Morning Observations is a feature where we break down the previous night's game with an analytical eye.
#1: Third period went from great to awful quickly
A recurring issue for the Flyers under Dave Hakstol has been play with the lead in the third period. Last season, it was a certainty — the team would invariably halt their aggressive offensive zone forechecking, play “keep them to the outside” in the defensive zone, and get buried under a deluge of shots. In 2016-17, Philadelphia has made something of a shift, in that they appear to be making a conscious effort to keep attacking in the offensive zone, relying more on tight gaps in the neutral zone to smother opponents.