Jaromir Jagr says the Flyers are going to have a tough time getting that mystique backwhere opposing teams are worried about playing in Philly.
Peter Laviolettes Flyers may be the NHLs No. 1 road warriors, but on home ice, too often, they look like genteel, lost souls.
Its not a stretch to say that on too many nights, the fans get into the oppositions face more than the Flyers.
With only 11 home wins through 22 games, the Flyers are on course to win just 20.5 home gamesthe fewest since 2006-07 when they won 10 and failed to make the playoffs.
You have to understand we play different hockey than the Flyers played 10 years ago, Jagr said. Ten years ago, hockey was more physical than the way we play right now. I dont think we have the players to play that physical style. I think we are more skilled.
That doesnt matter. We should have a good start. Take control of the game from the first minute. When the team is hanging in a game, you never know what is going to happen in the third period.
Then, you dont have time to control the game. Its important to have a good start, especially, at home. We just couldnt do it. We always start late.
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Less physical at home? Thats almost sacrilegious to Flyers fans.
I dont necessarily agree with that, said general manager Paul Holmgren. The game has changed. Maybe we should have bench-clearing brawls again. Maybe that would do it.
I could remember when we go maybe the whole year and only lose four games in years past. Its a different league now, a different game. At the same time, we got to find a way to get more wins in our own building.
The Flyers all-time best home record came in 1975-76 when they went 36-2-2 with a .925 winning percentage. Through much of the Lindros Era, they routinely won more than 23 games. Two years ago, they won 24.
Statistically speaking, one aspect of play that is impacting the Flyers at home is their penalty kill. Its a poor 78.8 percent25th in the league. Conversely, on the road, their PK operates at 85.3 percent (11th).
The second half of the season finds the Flyers at home 19 more times. This is where they have to get better if they want home ice for the playoffs.
I think teams when they come here to Philly, they know the fans are going to be in their face, Claude Giroux said. Were a tough team to play at home, well, we want to be a tough team to play at home. We just got to go game by game and tomorrow against Nashville get back on track.
Added Max Talbot, Its a good stretch for us. We need to create an identity at home and start to play solid hockey. Its a tough building to play. When you come into the Flyers building its always tough. We need to create in this stretch.
Laviolette admitted he doesnt have an answer as to why the Flyers struggle for wins at Wells Fargo Center.
You can make the case theyre not as physicalunless its Boston, the Rangers or the Pittsburgh Penguinsteams the Flyers really get up for.
Certainly, we need to be better, Laviolette said. We need to be better with our energyBut our record, our wins and our losses, I think determine a lot of that. I dont know how far youre dating back.
The makeup of the team we havedont get me wrong, the Boston game the other day was a great hockey game. It was physical, it was bangin, we went toe to toe against a big Bruin team.
I think ultimately, more than that, the wins and the losses, are what determine if its a tough place to play. Are you getting success? Right now, were not getting it.
So how do the Flyers get the mystique back?
It might be as simple asmental. The Flyers know theyre tough on the road and know that this year, they dont exude the same toughness at home, even if its in them.
For us, its a matter of working hard and finishing checks, Talbot offered. And playing Flyers hockeywhich is being tough. We need to do this the next couple games
Jagr was his usual philosophical self.
Maybe we need to get on a roll, he said. We played a lot more games on the road. Maybe we ought to take advantage of this stretch we have at home.
Regardless, Holmgren said whatever is missing, needs to be found.
We have a lot of home games coming up, he said. Our record at home, were really just .500 and thats not going to cut it. We need to do better.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net