Sitting back is a problem for the slumping Flyers

CALGARY, Alberta - After his fading team dropped a 2-0 decision to lowly Edmonton on Thursday, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette's postgame news conference was terse.

Laviolette bristled about a lackluster second period that he called "horse-" and "disgraceful," saying the result had better serve as a wake-up call for a team that entered Friday as close to eighth place (eight points) as first place in the Eastern Conference.

Again, the Flyers failed to take a lead - opponents have scored first in nine of the last 10 games, including the last six - and their penalty kill allowed another goal.

On Friday, Laviolette reiterated what he said after the Edmonton defeat.

"Last night's game is unacceptable," he said. "You play enough unacceptable games, and you'll find yourself in a battle you don't want to be in."

The Flyers, who play in Calgary on Saturday night, have surrendered four power-play goals in five attempts over the last two games.

"I think it just comes down to [the fact] we're getting the opportunities to clear pucks and block shots, and we're not doing it - and it's really been killing us," defenseman Matt Carle said, adding that the Flyers need to be more aggressive and not sit back as much on the penalty kill.

Edmonton took a 1-0 lead Thursday on Taylor Hall's second-period, power-play goal.

"It seems like we're always playing from behind," Carle said. "I can't remember the last time we scored the first goal in a game, and that's been the biggest thing that's killed us. It's one of the things we need to iron out as we come down the stretch."

In Thursday's second period, Edmonton outscored the Flyers, 2-0, and outshot them, 15-6.

"I don't understand how we can come out flat like that in the second period," said center Claude Giroux, who has 15 shots over the last two games. "I mean, it's big points. We know that."

After having been near or at the top of the Eastern Conference in the first three months, the Flyers have just a 7-8-3 record in the last six weeks.

"Maybe we just got too comfortable," Giroux said. "We're a team that works hard; we're relentless on everything, and we haven't played a full 60 minutes in a long time. . . . We need to be better at starts of games and need to have a better start in Calgary."

Laviolette said the Flyers "need to move north, and not waddle east to west."

As for the penalty kill, Laviolette didn't sound overly concerned.

"I've said this before, I think everything is a little bit cyclical," he said. ". . . We're in one of those ruts right now, but I promise you, we will come out of it, and at some point down the road, we'll be talking about how the penalty kill has killed this many out of this many [attempts]."

Breakaways. Winger Scott Hartnell was not disciplined by the league for kneeing Magnus Paajarvi in the second period, causing the Oilers forward to miss the rest of the game with a leg injury. . . . Hartnell on the Columbus trade that reunited former Flyers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in Los Angeles: "Obviously they were both buds in Philly, and I don't think Carts was too happy about going to Columbus. . . . He's onto sunny California now, and I'm sure he's got a big smile on his face. I think they've got a good team; they've been underachieving. They're right on the border of the playoffs, and obviously that'll be a big boost for them to get some offense in their lineup."