Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Another game, and another game in which the Flyers were outplayed. One can say the Flyers are missing Ryan Ellis and Kevin Hayes, but there are no excuses for this type of play as of late from Flyers.
Outplayed/Lack of Energy
Gone are winning puck battles, forechecking well, and winning board battles. Enter a lack of energy and spirit, thus leading to three straight losses and a 1-4-1 record in their last six. The schedule doesn’t get any easier as they host a well structured Carolina Hurricanes team in a Friday matinee.
Unfortunately, the Flyers are having difficulty scoring as of late, and it really makes the Flyers look less competitive. In their last six games the Flyers are scoring at a rate of 1.66 goals per game, but they are allowing 3.50 goals per game in their last six. This is just unacceptable, and they are digging themselves a hole. No one is going to come save the Flyers not even Morgan Frost, but the lack of energy is concerning regardless of who is playing. On the offensive side of the puck two players that have energy on a nightly basis are Claude Giroux and Zack MacEwen. These two players cannot do it alone, and they have tried inspiring their teammates. This is no knock on MacEwen, but it just shows you how bad things are when he is one of the best players for the Flyers. MacEwen is with the Flyers to provide energy, and some physicality. Not be one of the best players for the Flyers.
Morgan Frost made his season debut last night for the Flyers, which he offers them creativity on the offensive side of the puck. He logged 13:44 of ice time, registered one shot on goal, three hits, and went 5-8 on faceoffs. Not tool bad of a night in a disappointing 2-1 loss.
What happened to Ivan Provorov?
Provorov just doesn’t look like the same player recently. He misses Ellis, but he has been a turnover machine as of late. It seems like he’s hesitant with the puck, and is not as decisive as he was earlier in the year. Provorov struglling a bit is mind boggling, as Rasmus Ristolainen filled in admirably last night with Provorov as his partner. Not to mention Justin Braun was excellent, considering the circumstances as a top defensive pairing defenseman with Provorov, as well.
Whether logging a ton of minutes is finally catching up to him or not, either way he just doesn’t look like a number one defenseman right now. Fortunately, he played a bit better with Rasmus Ristolainen last night, but it appears he needs to be paired with e veteran minded defenseman for Flyers fans to see the real Provorov. This is concerning a bit to me, and something I will be keeping my eyes on as the season progresses.
The Brick Wall Martin Jones
Jones is off to a great start this season, as Jones dominated the Florida Panthers. He moved post to post laterally well, and gobbled up the rebounds en route to a 44 save performance. Jones literally stole a point for the orange and black, as they were outplayed for at least 50 minutes last night. If it weren’t for Jones’s heroics the Flyers would have lost 6-1 or even worse. For his effort, Jones is now 3-2-1 as a Flyer with a 2.67 GAA, and a .927 Save Percentage.
“There is no doubt he was a big part of us getting a point tonight. Unfortunately, they scored the Power Play goal in overtime.” – Alain Vigneault said of Jones
The hope is Jones can continue to resurrect his career with the orange and black, and guide the young Hart to a successful NHL career in the same token. How this will end is anyone’s guess, but let’s give this a chance to work first.
In the end, hopefully the Flyers come out of the gate with good energy against a well structured Hurricanes team, and give the Flyers faithful a sign of good faith that things will improve. As it stands right now, some believe this team is the same team as last season. One cannot blame fans for feeling that way, the Flyers have struggled lately mightily. It’s time for the orange and black to prove the proud faithful wrong.
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This team is rudderless and continues to solve symptoms and not the problem. The REAL issue is the coach / coaching staff, and players who don’t want to play for this coach. Besides his “tough talk” (which no one is listening too), what has he done to improve the team? Re-shuffle lines?
So, you have a coach that the players don’t respect, a GM who did nothing in MN, and an organization that refuses to change. GO down to LV and get some young (BIG) players (Ratcliffe / Strome) and take your lumps. They will struggle, but you may get yourself the change your looking for. As I said in my last comment that failed. I live in Florida and the Panthers look like they could win the cup this year. THEY are playing the way the FLYERS used to play like. The Flyers need to fire the GM, FIRE the coach and go get coach “Q”. He took the blame so the executives in the same room didn’t have to. Everywhere this coach has gone, he has brought a FIGHING winning attitude. AND, look at the results… Until the Flyers make changes, and not just talk about them (because guys like me see right through the corporate speak), they will continue to be an average team, waste the young talent they have at LV and continue to do the same “reshuffling” of players who don’t want to play for this coach / GM. Take ACTION and DO Something COMCAST! Then you can talk about your freaking high speed internet!
I agree with the story but overall I believe the Flyers are vastly improved and we are a couple of moves away from being cup contenders. Allison will have impact.
This team will never contend for a cup with players that play like pussies. JVR I’m talking about you. If you want to earn your money do some hitting, forechecking or back checking. You do none of the above. The only thing you do is stick your fat ass in front of the net on the power play and try to deflect pucks and you can’t even do that anymore. I’m not asking for the Broad street bullies, I’m just asking for some urgency from someone other than Giroux or Konecny on a nightly basis. Keith Yandle is slower than Grandma Moses. Could Cam York come up and play better than him, or are we afraid to stop his game streak? If not we need to reevaluate our scouting system. MacEwan is giving everything he has but is a 4th line player. Please see if Quennville would come here. I’m tired of seeing mediocre former Rangers.