Quick Hits: March 23, 2020
1) Over the course of their last 26 games before the NHL put the 2019-20 season on "pause" due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Flyers posted a 19-6-1 record, including a nine-game winning streak. In that span, Philadelphia outscored its opponents by a 91-60 margin. They were the NHL's highest-scoring team (3.64 goals per game), and the fourth-hardest to score against (2.40 GAA).
Over on the Flyers' official website, we took a deep dive into why the two-plus month stretch not only felt different than team hot streaks of the recent past but was also backed up by evidence to show that a combination of strong depth, excellent goaltending and solid coaching was coming together for a team that found itself competing successfully even among the top clubs in the NHL.
The big question, unanswerable right now, is whether the team can recover that caliber of play if and when the NHL resumes. If the answer is yes, it portends a club that is capable of making a deep run in the playoffs even if the Flyers would enter certain series as an underdog. If and when the NHL returns this season, all teams will be in the same boat of hitting the reset button with a mini-camp.
For more,
click here.
2) In tandem with Jason Myrtetus' Flyers Daily Show, we will post individual player profilles -- three per week -- on the Flyers' website. The profiles will include a synopsis of each player's season to date, five key factors that have shaped his contributions, various highlight video clips and quotes from coaches/teammates and the player himself.
Upcoming this week: Scott Laughton, Justin Braun, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
3) The latest edition of Kerry Huffman's "Hockey Summit" blog is now online. In this edition, Huff discusses how we all owe a debt of gratitude to people who step up as helpers on behalf of others during tough times. As always, Kerry found inspirational quotes and historical examples to illustrate his point in a quick-read format. For more,
click here.
4) Last night, NBC Sports Philadelphia aired a rebroadcast of the Flyers' 4-3 win in Boston in Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Flyers, of course, completed their historic comeback from both a three games to zero deficit in the series by climbing out of a 3-0 hole in the deciding game.
Simon Gagne's game-winning power play goal in the third period of Game 7 against Boston was a no-brainer for inclusion in the
Top 10 Moments of the 2010s article we did on the Flyers' website back in late December.
It was a lot of fun putting that list together and reliving those moments:
* April 11, 2010: Shootout for the Season vs. NYR
* May 14, 2010 at Boston: Gagne Caps Comeback
* May 24, 2010: The Shift, Part 1 (Mike Richards vs MTL, Game 5)
* June 4, 2010: Flyers Knot Cup Finals at 2-2
* April 26, 2011: Briere Buries Sabres in Game 7
* April 22, 2012: The Shift, Part 2 (Claude Giroux vs PIT, Game 6)
* April 9, 2016: Simmonds Scores for Mr. Snider (vs. PIT)
* January 14, 2017: 50th Anniversary Game
* April 7, 2018: Giroux Hat Trick Clinches Playoff Spot (vs. NYR)
* Feb. 23, 2019: Stadium Series comeback win in the rain
The other parts of the all-decade series:
Players of the Decade and
Drafts, Trades and Free Agents.
5) Today in Flyers History: In a classic duel between two Hall of Fame goaltenders, Bernie Parent's defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers topped Ken Dryden and the Montreal Canadiens by a 2-1 score at the Spectrum on March 23, 1975.
For more,
click here.
6) Five Flyers Alumni celebrate March 23 birthdays: Nolan Baumgartner (1976), Pavel Brendl (1981), Gord Murphy (1967), Michael Neuvirth (1988), and Magnus Roupé (1963).
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