The Flyers looked great at the start of the season, shutting out Carolina in the opener, 2-0 and then defeating the Devils in New Jersey, 5-2. They beat a very good Capitals team in overtime but surrendered five goals and then faced the hated Penguins in a rematch of last spring’s playoff series.
Realizing that they will have to beat the Penguins if they’re going to seek to take the division, conference, or Cup, the Flyers came out flat at the Wachovia Center. Their passing was not sharp, they had no speed coming out of their own zone, and had defensive lapses that resulted in several goals. A poor line change resulted in a breakaway goal by Bill Guerin.
Looks like a repeat of last year is materializing. The team gets satisfied with a couple good games and then fails to do the things that must be done in order to win. We’ll see now if their off-season acquisitions – Chris Pronger, Ray Emery, and Ian Laperriere – will be able to do what they’re supposed to be good at: lighting a fire under laid-back players who don’t produce the effort necessary to win. We’ll see if coach John Stevens, whose quiet and laid-back approach has been blamed for the team’s laid-back efforts, will be able to get the most out of a talented roster. If he doesn’t, I will guarantee this will be his last season in Philly.
Orange and Black Attack 