At this time tonight (10:37PM), I expected to be sitting down at my computer, drinking a Guinness, and evaluating what I thought would be a pretty solid hockey game. Guys, in all of my years watching Flyers hockey, that was easily one of the most embarrassing losses I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not even going to begin to try and sum up what went wrong out there tonight. The game went bad the minute the puck dropped. Like a lot of Flyers games recently, it’s actually harder to find what we did right rather than what we did wrong.

With a loss like tonight, the one good thing I can find is that everyone in Philadelphia is in an uproar. “An uproar in Philadelphia? Mike that sounds terrible.” Hear me out. Everyone and their mother knows that the Flyers are not playing hockey that is playoff worthy, but if it wasn’t obvious before, it is now. The team, the coaching staff, general manager, and everyone else with affiliation to the Philadelphia Flyers, were called out tonight, and we lost the fight. We lost the fight bad. Think Conor McGregor against Bill Nye The Science Guy. It was brutal. So although, we got absolutely embarrassed on the ice and the scoreboard, at least this shows everyone in the organization and especially Chuck Fletcher, something needs to change. Something needs to change FAST.

Now I’m not saying I have the answers. Defense man? Sure. Somebody with a little bit of grit? Of course. But acquiring two or three guys isn’t going to fix a 9-0 game. We continuously single out one player, or the coach, or the GM, maybe it’s time we start calling out the TEAM. As a whole. There was little to no effort put forth tonight and it was sickening to see. The only thing good about that game was when the time ran out.

To end this article (rant), lets end on a positive note. We are a group of fans who love watching our team, rain or shine. Maybe we can’t make the calls on the ice, switch up the lines, or trade our least favorite player, but we will always have a voice in this city, and in this city, it is very hard to ignore a crowd of angry fans wearing orange and black.

The Flyers are now 2-4 in their last 6 games. At least they played really well in those two wins though, right? Not so much. In the first win, a 4-3 nail biter against the Penguins, the Flyers were down 3-0 just four minutes into the game. They did show some resiliency though, coming back with four straight goals of their own. In the second win, similarly, the Flyers were down 3-1 going into the second period. They ended up going into a 4-4 shootout against the Sabres and were able to scrape out the two points. Now let’s get into those four losses. Actually, let’s not.

It’s pretty obvious that the Flyers are going through a rough time. It’s sort of strange. We keep hearing and seeing that the talent is definitely there. So what’s the issue? Is it goaltending? Defense? Coaching? Gritty?

Well let’s get one thing straight, Gritty is definitely not the problem. Honestly, it’s hard to tell what the real issue is. Goaltending hasn’t been stellar, but then again, our defense hasn’t been amazing either. Those two things do not go well together at all. In a short season like this, you need consistency more than anything else. The Flyers have been the opposite. As of late, we’ve been struggling to string together solid games in a row.

At the end of the day, I think we all know there’s not just one thing holding this team back. The point is, whether it’s goaltending, defense, chemistry, or staying up too late watching Breaking Bad, something on this team MUST change. Again, this season is brutal with a capital B. Every game is crucial and every game lost is heartbreaking. The Flyers need to string some wins together and fast or else, well we all know.

The Flyers will face off against the Capitals once again on Saturday at 7PM.

On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins faced off in their third meeting of the season. The beloved Battle of Pennsylvania, saw the first two games go to the Flyers, but the the Penguins were able to get the W in the third match up between the two.

Tonight, the Flyers and Pens will battle again. The Penguins will either tie the season series at two, or the Flyers will take a three to one lead over their foes. Last game was not the prettiest, but like most losses this season for the Flyers, there were some bright spots, and we were in the game for a while.

For the Flyers to come out on top tonight, what needs to happen? Let’s take a look at my “Five Keys to Beating the Pens”.

1 – Keep Shooting

Like previously stated, there were definitely some bright spots in the Flyers loss on Tuesday. For a long while, and I mean LONG, the Flyers were not generating nearly enough shots on goal or chances. It seems as though the Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault, has made it a real point to get pucks on net. In Tuesday’s loss, the Flyers managed to get forty two shots on Tristan Jarry. I think Jarry is a pretty solid goalie, but come on, forty saves in one game, he’s not doing that again tonight. If we can continue to pepper Jarry (who is expected to play tonight) then I think we will be just fine.

2 – Remember Who You’re Playing

This may seem like a stupid key to the game, but I think it’s a good one. With the new divisions, you’re playing against rivals almost every night. So I think is paramount for the guys to remember that they’re playing the team we all hate the most, the Pittsburgh Crybabies, I mean Pen… Penguins… Sorry I had to clear my throat. But in all seriousness, let’s have some pride, lets bang them around a bit out there. Like former Flyer Ian Laperriere said once during a game, “They don’t like when we hit them, they’re afraid of the bullies”. Let’s have that energy tonight.

3 – Play Better Defense

I don’t need to say too much about this. I feel like our defense has been pretty solid of late, but Tuesday night’s defense was unacceptable. Coming off of two straight shutouts against the Sabres, I expected us to play well defensively on Tuesday, but that wasn’t the case. Simplify the game, make good, strong passes, and get the puck out of our zone, and the orange and black will be just fine tonight.

4 – Stop The Turnovers

This key and the last go hand in hand. Playing better defense means limiting turnovers. Again, last game we did not do this. We turned the puck over far too much and those turnovers lead to goals against. Even on some of those turnovers, Carter Hart was able to bail out the Flyers defense, but they turned the puck over too much and that led to too many goals.

5 – Relax

The division is tight, you’re playing a rival who just beat you pretty badly, and all 2800 scary Pittsburgh fans are yelling at you from the stands (obviously kidding about them being scary, the only thing scary about Pitt is their addiction to ketchup). Just breathe. Your roster is extremely talented, your goalie is solid, and the best part, your finally healthy. Trust one another out there and don’t try to do too much. What I’m trying to say is, we have the talent and drive to play extremely solid hockey against whoever comes our way. Make them play our game and they don’t stand a chance.

Thank you for reading my Five Keys to Beating the Pens. My prediction for tonight is that it will be a fast paced game with solid defense and goal tending. I think the Flyers will come out on top with a 3-2, 4-3 win tonight.

A little over a week ago, the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins faced off twice at the TD Garden in Boston. Twice the Flyers were outshot, and twice Boston defeated the orange and black. After losing game one in a shootout, the Flyers were blown out 6-1 by the B’s in game two. In these two games combined, the Flyers had 43 shots on goal. Remarkably, in game one, the Bruins had 43 shots themselves. Granted, the first game did go into overtime, but still, that’s not a good look for the Fly guys. 

So what needs to change this time around? The Flyers sit comfortably atop the East division, so this seems pretty cut and dry right? Do what you’ve done to win those other 7 games, and you’ll be fine. Not so fast. Look, I’m as big a Flyers fan as any, and I love nothing more to see my team at the top of the standings, but it hasn’t been pretty. We’ve played some other very good teams besides the Bruins, but the B’s have always given us a strong fight and I don’t think they plan on stopping Wednesday night.

Although the Flyers are 7-2-1, it isn’t hard to see that they’ve had some trouble in their own zone. Losing Matt Niskanen in the off season, and the injury to Sean Couturier definitely doesn’t help the defense at all, but nevertheless, we must get the puck out of our zone. In the two games against the Islanders, I felt like our defense played pretty well compared to our other games this season. There were definitely still some things to work on, but for the most part, I felt like our defense played well enough to give the Flyers a chance to win. Low and behold, the Flyers did take home four points out of a possible four points against New York Islanders. 

So here are my five keys to our two games against the Boston Bruins. They may be pretty obvious based on my summary of how we played so far, but at least it will make you feel like a genius when you predict them correctly.

 1. GET THE PUCK OUT!

I know for a fact that every single Flyers fan so far this season has yelled at their TV “GET IT OUT”. Knowing us Flyers fans I wouldn’t even be surprised if some of us had to go to Best Buy because we broke our TV while yelling “GET IT OUT”. Now let’s be real here. In the National Hockey League, you’re playing with the best of the best. It’s easy for us to yell at our TV, but getting the puck out of your zone with talented offensive players all around you is far harder than it looks. Even so, the Flyers have had a difficult time doing it for sure. Against the Bruins alone we had a ton of trouble. Hopefully my next key to the game will help the Flyers do this on Wednesday night.

2. Strong Support Passes

Another thing to worry about when you’re clearing the zone is icing. Obviously icing the puck is better than allowing the opposition more chances at your net, but still, this is something players try to avoid if possible. A good way to avoid icing the puck while you’re being pressured in the defensive zone, is short support passes. Does the home run pass work in the NHL, sure, but if the Flyers can start making short accurate passes, they will have a much easier time getting the puck out, and it might even turn into more offense. 

3. Shots On Goal

In our series against the Bruins, we were out shot 69-43. We don’t have to talk about shot totals all day, but I for sure expect the Flyers to come out strong and throw everything they can at the Bruins cage. 

4. Active Sticks

Not all of my keys to the game have to be something we need to work on. Here’s one that I think we do a pretty darn good job of. You hear announcers say it a lot, “Because of his active stick, Ivan Provorov was able to clear the puck.” This just means a players stick is on the ice and they are moving it around and taking away possible passing lanes for the other team. The Flyers have done well at this, and if they can do so against the Bruins, I believe it’ll give them a better chance at those 4 points this week. 

5. “Gettin Gritty Wit It”

Yes this key to the game was definitely inspired by the Podcast “Gettin Gritty Wit It” (which you should totally check out). But it’s definitely one I think we all want to see. Look as long as the Flyers win, I’m smiling ear to ear, but come on, there’s something deep down that’s rooted in every Flyers fan. GRIT. I want to see the Flyers come out blazing, bruising, and taking the game to the Bruins. Let’s get the physical game going, that’s all I’m saying.

Thank you so much for reading, and as always LET’S GO FLYERS.

If you would like to listen to the amazing podcast mentioned above, click down below.

Gettin Gritty Wit It