This Week in Philadelphia

Season 27 in the WCHL is underway and exactly one week old. The Flyers coming off a solid preseason were hoping for a fast start out of the gate. The Flyers opened at home against Boston, it what can only be described as a forgettable experience for the home crowd. The Flyers were a no show as they gave up almost 40 shots and were shutout 4-0. The second game of the season on the road to Long Island the boys produced a better effort, but still lost in the shootout 4-3.

Coach Wilson
" This certainly wasn't the kind of effort I was looking for, giving up four goals a game will get you a nice long vacation come playoff time and we need a better effort from our top two lines and between the pipes."

In game three the Flyers put together a really solid game in front of the hometowners, outshooting Columbus 41-25 and coming away with a 3-2 win. McDavid finally had his first point of the season, as the Flyers were a pedestrian 1-1-1. Game four was the first explosion of the offense and McDavid. On the road in Buffalo the Flyers, ran away with the game 7-1, thanks in large part to a six point night by McDavid including a hat trick. It is noteworthy to point out McDavid was named team Captain just prior to the start of the regular season.

Conner McDavid
" No question I have been a little snake bit to start the season, I was holding the stick a little to tight, I just felt a lot of pressure to perform at my best, I was not playing relaxed hockey, but Saad and Osh brought me around, this after all is a team game. When the group chooses you as their Captain, you just want to be what they expect."

The Flyers performance in game four carried over into game 5, as the Flyers travelled to Washington. The Flyers had not won a game against the Caps in almost two seasons. In a barn burner, up and down at break neck kind of tilt, the Flyers managed to keep pace with the high flying Caps and come away with a 6-5, shootout victory. The Flyers outshot Washington 51-36.

GM Bourque
" Corey getting chased after 4 goals on 12 shots, was not a good sign, he doesn't look like his old self, but the fact that  Grubauer stepped up and made 23 of 24 saves, that was big, especially the manner in which we clawed back into the game and eventually won it."

The Flyers won their third straight and third straight on the road, as they travelled to Tampa Bay for a match against the Lightning. Probably the most solid hockey game they have played to date. The Flyers won 4-2, in a game where shots were even and Crawford had a good outing saving 23 of 25 shots. At this point the Flyers were 4-1-1, with only 1 win coming at home. Unfortunately the Flyers returned home and despite out shooting Carolina 38-31, they dropped a 6-1 decision to the Canes. Once again Crawford was chased from the net in front of the home crowd.

The end of the week saw the Flyers, with a record of 4-2-1, which is solid but those two losses were lob sided losses, making the record feel worse than it was. Goaltending has been an issue and it is an issue that need not exist. The Flyers look like a team that can produce offense, but they also look like a team that has not come close to its A game. Granted it's early and things can change.

Gm Bourque 
" We will take it and we will work a little bit more on consistency, wild swings is not what we are looking for, we want to tighten this up and I believe we can."

....out for this week.....peace....