Why the Flyers got swept away in a wild Windy City affair.
As a whole, the Flyers need to tighten up defensively big time. They played like it was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Also, in moving forward, they need to establish their fore-check like they did in the first period and get their grind on.
What do I mean by all of this, and how can improvements be made? Easier than you think.
The Flyers got five goals passed Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi, five goals in any playoff game should be enough to win a game. Michael Leighton wasn’t at his best, but wasn’t terrible and fell victim to a Peter Laviolette tactic that we’ve seen before. Leighton was pulled late in the second period with his team down by just a goal. Leighton got the gate so the Flyers would play more inspired. Many people are second guessing the decision Peter Laviolette made, but I stick behind him. It was a tough decision to make, but you can’t get caught in a shootout with the Chicago Blackhawks, something needed to change.
Improvements that can be made…
After Ville Leino opens the scoring and gives the Flyers a 1-0 lead, Blackhawks’ winger Troy Brouwer rips a shot past Michael Leighton on a one-timer.
Why? After a slight miscommunication next to the Flyers’ net, Claude Giroux was sucked down between the hash marks of the face-off circle, right next to defensemen Matt Carle (who was without a stick) and Braydon Coburn.
The Flyers have preached third-man high all season long. What this means is that Giroux’s coverage area should be between the top of the circle’s, right where Brouwer’s shot was released. If Giroux tightens up his defensive coverage, chances are that shot doesn’t even get through to Michael Leighton. Result? Chicago ties the game 1-1 on loose defensive coverage.
Four minutes later, Flyers’ defenseman Coburn muffs a pass at the blue line with the Flyers on a power-play and Dave Bolland cashes in (2-1, Chicago).
Why? The puck took a bad bounce on Coburn and there wasn’t a lot he could do, but I would like to see Coburn just send the puck deep into Chicago’s zone instead of trying to settle the puck at the blue-line. Leighton’s five-hole has been weak the entire Playoffs and didn’t come out of his net like he should have to challenge the shooter on a breakaway. I think Leighton was a bit caught up in the fact it was the Stanley Cup Finals, it was the first time Leighton looked unfocused in net – he played the situation like it was Game 1 of the Cup Finals.
Scott Hartnell scored a power-play goal and Danny Briere added a goal from in front of the crease, as the Flyers put up a three spot in the first period and head to the break with a 3-2 lead. All three of the Flyers’ goals came from hard work in the offensive zone and when the Flyers could establish a solid fore-check and grind the pucks out deep in the offensive zone, putting pressure on Chicago’s defensemen. Just a minute into the second period former Flyers’ winger Patrick Sharp tied the game at 3.
Why? After not being able to establish their fore-check, the Blackhawks are able to hit Sharp with a stretch pass, with a Flyers’ defenseman caught deep in Chicago’s zone. Not much Leighton could do as Sharp ripped the shot over his left shoulder. But positionally, if guys are where they’re supposed to be, and playing responsible, your goaltender isn’t hung out to dry.
After Philadelphia forced a turnover in the offensive zone, Blair Betts gave the Flyers a 4-3 lead. His slap shot rang off of the left post and in but it was short lived as Kris Versteeg tied it up at 4.
Why? The Flyers defensemen played it way too loose and Versteeg was able to follow up his own rebound. Matt Carle over-perused the play and ran into Simon Gagne at the goal crease (who should have been covering the point man) and Carle’s D partner on the play was caught sleeping to the left of Michael Leighton. There is no reason anyone should be able to cash in on their own rebound the way Versteeg did. Almost all of the players on the ice except Leino were caught out of position.
Following the Versteeg goal, it doesn’t get much better for Philadelphia after Troy Brouwer puts the Hawks up by one, 5-4.
Why? Marian Hossa had the puck behind the net with three Flyers standing around the crease staring at him. In the Flyers system, Peter Laviolette preaches ‘third-man high’. The same mistake that was made in the first goal, was made in this. Giroux needs to be responsible for the man coming in late at the slot area and he wasn’t. The wingers cover the opposing team’s defensemen and a general rule of thumb is that they never drop below the tops of the circles, because that’s the center’s position. On this goal, Giroux was in Leighton’s lap and James van Riemsdyk was forced to try and pick-up Giroux’s man.
Following a sweet passing play by the Flyers, Arron Asham ripped home a Danny Briere pass to tie the game at 5, to close the third period. Chicago’s Tomas Kopecky scored the game-winner for Chicago in the middle of the third period.
Why? Too many men caught out of position. Kimmo Timonen was caught at the Flyers blue line, when he should have been b ack in his defensive position in front of Brian Boucher. There wasn’t a lot Boucher could do on the goal, he went down into his butterfly and Kopecky simply out-waited him. But if the Flyers are where they should be, that goal doesn’t happen.
So when I say the Flyers needed to tighten up defensively, this is what I mean. There was too much open ice for the Blackhawks in the Flyers zone and throughout the neutral zone. They need to clamp down and play positionally better in Game 2 or the Hawks will make quick work of Philadelphia. Part of the reason why I think this happened was because it was the big stage – and it showed. Flyers looked nervous and made uncharacteristic mistakes – they played like it was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. When the Flyers don’t come with a relentless fore-check, it sets the Flyers up for failure. The Flyers are at their best when they’re forcing the opposition to turn the puck over and banging bodies.
In my Preview story, this was my second key to the Flyers winning… ‘Second, the Flyers scoring depth has to outshine Chicago’s scoring depth. Philadelphia’s role players must continue to step it up; in Playoff hockey, secondary scoring wins you games.’
In Game 1, Philadelphia and Chicago’s second liners combined for six goals, 15 points and a plus-11 while the top two lines on each team combined for 0 points and a minus-16. Chicago’s scoring depth prevailed in Game 1, as fourth liner, Kopecky netted the winner.
Expect Leighton to be between the pipes for Game 2. Ryan Parent played just 41 seconds and was bad in that time. Pronger played over 32 minutes while Krajicek logged just over seven minutes.
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