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Are we home yet?
After a very successful four-game homestand, the Philadelphia Flyers kicked off the first of their six-game road trip on Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are now 1-6-0 on the road this season.
Just like Jody Shelley on a breakaway, this game wasn’t pretty. Toronto had their way with the Flyers, winning by a final score of 5-2. Unlike most games, the Flyers actually got off to a fast start as Wayne Simmonds tapped in a rebound just 38 seconds into the game. However, it was all downhill from there as Toronto went on to score five unanswered goals. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was eventually pulled from the game, but the box score will tell a different story than what actually happened.
Throughout the majority of this contest (or whatever that poor display was), the Flyers were lazy. Philadelphia was sloppy with the puck, especially in their own zone, and left Bryzgalov out to dry a few times. Toronto’s second goal really shouldn’t have ever happened. A shot was taken from the point on Bryzgalov, who allowed a rebound out in front of the net. Colton Orr out-muscled defenseman Nicklas Grossmann for the loose puck and ultimately buried it in the net.
Oh, and how about that power play? Or in this case, lack there of. On Monday night, the Flyers went 0-3 on the man advantage, including a dismal 5 minute power play during the second period. The team could hardly set up what would have likely been a continuous and never-ending display of passes. They also only had one good scoring chance, but Brayden Schenn was turned aside by Ben Scrivens right in front of goal. It was quite frustrating, to say the least.
Later on in the game, former Flyer James van Riemsdyk leisurely (and I mean leisurely) skated right around former Maple Leaf defenseman Luke Schenn in route to a goal. It was lazy defense, and for tonight at least, the Maple Leafs appeared to have won the trade from last June.
It has been the simple stuff that has been plaguing the Flyers so far in this shortened season. They aren’t winning the puck battles, aren’t hustling to loose pucks and just don’t appear to be the aggressor most nights. Rather than seeing how the game shapes out, the Flyers must dictate it if they have any chance of being competitive in the Eastern Conference.
The road trip won’t be getting any easier, as the Flyers will have to turn around and visit the Winnipeg Jets, a dangerous, young team in a hostile environment.
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