group.
On the flip side, it puts Zegras with a group that is known to forecheck a team to death. That could open up space for his creativity. And while having him and Michkov together is a fun idea, moving them apart for now could allow each of them to flourish on their own. The two can always be brought back together.
It's a lot of hope right now. But that's the keyword in this equation. The Flyers, and maybe more so their fans, have been looking for a reason to have that kind of hope when they see the power play on the ice.
Rick Tocchet is trying and for that, fans should have some optimism about what the results could be.