97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: Last Place in Goals Against
John Tortorella seemed a week ago like he had kept his team upright to survive an early-season storm of adversity. The Philadelphia Flyers suddenly have glaring goal prevention problems on multiple levels, however.
Shaky defense, sloppiness all over the ice, and goaltending struggles dropped the Flyers to the bottom spot in the NHL allowing 3.66 goals against per games played (GA/GP) at the three-day Christmas pause.
- 12/21 at the Wells Fargo Center: Flyers 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 4
- 12/23 at the PPG Pains Arena: Pittsburgh Penguins 7, Flyers 3
Flyers Last In Goals Against
The Flyers have surrendered 28 goals over their last five games (1-4-0). Four empty-net goals inflate the cringy 5.6 GA/GP average. However, even after removing the empty-netters (which isn’t how NHL statistics work anyway), the 4.8 GA/GP still far exceeds the expectations of a disciplined team.
Careless play in the defensive zone has opened the floodgates late in games that previously seemed winnable against the Detroit Red Wings and the Los Angeles Kings.
Sam Ersson hasn’t regained his rhythm in six games since returning from a lower-body injury on December 8. His 3.26 goals against average and .872 save percentage on the season rank well below NHL goaltending averages (2.83 GAA, .900 SV%).
The 24-year-old took accountability for his struggles after the Flyers escaped the Columbus game with a fortunate 5-4 victory.
“I feel like I’ve got to find a way to come up with more big saves. Today, I let in a couple shitty ones to be honest. The guys, they bailed me out. They scored a bunch of big goals… I’ve got to keep working here a little bit and climb back to where I want to be.” -Sam Ersson
Backup goalie Aleksei Kolosov has also struggled in the crease. NHL head coaches don’t like to use goalies as a scapegoat and offer their skaters an excuse for poor defense, however.
“I’m not going to lay the blame on the goalies for our little bit of a funk here, but they’re part of it. We need more saves at key times, and we haven’t gotten them.” -John Tortorella
Jamie Drysdale has struggled to play responsible defense in eight games since returning from the injured list. Cam York took a seat as a healthy scratch against Los Angeles after a rough game in Detroit one day earlier.
The Flyers also demoted Emil Andrae to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms despite an impressive rookie surge that had begun to cool off only for a short stretch of games.
Related Content: Does Aleksei Kolosov Deserve Backup Goalie Job With Flyers?
Tortorella has declared an “epidemic” of his team allowing goals immediately following faceoffs.
A team with talent deficiencies will not remain on the playoff bubble without defensively responsible habits. The Flyers have not shown the necessary habits over the past five games, and it’s landed them in dead last place among 32 teams in goals against.
Owen Tippett Heating Up
Owen Tippett scored a dramatic overtime goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets for Philadelphia’s only win during a stretch of four regulation losses in their last five games.
He finished what was possibly the best of his 305 career NHL games with four points.
Tippett has developed into a strong shooter since coming to the Flyers as the centerpiece of the return in the Claude Giroux trade in 2022. He scored 27 goals in 2022-23 and 28 goals in 2023-24. He’s recently shown improvement as a playmaker and a hitter also.
The 25-year-old began the season in a slump with four goals in his first 24 games. His 6.06 shooting percentage fell well below his career numbers entering the season, but he didn’t allow the slow start to impact his shot selection.
“I think that’s something you guys (media) look into way more. Obviously, I’ve played my whole career shooting whenever I have the chance, and sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t… I’m trying to do the best I can, and I think it’s only a matter of time before they start going in.” -Owen Tippett
The numbers have evened out. Tippett has scored seven goals on 21 shots over his current 11-game hot streak. His season point pace is now on par with his past two seasons.
The former 10th-overall pick steps on the ice with one of the best raw skill sets in the NHL. When he utilizes it well, games like his performance against the Blue Jackets will inevitably come.
Cutter Gauthier Highlights “Disney On Ice” Trip
The Flyers resume after the Christmas pause with their four-game West Coast road trip extending into the New Year.
On Christmas Day in 2022, the Flyers owned a dreadful 3-20-4 combined record in road games immediately following the holiday pause dating back to the 2014-15 season. The “Disney On Ice” road trip seemed like a curse while the Mouse occupied the Wells Fargo Center.
Tortorella dropped the collective jaws of Philadelphia fans stuck in a hopeless Groundhog Day mentality about the Orange & Black in his first season behind the bench. The Flyers swept the Disney On Ice slate with a 4-0-0 record before returning to the East Coast.
They collected three of a possible eight points last season with 1-2-1 stretch that still outdoes some of the brutal holiday road trips the franchise has limped through in recent seasons.
Which Western Conference opponent is first up? Cutter Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks will face the Flyers in a Saturday afternoon matinee at the Honda Center (formerly the Arrowhead Pond).
The infamously exiled former top prospect has scored four goals and added 10 assists in 33 games for a rebuilding Anaheim team buried 10 points outside the playoff standings this season.
Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk will call the 4pm puck drop on 97.5 The Fanatic.
Gauthier and the Ducks will feel the wrath of the Philadelphia fans in Gauthier’s first trip to the Wells Fargo Center since forcing a trade that made him public enemy number one in the City of Brotherly Love. The anticipated return will be one of the highlights of the 2024-25 regular season.
Upcoming Schedule
- Saturday 12/28 @ Anaheim Ducks, 4pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Sunday 12/29 @ Los Angeles Kings, 9pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Tuesday 12/31 @ San Jose Sharks, 8pm on 97.5 The Fanatic
- Thursday 1/2 @ Vegas Golden Knights, 10pm on 93.3 WMMR
All advanced stats at 5-on-5, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted
