[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Vancouver Reaction]
The Philadelphia Flyers haven't scored a goal in eight periods. They're getting chances, but the fact of the matter is they simply can't put the puck in the net. Why not? Quite honestly, it doesn't matter. They aren't getting it done. They knew they needed to win this game tonight. They had four full days to prepare for it. Losing, especially via a shutout, is absolutely unacceptable. There's no other way to put it.
Yeah, they're having a closed door meeting at the Wachovia Center right now as this is written, according to 610 WIP. But is it too little, too late? They're running out of options. The top lines aren't doing anything. Arron Asham was the best player on the ice tonight and that says a lot. He played a pretty good game, but when your best players aren't your best players and your role players are consistently the ones putting in the most quality shifts, you aren't going to win.
And eventually, it's going to get your coach fired. Is that the fair move? Up for debate. But you can't fire the players, especially when just about all of them are under performing. As we wrote the other day, when things are consistently going wrong, the coach is the scapegoat. It doesn't matter who is actually to blame.
It doesn't matter that Jeff Carter looks absolutely lost on the ice. It doesn't matter that the defense can't make one good outlet pass. It doesn't matter that Mike Richards is trying to do too much with the puck, often ruining plays by over-thinking. It doesn't matter that the power play can't seem to do anything right, making fans groan instead of cheer when a man advantage is announced at the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers did have 38 shots tonight and Roberto Luongo did have to put in a good game. But that's pretty misleading. Many of the shots were simple to stop. Philadelphia failed miserably at getting in front of the net and disrupting Luongo, and he had an unobstructed view of the puck for just about the entire night.
In the end, a lifeless offense and a lifeless team made a hockey game seem like a funeral. And for the Philadelphia tenure of one coach, that metaphor could quickly become the truth if his team can't snap out of this funk.
After the jump, questions with answers and the comment of the night.
Questions With Answers
- Can the Flyers get to Luongo and the Canucks early? Nope.
- Can the special teams get back on track? Nope.
- How many hot dogs are consumed? Dollar dog night again... A lot. 16,000 something about halfway through the game. Don't care about the total number, honestly.
- How many jokes get made at the expense of Jim Jackson's bald upper lip? It was loud in the room I watched the game in, so I didn't hear much of the commentary. If someone else wants to answer this in the comments, go right ahead.
Comment Of The Night
i think the flyers need more cow bell
>> phish'n