Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Flyers are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They are tied for second with the Washington Capitals and are just four points behind the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. A win against the Chicago Blackhawks would give them sole possession of second heading into the mini-Christmas break.

The thing is, this should not be where they are. Stats-wise, the Flyers are average at best. They are 20th in goals scored. Their power play, long suffering, is 24th; but hey, that’s better than being last or near last like the last few seasons. Their penalty kill is 11th best in the league. On the plus side, they have the eighth fewest penalties and have somehow given up the eighth fewest goals.

So, why are the Flyers doing so well? There are three key things to their success. Let’s examine them.

Key #1: Fewer Goals Surrendered

Yeah, this is a no-brainer. When you don’t give up as many goals, you tend to win. The funny thing is, they are doing this without a stellar defense. This team doesn’t have a Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes. This is a scrappy group that works well together. Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale were castoffs who have turned it around here.

Travis Sanheim is the defensive stalwart who has never received the attention he deserves, largely because he has been on a struggling team for years. Cam York is a rising player. Emil Andrae is starting to figure it out. Rasmus Ristolainen has just returned after offseason surgery. They figure out a way to make it work.

With them being strong enough to win, it also helps that Dan Vladar is between the pipes. He’s been the best goalie the Flyers have had in years. Again, another castoff who has found their role here. As long as he remains healthy and on fire, this team has a chance.

Key #2: Keep on Fighting

Over the last few seasons under the direction of Alain Vigneault and John Tortorella, the Flyers might start okay, but by the time they get to the third period, they peter out and collapse. It was as if they had run out of steam. This season, you aren’t seeing that. The team is fighting to the end.

That doesn’t mean that they are winning every game, but they are playing a full 60 minutes (or more) of hockey. They’ve come back and won a few games. They’ve lost some in overtime, but hey, loser points are still points and help in the standings. I’d rather them lose in overtime than regulation. But this is a team that doesn’t run out of steam in a game. They continue to fight and put the other team on edge. That is contagious and will carry on as the team matures together.

Key #3: The Role Players

A major part of the success of this team is the role players finding success. Carl Grundstrom has appeared in just nine games after being acquired for Ryan Ellis. However, he’s scored four goals. Christian Dvorak has pitched in more offensive points than we thought. Bobby Brink and Noah Cates are having career years. Recent call-up Denver Barkey contributed with a pair of assists in his first game and has looked the part of an NHL player.

So while the team doesn’t have any bona fide mega superstars, they are solid. They don’t have any weak lines. The Flyers’ fourth line is probably the best checking line in the league, delivering big hits without taking unnecessary penalties. It’s the fact that they have three lines that can score on each shift that makes them hard to defend against. This is a team that can cause matchup problems for other teams.

It will be interesting to see how far this team will go as the season rolls on. They are developing chemistry and having fun. It’s not as stressful as the last five years have been. This is a Flyers team that believes in itself. That alone can be the X-factor this team needs.