Flyers Report

So I come back from vacation, and the first two games I see played by my beloved Flyers are heart-wrenching overtime losses. Both on breakaways, sadly. Granted, an overtime loss is better than a regular time loss, as you still get a measly one point, but really that's just a little insulting. The two plays were quite similar...a mistake by a defenseman led to a one on zero chance with the goalie, for Sidney Crosby on Wednesday and Greg de Vries last night. Now, I wouldn't worry about giving de Vries too many breakaways, but Crosby on the other hand, it just can't happen. You can't afford to hang your goalie out to dry in overtime, especially not to the most touted rookie in the league. So what's the problem? The Flyers missed plenty of scoring chances early in both games, but all teams miss chances. It's the ones you give up that matter most. In my mind, the Flyers are lacking one key component that may have saved them in both games. We've got a fairly solid defensive core--Hatcher, Rathje, Johnsson, Pitkanin. All big guys, and very physical. What we lack is the type of player that the injured Desjardins represents. Smaller, quicker, and smarter. It was Dany Markov the year before the strike that provided us with quickness and a fiery presence on the blueline. I'm not sure if the Flyers have that anymore. So while we desperately await the return of the veteran Desjardins, I'll be holding my breath in the name of our shell-shocked goalies.