This is as good a time as any to do a broader review Philadelphia FlyersThat hit the 20-game mark (10 at home, 10 on the road) with a somewhat disappointing 8-10-2 record and is in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division, which already splits itself into four teams. Looks like it can compete. For the Stanley Cup and four who are either rebuilding or have real problems.

Let’s get to it.

Stock up: The Travis

The two longtime friends have been two of the Flyers’ best players this season. Travis Sanheim anchors the defensive group, which has endured several injuries in the early season, while Travis Konekny has been the most consistent and dangerous forward.

Sanheim is probably the Flyers’ MVP at the quarterback point, contributing on both ends of the ice and playing the best hockey of his career. He’s a plus-2 on a team that has been outscored 5-for-17. He ranks third in the league in ice time at 25:33 per game, despite barely getting any power play time. Before Wednesday’s game, Sanheim had eclipsed 30 minutes in three of the Flyers’ last five games as the team waited for others to get back into the lineup. All of Sanheim’s 12 points are even-strength, leaving them just one behind league co-leaders Alex Petrangelo, Cal Makar and Owen Power.

It’s worth noting that when Rod Brandmore was asked before Wednesday’s game what the Flyers were doing differently than the last time they faced the Hurricanes just two weeks ago, he told reporters: “Sanheim rushes every game, like old Bobby. Or back in the day, that’s fun to watch. … So, we’ve got to be aware of that guy.

Konikny remains the heartbeat of the team and is on his way to his best season yet. He’s averaging more than a point per game (23 in 20 games), is on pace for 45 goals (11 so far), and leads the Flyers with five power play goals. We’ll see how his eight-year contract that kicks in next season plays out, but Konekny certainly isn’t slowing down. Quite the opposite.

Stockdown: Young scoring winger not named Konikny or Mishkov.

While Konecny ​​is pulling his weight and Matvei Michkov is still producing through some inevitable rookie growing pains, every other scoring forward has been disappointing so far. Owen Tippett, Joel Farabee, Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink, four young wingers the organization hoped would take another step, have combined for just 14 goals in 76 games.

There have been some signs that they are all working to get out of the early season slump. Tippett has three of his four goals this month and has put the puck on his stick more often than not. And Foster is starting to come back. Playing hard with the wall and winning his battles, which he hasn’t been doing much before – the fourth line seems to degenerate into attention.

But there has been no overall consistency in this group.

Stock up: Special teams.

Yes, the powerplay has hit a bit of a snag lately, going just 2-20 over the past seven games. But losing both quarterbacks in Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andre has predictably sidelined him, while other players have been shuffled in and out of both units recently. The Flyers are ranked 20th. The NHL in power play percentage (16.9 percent), which is still three percentage points higher than the 2021-22 average from last season. Once they get all their pieces back, and assuming Mechkov becomes a more dangerous threat offensively as the season progresses, they could very well finish in the top half of the league. are

The penalty kill picked up where it left off last season, sitting fourth in the league at 86.6 percent. The Flyers have just one shorthanded goal, but they’re still getting chances the other way: According to Natural Stat Trick, they’re creating 9.69 scoring chances per 60 minutes on the penalty kill, third in the league. is on

Stockdown: Centers

The good news on Wednesday is that Ryan Poehling’s shot beat Pyotr Kochetkov in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. It was Poehling’s first goal of the season, and only the second from the Flyers center since October 26 (Morgan Frost scored the other on November 5).

The bad news is that Poehling’s turnover later in the game helped lead to what turned out to be the game-winning goal, while Scott Laughton’s fumble in the first period. Carolina The substitute captain also benefited from getting some extended time on the bench.

The Flyers just don’t have a top-tier, play-driving center on the roster, while the guy who has the best chance to become one, Frost, A healthy scratch For four of the last five games.

Is it time for general manager Daniel Breyer to get a little more aggressive to try and find him? It’s worth circling back The duck To gauge interest in me and maybe even take a chance on Trevor Zegros, maybe? Zegras is only signed through next season, so even if the Flyers acquired him, they wouldn’t be committed to him long-term. It feels like it’s time for Breyer to do something different here.

Emil Andre has growing confidence with and without the puck. (Kyle Ross/Imagine Images)

Stock up: Emil Andre

It was unfortunate timing for Andre when he was injured late on in last Saturday’s win. Sabersas he was earning big minutes and showing that he might be ready to stick with the NHL full-time. Fortunately for him and the team, Andrey was on the ice Wednesday, suggesting he could be back soon. He’s second on the Flyers in expected goal share (55.6 percent), but just watching him (and talking with him) it’s clear that his confidence is growing and without the puck.

Stockdown: Jamie Drysdale

Frankly, Andrae is becoming the player the Flyers were hoping Drysdale would become (1 goal, 2 assists in 15 games). It’s too early to write off Drysdale, who seems like the Ducks taking him to the NHL has stunted his development. But he’ll be under the microscope when he returns from his upper-body injury, as the Flyers don’t want to wear Andre, York and Drysdale in the same game for fear of being too short on their back end. (For his part, Tortorella said he wasn’t afraid to do so when asked a week ago. We’ll see.)

Stock up: Sam Erson

Don’t blame Ersson as the Flyers are fourth-bottom in the league in team goals-against average (3.50) heading into Wednesday’s games. The Flyers’ No. 1 goalie has been generally solid all season, with a 2.70 GAA and .902 save percentage in 11 games. He seemed to be hitting his stride even before he came out of the lineup. What is believed to be a back injury.: In his last five appearances, Ersson has stopped 109 of 116 shots in 257 minutes for a .940 save percentage, going 3-0-1.

Both Erson and Tortorella mentioned earlier in the season when the goalie’s stat line wasn’t so hot that they believed he was playing better than the numbers suggested. That proved to be the case, as Ersson was spectacular when the Flyers finally found some structure to their game.

The 25-year-old still has an outside chance of making Team Sweden for the upcoming 4 Nations tournament, although Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson is the likely favorite to be No. 3 behind Jacob Markstrom and Linus Allmark. But, considering he’s been injured twice in a short period of time, he might be better off sitting him out anyway. The Flyers need him healthy if they’re going to have any chance of hanging around the playoff race due to their mismanagement of the backup goalie position (see below).

Stockdown: Backup pills

Yes, they’ve improved a bit recently, but there’s still plenty of uncertainty with both Ivan Fedotov and Alexey Kolosov. This is not an attempt to suggest that none of them will be on an NHL team’s roster at this point.

Their combined numbers are terrifying: 3-8-0, an .874 save percentage and a 3.70 goals-against average. Their numbers are nearly identical (Fedotov’s .875 save percentage is slightly better than Kolosov’s .872, while his GAA of 3.69 is also slightly better than Kolosov’s 3.71). Cal Patterson seems to be an afterthought in the organization right now, but he could have done better.

If there’s any reason for hope, it probably lies more with Fedotov, who had won three straight starts before allowing a soft third-period goal in the Flyers’ 4-1 loss to Carolina on Wednesday. was settling before He’s made some good saves before — his stop on Jake Roslovich on two-on-one in the first period gave the Flyers some energy at the time — but his overall work this season is still lacking.

Kolosov should return to the AHL when Ersson recovers. It’s not fair for Fedotov to have to share the net with him, and it doesn’t bode well for the other players currently on the Phantoms who are working hard to make the jump. If he doesn’t want to play at Lehigh Valley, the Flyers should cut ties with him.

(Top photo of Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny: Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)