Offense invisible yet again as Flyers lose to Wild, 2-1
by Travis Hughes on Feb 6, 2010 11:00 PM EST
in Philadelphia Flyers Game Recaps - 09-10
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The story of the game? Anton Khudobin. He was fantastic as he stifled the Flyers for two and a half hours in his first NHL start to pick up a 2-1 victory on Saturday night. Man, those Wild certainly know how to stock the system with solid goaltenders. At least that's what everybody is going to be talking about tonight.
Sure, Khudobin was good. But the real story of the game? How the Flyers are completely, 100-percent inept when it comes to finishing and actually putting a puck across the goal line. They can generate all the chances in the world, and that shouldn't be a surprise with the talent on this team.
But they can't score a goal. There are no finishers on this hockey team, and if they want to accomplish anything in the realm of hockey success, they're going to have to acquire one. Quickly.
The problem isn't the defense. No, they were just fine tonight and they've been just fine on that end this entire road trip. The problem isn't the goaltending either. Was Michael Leighton fantastic tonight? No. Much like Khudobin, he was solid but not Brodeur-esque.
He let up a few soft goals, both of which were without a doubt his fault. That's not the difference in the game, however, as Leighton has received just two goals of support in his last four losses. The difference is the Flyers can't score a goal. It's not a difficult concept to understand, but it may be a difficult problem to overcome.
After the jump, questions with answers and the comment of the night.
Questions With Answers
- Can the Flyers make Khudobin look like a rookie and not a Hall of Famer? No they can't. Minnesota fans are no doubt excited, but that excitement could subside if the kid sees an offense that can finish.
- Does the insertion of (insert name of goon here) make a difference in the hockey game? Nope, although Owen Nolan punched Scott Hartnell in the face a few times and somehow didn't get a fighting penalty.
- Are the Flyers opportunistic on the offensive end tonight? Not even close. True story, I just laughed out loud while reading this question back to myself.
- Defensively, do they play another sound road game? Yes, the lone bright side of the night. Krajicek in particular was impressive again.
- What terrible things does Mike Russo of the Star-Tribune say about the Flyers tonight? He regurgitated his lie from preseason that Mike Richards is a dirty player who went after Eric Belanger.
Comment of the Night
The Olympics, so I can go two weeks without having to watch a boring, frustrating game.
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All this is good, Travis, but I just found out the real reason the Wild won this game: the Wild’s green uniforms.
They are now 7-1-1 in them. Sometimes even the best teams can’t overcome the karma of the opponent wearing a lucky jersey, let alone a schizophrenic, offensively inept team with a horrible GM gone completely mad with NTCs
Proudly supporting a Flyers team with "no honor".
Well, the color green is calming. Perhaps they lulled the Flyers into submission, which is pretty easy to do. I think it worked.
"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luuko
Fun Facts About Green Which is More Than I Can Say For What The Flyers Did
On reason why OR scrubs and OR Rooms are that particular green is to offset blood’s compliment afterimage. red’s compliment is green…Stare at something red for a while and then look at a wall an you see a afterimage but in green. So after staring intently at blood the suregon can look up and the green afterimage will be against a green background. This allows the doctor to do other things without having to wait for the afterimagine to subside
That’s odd
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 6, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions
… and celebrating a Wild goal, too.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Feb 6, 2010 11:46 PM EST up reply actions
When the offense is clicking the defense sucks. When the defense is doing their part the offense can’t finish.
God forbid both the offense and defense actually do what they are supposed to . . . at the same time!
Hey, goaltending has been pretty decent all year.
This may be obvious but I really think this team should be sellers at the deadline. We really need a reset button.
No matter who agrees with that last sentence, the organization will never ever do it. That’s why I never bring it up as even an option.
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by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 12:21 AM EST up reply actions
I know. It goes against the fiber of this organization in so many ways. It’s hard for me to actually come to that conclusion.
I don’t know how Homer can sit and watch this team and still have a delusional glimmer of hope that this team is going to make an impact in the East, let alone the Playoffs.
Homer has handcuffed himself so badly. All with good intention (and high risk) but it just hasn’t worked and it isn’t going to. We need to erase the drawing board and get back to square one.
Won’t happen. Probably should. This team is going to continue to struggle for years to come, unless something is done.
by Mitchell Green on Feb 7, 2010 12:28 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t think this game in particular is too much of an indicator on what they should do long term.
I mean, it’s not like they aren’t getting their chances. They just aren’t finishing. Is it as simple as just getting a bounce or two and it’ll turn around? No, but I don’t think it’s impossible that this team just won’t score again. Like you said above, if they get the offense and the defense clicking at the same time, it can work.
If it’s a Cup caliber team when it’s all clicking is another discussion, but I don’t think this game should be the impetus for a move or a change in philosophy or whatever.
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by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
I am not using this game alone, as my sample. I mentioned back on January 27th in the Philadelphia Flyers Fan Confidence Rating: 1/26 Voting that the Flyers should “try to accumulate draft picks and prospects and replenish the dried up fountain of youth by dealing their "established" players.”
I just think that this game is yet another prime example for what I am proposing. Sure, the Flyers are in the playoffs (for now) and are not a complete lost cause. However, it comes down to consistency. If this team plays consistently well, night in and night out, they are certainly a playoff team. But they don’t. They are a wonderful example of Jekyll and Hyde. We have seen it all year and it continues to be their achilles heel. And honestly, there is no excuse for it.
I think they are a playoff team only because of the parity in the East. But, what I am saying is that, and I think most will agree with me, just making the playoffs is not good enough. I have seen little evidence that says this team has what it takes to seriously contend for the the Cup. Like I said, it goes against the mindset of this organization, but the Flyers should cut their losses, forget the win now attitude (because it hasn’t worked and, with this team, isn’t going to) and start to retool (notice how I didn’t say rebuild) this team. Essentially, this organization needs to admit that it has failed instead of trying to save face by going after the Kovalchuk/rental player with the intention of trying to place a band-aid on a wound when surgery is needed.
by Mitchell Green on Feb 7, 2010 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
Just because Homer isn’t doing anything doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. He can’t because of low cap space, NTCs and the fact that everyone wants Giroux or JVR.
That said, if the Flyers are sellers at the deadline, they can unload salary for prospects and picks. But they won’t do that because the East is so tight. Even if they miss the playoffs, they’ll be in the thick of things until the last week of the season.
We will have to wait until the offseason to really see what they can do. Forget it until then. We need a scorer, and we need to unload salary to get one. No team will take a struggling, injury-prone Gagne or Hartnell and his bad penalties.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
We will have to wait until the offseason to really see what they can do.
Have you seen what the expiring contracts are? There’s little to no wiggle room there either.
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 7, 2010 1:33 AM EST up reply actions
I know, but I was getting at Homer’s ability to get stuff done during the offseason (for the most part, anyway).
Offseason Homer is the Homer who brings in Timonen, Hartnell, and Pronger.
Season Homer loses Metro, Vaananen, and Jones through waivers.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
That trade got us the pick that selected Sbisa and the pick that selected Bourdon. I have no problem with it.
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by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 2:12 AM EST up reply actions
We traded our pick later in the round for Emenger. He wen’t to Carle… that worked out great…
by orangeandblack20 on Feb 7, 2010 5:44 AM EST up reply actions
That has nothing to do with the Umberger trade. We traded Umberger and a 4th rd pick for a 1st rd pick and a 3rd rd pick. Final trade after picks were made:
To CBJ – R.J. Umberger, Drew Olson
To PHI – Luca Sbisa, Marc-Andre Bourdon
We won the trade.
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by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 1:00 PM EST up reply actions
So does the cap also involve a team’s developmental programs and minor leagues or is a team free to spend what they like in these areas
Cap is only who is on the 23-man roster at any given time.
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 7, 2010 1:34 AM EST up reply actions
23 minutes of effort. The first period, one shift in the second period, and that PK in the third period. That’s it. When Jim Jackson calls the Flyers’ effort into question as they “attack” (and I use that term loosely) with the goalie pulled, they really have mailed it in.
Post Game said Emery got an injection in hip which means he can’t play at least on Monday.
What a fucking joke.
Synvisc
http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/treatment/a/synvisc.htm
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by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 1:14 AM EST up reply actions
I’m looking forward to baseball season. It will be nice outside and we won’t have to watch the Flyers for a couple of months.
I would like to be a fly on the wall during the “exit interviews” on April 12.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
It will be nicer than it is now. We most likely won’t have 2 feet of snow on the ground.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
It’s definitely snowed during baseball games in Philly in the spring. I remember when I was in college (early 2000s) getting two inches of snow in April.
But every search of “phillies snow” returns stories about the cancelled game in colorado last November.
that was ridiculous the colorado thing…another team the league should have required to have a domed park.
They could also not have a playoff game at 9 PM in Colorado.
A day game would’ve been fine that day, IIRC
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Feb 7, 2010 1:36 AM EST up reply actions
But that would require inconveniencing the New York Yankees! And if there is one thing in life you are not supposed to do, it’s inconvenience those great Yankees.
/Sarcasm implied
//Bud Selig is a complete ass
Proudly supporting a Flyers team with "no honor".
When exactly does this high pressure offense start producing something other than odd man rushes against?
We are worst in the league as far as getting off shots on odd man rushes. Not an official stat, but we suck at generatign anything after the rush. Richie was so happy he got the rush today, he shot it right into the heart of the net on purpose!
by orangeandblack20 on Feb 7, 2010 5:47 AM EST up reply actions
when will this high pressure attack give up lots of goals against jesus you keep saying the same thing over and over again like it will make it true our defense has been stellar a lot better under Lavvy then Stevens
guess what we did last night oh yeah we won more faceoffs against a good faceoff team and guess what we didn’t do win the game
last 5 losses we scored 8 goals total Defense is not the issue odd man rushes is the not the issue faceoffs are not the issue, 3rd D-man pairing is not the issue, coach is not the issue, Richards captainacy is not the issue, goaltending is not the issue, SCORING IS THE ISSUE that is it PP has slowed down and we can’t finish it has been all year
losing both Knuble and Lupul broke up both of our top scoring lines last year and both RWer’s, I am fine with Lupul gone his contract was also ridiculous but breaking up both of our top two lines has proved to be too much, if Homer would have committed earlier that Jones would half to be sent down for the cap to work we could have kept Knuble and at least would have kept one of our lines together from last year maybe this guy from DET or whatever who has offensive skills can come in a work better on the Carter line than Powe I think that might be the case but will it be enough
John Stevens
GP 25
GF 75 (3pg)
GA 67 (2.68pg)
Peter Laviolette
GP 31
GF 87 (2.81pg)
GA 83 (2.68pg)
Laviolette has resulted in the same number of goals against and fewer goals for. With a better team (Stevens dealt with no gagne and a few games without Briere).
Tad bit unfair. Laviolette had to institute a new system while Stevens’ was already in place. Stevens also had Parent playing, instead of defenseman extraordinaire Tollefson
TAKE THE FALL, ACT HURT, GET INDIGNANT
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Feb 7, 2010 2:16 PM EST up reply actions
It’s also 2.53 ga/g in 2010, and 2.43 under Laviolette if you exclude the Washington debut when the team didn’t show up for him.
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 7, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
If we took out all the games when the team didn’t show up, we’d be down to a sample size of about 8.
I think everyone – except probably you – can agree that one deserves to be an exception.
Either way, 2.53 in the calendar year is better.
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 8, 2010 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
So can we just pick and choose the best block of games unde John Stevens’ to compare it to?
He was ordered to install a new way of playing hockey, too.
Is it really that hard to say that an 8-2 loss the day after Stevens gets fired is an aberration? Seriously?
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 8, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously, these are the kinds of losses that make me lose all faith in this team. If they can’t beat Edmonton, the worst team in the NHL, or Minnesota with an untested goaltender in net, how the hell can we expect them to beat a playoff caliber team?
Yeah, it’s stupid. I KNOW we’re not going to do anything in the playoffs. But I’m going to watch every single game between now and then, and get all excited if/when they do make the playoffs, and then be really disappointed when they lose. Pathetic, isn’t it? :-P
by StarbladeMKIII on Feb 7, 2010 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
Nope. He played three shifts in the third: one for three seconds, one for one second, and one for twenty seconds. That we’ve heard nothing means he’s either fine or tomorrow Homer will start his media relations process.
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