Flyers Look to Take Resilience into Postseason Against In-State Rivals

The Pittsburgh Penguins and their trio of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Sidney Crosby look to make one last run, potentially with all three still in a Pittsburgh uniform. With the motivation and morale in the Pittsburgh locker room, not many teams would stand up to this veteran core, as those three are in their 20th year together. With that in question, if there was anyone who could take down the Penguins in the playoffs, it’s the Philadelphia Flyers and the resilience they have shown since October.

Though the Flyers have had a number of bad stretches at times, they always came back after a loss with strength. The Flyers had a record of 15-8-3 after suffering a regulation loss. Of their 98 points this year, 33 came after a loss in regulation, showing how head coach Rick Tocchet and his locker room remained professional and would regroup as a team.

This resilience was especially needed in the thick of the playoff race. After a tough two-game stretch against the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings, the Flyers, on the second hand of a back-to-back, scored four goals against the New York Islanders, who were also in the playoff rush at the time. This theme would continue during the race, as after dropping the series finale to Detroit in a 6-3 loss, the Flyers came back better against the Winnipeg Jets, as they grounded the Jets and their playoff hopes in the 7-1 win.

The Flyers not only showed resilience after losing a game, but after losing periods as well. In that clinching game, they went down 2-0 after the first period to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers tied the game after goals from Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras, who tied the game on the power play for the Flyers. They would go on to win the game in the shootout, beating Carolina 3-2 in the end, securing their spot in the playoffs.

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The Flyers coming back stronger after a loss, however, doesn’t happen by coincidence. Many factors in the locker room influence the comeback. Inside the room, the mentality is a big part of the trend, as leadership from the captain Sean Couturier and culture from head coach Tocchet are responsible for the first step of their resilience. The guys in the locker room need to be there for each other and prevent any heads from falling down. If Captain Coots and the rest of the team can keep their mindset at a confident level, then good things will come in return.

Another important part about the Flyers that many teams lack is their depth. The Flyers, even though they don’t have star talent on all four lines, have the “next guy up” mentality, who’s ready for anything to come. Often, guys will rotate in and out of the lines and defensive pairings, which allows for resting and different looks on offense and defense. The big name that has excelled at this job has been Carl Grundstrom, who had a lot of looks on the first, second, third, and fourth lines.

On all four lines, Grundstrom has clicked with a wide range of linemates, whether it be a playmaker like Trevor Zegras on the first line or a gritty player on the fourth line like Nikita Grebenkin. Grundstrom and many other guys this year have found success on each line. Without guys like Grundstrom, Grebenkin, Couturier (shifted up and down the lines), and defenseman Emil Andre, who had to learn different lines, the Flyers would have nowhere near the resilience they have right now. Without them, they would have tired legs, predictable systems, and continued themes negatively. The Flyers can bounce back after a loss with rotated players in the lineup and new line combinations, which means even more in the postseason.

The resilience, even after a great season, cannot stop there, as the Flyers still have a lot of work to do. In a series against their cross-state rival, the Penguins, the Flyers cannot stay down after a loss or a bad period. In the playoffs, young teams can let go and spiral when it matters most. The Flyers, however, are not an average young core; they have something special, believing in each other and themselves, that just might take them on a run.

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