Keith Yandle

At the halfway point of the 2021-22 season, the playoffs aren’t happening and things appear to be in shambles on and off the ice. So what happens in the final 41 games? What makes them noteworthy? Here are three questions that are facing the Flyers going forward for the remainder of the season.

David Pastrnak scored his 11th career hat trick and third against the Flyers, as the Bruins held on for a 3-2 win at TD Garden, marking the sixth straight loss for the Flyers. 

The law of averages essentially caught up to the Flyers. Out of the break, they were lucky to get a win in Seattle and stole a point in San Jose. Deservedly, they have nothing to show for a defeat that featured more sloppy play, more poor puck management, and continued lapses in defensive coverage.

Injuries, COVID, and everything else aside, the Flyers are not clicking the way they need to. They may be turning the corner in terms of results, but they may be turning into a head-on collision with some of the best teams in the league still ahead on the schedule.

One night after getting the win in overtime, the Flyers didn't get the same fate on this night. Tomas Hertl scored on a rebound with 30.8 seconds remaining to hand the Flyers a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

It wasn’t pretty, and against another of the NHL’s bottom-feeder teams, the mistakes being made and the habits continuing to take center-stage are still troubling. But the Flyers also have strung together wins and points, and that’s what was needed against these teams. Now they need to continue to form better habits and apply it, perhaps as soon as next week against some tough Metro Division competition, if the schedule allows.

Travis Sanheim scored the game-winning goal at 1:35 of OT, giving the Flyers a 4-3 win over the Senators on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center.

A pair of power-play goals in the third period proved to be the difference, as the Flyers held off the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, on Friday night, snapping a 10-game losing streak.

Just like it has so many times during this losing streak, the momentum disappeared in an instant and the snowball effect started. A shorthanded goal for the Avalanche got the game tied and was the first of four straight goals. The Flyers managed a small rally in the opening period to trim the margin to one twice in the game, but eventually fell for the ninth straight game with a 7-5 loss to the Avalanche at Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers are proving that this roster is not equipped to get the job done. Maybe that has to do with the system, maybe that’s talent, but if they wanted to avoid another purge, things needed to improve. For everyone’s sake, it had better start on Wednesday, because this is going to become an ugly season quickly, and it’s only Thanksgiving.