Weird game. Until they went down 4-0, Flyers looked awful. First goal on Fedotov, 2nd on Zamula who should have tied up his man, third on Michkov who came across ice to press and left the right side wide open, 4th on Fedotov.
Then Fedotov woke up and remembered why he was the best goalie in the KHL a couple years ago, started moving his feet and clapping his hands ("Around and Around"). And the team woke up, really woke up. Basically dominated the game, could have won 6-4 with a little puck luck. Frost blew two opportunities, then made a bad penalty at the worst possible time (a trend in this game). Despite that his best game of the season.
This isn't a bad team, it isn't a good team. Players who were solid the past two seasons didn't forget how to play hockey. Problem is right now they're still figuring out how to play together. And they need goalies to make plays, like Fedotov did after he woke up.
Zamula and Drysdale are bad, the difference is Zamula is 24 with lots of experience and limited talent, Drysdale is 22, missed a lot of PT and has a lot more raw talent. At some point Andrae will come up and push Zamula.
Deslauriers does more than fight, he goes to the net and creates havoc for short stretches.
Couts did so in the PP for Michkov's goal but doesn't do so on a regular basis.
Foerster hasn't become that PF. And that's why so many plays die around the net.
Against teams like the Caps and Isles, the undersized Flyers tend to be exposed, they've gotten faster but they're still too small. Not enough guys who can to to the net or clear the net on the defensive end. Since Kaplan looks like a flop, Berglund might be the only prospect who can fill that role on offense.
This is what the next two years will look like, a fun team that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and lose games they should win.