The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, causing them to fall out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, causing them to fall out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, causing them to fall out of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Head coach John Tortorella bluntly stated that the team "sucked" and that they looked "gassed" against one of the worst teams in the league, noting that—similar to their game in Montreal on Thursday—they couldn't find the momentum to get past the Blackhawks.
"We Hit Bottom."
Tortorella did not hold back in his assessment of his team's performance against Chicago, saying, "I don't think we played poorly up until tonight. We sucked tonight. We didn't execute; we didn't make one play. I think we hit the bottom tonight. Maybe that's what needs to happen for us to get back into it...We're gonna clear the deck, start again Monday, and hopefully we'll be able to rebound."
And you know what? He's right. The Flyers have beaten the odds pretty much all season. They found themselves in a playoff spot when they were supposed to tank. They lost one of their most promising prospects and showed an admirable amount solidarity, along with gaining a talented young defenseman in the deal. They lost their No. 1 goalie under egregious circumstances, and handled it as best as they could, with Sam Ersson stepping up to take over those responsibilities. They've persisted through numerous devastating injuries to their squad. They're physically and mentally exhausted, and understandably so. As difficult as it may be to swallow, they needed this rock bottom moment to collect themselves and be able to soar again.
More Trouble For Couturier?
It's been an unconventional captaincy for Sean Couturier since he officially received the 'C' back in February. It seemed like the obvious choice—he's the longest-tenured player in the team, has spent his entire career in Philadelphia, and very clearly has the respect of everyone in the locker room. But playing-wise, many fans, along with Tortorella, have not been very impressed.
After the whole "healthy scratching the captain" situation that had social media reeling, there were hopes that it would light a fire under Couturier and make him more impactful on the ice. Instead, against Chicago, it led to getting an earful from his head coach and having alternate captain Scott Laughton drop the gloves in order to spark something in the team. It's entirely possible that fans could be overreacting to such a harrowing loss—not outside the realm of possibility at all. But it is troubling to see Couturier seemingly struggling again after enduring so many obstacles the past two years.
(Possibly) Fedotov Time vs. Islanders
Sam Ersson needs rest. This is not news. He's shouldered much of the goaltending burden since January, and probably even more than originally planned after having two of his backup goalies have performances that were simply not up to standard.
But now, Ersson has Ivan Fedotov to back him up—the 6'7" Russian prince that was promised that is already so beloved by his teammates and Flyers fans alike. Viewers are chomping at the bit to see him in all of his gangly glory in net against the New York Islanders on Monday, and it's not the worst idea in the world. Fedotov is still adjusting to his new surroundings, but it could be very much worth it to let Ersson breathe and see what his new No. 2 is made of.
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