NHL Power Rankings: Eastern Conference Taking Control

No. 22: Philadelphia Flyers
Previous: 18th
Season record: 8-8-3
So many of these teams we’ve talked about haven’t scored a whole lot. That certainly hasn’t been a problem for the Flyers, as it usually isn’t. The big three of Claude Giroux (17 points), Jakub Voracek (17) and Wayne Simmonds (16) leads a group of seven skaters with at least 10 points.
Incredibly, everyone on the roster has at least one point (minus the goaltenders). So the problem again goes to the defense and goaltending.
Philly can tout Shayne Gostisbehere as the next great blueliner all it wants to (and he is a budding one), but until the team makes an actually commitment to its back end, it won’t be improving much.
Steve Mason (.886/3.12) and Michal Neuvirth (.859/3.54) just can’t get the job done behind a mostly meh blue line. And that’s the end of the story.