Philadelphia Flyers fail to make statement in first game without Ron Hextall

During their first game without Ron Hextall as general manager, the Philadelphia Flyers came up short against the Ottawa Senators.

No matter how hard they try over the next couple of days, the Philadelphia Flyers won’t be able to escape the discussion of what to expect from this team now that Ron Hextall is no longer part of the picture as general manager.

In what many considered to be a surprising move, the Flyers decided to move on from Hextall earlier this week after the team had lost five of their last six games, including an embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs over the weekend.

Over the last couple of years, Philadelphia as a team always seemed capable of being a strong contender in the Eastern Conference, only to come up short each time.

Just look at what took place last year in the playoffs when the Flyers managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs before they were eliminated right away in what was a horrendous opening series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Between failing to make a serious impact in the playoffs along with seeing how this year is playing out, it’s easy to understand why Philadelphia believed it was time to move on from Hextall.

As for what to expect from Dave Hakstol next, well let’s just say it seems like only a matter of time before the head coach is let go as well, especially after seeing the team collapse the way they did on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.

Whenever a move like the decision to fire Hextall takes place, a team sometimes seems to be a little extra motivated in the first game after, which seemed to be the case when the Flyers were hanging on to a comfortable 3-1 lead over the Senators heading into the third period.

Instead, Philadelphia fell apart in the final period of action by allowing Ottawa to score three goals, resulting in a 4-3 loss, their sixth loss in seven games.

While the argument can be made there’s no reason to make a big deal since this was only one game, keep in mind it was against a team in the Senators, who have been far from impressive this year with a record below .500 as well.

For a team that seemed like they were going to make a huge statement during their first game without Hextall, Tuesday was just another disaster outing for the Flyers, and shows how frustrating this season has been overall.

Maybe by the time the weekend rolls around, Philadelphia will have their act together to give them a fighting chance against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Otherwise, this dreadful season is only going to continue being more frustrating by the day with no signs of improvement anywhere in sight.