Legion of Gloom: 5th straight loss
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Legion of Gloom: 5th straight loss
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
MONTREAL _ How bad are things in Flyerdom?
Well, the Flyers equaled a franchise record for fewest shots allowed in a road game (13) Monday _ and somehow lost.
Call them the Legion of Gloom.
The Flyers fell to the host Montreal Canadiens, 3-1, despite allowing just 13 shots.
The Flyers managed 15 shots _ and just two in the final period.
Stop the season, the Flyers want to get off.
They have lost five straight and eight of their last nine. Want some reasons?
** Jeff Carter has not scored a goal in six straight games _ and has scored in just one of the last 11 games.
** Claude Giroux hasn't scored a goal in eight consecutive games.
** Kimmo Timonen is valiantly playing with a broken toe but may need to take some time off. He made two miscues that led to two Montreal goals Monday.
** Mike Richards hasn't scored a point in the last four games.
** Defensemen Chris Pronger and Matt Carle, each of whom were white-hot early in the season, don't have a point in the last eight games.
** Goalie Ray Emery, who again was testy with the Philly media Monday, has a 5.31 goals-against average in his last five starts.
** The players recalled from the AHL Phantoms have produced virtually nothing.
** The power play is 0 for 19 in the last five games. During that span, they have allowed seven power-play goals.
** They panicked and fired John Stevens too soon.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
On a positive note, the Flyers played two solid periods Monday before managing just two shots in the final period. They played much better than in Peter Laviolette's debut, an 8-2 loss to Washington Saturday.
Then again, almost any effort would have been better.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Flyers outshot Montreal, 4-1, in a tight-checking first period and built a 1-0 lead on Danny Briere's highlight-film breakaway goal.
But Montreal had a 2-1 lead after two periods despite taking just seven shots.
"It was hard to get into a rhythm out there with one shot in the first period, and then unfortunately a couple plays in the second and they go up, 2-1," Flyers goalie Brian Boucher said. "I mean, from an effort standpoint, it was real good tonight. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted.”
Notes. The Flyers (13-13-1) have more losses than wins for the first time this season....The Flyers host the Islanders Tuesday. Laviolette said he's unsure which goalie he will use....Give Riley Cote credit for trying to create some momentum with an early fight against Georges Laraque, one of the league's best brawlers. Laraque won a close decision, but Cote pinned him at the end of the bout.....Starting Monday, the Flyers play 12 games in 21 days.
We should have hired Jacques Lemaire the minute he left Minnesota. He's got NJ playing awesome hockey. Laviolette should give Pronger the captaincy immediately. Richards needs to grow up— Flyers1975
So wait. How do players prepare for games? - Practice Who runs these practices? - The coach So the coach is responsible for the preparation? Yes And how do the players prepare for games....- Send the guys who are supposedly scorers to the phantoms and bring up someone else, maybe they'll see the light! It can't hurt, if a team gets only 13 shots and wins against you then what does it matter! Just sayin'...— DJ
- Until this team commits defensively as a team they will not win. Five skaters needs to play D - not just the blueliners. Also - forget about the dump and chase style of play. Skate the puck in then maybe you will have some sort of posession and quality chances.— MH
- They didn't fire Stevens too soon, they fired him too late. They should have done it after the loss to the Thrashers, which would have at least given a new coach four practice days to start working on installing his system. Now look at the schedule - when do they have time to practice?— dave-tx
- Plenty of bright spots in last night's defeat. They played great defense (minus Coburn as usual) and while it took away from the offensive flow, I think it is a good step in the right direction. It may sound crazy but I truly don't think they are in good enough shape to play the up tempto style that Laviollete wants, as you could see they were gassed in the third. Unfortunately, we need to give them two weeks to get their feet under them with the new coach. Sadly, it may be too late. I have a horrible feeling about tonight. My bet is they are too tired to rebound. I hope I am wrong. Also, if I am going to bag on Cote I have to give credit when it's due. He gave a great effort going with Laraue.— Legion of Doom
Unforetunately most if not all of our "star" players can't be sent tot he Phantoms. It really would be a great motivation tool if they could send non performing players down until they got their game back. At this point the Phantoms would be way over the AHL roster limit though!- they've gotta play better D! It wasn't all on Emery or else Boucher wouldn't had the same result (L)— forjustice20
- Get real. The players were babied by Stevens. Good Guy, decent coach but these "boys" need a daddy to spank em. And if Petey doesn't do it Homer will fly to Russia and find some guy he can pay peanuts to coach.— BeerGrills
- Homer's bung has tightened up considerably. Carter no score. Giroux no score. Colburn a bust. Kimmo can't skate. Richards can't lead. Pronger no physical. Emery back to head case. Boucher Swiss cheese. Phantoms players have nothing. Cote, Carcillo a waste. Asham cold. Lappy a warrior but that's it. JVR has dissapeared. Gagne bye bye. Ever thing Brier would be the guy? Rumors of internal dissent. Finally the Cuigar Store Indian has been replace. The one good bit of news we have to relish... Peter The Great has his work cut out. Lots of skating going no where. Lots of going through the motions. How about somebody plays physical? The Winter Of Our Discontent.— BearOnIce
- Carter, 2 goals. Richards, 2 goals and an amazingly awesome assist. The flyers have time to practice when they are up by 3+ goals. Homer has it all figured out!— doogan
