They said it couldn't be done, but the Philadelphia Flyers won their first game of the season after dropping their first nine games. The Flyers didn't let their losing streak hit double digits, winning their 10th game against the Ottawa Senators at home.
The Flyers remained at home and hosted the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 19. The Avalanche had only dropped two of their seven games heading into this one, so this game seemed like it would be an easy win for Colorado. However, the Flyers took an early lead off of a power-play goal and kept the lead throughout the game. They managed to beat the Avalanche 3-2 in regulation time.
Now that Philadelphia has their first two wins under their belt, they're going to need to keep the momentum up. Here's how the Flyers can keep this nice win streak going.
Flyers need to rely on their younger players
It's hard to deny the success the youth are having in Philly. Matvei Michkov has four goals in his last three games, plus an assist, to give him five points. Two of his four goals have been scored on the power play, allowing the Flyers to capitalize on the extra-man advantage.
Michkov's one assist was on Porter Martone's goal, the young rookie who is making his case to play full-time in the NHL. Martone has three points to start the season, two of which were recorded in the Flyers' game against Ottawa. He scored a goal and then assisted on Michkov's goal just nine minutes later.
Michkov and Martone haven't been in the NHL long, but they are playing like seasoned veterans. Michkov has been playing with great speed and skill; he has definitely leveled up his performance since last season. Martone is also working on his offensive eye, helping his team get on the board.
These two young players are finding great ice chemistry. There is no reason for the Flyers to split these two on separate lines, especially when they are getting into a groove.
Keep special teams strong
In the game against the Senators and the game against the Avalanche, the Flyers denied either team a power-play goal. They kept the penalty kill strong, despite having one less player on the ice.
The Flyers have the eighth-best penalty kill in the league, with a success rate of 84.6%. If Philadelphia can keep their special teams strong and also outscore their opponents, they will be in a good place for the rest of the season.
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