The Philadelphia Flyers are surprising many by competing strongly in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite low expectations from experts. The Flyers, tied for the fewest points in the East playoffs, are proving their worth in the series.
Key points
Flyers are competing in the Eastern Conference playoffs
Experts expected them to lose to the Penguins
Flyers tied for fewest points in the East playoffs
Predictions ranged from five to seven games
Underestimation of the Flyers' capabilities
Philadelphia FlyersPittsburgh Penguins
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins
Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesCharles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Heading into the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, many experts, pundits, bloggers, and journalists expected the Philadelphia Flyers to fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A good portion expected the series to go to five, maybe six games, and some even went as bold as 7 games.
Still, the common theme was that many future tellers put the heavy expectations on the Penguins. Maybe that was people underestimating the Flyers. Could it have been that they are tied, with Pittsburgh, for the fewest points in the East playoffs? Or was it the lack of regulation wins?
It seemed like not many had taken the Flyers seriously.
On Monday, they took a strong 2-0 lead in the series before heading back to home ice. They found scoring from the top of their lineup as well as the bottom in their 3-0 shutout win against the Penguins.
After another slow first period, the Flyers took command of the game with a strong second period, scoring twice. The third period opened, and the Flyers were certainly taking fewer risks and trying to keep things out of their own zone.
The strategy worked in their favor, as the Penguins never broke through. After 82 games without a shutout, the Flyers blanked their first opponent in the second game of the postseason.
If it did not happen after Game 1, the Flyers put the league on notice after Game 2. People are starting to realize that this is not a team to underestimate.
I caught some slack on socials for using the phrase âstealing game 1,â so let me be clear when I say this. Going on the road, and taking not one, but two games from the favored team on THEIR home ice to start a series is impressive.
What were the expectations for the Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs?
Many experts and pundits expected the Flyers to lose to the Penguins, with predictions ranging from five to seven games.
Why were the Flyers underestimated in the playoffs?
The Flyers were tied for the fewest points in the Eastern Conference playoffs and had a lack of regulation wins, leading to skepticism about their chances.
Who are the Philadelphia Flyers playing in the playoffs?
The Philadelphia Flyers are competing against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
How are the Flyers performing against the Penguins in the playoffs?
The Flyers are surprising many by competing strongly against the Penguins, challenging the expectations set by analysts.
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Letâs start with the obvious talking point from Mondayâs win. Dan Vladar is absolutely incredible and has been all season for the Flyers.
Watching Vladar transform from a relatively unknown backup to a team MVP and deserving Hart votes has been fantastic to see. Like Zack Baun, when he signed with the Eagles, Vladar has made an impact in Year 1 at a position that has been needed for years.
P.S. Jake, if you see this, please donât ever mention James Bradberry again.
On to Monday night, it was typical Flyers hockey and Vladar. He did not see a ton of shots early. The ones he did, he made the big stop. As the game went on and the Penguins grew more desperate, Vladar rose to the occasion.
He was sensational. I could run out of adjectives talking about his 27-save shutout.
There was a moment in the 3rd period while it was still a 2-0 game, where a shot came from the high slot, and I beleive it was Malkin who was there to redirect it. Vladar anticipated that and made a flashy glove save to halt all momentum.
For me, that was the moment when I went from confident to certain he would end the game with his first Flyers shutout.
Goaltending is a huge reason that the Flyers are in this position, and why the series is heading back to Philly 2-0.
The 19-year-old phenom has now played in 2 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He has 2 career playoff game-winning goals. Not too shabby for someone who was in a lecture hall this time last month (college athletes go to class, right?).
What he is doing is beyond his years. Martone is playing like a seasoned vet in the season BEFORE he is even eligible for the Calder Trophy. For someone so young, so inexperienced, these moments can be a lot, not for Martone.
When asked after the game how he manages not to get overwhelmed in these situations, Martone credits his teammates first and foremost, but also mentions his own self-confidence.
âIâve got to give a lot of credit to the guys in this room. You know, theyâve taught me a lot, not just on the hockey side, but the life side. Iâve said this before, but I think I made the jump because I thought I was ready, and I thought I could come help this team.
Martone followed it up by talking about the Flyersâ season, understanding they were on a roll before he got there. Then, he uttered the most professional, veteran-like statement he could make. âI think thereâs a lot of work still to be done.â
Owen Tippett plays a physical brand of hockey. By this point of the season, itâs hard not to be banged up, especially playing the way Tippett does. Still, he pushes on every single game and comes out with that same fearless power-speed combination.
Tippett was a driving force in the Flyersâ win on Monday. His play to set up Garnet Hathaway for the shorthanded goal was poetry in motion. Was it his highlight reel play of the year?
He finished the game with 7 hits, tied with Garnet Hathaway for the team lead. Tippett flashed his speed on many occasions, including a breakaway that led to a penalty shot that was denied by the post.
After the game, I waited out the scrum, and asked Tippett 1-on-1 how determined he was when to use his speed, whether it was personnel-based or if it was just knowing he was the fastest guy on the ice.
Tippettâs speed on the ice is like a superpower. And with great power comes great responsibility. Owen Tippett is responsible with his power.
âI think itâs all situational. I know I have that speed, but you canât use it all the time, right? On that play specifically, you kind of see their D flat third right off a draw, and I took advantage of it. But I donât think itâs any kind of personnel or situation-based. Itâs more just when the opportunity is there.â
Flyersâ penalty kill is holding a HOF power play at bay
How impressive is it that in 2 games, the Flyersâ penalty kill has held the Penguinsâ power play to just 3 shots on 7 power plays, per NaturalStatTrick. For reference, the Flyersâ penalty kill has 4 shots on goal during the 7 Pittsburgh power plays.
What the Flyers have done on the penalty kill is incredible, especially given how poor it was down the stretch.
Now, itâs not sustainable for the rest of the playoffs. There still has to be much better discipline. But it canât hurt to have added confidence in the PK this time of year.
When I watch the penalty kill, I just see all-out efforts from guys like Nick Seeler, who literally blocks shots for a living. Rasmus Ristolainen has been great on the backend, and in my eyes, Cam York had a really strong game on Monday.
For what itâs worth, when Noah Juulsen was on the ice killing penalties, I thought he was doing a really good job, especially on the walls.
And obviously, the forwards have done a fantastic job. I mean, the play by Tippett and Hathaway to score the shorthanded goal was amazing. Sean Couturier and Luke Glendening had several breakout chances, too.
And that brings me to my next point.
Flyersâ 4th line has been a big factor in Games 1 & 2
One thing you need in the playoffs is confidence up and down the lineup. You canât have a line or pair that youâre nervous about. There has to be confidence in everybody on the ice at all times.
At points in the season, the teamâs 4th line had been a big weakness in Philadelphia. Itâs no slight to the personnel that played; it just had not been able to be impactful. At times, the Flyersâ 4th line seemed more like another scoring line rather than an identity line. At other times, it seemed too much like an identity line, and it couldnât find that balance.
Now, Rick Tocchet struck gold.
Sean Couturier has embraced his 4th-line role, still eating big minutes on the penalty kill and even used situationally as a faceoff guy. He has been much more physical, leading on the ice with his hits and energizing the bench. Heâs also been a big part of the penalty kill success.
Garnet Hathaway has been an underappreciated hero in the first two games of the series. Porter Martone does not get the chance to score his opening goal if Hathaway does not hustle down the ice to beat out an icing call. He, too, has been a reliable penalty killer, and you know he is getting under the skin of the Penguins.
Luke Glendening could be the most underrated move at the deadline. Because he was a waiver claim, it went unaddressed. But adding Glendening at the deadline for nothing could be the Flyersâ most underappreciated move. Glendening has been a big part of the penalty kill, and he leads the team in playoff games played, bringing a lot of veteran insight. It was cool to see him get rewarded with the empty-netter on Monday.
After their Game 1 and 2 success, the Flyers should be taken for real.
