It’s been quite the roller coaster season for the Flyers this year. Where have we heard that one before? Fortunately, the team appears to be hitting their stride as the season winds down, and the Orange and Black are looking to overcome a slow start to steal a playoff spot.

  After a poor start to the season, ownership decided the team needed to go in a different direction. General Manager Ron Hextall was fired on November 26th, and was replaced by Chuck Fletcher a week later, former GM of the Minnesota Wild. Two weeks after taking over, Fletcher made the decision to release much maligned Head Coach Dave Hakstol on December 17th, replacing him with former Lehigh Valley Phantoms Head Coach Scott Gordon on an interim basis.

  The changes didn’t bring the intended spark as ownership had hoped, as the Flyers entered a slump that saw them drop as low as dead last in the NHL standings on January 13th. A lack of solid goaltending and an inconsistent offense hurt the team, and it was looking like the Flyers would be contenders for the first overall pick.

  Just as Flyers fans started to embrace the “lose for Jack Hughes” movement, things took a turn for the better. The coaching change finally paid dividends, and the team took a massive step forward from being a bottom dweller. The lineup as a whole began to play better, but the main reason for the turnaround was the call up of top goalie prospect Carter Hart from the American Hockey League.

  After winning numerous awards in junior hockey last year, including Canadian Hockey League goalie of the year, Hart turned pro this season. Despite a rocky start to his AHL career, Hart made his first NHL start on December 18th in a win over the Detroit Red Wings. Since then, he has gone 14-9-1 with a 2.76 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, providing much needed stability in the Flyers’ net.

  Since being dead last on January 13th, the Flyers have been among the league’s best, going 19-6-2, including an eight game win streak. The recent hot streak has helped vault the Flyers back into playoff contention as the season winds down

  This season has not come without roster turnover, specifically in net. After Cam Talbot made his debut between the pipes on March 1st following a trade with the Edmonton Oilers, the Flyers broke an NHL record by starting nine different goalies in one season. Some have been good, some… not so much.

  The trade deadline saw the departure of a fan favorite in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds had been a Flyer for seven and a half years after being acquired from the LA Kings in the Summer of 2011. He was MVP of the All Star Game in 2017, and his style of physical play was loved by the Philly faithful. An unrestricted free agent on July 1st, Simmonds was traded to the Nashville Predators on February 25th in exchange for forward Ryan Hartman and a draft pick.

  Despite the Simmonds trade, the Flyers still have plenty of talent. Leading the team in points is captain Claude Giroux, with 77 in 72 games played. Sean Couturier is second in points, with 69, and leads the team with 29 goals. Jakub Voracek is third in scoring with 62 points despite missing time due to injury and suspension. Travis Konecny sits fourth with 46 points, and he looks to break his career high of 47 he set last year. Big offseason acquisition James van Riemsdyk has overcome a slow start to be fifth in scoring with 42 points, and has 13 points in his last 11 games. Defenseman Travis Sanheim has also enjoyed a breakout year thanks to the coaching change. Sanheim has elevated his game since being moved to the top defensive pair next to Ivan Provorov. Since February 1st, he has 14 points in 19 games, and has 31 points on the year. Players like Oskar Lindblom, Scott Laughton, and Nolan Patrick have helped chip in offensively down the lineup, and Radko Gudas, Shayne Gostisbehere, and recent call up Philippe Myers have helped hold down the blue line.

  Looking ahead, the Flyers are six points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the last wild card spot in the eastern conference. Over the last ten games, they will face several teams they are chasing, including the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, and the Carolina Hurricanes twice. They will need to win these games and get some help elsewhere to chase down that last spot. It won’t be easy, but with stability in net, contributions from up and down the lineup, and ten picks in the upcoming draft, the Flyers are in good shape now and in the future.