Laviolette's team has been falling behind early a lot of late. (US Presswire)

PHILADELPHIA -- All season long, scoring hasn't been a problem for the Philadelphia Flyers. For much of the campaign, they have led the league in goals per game. As of now they are third, close behind Pittsburgh and Boston.

So to say that scoring has been a problem this season would be false. It hasn't been at all. But you could say the timing of said goals has been a little concerning, especially of late.

You couldn't necessarily tell by the way they have been playing the last month-plus, but the Flyers appear to be gaining a bad habit, falling behind in games. It's no secret that is not the ideal path to victory on most nights. In fact, there is not one team in the NHL with a winning percentage above .500 when they give up the first goal (only the Penguins are even at .500).

It becomes especially more difficult when you fall down 2-0 to start games. That's exactly what the Flyers have done in each of the last three games, again, not the way you want to start when you have the East's No. 1 seed in site (even if it is with corrective lenses).

Yet that's been the story the last three games for the Flyers. Some might say miraculously, they have pick up three of the six points possible in those games, coming back to beat the Penguins in overtime for two of those points.

In total, the Flyers have fallen down 2-0 in a game on 17 occasions this season. They have actually won four of those games, a pretty good percentage considering.

Overall, it hasn't been a horrible problem for the Flyers, only late. Going back to Feb. 4, the Flyers have given up the first goal in 16 games of the 23 games. They've won six of those games and picked up a point in one of the losses.

Just look at what it has meant the last half season for Philadelphia.

I'm not breaking any news here, in hockey it's crucial to score the first goal. Any sport where scores are coveted there is an importance in that. But the Flyers have been getting by somewhat unscathed. They're .436 winning percentage when trailing first is third in the league behind the Penguins and Blues. That's some impressive company to keep.

The question becomes a matter of what can they do about it?

"It's a good question. We should do something about it, especially at home," defenseman Pavel Kubina , acquired earlier this season in a trade, said on Tuesday. "It's been like that since I got here. We've just got to get better starts. It's always tough to come back and it's not going happen like last game where we're going to score three goals after that."

As they say, you play with fire long enough and you'll get burned. Well that's sort of what happened on Tuesday night. The Flyers found themselves in a hole to the Panthers that they couldn't dig out of despite thoroughly outplaying Florida from start to finish. They had 36 shots on goal. The Panthers had 13. But because the Panthers grabbed the first (and second) goal, they were able to be less aggressive, clog up the neutral zone, which they did to a near-boring perfection.

Just don't blame it on a lack of effort out of the gate (I'm refusing to use "compete level").

"I do think the first period, there was jump, there was life," coach Peter Laviolette said after the loss to the Panthers.

The man of so many words earlier this season, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov , is a bit more succinct these days. He was asked if it's concerning the fact that the Flyers keep falling behind right now.

"No," Bryzgalov said after a momentary pause for pondering.

While you wouldn't expect the team to have concerns about it, or at least admit to it, it should be a bit worrisome. Like I said, eventually you'll get burned.

For more hockey news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnHockey and @BrianStubitsNHL on Twitter and like us on Facebook.