Inside the Flyers: Inconsistency could threaten Stevens' job

ATLANTA - Maybe in another month or so, when their injured forwards could be back, the Flyers will get their act together.

Or maybe not.

Even when they played with mostly healthy bodies earlier in the season, the Flyers were alarmingly inconsistent. Witness how they started the season with three straight wins followed by three consecutive losses.

Stanley Cup contenders do not ride a roller coaster. They might have a mini-losing streak here and there, but don't have the wild swings that have plagued this club in the first two months.

Stanley Cup contenders grind out victories in close games and, most important, their defense enables them to win low-scoring contests when their offense and power play are out of sync.

The Flyers didn't see much of that during their recently completed five-game road trip, in which they went 2-3. Only two outstanding outings by backup goalie Brian Boucher - the Flyers' best player on the trip - salvaged wins in games in which they were outplayed.

The Flyers played 15 periods on the road swing. By my count, they were outplayed in nine, with two others being even.

"Not acceptable," defenseman Chris Pronger said.

Here is how the season had gone heading into last night: Win three, lose three, win two, lose two, win seven of eight, lose four of five.

Call the Flyers bipolar.

One game, they're very good; the next, they're very bad. It has even been like that from period to period.

To be fair, injuries have played a major role. Losing Simon Gagne, Blair Betts, Darroll Powe, and, for a while, Arron Asham has hurt the team's continuity.

But again, elite teams (see the Pittsburgh Penguins) find ways to overcome injuries, find ways to play consistently.

Consistent regular-season play builds confidence, and builds a rhythm that can be carried into the playoffs.

The 1973-74 Stanley Cup champion Flyers started the season with a 4-3 record, then lost two in a row just once the rest of the year.

The NHL has more parity now, so perhaps that kind of efficiency is unlikely to happen again. It should also be noted that teams had ties back then and couldn't suffer a loss in overtime or in a shoot-out. But that Flyers title team rarely took a period off. You knew what you were going to get every night: a grinding, all-out effort.

This team disappears for stretches and lacks a system that breeds consistency - and if it continues, someone will be made accountable.

Besides the fact that the 1973-74 Flyers were so consistent, they had the greatest goalie on the planet. Bernie Parent covered up a lot of their sins - namely, their penchant for penalties.

This year's team also has had a penchant for penalties, and the four power-play goals the Flyers allowed - yes, they missed Betts' superb penalty-killing - keyed their recent road losses to San Jose and Phoenix.

Goalie Ray Emery has been good, but not good enough to overcome the many senseless penalties that marked the road trip.

Opponents were 6 for 25 on the power play on the trip. The Flyers had just 13 power-play chances, converting three.

It's funny how quickly things can change. Ten days ago, the Flyers were 12-5-1, winners of seven of eight, and headed for a showdown with powerful San Jose.

The Flyers lost, 6-3, a score that was misleading. It was a 4-3 game until San Jose scored two goals in the final 7 minutes, 16 seconds, including one on the power play.

By losing, the Flyers missed a chance to show that they could beat arguably the NHL's top team.

But it was the next two defeats that raised alarms. The Flyers were listless in a 3-1 loss to Phoenix and took the first two periods off in a 5-4 defeat in Colorado.

If this inconsistency continues, the calls for coach John Stevens' job will grow louder. Last season's Penguins are the model franchise for getting results with an in-season coaching change. The Penguins were 27-25-5 and 10th in the Eastern Conference when coach Michel Therrien was fired in mid-February. Therrien's replacement, Dan Bylsma, led the Pens to an 18-3-4 regular-season finish, the fourth seeding, and the Stanley Cup.

The Flyers love playing for the hardworking Stevens. Many played for him when he coached the AHL's Phantoms and have grown into NHL regulars with him at the helm.

But can they grow into Stanley Cup champions under him?

Not if they continue taking periods off.

Read Sam Carchidi's Flyers blog, Broad Street Bull, at http://go.philly.com/sports.

Subject: Claude Giroux decisioning Colorado's Marek Svatos in a fight.

Posted by: Dzog at 9 a.m., Tuesday

Although I love it when a finesse player drops the gloves,

I hold my breath that a guy like Giroux doesn't get hurt (or break his hand from fighting someone with a visor). He is the most skilled player on our team - now if only they would keep him on a line where he can thrive . . .EndText