Flyers show character flaws - again
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Flyers show character flaws - again
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH - The Flyers, it has become clear, have serious character flaws.
When they get a break - like the gift goal goalie Marc-Andre Fleury handed them early in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins - they fail to keep a deflated opponent down.
And when they face adversity - like when Simon Gagne’s second-period goal, which would have given the Flyers a 2-1 lead, was disallowed - they fold.
About a minute after the goal was nullified because Ville Leino made what the referees called “incidental contact” with Fleury, Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead of its own.
Funny team, these Flyers. They were woefully inconsistent under John Stevens. Up and down. Up and down. The same thing has happened under Peter Laviolette.
This just in: It’s the players, not the coaches.
This team lacks leadership and character.
Not to mention goal scorers.
Trailing 2-1 in Saturday’s second period, the Flyers’ Claude Giroux broke in alone, but lost control of the puck and got off a weak shot.
Giroux is going to be a terrific player down the road. Right now, though, he and most of his teammates are in hard-to-fathom scoring funks.
Consider the following slumping players:
- Darroll Powe: 0 goals in his last 27 games.
- James van Riemsdyk: 0 goals in his last 14 games.
- Arron Asham: 1 goal (scored Saturday) in his last 14 games.
- Dan Carcillo: 2 goals in his last 14 games.
- Danny Briere: 1 goal in his last 11 games.
- Giroux: 2 goals in his last 21 games.
- Mike Richards: 2 goals in his last 12 games.
- Scott Hartnell: 3 goals in his last 29 games.
The Flyers, who suffered another goalie injury (see accompanying story), fell to eighth place in the Eastern Conference on Saturday, and they are in danger of falling out of the playoffs. Atlanta, which is in ninth, can climb to within two points of the Flyers with a win Saturday night.
Flyers fans deserve better. They have filled the Wachovia Center to 99.8 percent capacity this season. They are being cheated of their hard-earned money by a team that takes periods off and, too frequently, plays without a sense of urgency.
Comment removed.
Flyers about to miss the playoffs and the Sixers are a complete disaster. Ed, or Mr. Snider as I guess he requires his employees to address him as (a little pompous Eddie??), please take your trophy wife and retire to Malibu once and for all!!— efgold- Comment removed.
- Cant believe not one word from Homer or other upper management about the debacle that took place yesterday! Someone has to say something, do something! Yes, this team sucks right now, but they dont need help from the league or officials to find the abyss...— TNFlyerNut
- i think retzlaff missed the point. the problem is that the players aren't "out there trying" to do anything but stink up the building. hartnell is just unwatchable. he's become avery-lite. and while almost the entire team has been an embarassment, i refuse to call out gagne or pronger. gagne is one of the most consistent producers this team has ever seen. ever. give pronger the C. get us a goalie. and send hartnell to the phantoms.— mrkmcc
- They have no character to actually be flawed. These Flyers have taken on the personality (or lack thereof) of their captain - whiney... pouting... childlike... gutless... heartless... Nope - don't see 'character' in there anywhere.— raoool
- When the goal wasw disallowed and the camera was focused on the bench you could tell by the players body language that the game was over. This teams lack, of whatever you want to call it, comes down to the players. They have already changed coaches--that didn't work. The GM needs to go along with the players. When your 3rd and 4th lines outshine the so-called scoring lines, there is definitly a huge problem. The only way Snider and company make changes is when it affects them in the pocket.— GETTHETRUTHOUT
- retzlaff missed the point, and "fans" like him are the actual problem. If Snider had to deal with fans that actually expect him to be successful this franchise would not be in the dreadful state that it is now, and will be for the near future at least. A question for retzlaf, if you think Carchidi is fantasizing, what in the world are you doing while watching flyers games? If you've been seeing "players who are out there trying", you're the one experiencing something that's not real.— FlyFifty8
- Umberger, Upshall, Knuble, Lupol. All lost in a span of 2-3 years for no good reason, other than mismanagement of the salary cap. Lupol was traded for Pronger but still. That's 4 goal-scoring forwards plus Carter not playing for this team right now.— bobbyd24
- retzlaff, if you can tell me what players were out there trying something, then maybe I'll have some respect too. This team is going nowhere fast.— Crazee Bizee
- What is the Flyers biggest flaw? Having a washed up hasbeen as the general manager and then having 2 no-brained a**holes who back him. Holmgren has given away the future of this team by signing no talents hacks that he "coveted" like Lappy and giving out NTC's to players who are either penalty or injury nightmares, and keeping the likes of Cote on the roster. I see a lot of disappointment in the future for Flyer Fans!!! I hope Luukko thinks Holmgren did a great job when the Flyers are not in the playoffs this season because they DO NOT deserve to be there!!!!!— jacdjc1
- Maybe Giroux didn't score because Fleury threw his stick at him?— tpcapone30
- Instead of having a "Fan Appreciation Night" to show much they care about their loyal fans, why not show this apprecation on the ice instead?— Ruffles
- jacdjc1....from the games I've watched, that no-talent hack Lappy has more blocked shots than the goalies do. It doesn't seem to matter who the goalie is on this team, they ALL end up getting hurt anyway. Must be something in the water. I guess Richards got the big contract and no longer thinks he has to work to prove himself?? The officiating DOES have something to do with this tho, I think anyway. If that was Crosby or Ovie getting elbowed in the head instead of Carcillo or hit from behind like Gagne was from Volchenkov it would have been a 5 min major PLUS suspensions. Fedotenko had a beautiful crosscheck on Betts to get the puck for Cooke's goal, not called. Cooke holding Bartulis' stick 3 seconds after he left go of it, no penalty. And the no goal call, what about the playoffs last year when Crosby slid INTO Biron in the crease and the puck caromed off him into the net??? Of course THAT was a good goal. Obvious double standards. Anyway...send Giroux and JVR to the Phantoms and bring someone else up. Can't be any worse.— hero
- Hero: Unfortunately blocked shots are not winning them games and I think that Lappy's rating after yesterdays game was -3. This team needs some big scorers,playmakers and damn good goaltending and right now, the group they have is not cutting it. The goaltending on this team for the past couple of years has either been substandard to bad and now it has reached an all time level of horrible. Real teams step up in times like this, not use it as an excuse.— jacdjc1
