After the Flyers’ defeat in Columbus, Tortorella said, “Nobody’s going to help us.”
The Philadelphia Flyers’ hopes of making the playoffs were largely dependent on their performance against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
Rather, they suffered humiliation as they lost 6-2 at Nationwide Arena, extending their losing run to seven games, which is the longest run they have had this season.
During their current rocky stretch, the Flyers have now lost to four non-playoff teams: the Buffalo Sabres (12th in the conference), the Chicago Blackhawks (second-to-last in the NHL), the Montreal Canadiens (second-to-last in the conference), and now Columbus.
Defensemen scored all six goals for Columbus, and goalie Jet Greaves recorded his second career victory with 37 saves in his sixth NHL start.
The Flyers appeared lost despite having 39 shots on goal. We occasionally seemed to be lagging behind. We had some opportunities, but I’m not sure if that’s because of the back-to-back situation,” Flyers head coach John Tortorella said following Saturday night’s game. “I believe that positive offensive outcomes are necessary for one to become energized and aggressive. Even if you can block shots and play excellent defense, the energy level isn’t the same.
“We looked pretty at times. We had a few opportunities throughout the four-minute power play, but nothing gets accomplished, so you’ll have to start over. All it does is knock you down.
The Flyers’ troubles against some of the league’s bottom-dwelling teams have put them in real danger of missing out on a playoff spot for the first time since early December. Sometimes it felt like we were falling behind. After the game on Saturday night, Flyers head coach John Tortorella remarked, “I’m not sure if that’s because of the back-to-back situation, but we had some opportunities.” “I think that in order to get fired up and aggressive, one needs to have successful offensive outcomes. The energy level isn’t the same, even if you can play terrific defense and block shots.
“We occasionally looked nice. During the four-minute power play, we had a few opportunities, but nothing gets done, so you’ll have to restart. It only manages to knock you down.
The Flyers are in serious danger of missing out on a postseason berth for the first time since early December as a result of their struggles against some of the lowest-dwelling teams in the league.
However, there aren’t many bright spots elsewhere. And the Flyers’ chances of making the playoffs will keep dwindling until that happens.
Not many people, in my opinion, are playing their best hockey. I believe that a few guys have somewhat figured things out. “Some guys are pressing,” Tortorella remarked.
“We must not give up. There is no one who can save us from this. It won’t get better if you give up. All we need to do is strive to remain optimistic, have a productive practice day on Monday, board a plane, and return to work.
