Flyers Captain Mike Richards ‘Invisible’ in Series With Bruins, Philadelphia Fans Quickly Losing Hope

Hockey fans in Boston are optimistic after the Bruins took a 3-0 series lead over the Flyers on Wednesday night, but due to last year's blown lead, that optimism remains cautious.

To get an idea of how the folks of Philadelphia are feeling, and whether they feel like another 3-0 comeback is possible, we tracked down Mike Santa Barbara of Get Flyer'd Up to get a Flyers perspective.

NESN.com: Is there any belief or hope in Philadelphia that the team can pull off another comeback from a 3-0 series deficit?
 
Mike Santa Barbara: The vibe in Philly right now is like the series is already over. People have started to focus on next year, what they can do to improve, who should go and who should stay. There are very few, if any, fans out there who believe the Flyers can pull off the impossible again.

Quite frankly, the talk of a comeback would be insulting to the Bruins, who have played so well this series. The Flyers can hardly put together a few minutes of competent hockey, let alone four games' worth.

I'd say the vibe in Philly is anger and embarrassment. This team has let them down, and most are showing exactly how they feel about. In the end, no, I don't believe there is anyone who believes they can come back from the 3-0 deficit.

NESN.com: You said goaltending wasn't much of an issue in Game 2. Do you feel differently about Game 3? And, should Brian Boucher be in net on Friday night in Game 4?
 
MSB: Giving up two goals in the first 1:03 of the game isn't the way to start things off. Goaltending is certainly a weakness for the Flyers, but it's not the main reason why they're losing. Blown defensive assignments and simply being outhustled to loose pucks have been the Flyers' biggest Achilles' heel during this series. Sure, you'd love to have a goaltender who can come up with some big saves when necessary, and unfortunately, Boucher isn't really that guy. Much of the blame has been put on his shoulders, but the defensive support in front of him has been terrible nearly the entire series. With the effort the Flyers have put out, it really wouldn't have matter who was in goal in Games 1 and 3.

I think Boucher has taken enough of a beating, and his confidence is most certainly shot. I'd expect to see Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes for game 4.
 
NESN.com: Aside from the goalies, which player needs to step up and help get the Flyers back into this series?
 
MSB: The invisible captain, Mike Richards. This team has come out unprepared and unmotivated in Games 1 and 3, and there is simply no excuse. That's taking nothing away from the Bruins, who have played tremendously well, but it's times like these when you need your leadership to say "get on my back, boys." Richards wears the C, and he's been nonexistent this series, and throughout much of the playoffs. To be a successful team, the Flyers need their captain to lead on the ice and in the locker room, and by the looks of things, he's accomplished neither. He's been a no-show on the offensive end, and his usual physical play has been nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, the rest of the team has followed his lead, playing uninspired and flat-out awful hockey.

NESN.com: What's the biggest thing the Flyers are missing in the absence of Chris Pronger?
 
MSB: I'd say they're missing two things. The obvious is Pronger's play on the ice. He's a physical presence, something that the Flyers desperately need in such a physical series, where game in and game out they've been getting their heads bashed in by the aggressive Bruins.

The other is leadership. He and Richards haven't always seen eye-to-eye, and that's created a bit of tension in the locker room. However, it was a good kind of tension; it was the old vet questioning the young leader, almost challenging him to be greater. At the beginning of the season, it worked very well, and now that Pronger has been away for so long, things have fallen apart. The Flyers don't seem to have anyone willing to step up and lead, and that's what they miss about Pronger the most.
 
NESN.com: Here in Boston, the Bruins' struggles on the power play have been a hot topic. The Flyers, however, are struggling just as much with the man advantage. What do they need to do differently to get that going?
 
MSB: I'm a big believer in keeping things simple on the power play. Overanalyze things, and you'll find yourself struggling more often than not. Most of the Flyers' opportunities on the power play have come while they were trailing, which just adds to the pressure. The Flyers' power play has struggled mightily without Chris Pronger, and they've yet to figure out how to fix it.

Mainly, I'd keep things simple, and fire more pucks on net — especially since the Flyers' shot totals in general have been fairly high against Thomas, the power play is a great opportunity to pile on more, which increases your chances of getting something past him. Keep things simple, shoot more and stop with the fancy passes. The Flyers always seem to look for the perfect pass on the man advantage, and before they know it, the power play is over and they've only taken one or two shots on it. They simply can't afford to let those types of opportunities slip by, and the Flyers have all series long.