Philadelphia Flyers: Their 8 Biggest Weaknesses Heading into the Playoffs

There's nothing quite like playoff hockey.

The most intense sport on Earth ratchets that intensity to a whole new level every postseason as teams become as competitive as possible in the hunt for the most coveted trophy in sports.

During this time of year, teams achieve glory not just by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents, but by understanding their own strengths and weaknesses as well. For the Philadelphia Flyers, this postseason brings not only anticipation, but the need for preparation.

As Peter Laviolette prepares his squad for a (hopefully) long spring, he will need to disguise and address the team’s vulnerabilities.

Here are eight areas the Flyers need to improve upon this season. If they do, expect them to be a big front-runner for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Starting Slow

For as good as the Flyers have been this year, they have rarely made it easy for themselves.

The team seems to have built a reputation for clawing their way back into games—a sign of resilience that can be invaluable in the playoffs. However, the reason for these remarkable comebacks is because the team has just as big a tendency to fall behind early.

Fans have seen it recently, as the Flyers have fallen behind by at least two goals in the first period in four of the last five games. In those games, the Flyers earned only three total points, beating the Penguins and losing to the Senators in a shootout.

When the playing field is narrowed to only 16 extremely hungry teams, falling behind by even one goal can be a death sentence. Goalies and defenses will be playing grade-A hockey and goals will be at a premium.

Comebacks are great, but slow starts can be killers.

Afternoon Games

Once the playoff schedule is released, many teams, particularly Eastern Conference teams, will find themselves playing day games on weekend. The NBC family of networks loves all-day coverage of the NHL playoffs on Saturday and Sunday, and the Flyers will likely find themselves playing mid-day games in the early rounds.

The team is notoriously bad in day games, going 4-8-2 in games starting before 3 pm. This sort of stat is a nuisance in November and December but can be a death sentence in April. No longer can the team afford lethargic efforts and post-game comments about “trying to figure out the problem.”

If the problem has not been figured out by this point, the team is already in trouble.

Ilya Bryzgalov's Foot

Sparing the details of Ilya Bryzgalov’s roller-coaster relationship with the fans of the Flyers since his signing last June, it’s safe to say the Russian netminder became a savior during his remarkable performance in March.

However, after taking a puck to the foot in the warm-ups of a game against the Lightning on March 26th, Bryzgalov has appeared in only two games (including the matchup with Tampa Bay) and has allowed nine goals in those two games.

Two games does not a trend make, but with only two more games before they really start to count, Bryzgalov needs to feel healthy and find his groove, or this postseason will be a short one for the Flyers.

The fate of the Philadelphia sports world may rest on a tiny chip in Bryz’s foot.

Danny Briere's Health and Role

Debate is still raging about Joe Vitale’s clean-but-unsportsmanlike hit on Danny Briere in Sunday’s Penguins-Flyers showdown—and rightfully so. The health of Philadelphia’s bite-sized sniper will have a huge impact on the Flyers’ playoff hopes.

Overall, Briere has struggled in 2011-12, but Danny famously finds his form in the postseason. He has 59 points in 54 postseason games with the Flyers, including 12 goals and 30 points in the team’s 2010 run to the Finals.

If Briere cannot play to start the postseason, not only does the offense become less clutch and productive, but the lines look significantly younger. Briere’s experience is a rarity on the Philadelphia offense and will prove invaluable in the playoffs…as long as he finds his spark when he returns to the ice.

The Team's Overall Health

The Flyers have been lauded for their success this season in the wake of countless injuries to key players, but the team still has to hope that these injuries do not catch up with them in the postseason.

Captain Chris Pronger is the obvious absentee member of the lineup. General manager Paul Holmgren acquired Pronger for his size, shot and postseason experience, and no matter how well the team does, there will always be a perception that they are incomplete without Pronger in the locker room and on the blue line.

In addition, the team is currently dealing with injuries to key players like Danny Briere, Andrej Meszaros (both of whom have proven to be valuable playoff assets) as well as a lingering foot injury for Ilya Bryzgalov. Kimmo Timonen and Pavel Kubina who have also missed significant time recently.

Injuries will be a problem for any team in the playoffs, but the list of names for the Flyers is too long and too notable to cause much comfort for the Flyers going into the grind of the playoffs.

The Balance of Toughness and Discipline

The Flyers still proudly identify with the Broad Street Bullies of the ‘70s—and rightfully so. The team has no qualms about investing in players who match their skill with their toughness. Players like Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds contribution with both their wrists and their fists.

However, toughness becomes a liability without discipline. The Flyers are not exactly experts at avoiding penalties, and come playoff time, they may have trouble getting more controlled opponents to skate to the box with them.

The Flyers are an emotional, reactionary team, and that's why Philly fans love them. But for the next two months, they must be even-keeled enough to dodge costly penalties and major meltdowns.

Lack of Experience

Not enough good things can be said about Philadelphia’s young players this season.

Rookies Matt Read, Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, Erik Gustafsson and Marc-Andre Bourdon have contributed significantly. Likewise, Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds had breakout years despite being young by NHL standards.

However, the team’s valuable veteran experience might be missing from the postseason, as Danny Briere is unsure of his ability to begin the playoffs in the lineup. Captain and Cup winner Chris Pronger is also out, leaving a very young Flyers team to deal with the NHL’s best.

Thus far, the rookies and other young players have given the hockey world no reason to doubt their abilities, but even the most devoted Flyers fan must have just a tiny concern about the very young nature of this team.

The New York Rangers

Last night’s 5-3 loss solidified the Rangers as the Flyers’ biggest weakness.

By beating the Flyers, the Rangers won for the eighth time in a row against Philadelphia, including all six matchups this year. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been historically difficult for the Flyers to figure out, and players like Ryan Callahan and Brad Richards seem to have Philly’s number, whether the game is being played in Madison Square Garden, the Wells Fargo Center or in the open air of Citizens Bank Park.

New York is defensively strong, offensively determined and remarkably disciplined, the sort of game that can frustrate an emotional team like Philadelphia.

The playoffs are a clean slate for all teams who qualify, and that 0-6 record this season means nothing for the Flyers once the postseason begins. Nonetheless, confidence cannot be too high when it comes to a showdown with the Eastern Conference champion Blueshirts, something that could easily happen in the second round of the playoffs.