Ron Hextall: Jakub Voracek's Penalty on Hit Was a ‘terrible Call'

BOSTON – While coach Dave Hakstol declined again to bait the officials on a terrible, five-minute major penalty that severely harmed the Flyers, his general manager went on the offensive.
 
You don't have to ask Ron Hextall twice about what he thought of the boarding major to Jakub Voracek during a 3-2 game in the second period as the latter turned his body to avoid Kevin Miller, who was already falling into the back boards.
 
"It was a terrible call," Hextall said. "In my mind, it wasn't a penalty. Jake goes in to forecheck, which is what he's supposed to do.
 
"Their guy gets into a bad position which we try to teach our guys not to, then he takes contact and sees Jake coming.
 
"I don't know understand why that was called. To me it's not a two-minute minor, let alone a five-minute penalty. And did it affect the game? Yes. Did it lose us the game? No."
 
Both Hextall and Voracek believe that's the "end" of it, yet given Miller never returned, there's a chance the NHL's Department of Player Safety might make a phone call to the Flyers.
 
Miller appeared to injure his right shoulder. He didn't hit the boards hard enough to be concussed.
 
Voracek has zero history on such hits and has never been suspended.
 
"I'm pretty confident we won't hear from the league," Hextall said. "It happens all the time. Players don't come back. It's a physical game. A fast game.
 
"Unfortunately, players get hurt. No one wants to see a player get hurt. Just because someone gets hurt doesn't mean you hear from the league."
 
Hakstol said the penalty was one of several "turning points" in the game but not the biggest.

"The biggest turning point in the game was the first five minutes of the second period where we didn't take care of the puck or make them defend at all," he said. 

Road woes
The Flyers are on an 0-6-2 road skid. If they're going to make the playoffs, they need to dramatically improve their road record.
 
"We're not playing consistent hockey," Michael Del Zotto said. "It's pretty cliché, but if you don't put 60 minutes together, there are no easy games in this league. You have to put your best foot forward every night or games like this happen."
 
Goals against
The Flyers have given up three goals or more in five of their last seven games. Their 143 goals against are the most in the NHL.
 
"Five guys on the ice and the goalie – you can't give up that many goals," Jakub Voracek said. "It's same story all over again. We had it in the  beginning of the season and we have it again now … We got to play better defensively."

Mark Streit, activated on Saturday, played in his first game since Dec. 11 at Detroit. He logged 19:20 ice time and was minus-2.  Asked about this latest road loss, he looked at numbers.
 
"If you give up fix of six goals, you are not going to win a hockey game," he said. "Pretty good first period and then the second period, we had a few turnovers and it killed our momentum.
 
"They got few scoring opportunities and PPs and took advantage of it. You got to manage the puck better, especially in the neutral zone against a trap team."
 
Loose pucks

• Were it not for Matt Read's skate cut which kept him out of the lineup, Saturday would have been the first time all season the Flyers had a completely healthy lineup. Remember, they began the season with players on LTIR.

• Michael Del Zotto was at it again with his stick. He hooked David Pastrnak who took a dive in the second period. Both went to the box.

• Brayden Schenn's power play goal extended his point streak to five games, tying his career-high.

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