There are plenty of theories being floated around as to why the Flyers have gone on such a disappointing stretch of games, and I have my say in what I believe are the most plausible ones.
There are plenty of theories being floated around as to why the Flyers have gone on such a disappointing stretch of games, and I have my say in what I believe are the most plausible ones.
It's easy to look at the Philadelphia Flyers' seven-game losing streak and take comfort in saying, "Well, they weren't even supposed to anywhere near a playoff position this season, so it's really not that disappointing, all things considered."
And a person of that opinion would be somewhat correct, because the Flyers weren't predicted to be able to poke a playoff position with a ten-foot pole this season. You know the story—they were supposed to tank because they're in their rebuild, but then they didn't tank and had been in a playoff spot from December until their most recent loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Apr. 6.
But fans have quickly learned that there is very little comfort (if any at all) in saying that the Flyers weren't supposed to be in a playoff position because it doesn't matter that they weren't supposed to—the truth of the matter is that they are still technically in playoff contention, although their odds have slimmed down dramatically (currently 27.1%, according to MoneyPuck).
Because of this, the new favorite pastime of Flyers social media is to speculate as to how on Earth the team went from having the most Cinderella story season to now fighting to just to get a win again. "John Tortorella has lost the room!" "No, it's because they lost Carter Hart mid-season!" "No, it's because they're exhausted!" "No, it's because they don't have enough talent!"
Whatever the real reason is, it almost certainly isn't just one, singular thing. There's a lot to unpack here.
It's clear that physical and mental exhaustion has taken the biggest toll on this team. They've dealt with the most consistently chaotic season in their 2023-24 run, and while it's fun to joke about how the Flyers can't ever be a normal team, you have to take into account the effect such unpredictability can have on a team.
To briefly recap, this team has had to deal with things that include (but are not limited to) the Cutter Gauthier drama, Carter Hart being charged with sexual assault, numerous injuries that depleted the squad's numbers, their captain being healthy scratched, and much more. We know how good the team's culture is and how close the locker room is, and that may very well have been the only saving grace to keep things from falling apart sooner, but the Flyers have been through a lot.
Then, of course, there's physical exhaustion. The most obvious case is that of Sam Ersson, who was unexpectedly thrown into the No. 1 goaltender position this year after Hart took an extended leave of absence from the team, and has played more than anybody would have expected. Ersson, who has played 28 games since Jan. 18, is up there with the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy (27) and the Buffalo Sabres' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (29) for games played in that amount of time. He's a rookie who suddenly had to figure out how to handle veteran playing time, and the exhaustion that comes with that is starting show.
His numbers—a 2.88 GAA and .889 SV% across 47 total games played—would lead some to believe that he "sucks." Are those dazzling stats? No. But head coach John Tortorella summed it up best when he admitted, "The amount he's played...it's almost unfair to look at his numbers. We put him in that spot."
Injuries have also forced some players to help fill the gaps and receive more ice time, which can easily tire them out quicker. During the defensive injury apocalypse when the Flyers were without Rasmus Ristolainen, Jamie Drysdale, and Nick Seeler (and had traded Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche), Cam York and Travis Sanheim were forced to make up for much of the depletion in defense. Tortorella acknowledged, unprompted, in a press conference that York and Sanheim were "gassed" after playing so much.
It also must be taken into account that many of the players in his team have no playoff experience. They're not used to the demands of making a push this hard, especially going up against some of the opponents they've had to face. Young players like Ersson, York, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Tyson Foerster have had to step up in major ways in the latter half of the season (which, for the most part, they've done!), but this is uncharted territory for them and they're learning under extreme pressure.
Scott Laughton admitted that things have "just not good enough in the first period to come out flat," and that "it falls on some of our older guys, and especially me...to get this group ready to go."
Another narrative many fans believe is the reason for the collapse is that Tortorella has lost the locker room. It's easy to pile the blame on that, given Tortorella's extensive history of being harsh on his players, publicly stating in press conferences that some of them "don't have what it takes" (although he never specifically names names), and even going so far as to scratch captain Sean Couturier for two games.
Is it possible that he's fallen out of favor with some of his players? Absolutely. There is no coach like John Tortorella in this league, and his coaching style simply won't be for everybody. Not every player will agree with his decisions. It's not unfathomable to think that there are probably guys in that locker room who just straight-up don't like him. It's not productive to speculate who those players are or why they might think that way, but the reality is that, like it or not, the front office is 100% behind Tortorella and will most likely keep him as the head coach for at least one more season.
The players aren't stupid; they know that Tortorella will probably be sticking around for at least a little while longer. From what I've seen on social media, there seems to be this idea that the players have "quit" on Tortorella, which is just ridiculous. To fight as hard as they have all season, to achieve as much as they have and prove as many people wrong as they did, just to throw it all away simply because they supposedly don't like their head coach and would rather try to get him fired than give themselves a shot at a postseason run? Grow up and get real.
Whatever the case may be (and with how this organization likes to play their cards close to the vest, we may never know the real answer), it's evident that there are changes that need to be made within the team, and nobody knows that better than the Flyers themselves. Despite what your favorite armchair analysts might spout off on social media, this team can (and does) take accountability for their missteps, and if things don't work out this season, there's no doubt that the rebuild will continue and have them come back stronger in 2024-25.
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