PHILADELPHIA – The futility streak has now reached historic levels.
No Flyers team had ever failed to win after playing seven games at the start of a season.
Until Sunday night.
That’s when the Flyers dropped a 4-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes at Xfinity Mobile Arena and watched their record fall to 0-5-2.
As has been the case in most recent encounters, the Flyers were outshot again. This time the margin was 30-19. And in their seven games they’ve been outscored 28-8.
Flyers goaltender Joseph Woll did his best to keep his team in this one. When the Flyers pulled to within 2-1 on a Christian Dvorak goal near the end of the second period, things looked a bit promising.
But Carolina, which had already beaten the Flyers the previous week, came right back and scored again to take the wind out of Philadelphia’s sails.
In post-game interviews, everyone from captain Sean Couturier to veterans Dvorak and Trevor Zegras said the players have to be held as responsible as coach Rick Tocchet for these early season struggles
“We’re fully behind ‘Toc,’+” Zegras said. “He’s an amazing person, an amazing coach. He does so many little things behind the scenes. We’re disappointed. . .we’ve got the guys in this room to turn this thing around. It’s a great learning experience for the future.”
Dvorak said it would be a mistake to think everything can be corrected in a short period of time.
But maybe players should start to worry that this slow getaway can lead to problems with the big picture, namely making the playoffs.
“Obviously we know we have to turn it around ASAP,” Dvorak said. “Try not to let it snowball here. Focus on the next one. We showed at times tonight what we could do. Just have to be consistent with it. If we show it for 60 minutes, it’s going to increase our chances to win.”
There are times when the Flyers seem to wilt under pressure, especially against talented outfits like Carolina.
Dvorak is preaching a patient approach.
“Take it a day at a time, a game at a time,” he said. “Just stacking shifts together. We’re not going to win eight games in one day. That’s what is going to get us out of this rut.”
Couturier has been through these team slumps throughout his storied 15-year career. Like Dvorak, he’s preaching patience.
“Obviously we’ve got to be better,” he said. “Stick together and just grind it out. We’re trying to figure it out. We’re out of sync right now. But we have to get on the same page, simplify our game, come back to the basics.”
As a player, Tocchet went through these kinds of team dry spells and knows it isn’t always easy getting out of them. Perhaps it starts with better play along the walls.
“Can it get better, the wall, yeah,” the coach said. “Sure, technique. We had eight or nine times, we had guys on our backs and we can’t lose those battles. Can it get better? It has to. You just can’t lose those battles all the time.”
Simple issues seem to create big problems for the Flyers right now.
“I don’t know if you’re nervous or there’s pressure,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know. I can’t give an answer. If we do miss that pass, everyone’s got to dig in for that mistake. You can’t multiply mistakes. If you make a mistake, hang in there. Don’t go off the rails.”
The Flyers were 0 for three on the power play and now two for 21 on the season.
The Hurricanes got on the board first in the second period on a goal by Andrei Svechnikov at the 10:16 mark. Then ex-Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere was left uncovered in front for an easy tap-in follow up shot at 13:45 for a 2-0 edge
The Flyers did get one back as Dvorak tipped in Nick Seeler’s point shot past Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov at 15:26. The good vibe didn’t last long. Carolina’s Sebastian Aho finished off a William Carrier setup at 16:54 to restore the two-goal edge.
In a scoreless first period, the Flyers played a pretty high level of hockey considering they had just been on the short end of a 5-1 score in Boston the previous day.
The Flyers had to kill off a pair of penalties to rookie defenseman Oliver Bonk, just called up from the Phantoms due to injuries to Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen.
The Flyers were outshot by a 11-5 margin and the Hurricanes seriously tested Woll on several occasions.
After a promising start to the third period, the Flyers surrendered a goal at 15:09. Mark Jankowski did the honors.
>Bonk paired with Sanheim
Bonk made his season debut and wore No. 59. He was placed on a first-unit pairing with Travis Sanheim. The other defense pairings: Simon Benoit with David Jiricek and Nick Seeler with Jamie Drysdale. Bonk had a rough night on the ice, taking those two penalties, being on the ice for three Carolina goals and finishing the game a minus-3. “I don’t think he was a minus-3 guy,” said Tocchet. “There’s technical things on the weak side. But that’s experience. He’s a young kid. I think that’s something he will get better at.”
>Short shots
Next up for the Flyers is Seattle on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. . .The Flyers completed their second set of back-to-back games this season. This one ended 0-2. Last season the Flyers had 14 sets of back-to-back games and were 8-5-1 on both ends. . .A total of 15 Flyers players were looking for their first goal of the season going into Sunday night’s game.
Be the first to comment