Lack of Accountability, Injuries Highlight Flyers Loss to Coyotes

Let’s roll the tape.

Zac Rinaldo received a charging penalty in the first period of Friday night’s contest between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Phoenix Coyotes. He tried to draw an instigator penalty by fighting Paul “BizNasty” Bissonette, but failed to even up the calls.

He earned an assist late in the second period, spinning in the offensive zone and blindly throwing the puck wide of the net that Max Talbot was luckily able to redirect past goaltender Thomas Greiss with his skate.

Less than two minutes later, after a whistle had blown the play dead and players were preparing for another face-off, Rinaldo was goaded into high-sticking forward Mike Ribeiro. The Coyotes scored the game winning goal on the ensuing powerplay.

Forty seven seconds into the third period, Rinaldo drilled Bissonette into goaltender Steve Mason, who looked dazed before returning to the net. Rinaldo received another penalty for this event.

That’s three penalties and one goal against in 6:11 of ice time. Rinaldo took just one more shift in the third period after the scare at the Flyers’ net before head coach Craig Berube nailed his keister to the bench.

One of the arguments used in the defense of Berube’s hiring earlier this week (along with Ian Laperriere’s promotion to assistant coach) was that he was a player’s coach who could potentially hold his players more accountable than Peter Laviolette. That perhaps, knowing how hard he fought (literally) for his ice time in over a thousand NHL games, it would be more difficult for players to take a shift off or take lazy penalties and then look the Chief in the eyes.

It has been two games and that mentality hasn’t kicked in yet. Two games is a short time to expect drastic changes in gameplay, but if Berube wants to be taken seriously as a head coach by his players, the fanbase and the league, he needs to set an example and stop rewarding bad behavior.

One reporter on Tuesday asked Berube if forward Jay Rosehill would be “punished” after endangering the team with two penalties on the same shift against the Florida Panthers. The reporter didn’t word the question well and Berube didn’t take it seriously as a result, but the question of how Berube expects to hold his players accountable when they make blatantly stupid plays on the ice is completely valid.

The Flyers head to Detroit tonight to prepare for a game on Saturday evening at Joe Louis Arena. If Berube wants to set an example for his players, Rosehill and Rinaldo will be be joining Hal Gill in the pressbox.

Andrej Meszaros may as well tag along. Meszaros took a holding penalty late in the third period, when the Flyers were desperately trying to force overtime. Meszaros continued to jaw at the officials before finally being sent off the ice with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a ten minute misconduct.

The lone factor that could sway Berube’s decision (though it absolutely shouldn’t) is that forwards Scott Hartnell and Vinny Lecavalier left the game with upper and lower body injures, respectively. General manager Paul Holmgren told reporters after the game that each player would be out “at least a week” while Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly reported that each player would be getting MRIs tomorrow. Lecavalier’s issue appeared to be related to one of his feet.

If the Flyers put either forward on IR, they should be able to add one of the Adirondack Phantoms to the roster while perhaps inserting Kris Newbury and Erik Gustafsson back into the line-up.

Forwards Michael Raffl, Jason Akeson and Petr Straka each have three points in three games to date with the Phantoms. Depending on which Flyer goes on IR, the organization could easily give one of these players (along with Tye McGinn) an opportunity to fight for a line-up position.

Even before the injuries, mixing in youth hungry to prove themselves on a team that can’t seem to form an identity would have been a justifiable direction to take this lackluster team. Hold roster players accountable by giving their spots or ice time to guys that will fight harder for it and play smarter with it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek or even Captain Claude (none of whom have scored a goal in any of the five games played).

It’s about accountability in temperament, responsibility, and fighting for every inch of ice, regardless of whatever the damn system is.

It’s your move, Berube. What kind of coach do you want to be?