It has become tiresome to hear the Flyers' players talk about the need to focus and pay attention to detail throughout the game. Once the calendar turns to March and the stretch drive begins in earnest, every game needs to be treated with a playoff-like sense of urgency. Honestly, I don't think lack of effort has been the main problem of late.

I have begun to worry that the team has become mentally fragile. There's a lot of negative body language when there is in-game adversity. The Flyers have generally played solid first periods, built leads and then the "we better not blow this" vibe sets in as soon as the other team scores a goal. In the debacle at Madison Square Garden last Sunday, the club fell behind early -- on the heels of two blown-lead losses -- and simply stopped playing like a team. Frankly, it's almost better to lose a game where your side gets blown out than to cough up third period 3-0 and 4-1 leads the way they did against an Atlanta team that has been mighty fragile in its own right.

Several people have asked me if I think coaching or locker room unrest are at least partially to blame. I don't buy either rationale. Peter Laviolette's system, when operating properly, is one that requires high energy and attention to detail in order to be successful. We have already seen that the Flyers are capable of executing such a system. Where they get in trouble is when their focus drops off and they begin to lose their composure.

You can say that perhaps Laviolette miscalculated in holding heavy practices during the last lengthy schedule break, but it's easy to second guess after the fact. The team had been having problems with their last games before and first games back from long schedule breaks, and Laviolette was trying to skate up the complacency he saw in the team's ugly 4-1 loss in Ottawa.

Have the team's third-period problems in many of the games since then been the result of fatigue? I just can't buy that when I've seen other clubs recently come through extremely busy stretches of travel and games and manage to stay mentally and physically sharp.

As far as the locker room goes, this is essentially the same group of players that found a way to come together by the playoffs last year after an up-and-down regular season. If there are players who aren't pulling their weight, I have no problem with the team leaders calling them out behind closed doors. Ultimately, winning cures all and losing brings out whispers of dissent.

I will say this, however. It is up to the team leaders to set an example by deed and not just by word. Virtually every one on the team -- including Mike Richards, Chris Pronger (hand injury or otherwise), Kimmo Timonen and Danny Briere -- has plenty of reason to look within at their own play since the All-Star break and find room for improvement before pointing fingers at others.

Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment

» Quick Hits: Phantoms, Gendron, OHL Playoffs

» Quick Hits: U18s, CHL, Phantoms, TIFH

» Quick Hits: Phantoms-Hershey, CHL Prospects Update

» Quick Hits: Michkov, Phantoms-Hershey Game 1, Snider Hockey, TIFH

» Quick Hits: Flyers Daily, CHL Playoffs, TIFH