Teams often talk about playing a "complete 60-minute effort" but it pretty rare to live up to that ideal. There are almost always segments of the game -- even brief ones -- where things get tenuous. Perfection in hockey is virtually impossible to attain.
The Philadelphia Flyers may not have played 100 percent spotless hockey for 60 minutes but they came impressively close in downing the previously hot Ottawa Senators by a 5-0 count on Tuesday night.
In thinking back to the last time the Flyers produced a comparable all-around performance, I came up with Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even Philly's 7-0 win over the New York Islanders on President's Day last season did not quite measure up to this one. That particular game turned into a rout by the opening minute of the second period. In this match, the Flyers had to work a bit harder to establish control.
Now the Flyers need to duplicate that process against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Regardless of the scoring total -- most games, you won't get five goals-- it is the process itself that ultimately leads to the result. Here's the process:
* The team's best players show why they're considered the best players. Against Ottawa, all three members of Claude Giroux's line had dominating performances, and Jakub Voracek tallied a pair of goals. In the third period, Vincent Lecavalier cashed in on a turnover and then got a primary assist on a Brayden Schenn deflection goal.
* Different lines contribute to the offense. The Flyers got even strength goals in Ottawa from the first line (Voracek), second line (Lecavalier) and third line (Matt Read). They got power play goals from the first unit (Voracek, going to the net to finish off a nifty tic-tac-toe passing sequence from Giroux in the circle to Wayne Simmonds along the goal line to the goal scorer) and second unit (the Schenn deflection goal from the doorstep).
* The team gets strong goaltending. In recording a 24-save shutout for the first of his Flyers career and 20th in the NHL (10 came during his Calder Trophy winning rookie season), Steve Mason quietly turned in an outstanding effort. His rebound control was excellent. His puckhandling was strong. His glove was fast. He didn't lose his angle on a single shot. Really, Mason has been doing this all season but it finally paid off in a shutout against Ottawa. The only puck that got past him was batted it with a high stick by Chris Neil and was immediately disallowed.
* There is generally solid team defense (no team can be perfect). The Flyers had very few shifts against Ottawa in which they got pinned in deep. They moved the puck quickly and decisively, with good breakout passes. The forwards backchecked diligently. The coverages were good. There were few unforced turnovers.
* There is a commitment to tough but smart and disciplined physical play.The Flyers took only one minor penalty all night, which made it possible to roll all four lines. The fourth line was solid on the forecheck, and stayed out of the box. As a result, Berube did not have to shorten the bench. That could come in useful with games tomorrow and Friday.
* The club bears down on both ends of special teams. The Flyers only had to kill off one penalty in this game (a first-period Mark Streit cross-checking minor) but did so in efficient fashion. Meanwhile, they went 2-for-3 on the power play.
* Players demonstrate consistent puck support in all manpower situations. Against Ottawa, there were two white jerseys to every red jersey around the puck. That's because the Flyers were hungrier for the puck and they kept their feet moving rather than standing still or coasting. Philly was able to active the D to pinch, because there was consistently a third forward high to cover. Down low, they cycled the puck efficently. Meanwhile, forwards crashed the net and everyone hustled to backcheck.
To steal a line from Rocky Balboa, "That's how winnin' is done!"
The Flyers started to do good things in Saturday's 4-2 win over Edmonton. They carried that over into a crisp, high-tempo practice on Monday before leaving for Ottawa, and further built upon it in the game against the Senators.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
* Nicklas Grossmann left the game early in the third period and did not return. Afterwards, Craig Berube told Tim Panaccio that the defenseman was OK (but no reason was given for him leaving the ice with trainer Jim McCrossin and not returning).
* Scott Hartnell was outstanding along the boards in this game, Jakub Voracek had his best jump of the season, and Claude Giroux easily could have had at least two goals to go along with his two assists. Claude Giroux's first assist of the game was the 300th of his Flyers and NHL regular season career.
* Here's a testament to the type of forechecking pressure the Flyers generated: The Senators were charged with 20 giveaways to just five for Philly. The Flyers were also credited with four takeaways.
* The Flyers won 55 percent of the faceoffs in the game, including a perfect 8-for-8 on special teams draws (6-for-6 on the power play, 2-for-2 on their lone penalty kill). Adam Hall was 5-for-7 on draws (71 percent) while Lecavalier went 11-for-14 (79 pct).
* The official three-star selection for the game was a joke. Somehow, Mason got omitted and Ottawa's Clarke MacArthur was picked as the third star. Whether this was just a bizarre pick or something the selector in Ottawa intended as some sort of statement about a Philadelphia writer (the Daily News' Frank Seravalli) picking Ray Emery over Braden Holtby in the Capitals 7-0 win over the Flyers, I have no idea.
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FLYERS-PENGUINS GAME PREVIEW (11:45 PM EST, 11/12/13)
Playing the second half of back-to-back games and the middle match of a three-in-four on the road, the Philadelphia Flyers (6-10-1) will be in western Pennsylvania on Wednesday to take on the Metropolitan Division leading Pittsburgh Penguins (11-6-0, 7-2-0 at home). Game time is 8:00 p.m. eastern. The match will be nationally on NBC Sports Network.
This is the second of five meetings between the teams this season, but the last one until after the Olympic break when the clubs will see each other three times (including a home-and-home set) down the stretch.
On Oct. 17, the Penguins captured a 4-1 win in Philadelphia. The Flyers somehow found themselves trailing by only a 2-1 count after 40 minutes, despite being utterly dominated in the second period. Only outstanding goaltending from Steve Mason and a power play goal by Wayne Simmonds in the final two seconds of the middle stanza made it close on the scoreboard. The Flyers' play picked up in the third period but they could not generate a tying goal. With 2:32 remaining in regulation, a Sidney Crosby tip-in off a bad turnover gave the Pens some insurance. Evgeni Malkin added an empty-netter in the final 13 seconds.
After Wednesday's game, the Flyers have to head right back to Canada. They have a match against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
FLYERS OUTLOOK
The Flyers are 3-1-1 with a pair of shutout victories since the 7-0 debacle and third-period line brawl against Washington. They have scored nine goals in the last two games after tallying just 22 in the first 15 games of the season.
Craig Berube did not name a starting goalie for the Pittsburgh game after Tuesday's 5-0 win in Ottawa, but there seems to be a good chance he will stay with Mason. If so, Ray Emery may get the call on Friday. (UPDATE 2:30 PM EST, 11/13/13 -- Emery gets the start).
Michael Raffl (flu) is out of the Flyers lineup. If Nicklas Grossmann is OK, as indicated by Berube, the same three starting defense pairs from the last two games should remain intact. If not, one of Andrej Meszaros or Hal Gill could get back into the lineup.
PENGUINS OUTLOOK
Pittsburgh is a rested team, having last played on Saturday. The club has used that time to try and correct some problems that have popped up in losing its last two games.
Last Wednesday, the Penguins got off to strong start on the road against Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers but yielded a pair of late first-period goals. That totally changed the complexion of the game, and the Blueshirts went to take a 5-1 win. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped just 20 of 25 shots in that match. Kris Letang's second-period power play goal was the only marker for the Penguins.
On Saturday, Fleury bounced back with a strong effort but the Penguins found themselves frustrated by the suffocating defense of Ken Hitchcock's St. Louis Blues, and were held to a modest 20 shots. Jussi Jokinen's power play goal (his eighth tally of the young season) knotted the score at 1-1 midway throught the game but Kevin Shattenkirk put the Blues ahead for good with 9:08 remaining in the third period.
Crosby has racked up 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) through the first 17 games of the regular season. However, he has been held without a point in each of the last two games and has been goalless for the last seven matches.
Evgeni Malkin (three goals, 12 assists, 15 points) has points in four straight games, compiling five assists in that span. However, he has not scored a goal in the 10 games since his empty netter in the waning seconds of the first game against the Flyers this season.
Pittsburgh was a banged up team when they played the Flyers first time around. They were missing both Letang (three goals, four points, minus-four in eight games) and James Neal (two games, one assist). Both star players are now back in the Penguins lineup.
On the current injury front, starting defensemen Paul Martin (undisclosed, but doubtful to play on Wednesday) and Rob Scuderi (IR, ankle surgery) are out of the lineup. Goaltender Tomas Vokoun (IR, blood clot in hip) is out for an extended period of time.
PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS (Subject to change)
FLYERS
19 Scott Hartnell - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
10 Brayden Schenn - 40 Vincent Lecavalier - 17 Wayne Simmonds
9 Steve Downie - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read
37 Jay Rosehill - 18 Adam Hall - 36 Zac Rinaldo
44 Kimmo Timonen - 5 Braydon Coburn
8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit
26 Erik Gustafsson - 22 Luke Schenn
29 Ray Emery
[35 Steve Mason]
Potential Scratches: Michael Raffl (flu), Andrej Meszaros (healthy), Hal Gill (healthy), Steve Downie (concussion), Chris Pronger (LTIR, post-concussion syndrome).
PENGUINS
14 Chris Kunitz - 87 Sidney Crosby - 9 Pascal Dupuis
36 Jussi Jokinen - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 18 James Neal
15 Tanner Glass - 16 - Brandon Sutter - 22 Matt D'Agostini
19 Beau Bennett - 46 Joe Vitale - 27 Craig Adams
3 Olli Määttä - 58 Kris Letang
44 Brooks Orpik - 5 Deryk Engelland
41 Robert Bortuzzo - 2 Matt Niskanen
29 Marc-Andre Fleury
[37 Jeff Zatkoff]
Potential Scratches: Dustin Jeffrey (healthy), Jayson Megna (healthy), Paul Martin (doubtful), Chuck Kobasew (IR, lower body), Rob Scuderi (IR, ankle surgery), Tomas Vokoun (IR, blood clot in hip).
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