What a game right!!!! Game 5 for the Flyers didn’t go as advertised for the Flyers or their proud orange clad faithful. Unbelievable that the Montreal Canadiens took the Flyers defensive game, and shoved it down their throats. So what gives, and how do the Flyers win the series to enjoy an extended playoff run? Well the big guns have to produce, it’s as simple as that.
Claude Giroux garnered 16:27 of ice time, registered two assists, and tallied four shots on net last night in the loss to the Canadiens. He did everything he could on the third line with Derek Grant to help aide his young Flyers team to victory. He needs more ice time, as he registered 5:43 of Power Play time. However, hopefully he can light the lamp with a goal or two, as the Flyers are depending on it. Giroux, Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes, Sean Couturier, and James van Riemsdyk (Scratched the last two games), have goose eggs in terms of goals for the playoffs. The Flyers have received depth scoring from the likes of Joel Farabee (Three goals), Philippe Myers (Two goals), Scott Laughton (Three goals), Michael Raffl (Two goals), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Two goals), Tyler Pitlick (One goal), Travis Sanheim (One Goal), shoot Nate Thompson even has a goal.
The Flyers will not always receive goal scoring from their depth, the big guns have to produce. Jakub Voracek (Who is a big gun) tallied two goals last night, and one assist. A rookie in Joel Farabee tallied the third goal, but where were the rest of the big guns? The Flyers still lost, and yet the Flyers big guns in Hayes, Giroux, Konecny, and JvR (Scratched) did not tally one goal, hence this is one reason the Flyers lost. Furthermore, these big guns are still in search of their first goal of the playoffs.
Hayes, Voracek, JvR, Giroux, Couturier, and Konecny accounted for close to 60% of the Flyers offensive production in the Regular Season. All together they registered 310 points and 121 out of the 227 goals scored. While the rest of the team accounted for 293 points and 106 goals. Simply put, the big guns have to get it going, as the Flyers playoff lives depend on it. As teams get deeper and deeper into the playoffs, the ice gets tighter and tighter, to where the depth scoring may be limited. The Flyers may escape a first round series against the Canadiens with the lack of big guns scoring, however, it will be hard for them to advance farther into the playoffs without it. The Flyers are averaging just 1.6 Goals Per Game for the playoffs (Wow). If the Goaltending isn’t playing well then the Flyers are doomed, something has to give.
All of these players are class acts, and take full responsibility. They know they have to do better. Now it’s time to show it, and back up those words. Prove to hockey World the Flyers are indeed the top seed. Prove to the World that the Flyers are legit Cup contenders. Stellar Goaltending and a good team Defense will only get you so far in the playoffs. Now is the time for these big guns to light the lamp, and right the ship.
