Multiple Flyers Showing Increased Production Since Coaching Change

It’s been a small sample size, just eight games, since the Flyers made the decision to relieve John Tortorella of his head coaching duties and placed the interim tag on Brad Shaw. And while the portion of the fan base that is hyper-focused on draft lottery odds becomes increasingly frustrated with the results – five wins in the eight games with Shaw serving as interim – there’s no denying that several Flyers players are reaping the benefits of the change, at least in the immediate.

No one more so than Tyson Foerster. Foerster scored his first career hat trick last Wednesday against the Rangers and added two more goals against the Islanders on Saturday. Since the coaching change, he has eight goals and nine points, and has suddenly moved into a tie for the team lead in goals with 24.

Matvei Michkov got an immediate bump from the coaching change, scoring four goals and nine points over the eight games, reaching the 60-point mark on the season. Ryan Poehling also went on a hot streak with four goals and nine points in the last eight games.

Some players have maintained some consistency over this period. Sean Couturier has three goals and three assists for six points over the eight games. Travis Konecny has gone nine straight games without a goal and has just two goals in 24 games since returning from 4 Nations, but has seven assists in the eight games since the coaching change.

Then there are players who have seen some increased ice time and turned it into more production. Foerster and Michkov fall into that category. So does Jakob Pelletier, acquired in January. Pelletier had three assists in 16 games while Tortorella was coach. In the eight games since, he has three goals and five points.

There have also been a group of Flyers that have not been finishing on their own chances, but have still produced at a solid rate in the last eight games. Owen Tippett has one goals and six points and Noah Cates has two goals and five assists for seven points. Bobby Brink has six assists in that time.

While all of this has contributed to somewhat unwanted results, at least in the eyes of the fanbase, it is a positive for the players, giving them something to build on ahead of next season. They have one more opportunity to add to those numbers on Thursday night in the season finale against Buffalo.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.