Forget that Nathan Paetsch took a long, winding road to the puck to get a Flyers icing and set up the tying goal at the end of regulation.
That's not why the Flyers lost 6-5 in the shootout to the Sabres. It's missed chances. A 4-minute power play. Two power plays in overtime.
When you have the third PP units vs. the 10th best PK unit, you have to win that match-up, especially, when games and big points are on the line.
This team has forgotten how to deliver the knock out blow. Hence, a 6-game losing skid - 5 by a single goal.
“Four-on-threes are a funny thing,” coach John Stevens told me tonight. “We created some looks at the net. You get three guys in the lane, it’s hard to get to the net … But having said that, we did have opportunities to score. We just didn’t finish.”
Said Marty Biron, who came up with another great effort in net,
“This was a night we needed to get two points and we had the two points. We got the puck down the ice. Was it really icing or not? Who knows? But then we still had 14 seconds in our end to get the two points. Then the overtime.
“It’s disappointing to lose that point that could be important down the road. You don’t really learn how to win … As you win close games, you get more confident in getting the job done.”
Danny Briere has been terrible in the shootout this year. 0-for-3.
“For myself, I’ll take the blame for it,” said Danny Briere. “I’ve had three chances [this season] and haven’t scored. Before I got here, I was about 50 percent on shootouts. I know I can do better.”
One positive ... a solid 60-minute effort, back to back even though the Sabres were more feisty at the start.
“It’s a tough one to lose,” said Derian Hatcher. “We played a pretty good game. We had it. I’m happy with the effort the team gave. But we have to realize if we play that kind of game every night, we’ll win a lot of hockey games. We put a lot into it.
“I think teams do learn how to win and we’re in that stage now. The only way to do it, is go out and win it.”
Merry Christmas everyone ... Gonna be a Black Christmas for the Flyes as they stew over these losses the next, few days.
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Shorthanded bonanza for the FLyers and Mike Richards continues to deliver emotional charges ...
4-4 game and we need the officials to let them play this out without trying to influence the outcome.
Waiting on Richards' quotes.
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Bad defensive coverage by A. Picard on Buffalo's second goal and then Timonen does a nice job breaking up J. Hetcht's rush to the net only to see his partner, Jim Vandermeer, fail to cover J. Pominville and it's a 3-1 game.
Flyers look awful.
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GM Paul Holmgren was not happy with the U Tube tape of Afinogenov slew-footing Upshall. He had not seen it live until he saw it on tape.
I'm betting that clip ends up being reviewed by Colin Campbell. Holmgren agrees that the Flyers are not being aggressive enough in this game.
Carter's tying goal wasn't on net but off Spacek...
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THis is the Flyers building and yet the Sabres are the feisty ones ... they are hard on the puck and every loose puck ... I have a sense the Flyers have not shown up to play in full here.
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Eric Furlatt has been simply awful as a referee in the games he has worked this year against the Flyers.
Calls Richards for roughing from halfway across the ice. Again, he is the official off the play. He did the same thing last night from 100 feet off the puck.
PPG by Afinogenov and 1-0 Sabres.
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John Stevens has changed his lineup for tonight's all-important go-into-Christmas-break game against Buffalo.
RJ Umberger moves to the first line with Danny Briere and Scottie Upshall.
Scott Hartnell drops to second line with Mike Richards and Joffrey Lupul.
As Garth reported, Randy Jones is out (right knee sprain) and Alexandre Picard has been called up.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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