97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: ‘Dignity Back’ After 8-Game Skid
An embarrassing loss against the Montreal Canadiens put the Philadelphia Flyers on the ropes. The Stanley Cup Playoffs still look like a reach, but John Tortorella asked the Flyers to get their dignity back. They responded with an impressive victory against the New York Rangers.
- Saturday 4/6: Columbus Blue Jackets 6, Flyers 2
- Tuesday 4/8: Montreal Canadiens 9, Flyers 3
- Thursday 4/10: Flyers 4, New York Rangers 1
8-Game Losing Streak
The playoff outlook plummeted during an eight-game losing streak. The Flyers dropped the final two games of a tough stretch against all playoff opponents to begin the streak. The embarrassing part came afterwards.
They went 0-5-1 against five bottom-feeders and one middling team. Their -20 goal differential during the stretch made everyone question the legitimacy of the surprising surge that landed them in the playoff chase.
The blowout loss against Montreal justifies criticism toward the veteran players, the younger players, Tortorella, and everyone else in the organization.
“This time of year, all teams are tired. We’re not as gifted as some teams. We have a process that we’re going through. We can’t forget that. We’re still building here. I appreciate all the work they’ve put in to put us in this spot to play these type of games, but we just have not been able to elevate our game. It’s my responsibility to put them in that spot and try to get them to elevate the game. I’ve not done it.” -John Tortorella
Flyers Dignity Back?
Tortorella spoke with restraint after a disheartening three hours of watching the last-place Habs clobber his team right off the ice.
“For the most part, it’s uncharacteristic of the club… We’ve done some things that we haven’t done for a lot of the year. You’ve got to eat it. You’ve got to stay together and try to solve things. Whether it’s enough time to do what we want to do to try to get in (the playoffs), I’m not concerned about that. I’m concerned about just being pros, trying to get some of our dignity back, and just playing the right way.” -John Tortorella
The Flyers responded with an emphatic 4-1 victory against the Rangers in game 80 of 82. They got back to an effective transition offense led by alternate captain Travis Konecny. The slumping winger finished with one goal and one assist. Konecny brought the attitude that Tortorella had hoped for much sooner.
The eight-game slump dug a hole that one win doesn’t solve. However, the Flyers picked their heads up and kept their dignity to see one more day in contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
TRAVIS KONECNY SCORES HIS CAREER-HIGH 3️⃣2️⃣ND GOAL OF THE SEASON 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/lsVCibvTDo
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 12, 2024
Honoring Wayne Simmonds
The Flyers will honor long-time fan favorite Wayne Simmonds on Saturday with a one-day contract to celebrate his retirement from the NHL.
Simmonds played 614 regular-season and playoff games for Philadelphia from 2011-12 through 2018-19. He averaged 29 goals per 82 regular-season games.
The “Wayne Train” established himself as a power forward who could rack up goals and drop the gloves with the best in the league in 15 NHL seasons.
The 6-foot-2 winger made his impact until the very end of his tenure with the Flyers. One week before they dealt him to the Nashville Predators in 2019, he defended Claude Giroux from a vicious check by fighting Anthony Mantha. He fittingly played his final game with the Flyers in the memorable comeback victory in the NHL Stadium Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins one week later.
Get to the Wells Fargo Center early to applaud Wayne Simmonds against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening.
Desperation in Final 2 Games
Only two remain in the 2023-24 season. The Flyers have exceeded expectations in an overall sense, but they still need help to earn a playoff berth. They’ll need help with losses from the Penguins, Capitals, Red Wings, and Islanders.
- Saturday 4/13: New Jersey Devils, 5pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Tuesday 4/15: Washington Capitals, 7pm on 97.5 The Fanatic (subject to change)
Download the 97.5 The Fanatic app to hear Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on the flagship radio broadcast of the Philadelphia Flyers.
History of Philadelphia Flyers Captains
Bobby Clarke (1972-79, 1982-84)
It’s hard to find any player in NHL history who embodies the identity of a franchise better than Bobby Clarke represents the Philadelphia Flyers. He helped usher in the era of the fiercest, most intimidating team that bullied their way to consecutive Stanley Cup in 1973-74 and 1974-75.
Clarke still holds franchise records in goals, assists, games played, and plus/minus. He had two stints as the captain in Philadelphia.
Dave Poulin (1984-90)
Dave Poulin wasn’t the best player in franchise history, but he played an invaluable role for the Flyers teams at the top of the NHL during the 1980s. He received votes for the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward eight times, and he won the award for the 1986-87 season.
The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Final against Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in 1985 and 1987 during Poulin’s captaincy. He entered the franchise Hall of Fame in 2004.
Ron Sutter (1989-91)
The Sutter family remarkably sent six brothers to the NHL. Ron Sutter played 19 seasons in the league. Nine of them came with the Flyers. He played 555 games and recorded 360 points in orange and black.
Rick Tocchet (1991-92)
Rick Tocchet earned the respect of the entire hockey world as a heart and soul player in the deep playoff runs of the 1980s. The Flyers awarded the captaincy to the “Rocket” for the 1991-92 season after their success in the 1980s had waned.
They dealt him away to the Pittsburgh Penguins before the end of the season, but he returned for a second stint in 2000. His impact on multiple eras of Flyers hockey landed him in the franchise Hall of Fame.
Kevin Dineen (1993-94)
The Hartford Whalers sent Kevin Dineen to the Flyers in 1991. He became the captain for the 1992-93 season as a respected veteran during a forgettable era in Philadelphia.
Dineen played 19 seasons in the NHL and retired with 760 career points and 2,229 career penalty minutes. He has continued his life around the game as an NHL and AHL coach for over two decades.
Eric Lindros (1994-2000)
The Eric Lindros era didn’t end the way that Ed Snider and Bobby Clarke hoped it would. However, the organization has buried a bad memory of stripping his captaincy in favor of honoring the good times.
The most talented hockey player ever to wear the Flyers jersey won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP in 1995 and led the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final. His point per game average ranks among the best in NHL history.
Eric Desjardins (1999-2001)
The Flyers handed the “C” to Eric Desjardins in response to the Lindros saga. He had previously spent time as an alternate captain with Rod Brind’Amour.
The puck-moving defenseman was the rock of the Philadelphia blue line during the memorable era of contention in the 1990s and early 2000s. He ranks toward the top of the franchise record books in most statistical categories among defensemen.
Keith Primeau (2001-06)
It took a great hockey player to make the Flyers forget about trading Rod Brind’Amour, but Keith Primeau quickly made an impression in Philadelphia. He proved himself as the team leader in the early 2000s after Lindros left a void as the top-line center.
Primeau’s goal in Game 4 of the 2000 series against the Penguins still stands as one of the best memories in Flyers history. He scored a comparably memorable goal four years later in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Derian Hatcher (2005-06)
The Flyers unsurprisingly made a splash after the 2004-05 lockout. Derian Hatcher spent his best years with the Dallas Stars, but he occupied the captaincy as a stopgap during his time with the Flyers. He played his final three seasons in the NHL in Philadelphia.
Hatcher hung around long enough to play in the Eastern Conference Final in 2008.
Peter Forsberg (2006-07)
The decision to trade Peter Forsberg as part of the Lindros deal is questionable with the benefit of hindsight. The crafty Swede did return to the organization in his 30s after his prime years. Forsberg struggled with injuries in Philadelphia, but he was stunningly skilled with the puck in the 100 games he played for the Flyers.
Paul Holmgren dealt Forsberg to the Predators to begin a series of moves that ultimately brought Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to Philadelphia.
Jason Smith (2007-08)
The Flyers came back with a vengeance in 2007-08 after their worst season in franchise history. Holmgren flipped his roster upside down, and his retool included acquiring veteran Jason Smith to wear the “C” for a team that reached the Eastern Conference Final.
Smith wasn’t a star player. However, he served his purpose well enough in one season with the Flyers to earn a position in the organization after his retirement.
Mike Richards (2008-11)
An organization that stripped the “C” off one of the most publicized players in NHL history experienced another controversy just over a decade later. Mike Richards was a hard-nosed hockey player who took over the captaincy at age 23.
The Flyers hoped they found the next Bobby Clarke, and Richards played with incredible intensity as a two-way forward and a penalty killer. The Sea Isle City regular flamed out quickly in Philadelphia, however, and Holmgren dealt him and Jeff Carter away on the same day in a summer stunner in 2011.
Chris Pronger (2011-13)
Chris Pronger was one of the most intimidating players in NHL history. The 6-foot-6 defenseman captured the hearts of Flyers fans as the general of the 2010 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final. He was the obvious choice as the captain after the Richards trade.
He only played 13 more games in the NHL. An unfortunate injury ended his career too soon, and the Flyers have not truly replaced him since. Look for Pronger’s name on any list of the best defensemen in NHL history.
Claude Giroux (2012-22)
The Flyers hoped for a new era of Stanley Cup glory with Claude Giroux as the centerpiece. After they named him the captain in 2013 following the latest NHL lockout, they fell off the face of the Earth. Giroux became one of the most consistent point scorers in the NHL for a decade as the captain, and the depth behind him never gave him a chance to lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup.
The Flyers traded Giroux in 2022 in the deal that brought Owen Tippett to Philadelphia.
Sean Couturier (2024)
The John Tortorella era began without a captain while the Flyers attempted to establish a new standard for performance on and off the ice. They named Sean Couturier their captain in 2024 during his 12th season in Philadelphia.
Couturier broke into the NHL at age 18 in 2011-12. He steadily ascended into the role of a top-line center. The peak of his career came in 2019-20 when he won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive (but really two-way) forward.
