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Hextall: ‘My biggest concern is consistency’

2013 NHL Draft

2013 NHL Draft

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The Philadelphia Flyers play host to the New York Rangers on Friday afternoon looking to snap a two game skid.

Philadelphia (8-10-3) has just one win in their last seven.

The biggest concern for GM Ron Hextall is his team’s in ability to play 60 minutes.

“I don’t know if it’s passengers,” Hextall told CSNPhilly.com. “My biggest concern is consistency. (Wednesday) night was a prime example. We play extremely well in the first period. We play well in the third period …

“We played really well for two periods and very poorly for one period. Is that trying? Is that frustration because we play well the first period and come out down a goal? That’s a thing we have to overcome as a group and respond to adversity.”

The Flyers have lost six straight on the road, but are 4-2-0 at home this month.

Despite being 26th in the league in points (19) and wins (8), they’re just three points out of a playoff spot.

“It is a concern,” Hextall said. “You think, ‘Well, we’re only three points out … we’re all right’. But we need to get going. Make no mistake, we need to play with some urgency.”

In saying that, Hextall isn’t ready to pull the trigger on a major trade.

“I’m not going to make a trade for the sake of making a trade,” Hextall said.

The Flyers also own the league’s worst penalty kill and have a goal differential of minus-7.

“We are under .500 and that’s not gonna cut it,” Hextall said. “We need to be better. We’re a better team than our record shows.”

The Rangers go to Philly having won two of three.

New York won the only other meeting between the two clubs, 2-0, on Nov. 19.

The two teams play the second of a home-and-home on Saturday at MSG.

Follow @dcmahiban