The Flyers lost Tuesday evening to the Vancouver Canucks, the end.
Ok, That opening sentence may have been born out of frustration, because after watching the Flyers drop to 1-6, with a pair of 3 game losing streaks, most everyone who follows this team faithfully are at their wit’s end. This game was the biggest heartbreaker for me so far this season most due to the fact that they actually had the lead in the 3rd period, seemed like they were becoming more involved with each other, and then bad luck and poor defensive play crashed the party.
Ryan Kesler was an absolute nemesis, matching Tye McGinn’s output with two goals, the last one putting the finishing touches on a furious comeback by the Canucks. Chris Higgins also made his presence felt, working endlessly to provide an offensive spark, and it paid dividends. All of this happened simply because the Flyers lack the quality on the blue line they so desperately require to make any kind of run during this season that will put them in contention. The question now is whether Paul Holmgren will make some kind of attempt to salvage the season and perhaps his job by inquiring about a solid top pairing defender, something that would have more than likely helped to prevent what happened during this game. Having a mobile two way defenseman, someone capable of letting the offense feel they can continue to pressure instead of collapsing to bail out the back end is an asset all of the top tier teams possess. Until the Flyers land one, I’m worried they will duplicate what occurred last year, and bow out of any kind of playoff opportunity at a terribly early stage.
The bright spots were of course the goaltending, and the offense does seem to be getting itself together. Claude Giroux told reporters that he believed this was the best performance the Flyers have had this season so far, and I’m inclined to believe him. Steve Mason has definitely turned a corner and revitalized his career with proper coaching, and the chances are coming more often than before. Cashing in on them will eventually happen, and hopefully soon the Flyers will post 3 or more goal games. It’s just hard to have faith when staring at the blue roster. Even if the Flyers do begin to churn out 3 plus goal outputs, will they be able to hold the lead? Or will the collapse issues stay prominent?
With a massive rivalry game against the Penguins looming, we shall see.
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