Its Time for Change

According to Mike Richards, “A lack of intensity and focus for these game led by me and it’s gotta change and it’s going to change starting Friday.” He waits until there are two games left in the season and they have lost the lead in the East and are a point from losing the lead in the Atlantic to say something more than "I am not answering that question again," when asked about the lack of intensity.

I find it funny that Richards waited until the team wasted his two goal effort to finally make a statement to the media. Richards has had three multiple point games since the All-Star break. Meanwhile the team has wasted a few good performances from a rookie goaltender that could have benefited from seeing the team in front of him bust their ass every once in awhile. I guess Richards didn't care since his lead was what the team was following.

Other leaders on the team were calling the team out months ago, but those words fell on deaf ears, and for the last month the team has looked like utter shit. Hopefully the procrastination method will work for this team again. Something tells me it will take more than two games to get the team back up to top performance speed, and they are going to need a favorable first round match-up, like last year, if they have a chance to make a deep run.

4-5-11 Flyers @ Senaotrs

The Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. These are the only four teams left that have a chance to pass the Flyers in the standings. A win tonight and the Bruins and Lightning can be scratched off of that list. Two points against the second worst team in the Eastern Conference, and the Flyers are guaranteed home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

Should be an easy win for the top team in the East, but this team has shown on numerous occasions that they struggle beating teams that are far less talented than they are, and I can't recall a win that came easy for this team in the last few months. The Senators will be even less of a threat as Erik Karlsson, Sergei Gonchar, Matt Carkner, and Daniel Alfredsson could all miss the game. The Senators have very little to play for, in fact they would benefit more from losing.  I can say that the Flyers should win this game, but I can say it with an ounce of confidence.

Here are a couple of random facts; the Flyers have not won a game in Ottawa since November 24, 2007 and the Flyers were 3-0-1 on Tuesday night games last month. Those four games account for half of the Flyers wins last month, and 7 of their 16 points. Not sure which one of these meaningless statistics will hold true, but an overtime lose would not be a total shock.

I will continue to be an optimist and predict a Flyers win. Even without Pronger and Briere, this team should be able to put away a crippled Senators club. I think we might see a good game out of Richards, with only a week left in the season it is about time for him to step up his game and be the leader that this teams offensive core desperately needs. Flyers win 5-1 (5-3 is Boucher starts).

4-1-11 Flyers @ Devils Preview

Once again, the Flyers have the opportunity to end a teams season tonight, This time it is the rival Devils. After staging one of the greatest turnarounds in NHL history, the Devils appear to have run out of steam. The Devils hit the mid season mark with an abysmal record of 10-29-2 (22 points), but started the second half of the season on a mission and have gone 25-6-3 (53 points). What is even more remarkable is that five of their nine loses have come in the last seven games.

The Devils have lost three of their last four games, and were lucky to win their last game after blowing a two goal lead to the Islanders in the third period. After putting on such a great run, it looks like reality has set in and the Devils energy level has fallen through the floor. Their game against the Pens last week was one probably the most unexciting game of hockey ever played. It took 10 minutes for a team to register a shot on goal, and then they only managed three more for the rest of the period.

You can expect a nice boring defensive game out of the Devil's tonight. They will sit back and trap in the neutral zone and wait for the Flyers to make mistakes. If the sloppy and lazy Flyers show up tonight, their could be a lot of mistakes for the Devils to take advantage of, and Ilya Kovalchuk will be the most likely player to put the puck in the net. Since the all-star break he has 25 points in 27 games, by far the best on the team.

I haven't been able to watch last night's game yet, so I don't know which Flyer's team showed up. Tonight's game is a tough one to call. The Devils are a tired team that has burned a lot of energy trying to dig themselves out of  deep whole, only to fail in the last week.  If the sloppy low energy Flyers' team shows up tonight, then the Devils won't have to expend to much energy to find scoring chances. But if the Flyers come into tonight's game with a purpose, they should be able to get out of tonight's game with the two points.

3-31-11 Thrashers @ Flyers Preview

 

The last time these two teams meet, the Flyers played like they didn't give a shit, and they had a few reasons to give a shit. Like winning the Atlantic, winning the East, or pride. Just five days before that game, the Flyers lost in embarrassing fashion to the Thrashers, giving up four goals in the third period and losing in a shootout.  Lets hope the Flyers do a better job of defending their home turf this time around.

The Flyers are coming off of a good performance against their divisional rival Penguins and are looking to build on some solid play, but they have had a hard time finding an acceptable intensity level in recent weeks. A perfect example of this lack of intensity is the number of power plays the team has earned over the last two weeks. In their last seven games, the Flyers have averaged 2.1 power plays per game, and three of those games only had one power play opportunity. The team simply hasn't been working hard enough to force the other team to commit a penalty.

Look for the Hartnell-Briere-Leino line to continue its good play tonight. They have been the most productive line against the Thrashers this season.  Briere and Leino both have three goals and five points against the Thrashers this season, with Hartnell picking up three assists. If the Flyers' good habits are to carry over from the Pens game, I expect this line to be the one setting the example.

The Thrashers' playoff dreams are on the line tonight. An L tonight would close the door on a disappointing season. Even though their chance of making the playoffs is a long shot, I don't expect them to let it slip away without a fight. The Flyers could have their hands full tonight it they slip back into some of the bad habits that we have seen lately, but I expect them to build off the momentum they gained beating the Pens two nights ago. Flyers pick up the two points tonight 1-4.

11-29-11 Flyers @ Pens Recap

That was one of the best efforts that we have seen from the Flyers in a few weeks. Not quiet as dominant as the second and third period against the Capitals a week earlier, but the effort and intensity was there. It wasn't a perfect game, but definitely a step in the right direction.

The Pens came out strong in the first period, setting the tone with a couple of heavy checks, but the Flyers weathered the initial storm and responded by establishing a good fore check. The Flyers were also able to respond after the Pens scored first, evening the score less than four minutes later. The Flyers continued to show resolve by scoring four consecutive goals after Bob gave up a bad goal to let the Pens back in front. Bob also responded well with some great play in the third after his short coming in the second.

Ville Leino

The Hartnell-Briere-Leino line looked like it finally got a whiff of the impending playoffs, picking up three goals. All three goals were the result of players crashing the net, and one was the result of a nice fore check by Briere. It was refreshing to see the Flyers going into the corners, crashing the net, and throwing some checks towards anyone that touched the puck.

This high quality of play was not sustained throughout the entire game. Peter Laviolette had to call a time out early in the third becuase his team was getting outworked, and was only a few shifts away from getting buried. Whatever the Laviolette said must have hit a nerve, the Flyers scored on the next shift and again three minutes later.  After the team regained focus, they looked like the team from earlier in the season that was always looking to build on a lead and not sit on it.

Hopefully the team will continue to build on this solid performance on Thursday when the Thrashers, who are only three points from playoff elimination, come to town. With only six games left in the regular season, this is the perfect first step in the build to the playoffs. We have seen a few glimpses of solid play over the last few weeks, only to be followed up by a lackluster performance. I guess we will see on Thursday.

3-19-11 Flyers @ Stars

I am not sure if Kari Lehtonen or Andrew Raycroft will be in net for the Stars, but Lehtonen has started 23 of the Stars last 24 games. The Flyers are the last Eastern Conference team that the Stars will play this season, so this might be a perfect game to give him a rest before their last ten games of the season, but for statistics sake lets assume that Lehtonen will be in net.

Lehtonen has been streaky by the month since the the calendar flipped to 2011. In January he was 7-1-1, while only allowing more than two goals in one of those games. In February he allowed three or more goals in eight games, and turned in an abysmal 3-7-1 performance. So far this month he has found the middle ground, allowing three goals or more in five games while going 5-2-2. To further illustrate his hot/cold tendencies, Lehtonen is 2-2-0 over his last four starts, turning in two shutouts and allowing nine goals in the other two games.

Brad Richards will be playing in his sixth game after missing almost a month with a concussion. Despite missing 10 games, he still leads his team with 67 points, and is second in goals and assists with 25 and 42 respectively. In his five games back he has four points, including two assists in the Starts last game against the Blackhawks. Jamie Benn and Mike Ribeiro have been leading the way for the Stars in March. Benn has eight goals in five assists nine games, and Ribeiro has three goals and five assists in nine games.

The Flyers also have a trio of players averaging at least a  point per game in March,  Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and Jeff Carter. Briere has three goals and five assists, Giroux has two goals and six assists, and Carter has four goals and two assists. Mike Richards has also had a decent month so far with seven assists.

The Flyers overall team defense has been struggling this month, and is is showing in their plus/minus ratings. Jeff Carter is the only player on the team with a positive rating, coming in at +2. Braydon Coburn is the worse on the team for this month, with a -4. Since the All-Star break, there are only four Flyers with a positive rating, and Sean O'Donnell is the worst with a -6.

I know that stats don't tell the entire story, but they can point you in the right direction. The Stars are averaging 3.33 goals per game in March and giving up 2.55 per game. The Flyers are averaging 2.75 goals per game and surrendering 3.5 goals per game. I think those trends will continue and the Flyers come up short in this game, 3-4.

3-17-11 Flyers @ Thrashers InGame Recap

1st Period
Turnovers Sloppy start lacking the jump I was hoping for -1
No Shots on Goal - Five minutes in and not a single shot on goal -1
1st goal - Stapleton just blew past Giroux and beat Boosh on a shoot he should have saved -3
Giroux - Claude makes up for getting beat on the goal with some fancy stick work in close +2
Forecheck - Good pressure on the forecheck generates a decent cycle and a couple of shots +1
Good Pressure - Still trying to generate a coupe of great scoring chances +1
Extra Pass - They are still looking for the extra pass instead of putting the puck on het and fighting for recbounds -1
Slash - That is probably the weakest slashing call I have ever seen -/+
Penalty Kill #1 - Excellent PK against a good power play unit to prevent the Thrashers from regaining the lead in the last minutes of the first period +1

As I mentioned in the preview, I thought the team would come into tonight's game with something to prove, but they didn't hit the ice with half of the jump I thought they would. They got off to a slow start and had a couple of bad turnovers. They seemed to pick up the pace after the Thrashers took the lead, but let then seemed to loose focus again as the period moved on. It was a better first period than they played against the Panthers, but still not anywhere close to what this team is capable of. -1

2nd Period
Blind Drop Pass - Giroux makes a stupid blind drop pass to 3 Thrashers players in stead of putting the puck deep -1
Carcillo Fight - He tried to start one in the first but failed, lets see if it works like it did on Tuesday +1
Didn't Work - Flyers still look sloppy and Thrashers dominated in the Flyers' zone to earn a goal -3
Uniterested - They look completely uninterested in this game. One guy per line is trying while the other float. -1
Odd Man Rushes - They Flyers are giving up more than they should becuase the forwards are not getting back to hep -1
1st Shot on Goal - Seven minutes in -1
Power Play #1 - The PP started good but then quickly deteriorated. Atlanta's PK is horrid, the Flyers should scored. -1
Briere - Flyers take advantage of a bad play by the goalie and tie the game up. +1
Good Cycle - Leino-Briere-Hartnell generate a good scoring chance off the best Flyers cycle of the game +1
Trailing again - The Flyers continue to get out worked by the Thrashers -2
Leino Takes a Dive - If you can't out work them you might as well dive to get the advantage +/-

Leino taking a dive pretty much sums up that period. The Flyers are currently looking for the easy way to win instead of working for it. The forecheck has been non existent for the majority of the game, the Flyers are making lazy plays that lead to turnovers and failed clears, and look generally uninterested in the game for long stretches. The Flyers only have 12 shots on goal up to this point. The Flyers couldn't hold a lead against the Thrasher a few days ago, lets see if they can come from behind. -7

3rd Period
Power Play #2 - Dump the fucking puck in! Couple of good chances, but no goal. -1
Shots from the Point - Flyers are getting pucks on net from the point. Good scoring chances +1
Timonen - Couple of really good defensive plays along with a couple of failed clears +/-
Penalty Kill #2 - Not the best kill, but a kill none the less +1
Penalty Kill #3 - Better job on the kill that time. +1
Hartnell - Misses the open net off a great move by Leino. Not the easiest shot, but makable. -1
Getting Outworked - Bad turnovers on cute passes and getting beat to all the loose pucks -1
Team Me - Players are now trying to do everything theselves instead of using their teamates -1
Sustained Pressure - Flyers generate some pressure for the first time in about 10 minutes +1
Good Cycle - Flyers start to work in the last 4 minutes +1
Tied Up - The Flyers actually forecechk and low and behold they generate a goal. Where the fuck was this the rest of the game +2

The team is just lazy. They put forth the effort in the last 2 minutes and earn a goal. If they tried that hard the rest of the game they could have been up by six goals. Glad they get rewarded for not playing for the majority of the game. +3

Overtime
Boosh -Makes a good save to prolong the game +1

Shootout
Flyers Lose - -1


Total 
-5

3-17-11 Flyers @ Thrashers Preview

It's only been four days since the worst melt down of the season for a Flyers team that finally hit a couple of potholes on their ride to the playoff, and they already have an opportunity to make it right. If this team has an ounce of pride, they should be highly motivated to come out and prove to themselves, the Thrashers, and their fans that Saturday's game was an anomaly.

Since their last meeting, the Thrashers lost another game to the Devil's, which dropped them to 12th in the standings and six points out of the playoffs. The Thrashers have 12 games left and would consider this season to be a major disappointment if they failed to make the playoffs after being in sixth place at the midpoint of the season. They will be extremely desperate for these two points and they should be extremely confident that they can get them.

The Flyers are in the midst of a 16 game streak where their inconsistent play has yielded them eight wins and wight loses (8-7-1). The teams downfall over those games has been a lack of focus, which has resulted in few blown leads in the third period. The team stops playing the way that earned them the lead and resorts to making lazy plays instead of hustling to make the right play.

I once again don't know what to expect out of this team, but I do know what I want. I want to see a team that is ready to rectify its inept showing against this Thrashers team in the third period of Saturday's game. I want to see a team that is dedicated to working its ass off to get in on the forecheck and getting back to help out the D in the neutral zone. I want to see a team that is ready to prove that they want to hold on to first place in the Atlantic and in the East. Do I think we will see that team? Yes. I think the Thrashers will put up a fight, but the Flyers should skate out of Atlanta with the win. 5-2.

3-15-11 Flyers @ Panthers Recap

1st Period
I thought the team might have something to prove after collapsing in the final minutes of their last game.  I really thought that the Flyers would come out with some extra jump in their step, but it looked like they didn't know what time the game started. The Panthers pushed the pace to start the period and ended the period by laying a few heavy hits as the clock ran down.The Flyers out shot and out chanced the Panthers in the period, but it didn't feel like it.

Dan Carcillo's fight sparked the Flyers in the 2nd period

The Flyers', once again, give up a goal immediately after scoring. There wasn't much Boucher could have done about the second goal, and maybe the first goal was the perfect shot that the announcers said it was, but you still want the goalie to make that save. They squander away yet another 5-on-3 power play, and had entirely to many turnovers.

The ice in is just horrid tonight. The puck is bouncing all over the place and players are having a really hard time getting it to settle down. Not an excuse for the bad play, just wanted to make a note of it.


2nd Period
Much better period by the Flyers. Dan Carcillo shows a little emotion by dropping the gloves, and the Flyers score a goal. Danny Briere shows some extra hustle to beat the Panthers' D to a loose puck, and the Flyers score a goal. Some good lessons for the Flyers to learn that period. Mainly, if they put forth the effort and emotion, they possesses the talent to win games.

Even though the Flyers played better that period, they still have an extra gear that they can shift into. It would be nice to see them come out and put the Panthers away in the third. Maybe since the team took the first period off, they will put in a good third and get out of South Florida with two points.

3rd Period
Well, a win is a win. The Flyers played ok in the third. Not as good as the second, but a lot better than the first. They had some good scoring chances and continued to press for the majority of the period. The Panthers were able to generate some sustained pressure late in the period, but Boucher made some good saves down the stretch to help secure the two points.

The win keeps the Flyers in first place in the East and three points ahead of the Penguins. It will be interesting to see how the Flyers play on Thursday when they travel to Atlanta to play the Thrashers. Hopefully the team can take another step forward and pick up another important two points.

3-15-11 Flyers at Panthers Preview

I really have no idea what to expect out of the Flyers tonight. Last week started with an embarrassing performance in NYC and ended with an embarrassing performance in Philly, and sandwiched in between were two victories that lacked a focused 60 minute effort. Maybe after getting away with coasting to victory in two games, the Thrashers' game was the wake up call that will finally rouse the Flyers' from their slumber, but I doubt it. This teams gives off the vibe that they plan to hit the snooze until the playoffs start.

The Panthers look like a team that has packed it in for the season, they are now tied with the Islanders for 13th and sit 11 points out of eighth place. They have an outside chance to make the playoffs, but it isn't looking good for them. This yet another game that the Flyers could easily win if care to show up and play. If the Flyers put in the effort for 60 minutes tonight, they win the game. If they don't they have a 50/50 chance of winning.

I'll go ahead and predict that the Flyers will win big tonight. They were embarrassed at home and will feel the need to prove themselves. They may even get their first shutout of the season, but it would not surprise me at all if they came out and laid another egg. Who the fuck knows what this team will do on a night to night, or period to period basis. 6-0