Every time on the ice this week at Skate Zone, the Flyers have worked on the power play.
They've split the club up, too. Power play on one sheet, everyone else on the other.
They've watched video. And talked. And they've been reminded to point of annoying by the media about their power play shortcomings.
Chris Pronger scored 3 power play goals on tips today DOWN low.
Ahh, but that was 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 and not the usual 5-on-4.
I don't understand why coach Peter Laviolette doesn't tear up the coaching book here and just use Pronger down low as a giant screen at 5-on-4 to get this PP going.
“They’re different setups,” Laviolette replied. “There’s no pressure 5-on-3. Lots of time you move the puck around and once you get it into the zone, typically, there’s not a lot of pressure. So you get guys moving it. He is very good at what he does in front of the net.”
Pronger doesn't seem to mind going down low and I think he might actually prefer it. The whole waving incident vs. Calgary last week still bothers him.
“I am not going to do anything different,” Pronger said. “My job is to screen the goalie and tip pucks. That’s what I plan on doing.”
I asked him if intended to wave his hand and I even offered to give Pronger a checkered flag this weekend against NJ or the ISles if he wanted it.
“I will do everything within the letter of the law as I have,” Pronger replied.
The Flyers horrid power play - now 2-for-last-38 is a major reason why they've lost 3 in a row at a time when the Penguins have surged and moved past them.
Today, the Flyers find themselves 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference. They had been 1st or 2nd every day in the East since Nov. 4.
“If you want to stay in the top, you have to win consistently,” Laviolette said when asked about the Penguins surge past them.
“Losing three games doesn’t accomplish that. We have to get back on track. It should light a fire under us to see that we’re down to 4th. Teams keep winning around us. If we want to keep pace we’ve got to do the same.”
The Devils and Islanders are in a shambles right now. They should be perfect tonic for the ailing Flyers but not if this club plays down to its opponents.
Lavy has changed the power play units for the weekend, flipping Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux. Here's your new units for the weekend ... err, until Lavy changes his mind again:
Giroux, Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell w/ Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros at the points.
Carter, Mike Richards and Ville Leino w/ Pronger and Kimmo Timonen.
Here's my story on CSNPhilly.com w/more reaction:
click here 
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