Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Flyers Spin Wheels in 5-1 Loss to Chicago; Phantoms Gain a Point

Do you think they changed their minds and decided to tank this season after all?
The last 2 games have been very disappointing after playing so well against some of the best teams in the league.

Thanks Bill, for the quick recap. We had company so had the game on in the background. I'm so embarrassed to be a Flyers fan after the last 2 games. This sadly shows what this team really is.

Obviously not intentionally tanking. They just aren’t that good of a team. They lack high end talent. TK is the best offensive weapon they have and he is streaky (like most). After last game, I wrote here not to panic. This looks more like the time to jump off the bridge. I’m really glad they sold on Walker as it shows they might understand the rebuild will be long and painful. We have all summer to think about trading TK. For now, they need to get back to basics and generate more second chances. They don’t have the skill so they need to play their system generating chances off the rush and bang around the net. Secondary scorers like Farabee really need to contribute. Let’s see if Fedotov gives them a mental boost whenever he gets into a game.

Typical late season game. A less talented team with nothing to lose and players trying to get a contract get confidence early. These games have to be played like it’s the Canes. Easier said than done.

Maybe Seeler and Walker really was the special sauce?

Pathetic. Two loses against bottom dwellers. Pathetic.

I know my hawks suck right now but theyre going through a complete teardown/rebuild. Hawks played well last night. My opinion of the flyers is that they have hit the torts wall. The team is tired physically and tired of torts mentally. If youre going young torts is the wrong guy. Just my two cents worth. Good luck going forward.

I know my hawks suck right now but theyre going through a complete teardown/rebuild. Hawks played well last night. My opinion of the flyers is that they have hit the torts wall. The team is tired physically and tired of torts mentally. If youre going young torts is the wrong guy. Just my two cents worth. Good luck going forward.
- LFS

Eso es! (This is it)

Pathetic. Two loses against bottom dwellers. Pathetic.
- cdearth23

Absolute embarrassment and I agree pathetic. That’s the final nail in the season I’d say. I can’t see them holding on to a spot and really they don’t deserve the playoffs after the last two games.

Last 2 games, 4 massive points given away. Lackluster on every front.

There is a reason that most of Torts’ teams flame out quickly in the playoffs. He pushes his teams to play with playoff intensity each and every game and they run out of gas by late in the season. The Flyers just look like a cooked team. Now add a ridiculously bad pp (how Rocky is still employed is beyond me) and mediocre goaltending and you have what we saw last night.

I have little hope for Monday as the Isles should be playing with desperation. Honestly, they are extremely fortunate that Jersey was hit with key injuries and waited too long to acquire a goalie and Larkin was out for a while in Detroit, or they’d already be out of a playoff position and sitting 10th in the conference.

Do you think they changed their minds and decided to tank this season after all?
The last 2 games have been very disappointing after playing so well against some of the best teams in the league.
- Hosher12

It's classic Flyers isn't it? They look decent versus the better teams and then lay eggs against weaker ones. Tale as old as time.

Happy Easter Bill and everyone! Last night's game SUCKED! Remember when everyone was on board with trading Hart because Ersson was the next big thing? Well all I know and Chicago had 8 high danger chances the entire game and 5 ended up in the net. The Flyers had 12 and most of those where in the pads, off the post or up in the glass. The PP is back to embarrassing stage after having an upswing. The lack of finish and skill on this team is finally catching up to them now that the goaltending is back to pre-Hart effectiveness.

My opinion of the flyers is that they have hit the torts wall. The team is tired physically and tired of torts mentally. If youre going young torts is the wrong guy. Just my two cents worth. Good luck going forward.
- LFS

Happy Easter Bill and everyone! Last night's game SUCKED! Remember when everyone was on board with trading Hart because Ersson was the next big thing? Well all I know and Chicago had 8 high danger chances the entire game and 5 ended up in the net. The Flyers had 12 and most of those where in the pads, off the post or up in the glass. The PP is back to embarrassing stage after having an upswing. The lack of finish and skill on this team is finally catching up to them now that the goaltending is back to pre-Hart effectiveness.
- jd250

Literally nobody. Ersson had nothing to do with people wanting to trade Hart.

Remember when everyone was on board with trading Hart because Ersson was the next big thing?
- jd250

Who said Ersson was the next big thing? Lol.

Literally nobody. Ersson had nothing to do with people wanting to trade Hart.
- MBFlyerfan

no no, after erssons first handful of starts there was more than a few clamoring to make him the #1 and proclaimed him better than hart.....generally the same people that cried about Caulfield every time he scored, labeled York a bust but theyre now singing his praises from on high

Happy Easter Bill and everyone! Last night's game SUCKED! Remember when everyone was on board with trading Hart because Ersson was the next big thing? Well all I know and Chicago had 8 high danger chances the entire game and 5 ended up in the net. The Flyers had 12 and most of those where in the pads, off the post or up in the glass. The PP is back to embarrassing stage after having an upswing. The lack of finish and skill on this team is finally catching up to them now that the goaltending is back to pre-Hart effectiveness.
- jd250

Ersson has been pretty bad of late. But his over all body of work this year has been encouraging. I’m disappointed with his last few starts of late but also realize they would not be here without the season he’s had, which is hanging onto a playoff spot heading into April. Big game tomorrow night. Hopefully Torts gives the Big Russian a chance, Ersson needs a rest.
The popular opinion is to right them off…but that’s not how this works. Each game is a new chance to right the ship and stay ahead of teams that aren’t exactly setting the world on fire.

I felt more comfortable with the thought of loosing Hart because Ersson was playing well. But I never really felt either guy was going to be a great goalie.

no no, after erssons first handful of starts there was more than a few clamoring to make him the #1 and proclaimed him better than hart.....
- THE BLACK HAND

At the end of the day they're two mediocre goalies.

Hart's SV% always dropped as the season went on. His work on the PK was always bad. Not like he'd be making much of a difference right now, especially with the coverage mistakes this team is making.

Hopefully Fedotov and/or Kolosov will be better. Hopefully.

At the end of the day they're two mediocre goalies.

Hart's SV% always dropped as the season went on. His work on the PK was always bad. Not like he'd be making much of a difference right now, especially with the coverage mistakes this team is making.

Hopefully Fedotov and/or Kolosov will be better. Hopefully.
- Tomahawk

MAybe, maybe not. I think Hart (well, both) would have been fresher at this point of the year with Ersson playing. But I like Hart more than you

Hart is a non factor. Flyers have Ersson and Fedetov for better or for worse. They just aren’t scoring now. They aren’t keeping the puck out of their own net. They aren’t effective on the PP not while SH. There’s absolutely no excuse to fail to show up to such a vital home game against one of the worst teams in the league.

This is also part of the price to be paid when playing so many youngsters. 82 games in the NHL is a hard slog for the veterans, but when you have veterans who have had major injuries (Coots, Atkinson), rookies in our goalies, Brink, Foerester, Zemula, and guys who are still young who haven’t played a full season due to age and injuries like Drysdale and York, these things should be expected. Perhaps the coach should’ve taken some of that in to account but hey, it’s part of the rebuild. It sucks but no one can say there aren’t a lot of positives this year. They still need an elite center and a clear 1D.

Literally nobody. Ersson had nothing to do with people wanting to trade Hart.
- MBFlyerfan

That’s not true. People were 100 percent saying that there was no need to keep hart with how Ersson was playing. What people apparently didn’t notice is that both tenders were playing well in the rotation. Now hart is gone and it’s been a scramble because we’ve had to play Ersson so much. What I will add is that we shouldn’t be too fast to write Ersson off here. I know some people have said, they’re done with him. It’s his first full year for gods sake. Flyers fans are too quick to throw goalies under the bus for all the teams problems. It’s not always entirely on the goalie.

There is a reason that most of Torts’ teams flame out quickly in the playoffs. He pushes his teams to play with playoff intensity each and every game and they run out of gas by late in the season. The Flyers just look like a cooked team. Now add a ridiculously bad pp (how Rocky is still employed is beyond me) and mediocre goaltending and you have what we saw last night.

I have little hope for Monday as the Isles should be playing with desperation. Honestly, they are extremely fortunate that Jersey was hit with key injuries and waited too long to acquire a goalie and Larkin was out for a while in Detroit, or they’d already be out of a playoff position and sitting 10th in the conference.
- BiggE

The isles are going to crush them and that’ll be it.