Time for Richards to earn his 'C'; Carter surgery Fri.
After the Flyers’ 2-0 loss in Ottawa Tuesday, Mike Richards said his team didn’t play with enough urgency. As the Flyers’ captain, it’s time for Richards to get into the faces of the players he thinks are guilty. This is Richards’ second year as captain; it’s also the second year the Flyers have folded down the stretch. A year ago, the Flyers went 7-7-1 in their final 15 regular-season games and slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference, losing the home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It was a recipe for disaster, and the Flyers fell to the Penguins in six games. Tuesday’s loss was the Flyers’ fifth in six games. They are tied for sixth, but are only four points ahead of ninth-place Atlanta. Richards said the Flyers “had a little bit of a lack of motivation and a lack of urgency, which shouldn’t be there. It’s frustrating and it has to change.” The Flyers, who are without injured star Jeff Carter for the rest of the regular season, have scored two goals or fewer in five of their last eight games. Most of the players on the top three lines have been unproductive recently. Consider: ** Darroll Powe hasn’t scored a goal in his last 25 games. ** James van Riemsdyk and Arron Asham each haven’t scored in their last 12 games. ** Dan Carcillo has one goal in his last 12 games. ** Danny Briere has one goal in his last nine games. ** Claude Giroux, who took Carter’s spot on the second line Tuesday, has two goals in the last 19 games. ** Richards has two goals in his last 10 games. ** Scott Hartnell has three goals in his last 27 games. To make matters worse, the Flyers are 0 for 13 on the power play in their last four games. They will try to regroup Thursday against visiting Minnesota. It’s a proverbial “must” game for the Flyers, who have been outscored in the first periods of their last five games, 10-3. They have trailed at the end of the first period in each of those five games.
Time for Richards to earn his 'C'; Carter surgery Fri.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
After the Flyers’ 2-0 loss in Ottawa Tuesday, Mike Richards said his team didn’t play with enough urgency.
As the Flyers’ captain, it’s time for Richards to get into the faces of the players he thinks are guilty.
This is Richards’ second year as captain; it’s also the second year the Flyers have folded down the stretch.
A year ago, the Flyers went 7-7-1 in their final 15 regular-season games and slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference, losing the home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It was a recipe for disaster, and the Flyers fell to the Penguins in six games.
Tuesday’s loss was the Flyers’ fifth in six games. They are tied for sixth, but are only four points ahead of ninth-place Atlanta.
Richards said the Flyers “had a little bit of a lack of motivation and a lack of urgency, which shouldn’t be there. It’s frustrating and it has to change.”
The Flyers, who are without injured star Jeff Carter for the rest of the regular season, have scored two goals or fewer in five of their last eight games.
Most of the players on the top three lines have been unproductive recently. Consider:
** Darroll Powe hasn’t scored a goal in his last 25 games.
** James van Riemsdyk and Arron Asham each haven’t scored in their last 12 games.
** Dan Carcillo has one goal in his last 12 games.
** Danny Briere has one goal in his last nine games.
** Claude Giroux, who took Carter’s spot on the second line Tuesday, has two goals in the last 19 games.
** Richards has two goals in his last 10 games.
** Scott Hartnell has three goals in his last 27 games.
To make matters worse, the Flyers are 0 for 13 on the power play in their last four games.
They will try to regroup Thursday against visiting Minnesota. It’s a proverbial “must” game for the Flyers, who have been outscored in the first periods of their last five games, 10-3. They have trailed at the end of the first period in each of those five games.
Yep, another recipe for disaster.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Center Jeff Carter will have surgery on his broken left foot Friday, but is still expected to return in the same time as the original prognosis _ three to four weeks, the Flyers announced.
Carter, who leads the team in goals (33) and points (60), broke a bone in the foot on Sunday. The surgery, in which a screw is inserted, will aid the healing process, GM Paul Holmgren said.
The Flyers hope Carter can return for the first round of the playoffs _ if they get there. They host Minnesota Thursday, and the new lines are expected to look like this:
Hartnell-Richards-Carcillo; Gagne-Briere-Leino; van Riemsdyk-Giroux-Powe;
Laperriere-Betts-Asham.
I still vote for a French Connection line of Briere, Giroux and Gagne. Hey, the way things are going, it's worth a look.
x2 on JVR, wandering around in the offensive zone, unsure of his place defensively and the same toe drag everytime he gets a scoring chance is getting real old.. jac i'm with ya on most all your post except i have to agree with TheCaptain somewhat, Pronger has been as advertised, and, IF we get there, i think he has another gear to his nastiness come playoff time, although Kimmo has been solid all year long, just quietly so, which is just fine.— spittooncj
The team is struggling because there is no chemistry between the players. It's not Richard's fault, it's not Carter's fault, it's not Giroux's fault, its not Prongers fault, its not Gagne's, nor Briere's, nor etc. Its the team. They did have chemistry when they had the likes of Knuble, Umberger, Lupul and Upshaw, back when they played thrilling hockey after a dismal year. The wrong trades were made, which messed with the chemistry, and voila, we now have a mediocre team.— DaveCicc
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one of the problems i see is that they have too many fourth line players on this team. so what you get is fourth liners playing on lines they shouldnt be on. they need more talent and leadership...- Where are all the GM's on this hit? What they all bet the Senators? I've have watched enough Hockey to believe this game is fixed. It would be great if I was an official and I bet on Ottawa. If I can call a goal, no goal, I would. And guess what, if I can get the best "SCORER" off the ice with penalties, I would. The result would be I win 2 to 0. I make lots of money. Now I am not saying the league is crooked, it could be they are. I'm asking, 1) How can I become an official for the NHL and 2) What investigative body does the NHL use to keep the officials clean and honest(probably none).— Joe Vegas
- Agree with Dave Cicc... no chemistry on the lines or team... GM put this group together... GM gave out too many fat contracts... time for a new GM who can put a team together and manage the salary cap.— Brauny
- I'm done with this team......Go Caps!— tim17600
- GerryZ...just plain wrong, we have been ordinary for a long time...a good team wins close games, and obliterates the crappy teams a-la edmonton and atlanta. I was a diehard Richards fan. His stupid penalty last night, with numerous turnovers is not what a captain's captain displays. Where is the constant inspiration? And for those who thing Pronger should be the "c", nah. He is a great defender but has he been inspirational? I don't think so. We don't have an Ovechkin, nor a Crosby, nor a Alfredson nor an Iginlia. Sorry. Lack of leadership in the locker room. Let me be GM - please.— aussieflyer
- Sam, I don't think you watch the games or know hockey. You watch highlights and box scores. That's obviously more than most of the experts posting here watch tho. The team just isn't very good. Richards is not the problem. Neither is Pronger, Timmo, Carter or Lavvy. The kids aren't producing, the veterans aren't producing. The goalie is terrible. That is the problem. Leadership can't make a highly paid 10 year veteran hit the net on at least one of 8 chances. It's not his fault that his top line right winger is an agitator 15-20 goal scorer at best. He plays hard every game, if the team doesn't want to follow that, get rid of them. I'm talking Briere, Gagne, Hartnell. O wait we can't. I guess Homer IS the problem.— ItsOnLikeDK
- Can Com-cast get rid of Jim Jackson. I'm at the point of using clueless in every sentence that I use his name. Plain bad calling. Punches that don't exist, passes that were simple mistakes.....replace the Comedy-cast with real talent.....— aussieflyer
- The Flyers were wrong in giving the "C" to Richards so early in his career. It's becoming increasingly obvious that he is in over his head and doesn't have the leadership qualities necessary for the job. Maybe giving the "C" to Pronger will motivate this team.— flyerdup
- there's a lack of motivation and they're sitting at 6 with 9 to go. wow.. this team officially has no character. thought we were playing for the stanley cup here ? get it together 18! it starts with you. gotta move on from carter and show the heart of this team.. prongs might need to take control of this ship. richards is folding again down the stretch. lets go boys!!— Apollo Creed
- Don't use injuries as an excuse. This team has been heartless, lazy, unmotivated, and leaderless for 2 years. All you have to do is look at our passive crybaby (waaaa I'm not speaking to the media) captain and you'll see why this team comes out like a bunch of zombies on ice. And trade Boosh too. The guy deserves to play on a team that supports him. JFC, he rarely gives up more than 2 goals a game and we STILL can't win? WTF???— Kanayd
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- Umberger is the spark!— Captain Splendor
