People are going a bit bat-**** crazy round here...and it is understandable in a way. I want this team to win as well.
While the Flyers are not scoring as we all expect them to be I think the whole 'our forwards are not good enough' is reactionary to the extreme... especially people talking about us not trading JVR, Carter, Richards etc, when a month ago everyone loved those trades. (Ofc Richie is a great player, but most could still admit the value we got was good.)
It sticks of the grass is always greener, people disparaged Carter and JVR to the extreme when they were here.
Yes, JVR is better now, but that is frankly, mainly due to how the Flyers used him, and if Schenn or Couts are traded it is almost certain they will see a similar spike in production as well... and then people would be clamouring for them back.
Before labelling our whole forward core inept, I would rather look at a sample size of 2-5 years as opposed to 7 games. Our top 7 forwards.
Preceding seasons points (factored for 82 games):
Giroux: 47, 76, 99, 82 (average 76)
Lecavalier: 71, 70, 68, 63, 67 (average 68)
Voracek: 50, 47, 52, 79 (average 57)
Hartnell: 60, 45, 49, 67, 28 (average 50)
Simmonds: 42, 31, 49, 58 (average 45)
Read: 49, 47 (average 48)
Schenn: 27, 45
So we have 6 guys who have put up ~50 points for at least 2 years, 7 who have put up 50~ in the last few years. In that time 3 of these players have been on different teams, so it is not like it is some crazy up tempo system (which actually would only add about ~5 points to players totals anyway) in Philly made them put up those kind of points and now not be able to score at all.
That is not even counting how frankly the price of our forwards is pretty bloody great when the rest of the league is looked at. They are all locked up combined for a very fair, bordering on cheap, amount.
They have not all just 'gone ****' at the same time have they, and gone from top 6 guys to scrubs.
The fact they have all been disappointing at the same time actually buoys me, as this indicates that it is not just that they exceeded themselves previously, or have declined, as the odds of that are extremely slim, but instead that there have been inherent difficulties with the implementation of systems, effectively coaching... which we all know to be true after watching Lavi for the last year.
Add the obvious problems with coaching to a team wide trend that is the polar opposite from their whole careers so far and I would imagine it is only a matter of time before it clicks.
Berube cannot work magic, it will take time to properly implement the new system, and get everyone on the same page to the point it is instinctive... as the NHL is so good you cannot hesitate or be unsure of what exactly you are supposed to be doing, if you are even good players look poor or average, and we are seeing such hesitation, miscommunication and lack of chemistry to indicate this.
The games since Berube took over have each arguably been better than before, and vs Detroit and Vancover (two pretty good teams) they matched them over the course of the game... in a month they are the kinds of game that the Flyers will hopefully be winning.
If the team is still playing the same after 20 games I will be worried about individual players.
All this season has so far shown me is Lavi needed to be fired at the end of last year... as most people knew.