“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” goes the famous line in Christopher Nolan’s superhero flick “The Dark Knight.” Shayne Gostisbehere hasn’t truly reached villain status in Philadelphia, but it’s fair to say that right now, he’s not the universally beloved, fills-the-seats type of defenseman who so excited the Wells Fargo Center faithful during his electric rookie season and his massive 2017-18 campaign.



Ghost, by his own and the coaching staff’s admission, isn’t playing his best hockey. His point totals are way down, the power play that he has long helped to fuel has scuttled all season long, and in recent games, he’s been the perceived primary culprit on multiple goals against. It’s been a rough go for a player who both fans and the organization know is capable of so much more.



If the Flyers were cruising along toward the playoff berth they expected...