The Philadelphia Flyers had just won their ninth consecutive game Sunday, an achievement pointed out to one of the players afterwards.
“In this compressed schedule, too,” he said of the winning streak. It’s certainly more impressive.
There should be some sort of conversion for the Flyers. A nine-game winning streak when it seems like you’re playing every night should carry more weight. This win streak started on Nov. 27 with a win against the Flames, and extended to nine Sunday with a win on the road versus Detroit. That’s nine wins in 15 days. And they’ve done it a variety of ways.
Sometimes Brayden Schenn registers a hat trick or the power play goes off. Sometimes the backup goalie comes in and pitches a shutout on the road in a game that extends into overtime, as the 6-foot-6 Anthony Stolarz did Sunday:
Getting the keepsake puck ready for Flyers G Anthony Stolarz, who earned his first NHL shutout in OT win over pic.twitter.com/ELFLtgkZ5o
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) December 12, 2016
“We find a way to win the games no matter what it is,” said Jakub Voracek, who has surged up the points standings and currently sits in second place in the NHL with 32 points, seven behind leader Connor McDavid. “We’re down two goals, three goals and we still come back and win that game. ... We’re very confident going into the third.”
That they won on Sunday was especially impressive. Not just because they were leaning on a backup goalie making his second NHL start.
Young star defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was watching from the press box. On Saturday against the Stars, a shot hit his right hand, and the pain was still there Sunday.
He called it a day-to-day injury, with X-rays confirming there’s no break, but it’s just the latest setback in a sophomore season that hasn’t gone as smoothly as his rookie season. And perhaps that was inevitable, considering how great that rookie season went for Gostisbehere.
“The one thing about last year with Ghost, everything that possibly could have gone right, went right,” said Flyers GM Ron Hextall. “This year is probably more of a norm than last year was. ... It was just kind of a dream season. This year is more of a reality.”
So what’s reality look like for the Florida native?
It means sitting occasionally, like he did earlier this season in an attempt by coach Dave Hakstol to continue the teaching process that happens with all young defensemen working on the details of their game.
His goals-per-game rate is down from 0.27 per game last season to 0.14 this season. His points-per-game rate is down from 0.72 to 0.55. Still, even with his current averages, that's an 82-game rate where he scores 11 goals and has 45 points. Still, not bad.
The Flyers have noticed that teams are playing him differently this season. Teams know his tendencies. They’re trying to take away his space. That comes when there’s enough time to scout a talented player. For Gostisbehere to return to the levels of production he posted last season, there needs to be growth now from him. He understands that.
“When I get the puck, there’s someone coming at me right away. When I first got called up last year, you could say that wasn’t happening,” Gostisbehere said from the press box of Sunday’s game. “It’s something you have to adjust. Every great player does it. I want to be a better player at doing that.”
Nine other takeaways from the weekend of NHL action:
2. Another explanation for the slow start
Hextall also pointed out the possibility that Gostisbehere may just be a slow starter. He’s not ready to put that label on him just yet, but he’s noticing a trend.
“I think this has been a little bit of a history with him. If you look at his first few games in Lehigh last year, he didn’t skate really well,” Hextall said. “That’s three years in a row now. ... I’m looking right now, wondering if he’s a slow starter. There are circumstances there, I don’t want to paint him with that brush.”
3. The coach's opinion on the matter
Like any coach, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol wants his talented young defenseman to improve in the little areas of the game. He said Gostisbehere has shown a willingness to work hard on deficiencies.
The focus?
“Play without the puck,” Hakstol answered. “Play with the puck. Every part of his game. There is not one specific part of his game. He is a young defenseman. He is very important to our hockey team. This is not an easy league for a defenseman to step into. He’s done a good job of it. We continue to work at every part of his game.”
4. Following in Gostisbehere's footsteps
The Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski is having the kind of dream rookie season that Gostisbehere had last season. He’s in the Calder Trophy conversation as part of a fantastic rookie class, but his offensive production has slowed in December. He has just one goal this month.
He was under 20 minutes of ice time in his past two games, the first time all season he’s played consecutive games under 20 minutes.
5. Watch out for the Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets keep winning, though. Their win streak extended to six games with a win against the Islanders on Saturday.
The most impressive thing might be the goal differential. Only the Rangers are better in the East than the Blue Jackets at plus-31. Even if you subtract the crazy 10-goal win against the Canadiens, the Blue Jackets' plus-21 is still third in the East behind the Rangers and Canadiens. It’s hard not to consider John Tortorella the Jack Adams front-runner, which is impressive considering the heat he got after Team USA’s flop at the World Cup.
6. Back in business
With eight points in his past three games, Voracek has completely put last season’s struggles behind him. He has already equaled last season’s goal total, with 11.
It's yet another reminder not to overreact to a goal total that accompanies a shot percentage out of whack. Voracek shot just 5.2 percent last season, well off his career average of 9.5 percent.
7. Financial pressure led to struggles?
The Flyers also believe Voracek was pressing a bit last season after signing his monster contract, one that averages $8.25 million per season over its eight years.
“He looks like he did two years ago,” Hextall said. “It’s typical. Jake signed a big deal last year. How many players do you see, they try to be more than they are? We pay Jake for what he was, not for something more. You look at the history of the league, there are a lot of guys like that. I don’t know what it is. I think he did feel a bit of a burden.”
8. Flyers-Kings trades yielded mutual benefit
Time continues to be kind to those huge trades struck by former Flyers GM Paul Holmgren that sent Mike Richards and Jeff Carter out of town in 2011. The three players received for Carter -- Voracek, Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins -- are all playing key roles on a good, young Flyers team that is putting itself in position for a second consecutive playoff berth under Hakstol.
Of course, the Kings did win two Stanley Cups thanks in part to Carter and Richards, so Kings GM Dean Lombardi certainly looks fondly on the deals as well.
9. NHL teams may look to college ranks more often
If the Flyers keep it up, you have to wonder if other teams will look hard at the college route for their next head coach. Hextall took a big risk in hiring Hakstol, and after a slow start last season, he has this team playing well consistently. That’s not an easy accomplishment considering how many young players are in this lineup.
He was quick to deflect any of the credit, saying he entered an organization with strong leaders and culture.
“The togetherness of the group was always there, right from day one of training camp last year,” Hakstol said. “We kind of struggled and stumbled through the month of November but as we hit the second half of the season we were able to hit a pretty good stride. That’s just the guys in the room playing hard for one another.”
10. Who's the next NCAA coach to get hired?
So who would be the next college coaching candidate who could make the successful jump to the NHL? Denver’s Jim Montgomery would be a great option. He interviewed with the Flames last summer when they were looking to replace Bob Hartley, before GM Brad Treliving eventually tapped Glen Gulutzan.
He coached Johnny Gaudreau in the USHL, where he won two championships as coach. He has NHL pedigree, with 122 career NHL games after playing in Maine with Paul Kariya. His team in Denver is currently No. 2 in the nation.
He’s on the radar of NHL teams, and Hakstol’s success in Philadelphia may help pave the way.