*
Home-Road Splits: According to the Flyers' Statistical Year in Review released this past week by Brian Smith, the Flyers enjoyed the NHL's 10th best home record (23-10-8, 54 points) this season with a goal differential of 107 goals scored (2.61 GPG) and 99 goals against (2.41 GAA). On the road, the Flyers ranked 18th of the NHL's 30 teams with an 18-17-6 record. They scored an identical 107 goals (2.61 GPG) but yielded 119 (2.90 GAA).
Much of the negative road goal differential came over three games where the Flyers were outscored by a combined 17-3: 7-1 loss to the Panthers on Oct. 10, 4-0 loss to the Senators on Nov. 21 and a 6-2 loss to the Penguins on April 3. Otherwise the Flyers had 104-102 goals for to goals against over their other 38 road games.
The Flyers' power play actually fared better on the road (28-for-138, 20.3 percent) than it did at home (25-for-142, 17.6 percent) this season. The penalty kill was better but also busier on the road (116-for-142, 81.7 percent) than it was at home (95-for-120, 79.2 percent).
On the flip side, as their home vs. road record and total GPG and GAA averages suggest, the Philadelphia was much better at even strength on home ice -- as are the majority of teams, in part because of the last line change advantage.
*
Back-to-Back Games: The Flyers went 8-4-4 in the first half of b2b game days during the 2015-16 regular season. They were 6-7-3 in second games.
* Shootouts: The Flyers were 3-9 in the skills competition this season, bringing their all-time record (worst in the NHL) to 33-70 since it was foisted on the NHL in 2005-06. The only time the Flyers have ever had a season with a winning shootout record -- with the differential coming on the final day of the season with a playoff spot directly riding on it -- was their 4-3 mark in 2009-10.
The Flyers were better off when games ended in overtime (10-6) rather than going to the shootout after a 65-minute tie. Overall, the Flyers had 28 games go beyond regulation (34.1 percent of all regular season games); the pace slowed considerably in the latter portion of the season. In terms of individual shooters and goalies in shootouts, this is how the Flyers fared in 2015-16:
SHOOTERS
Nick Cousins 2-for-2
Sam Gagner 2-for-4
Claude Giroux 2-for-8
Wayne Simmonds 1-for-5
Jakub Voracek 1-for-5
Brayden Schenn 0-for-2
Evgeny Medvedev 0-for-1
Scott Laughton 0-for-1
Matt Read 0-for-1
Shayne Gostisbehere 0-for-1
GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason 18 saves on 28 attempts, 64.3 SV%
Michal Neuvirth 4 saves on 8 attempts, 50.0 SV%
2016 IIHF World Championships: Flyers center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is the lone Philadelphia player participating in this year's tournament in Russia. Team France plays its opening game on Saturday against Germany. Unlike his checking-focused role with the Flyers, Bellemare plays a much more offense-oriented role on the French national team. Phantoms defenseman Christian Marti is also participating, playing for Switzerland.
The big news on the opening day on Friday was the Czechs shutting out the tournament host Russians, 3-0, and Canada blowing out USA, 5-1. Sweden (with ex-Flyers defenseman Erik Gustafsson as an alternate captain while the 24-year-old Chicago Blackhawks defenseman named Erik Gustafsson is also on the roster) squeaked past Latvia in overtime, 2-1.
QMJHL Final: Game Two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's President Cup final was suspended on Friday night at the first intermission due to a refrigeration system failure at Iamgold Arena in Rouyn-Noranda. Refrigeration liquid leaked onto the ice and could not be brought under control.
After more than an hour of delay, the problem persisted as the game was postponed with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies leading 2-1. The game is slated to resume at 4 p.m. EDT on Saturday after a decision is made at noon if the problem has been contained sufficiently to make the playing surface suitable to play.
The
Montreal Gazette reported that the game would restart from the beginning at 0-0. However, the official QMJHL website
notes that under league 1.5.6 (Rescheduling of a Game_, in the case where (20) minutes or more have been played, the game will continue and be clocked with the remaining time before the original game was interrupted. As a result, the game would start at the beginning of the second period with the Huskies leading 2-1.
Flyers defense prospect Philippe Myers plays for Rouyn-Noranda. He did not figure in the scoring nor was he on the ice for any of the goals scored in the first period of Game Two prior to the postponenent. The Huskies won Game One, 4-2, on Wednesday with Myers notching a goal and an assist.
WHL Final: The Brandon Wheat Kings defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds in overtime, 3-2, on Friday night in Game One of the Western Hockey League final. Game Two is on Saturday.
Flyers 2015 first-round pick Ivan Provorov did not have a point in the game. He was on the ice for Donovan Neuls' shorthanded goal that tied the game at 1-1 near the midway point of the second period. Provorov later was called for tripping in the opening seconds of the third period, and Seattle scored on the ensuing power play to briefly go ahead, 2-1.
Brandon was outplayed through the first 40 minutes but took a 1-0 lead (Reid Duke) to the first intermission and the score was tied at 1-1 heading into the third period. After the Thunderbirds finally forged ahead on the power play (Ryan Gropp) in the opening minute of the third period, Nolan Patrick's 11th goal of the playoffs knotted the score again at 2-2.
Brandon dominated the third period and OT, outshooting Seattle by a 27-6 margin including 10-0 in 6:22 of overtime before Tanner Kaspick netted the game-winner. Winning goaltender Jordan Papirny stopped 31 of 33 shots, while Landon Bow denied 39 of 42.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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