Results Are In: Fan Confidence Plummets Over 40 Points

by Travis Hughes on Dec 17, 2009 11:47 AM EST in Philadelphia Flyers Features

The Broad Street Hockey Fan Confidence Rating is a measurement of how confident fans are in the current direction of the organization as a whole. Voters take into account the team's on-ice performance, management and coaching decisions, and the overall status of prospects and the farm system.

In a not so surprising shift of faith, confidence among Flyers fans has dropped from 77.9 percent back on November 23rd to 34.5 percent today.

It's not really that hard to understand. Back during that last installment of our poll, the Flyers were sitting tall at 12-7-1, right in the middle of that terrible Western road trip that seemed to start all of this chaos. Sure, they were fresh off of losses to San Jose and Phoenix at the time the polls opened, but we never thought what's occurred would ever happened.

Since then, they've won three games. Nine losses. They now sit at 15-16-1 and are a full 16 points behind first place in the Atlantic Division. The team has a new head coach, an injured starting goaltender, and a potent offense that has been everything but. And since this poll takes into account everything, from the management to the farm system, it's worth noting that the organization doesn't even hold a first round draft pick this season.

34.5 percent confidence in this team? That could be considered a little high, given the circumstances. Feel free to explain your votes below, and thanks to the 485 of you who took part.

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On second thought!

Unfortunately I don’t feel any better today than yesterday. Maybe after tomorrow….But I doubt it. I don’t know about anyone else but even after the losing and the bad mojo, I still wouldn’t want to have Tortorella carrying on like a two year old behind the bench or in press conferences the way he has in the wake of that teams similar collapse. In my opinion.

by MJDII on Dec 17, 2009 12:22 PM EST reply actions

I voted 20%. I haven’t had that little confidence in the franchise since we traded for Alexei Zhitnik in 2006.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Dec 17, 2009 12:32 PM EST reply actions

I gave it a 50 because I feel like its a slump that the players have time to pull themselves out of. The division title might be out of the question, but if the team is healthy and squeaks into the postseason, it is a team that was built for the grind of the playoffs.

by Derek F on Dec 17, 2009 12:41 PM EST reply actions

How can you say it’s a team built for the grind of the playoffs. Solid D, potent special teams(PP PK), consistent netminding and team first attitude. After Pronger and Carle(which I believe maybe more of him riding Pronger’s wave) our D has been below average. When you consider we are 2nd in the league in PIMS and in the bottom half of PK%, that adds up to alot of goals against in the playoffs. Goaltending is not an issue for now or is as we continue to pick neverhasbeens like Leighton-Grahme. Collectively our sv% and GAA are again at the bottom of the league. Lappy laid down in front of that shot, took it in the kisser and came back. Please name one other player on this team that would come back for a regular season game, I’m sure a couple would for a playoff run. Unfortunately we may not make that run. My vote went from 90%-80%-60% and I voted before the Pens game or that # would be 40%

by Crosby sucks on Dec 17, 2009 1:12 PM EST reply actions

“I taught ya how to go for the “W”! You could have been one of the greats! And now look at yourself. You’re not even a has-been. You’re a never-was."

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 17, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

goddamnit Geoff

Gordon you miss this shot, you’re not just lettin me down ur lettin ur whole team down

TAKE THE FALL, ACT HURT, GET INDIGNANT

by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Dec 17, 2009 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

I think you underestimate Timmonen.

by Mike B on D on Dec 17, 2009 4:38 PM EST up reply actions

for every time they wing the puck around the boards and chase after it – minus 20%
for every bad penalty – minus 20%
for gagne not playin – minus 15%
for firing stevens – minus 15%
for turning the flyers into a prototypically boring Hurricane type hockey team – Priceless!

by fitzy first on Dec 17, 2009 1:21 PM EST reply actions

And now, yet another picture of our guys out on the town.

This is getting ridiculous.

Carter, Richards, and Hartnell really ought to keep themselves in check.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Dec 17, 2009 1:45 PM EST reply actions

Left to Right: Richards, Carter, Hartnell?

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 17, 2009 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

Close.

Carter, Richards, Hartnell.

As Homer Simpson once said, “Heh heh heh. Moe is their leader!” So Richie has to be Moe.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Dec 17, 2009 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

Moe looks a little too ‘gangsta’ to be Richards, but point taken and accepted.

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Dec 17, 2009 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

+million for correlating stooges and simpsons in one very funny reference..

by stubborne on Dec 17, 2009 3:38 PM EST up reply actions

I'm still confident

There are 50 games left including tonight, they are getting Betts, Powe and Gagne back, all of whom were part of the PK when it was going good. They will be getting their starting goaltender back at some point, and they have no way to go but up. Offence tends to be mercurial. If you think about the Flyers of the past couple of years, it was the special teams that made them successful. If they have not begun to recover by early January you can expect some trades. But this team has too much talent to not make the playoffs. Period.

by paolipress1 on Dec 17, 2009 3:22 PM EST reply actions

They have 31 points.

Since the lockout, the Eastern Conference 8th seed has had 92, 92, 94, and 93 points.

So lets say they only need 92 pts. That still is 62 points in the next fifty games to even be in the race for a playoff spot.

Let’s see what happens.

by MarioD on Dec 17, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah — the East is pretty mediocre right now on the whole, especially from about 5th or 6th place on down, but you can’t expect it to be that way the rest of the season. Teams are going to pick it up, and the only way the Flyers get into the playoffs is if they’re the ones who pick it up. And it has to start sooner rather than later.

Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Travis Hughes on Dec 17, 2009 5:52 PM EST up reply actions

I voted 20% and I’m generally a fairly confident sort, if that’s any indication about the direction of this club. I’m in agreement with Roenick who said there is something going on with the fabric of this team, BS rumors notwithstanding. Whether their leader is not strong enough, or there’s some sort of friction between the players—I know the construction of the team is inherently flawed, but they still should be playing much better than this—there’s something infecting this team where they appear to not be giving max efforts many nights.

by doubleh on Dec 17, 2009 3:45 PM EST reply actions

Dammit

I wrote a really long post but for some reason it didn’t post. Essentially it said that team chemistry probably sucks right now, in part because the Flyers’ identity is changing and being “taken away” from Richards and Carter in the process. Plus, the only attention being given to Richards and Carter is negative: “Richards is a lousy captain; Carter parties too hard and is not focused.”

The tightly-knit groups of 2007-08 and 2008-09 are long gone. Now we have a clash between the older players who want to win every game and who do things the old-fashioned way, and the younger players.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Dec 17, 2009 6:02 PM EST up reply actions