Donnellon: Voracek hurting the Flyers' cause

JAKE VORACEK is trying. Really, really trying. He's trying so hard out there that he's picking up penalties, running himself out of position, forcing out passes that create opportunities for the other team.

What's the polar opposite of a Gordie Howe hat trick? That's what Voracek had going in Thursday night's debilitating, 4-3 overtime loss to the NHL's worst team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He was part of blown coverage on the Leafs' first goal, leaving William Nylander alone with half a net to shoot at. Later, a flutter shot into traffic sprung Colin Greening for a breakaway and a 2-0, first-period lead.

Someone asked him whether he was feeling "a little unlucky" these days.

"I'm not gonna blame it on bounces," he said, but then he kind of did.

In just the first two periods, Voracek was minus-3. This, despite taking a team-high four shots in that span, spending 4:28 on the power play. All told, he had six shots on net, spent over five minutes on the power play, did not score, and was on the ice for all three Toronto goals in regulation.

I almost feel bad for writing this, because his heart and effort remain big. But at a juncture of the season when the difference in playoff life and death is the width of a skate edge, he's buckling on his blades big-time. And it's killing his team.

Before he injured his left foot in a Feb. 25 game against Minnesota, the Flyers had scored 40 goals in the 13 games prior, scoring four or more goals in six of them. Voracek had four goals and 13 points.

They have 25 goals in the 11 games since his return. Despite playing in excess of 18 minutes each game, he has accounted for one of them. They have scored four goals only twice, and two or fewer in six.

Voracek has been a minus in four of their last seven, including Thursday night's near-disaster, salvaged somewhat when Wayne Simmonds tipped in the tying goal as Lou Nolan announced the last minute of play.

To be fair, Voracek was drawing attention on the other side of the net to facilitate Simmonds' goal. He also had a great chance on his second shift of the game, a wrist shot from the right circle that created a juicy rebound for Simmonds, who could not capitalize. The next time that group was out on the ice, Voracek's forechecking along the left boards squirted a puck out to Simmonds alone in the slot. The twist of fortune seemed to surprise Simmonds, though, and Jonathan Bernier stick-checked it away from him before he could control it for a shot.

The Flyers even thought for a moment - hoped - that Voracek had tied it slightly less than halfway through their four-minute power play, the puck finding the back of the net moments after Claude Giroux's body had. Giroux's individual effort through the guts of Toronto's defense had been steered onto Voracek's stick, and it was ruled the Flyers captain's continued momentum into the net impeded Bernier's chance to make a save.

So there were moments. They just didn't add up to anything, didn't offset the glaring subtractions as the out-of-town scoreboard registered the developing nightmare: Boston had taken a 2-0 lead en route to a 5-2 victory over Detroit, pushing ahead of the Flyers by a point for the final playoff spot heading into the weekend.

The Leafs had lost six of their previous seven games before. The Flyers have now dropped three in a row for the first time since early February, heading into a weekend in which three of a possible four points against two playoff-bound teams might no longer be enough.

Voracek has said repeatedly that his foot is fine, that the problem is his hands. The evidence suggests otherwise. With just over 14 minutes left in the third period, the puck found Voracek wide open to the right of Bernier with a wide-open net to shoot at. He pivoted awkwardly, the puck hit his skate and away from his stick, and as he gingerly bounced on that left foot and lumbered back up ice, it was reasonable to ask whether we will be hearing about rehabbing that foot once this uneven season ends.

That could be as soon as Saturday now, the resurgent Penguins providing the final poison to a postseason bid that appeared a foregone conclusion when this week started.

They could sure use Voracek playing as if he has a good left foot.

Or at least stop playing as if he has two of them.

@samdonnellon