Philadelphia Flyers: 10 Second Half Questions
The NHL has not reached the halfway point, but the Philadelphia Flyersโ extended Christmas break seems like an appropriate time to examine the rest of their season.
Things could not have gone much better for the Flyers through the first 35 games. However, there are several questions that need to be answered before the playoffs begin.
10. In Addition to Darroll Powe and Blair Betts, Who Will Be on the 4th line?
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Jody Shelley has not been able to get back into the lineup since he was suspended for two games for a hit from behind on December 11. Dan Carcillo has taken his place and provides more energy and scoring but is not a โheavyweightโ fighter.
Shelley will most likely be a healthy scratch until there is an injury or Carcillo does something to get himself back in Peter Lavioletteโs doghouse.
9. Will Claude Giroux and/or Daniel Briere Score 40 goals?
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Both players picked up where they left offย during last seasonโs playoff run.ย They each have 16 goals this season, which puts them on pace for 37 goals.
Briere has a tendency to miss some time due to injury and Giroux has played every game in the last two seasons, so Giroux would appear more likely to hit the mark.
8. Can the Flyers Keep Winning on the Road?
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The Flyersย have grabbed 23 of a possible 30 points on the road this year, which has been a huge key to their early season success.
However, they will be visitors in nineย ofย their first 10 games after the Christmas break, which willย allow this question to be answeredย fairly quickly.
7. Will James van Riemsdyk Continue To Improve?
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JVRย has seven goals and a plus-seven plus/minus rating since being a healthy scratch for a few games in November. He has the talent to be a 30-goal scorer but heย just needs to add some confidence and consistency.
Being on Jeff Carterโs line appears to be helping in both areas.
6. Can the Flyers Reduce the Number of Stick Penalties?
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The Flyers lead the league in stick penalties but are tied for 10th place in all other minor penalties.ย
Cutting down on stick infractions would go a long way toward reducing the number of times they are shorthanded each game. A "lifting the stick" safety tutorial may be in order. ย
5. Will the Flyersโ Power Play Improve?
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The Flyers are currently ranked in the league's bottom third onย the power play, which is surprising since they are first in five-on-five play by a wide margin.
It is not time to panic since they are fourth in goals per game, but Iโm sure this will be an area of concentration for Laviolette and his coaching staff the rest of the season.
4. Will Nikolay Zherdev Be Traded?
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Zherdev has been a healthy scratch for a handful of games, but the Flyers do not have any apparent weaknesses that could be solved by trading him.
Zherdev's $2 million salary is not a hindrance at his current level of production, so they will most likely keep him as long as the team doesn't have any major injuries on defense.
3. Will Chris Pronger Return to His Old Form after His Surgery?
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Speaking of injuries on defense, if Prongerโs foot surgery had to happen, then it came at a good time as the Flyers play only 15 games in the six weeks that he will likelyย be out of the lineup.
The last time Pronger missed that many games in a season was 2006-07 while playing for the Anaheim Ducks, and he had 59 points in 66 games. That was also the year the Ducks won the Stanley Cup.
2. Which Two Goaltenders Will Be on the Flyers Roster?
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I thought this was a battle between Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton for backup, but I would not be surprised to see Sergei Bobrovsky assigned to the minors if Boucher continues his solid play.
โBobโ would be better off starting games in the AHL than sitting on the bench in the NHL, and he could be called up if Boucher or Leighton struggle.
1. Will the Flyers Get the Top Seed in the Eastern Conference?
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Things can change in a hurry, but all of the teams chasing the Flyers and Penguins have noticeable shortcomings, so it will mostly likely come down to these two rivals.
The Flyers and Penguins play head-to-head twice in five-day period at the end of March, and that could be the deciding factor as to which team gets home ice advantage throughout the playoffs and which teamย gets fourth place in the conference.ย
