Flyers need goaltending, defense to improve

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Peter Laviolette often cautions the media not to oversimplify certain aspects of his hockey team.

Well, sometimes the numbers tell their own tale, and there is no oversimplifying that the Flyers goaltending and defense just arent getting it done. Unless their team numbers improve, its going to be a quick spring.

Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen summed things up perfectly after Sundays 5-2 loss when asked what has been the difference between the Flyers and Rangers in their season series which New York lead, 4-0.

Timonen replied, The goaltending.

And this where the numbers speak volumes. The Rangers team goals-against average is a sterling 1.93.

The Rangers outright own the Flyers this season, right down to their nameplates over the locker stalls. Either they or Boston should emerge from the East at this point.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins, arguably the second-best team in the East, have a 2.13 GAA.

Where does that leave the Flyers?

Among the upper echelon clubs, the Flyers goals-against average is 2.88. Incidentally, though Pittsburgh is behind the Flyers in the standings, the Pens GAA is better, as well: 2.52.

For all the strides that Ilya Bryzgalov has made in recent weeks, looking pretty strong over six or so games, he gave up two very bad goals that took the Flyers out of contention in Sundays game against the Rangers.

Yes, the defense has become more porous and is alarmingly less physical without Chris Pronger.

But you need some stops and, most of all, you need the obvious, dont-even-think-about-it stops, such as the Marian Gaborik wraparound. And Bryzgalov didnt make them.

All the good work hes done lately, up in flames in only a few minutes.

Laviolette refused to single out his goalie. He never singles out any player in defeat. Its always we.

With regard to yesterday, theres things we could have done better as a team defensively, he said. We could have blocked more shots. We could have played with more desperation. We could have scored more goals. We could have defended better in our end. We could have gotten saves.

No one is exempt from the loss yesterday. We are all included in that. In order to beat a team that is having a good year and sits in first place in the Eastern Conference, its got to be a better effort. That doesnt exclude anyone who comes into this locker room right now.

Thats the best way to put it. Its not as simply as you want to make it out to be. Our game has to be better. Its all pieces ... Generally speaking, we all need to elevate our game.

Its not entirely Bryzgalov, either. The Flyers defense off the rush is constantly back-peddling and seldom challenges. Inside the paint, there is no price to pay.

Unless both these aspects improve, the Flyers can forget about a deep playoff run.

You can only survive so long scoring lots of goals and winning games 6-5.

When the Stanley Cup playoffs beginits about goaltending and defense.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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