The Philadelphia Flyers started the New Year with a confidence-shattering 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on the road. Now 1-3-2 in their last six games, the Flyers are starting to lose their way a bit. What were some takeaways from the rather large defeat?
Farabee Should Stay on Top Line
After spending virtually the entire season on the third line, head coach John Tortorella made one of his best decisions of 2023-24 by giving Joel Farabee a chance on the first line. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he was arguably the Flyers’ best player in this game, notching two assists and his third multi-point game of the Flyers’ five-game road trip. There’s no reason to play him anywhere other than the top line with this game in mind.
Farabee has been one of the Flyers’ best forwards all season, so it was good to see him have an opportunity and run away with it. Finishing second among Philadelphia forwards in expected goals percentage with a total of 56.4, there was a lot to like about his game.
If there was ever an ideal first-line left-winger, Farabee has been that since rebounding from disc replacement surgery in the summer of 2022. He struggled to get going in 2022-23 as a result but has turned that on its head. When given the chance, he has been one of the Flyers’ more poised players. When he has the puck on his stick — even if it’s for a split second like it was on his primary assist in this match — he is dangerous.
As long as Farabee is getting opportunities on the first line, it is likely he will flourish. With 27 points this season with just over 15 minutes of average ice time, he has proven his worth time and time again. Perhaps this game was the start of him being stapled as a top-six forward from here on out.
Atkinson Might Need Some Rest
For Cam Atkinson, the last two months have not been kind to him. He was scoring at a decent rate early in the season, but he has been held without a goal since Nov. 11 and hasn’t been enough of an asset defensively to offset that. Coming off neck surgery around this time in the 2022-23 season and being 34 years of age, it seems as though his long journey in the NHL has finally caught up to him. With an unnecessary penalty that led to the game-winning goal in this one, it might be time for him to watch the game from afar for a little bit.
It’s been tough sledding for Atkinson over his last 22 games. With just six points in that span despite regularly playing over 16 minutes each game, his rut might be more than just that. Another positive to his game has been his two-way ability, but with how good the Flyers’ penalty kill has been without him being a fixture, there’s been no need for him to slot in. At this stage, it’s hard to find a spot for him if he’s not scoring.
Whether Atkinson’s slow stretch is due to him being a bit older in age and injuries throughout his career or that he just needs some time off, at some point, Tortorella will have to pull the trigger. It’s never an easy decision to make one of your veteran leaders sit in the press box, but that might be what’s best for him.
Related: Flyers’ Couturier, Atkinson Set to Return to Lineup
As constructed, the Flyers need the best from everyone on their roster. The standard is too high for Atkinson to be struggling at the level he is at this time. Under contract with Philadelphia through the 2024-25 season, there is still time to figure things out.
Depth Defenders Have Found Their Game
Getting back to some positive news, the Flyers’ depth defensively has been particularly solid in recent games. Subbing in for a healthy-scratched Nicolas Deslauriers in this one, Marc Staal was the replacement as the Flyers rolled with just 11 forwards to seven defenders.
It’s typically not ideal to have seven defenders in a game, but that’s what the Flyers needed to get on the board to tie the game at two late in the second period. Off a rush, Staal got a nice feed from Travis Konecny to knot up the score and get his first goal as a Flyer. Although it wasn’t for long, Philadelphia at least had a chance in this one because of him.
Staal had one of his better defensive games, not giving up quality chances and being a needed presence in his zone. As long as he’s doing that, the 36-year-old is worthy of being in the lineup — the offense was just a bonus. If his play in the defensive zone is typical of him moving forward, it’d be hard to take him out of the lineup. He hadn’t played a single contest since Dec. 21, so he needed to make this one count.
In addition to Staal, Egor Zamula has found his game at both ends of the ice. He didn’t have the greatest start to his 2023-24 campaign when considering the level of play he showed in the preseason, but he has become a stable depth defender for Philadelphia recently.
The impressive part about Zamula’s play over his last few games has been how poised he has become. When the puck is on his stick inside his zone, he never panics. He’s calm and comfortable controlling the puck wherever he is on the ice. The two goals he has in his last four games shouldn’t be something to get used to, but he has certainly improved as a player. The 23-year-old deserves some love.
Flyers Desperately Needed Road Trip to End
While the Flyers’ play on their road trip shouldn’t be excused, it’s also easy to see why they’ve struggled so mightily. Starting on Dec. 22 against the Detroit Red Wings, the Flyers have faced both tough defensive opponents and fierce offenses in the process. The timezone adjustment for staying on the West Coast for most of it probably didn’t help matters. In the end, it’s a positive that it’s finally over.
Even though the Flyers are one of the best road teams in the league with an 11-6-4 record away from Philadelphia, it wasn’t necessarily unexpected to see them drop a few games — this just means they’ll have to bounce back in a big way. Riding a three-game losing streak, it was clear they needed to return home to try and get the ball rolling again. Though they are just 8-7-1 at Wells Fargo Center, some familiarity for the club might be just what they need to start up their winning ways.
No matter what, the Flyers will retain their playoff spot by the time they are ready to return to Philadelphia on Jan. 4 to face the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Orange and Black have a four-game homestand against four non-playoff teams from then until Jan. 10. For them, it’ll be a crucial stretch that will serve as a way to put any narratives to rest that they aren’t as good as their record says they are. This stretch may just be the turning point of their season.
