Flyers 3
Isles 1
PHILADELPHIA – Islanders GM Mike Milbury was “hoping like hell” his team came out with some pep and some fire yesterday afternoon against the Flyers, because at this point, with NHL rosters frozen through the holiday, that’s all he can do when it comes to the most maddeningly inconsistent team in hockey.
“It just drives you nuts,” Mad Mike said before the Isles dropped a 3-1 decision, “because we know we have talent enough to win.”
Heart, character, emotion and an overall desire to play for the guy next to them are not plentiful, however, and that’s been clear for quite some time.
“We’ve got a lot of growing up to do,” Michael Peca said.
Sami Kapanen’s hit on Alexei Yashin, named the Check of the Game on the scoreboard, went without much retaliation other than a return shot from Adrian Aucoin. When the game was virtually over and the Flyers were ahead by two, there wasn’t even a dirty look from the Islanders at Donald Brashear when the latter shoved Peca headfirst into the goal. That indifference seems to be a chronic problem.
You would be hard-pressed to find a captain around the league with less backup than Peca, as it’s become commonplace for the Isles to turn the other way when he takes a hit. While that sort of behavior may not contribute to losing games, it doesn’t do much to create a united front against the enemy.
“We were team-tough two years ago. We were team-tough at times last year. We’re not a pack of wolves anymore,” Peca said. “There’s a lot of teams that play team-tough. Teams like Ottawa that don’t have really any tough guys, but they’re team-tough – guys that stick together and care about one another. From day to day, you wonder if that’s in here.”
Alexei Yashin drew first blood with his 11th of the season 1:56 into the second period, but the Flyers scored three unanswered goals for their first win in five games. Robert Esche made 18 saves in his first action after missing seven in a row with a strained groin, while Garth Snow, playing for the sixth straight game, surrendered a pair of long-distance slaps to Jim Vandermeer at the other end.
The losing outcome was somewhat predictable, as Milbury recounted a conversation he had with Steve Stirling before the Rangers loss in which he told the coach that the team would probably take a step backwards after going on a five-game point streak. Tonight they play in Washington, where they are winless in their last 13 trips.
“You know they’re gonna [bleep] you,” Milbury had told him.
Milbury shot down any notion that the mess this season is turning into isn’t at all on the coach.
“Don’t even go there,” Milbury snapped. “If they need someone to scream at them all the time, I’ll do it myself.”