Flyers, Where To Go From Here?

Aw crap, I let another one in?

After the Flyers 9-8 defeat tonight to the Winnipeg Jets, Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov stated that he has "zero confidence" and feels "lost in the woods."  Certainly not something you want to hear from any player let alone your starting goalie.  After Bobrovsky gave up 5 goals, Ilya Bryzgalov had just 6 saves on 10 shots.  It was an absolutely crazy game in which the Flyers were actually down 5-1 at one point, and at another point led 7-6.  Eventually the Flyers would lose by a final of 9-8 and fans, players, and coaches are all left scratching their heads.  So where do the Flyers go from here?  Are there any positives to pull from such a crushing defeat?

Offensively the Flyers definitely can pull some positives.  JVR had two third period goals and Danny Briere had 2 goals and 2 points totaling 4 points.  Others scored and contributed assists as well and the Flyers got some great pressure.  But defensively the Flyers had no answers.  One can argue that they had some unlucky bounces especially when Bobrovsky was in net, but 5 goals is simply unacceptable.  And when your star goalie, the guy you cleared space for and gave the huge contract to comes in and allows 4 goals on just 10 shots, there are definitely some alarming concerns.

Currently the Flyers are 5-4-1 and although they are still second in their division, they have struggled greatly on defense in their last few games.  After starting out the season with some shutdown performances, the Flyers have surrendered an abnormally high amount of goals in their last few games.  Whether it's the goalie, the defense, or a combination of both, the Flyers need to figure things out in a hurry before they fall into a drastic slump.

In regards to where the Flyers go after this 9-8 defeat, I think the key is not to panic.  Although Bryzgalov is clearly shaken, he is still an elite NHL goalie and although he claims to have "zero confidence", I'm sure he will come out with a ton of fire come his next start.  Offensively the Flyers should just keep doing what they are doing.  Young guys as well as veterans are evenly contributing and they just need to stay persistent and keep getting consistent pressure.

For Saturday I would put Bryzgalov right back in net.  His interview after the game suggests to me that he is hungry to get another shot, and I think starting a hungry Bryzgalov in net on Saturday gives the Flyers the best chance to rebound from this ugly loss.