Goaltending a Problem for Flyers
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
In a game where the Flyers scored four goals on the goaltender tormenting the NHL, they didn't come away with a win. They didn't even get a point in the standings.
The Flyers 5-4 loss to the Canadiens was the result of an opportunistic team in Montreal that made the Flyers pay for every miscue. But at the same time, the percentages are just not adding up for the Flyers goaltenders.
Michal Neuvirth faced 17 shots in the game and allowed five goals. The last two proved to be the most costly after the Flyers had found a way to erase mistakes made earlier in the game.
The one area that wasn't a problem for the Flyers last season has been a huge problem this season, and it's costing the Flyers points in the standings as the team is on a scoring high.
The two third-period goals for Montreal said it all.
The Canadiens' fourth goal of the night came when Neuvirth got caught behind the net. As he played the puck, his clear attempt along the endboards was cut off by Torrey Mitchell. With Neuvirth out of position, Phillip Danault had an easy tap-in.
The Flyers got a key opportunity to get back in the game and did with a power-play goal on the first half of a four-minute double-minor to Andrew Shaw. A shorthanded goal for Tomas Plekanec changed all of that.
Neuvirth allowed a soft goal on a breakaway to Viktor Stalberg in Carolina on Sunday. He allowed another one to Andreas Athanasiou on Tuesday against Detroit. He allowed another against Dennis Seidenberg on Thursday. In all three games, the Flyers bailed him out. In his fourth consecutive start, Neuvirth allowed another stoppable goal, a rolling-puck shot by Plekanec that went right through the five-hole.
All of those goals had something in common. They either put the opponent ahead in the game or extended their lead.
It's a trend that, at the very least, should allow Steve Mason, who has also struggled, a chance back in goal. The Flyers were pushing back again and trailed by just a goal with power-play time still remaining and a lot of the third left as well. They needed their goalie to make a save. Neuvirth failed his teammates on that one.
It is alarming to watch. The Flyers have not been the best defensive team this season by a long stretch, but they have been scoring well. To this point, the Flyers have 47 goals, an average of 3.62 goals per game. For the Flyers to be scoring at a clip of nearly four goals per game, they should be far superior than their 6-6-1 record.
Some of the 48 goals allowed this season have left the two goalies completely helpless. But on Saturday, the Flyers couldn't pick up a fourth-straight win because of two goals that should have never happened, both on the shoulders of the goalie. When points go by the wayside because of miscues of that nature, the goaltender is the problem.
In their second game in Montreal in two weeks, the Flyers played a game where they deserved a better fate. They dominated the second period. They let miscues in the third take them out of it.
There is no question after 13 games that this is an improved team from a season ago, particularly on offense. But goaltending is starting to cost the Flyers points just like defensive breakdowns were in the first two weeks.
It is a problem the Flyers need to correct quickly and it falls on the two goaltenders, who after displaying the type of play that warrants Vezina votes, have to overcome early-season struggles.
