On Tuesday afternoon, Chuck Fletcher looked a lot like the general manager who spoke at the end of the 2018-19 season, the general manager who was about four months on the job, ready to refit, fix and essentially restart the Flyers.
The Flyers are no longer at the beginning of their process, but Fletcher on Tuesday again mentioned how his club sometimes made life unnecessarily difficult for himself during the first 10 games of the 2020-21 season.
He highlighted the inconsistency in the decision making of the strikers that affect the entire team, an issue that was pointed out by coach Alain Vigneault just three days earlier, when he replaced Travis Konecny.
“Our group of attackers did not play to the level they need,” said Fletcher. “I think they made the game extremely difficult for our defenders and goalkeepers.”
As a whole, the Flyers on Wednesday night made the game extremely difficult for themselves in a disappointing 4-3 defeat in overtime for the Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center. The arrival of the third period was the perfect summary of why the Flyers did not shake criticism or concerns during the start of 7-2-2.
They defeated themselves.
They did it the worst way on Wednesday night, committing three penalties in the final eight minutes of regulation and asking one of hockey’s most frightening power play units to take their game away. The Flyers, who looked like a real competitor when they took the 3-1 lead, created their own breakdown. David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and company delivered three power play goals to stun the Flyers, who achieved what they had done.
“You feel like you’re in good shape, but you allow elite players – taking penalties – to make a difference,” said Vigneault on Wednesday night after the defeat.
“It gave the best players the opportunity to step on the ice here. They are elite players and have found a way to make a difference in the game.
“It is a lesson that we will learn and prepare for the next game. … You don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself, you have to do it again and that’s what we” will do. “
Through three clashes, the Flyers are 0-1-2 against the Bruins, who are probably their biggest rival in the realigned East division. The Flyers allowed nine goals in the third period for Boston and got two chances in the final stanza. In their other eight games, they yielded six combined goals in the third period.
The Flyers entered Thursday with the lowest number of shots per game in the NHL (23.7), allowing the third highest number of shots per game (33.8) and delivering the fifth highest number of power play goals per game (1.09).
They allowed the fewest NHL pitches per game last season and played as a different team in a much larger sample of 69 games.
Flyers are 7-2-2 and know they can be significantly better. There is no Matt Niskanen and Sean Couturier left. But there is no excuse to hit like the Flyers on Wednesday night.
“A race of 56 games to try to reach the playoffs and any time you get 15 points in the first 10 games, you have to be happy with the results,” said Fletcher on Tuesday. “I’m not sure if the process is where we want it to be, I’m not sure if we’re playing at the level we want and I think it’s a good thing – I don’t think anyone in our room is fooled by our track record. I think our coaches understand the work that we need to do to improve and we will work on the things that we need to work to improve.
“What I respect about this group is that we have found a path and the will to win is great. Again, certain areas of our game clearly need to improve, but every night someone moves forward or something in our game allows us to get the victory. “
The Flyers allowed a game on Wednesday. They have the Bruins again on Friday night. There is no better time for them to show how much they can be better.
Fletcher and Vigneault would like to see you as much as the fan base.
Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Youtube