One day prior to the four-year anniversary of Ron Hextall’s firing as Flyers GM, chants of “Fire Fletcher” could be heard at Wells Fargo Center. Chuck Fletcher’s time should be running out, but it’s not the only change that needs to be made.
On Wednesday, you saw that the current regime is incapable of handling a rebuild. They insisted upon an aggressive retool for a fast fix, not the necessary rebuild needed. Now it’s time to start that rebuild anyway, but focus on the front office that has so clearly set the Flyers back.
Does the entry of Barry Trotz into the coaching free agent market change things for the Flyers? There are cases for both answers.
Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher held his end-of-season availability on Tuesday, first confirming that Mike Yeo would not be returning as head coach of the team. He also discussed the meaning of an “aggressive retool,” how youth factors into the future, and some injury updates.
According to a report from ESPN and NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, the Flyers will “move on” from Mike Yeo in a head coaching role.
At this stage of the Flyers season, now 55 games in with 27 still to go, the results are essentially meaningless. It’s not about wins and losses at this point. Despite that, when a head coach addresses playing with passion, accountability, and having a winning attitude as areas of concern, it raises eyebrows. He’s not the first to do it either.
It has reached a new level for the Flyers. This is essentially one great, big reality show. The play on the ice is only one part of the equation, and at this point, the things happening off the ice are becoming bigger headlines, most recently comments from Flyers legend Bobby Clarke on the Cam and Strick Podcast regarding Ron Hextall’s time as GM.
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.
Again in the third period, as they have many times before, the Flyers were in a position to grab two points. A quick response and another overtime winner ensured they did come away with just that, as their points streak hits six games with a 5-0-1 record.
The Philadelphia Flyers have had nothing but injury after injury to key players, young and old. Thankfully, things seem to be back on track with getting some important young stars back in action.
Another offensive surge for the Flyers, hats on the ice for Cam Atkinson, and lots of smiles in a dominant win for the Flyers over the Devils to bring their winning streak to three games. But there was also a dose of reality that hit the Flyers in regards to what is plaguing the sports world across the nation.
Since our last show, the Flyers went on a 10-game losing streak and fired head coach Alain Vigneault. The guys break it all down.
It may not make a difference in saving their season, but wins are wins at this point. The Flyers will certainly take them in an effort to see if they can right the ship, especially as the schedule lightens up in the next few games.
The Flyers losing streak reached 10 games with another lifeless, boring, and uninspired effort. That’s beyond concerning for a team that should be prepared for much more change and uncertainty over the next few weeks if nothing changes.
In the immediate, it was a move that had to happen. Something had to be done, and a coaching change is certainly an easier way than most to make a change. It’s far from the only change that needs to be made though.
The Flyers have fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Monday. Assistant coach Michel Therrien was also fired. Mike Yeo will take over as interim head coach.
In a 7-1 rout by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flyers losing streak reached eight games, with now three of those losses coming at the hands of the back-to-back champs. And the takeaways from this one are pretty simple. It can’t be much longer before more changes start coming. There isn’t much more to say about the play on the ice that hasn’t already been said during this streak. A season that was all about making the playoffs and getting back to winning has become the opposite in a hurry.
Alain Vigneault’s postgame press conference lasted about two and a half minutes. But it was his tone and clearly visible frustration that told the story. The Flyers coach and his staff may have received a vote of confidence of sorts from Fletcher just a day earlier, but the veteran bench boss knows when the ship is sinking and he becomes the first guy on the chopping block.
Fletcher leaned on the difficulty of the team’s schedule and injuries over the course of the first 20 games of the season, placing more emphasis on a few early-season successes and less on the noticeable struggles the team has had over the last couple of weeks.
There’s really no end in sight for the Flyers losing trend, not without some serious adjustments. That was fully evident in the most recent defeat, a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
Tuesday’s game was the sixth of its kind, a 2-1 overtime win against the Flames that showed the team’s ability to adjust and once again their ability to get the best performance at the most crucial position and use an opportunity to seize the result.
Entering the third period on Friday night in Carolina, it was another similar case. Carolina had only one goal. Hart had 27 saves. This time, the Flyers gave him some run support, and Hart did the rest in a dominant performance that continued his hot start to the season.
The goaltending was something that continues to remain consistent in a positive way for the Flyers. The special teams and overall lack of scoring also remains consistent, which presents some concerns as the team hits the road.
The Flyers stayed the course, overcoming a questionable overturned goal call and a tight contest between a team desperate to get their first win. They finally broke through in the third, and their goaltender did the rest.
