5 Observations from Philadelphia Flyers 8-2 loss to San Jose Sharks

Defense victimized all game
The Flyers came out swinging and actually had a couple of nice chances on backup goalie Aaron Dell, but they couldn’t cash them in. While it looked like the offense might get going early on, it was the defense that was about to be badly exposed for the second straight game.
With the game 0-0 and the Flyers deep in the offensive zone, Sharks center Logan Couture gathered the puck and streaked up the right wing, catching the Flyers on an odd-man rush. He shot a quick wrister that fooled Elliot through the five-hole, and the Sharks pretty much poured it on for the rest of the period.
What was most alarming was how badly the Flyers overall team defense bled scoring chances after the first tally. It was as if the Sharks literally smelled blood in the water, and continued to pressure the Flyer defenders and pepper Elliot with shots down low.
The Flyers really struggled to win those crucial puck battles along the boards, allowing the Sharks to keep their offensive rhythm. They also left opposing players completely uncontested in front of the net for rebound opportunities. The goaltender can only make so many saves before someone has to bail him out. On several occasions, that bailout never came.
It’s hard to point to just one player, as all five skaters on the ice appeared to struggle with defensive zone coverage on each of the San Jose goals. The entire team just appeared lost at times in their own zone, and it’s uncertain the root cause of those struggles.
By the end of the first period, the Sharks had a 4-0 lead and the Flyers looked frustrated in front of a restless crowd. Team defense is a mess right now, and fans got a glimpse of those issues in the loss to Colorado on Saturday night, where the Flyers were repeatedly exposed by a faster Avalanche team. The same appeared to happen on Tuesday.
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The Flyers need to tighten up their play in the defensive zone. It’s early in the season, but if this type of play continues, they will find themselves on the wrong side of the scoresheet early and often.