They got three of them.
THREE.
Other teams have started to gain ground on the Flyers, who are lucky to be in possession of the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.
To make matters worse, the Flyers yearly goaltending merry-go-round has added another pony to it.
The Flyers lost starter Michael Leighton for 8-10 weeks due to a high-ankle sprain against Nashville on Tuesday. Leighton was going for a floating puck and got twisted up as he fell trying to get back into the crease. Backup Brian Boucher came in and subsequently let up a goal on the 1st shot he saw. He played well enough to get the Flyers a point, but did not fare well in the shootout.
Once Flyers fans heard that Leighton was practically done for the season, an exasperated sigh could be heard across the Delaware Valley.
Flyers fans can sense the beginning of another downward spiral. And it all starts with goalie Brian Boucher.
Now the team's unquestionable starter, the Flyers are in major trouble heading down the home stretch of the 09-10 season.
While Boosh is not THE reason for a possible collapse, he is the key reason.
While fans and people in the organization are trying to be positive, if you read between the lines, you can sense the lack of confidence. The public positivity does not hide the dark reality of the Flyers heading towards their 2nd downward spiral of the year. Everyone knows how inconsistent Boucher is.
Boucher got a vote of confidence by stepping up and holding off the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, but he spent most of the night fighting off the puck. He never seemed fully in control, having to bail himself out of a few gaffes.
Saturday's game against Atlanta was a poor team effort overall, but Boucher could not lock it down enough to help his team get back in it after the Flyers climbed within a goal. He wasn't the main reason why they lost, but his play didn't help the team either.
Sunday was no different.
The Flyers were generating offense, getting almost 40 shots on goal, but could not solve Atlanta rookie Ondrej Pavelec, only being able to put 1 goal past him.
It didn't help the Flyers were yet chasing another game.
In the 3 games since Boucher became the starter, he has allowed the 1st goal of the game.
While Boucher has a bad reputation of allowing the 1st goal then settling down, this time of the season is not the time for that rep to rear it's ugly head.
Boucher allowed a soft, short-side goal 3 minutes into the game from Ron Hainsey, then another softie through the 5-hole off of Todd White's stick halfway through the 1st. As I was in attendance, you could hear the energy deflate from the building.
The Flyers had a solid forecheck and generated many scoring chances, but when Mike Richards scored his 28th of the season with 7 minutes to go, the Flyers had all the momentum.
Rich Peverley ended that when he put another goal short-side past Boucher with 3 minutes to go in the 3rd.
It's not difficult to see that the Flyers are lacking confidence in their goaltender. While they try to put a positive spin on it, they know what is going to happen.
All-in-all, Boucher has never regained the confidence he lost after the 2000 playoffs. He became the starter in 2000 after John Vanbiesbrouck's play declined. Boosh led the Flyers to game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New Jersey Devils.
With 2 minutes to go in the 3rd, Boosh let up a soft goal to Patrick Elias on a play where he left himself out of his position.
Game Over. Series Over. Season Over. Boosh said after the game he was so in shock of what just happened he literally could not speak to reporters.
Beezer was traded in the off-season because Boosh became the starter, but was a shell of himself from the previous year, and never put it all together.
10 seasons later, Boucher is still the same way, inconsistent and streaky.
They know he can't carry them in the playoffs.
It seems like the team has sensed this, and it is putting more pressure on themselves, leading to the reason why they are headed down another spiral.
While the defense has played poorly over the past few games, they aren't really giving up any high-quality scoring chances. However, Ryan Parent and Braydon Coburn have been nothing more than traffic cones. They have been trying to do too much to force the puck to the neutral zone, rather than take the body and cancel out a player.
On Sunday, they went a combined minus-5, with Coburn being on the ice for all 3 Atlanta goals.
It's not exactly the best situation for a shaky goaltender.
With Boucher allowing the 1st goal of the game over the past 3, it also adds extra pressure to the offense. Not only do they have to up the pressure on the forecheck, but have to try harder to score, rather than allow the play to develop.
On Sunday, you could clearly see that happening. The Flyers were generating pressure, but tried too hard to make things happen.
Sadly, I don't think we've seen the worst yet, because although Atlanta is playing well, they are an average team.
This week, the Flyers play Ottawa, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey. The Wild are the only team not currently in a playoff spot.
Eight possible points. The biggest eight points available in the 2009-2010 season.
This is the week we will all know if the Flyers be playing in April, or if they will be breaking out the golf clubs on April 11th.
Last Week's Results:
at Nashville: 3-4 OTL (Shootout)
at Dallas: 3-2 W
at Atlanta: 2-5 L
vs. Atlanta: 1-3 L
Upcoming schedule:
3/23 - at Ottawa, 7:30 PM
3/25 - vs. Minnesota, 7PM
3/27 - at Pittsburgh, 1PM
3/28 - vs New Jersey, 7PM
Photo of the Week:
Brian Boucher reacts after allowing a goal to Atlanta's Rich Peverley.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
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