Inside the Flyers: Power play plaguing Flyers with inconsistency

In the season's first two months, the Flyers' power play has been either off-the-charts good or hard-to-fathom bad. It needs to develop some consistency or the regular season is going to be another roller-coaster ride.

Or, as the late, great Gene Hart was fond of saying during a game's final minutes: "Fasten your seat belts, folks."

It may sound simplistic, but as the power play goes, so go the Flyers.

The numbers, heading into Saturday, don't lie:

In their 15 wins, the Flyers' power play was 17 for 70, a 24.3 percent success rate.

In their 11 losses, they were 2 for 47 with a manpower advantage. That's 4.3 percent.

"We better find the solution here quick," defenseman Chris Pronger said earlier, "because it's costing us games."

Yes, it is.

For proof, look at the Flyers' 6-8 record in one-goal games before Saturday. In those eight losses, they were 1 for 30 on the power play.

In other words, with a few more power-play goals, the Flyers would have the NHL's best record.

"If you don't score on the power play, it's tough to win," winger Ville Leino said. "We have to go harder to the net."

Entering Saturday's matinee against New Jersey, the Flyers were in a 2-for-38 power-play funk that stretched over eight-plus games.

The Flyers' power play has been alarmingly inconsistent. Consider:

First eight games (3-4-1 record): 3 for 35 (8.6 percent)

Next 10 games (9-0-1): 14 for 43 (32.6 percent)

Last eight games (3-3-2) before Saturday: 2 for 37 (5.4 percent)

When you look at the numbers, the Flyers should actually be thankful they have just three regulation losses in their last eight games because their power play has been atrocious during that span.

In Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Boston, the Flyers heard boos from the Wells Fargo Center fans as they went 0 for 4 on the power play. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas had a lot to do with the 0-for, but the Flyers didn't create a lot of traffic in front and didn't shoot the puck enough.

"We had some chances and were able to get in the zone and control the puck," center Danny Briere said. "When things are going well, pucks find the back of the net. I know the fans were getting on us and getting frustrated, but when you're doing what you're supposed to do, at some point things are going to start happening the right way."

Coach Peter Laviolette said the Flyers' work on the power play was an extension of their five-on-five execution. When they are clicking in even-strength situations, they carry that crispness - and confidence - into the power play.

Problem is, the Flyers entered Saturday with just three even-strength goals, total, in their last three games. That caused Laviolette to make some tweaks in the power-play personnel - flip-flopping Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux on their units - as he prepared for Saturday's game against the struggling Devils.

Over an 82-game season, there will be peaks and valleys, to be sure. But the power-play valleys have been way too low for a team that has so much offensive talent. Perhaps dropping Mike Richards back to the point, where he would replace one of the defensemen, and adding a gifted shooter such as Nik Zherdev would give the power play more life. Zherdev scored 10 power-play goals for Columbus one season, but he has been used sparingly on the PP in his first year with the Flyers.

Zherdev has not endeared himself to Flyers management with his up (on offense) and down (on defense) play. But the guy is a scorer, plain and simple. And right now, the power play needs someone who can find the net.

Overall, the Flyers are among the league's elite in goals-for and goals-against, but they have fallen into the middle of the pack on the power play and, as a result, have slipped a bit in the Eastern Conference seedings.

Read Sam Carchidi's Flyers blog, "Broad Street Bull," at www.philly.com/flyers.

Subject: Dan Carcillo close to returning.

BentLogic

The man can skate, hit and play. So what if he takes some penalties. It makes the games more fun to watch. You can't deny that. We went to the Cup after getting in on the last day. Let me enjoy some fights in the regular season.

Although the power play is a good indicator of whether the Flyers win, they beat the Devils, 5-3, Saturday despite going 0 for 3. Here are the top two power-play lines the Flyers used against the Devils, and how each player has done with the man advantage this season:

FIRST LINE

Forwards            Goals      Assists

Danny Briere         4         2

Claude Giroux         6         1

Scott Hartnell         0         3

Defense

Matt Carle            0         0

Andrej Meszaros    0         0

SECOND LINE

Forwards            Goals      Assists

Ville Leino            1         5

Mike Richards         2         6

Jeff Carter            3         4

Defense

Chris Pronger         3         6

Kimmo Timonen       0         6