I think it was because The Flyers send one man in on forecheck, and then a 2nd if the first guy is at least in a 50-50 battle. 3rd guy generally stays back. Rangers outnumber the one or two forwards, take the puck up. Flyers D is deep near the blue line, 3rd forward is easy to avoid. Some quick short passes and suddenly they are hitting the blue-line with speed and flyers D is backpedaling. This leads to a pretty good zone entry by Rangers.

Either the 2nd guy needs to come in quicker and the 3rd needs to come in more often or the 1st/two need to win more deep battles or they at least need to not get so far behind the play and backcheck more vigorously. The Flyers forecheckers tend to semi-lazily go back, even Giroux - they are not really clinging to the D. By the time they have taken up position, flyers are already pinned deep.

How often did the puck come in to the Flyers zone and come right back out? Almost never.
- PT21

In my opinion


Pretty much sums up the game tonight. Flyers didn't skate well tonight. And got beaten all over the ice to a man. They can be better, and I think they will.

Good night all!

Shocking. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Ned Ryerson.

That's a (big) part of it, sure. I wasn't specifically calling out the defensemen, but the entire team.

It would help if there was even one guy who could just skate the puck out of danger on a regular basis, but that issue can't be solved before the summer.
- Jsaquella

It's their biggest flaw
Especially noticeable when they play a speedy hard forechecking team

In my opinion

They were quicker tonight that's for sure. But the Flyers can play quicker, and play better. And they can be more efficient on the breakouts. So this idea that it's not 1995 and forwards are going to be marked, doesn't hold water. Flyers simply have to play better. And skate better.
- MJL

Look at the D Corp in these playoffs. Flyers have the slowest one by a mile. Combine it with few fast forwards, and the teamwide speed issue becomes a problem in the playoffs. Especially against teams throwing the kitchen sink at you. I dont care about pittsburgh a couple years ago. They are an anomaly and the flyers play (frank)ing rabid and the pens play like turds when they get together.

Timonen is no longer a mobile defenseman. He can move the puck however

Any word on what's up with Vinny's ice time? Injury?

My fear came to fruition. Bad 2nd period as usual, go in to the 3rd tied, and lose, due to lack of discipline. It's a tired story.

Carbon copy of the devils series except they won game 1. It's just not good enough.

Poor razor. Once again played well , kept them in it till the 3rd and they just don't score for him. No goal support. Over and over again.

It's their biggest flaw
Especially noticeable when they play a speedy hard forechecking team
- Marc D

You just can't transition slowly (and sometimes sloppily) when the other team has a good forecheck. If Grossmann gets the puck and has no forward nearby, he can't skate it up, so he passes to Streit. When that happens, the trap gets set in the neutral zone and the forecheckers are on Streit as soon as he gets the puck.

If you have a forward hanging low, or a defenseman who can skate the puck up, you can beat that first wave of forechecking and generate speed up ice.

Grossmann was not part of the problem in this game. He played well, apart from one bad giveaway (which didn't end up being costly). He was stapling Rangers to the walls and giving Flyers forwards plenty of time to dig pucks loose -- alas, they lost most of those battles. That's something about his role the Corsi crowd doesn't always grasp.
- bmeltzer

Any word on what's up with Vinny's ice time? Injury?
- Flyersgod

Played like poop. Berube leaned on guys who did a better job pushing the play.

at least the sharks are winning

in unrelated news i found an apartment in Sunnyvale today which is near San Jose

Shocking. Sather. Rinse. Repeat. Ned Ryerson.
- hammarby31

fixed

My fear came to fruition. Bad 2nd period as usual, go in to the 3rd tied, and lose, due to lack of discipline. It's a tired story.

Carbon copy of the devils series except they won game 1. It's just not good enough.

Poor razor. Once again played well , kept them in it till the 3rd and they just don't score for him. No goal support. Over and over again.
- hammarby31

If we went into the 3rd period down 2-1, I bet the Flyers win this game. They wake up during intermission and play their normal 20 minutes a night in the 3rd.

Going in tied had them bored.

Played like poop. Berube leaned on guys who did a better job pushing the play.
- Jsaquella

There was a lot of players that played like poop. I didn't see the first 10 minutes of the game, but I'm not sure how VL can push the play with Rinaldo and Hall on his wings against a team playing 10x better off the first face off.

flyers are the only team that is going to get blown out tonight

There was a lot of players that played like poop. I didn't see the first 10 minutes of the game, but I'm not sure how VL can push the play with Rinaldo and Hall on his wings against a team playing 10x better off the first face off.
- Flyersgod

He had issues pushing the play with better wingers on his line before tonight. The sad thing is, Rinaldo played his role effectively.

I guess the argument could have been made that Lecavalier could have moved up with Schenn moving down, because that line was pretty ineffective, too.

flyers are the only team that is going to get blown out tonight
- 2Real

are you the anti-Nostradamus? Predicting things AFTER they happen?

(frank) yea welcome back hertl!

are you the anti-Nostradamus? Predicting things AFTER they happen?

- FlyerGuy

not predicting anything just laughing at the fact we didn't come ready for the playoffs for some reason

holy (frank) the kings might get blown out tonight

holy (frank) the kings might get blown out tonight
- 2Real

Who scored the third goal? Jesus!

Who scored the third goal? Jesus!
- Jsaquella

Marleau

Marleau
- 2Real

I went to take a leak and boom

I went to take a leak and boom
- Jsaquella

i was expecting hertl to score tonight esp since dustin brown cheap shotted him and ruined his rookie season

i was expecting hertl to score tonight esp since dustin brown cheap shotted him and ruined his rookie season
- 2Real

That's OK, he's going to have a good, long career

at least the sharks are winning

in unrelated news i found an apartment in Sunnyvale today which is near San Jose
- 2Real

I'm out that way three weeks today....Pebble Beach and the Olympic club. Sweet...