Lavy calm after Flyers' worst collapse since '87
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Lavy calm after Flyers' worst collapse since '87
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Coach Peter Laviolette was surprisingly calm after the Flyers’ biggest late-game meltdown in 24 years.
Maybe he was in a state of shock.
The Flyers blew third-period leads of 3-0 and 4-2 and lost in overtime to the Atlanta Thrashers, 5-4, before a stunned sellout crowd at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.
It was the first time since 1987 the Flyers had lost after taking at least a three-goal lead into the third period. They lost to the Islanders on Nov. 21 of that year, 6-4, after taking a 4-1 lead into the third period.
Atlanta scored two goals in the final 2:59 of regulation to send the game into OT. The Flyers’ Kris Versteeg was in the penalty box for interference when the Thrashers cut it to 4-3, and the recently acquired winger committed a turnover that contributed to the tying goal, scored by Andrew Ladd with 45 seconds left and Atlanta’s goalie pulled for an extra skater.
Defenseman Ron Hainsey scored his third goal of the season, finishing a three-on-two break, to give Atlanta the win after 1:17 of the overtime.
“If you go back, look at it, and you break the game down, there was one scrambling part of the third period that I didn’t like where Bob (goalie Sergei Bobrovsky) had to make three or four saves in a row,” said Laviolette, whose team squandered Ville’s Leino’s first career hat trick. “The rest of it was in control. We had coverage and then something funny happened in the last couple minutes where we went to go get our goaltenders stick, we had possession of the puck, and then banked one on the side of the net.”
“There were a couple of funny bounces there at the end and a chain of events that were not right, but they kept coming,” he added. “They are a desperate hockey team that needs to win games in order to make the playoffs. They kept coming. You look back at this game and it is one of those tough ones to swallow. You feel like when it was 3-0, that the game should have ended 3-0.”
In their last 12 games, the Flyers have been outscored in the third period, 20-4, excluding empty-net goals.
“I don’t get the sense that we didn’t work in the third period. I think we did,” said Laviolette, referring to Saturday’s game. “The result is nauseating, but I think our guys competed in the third. This isn’t a Rangers game or an Edmonton game where we didn’t play well in the second and third. I think we competed but like I said, with the chain of events, nobody is going to sleep well with them.”
The Thrashers outscored the Flyers, 5-1, in the third period and overtime.
“Every time they got an opportunity, it was in the net,” Laviolette said.
Despite the loss, the Flyers actually gained ground. They picked up a point and moved three points ahead of Washington in the Eastern Conference, and they inched to five points ahead of Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Division.
The Flyers have a game in hand on both of those teams.
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BREAKAWAYS. Leino’s hat trick was the first by a Flyer on home ice since Mike Richards on Oct. 6, 2009 vs. Washington…..Jeff Carter is the only other Flyer with a hat trick this season….Laviolette gave the Flyers off on Sunday, their third day off in the last week……The Flyers managed just 24 shots, their third-lowest home total this season. Atlanta had 41 shots.....The Flyers were 2 for 2 on the power play, while Atlanta was 1 for 3.
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Bob is not ready to be a playoff goalie. He can't handle the puck, he implodes too many times in third period.He can't handle the heat. Start playing Boosh more then 1 game in a row.— Howard32- Boosh is a proven loser in the playoffs. He's never able to stay consistent for 4 rounds - WAY to streaky. — jking91
- Really good teams never let up after they get a lead. The flyers seem to be playing scared and end up being dominated in the 3rd periods of a lot of games. Something has to change before the playoffs start.— farley
- At least they are preparing us for the first round exit. They flat out stink. There are 60 minutes in a hockey game. Getting a two goal lead does not mean you have won the game.— AreaMan
- The Bogosian goal that made it 3-2 was horrible. I shot from 60 feet away with no screen goes right through Bobrovsky. If you take away his 9-0-1 streak (where the Flyers averaged 4.4 goals a game!) his season has been below average. People always find a way to shift the blame from him, but he never comes through when needed. He is the epitome of the word "average" and that is not what this team needs.— Hexy4GM
Comment removed.- Great, now Lavy's drinking the Kool-aid too. That Bogosian goal is one an NHL goalie HAS to stop. And Lavy blew it too having Versteeg out there with the game on the line and a minute to play. He can't be trusted. Put Nodel back in fast.— Paul1954
- The worst goal was the 2nd Atlanta goal, as everyone else agrees. That should not have happened.— road515
- Jennifer, I hope your parachute doesn't rip as you bail. Pretty weak!— road515
- I think the management is trying to get a feel for Bob the goalie. Honestly, I'm not liking what I see. Here is the stat that can't be denied: "In their last 12 games, the Flyers have been outscored in the third period, 20-4, excluding empty-net goals." When the pressure is on, the Flyers have been folding defensively. They had enough goals to win this time. In Lavy we trust. He'll make the necessary adjustments.
— BillyPhilly - Pitiful performance against a bad team. No heart, no guts, slow defense and a hunchback for a goalie. After 38 years of watching this team, I think its time to move on. Watching paint dry is more exicting than this team. A First round loss is next up.— barry1757
- Pitiful performance against a bad team. No heart, no guts, slow defense and a hunchback for a goalie. After 38 years of watching this team, I think its time to move on. Watching paint dry is more exicting than this team. A First round loss is next up.— barry1757
- They won't win anything with a rookie and a career backup in net. One and done.— hititwheretheyaint
- who took Lavy and when can we get him back?— debbyt
- If you guys that jumped on the bandwagon last spring after the Boston series are bailing out now, do us all a favor and don't come back on. Try not to tear up your knee jumping off the bandwagon.
For crying out loud, they're still probably gonna end up the #1 or #2 seed. They'll get it all together, especially if Pronger comes back 100% healthy (and rested, which he wasn't last year.)— bleedmidnightgreensection236
