Flyers observations: Team desperately needs an era of its own

The Flyers followed up a playoff-denying defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday with a listless, 3-0 home loss to the Rangers on Sunday.

Here are some takeaways:

The testimonials about fans in Citizens Bank Park over the weekend were predictable but devoid of one undeniable fact. Those who packed the place and delivered all the electricity the players spoke so glowingly about had some history with the team, and were simply renewing their vows.

A 26-year-old fan in the stands, for example, likely witnessed some of the heroics of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, might have even attended a World Series or playoff game. The Phillies delivered an era of exciting baseball even before they strung together those five straight division championships, creating a ton of birth certificates with Chase, Ryan or Jimmy on them, kids that by now might have attended a game or two.

The Flyers simply don’t have this. Oh, there was that run to the Finals in 2010 that generated a disproportionate number of Carcillo jerseys in the stands, but that was a flashing comet amid the same type of one-and-done frustration that has plagued the decade since then, triggering finally the long-term view that the Phillies undertook.

That produced enough home-grown talent in players such as Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins on the current roster to compel ownership to go all-in this winter, and the result of that is easy to see — not just in the number of fannies in the seats, but also in the renewed sea of red you see all around the Delaware Valley.

It’s cool to wear Phillies stuff again.

But the key word is again. It is instructional that, despite a career track that suggests the Hall of Fame, Claude Giroux has never experienced that. Neither has Jake Voracek, nor even their departed warrior, Wayne Simmonds. It’s part of the disconnect, I believe, between this team and the fan base. Fans boo if the Flyers take too long to take a power-play shot. Players speak more about their obligation to the organization or the sweater than they do to the ticket buyers, who these days have a closer relationship to Stubhub than they do to the team.

Which brings me to Sunday. It is understandable that the team was emotionally and physically drained after being eliminated by Carolina on Saturday. But Sunday was the Flyers’ second-to-last chance this season to acknowledge the diehards who came out, and it didn’t seem as if there was much of that.

It’s understandable. This team has not had an era since Eric Lindros left. The Sixers (Iverson) have, the Phillies have, and the Eagles most certainly have. Among those returning to Citizens Bank Park is a generation that spent hours there as kids.

It’s what makes the coming offseason so very important for the Flyers. They desperately need an era of their own.

Cam Talbot played his second game for the Flyers on Saturday, and both games have shared a similar characteristic: Start a little shaky, finish with a solid performance. That’s to be expected with so much down time, and the guess here is it will be enough — he’ll start against St. Louis on Tuesday — to warrant signing him this summer as Carter Hart’s backup, which was the intent when Talbot was acquired in a trade with Edmonton.

Barring injury, Brian Elliott might have played his last game as a Flyer. There should be some sort of appreciation montage when the team finishes its season Saturday night against Carolina. The man played hurt, rushed back to help the Flyers last season, and gave it everything he had when here.

If he stays healthy, he will be somebody’s bargain next year. But it’s too big of an if for a Flyers team that set a record for playing goaltenders this season.

Not only did Shayne Gostisbehere return to the lineup Sunday, he also played 25 minutes and 36 seconds. Some of that was because of his fresh legs, but it was mildly interesting that he was paired with Ivan Provorov, with whom he played well in 2017-18.

Equally interesting was the pairing of Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers, who were so good together during the Phantoms’ second half and playoff run last year. Scott Gordon was the Phantoms coach then.