The week of Thanksgiving was not one to celebrate for the Philadelphia Flyers, as they extended their losing streak to four. First, the Flyers took on the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time this season, getting shut out in a 4-0 loss. A day later, they faced the Florida Panthers, falling in a much closer game that went to overtime. Then, the Flyers’ 6-3 Black Friday defeat at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes ended the week on a shaky note. Though these three games were generally rough, some players’ individual performances provided a few bright spots. However, others were not quite so impressive. Each week, we’ll take a look at Philadelphia Flyers players who are on a hot or cold streak. This week, we’ll examine Joel Farabee and Oskar Lindblom.
Be sure to check out last week’s streaks as well.
Hot and Cold Streaks, Including Joel Farabee
Hot Streak: Joel Farabee
It’s been an inconsistent season for Farabee. For the first week, he was incredibly hot, recording three goals and three assists through three games. Then he cooled off, scoring just once in the next 14 contests. But this week, Farabee showed echoes of the beginning of the season, finding the back of the net twice to boost the Flyers’ still-flagging offence.
Scoring on Sergei Bobrovsky—one of the NHL’s best goaltenders thus far this season—is no easy feat. Farabee rose to the challenge, slipping a shot through the five-hole to open the scoring halfway through the first period. Then, against the Hurricanes, he logged an even more notable tally. On a Carolina power play, Farabee skated all the way from the Flyers’ end of the ice to the Hurricanes’, deftly sliding around Seth Jarvis to pot another five-hole goal, this time against Antti Raanta. It was the first shorthanded goal of his career.
Hopefully, this week is a sign of good things to come for Farabee. If he can live up to the promise of his early-season streak, he’ll provide some relief for the Flyers’ scoring struggles.
Honorable Mention: Martin Jones
One game does not make a streak. But when it’s a game in which Martin Jones saved 43 of 45 shots…well, he certainly deserves some sort of recognition. In his only start of the week, Jones held Florida scoreless for two periods. During that stretch, the Panthers outshot the Flyers (26 to 23) and had a significant advantage in high-danger scoring chances as well (13 to eight). The one goal he did give up in regulation was a tap-in from Sam Bennett that would have been nearly impossible to stop.
Overtime was a similar story for the Flyers, as they were outchanced again. Yet Jones made seven more stops (three of which were high-danger) to give the team a chance to generate something. Though the game would ultimately end in a loss due to a goal from Aaron Ekblad, Jones’ spectacular effort bought the Flyers their only point of the week. His .956 save percentage was not even his highest of the season—but nevertheless, it was his most impressive performance to date.
Cold Streak: Oskar Lindblom
At the start of the season, Lindblom was quietly picking up steam. On the third line with James van Riemsdyk and Scott Laughton, he seemed to be getting more and more dangerous chances. He never did get rewarded with a goal, but his line was a constant threat.
Once the roster started getting shuffled around, though, Lindblom started to decline. The fourth line definitely wasn’t a fit for him, and the revamped third line simply didn’t have as much chemistry as it used to. All this has resulted in an odd sort of limbo for Lindblom. He has shown a promising offensive upside, but hasn’t been consistent enough to earn a spot in the top six. And his current bottom-six role hasn’t been kind to him. He was on ice for five goals against and no goals for the Flyers this week. Ultimately, regardless of whether Lindblom’s cold streak is a result of coaching or his own individual struggles, he’s not doing well at the moment—and something has to change.
