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Hakstol says the Flyers must get 'back to the basics'

Second-year coach Dave Hakstol said his captain, Claude Giroux, is among many Flyers who are pressing and trying to do too much to get the team out of its funk.

Second-year coach Dave Hakstol said his captain, Claude Giroux, is among many Flyers who are pressing and trying to do too much to get the team out of its funk.

For that reason, he said the five-day break between games will help "clear minds" before they return against visiting New Jersey on Saturday.

The Flyers have lost 11 of 14 (3-8-3) since their 10-game winning streak was snapped. They could become the first team in NHL history to miss the playoffs during a season in which they won 10 in a row.

"We've got to solve the consistency," Hakstol said at a news conference Tuesday at the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees. "That's by just going back to work. You can break things down any direction you want, but really it's a matter of coming back with clear minds. Get ready to go back to work. Pull together a little tighter and go to work for 60 minutes and just worry about doing that on Saturday."

The Flyers are on a league-mandated bye week and will not practice again until Friday afternoon.

Giroux is in a major drought. He keyed the 10-game winning streak with 12 points and a plus-10 rating, but he is without a goal in the last 11 games and has just one goal in the last 17 games.

The 29-year-old center is minus-15 in the last 15 games.

"Sometimes, things aren't going well, and the leaders take a lot of pride in the success and the results," Hakstol said. "When things aren't going well, sometimes I think you try to do a little bit more. I think that maybe that's the case. Claude is competing hard. He's working hard, [and] there's not a lot of things that are going consistently his way.

"Again, clear the table. Get back to the basics," Hakstol added. "That's true for him and really for everybody. Get back to the basics and competing for the full 60 minutes, and we'll be fine."

Hakstol said he leans on the "core group" and "not just the captains" to get the team back on track.

He tried to look at the sunny side despite the team's monthlong meltdown.

"You can always find a positive if you really want to look for it," Hakstol said. "We're right in the heart of a playoff battle here with 35-plus games to go. We're in control of that. We just have to realize that and get back to it."

The Flyers held the last wild-card spot entering Tuesday. But their playoff position is precarious. They were one point ahead of Carolina (which had three games in hand) and two points ahead of Ottawa (which had a staggering five games in hand) heading into Tuesday night's action.

"Short-term memory" is needed, Hakstol said of the team's skid.

Hakstol was asked if he liked having a break in the schedule.

"You never know how things are going to turn out," he said. "You might not think it's an ideal time for a break. But in all honesty, maybe this break is the best thing for us."

The Flyers have been outscored, 51-27, during the last 14 games.

"It's been a tough stretch," Hakstol said. "It's tough mentally. It's a little bit tough physically, so maybe the break will clear some of that and just allow us to get back to it on Friday afternoon" at practice.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull www.philly.com/flyersblog