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Flyers Focusing More On What Didn't Work Last Night, Than What Did... |
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The Flyers won their third game of the season last night in a a deceivingly convincing 5-3 win over Carolina giving them a .333 winning percentage as they try to claw their way out of the NHL's basement. I spoke with Danny Briere after the game and while he and his teammates were happy with the five goals they posted - including three on the power play - and the two points in the standings, they are well aware of the things they need to work on and it all starts with discipline.
They want to be more responsible in the defensive zone and not take as many penalties (They took eight last night). He said those two rather important details should inherently put them in a better position to win hockey games because they'll be in a better position to press offensively and pounce on opportunities/mistakes by the opponent and, of course, not have to try to win hockey games while down a man. The key is finding a balance, a level of consistency that will give them a chance to win every night.
The challenge has been playing an inconsistent mix of teams that are strong defensively and like to get the lead and shut it down and teams with a diverse mix of offensive weapons who like to play a run-and-gun style. Briere admitted that while it's important to be flexible enough to play with any type of team, the Flyers have been unable to put their stamp on the game and play the way they want to no matter who they're playing.
Both Briere and captain Claude Giroux commented on the lack of a pre-season and noted that these are the sorts of things that get worked out in those games, but without the luxury of those games this season they just have to regroup and refocus and keep plugging along until it all clicks. They - along with their legion of fans - hoping that happens sooner than later and the success they've been able to find on special teams as of late is a big step in the right direction.
Adding to the Flyers' troubles are a list of injuries that seems to get longer with every game. That's not something they can necessarily avoid, but but they can control how they respond to it and be more versatile in their roles when needed. Just two weeks into the season, this normally wouldn't be something to get concerned over, but since this isn't a normal season, there's a lot of cause for concern but they've got the leadership and experience to figure it out. The real testament of this team will reveal itself when they come out of the other side of this storm.
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There was also a funny moment last night when a reporter asked Giroux how he responded to Laviolette saying he was trying too hard. He said, "Yeah, he said that, but what does that even mean? Try too hard? What am I supposed to say, 'Ok. I'll try less?' Who says that? So, while I heard what he said, I still tried as hard as I could to contribute to my team and helps us get the win tonight."
Steady the course....
Julie
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