Flyers playing 'almost scared'
The biggest indictment on the Flyers' embarrassing 4-2 loss in New Jersey Sunday night wasn't that they blew a 2-0 lead, wasn't that they had 15 more giveaways than the Devils, wasn't that they were outscored, 2-0, in even-strength situations.
Flyers playing 'almost scared'
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
NEWARK, N.J. — The biggest indictment on the Flyers' embarrassing 4-2 loss in New Jersey Sunday night wasn't that they blew a 2-0 lead, wasn't that they had 15 more giveaways than the Devils, wasn't that they were outscored, 2-0, in even-strength situations.
It was this: the Flyers went 16 minutes, 23 seconds without recording a shot during a span that stretched over the first and second periods.
Go almost 16½ minutes without a sniff of a shot in a regular-season game would be bad enough. But to do it in a virtual must-win playoff game, well, it's simply mind-boggling.
“We're playing soft hockey,” winger Scott Hartnell said. “We're playing almost scared to take a hit or make a play.”
For a team that showed remarkable determination during the regular season and first round of the playoffs, the Flyers' play Sunday was totally out of character.
They showed no heart as they were outshot, 43-22, and continued to be pinned in their own zone.
On a night when Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov badly outplayed the Devils’ Marty Brodeur, the Flyers went down quietly.
They are making the Devils — who barely got past mediocre Florida in Round 1 — look like the 1976 Montreal Canadiens.
And the explanations are sounding hollow.
After the game, after falling behind in the series, three games to one, they talked about being outworked and not showing enough emotion.
Which is what they said after Game 3, then did nothing to change it.
“I don't know if it's panic or too much pressure or what is going on,” center Danny Briere said. “We somehow have to find a way to make better plays, to make crisp passes to get out of our zone. We're making things way too difficult on ourselves.”
“We're getting pushed off pucks way too easy and that leads us to more D-zone time,” Hartnell said. “We've got tired D out there, and that's why (the Devils) are looking like they're dominating us. We're making soft, stupid plays.”
Like his teammates, center Claude Giroux is baffled.
“They’re winning battles and it looks like they want it more than us,” Giroux said. “It's frustrating because the whole season we've been out-working every team and now it's the other way around.”
The Flyers’ shoddy effort made a loser out of Bryzgalov, who played superbly.
“We're letting Bryz play by himself. If it wasn't for him, we would have gotten killed,” Giroux said. “I don't know what to tell you. It's frustrating to see. Including myself, we're not winning battles. We're always playing in our zone. We need to find a way to play better.”
The onus is now on coach Peter Laviolette to find a solution.
Quickly.
Breakaways. Perhaps still bothered by a leg injury, Sean Couturier played just 7:08, and one wonders if Zac Rinaldo will make his series debut Tuesday......Don't be surprised if Andrej Meszaros, who had back surgery on March 21, returns Tuesday and Andreas Lilja is scratched.....The Flyers attempted 33 shots (22 on net), while the Devils had 64 attempts (43 on net).....Only 21 teams in 241 tries have overcome a three-games-to-one deficit and won a series.....Hartnell had six shots, four hits and a goal but was minus-2.....The Flyers won 63 percent of the faceoffs.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Yo Pittsburgh trolls!! No matter what happens the Flyers still beat the Las Vegas favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The Penguins again did the "Pittsburgh special" - choke out in the first round.
"The onus is now on coach Peter Laviolette to find a solution."
Finally!
There are so many indications that the coach's pond hockey system doesn't work against shut down teams...most specifically last night the distance of pass required in their own zone for a simple break out...the other is how many times the Flyers simply "chucked" the puck blindly (especially Giroux!)...there are beer league teams with more puck discipline.
More system, less "jam"...look at the teams that are successful in the post season right now, very disciplined, defense first systems.
2011 - 2nd highest scoring team regular season @ 5-on-5, bounced in second round cause they couldn't score.
Complete roster make-over...
2012 - 6th @ 5-on-5, and you are seeing what's happening 5-on-5.
What's the common problem?— Dangler9
Comment removed.- Every time I see Laviolette send Brayden Schenn out on the ice for a power play...I wonder if he is even trying to win the game. Schenn has no creativity, and is not a net front presence. When he plays the point he is a total liability. So, why is he on the power play? Combine that, with Laviolette's utter inability to prepare the team for puck drop...I think his voice has worn thin. — Hexy4GM
- nothing all that new or complicated behind this.
it looks like a choking situation to me.
fairly common in Philadelphia sports.
— ekw555 - I know this may sound strange after the game Bryz had last night, but I believe the Flyers are playing scared and its because in the backs of their minds they are not confident in the goalie, and they shouldn't. Its almost impossible to play winning hockey at this level when as a player you have no idea which Bryz is going to show up, the one that kept them in the game in the second or the one that gives up softer goals than Boucher, which I didn't think was possible.— jdeang
- Exactly. 95% mental. They are better than the devils and are capable of winning this series. They all have to want it. Hmm. Hockey in May or golf in May. Which players play golf??— Yodude2
- Here's one of the major problems: Timmo, Carle, Gustaffson, Lilja can't sustain and the other defensemen can't play the entire game. Couts is pretty much out, so that leaves one capable defensemen (Grossman) and he's out there to do nothing but play the front of the net. Every single defensemen has a liability except maybe Coburn and I doubt Meszaros and Rinaldo can save the day, but can't see how they can be worse. Oh, and did I mention the Pronger problem? Lavy can't adjust defensively, without any options— Voytas
- They have horrible defensemen, plain and simple. They are playing zone defense, just standing in spots, instead of being aggressive. Carle really sucks and the Flyers as a whole need to learn how to get the puck out of the zone. They are not playing with toughness or heart. And didn't we all know that when Pronger went down the season was over.— greenflyer
- 100% agree. They ley the Jersey fwds skate untouched through the neutral zone..and keep backing up until they hit the faceoff dot...watch Jersey..they stand you up at their blueline. Oh..Jersey has OWNED the boards in this series because for some reason the flyer defenders stand behind them and put a loose bear hug on them..instead of..I dont know..HITTING them..fighting for the puck..cutting them off...Matt Carle wouldn't hit his mother's rapist..is it really rocket science...isn't it about time for the agressive penalty kill? Wonder why Jersey was number one in the league at killing penalties...because they dont stand there and let you set up..they attack..quickly get the puck and fire it down the other end..then change. Oh..and if ALWAYS changing lines on a dump in leads to no forecheck...these are things that can be fixed over night..but reading Lavy in the paper this am..sounds like he's quit. I'll know within the first 5 mins tomorrow if we have a chance.. — broad street Bob
- When did this start, JVR? Play him now so you can trade him for defensive grit. Problem is where to play him where he won't hurt linemates. Fourth line i guess. Andres to the bench for Marshall or anybody. Carle is playing himself out of contract. Watch second score and you see JVR getting beat and Carle too. Go Flyers. Take back the tempo and score will come. Even without Giroux. Rinaldo hits people and that is what we need.— LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron
- Comment removed.
- The Devils are just out-working the Flyers in this series. But, the fact of the matter is, the Flyers finished only 1 point higher than the Devils, they split the season series, and the Devils actually had 1 more win than the Flyers. So to say that the Flyers are just flat out better than the Devils is to ignore the entire season. That being said, I thought the Flyers would win the series.— Swampy
- Comment removed.
- why don't the flyers get the puck when they dump it in? Answer: because the 2nd and 3rd men are being held up or interfered with. You overcome that by not dumping it in, but the other team is good defensively so you dump the puck. Watch the next game and see all the holding and interference on the second and third guys going into the zone. Hockey is a terrible sport and the reason is officiating is atrocious. You can't officiate a game fairly. One team always gets an edge.— skolman
