Current Power Outage Puts Fading Flyers Season on Brink

NHLHS writer Dave Strehle takes a look at the Philadelphia Flyers’ tightrope walk on the edge of playoff contention and dropping into oblivion.

In what has become a veritable rollercoaster-type season for the Philadelphia Flyers, the lowpoints are seemingly falling deeper and deeper.

With last night’s 2-0 shutout loss to Brian Elliott and the Ottawa Senators, the Orange and Black now trails Ottawa by 4 points.  Only one point separates the Flyers from the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  The Boston Bruins currently sit in that slot and have a game in hand on the Flyers.  And the rejuvenated Atlanta Thrashers are just 4 points from knocking Philadelphia out of the postseason entirely.

A familiar problem for the Flyers has once again reared it’s ugly head, one that no one thought would afflict a Philly team with so much offensive potential this season.  But they have again run into a stretch where they have a complete lack of generating any offense.   And it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

After scoring 11 goals in their first 2 games back from the Olympic break, Philadelphia has mustered just 22 goals in their last 11 contests, in which they have a 4-5-2 record.  This is reminiscent of a span in November and December where the Flyers went on a 3-13-1 skid, a stretch in which Philadelphia managed just 30 goals in those 17 games.

And this in a season when the Flyers addressed an issue in the lack of scoring from their defenseman when they acquired Chris Pronger in the offseason.  Philadelphia was ranked dead last in goals scored by defenseman with 20 in 2008-09, the Flyer’s D has already scored 26 during the 2009-10 campaign.  Pronger’s has contributed 10 goals, the first Flyer defenseman to register double-digit goals in a season since Joni Pitkanen did so in the 2005-06 season.

The dropoff has been with the forwards.  After having six forwards with 25 goals or more on the roster last season, the Flyers appear to have a realistic chance at having just three this year.

The Flyers have scored just 3 goals in the last 3 contests, and just 6 in the 4 games since starting goaltender Michael Leighton’s injury.  This has put the onus on Brian Boucher to be almost-perfect, and although Boucher has let in a couple of weak goals, he has had no room for error, whatsoever.

The team’s offensive inconsistency was not expected when the season began.

Scott Hartnell was coming off a career-best 30 goals last year, but now sits at just 14.  In addition to not actually as many scoring goals, he has not been near the chaotic force in front of opposing goaltenders that led to teammates scoring that he was last year.  And Hartnell’s continued lack of discipline has created far too many opposition power plays.

A healthy Danny Briere was expected to provide a much bigger impact this year than the 11 goals in just 29 games last season in an injury-plagued 2008-09.  Even though he has chipped in with 24 this season, which ranks third on the team, a much more consistent contribution was contemplated.  Briere has completely disappeared for weeks at a time far too often during the course of the current season.

Simon Gagne had scored 34 goals a year ago, but has managed just 15 in 49 games so far this season.  He has looked much more aggressive in making plays and getting into a position for high percentage shots, so the Flyers are hoping that he can be a difference-maker down the stretch.

Claude Giroux has been one of the most baffling players to suit up for Philadelphia this season.  Coming off a playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins last year where he was one of the best players in Orange and Black, expectations were for Giroux to pick right up where he had left off and become a steady contributor this year.  Possessed with magician-like offensive skills, Giroux has just 1 goal and 2 assists in his last 12 games.  And his 14 goals and 27 assists in 73 games have to be looked at as disappointing.

Captain Mike Richards has 28 goals thus far in the 2009-10 season, but at times has looked too laid back, especially on the power play.  Skating with the puck along the boards or even sometimes on 2-on-1 breaks, he has appeared to be ready to make a last-possible-moment highlight reel pass for a teammate’s slam dunk goal.  Too many times he has taken himself out of the play and Philly has come away with a squandered scoring chance.  If the fierce competitiveness that permeates every other aspect of his game were to be applied to taking the puck to the net, Richards could be elevated in the view of the hockey world to the Steve Yzerman or Joe Sakic plateau.

Make no mistake, when Jeff Carter went down over the weekend with a fracture in his left foot, it was a crushing blow.  Not only did Carter lead Philadelphia in goals with 33, he was the most consistent offensive threat that the team has had throughout the entire year.  His 11 goals in the last 16 games before his injury on Sunday were a godsend for the Orange and Black, and he will be sorely missed.  The good news is that if the Flyers can get themselves into the playoffs, Carter should be available to return sometime during the first round.

That being said, Carter’s injury cannot be used as an excuse.  Look no further than the Ottawa Senators as an example of a team that could have had a reason to use injuries as a crutch.  When they lost both Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson at the same time for a three week long stretch, their team survived.

At a time when they could have folded their tents, the foot soldiers all stepped forward and upped their games and contributions.  Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Ryan Shannon, and even Alexei Kovalev, among others, took turns contributing at key times.  The Senators stayed afloat and hit their stride when Spezza and Alfredsson returned.  That’s what good teams do when times get tough.

This is the time when all of the points the Flyers lost with blown leads late in contests and squandered points in nonchalant efforts are hanging over the team’s collective head like the Sword of Damocles.  And much like games last season in which points were lost, including on the season’s last day when the NY Rangers defeated Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center on a Blair Betts (yes, the same Blair Betts that plays for the Flyers now) goal late in regulation.  The regulation loss meant that Philly finished a point behind their first round opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it cost the Flyers precious home-ice advantage.  The eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pens got the jump in Pittsburgh and ousted the Orange and Black in 6 games.

Coach Peter Laviolette and GM Paul Holmgren must be hoping that their foot soldiers are at the ready to make the move and start contributing on a consistent basis.  In addition to the above-mentioned players, Philadelphia could use more down the stretch from Darroll Powe (8 goals), Ian Laperriere (3 goals), Daniel Carcillo (10 goals), Betts (8 goals), rookie James van Riemsdyk (14 goals), Ville Leino (1 goal in 6 games), and Arron Asham (7 goals).

In addition to a litany of No-Trade Clauses on his roster, I firmly believe that Holmgren didn’t make any deals at the NHL trade dealine because when you look at the lineup, the offense should be there.  It’s all a matter of just getting the right combination and chemistry between linemates, and Laviolette has his work cut out for him over the last 9 games of the regular season.

And all the while, a season that could go either way hangs in the balance.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia