The Flyers Have a Chance to Rewrite History

It is no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers are viewed as being in dire straits.  What else is new?  As the team suffered an embarrassing 7-0 loss at the hands of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, the panic button was effectively pushed by Flyers nation.  Throughout the season, the team has plugged along, having consistent success without any stretches of hardship to overcome.  From the first drop of the puck this season to the end of February, the 2010-2011 club has been a polar opposite than the team that ended up just short of hockey excellence last year.  Perhaps that is why the rabid fan base is ready to turn its back to the club, as if it was bracing for the inevitable failure that has plagued the franchise since 1975.  Every year since that magical moment, whether the team had a realistic chance to win it all or not, the end bottom line has been the same.  Known as being a tough sports town, Philadelphia fans just want the best for its teams.  Sometimes their passion just gets in the way of seeing things for what they are and not want they believe them to be.

The club had a statement game at its fingertips on Sunday, as a national audience tuned in to watch on NBC.  After falling behind early, the flood gates opened, and the hungry Rangers steamrolled the Flyers, sending a message of their own to the league that are a team to be reckoned with.  All the franchise can muster is excuses as it tries to stop the worst losing streak of the season against the lowly Oilers at the Wells Fargo Center.  Coach Peter Laviolette tried to curtail the blame game by suggesting that his recent rash of harsh practices took the life out of his team.  He furthered his stance by giving the players the day off on Monday, allowing them to relax and refocus.  The flu was also considered a culprit of the demise of the Flyers, as it forced several key players to miss recent games.  However, that excuse does not hold water for a true team would barrel through the adversity and press forward, a la the Pittsburgh Penguins, who, despite the loss of stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, have maintained the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.

It would not be the Flyers if the goaltending position was not under constant criticism.  Since the retirement of Ron Hextall, the club has been able to freely blame whoever the poor guy was in between the pipes for all the downfalls.  As while the club sputters along, it is only natural that unheralded Brian Boucher and rookie Sergei Bobrovsky would come under fire.  With the makeup of the team, the two goalies have only been needed to make the routine saves, with the occasional spectacular stop sprinkled in the mix.  Recently, however, the team has faltered into defensive lapses, forcing the tandem to be left high and dry.  While neither goaltender is viewed as the second coming of Bernie Parent, they were never expected to be, as the finances were spent on comprising a solid team in front of them to alleviate the burden.  

While systems and coaching are vital to a team’s success, the players are the ones who can alter history.  Until the team regains its composure and heart, it will continue to dwell in limbo.  This is arguably the best Flyers team in the past 25 years, (dating all the way back to 1987 and even better than the other Stanley Cup Finals losers since) with the right combination of playmaking, scoring, defense, and grit filling its active roster.  The club thrives on tenacity and toughness, but that has been lacking for quite some time.  As the playoffs approach, the Flyers need to analyze themselves individually and carry out what they set out to do after losing to Chicago last postseason.  Now is the time for the veterans’ voices to make themselves be heard and be translated into all out attrition.  The playoffs have already begun for many teams on the playoff bubble as every game potentially has a dramatic effect on their chances of playing for the Stanley Cup.  Those clubs find themselves in the same situation the Flyers were last season as they clawed and scraped into the postseason.  While complacency may have set in for a brief moment, it is the desire of the team that will ultimately prove its direction from here on out.