Flyers Turnaround Reminiscent of 2009-10 Success

[EDI-Flyer]

Not my words, but those of Alan Bass on THN.com. Having said that, there are quite a lot of similarities. 
 
Maybe I've been drinking the kool-aid too much but I believe this team will make the playoffs. Once there then who knows. 
 
I still want to see how the Flyers shape up against some of the elite Western teams but in all honesty there are not many Eastern teams that cause me sleepless nights.
 

On December 4, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers were in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, struggling to win games, and looking lost. GM Paul Holmgren, without warning, gives the boot to coach John Stevens, and immediately hires Peter Laviolette. The Philadelphia media howls, the fans protest, and the players seem confused to be losing a leader that they loved and respected. After the first few games under the new coach, the results are the same, and Philadelphia begins to lose patience with their team’s management. Fast forward five months, and captain Mike Richards is lifting the Prince of Wales Trophy as the Eastern Conference champions, and bringing his Orange and Black to within an overtime goal of Game 7 of a Stanley Cup championship.
Now let’s go to October 7, 2013. The Flyers are in last place in the Eastern Conference, struggling to win games, and looking lost. GM Paul Holmgren, without warning, gives the boot to Peter Laviolette, and immediately hires assistant coach Craig Berube as the replacement. The Philadelphia media howls, the fans…well, you can guess the next few steps. First few games are messy, then suddenly the team finds its way.
We’re now 22 games into the season and the Flyers are one point out of an Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Sure, it’s difficult to say this will be a mirror of 2010, with Claude Giroux lifting the Prince of Wales Trophy in May 2014. And no one saw it coming back in 2009 either, when they began to win some games.
But this year seems different, for some reason. After the first couple weeks of learning Berube’s new system, the Flyers look like a team determined like no other team Philadelphia has seen in decades. And more importantly, they seem to have solid, consistent goaltending for the first time since Ron Hextall. Even during their early season slump, Steve Mason was playing like an all-star. Now, going into the second quarter of the season, Mason is among the league leaders in goals against average and save percentage. He has yet to allow more than three goals in a game this season, and Saturday night’s victory against the Islanders, he is finally at .500. The team is finally playing like one in front of him.
The Flyers are winning games with the same tactics that helped them in 2010 – depth on offense, smart, defensive hockey, and a system that forces everyone to be moving and pressuring the opposing players at every second of play. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves with predictions of a Broad Street parade – after all, it’s Philadelphia. But the Flyers have proven that they are a team to keep an eye on as we continue through the campaign.

 
Source

[hf101]

If you look at the standings right now, the Flyers and Bruins are the only teams that are 7-1-2 in their last 10.  The Blackhawks are 7-2-1

They are an enjoyable team to watch right now.

 

http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/nhl/standings.asp

[ruxpin]

On the surface, it's similar, but there are some significant flaws in this guy's writing.

 

First of all, Mason gave up three goals against Washington before being yanked.   I mean, it's still incredibly good for Mason, but Ladd needs to do just a little research before writing.  This is the most glaring.  If he's a member here, I know what his screen name is.

 

"Flyers are winning with the same tactics that helped them in 2010."  Um, no, not really.  Actually, quite arguably the OPPOSITE tactics.

 

I honestly don't remember much fan protest when Stevens was fired and Laviolette hired.  And I don't recall the media howling.  I remember the media CALLING FOR Stevens.   Was I too busy celebrating to notice the protest and the howling?   I do remember the players not being terribly happy about it, but they kind of had grown accustomed to cake.

 

This time I remember the media howling but not really because Laviolette went.  More about the 3 games in than anything else.   I remember the media howling that Holmgren and Snider should go.  I remember them wondering about Berube.   Same goes for the fans.   If things continue as they are, Holmgren should pay off Berube's mortgage.  Berube has probably saved his job.

 

Not a fan of this article.  It's somewhat lazy.  But there ARE similarities.

 

Okay. After 19 games under the new coach, Flyers are 10-7-2 with Berube.  After 19 games with Laviolette?  9-8-2   Similar enough.

 

First 19 games under Laviolette        57 goals for,    57 goals against.    3.00 goals for/game    3.00 GAA

First 19 games under Berurbe          46 goals for,     44 goals against     2.42 goals for/game         2.32 GAA  

Two things stand out.  The balance between goals for/goals against is fairly even in both cases.   Clearly, either Berube's players just don't score as well as Laviolette's group, or there's quite a bit more emphasis on defense. (see OPPOSITE tactics, above)

 

This is certainly random, but just for fun:   After 19 games, this is what the "Last 10" column read for the Flyers for each coach

Berube   7-1-2

Laviolette  7-2-1

 

(by the way, I know that gets Berube one more point, which is very important in the standings, but I personally read both "7-3")

 

In those ten games?

Laviolette  40 GF   26 GA      4.00 GFA     2.60 GAA  

Berube    29 GF   16 GA      2.90 GFA  1.60 GAA

 

 

See OPPOSITE tactics, above.   In the second half (last ten) of this 19 game start, Berube's goals for increased from 1.89 GFA to 2.90 GFA while the GAA went from 3.11 in the first nine to 1.60 in the second ten.      Laviolette's team saw its goals for average go from 1.89 to 4.00 while its GAA went from 3.44 to 2.60

 

Oddly, BOTH teams scored exactly 17 goals in the first 9 games under its new head coach.  Laviolette's had 31 against while Berube's had 28

 

The results in terms of win-loss, however, ARE oddly similar.

[Phillygrump]

Good analysis rux.

Only one problem. The article says Mason hasn't given up more than 3 goals in a game. So that means he hasn't allowed a 4th goal all season. Also I heard jammer say that he's only given up more than 2 goals this season twice.

[flyerrod]

I mean, it's still incredibly good for Mason, but Ladd needs to do just a little research before writing. This is the most glaring. If he's a member here, I know what his screen name is.

I heard that remark from the Isles announcers on their broadcast(Mason has not let in more than 2 goals since he became a Flyer) and thought it did not sound correct. EDI I think it was corrected it and mentioned the Caps game.

[ruxpin]

Good analysis rux.

Only one problem. The article says Mason hasn't given up more than 3 goals in a game. So that means he hasn't allowed a 4th goal all season. Also I heard jammer say that he's only given up more than 2 goals this season twice.

 

 

Good catch.   Very true.  Okay, so I guess I'll learn to read before commenting (especially to call someone else lazy!).

[Phillygrump]

Good catch.   Very true.  Okay, so I guess I'll learn to read before commenting (especially to call someone else lazy!).

 

 

I use the edit button all the time to fix me popping off about something without catching it all. I do that a lot. Unfortunately I don't have an edit button for things I say to my wife. 

[sarsippius]

Unfortunately I don't have an edit button for things I say to my wife.

Or a filter to catch it before it comes out. Ever been in the middle of saying something to her, and you realize you should stop but its already too late and you're screwed? I did that at least 3 times today, weekends are dangerous.....

To the to topic, yes some similarities in the start of the season points-wise, but that's really where the comparison ends for me. Different coach, different nucleus, no leaky Leighton

[Howie58]

Greetings:

 

My two cents:

 

1) I seem to recall a post some time ago that the coaching change impact in the NHL is greater than in the other big sports.

 

2) There is the old regression to the mean effect. We started terribly...far below expectations. Now we making up for it. The real question may be where we go in the next 10-15 games. They may be the best indicator of "real" status.

 

That said, our goaltending is probably the best it's been in a generation.  And as others have said, Berube may be coaching to the players he has on hand.  His tight-checking, defense first approach may be best for his staff.

 

Best,

Howie