Observations from the Flyers’ loss to the blues, and some advice for Chuck Fletcher | Sam Donnellon

The Flyers surrendered five first period goals in a lifeless, embarrassing 7-3 loss to the Blues in St. Louis on Thursday.

Here are some observations:

Here’s an exercise Chuck Fletcher can do right now that might be informative: Google “Slow starts Flyers Craig Berube.” Then look for “Slow starts Flyers Dave Hakstol.” Finally, check out “Slow starts Flyers Scott Gordon.”

There will be plenty of material there. As there will be if you substitute the coaches’ names with any of the players that have made up the Flyers’ so-called core group since 2014-2015, and before.

The Flyers might have done Fletcher a favor with this epic fade down the stretch. The fools’ gold impression made with the arrival of Carter Hart and Gordon was washed away over these last few weeks to expose the consistency of the core: they don’t come to play every night, they too often don’t play hard all night, and their collective confidence dissipates under pressure.

They start too many games as if collectively it is their first in the NHL.

This was was Hakstol back in October, after the team finished yet another October with a losing record:

“What I mean by structure is everybody is working for each other, close support, when we have guys coming back hard, back-checking, it helps the D out, prevents them from getting really good opportunities. That’s what I mean by structure: Basically not having guys, like, hang below and hoping for a breakaway pass or hoping things come back the other way."

All the characteristics were there then, as they were the year before and the year before that.

Simply put, they are an easy team to play against. Shayne Gostisbehere twirling in front of his net on the Blues first goal, Robert Hagg sticking out his butt as Alexander Steen whirls by him on the seventh, Ivan Provorov’s effort on the fifth St. Louis goal -- these can all be chalked up as learning, but there was a palpable tentativeness to each.

And when your captain comes off the ice glaring at an opponent after what he perceived to be a dirty mid-ice hit, as Claude Giroux did to Jaden Schwartz late in the third period, someone has to make a statement, even if it’s just a big hit on one of their stars. Instead it was the Flyers played as if they were headed to the playoffs and trying to preserve their health.

Again, from Hakstol back in October: "It’s really [about] working hard. We’ve had games, we’ve had stretches that we’ve played that way. But I think when we get away from it, it’s a little bit of a scramble and that’s what we don’t want to happen.''

You can find similar quotes from Berube before him, and certainly Gordon more recently. No, Giroux isn’t the problem, but he isn’t ever going to be any fiery, in-your-face type captain either. He is often the last one to speak after losses, not the first, of his own volition. Jake Voracek is probably the most honest assessor, but he can also be one of the most culpable transgressors. When a top guy has a minus-24 and a minus-16 in two of his last three seasons, it’s hard to take any plea to play more responsibly very seriously.

Fletcher’s got money to spend, prospects and picks to offer, and some big needs, starting with a veteran top D man and second-line center. It sure would help if the players he adds have a couple of long runs and Cup or two between them, and some attytood as well.

Oskar Lindblom’s 16th goal, which featured some much-needed soft hands around the net, continued his upward trending amid the chaos of the last few weeks.

As impressive as his catch, deke and shoot goal was, his value is best measured in how often he rescues pucks along the boards that appear headed from the zone.

Speaking of rescuing pucks, Claude Giroux’s goal to cut the Blues lead to 5-3 at the time was one of the few times Thursday that an effort play was made by the Flyers. In this case it was James van Riemsdyk’s big reach, interrupting Robert Bortuzzo’s clearing attempt, that set up Sean Couturier’s tee shot pass to Giroux.

JVR also showed some deft hands with his 27th goal of the season, batting his own rebound from mid-air past Jordan Binnington for the Flyers second goal.

The stat line will say that in Brian Elliott’s likely final game as a Flyers, he allowed four goals on five shots.

But like so much of his stay here, his misfortune was not of his doing.

Elliott’s two-year stay here is not likely to be remembered much, and that’s too bad. Few players who have worn their sweater have played hurt more often, played hard more often. Carter Hart may have been the biggest reason they had their little second half run, but Elliott’s heroics last season, playing several back to backs even as his core was tearing apart, put them into the playoffs.

Halfway through second period, after his long clear was picked off at mid ice, Gostisbehere was met as he came off the ice by Gordon. Hand on his shoulder, Gordon and Ghost engaged in a lengthy give and take that was animated, but collegial.

During the previous game in Dallas, Gordon could be seen in an even more animated discussion with second-year centerman Nolan Patrick. Some might even describe it as an argument.

The bottom line is that Gordon has made his players comfortable arguing their points, or making them.

Some final cheap advice for Fletcher: The best coaches out there don’t feel threatened when challenged.