The flyers have once again disappointed in this series, with an embarrassing, and this time, home loss to the Buffalo sabers. The final score of 7-1 was bad enough, but there are other aspects that should be absolutely disheartening to Flyers fans. First, let’ recap the game.
The Flyers actually got off to a good start, they applied 10 minutes of constant pressure, and virtually no (at least not noticeable to me) turnovers. Then, it unraveled, yet again. A Forsberg pass gone wrong resulted in a 2-on-1 battle in the corner which our Desjardins lost. The puck was then brought out front, and passed to a wide open Mike Greir who deposited the puck into the gaping net. 1-0 Buffalo.
It continued from there, including the departure of Robert Esche (perhaps, for the last time) and another of his tantrums. First off, this guy is a great goaltender, but was simply hung out to dry in this series to constant odd-man rushes. Let me point out, that these odd-man rushes could have been avoided if the Flyers weren’t always behind and having to chase the game. I don’t have the exact count but at least 4 of the Buffalo goals were on odd-man rushes.
The final result, was a 7-1 loss, and the end of the Flyers season. It was a season that could have been remembered for promising rookies who stepped in to fill the roll of proven veterans, and for injuries that were overcome, and for a NHL record 12 game road trip which the Flyers dominated. Instead, it will be remembered for the way this team was heavily dominated both offensively and defensively in their first round series against the Buffalo Sabers.
This is a pathetic, yet necessary reminder that the Flyers team is NOT built for the new NHL. My top 3 favorite non-Flyers included Derian Hatcher. Unfortunately, Derian is not a new NHL player. The slow defense core of this team and it’s inability to get back cost the Flyers dearly in this series. The absence of the second, third, and fourth lines also did them in. The problem is not that these lines are not good, but that they just didn’t show up.
This Flyers fan is disgusted at the end result of this season, and that it could have been prevented with better management decisions. But, for tonight, we’ll focus on just this game, and unfortunately, it’s going to leave a bad taste in our mouths for quite some time. In the coming days, and weeks, we’ll begin to look to the off-season, and discuss what moves should be done by management.