"Flyers penalty, number...."
It's getting annoying very fast.
It seems like every time you turn your head the Flyers are on the penalty-kill because of a stupid and undisciplined penalty.
So it's not a surprise to me as to why they are 2-2-1.
Through five games, the Flyers are the 2nd-most penalized team in the NHL. They trail only the Anaheim Ducks, whom which they play Thursday.
However, penalties aren't the only thing hurting this team...
With the minor roster changes that happened this off-season, what is most concerning is that this team has yet to gel. With only two players leaving (Gagne, Asham), it is the same core as last season. Last season, in which, came two games short of the Stanley Cup. With all the emotions riding off of last year, and the benefit of having a full training-camp under Peter Laviolette's system, there is no excuse to have a stalling engine which is the Flyers' offense.
What is the most concerning is the lack of pressure on the forecheck. Laviolette's 2-1-2 low, puck-attacking system is one of the most aggressive in the NHL. It forces teams to make quick decisions along the boards because there are always two players checking down behind the net, one of which is on the puck carrier. The Flyers create most of their scoring chances by winning puck battles past the goal line.
So far, it's been invisible on the top two lines...
The combo of Richards-Carter-(Carcillo, Nodl) has not produced thus far. Part of which is the fact that the Flyers spend too much time on the PK to get in a groove, but the other is that there is no chemistry whatsoever.
The Giroux-JVR-Zherdev line had a great preaseason, but JVR hasn't been digging in the trenches. Zherdev is good at creating chances, but it's easy to see he doesn't have the system down yet. As for Giroux, he's getting the job done, but his linemates can't sustain anything long enough to set up consistent play.
The Briere-Leino-Hartnell tandem has been consistent, but not at the level they were in May and June...not yet, anyway. They've shown some flashes of what they can do, but they've also been turning the puck over too much. It seems like they play more in their own zone than past the opposite blue line.
The Betts-Powe-Shelley line is the only one that has been showing consistent pressure. They've also chipped in on scoring chances, which is always a plus. However you can't count on the 4th line to do all the work.
The Flyers need to get their hands dirty. When they are not doing creating pressure, they are get frustrated very easily.
Frustration = Penalties. And while their Penalty Kill is a threat to score goals, you can't depend on short-handed chances to get goals.
Most eyebrows are being raised at the lack of production on the power-play, but the Flyers have historically not been fast-starters with the man-advantage. Still, it doesn't help when an offense as potent as the Flyers can't score on a 5-on-3.
The fact that Peter Laviolette is still searching for a good combination shows how much Simon Gagne meant to the PP. They'll get it down at some point, but the longer they wait, the less goals they'll put up.
As for the goaltending issue. It's fine. Brian Boucher didn't have the best of games against Tampa Bay, but had looked pretty good up to that point. Sergei Bobrovsky, the electrifying rookie from Russia, has been extremely impressive. Although he didn't have the best of games against the Penguins last Saturday, I would not be worried.
What Flyers fans need to realize is that he is a diamond in the rough. Don't expect him to play more than 50 games this year (even that is a high number). Bobrovsky, no matter how impressive he's been, is going to take some time to develop and get used to the North American game. He will split time with Boucher until Michael Leighton recovers from back surgery, which is still about two months away.
Overall, while there is a slight cause of concern for the Flyers, it's still too early to tell where this team is headed. You can't work out every knot after five games, and this team usually doesn't gel until around Christmas anyway.
Yes, we all want a Stanley Cup, and don't like to see this from the defending Eastern Conference Champions. However, they can't win the Stanley Cup in October, just have patience.
Until next week, keep that stick on the ice.
With the Flyers having a short week, I will be back next week with a player-by-player performance review thus far.
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