VOORHEES, N.J. - They had taken another "0-for" on the power play on the road and lost a game in which they deserved to at least get a point.
Dave Hakstol had seen enough. Numbers don't always tell a story. Yet, in the Flyers' case, they did: 4 for 42 on the power play over 12 games, including that 3-1 loss at Calgary.
The next morning in Edmonton, Hakstol met privately with Jakub Voracek to discuss, among other things, the power play. That night, Hakstol moved Voracek off the first unit power play and replaced him with Ivan Provorov.
He then told Shayne Gostisbehere to change his location on the power play on the half wall and let Provorov, the Russian rookie, worry about the blue line.
In the two games since, the power play is 3 for 6 and has the Flyers back up to ninth in the NHL after falling to 13th during that 12-game span of utter futility.
How the power play goes tonight against the Washington Capitals is critical if the Flyers have any shot of taking points away from the top club in the league.
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"It's a little bit different look," Hakstol said. "We're comfortable with either of the setups we have there. Whether it's with Jake on the flank of the [Claude] Giroux unit or having Ghost there.
"Both are effective. Within the game, we can go back and forth with the other. We've had some pretty good play out of the other unit, regardless of the setup."
Provorov has a very accurate point shot. Gostisbehere has the hardest shot of any on the top unit. The rest of the first unit – Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds – hasn't changed.
"We can't score," Provorov said bluntly. "We needed to change something up to spark the scoring. It definitely helped us. Now the two units have a different setup in the zone.
"Just a little different. It took us first game to get used to. We did pretty good in the second game [Vancouver]."
Ghost has never played the half-wall. He thinks this will help him snap a 32-game goal drought. He had three assists – two on the power play – against the Canucks on Sunday.
"It's completely different," Gostisbehere said. "I've always been at the top [blue line]. It's definitely a different perspective from that view. I think I'll get a lot more shots and plays that can be made."
Voracek watches him when that unit is on the ice and offers advice after the shift.
"I have been talking to Jake a ton for pointers," Gostisbehere said. "When I am out there, if you see something I could have done, please tell me. He is such an easy guy to talk to. He will give you the pointers right away."
Hakstol said moving Ghost closer to the net has a payoff.
"He is in a pure one-timer side there if he gets himself in the right position," Hakstol said. "But there is still some work we have to do there in terms of his overall positioning in that spot.
"He brings a different element than Jake does in that spot. Both of them were very, very effective in that spot. They just have different weapons."
Even though there have been changes, Voracek still rotates back to the first unit if Provorov is on the ice the previous shift before the power play begins.
Because of Travis Konecny's knee and ankle injuries, Sean Couturier's second unit has changed the most. Mark Streit anchors from the point with Coots, Nick Cousins and Matt Read below the blue line and Voracek on the right-wall.
That unit has more player rotation on the ice than the top unit.
Hakstol doesn't buy the argument the Flyers' power play crashed because it became too predictable.
"In the game now, there's not much hidden," Hakstol said. "Everyone knows what the other team is trying to do, regardless of 5-on-5 or special teams.
"For us, it was a good time to make a small change that changes the look for our guys on the ice."
Loose pucks
• A dozen players showed up for the optional morning skate at Skate Zone, more than half of what was expected.
• Michal Neuvirth will start in goal tonight against Washington.
• On Tuesday, Voracek got hit with a puck below the belt, during a tip drill in which Voracek tipped a shot into himself. "Feeling better," he said today.
• This morning was goalie Steve Mason's turn to get hit. He took a point shot from Andrew MacDonald in the mask. Mason was temporarily shaken but no damage to either him or his mask.
Lineup
F: Schenn-Giroux-Simmonds
Weise-Couturier-Voracek
Raffl-Cousins-Read
VandeVelde-Bellemare-Lyubimov
D: Provorov-Manning
Gostisbehere-Streit
Del Zotto-Gudas
G: Neuvirth
