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.
From an impartial hockey fan: I said at the start of the season that the 3 more over-rated teams in division where Wash, Pitt and Philly and at least one of them won’t make the playoffs. It’s now hard to believe it won’t be Philly with Pitt’s easy schedule left and Washington continuing to win when being outplayed.
Philly defense is definitely a big problem, and will continue to be when what is considered your better offensive defenseman refuse to play d (ghost and provorov)…..same thing in Pitt (Letang) and Caps (Orlov). An even bigger problem is what may be loyalty to older flyers. Giroux is not longer a top 6 forward on this team (and sorry, hasn’t been…even with a bounce-back 1/3 yr last year) and Voracek needs to go (he is having a huge bounce back, but won’t last). And quit thinking Hart is the answer…everyone forgets he was being sent to the minors last year when injuries gave him another chance (where he was a god). The young talent is there, need to let them play.
And for style, quit trying to “out hit” everyone when it’s not part of the play. Too many players are out of position and giving up quality chances because they want to show how tough they are. Doesn’t work….finish checks when there, but they need to be thinking about getting back.
You have some valid points but some that are drastically wrong. Hart didn’t play a single game in the AHL last year not one, he was lights out. Thats was the year before. As for hitting, this Flyers team doesn’t hit anything. They aren’t getting outworked because they are out of position trying to make a hit, they are afraid to take one.
Hi Steve, I appreciate the reply. I’m confused though. When did I say anything about Carter Hart playing in the AHL?
My mistake i thought you said he was sent to the minors last year and injuries gave him another chance, i must have misread.