He led his team in goals this season so at some point he has to get a game winner in the playoffs. I agree it's not the most useful stat but impact players need to show up when goals are needed the most.
Hartnell's only broke 50 twice. The 60 point season and this season. The reason I'll give Simmonds credit is he's young and has time to show he can be better. Will he be? Who knows, but I think he will. When Hartnell was his age his highest point total was 48, Simmonds had 49. I'd say they are very similar players at this point and it's really just splitting hairs. Honestly both players take way too many penalties for my liking. But then again I think that whole team does. To me it's just a lack of discipline.
Hartnell is a monster player that definitely opens things up for other guys, different than how Giroux opens space for the other two. Scottie works the boards and usually draws guys in there. He works in front of the net, drawing and creating traffic that allows Jagr and Giroux to take those shots.
Most teams would love to have a guy like Hartnell. They Flyers have Simmonds, too. Two guys that will fight, score goals, work the front of the net, have moves to score breakaway goals, and can hold their on along the boards. Both guys are solid "team" guys who aren't about the individual recognition. Most teams would kill to have these two...I think Eric Wellwood is another guy like them. Much faster, and more skilled, but he's another guy that will work any area of the ice and is a heart and soul guy.
Again, the concept that goal scored anywhere in the list on the score sheet being less important than the last goal is just silly. If the final score is 4-3, the forth goal for the win is just as important as the other three as they're all part of the sum that creates a total greater than the opponent's total.
Danny Briere's goal in Game 1 was a huge goal. It wasn't Voracek's winner, but it was the goal that started the turnaround. Briere doesn't get a special sticker on his report card for that goal, but without it, the game would have been tied 3-3 if all other goals fell into place the same way. Maybe the outcome of the game would have been different.
All goals are important that add up to the opponent's total plus 1. Even after that, it certainly changes how the game is played. Goal number 5, 6, 7...10 for the Penguins took away the Flyers desire and ability to comeback. No way they were going to score 7 goals in a period to tie/win Game 4. So, every Pens goal mattered in some way, but obviously the first 4 they scored were the money makers to win the game.
The team does take a lot of penalties, but so does their opposition. The Flyers had more power plays than times short handed. They led the league in both categories. No one in the league had more power plays or more times shorthanded. So, their "lack of discipline" lends itself to drawing penalties as well, at the highest rate in the league. So, their style of play, and their players tend to cause the rest of the league to lack discipline when the play the Flyers. Take the Penguins for example.