The Philadelphia Flyers finished the post-Christmas portion of a five-game road trip (1-3-1) winless as they sustained their fourth straight loss in a 4-0 shutout loss on New Year's Day to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. The loss marked the 13th time this season that the Flyers have either been shut out (five times) or held to a single goal (eight, including the New Year's Eve game in Carolina).

In Monday's game, the Flyers were insufficiently competitive over the final 40 minutes. Lack of compete was not an issue in Nashville but other all-too-familiar issues popped up yet again: inability to finish with any consistency in the offensive zone, another 0-for on the NHL's bottom-ranked power play (0-for-2), getting burned on transitional counterattacks via getting players caught up ice, defensive gapping issues and/or coverage lapses that end up in the net, and a lack of crucial momentum saves being made by the goaltender.

The Flyers played a strong first period on Tuesday but had nothing to show for it. Thereafter, in addition to making plays in their own right, the Predators stepped up to take advantage of seemingly every lapse in detail that the Flyers made. It is disheartening for a team when it has a scoring chance or extended pressure in the offensive zone produce nothing more than an eventual opposing goal when play swings back the other way. The Flyers hit the goal post or crossbar four separate times (they might lead the NHL in that dubious distinction) but the post isn't the net.

Predators speedster Viktor Arvidsson sandwiched a pair of goals (the latter a breakaway goal that gave Nashville a 3-0 lead after Wayne Simmonds could not finish on a breakaway opportunity of his own) around tallies by Craig Smith and Rocco Grimaldi. Backup goaltender Juuse Saros recorded a 32-save shutout, including 13 saves in the first period and 12 in the second. Michal Neuvirth took the loss, stopping 26 of 30 shots. The second Arvidsson goal was stoppable. For a full recap of the goals, click here.

The Flyers return to Philadelphia on Wednesday. On Thursday, they play the Carolina Hurricanes at the Wells Fargo Center.

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