Stars visit Flyers as both teams badly need win
Carter Hart endured a homecoming he'd like to forget as the Philadelphia Flyers wrapped up a winless three-game trek through Western Canada with a lopsided loss. Hart and the Flyers hope to get back on track Saturday night when they return to Philadelphia against the Dallas Stars, who are struggling regardless of venue. The 21-year-old Hart, who is from Sherwood Park, Alberta, yielded four goals on 14 shots before being relieved in the second period of a 6-3 setback at Edmonton on Wednesday. "You've got to stop pucks. I didn't do my job and it cost us," Hart said. "I know I have to be a lot better and I know I'll be better next game. But (on Wednesday), you've got to come up with a couple of saves to keep your team in the game, and I didn't do that." Hart did his job in his lone career meeting against Dallas, turning aside 37 of 38 shots in Philadelphia's 2-1 victory at home on Jan. 10. Travis Konecny tallied in that contest and began this season with a four-game point streak (three goals, four assists) before being held off the scoresheet against the Oilers. Jakub Voracek scored twice and set up Oskar Lindblom's goal on Wednesday, but the Flyers fell short despite registering 52 shots on goal. "Sometimes the game looks unfair, but I'm a firm believer that if you do things the right way, things will even out," Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said. The Stars are hoping things even out in a hurry. They dropped their fifth straight game and fell to 1-7-1 on the young season following Friday's 4-2 setback to Pittsburgh. Roope Hintz scored his team-leading fifth goal for Dallas, which is a mired in a disastrous 1-for-25 stretch on the power play this season heading into the finale of its four-game road trip. Goaltender Anton Khudobin told reporters after the contest that the team isn't angry enough, and coach Jim Montgomery readily agreed. "You can't drive passion into people," Montgomery said. "You can try everything, you can try motivational tactics, you can try everything. It's gotta come from within. Ultimately, if there's a puck between you and I, I'd bite your leg off to get it. That's the attitude that you have to have." Stars forward Joe Pavelski was also searching for answers after the team's losing streak continued. "It's not enough," Pavelski said. "We're at a time right now where we need results and production, and there's not much of it going around the team and in this group right now. We've got to find it soon." Captain Jamie Benn, who is a four-time 30-goal scorer, has mustered just one goal and two assists in nine games this season. Fellow forward Alexander Radulov has just four points (one goal, three assists) this season, matching his total in Dallas' 6-2 victory over Philadelphia on April 2. He scored two goals and set up two others in that contest. --Field Level Media |