How to liven up end of this dismal Flyers season
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Let the record reflect that the three games lost in the past week mark the spot where the Flyers' 2013 season died an ugly death. With 15 games to play, the Flyers (13-17-3) are not yet mathematically eliminated - they've just been playing like a team that knows it needs to go 13-2 to make the playoffs.
Here are five things the Flyers can do to make the last month of the season a lot more interesting:
1. Play the kids on 'D'
When Braydon Coburn went down with an apparent shoulder injury on Thursday, joining Nick Grossmann and Andrej Meszaros on the injury list, Paul Holmgren had a decision to make. He could either recall veteran defensemen Andreas Lilja or Danny Syvret - who have a combined 635 games under their belt - or find out what they have in the cupboard. So, Holmgren wisely chose 6-6 Denmark native Oliver Lauridsen. He'll likely make his NHL debut against Boston's 6-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara on Saturday.
Lauridsen, 24, is an interesting piece. He's a former seventh-rounder who has come a long way. He is physical and can pass, but struggles a bit with his skating. Still, without a call-up, how would we know exactly what Lauridsen can do? Even on a decimated blue line (all injuries occurred in the past week), the Flyers should sit Kurtis Foster, a pending free agents who is unlikely to be back next season. Lauridsen, Brandon Manning, Erik Gustafsson, Cullen Eddy and even Matt Mangene should get a taste of the big leagues. There's nothing to lose, only something to gain at this point.
2. Make a coaching decision
Holmgren gave Peter Laviolette a vote of confidence on March 15, saying he "had not even thought about" firing his coach. That statement does not preclude a coaching change in the summer. If Laviolette will be Holmgren's guy next season, a team meeting should be held, and that point should be impressed upon the players.
Players usually run the asylum, since they know the coach is much more likely to be canned before the roster is imploded. Especially over the last 3 weeks, the wear on Laviolette is obvious. He is decidedly less upbeat, and is clearly frustrated and agitated. It's tough to blame him.
Laviolette's players need to understand that if they want a job next season playing under him, they'll need to impress him - and not some other guy - for the time being.
3. Fight
When Claude Giroux was pounded, face-first in the boards in the third period Thursday night against a docile Islanders team, the Flyers did not react. When their captain and most important asset was lying on the ice, it was embarrassing that two players within grabbing distance - Jake Voracek and Matt Read - did not go after the offending Lubomir Visnovsky. It was more embarrassing that players who actually are paid to play with edge didn't follow up on the questionable hit on subsequent shifts.
The Flyers should be defending every questionable hit with vigor, regardless of the victim. Especially for Giroux. Instead, the sequence seemed to say a lot about the overall fight of this team. They don't need to fight more, though most hockey fans would enjoy it. They need to fight for one another.
4. Find out about No. 14
During the lockout, the talk around Sean Couturier was that the Flyers wanted to bring out more of his offensive game. He quarterbacked the power play and skated on the first line in his 31 AHL games, netting 28 points.
Back in the NHL since the 119-day lockout ended on Jan. 19, Couturier has seen his numbers drop, even from his rookie season. His minutes are up by 2 per game. He is averaging 0.23 points per game, off from 0.35 last season. He is averaging 0.06 goals per game, down from 0.17. His plus/minus has gone from plus-18 to minus-13.
No one is suggesting Couturier, 20, has reached his ceiling. But 108 NHL games isn't exactly a small sample size, either. We need to know more. Couturier has played the lion's share of penalty-kill time, but he hasn't skated on the top two lines, and is 13th on the team in power-play minutes per game. The next 15 games are the time to push Couturier.
5. Keep losing
Learning more about three of the items on this list would accomplish this last goal. At this juncture, fewer points means more future. The Flyers enter this weekend in 28th place out of 30 teams. They are only three points - or a small losing streak - away from falling to 30th. If the season ended on Friday, the Flyers would have drafted no worse than fourth overall.
The top-end talent in this year's draft is immense - starting with a defensive prospect, Seth Jones, around whom the Flyers could build. When they have had a pick, the Flyers have drafted quite well in the first round in the last 15 or so years.
Finishing last earns 25 percent of the pingpong balls in the lottery. 29th place draws 18.8 percent; 28th gets 14.2 percent and 27th nabs a 10.7 percent shot at No. 1 overall. The lottery takes place on April 29, 2 days after the regular season ends. The Flyers finished 30th overall in 2006-07, but Chicago won the lottery and took Patrick Kane first.
DeKeyser stays home
In the end, the lure of the hometown winged wheel was too sweet.
Undrafted free-agent defenseman Dan DeKeyser, who decided to not return to Western Michigan for his senior season, agreed to terms with the Red Wings on Friday. He is expected to join the team this weekend.
The Flyers made a serious push to add DeKeyser. Chairman Ed Snider was among the Flyers brass to pitch Philadelphia to the Detroit native on Wednesday at an hourlong meeting in Toronto. The last player Snider publicly courted was goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov in 2011.
As far as entry-level contracts go, almost every team in the DeKeyser sweepstakes was on a level playing field, with a maximum salary of $925,000. Performance-based bonuses could have pushed the figure even higher.
DeKeyser, 23, was publicly linked to Detroit, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Nashville and many others. Nearly all 30 teams made some kind of inquiry to Newport Sports Group agent Don Meehan about his client. DeKeyser is a mature, 6-3, agile puck-mover.
The Flyers had been pursuing DeKeyser since at least last spring, when he flirted with a decision of possibly leaving school after only two seasons. Even in a down season, when the Flyers likely offered an immediate spot in their battered NHL lineup, it wasn't enough to sway DeKeyser away from the Wings.
Email: seravaf@phillynews.com
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