There's not much left to say about the 2013 Philadelphia Flyers that hasn't already been said numerous times. Defensively and offensively, this team is just not good enough.
Last night's 3-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators followed an all-too-familiar script. A winnable game against a team with a five-game losing streak -- tied 1-1 in the third period, with two Flyers' power plays early in the final stanza -- turned into a regulation loss for Philadelphia.
For all the justifiable attention that gets paid to the deficiencies of the Flyers' team defense, it should also be said that their "attack system" has often failed to produce much offense this season in games where other teams make them fight for real estate.
Philly, a team that has lived and died offensively this season on its power play to compensate for a lack of even strength production, has scored a grand total of three goals over its current three-game losing streak.
Last night, the Flyers played lethargic hockey for long stretches of the game. Ottawa took away the middle of the ice and Philly was unable to string together passes or find operating room.
This Flyers team is not good at grinding out low-scoring wins, and does not move the puck well enough to take advantage of potential counterattacking opportunities. Stretch pass attempts turn into icings or end up in the skates and bounce harmlessly away.
The lone Flyers goal last night was a bit of self-made good luck on a broken play. On a shorthanded foray into the Ottawa zone by the Flyers, the Senators had good coverage as Simon Gagne attempted a pass to Claude Giroux as the Flyers captain went at the net. The pass attempt was blocked. But Gagne and Giroux both stayed with the play, as Gagne alertly retrieved the puck and shot it at the net and Giroux got into position to deflect it past Ottawa netminder Robin Lehner.
That sort of second-effort play was lacking through most of the game. Most Flyers' rushes were one-and-done sequences where the puck would be forced into traffic and intercepted or else the Flyers would lose a battle on the boards and Ottawa would break out of the zone with relative ease.
The most extended pressure the Flyers generated in the entire game came on their second power play of the third period while the game was still tied, 1-1. Philly had some good looks at the net and there were some loose pucks around the net, but the Flyers just couldn't pot a goal.
Philly's most impressive individual shift of the game was turned in by 40-year-old Mike Knuble. The veteran power forward pulled a puck off the wall, bulled his way to the net and put a tough backhanded shot on net that Lehner stopped but left out a rebound in the slot. Knuble couldn't quite reach the puck. Matt Read seemed primed to pounce on the loose puck but his stick was lifted by Chris Neil as he skated past. Ottawa then recovered the disc and the scoring chance was over.
Defensively, the Flyers had their usual coverage gaffes that led to Ottawa's two non-empty net goals.
On Zack Smith's goal that opened the scoring in the first period, there was a cavernous seam over the middle. The usually reliable Adam Hall lost his man, and right side defenseman Bruno Gervais was nowhere in the vicinity. Kimmo Timonen, who had committed a little too far over to the equally wide open left side of the ice when he spotted Neil starting to make a beeline into the attacking zone, was left with too much ice to cover by himself. Timonen couldn't get over to Smith in time, and Smith blew right by him to go and beat Ilya Bryzgalov.
Goaltending was a non-issue in last night's game Bryzgalov made many good saves in this game, giving his team a chance to win. That's all you can ask from your goalie. Bryzgalov, who has often been prone to goals scored high to the short side, was tested numerous times to the short side but made the stops.
Colin Greening's game-winning goal with 5:36 remaining in regulation was another line rush goal for Ottawa in which there was a coverage breakdown over the middle. Greening split the gap with ease and then ripped a shot over Bryzgalov from prime scoring range.
Careless penalties are another Flyers' bugaboo. Last night, the Flyers received eight minutes worth of "unlucky" sin bin time on unintentional infractions that are automatic calls in today's NHL: a delay of game, a slashing-the-stick minor and a high-sticking double minor. All that was missing was a too-many-men-on-the-ice.
Philly is often been able to survive their penalties with strong penalty killing. Unfortunately for the Flyers, their lone failure on six kills last night was enough to lose a tight game. The penalty that led to Greening's goal was an accidental high-sticking double minor by Giroux. Shortly before that, Scott Hartnell drew an automatic slashing penalty when an Ottawa defender's stick broke as Hartnell chopped down just above the blade as he went for the puck. Earlier in the game, Oliver Lauridsen accidentally flipped the puck over the glass on an attempted clearing pass in the defensive zone.
Once the Flyers trailed late in the game, they made a feeble attempt at a comeback. With Bryzgalov pulled for an extra attacker, Philly took a needless icing near the red line and cost themselves precious time. Ultimately, the Flyers were unable to hold the puck in the Senators end and Alfredsson outdueled a desperate Timonen to score an empty net goal that sealed a much-needed 3-1 win for Ottawa.
The Flyers visit Buffalo on Saturday afternoon. Game time is at 3 p.m.
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Yesterday, the Flyers signed 20-year-old Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) right wing Petr Straka to an entry level contract. The player, who drew considerable interest from many NHL teams, will receive a $277,000 signing bonus and would earn $832,500 on the NHL end of his three-year, two-way contract if and when he makes the big club. The deal kicks in next season.
Straka, an overage junior player, has had a dominant season this year. During the regular season, he led his team in scoring and ranked eighth in the high-scoring league in goals (41) and 17th in points (82 in 55 games) despite missing 13 games. He has been even more dominant in the playoffs, leading Drakkar through two playoff rounds to date with 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 8 games.
The Czech forward's productivity this season, albeit as fourth-year junior playing against teenagers, represented a major revival for a once-highly touted prospect. Leading up to the 2010 NHL Draft, the Plzen native was considered a potential late first-round pick because of his combination of plus speed and good hands. He produced 64 points in 62 games as a rookie with the Rimouski Oceanic.
Ultimately, Straka slipped to the second round of the 2010 Draft because scouts labeled him as too much of a one-dimensional talent, a bit soft and too much of a perimeter player. The talent was there, but there was a lot of work to be done to be ready for success in the pro game.
The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Straka with the 55th overall pick of the 2010 Draft. However, they soon became frustrated as his offensive production went backwards over the next two seasons and the other aspects of his game showed little improvement. The team elected not to offer him an entry level contract, and lost his rights in 2012.
Last summer, Straka's name was mentioned among the various unsigned players that assorted NHL teams were considering inviting to camp as non-roster players. The lockout caused the cancellation of NHL training camps, eliminating any chance of Straka impressing an NHL team and earning an entry-level deal.
Straka returned to the QMJHL for his overage season, and was traded to Baie-Comeau. It turned out to be a boon for his career, as his offensive game exploded this past year. His signing by Philadelphia is a low-risk, potentially high-yield acquisition.
There is still much for Straka to prove and improve before he can be deemed a candidate for the Flyers' NHL roster. He's a top-six-or-bust type of player, but his upside is good.
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