Flyers Backed Into Corner After Loss To Chicago
The Flyers seem to have left it all out on the ice.
Two nights ago.
In Philadelphia.
The Flyers dropped game 5 to the Blackhawks last night by a 7-4 margin, placing them just one loss away from elimination.
Chicago struck early and often, as Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg all logged first period goals within 5:58 of one another. "They came out hard, and we didn't match their physicality or their intensity", quipped Chris Pronger after the game. "We didn't do a very good job in the neutral zone...the first period we didn't get much of a forecheck. Consequently, we were in our end, and it's just a matter of time. You keep staving off, and staving off, eventually they're gonna get to you, and they did".
For the second time in the series, Coach Peter Laviolette offered starting goalie Michael Leighton an early trip to the showers in favor of Brian Boucher. Leighton stopped 10 of 13 shots, Boosh saved 11 of 14. When asked why he pulled Leighton, Laviolette simply said "We weren't very good in the first period". Laviolette also indicated that he had "no answer for that" when asked who the starting netminder would be for game 6.
Honestly, it's a shame, because if you take the first period out of the equation, the Flyers ran with Chicago through the rest of the game. Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen registered goals in the second period, while James Van Riemsdyk and Simon Gagne tallied third period scores. Ville Leino was also quite impressive with three assists. Unfortunately, the Hawks answered every Flyers goal with one of their own. Dustin Byfuglien led the Blackhawk offensive with two goals and two assists.
In my humble opinion, the trick to Philadelphia not dropping this series on Wednesday is to get back to what got them this far to begin with. The aggression has to come back into play. Guys like Scott Hartnell and Chris Pronger have to lead the way with brute physicality. You have to almost bully Chicago to get their young nucleus of talent to fall apart. This is how the Flyers won two games, and this is how they will win two more. Also, they really have to cut down on turnovers. Guys are going behind the net and firing off these passes to no one in the slot. The lesson here, get your man down in the low slot to take those passes and find rebounds. Do these things and Chicago goes home sad, plain and simple.
Oh, and off the record...that Blackhawks goal song is the worst song I have ever heard and it makes me wanna punch someone in the mouth. Your thoughts?
***Player/Coach comments courtesy of NHL.com
Two nights ago.
In Philadelphia.
The Flyers dropped game 5 to the Blackhawks last night by a 7-4 margin, placing them just one loss away from elimination.
Chicago struck early and often, as Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg all logged first period goals within 5:58 of one another. "They came out hard, and we didn't match their physicality or their intensity", quipped Chris Pronger after the game. "We didn't do a very good job in the neutral zone...the first period we didn't get much of a forecheck. Consequently, we were in our end, and it's just a matter of time. You keep staving off, and staving off, eventually they're gonna get to you, and they did".
For the second time in the series, Coach Peter Laviolette offered starting goalie Michael Leighton an early trip to the showers in favor of Brian Boucher. Leighton stopped 10 of 13 shots, Boosh saved 11 of 14. When asked why he pulled Leighton, Laviolette simply said "We weren't very good in the first period". Laviolette also indicated that he had "no answer for that" when asked who the starting netminder would be for game 6.
Honestly, it's a shame, because if you take the first period out of the equation, the Flyers ran with Chicago through the rest of the game. Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen registered goals in the second period, while James Van Riemsdyk and Simon Gagne tallied third period scores. Ville Leino was also quite impressive with three assists. Unfortunately, the Hawks answered every Flyers goal with one of their own. Dustin Byfuglien led the Blackhawk offensive with two goals and two assists.
In my humble opinion, the trick to Philadelphia not dropping this series on Wednesday is to get back to what got them this far to begin with. The aggression has to come back into play. Guys like Scott Hartnell and Chris Pronger have to lead the way with brute physicality. You have to almost bully Chicago to get their young nucleus of talent to fall apart. This is how the Flyers won two games, and this is how they will win two more. Also, they really have to cut down on turnovers. Guys are going behind the net and firing off these passes to no one in the slot. The lesson here, get your man down in the low slot to take those passes and find rebounds. Do these things and Chicago goes home sad, plain and simple.
Oh, and off the record...that Blackhawks goal song is the worst song I have ever heard and it makes me wanna punch someone in the mouth. Your thoughts?
***Player/Coach comments courtesy of NHL.com
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