Isaac of Flyers – Flyers Have Issues on Power Play
VANCOUVER, B.C — Look far enough down the stats book at the power play and eventually you'll find the Flyers.
Keep scrolling.
Yes, they're down at 24, far beneath where they usually are. Since the 2007-08 season, when assistant coach Joey Mullen was hired and started running the power play, the Flyers have only been out of the top 10 only once.
“On the PP, sometimes you press a little bit too much and you force things that are not there," said alternate captain Mark Streit, the point man on the first power play unit. "So we gotta stay patient. We have a lot of talent, a lot of skill on the PP… just try to go back to the basics, move the puck well and get it to the net, get the rebounds. We have (Wayne Simmonds) screening and tipping in front. If you get one you’ll probably get a few more hopefully.”
Recently, they haven't. The Flyers haven't scored on 10 straight power plays, a span of four games. It's a little early in the season to be hitting the panic button, but the Flyers' power play has been what made the team tick in recent years and the lack of scoring on the man advantage has continued to even strength as well.
“Obviously it hasn’t been good enough," said Jake Voracek, who has gone goalless so far this season. "We haven’t made the difference in the game. It’s experienced group on that PP. We were, what, top five in the last four seasons? I mean, it’s something we just have to pull through. When you get more confident, you move the puck around better. I think that’s been the problem.”
Without moving the puck there can't be shots from the point, where Streit and Evgeni Medvedev rocket the disc on net.