The Philadelphia Flyers extended their losing streak to eight games Tuesday night, after a frustrating night in Montreal left their playoff hopes hanging on by a thread, despite not yet being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
The Philadelphia Flyers extended their losing streak to eight games Tuesday night, after a frustrating night in Montreal left their playoff hopes hanging on by a thread, despite not yet being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
With just three games left in the regular season, the time for reflection has no doubt begun within the organization, as the entire team will be looking to build upon the many lessons learned from this season.
Okay, Fine, The Goaltending!
At this point, it doesn't even feel productive to talk about the goaltending. It hasn't been up to standard. We know it. They know it. It's been talked about ad nauseam, and nobody has had anything new or helpful to say.
Sam Ersson's numbers haven't been wonderful (and apparently we're still conveniently forgetting that he is a rookie playing nearly triple the amount of games he was supposed to this season). Ivan Fedotov is still very, very new, and it's showed in his playing. Rinse. Repeat. Shock value takes for engagement on social media don't equal expertise or coaching credentials, so unless one of you is Bernie Parent with a burner account, I must say that the discourse surrounding the goaltending is exhausting, unhelpful, and generally just counterproductive.
So You Wanted Accountability...
"Accountability"—it's been a favorite buzzword of Flyers critics for the past few months, whether people are demanding more of it from the coaches, players, or management. The thing is, they have been taking accountability and acknowledging their missteps. Many people just don't want to listen.
Whether it's Morgan Frost explicitly saying that he "f****** up" during the Flyers' overtime loss against the New York Islanders on Apr. 1, John Tortorella apologizing for a non-answer regarding a press conference question about former backup goalie Felix Sandstrom, or the most recent development of the entire team staying together (fully-dressed, scratches included) in the locker room after the Canadiens game, this team takes is self-aware and takes responsibility when it's necessary.
Where Do We Go From Here?
It's the question everyone is left to ponder, and while, naturally, every Flyers fan is out in full force trying to find solutions to the issues that have cropped up over the past few months, the season isn't over yet. There's still time for the Flyers to learn, and win, and finish out 2023-24 on a high note.
While we may not have all of the answers yet, the most important that we can have is trust in the organization. It was very easy to forget that the Flyers are still in a rebuild after all they've achieved this season, but they're still very much in that process. It's not going to be pretty, much less perfect, but this organization has proven that they can stuff done. Patience, trust, and lots of deep breathing exercises will come in handy as the journey continues, but it'll be worth it when the city starts seeing the fruits of the Flyers' labor.
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