What to Make of the Flyers’ Hot Start
While it’s just two games, the start to this Flyers season has been a breath of fresh air.
With new head coach Alain Vigneault at the head, the Flyers have looked different (in a good way) and find themselves at 2-0 heading into their western Canada road trip.
Let’s take a look at what we learned about these new-look Flyers through the first week of the season.
Special Teams Received a Complete Overhaul
Taking over a Flyers special teams which ranked in the bottom ten in both the powerplay and penalty kill in 2018-19, new assistant coaches Mike Yeo and Michel Therrien have shaken up how the two units look, dramatically.
For Michel Therrien and the powerplay, the biggest change the Flyers saw was Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek flipping positions and allowing Giroux to run the powerplay on the right side of the ice.
Therrien also chose to move Couturier down to the second unit for Kevin Hayes and go for a more balanced look instead of loading up the top unit.
On the penalty kill, the Flyers’ strategy of sitting back and looking for blocked shots is gone. After a miserable year on the penalty kill last year, the Flyers have come out aggressive while shorthanded and looking to force teams into quick decisions.
Kevin Hayes Has Been Noticeable on Both Ends of the Ice
Netting his first goal as a Flyer on Wednesday night, Kevin Hayes has been all over the ice through his first two games as a Flyer. Known as a two-way player, Hayes has gotten the opportunity to play with the Flyers’ top powerplay unit and time on the penalty kill.
While his goal came on the powerplay, Hayes has had a few chances shorthanded chances which were something the Flyers rarely saw last season.
His play on Wayne Simmonds early on in Wednesday’s game also saved a prime opportunity from the slot as Simmer was looking to net one against his old team.
Travis Konecny’s Hot Start
Konecny has capitalized on seemingly every opportunity he’s had so far. Whether it be a turnover out in the neutral zone or from right in front of the net, he has been all over through the first two games.
Tallying five points so far, Konecny is looking to prove he’s worth every bit of the new contract he received a few weeks before the season. So far, so good.
The Second Line Has Dominated
The line of Lindblom-Couturier-Konecny has been a good one so far for Alain Vigneault. It was surprising to see Couturier move down to the second line and away from Giroux – a pairing that was inseparable last season.
With Kevin Hayes going up to the top line with Giroux and Voracek, Couturier joins two young wingers in Lindblom and Konecny and becomes the driving force on the second unit that the Flyers have been missing over the past few years.
Good Goaltending Can Go a Long Way
By now, everyone has seen Carter Hart’s absolute robbery of Taylor Hall. At the time it was just a 1-0 game and the Flyers had just taken two poor penalties after a period of complete domination. It looked like they were heading for a 1-1 tie after controlling much of the game.
Typical Flyers right? Not this time.
Hart completely flipped the momentum of the game with just one save. Something that has happened ever so rarely over the past few seasons and it jumpstarted the Flyers to kill off an entire two-minute 5 on 3 penalty kill and then come out with two goals in 30 seconds to start off the third.
Hart has all the pressure on him this season at just 21 years old but yet it seems like he’s ready for the challenge.
Featured image: Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images
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