NEW YORK - For perhaps the first time this season, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette made some lineup changes and ended up outfoxing himself.

He goofed. John Tortorella suckered him into doing the wrong thing.

Lavy decide to put Riley Cote and Arron Asham in vs. NYR to counter Sean Avery and Jody Shelley and whatever message was sent, it failed to get there because the Flyers spent too much time worried about engaging Avery in wasted energy during a 3-1 loss at the garden.

Poor effort, no legs, no real banging ... I know the Flyers were tired after skating with Chicago yesterday, but you can't lay down in a 4-point game against the Rangers during the stretch run.

I gave him a minus 2 and they deserved it. If I could have given them a -4, I would have. Coming on the heels of yesterday's emotional win, this was inexcusable.

Mike Keenan, sitting next to me, elbowed me in the ribs today and said, “I thought they’d be more aggressive than this.”

So did I, Iron Mike.

Laviolette sent the wrong message by making the club feel it was going to be a fight fest. It wasn't. He should let his line up alone and let them play. He tried to outhink Torts and he got hoodwinked.

I asked Torts before the game whether he expected retribution from his team for the Dan Carcillo-Marian Gaborik fight from Jan. 21. Torts understood what Lavy didn't. This game was about getting points, not looking for revenge or stupid fights with Avery.

“We’re going to play to try and get two points,” Torts told me in the bowels of MSG. “We’re in such a spot here. We need to concentrate on our game, play with the proper emotion, but also stay within yourself as far as the discipline part.

“It’s too important of a game to do something stupid and cost your team because of payback. That stuff equals itself out along the way.”

It's not often Laviolette gets outcoached but he did here. Even his own players admitted that they weren't sure what to expect after his lineup changes for the Rangers.

Here's my story on CSNPhilly.com:


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