Owen Tippett says the Flyers are playing scared

Owen Tippett says the Flyers are "playing a little bit scared" after their 4-3 overtime loss in Calgary.

That's a pointed thing to say about a team that is now 4-10-5 and has lost three straight. The Flyers had chances to close out the Flames on Sunday night and couldn't.

Jackie Spiegel posted Tippett's explanation this morning, and he didn't dress it up.

Tippett rejected the idea that the team is laid-back. He described a group "waiting for something to happen instead of taking it to them," and he said the Flyers keep reaching the third period in good position and keep failing to finish. "It's frustrating," he said.

Captain Sean Couturier went a different direction, though he landed in a similar place. He said "I don't think we played bad," then added that the Flyers can't "feel sorry for ourselves" and have to work twice as hard.

Then there's Rick Tocchet, who laid out exactly what he meant in his broken record comment on the third period. He called it "a broken record of moments." The Flyers were up 3-2 on a power play and gave up a shorthanded goal. Later, "We got a 3-on-1, we don't even get a shot on net. They have a 3-on-1, they score."

That 3-on-1 is the one that stings. Matthew Coronato scored the winner in overtime for Calgary, and it came after the Flyers had a chance of their own and didn't even get a puck on goal. Players who are afraid of the mistake don't shoot, and these Flyers have stopped shooting at the worst moments.

Charlie O'Connor put the larger problem bluntly, noting that the Flyers said they needed to learn from Thursday's blown third-period lead against the Rangers.

Can the Flyers fix a mental problem in one day?

Probably not, and the standings show how deep it goes. Philadelphia is 1-6-2 on the road with a -23 goal differential, and Jackie Spiegel's colleague J. Hall noted that the 2006-07 Flyers had more wins through 19 games, at 5-12-2. That's a rough list to be on. Coaching, leadership and effort aren't the issue in the quotes. Nerve is.

The last five games show how the leads have slipped away.

Tonight the Flyers play in Vancouver, the second game of a back-to-back. The Canucks are 3-15-1 and have lost five straight, so Philadelphia has a chance to prove Couturier right about bouncing back tomorrow, or to show that Tippett had it right.

Quick hits

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFSEaston Cowan was the only bright spot in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Devils, and it started with a stick. Leafs fans take any positive they can get right now.

NEW JERSEY DEVILSThe backlash over Connor Hellebuyck sitting out in Winnipeg is growing this morning, and the Devils are taking the heat for Sunny Mehta's call.

FLORIDA PANTHERSBrady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Nikita Zadorov off the opening draw Sunday, and the night in Boston only got uglier from there.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINSDan Kingerski posted that Kris Letang was brutally honest after the Penguins' 5-2 loss in Anaheim. Candor is everywhere this morning.

DETROIT RED WINGSDavid Pagnotta says the price tag on Simon Edvinsson is extremely high, which could keep the standoff going.