Time to Break up the Top Line

We may only be four games into the 2014-15 campaign, but the Philadelphia Flyers appear to have the same problems that plagued them last season.  Most notably, major problems at even strength.

The power play has been a strength with the team going five for seventeen, good enough for eighth in the league.

The penalty kill has been just as effective with the Flyers one for ten which puts them at tenth.

In terms of penalties the Flyers sit in a very strange position, having accrued the least penalty minutes per game in the league at 7.2 penalty minutes per game.

This has exposed the weakest part of the Flyers game, even strength, where they have given up thirteen even strength goals and scored only six.

The Flyers minus seven put them near the bottom of the league tied with both Buffalo and Colorado with Edmonton the worst even strength team in the NHL at a minus nine.

The problems can be traced specifically to one line and one defensive pairing.  The top line of Michael Raffl/Claude Giroux/Jakub Voracek has accounted for an outsized portion of these goals. 

Michael Raffl has been on the ice for eight even strength goals while Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek have been on the ice for seven each.  These numbers are greatly affected by their poor game against the New Jersey Devils but it does point to a larger problem.  The top line is not as effective at five on five than they should be. 

The case can be made that the Flyers should replace Voracek with Wayne Simmonds on the right side of the top line and begin looking for a replacement on the left side with the possibility of moving Brayden Schenn back up to left wing on the top line.

Simmonds and Schenn can provide the muscle down low and create space for Giroux to work around faceoff circles.

But that is not the only major problem, the defensive pairing of Luke Schenn and Michael Del Zotto has been a problem as well with Luke on the ice for nine even strength goals and Del Zotto eight. 

Again, these numbers are a bit outsized due to the New Jersey Devils game where these five individuals happened to be on ice for a number of New Jersey goals.

I am not sure about a solution for the defense because the Flyers desperately need Del Zotto's speed and ability to push the puck up ice.  Without Del Zotto the Flyers defense is slow and immobile. 

The Flyers should consider a different partner, perhaps Braydon Coburn, when he returns from injury for Michael Del Zotto.

The final two areas of concern are singular players who may not be good fits overall or just looking for the right partner.

R.J.Umberger has been on the ice for six even strength goals against so far this year and Andrew MacDonald five.  No other player accounts for being on the ice for five or more goals.

This is not to say that the pairing of Claude Giroux, Michael Raffl, and Jakub Voracek cannot be effective as they can still anchor the top power play line but it appears that they are not an effective even strength line combination.

The Flyers are in the midst of a roster overhaul focusing on plus skaters with skill and their play has not been that bad.  The key, as they begin an important road trip, is to find effective line combinations at even strength for both the forwards and defense. 

While breaking up some combinations may be unpopular it is necessary if the Flyers expect to turn around the season after a slow start.