We take a look at another new divisional opponent that we will see faceoff with the Sabres plenty of times this season, the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been a thorn in the side of the Buffalo Sabres over the past couple of seasons. The Sabres have not beaten the Flyers since 2018. Hopefully, the Sabres can put an end to their losing streak against the Flyers this season.
The Flyers were one of the hottest teams when the league shut down last season. They had won nine of their final 10 games and were only one point behind the Washington Capitals for the lead in the Metropolitan Division. They were contenders in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well, but they fell in the second round vs the New York Islanders in seven games.
Will Philly be able to pick up where they left off at the end of last regular season and be a contender in the 2021 season?
The Flyers offense was top ten in the league last year in terms of scoring goals. They averaged 3.29 goals per game, which put them at seventh in the league. They have some quality pieces that could produce good numbers once again this season. Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Kevin Hayes are all players that can put up good numbers throughout the year.
The main problem the Flyers had last season was their inconsistency on the road. Especially on defense. If you look at their goals allowed per game, it is not bad at all. The Flyers allowed 2.77 goals per game, which puts them tied for seventh in the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But if you look at the home and road splits, the difference is massive.
The Flyers only let up 2.00 goals per game at home, which was the best in the NHL. But on the road, they gave up 3.56 goals per game with an awful .875 save percentages from their goalies.
This is a stat that may not continue into another season, especially a season where there will not be any fans when you play on the road. But if the road struggles do spill over into this season, the Sabres would have to take advantage and beat the Flyers when Philly has to travel to Buffalo.
The Flyers showed last season that they have the potential to be one of the better teams in the league, but they could also be towards the bottom of the standings. Consistency is key for them, much like the Sabres.
I feel like the Flyers and Sabres will both be fighting in the middle of the new stacked East Division this season. These two teams could play some meaningful games deep in the season that could help determine the fourth team out of the East that makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs.