Laviolette roasts Flyers; what will GM do?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Laviolette roasts Flyers; what will GM do?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Nine games into his Flyers coaching tenure, Peter Laviolette sharply criticized his team's inability to play 60 hard minutes in their 2-1 loss to the visiting New York Rangers Saturday.
He called their performance "unacceptable."
Defenseman Chris Pronger called the developments _ 13 losses in their last 16 games _ "mystifying."
The Flyers are back to being the Legion of Gloom.
After just 5:16, Laviolette called a timeout following a Claude Giroux turnover that led to a Rangers goal. During the timeout, Laviolette chastised his players and it seemed to wake them up.
For a while, anyway.
They dominated the rest of the first period and held a 16-5 shots advantage in the final period. But they were listless in the middle period.
“It was a poor start. There’s no excuse for it. I can’t think of one reason why we would come out flat, and we did,” said Laviolette in a measured, angry tone. “And we needed a timeout to try to refocus. I would have thought we would have ripped the hinges off the gate tonight to get out on the ice. We were so far from that, in my opinion, to start the game, and we got what we deserved. We’re outshot, 6-1, we turn the puck over and it’s in the back of the net.”
Henrik Lundqvist was the difference in the game. The Rangers goalie made 36 saves, includng a pair of eye-openers in the final period on James van Riemsdyk.
The Flyers are 2-6-1 since Laviolette replaced John Stevens.
“This is about the Philadelphia Flyers playing a brand of hockey that you can be proud of, and I don’t know how anyone can possibly be proud after the first two periods,” Laviolette said. “It’s completely unacceptable.”
Simon Gagne returned to the lineup after missing nearly two months because of hernia and abdominal surgery. The left winger had an assist as Pronger scored a power-play goal with 11:47 left in the first period.
For the rest of the game, the Flyers couldn't solve Lundqvist. They have scored more than three goals just twice in their last 18 games, and they have eight goals in their last nine losses.
There is a holiday trading freeze in effect until after Dec. 27. One wonders if GM Paul Holmgren will exhibit patience or make a major shakeup _ Jeff Carter, who had eight shots Saturday but continued to be snakebitten, is his most coveted player _ before the Winter Classic on Jan. 1.
Richards with another monster game. Guess he's tired from partying it up last night.— BobbyD- I forgot, it's only like 35 games into the season, why would anybody be upset? Party it up again this weekend boys, you deserve it— BobbyD
- What a team of heartless frauds. Send Richards, Carter, Coburn and Hartnell to the Phantoms and bring some kids up that want to play. It can't get any worse. And someone tell Hartnell the season is half over and you're in last place...is it time to worry yet?— spj108
no creativity, no diversity, no speed, no hockey smarts...boring 1970s all-Canadian team- they are so screwed by Holmer's horrible Cap mismanagement that no trade will help at this point, unless it's for the #1 draft next year, of which they need to pick a goalie, then a goalie, then a D Man, then a goalie. then, they need to convince Comast to give Scotty Bowman and his son (Assist GM of Chicago), ownership stakes in the Flyers. Hands the team over to them and sit back. Otherwise, it will be like watching the Phils for over a decade until they brought Gillick in from the outside.— MichaelZoe
- Blow this thing up, immediately.— rob611
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what a joke— Inchon- Trade Carter and/or Hartnell to the Kings for Bernier and whatever dead money they have on their roster (Frolov/Handzus?).— UncleEddie
- Things have to get better---think positive thoughts---we are after all 'the city of brotherly love'— Romus
- Martin Brodeur has been with the Devils for what, over 16 years now? How many goalies have the Flyers had in that same time span? Not in chronological order- Hextall, Vanbiesbrouck, Boucher, Niitymaki, Snow, Cechmanek, Emery, Biron, Roussel, Pelletier, Ouellet, Little, Esche; I'm sure I missed out on a couple more. Talk about instability....— mrjarn
- Hartnell no trade clause... We need a goalie not bc boucher stinks but we need a better one.. With a better goalie u can take chances and not be scared that you have to rush back to help out.... As for Richards partying, you people are so off on them going out. idiots! P.S- Frolov isnt coming here. look for Staal to be traded here from Carolina— fman727
- I don't get it....I just don't get it. This is the same team that started out 13-5. It's like a light just went off and they decided one day to not show up to work and haven't since. This is worse than 2006. In 2006 they had a reason to be losing.— PAJames
