PHILADELPHIA – What’s the excuse this time?
After the Flyers were outworked in a 6-3 home loss to Calgary on Tuesday night, coach John Tortorella placed part of the blame on a long trip back from Winnipeg late last Saturday night.
But after getting Wednesday off from a scheduled practice, the Flyers should have been well rested for Thursday night’s game against the Jets.
Instead, the Flyers looked more lethargic than in the Calgary game. Goalie Samuel Ersson, yanked after surrendering three goals on five shots in the Calgary game, wasn’t much better than that in this one. He allowed four goals before the game was half over.
By the end of the evening the Flyers were beaten again, this time by a 4-1 count at the Wells Fargo Center, their second straight setback after a 4-0-1 run. As time ran down, the boobirds began to make their feelings known.
The Flyers, who fell to 27-28-8 for the season, are five points out of a playoff spot with 19 games to play.
Coach John Tortorella, questioned about the disappointing defeat, said he discussed the game with his players after the game in the locker room but was not going to provide details of what was said.
“My thoughts about the game tonight are going to stay in the locker room,” Tortorella said. “What I say up here with you guys will do the team no good.”
With the NHL trade deadline coming up on Friday, the coach was asked if that might have been a distraction.
“I have no idea,” Tortorella said. “I don’t talk to them about it.”
However, several players were willing to discuss it and the consensus was it can’t be used as an excuse. The NHL’s other 31 teams are in the same boat.
Distraction on some minds, though, maybe?
“Maybe a few guys,” said Travis Sanheim, who’s definitely not going anywhere. “You know, a lot of teams go through this. We know it’s coming. We’ve got to focus on our job, our business and worry about winning hockey games right now. We’re in a race and we just have to be better.”
Captain Sean Couturier also said the trade deadline should not affect his team’s play.
“I think it can (be a distraction),” Couturier said. “I thought we were flat for most of the game. They seemed to want it more. Maybe a lot of distractions off the ice. It’s on us to do a better job, be focused.”
Ersson was equally blunt when asked about the deadline.
“I don’t think that’s an excuse,” he said. “If I talk for myself, personally, my job remains that I have to stop pucks. It (pre-deadline) is going around the league but it’s the same for everybody.”The Swedish netminder knows he has to be sharper.
“I think it’s just some things in my game aren’t exactly where I want them to be right now,” he said. “Obviously it’s frustrating. I know I have to be a lot better, especially this time of year. For me, I know I’ll turn it around. Just have to focus on the right things.”
Penalty killing, which has been a fairly steady aspect of the Flyers’ season, fell apart in the first period, allowing the Jets’ first two goals. Keep in mind, the Jets have the No. 1 power play in the NHL.
Mark Scheifele figured on both scoring plays.
On the first, Matvei Michkov put the Flyers down a man by interfering with goaltender Eric Comrie. Ersson managed to stop a shot by Gabriel Vilardi but Scheifele pounded on the rebound.
Later, Tyson Foerster went off for tripping Neal Plonk. The Jets cashed in at 15:13 when Scheifele found Nikolaj Ehlers open at the right post.
It was more of the same in the second period. Kyle Connor connected at 5:28 when his shot from the right dot eluded Ersson. Then Adam Lowry got into the act, burying a shot at 9:03 after beating Travis Konecny to a loose puck. Konecny swung his stick in frustration.
Michkov’s NHL rookie-leading 20th goal with 2:42 to play spoiled Comrie’s shutout bid.
>Konecny struggles continue
Konecny, the team’s leading scorer with 22 goals, has connected just once since Jan. 18 against New Jersey. Coach John Tortorella has tried him with different players to no avail.
“I’m not sure whichever player I put him with is going to help him, he has to do it himself,” Tortorella said. “He’s got a lot of things running around in his head. I watched his shootout effort the other day (in Winnipeg on Saturday night). That’s just a guy thinking too much. I trust him. I trust he’s going to work his way out of it. I’m going to give him the ice time. I think he’s going to have to work out of it himself. I think he realizes that, too.”
>Short shots
The Flyers play back-to-back daytime home games this weekend. Seattle stops by on Saturday, then New Jersey hits town on Sunday. . .With Garnet Hathaway still sidelined, Nick Deslauriers took his spot on the Flyers’ fourth line.
