Time for Richards to earn his 'C'; Carter surgery Fri.
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
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.
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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.
Brad should not step up, he should step down. Get this burden off of his shoulders so he can concentrate on his game and then he can elevate his game. The Flyers showed last night that this team has no integrity nor desire to excel. They are content to show up and get their pay checks. As previously stated, they are a disgrace to the tradition of Flyer hockey. I've been a Flyer fan since 1967 and have never given up on any Flyer team, but I have no desire to continue following this team, and that is very sad.— Gus L.- Why is it that every couple off weeks, "Richards needs to step up". Seems to me though when your asking your captain to step up and motivate forwards making all-star money (Briere, Gangne, Hartnall) it's the GM's fault. I guess it's Richards fault too that two rookies (JVR, and Giroux) haven't been able to replace the goals provided by Knuble, Lupal, and Upshall. Let's face it there is a deep routed complacency on this team that needs to be routed out.— chham57
- Different guys are captains for different reasons. Pure talent (Crosby, Stevie Y), playing monster two-way games (Messier, Modano), or maybe a total grit defensive player like Hatcher (Stars). The jury is out that Richards is anything more than a 30 goal scorer who throws the occasional big hit and can stay healthy or sober through an entire season. MISTAKE naming him the captain. Unfortunately, until this team can start drafting in the first rounds again, they are stuck with a very good coach with an offensive system, a mix-mash of underachieving and over rated players, and absolutely no certainty in goal.— MichaelZoe
- I don't understand how this team can't score. With the rule changes guys like Briere, Carter, Richards, Gagne should be benefiting from the changes. After the playoff loss last year I thought Giroux was going to be a top six forward. It seems Giroux and van Riemsdyk have hit a wall as the NHL season is much longer than they are used to playing. I agree with alot of posters that they should shake things up just for the sake of trying something different. I like the coach but maybe they need to do what baseball teams do when they are in a prolonged slump. Put the players name in a hat and pick the lines that way.— mmaz24
- Richards is the least of our worries...game in and game out he he is trying to carry this team on his back.He is on pace for 30 plus goals! He hits, he digs he trys to do it all except give the media a great interview....so he does not say what they want or how they want him to....he says it in the room instead.— motorhead
- Stick a fork in them... they're done. Unfortunately, there's no way to blow up this team in the offseason and start from scratch because the problem contracts can't be traded or eliminated.
- Enough with the Richards bull. He is, has been, and still is not only their best player. the captain can lead the players to water but can't make them drink. They are just an average team right now especially with the injuries. to lay this on richards is crazy, put it where it belongs, Holmgren, Snider— Howard32
- How is this a Richards problem? Briere, Hartnell, and Coburn have stunk it up all year. Why are we blaming the man who is consistently the best player and has the biggest heart on the team? Get a clue...if you don't think Richards is a good captain, then you don't know hockey.— Phront_Runner
Comment removed.- Let's face it guys and girls Richards isn't good enough to just step up!! he will always be a 65 to 75 point a year guyon the top line. Just not good enough!!!— sawgrass
- No heart. No compassion. No chemistry. It is painful to watch these guys every night.— Flying P
- Comment removed.
- I think we are at the point of the season where Richie and his assistant captains need to be having a closed door meeting after every game with the team. The part that is hard to judge on Richie is he is 25 so he is still learning and that is important beyond this season (and there is no better teacher than #20). There are serious personnel evaluations that need to be made obviously, but in the near term, they need to play harder - stop talking about being a desperate team and PLAY like a desperate team. Cause face it, a few more games like the last 3 and we are going to be on the outside of the playoffs looking in, the cushion is just not there.— ferg_1977
- It all starts between the pipes, than behind the blue line. The Flyer's have not had a solidified goalie since the first tenure of Hextall. They play hot potato with the puck behind the blue line, than have no scheme for outlet passes. This team is hard to watch. Total dissapointment. Iv'e seen more commitment on the show "cheaters"— dduckieg
- The problem is a GM that trades away Umberger & Sharp,lets Knuble go @ 2m & keeps a slug like Hartnell for 4m and uses the cap for the excuse.What GM would stand pat @ the trade deadline w/2 backup goalies hoping to get past the first round? Are the real owners of this team concerned or do they just look @ the bottom line like most corporations.The only person not making excuses should be the captain=Pronger!!— tsunami
