Ray Emery took the ice in net last night, hoping to build upon a 1-0 victory he captured over the weekend against the Devils on their home ice, but with the help of a surefire Hall of Fame goaltender, the Devils repaid Emery’s feat in kind to the tune of a 3-0 win on Philly’s home ice.
Now this isn’t to say that it was Ray’s fault the Flyers lost, in truth it was the men in front of him failing once again to be up to task. This club is still going through the motions, looking out of sorts on ice, and the chaos it brings for the most stable element of the club is for lack of a better word, brutal. Fellow Flyers goaltender Steve Mason looked nothing short of furious during his post game interview on Tuesday after the Flyers allowed the Canes to literally steal a game from them with less than a minute left. I suppose it just doesn’t matter who is in the crease, they’re bound to be let down by a stagnant offense, a turnover prone defense, and the overall malaise that has befallen every member of the Flyers these days. Craig Berube has given way to what is now becoming a post game behind closed doors session among the players, which feels a lot like the hockey version of Lord of the Flies more than a righting of the ship. The team leader, Claude Giroux is doing anything but, on or off the ice, and my biggest concern is that the club will not move forward until a strong enough voice steps forward to claim that leadership role and fill the void left by retired but not retired former Captain Chris Pronger. The inmates seemingly run the asylum now, with no joy in sight.
Martin Brodeur, a goaltender who has been around so long it feels like he was drafted the same year Ken Dryden was, snagged yet another shutout to add on to his NHL leading total, a whopping 122 of them now. Jaromir Jagr, former nemesis now heralded veteran in Philly, tapped in the empty netter with a few seconds left for another point in a long list of them. It was like Hall of Fame ceremony time, and these two were giving their farewell performance at the Flyers expense. Brodeur has long been a thorn in Philly’s side, and this year is no different, seeing as he has surrendered one goal in two contests.
I still haven’t changed my mind on electing a new C for this team, Giroux might benefit from having that sort of pressure taken off of him, and possibly would go back to focusing on his offensive skill set. These kinds of moves aren’t always a bad thing, and should be considered. Being the Captain doesn’t always mean being the best player on ice, sometimes it’s about being the guy with the right words, something the Flyers desperately need right now if they are to save their season.
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