You see in this world there's two kinds of people...

...those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
When Blondie said those words, it was a good thing to be the guy with the loaded gun, but I am not so sure that the Flyers couldn't benefit from a little more digging.

The Flyers are a team full of loaded guns; nine players with at least 10 goals, four players with at least 50 points, 12 players with at least 20 points, and seven players with shorthanded points. The Flyers are also third in the league in goals per game (3.27), third in goals for (198), and the best in the league at winning games that they score the first goal (.824%). All the numbers prove that the Flyers know how to put the puck into the net.

With all of these loaded guns, the Flyers love to attack off of the rush. In last night's game against the Coyotes, the Flyers gained the zone almost exclusively on the rush. The Flyers are very good at moving in transition and getting off shots when it is the forwards against the defense. The Flyers are also good at cycling the puck. There were five or six great shifts last night that kept the Coyotes pinned in their own end for extended periods of time. Where the Flyers struggled, was digging. 

It took the Flyers 54 minutes to successfully register an even strength shoot off of a puck dumped in from the neutral zone (please let me know if I missed one before that). The forecheck was non existent. Even with a man advantage the Flyers were unsuccessful at dumping the puck into the zone are retrieving it. The majority of their pressure on the power play was initiated by carrying the puck into the zone and from faceoff wins in the offensive zone. Once the Coyotes were able to clear the puck the Flyers had to rely on the drop pass to gain the zone again. 

As the games wind down and the defenses tightens up, the Flyers are going to have to do a better job on the forecheck. Hartnell, JVR, Carcillo and the rest need to do a better job of going into the corners on the dump ins and fighting for the puck, and I think it should start with the struggling power play, which is two for the last 23 opportunities. Start dumping the puck forward instead of dropping it back, and force the forwards to go fight for it. 

The playoffs will be here before we know it, and it will be vital for the Flyers to wear down the opponents defense with a solid and consistent fore check. Hopefully Laviolette will place an emphasis on this part of the game over the last two months of the season.