Joel Farabee did not comprehend the hostility.
As he went into Philadelphia Flyers training camp last September, he noticed a locker room that had grown even tighter over the summer. He watched crucial players like center Sean Couturier, who is now captain, and winger Cam Atkinson return to full health. He perceived John Tortorella as a coach who required effort in every game, the last person you’d expect to lord over a last-place team.
Nonetheless, the Flyers had been effectively written off in preseason predictions. Their.457 point percentage in 2022-23 was interpreted as a foreshadowing of difficult seasons to come. And it wasn’t just the media or fans; team management had openly stated that the Flyers were rebuilding and would not be a Stanley Cup contender this season.
However, Farabee had different expectations prior to the season. That was not what many of his teammates observed either. And they were upset about what they saw as disrespect from the rest of the NHL.
“We just came in with that F.U. attitude,” Farabee explained to ESPN. “Just seeing all the media, and everyone else, having us in the bottom five or bottom three in the league, whatever it was, I think it just fueled a fire and motivated us to stick it the doubters.”
Through 57 games, the naysayers have remained stuck. The Flyers are third in the Metro Division with a 30-20-7 record (67 points), attempting to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020. Instead of tabulating their lottery odds, as many expected, their playoff odds are receiving the most attention: 76.8% likelihood of making the cut as of Thursday, according to Stathletes.
“We had a chip on our shoulder since the beginning of the year. “People were always saying that we were going to be one of the worst teams in the league,” defenseman Sean Walker said. “Once we started winning some games, we believed we could be successful this year. And then we started doing it.
TO A MAN, the Flyers claim that training camp is where the belief began. In the summer, the team lost a few seasoned players, including center Kevin Hayes and defender Ivan Provorov, who were traded. Expectations were low for what was billed as a rebuilding effort.
Tortorella, however, believed they could do better, and it all began with team camaraderie.
“For me, the most significant aspect of our summer before the season was our locker room. “You could tell right away that our locker room was together,” he explained. “It’s just how you feel. It’s difficult to describe how you view it. There is no analysis for it. It’s just your instincts and how you observe their behavior.”
It’s something veteran defenseman Marc Staal has experienced as one of the Flyers’ few new faces this season, having joined the team after helping the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final.
“When I got here, guys already had a really good culture and a good room and everyone enjoys each other’s company,” he told me. “We’re able to push each other while still keeping each other accountable and having fun at the same time.”
“I was aware of the Flyers’ projected performance. “I didn’t believe it when I saw it,” Staal said. “I looked at their team; they were bringing players back and had outstanding goaltending. I was thinking, “They’re not far off, and that’s been proven throughout the season.”
The word “belief” is used frequently around the Flyers. Tortorella’s mantra is a catch-all term that encompasses everything from the will to win to the belief that success is possible.
“The term ‘believe’ is significant for us. We are hardly a star-studded team, and we certainly do not have everything worked out as we begin the process of rebuilding. But belief brings a lot of positive things,” said Tortorella, who is in his second season with the Flyers and 22nd overall as an NHL head coach. “If you have the effort and you have the mindset that we’re going to do this together, you can stay competitive in this league.”
However, belief alone is insufficient at times. There must be proof of concept to support it.
For the Flyers, it happened early. They began the season 3-1, with victories over the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers. Then came an overtime loss to the Dallas Stars and a close 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The wins did not begin to arrive in large numbers until November, but the early attempts were encouraging.
“I think that first road trip, going into Dallas, Vegas [and playing other] top teams, we were right there,” Staal said of the experience. “We had some big wins, really close games, and I think it started to feel like, ‘Hey, we’re competitive every night.'” “We have a chance.”
The Flyers’ lack of true star players, which was expected to be a detriment, may have actually helped bind the squad. Sure, Travis Konecny has 27 goals, and Couturier is rated one of the league’s best two-way centers. However, as Tortorella stated and Farabee confirmed, this is not a star-studded team.
“Obviously, we’re one of those organizations where winning a game requires everyone to contribute. We don’t have one player who can score four goals and win the game. It takes everyone, every night,” Farabee explained. “We go into every game with the expectation of winning, so I don’t believe we overanalyze too much. I believe the best thing about our bunch is that we just go out there and play. We compete quite hard. We’re difficult to play against. I believe that having those characteristics as a team gives you the opportunity to win every night.”
According to New Jersey Devils coach Lindy Ruff, the Flyers are a “hard team to play against” as an opponent.
“For me, they’ve been a highly competitive team almost every night,” he told reporters. “You must compete for all of the ice available in each zone. They defend well and play the game quickly. They’re providing some excellent chances.”
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