Let's start by saying I think the entire conditioning boot camp last week with the Flyers backfired miserably.
That coach Peter Laviolette owned up to it today under questioning from myself and Chuck Gormley was admirable. Had Ken HItchcock been around, the Flyers would have skated today despite their illness and fatigue.
We've always seen the malaise that Eklund described with the Flyers in January or February, no matter what the year. Every teams goes through it.
If the Flyers proved one thing last season it is that you can limp into the playoffs gasping to make it and still get hot and go on an incredible run.
I would have preferred this meltdown a month ago but it has happened now. I think the club is more mentally fatigued than it lets on given how guys are simply giving up on plays.
You saw this at the beginning of the slide in February when the Flyers were winning games they didn't deserve to win. They won with mental errors being a factor.
Now, they are tired and sick and the day off should help them. But they need to all refocus on playing defense and protecting pucks.
I had a discussion with Larry Brooks yesterday after the game. "One through 18, this is the best team in the East," he said. "But the goaltending..."
Yeah, I'm worried. But because the defense is so poor right now in front of Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky that they are facing one quality shot after another.
Matt Carle, Chris Pronger, Braydon COburn ... all have juicy MINUS numbers right now over the past 4-6 games. That's not in line with them. When these guys have minus numbers in succession, something is wrong.
Their mistakes are hurting the goalies. Make the saves you're expected to make, the saying goes. Make a couple unexpected. But you should not have to bail their ass out every period. And that is what's happening right now with the Flyers. Their defense is making the goaltending look very average.
The Flyers need to turn this around now. If not, they will be the 4th or 5th seed by week's end.
Here's my story on CSNPhilly.com:
click here 
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