The Philadelphia Flyers’ man-advantage unit is mired at the bottom of the league, converting just 15.3 percent of opportunities-tied for 30th in the NHL.
At a Glance
- Flyers rank 30th this season and dead-last at 13.9% since 2021-22
- Fans booed during a four-game homestand that ended with two blowout losses to Tampa Bay
- Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny have one combined power-play point in the last eight games
- Why it matters: The special-teams slide is eroding points in the standings and testing the locker-room mood
Over the last five seasons, no club has been less efficient on the power play than Philadelphia, whose cumulative clip sits at 13.9 percent.
Boos echoed through the Wells Fargo Center during the recent four-game homestand, culminating in back-to-back routs by the Lightning. After Monday’s 5-1 defeat, coach Rick Tocchet cut straight to the issue.
“Our power play, you can tell some guys are nervous out there,” he said. “We’ve just got to relax them. That’s my job, we’ve got to get these guys to relax a little bit.”
Coaching Response
Tocchet’s plan is built on daily communication and simplification.
“Grabbing individuals, ask them what they think,” he explained Tuesday. “You’re in a sport when things don’t go your way, you’re going to hear it, there might be some people mad up in the stands. You’ve got to go through that, you’ve got to be battle-tested.”
The franchise’s historical struggles weigh on the current group. Tocchet, familiar with Philadelphia’s demanding environment, emphasized unity.
“Everybody’s a good guy when things go great. Things aren’t going great, how do we deal with it? That’s really what we’re trying to figure out right now. Are we getting frustrated? Are guys getting mad at each other on the bench? You’ve got to stick together. We don’t want to let that creep into our game.”
Production Drop
Last season, Michkov and winger Travis Konecny co-led the Flyers with eight power-play goals and nine assists each. Through the current campaign, offseason acquisition Trevor Zegras tops the roster with six goals and seven assists while up a man.
Since the holiday break, however, the trio has managed only one point-a Zegras goal-during an 0-for-21 slide that has dropped the club to 2 for 23 over eight games.
“It’s my job to fix it,” Tocchet said. “Obviously we’ve got to get more middle shots, harder shots, goals from the middle. I’m not picking on guys, but Trevor and Mich and those guys who are our better players, they have to attack the middle of the ice.”
System Breakdown
Film sessions show repeated missed reads. When opponents pressure the points or seams, Philadelphia hesitates.
“When you beat pressure, then it becomes execution,” Tocchet noted. “And we’re having a tough time with that.”
The coaching staff has pared down the playbook, hoping clarity breeds confidence.
“We have to think of a way for players to retain some of the information we’re giving them. Because we’re not giving them a lot. Maybe early in the season we did, which wasn’t bad, but now we’re going to have to really dumb it down a little bit.”
Fan Frustration
Supporters voiced displeasure during recent losses, a reaction Tocchet accepts as part of playing in the city.
“You’re going to hear it,” he said. “There might be some people mad up in the stands. You’ve got to go through that.”
The club hopes the next stretch of road games provides a reset away from the home crowd’s angst.
What’s Next
Philadelphia continues a four-game trip Thursday, facing opponents against whom clean special-teams play could decide tight Metro Division matchups. Tocchet intends to juggle personnel and simplify zone entries, emphasizing quick shots from the slot.
“Battle-tested” is the mantra he keeps repeating to a room aware that every point lost in January becomes critical in April.
