Why the Flyers’ power play hasn’t worked, what can change

The Philadelphia Flyers have been undoubtedly rolling.

The vibes are the highest they\'ve been in a long time, and the team finds themselves firmly entrenched in the NHL\'s elite week after week, entering a battle for first in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers and embracing a reality that many thought would be impossible at the beginning of the season.

Everything from the goaltending, to the defense, to the forward corps, and even the coaches and front office, has demonstrably outperformed expectations to this point in the year.

Well, everything except one thing.

Despite playing with a tenacity and chemistry that is rivalled by few across the NHL, the Flyers power play still languishes in the basement of the NHL at 13.3 percent, neck-and-neck with the hilariously shorthanded (and terrible), Chicago Blackhawks, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who should be deeply ashamed.

And this really isn\'t anything new, the Flyers power play has long been a point of contention within the fanbase as well as the organization. The Flyers were last in power play percentage in 2022-23, and guess what, they were last in 2021-22 as well. A three year stretch as the worst power play in the entire NHL is a crisis, but up until this point, it really wasn\'t holding the team back from anything greater. But now, as the Flyers surge forward, reaching heights that were previously thought impossible, that struggling power play could hold them back from their very real potential to go on a bit of a miracle run.

So what\'s the problem here? Is it structure? Is it X\'s and O\'s? Or is it something less quantifiable.

Giving it 110% isn\'t always ideal

These 2023-24 Flyers have one of the most unrelenting work ethics in the entire NHL. One could count on one hand the amount of times they have been noticeably outworked over a full 60 minutes, and that is why they are able to so effectively play teams like the Canucks, Stars, or Golden Knights, who on paper are leaps and bounds ahead of the Flyers in terms of established NHL talent. This more likely than not stems from John Tortorella making effort non-negotiable at all times, but it can also be partially credited to players like Garnet Hathaway, Nick Seeler, and Scott Laughton, veterans who despite their skill limitations know how to play their role and maximize their abilities.

This has probably been the Flyers\' number one reason for success thus far, and it has improved every single aspect of their game... besides the power play.

And while watching their recent game against the Stars, one in which the Flyers dominated from start to finish, there was a specific instance that almost perfectly crystallized the stark difference between the Flyers success at 5-on-5 versus their struggles with the man advantage.

During the second period, the Flyers were at the end of yet another unsuccessful power play where they struggled to gain, and keep, possession in the Dallas zone. As the penalty expired, the Flyers changed and threw out their 4th line to establish some pressure following the successful kill.

Despite having immense issues in gaining the zone in the sequences prior, as soon as the man advantage ended, Garnet Hathaway confidently forged ahead into the Stars zone, and established a cycle that ended in a scoring chance. Something the Flyers struggled to do for the two minutes prior, when their opponents had one fewer player on the ice (that is supposed to be AN ADVANTAGE).

On the surface, this is a mind-breaking scenario that makes zero sense when considering that the Flyers have actually been good in the expected goals and possession metrics that usually indicate good offensive teams. And they do create high-quality chances at 5-on-5 as well, not as much as say the Oilers or Maple Leafs, but more than average.

Systems and combinations may be to blame, but what if it is something more unquantifiable, something as simple as poise.

When a team plays at such a high pace, there is a desire for players to want to get the puck on and off their sticks quickly. The more pressure you apply on the opponent, whether physically or through speed of play, the less apparent the gap in raw skill will become. This is why teams like the Blue Jackets or Islanders have upset more elite opposition in recent playoff settings, when they really have no right to do so. They do not quit, and eventually wear teams down.

The Flyers do the same, and while that allows them to play with basically anyone, it also can lead to some players, especially young guys, getting a little jumpy. That isn\'t even a bad thing, when a team isn\'t loaded with talent it can be good to spread the puck around quickly, but on the power play there is typically a lot more room, and that requires a bit more poise.

There is a chance that the 5-on-5 playstyle that the Flyers have adopted is seeping into their power play attempts, and when they try to set something up in the offensive zone, with a bit more time and space to think, they sometimes fail to adapt and look uncomfortable. The extra second of room that could be used to actually devise a specific play to get a high danger chance usually ends becoming a point shot through traffic with hope of a deflection or rebound.

A successful power play shouldn\'t need to cycle and grind, it should be calm, incisive, and look to penetrate the home plate area around the net. Without playing off the rush, some Flyers struggle to do this with consistency. That is where the poise discussed earlier comes in, individuals like Nikita Kucherov, and Connor McDavid have it in spades, and that is why they\'re able to assess the ice and dissect defensive setups so effectively. This isn\'t even to say the Flyers don\'t have players that are capable of this, it\'s just that the key positions on the power play are largely filled with guys who are on the younger side and still may need some time to adapt to really running a power play. Jamie Drysdale and Cam York are both still very young, Owen Tippett has been tasked with being the \"triggerman\" on the half-wall for the first time at the pro level, and even some of the vets like Couturier, Sean Walker and Travis Sanheim were never really power play studs in the first place.

Claude Giroux was so good on the power play not only because of his shot and passing ability, but because of that innate ability to wait an extra second for a lane to open up and make a higher-danger play. It may not be that the Flyers can\'t create these opportunities, they may just not see them yet.

This is all to say that maybe, this is just one aspect of the team that cannot be fast-forwarded by exemplary amount of hard-work and grit. Maybe this will just take time.

It isn\'t all bad, though

This piece couldn\'t end on such a negative tone, it just wouldn\'t jive with the whole entire narrative of the season and how positive it has been as a whole. So it felt right to spotlight a couple of Flyers who surprisingly have shown potential to be effective man advantage players in the future. The first is the much-talked about Morgan Frost, who after his confrontation with John Tortorella around the turn of the year has looked a much more confident and empowered player all over the ice.

When the Flyers are on the power play, Frost largely finds himself placed in the role of distributor, getting the puck to scoring areas from around the tops of the circle and sparingly, behind the net. But he is developing the confidence to take on opportunities of his own and actually flat out beat goaltenders like with this beautiful shot against the Canadiens.

https://twitter.com/nhl_goal_bot/status/1745256437805117922?s=20 But Morgan Frost being effective on the power play isn\'t all that surprising when you consider his pedigree as a prospect and what his skill set projected to become.

What is surprising however, is how effective Yegor Zamula has been in his new role as a power play quarterback. Zamula was a very out of left-field name to try up top with the man advantage, especially when most would consider him to be more of a defensive option on a corps that features names like Sanheim, York, and Drysdale. But since getting his shot, Zamula has exhibited that sort of poise with the puck that is very impressive for a six foot five, 23-year old who is playing his first real season in the NHL.

His six power play points ranks him tied for the team lead, despite not really having played in that role for the first part of the season. Basically, it took Zamula 14 games to become the Flyers most prolific power play producer, which shows how bad the man advantage was prior, but it also shows how good Yegor has been. He looks confident, assertive, and for now, has earned a longer look in a premium spot.

Things may be taking a turn, though. The Flyers have had a power play tally in seven of their last nine games, and have a conversion rate of just over 28%, so maybe things will start to even out, and the bounces will start to shine the Orange and Black\'s way.

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A theory on why the Flyers’ power play doesn’t work, and how it could

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