PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Stevens on Friday after the team was shut out in consecutive games.

A person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press of the move on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been made public. There was no word on Stevens’ successor.

The Flyers were expected to contend in the Eastern Conference this season. But they are 13-11-1 for 27 points and out of the playoff picture entering Saturday’s game against Washington.

Stevens got the job early in the 2006 season after Ken Hitchcock was fired and led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals the following season.

The Flyers haven’t scored in their last two games, and captain Mike Richards called a team meeting after their 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Thursday.

Stevens took over in 2006 with the Flyers off to a 1-6-1 start en route to the worst season in franchise history. Stevens, who led Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate to the Calder Cup championship in 2005, used many of those same players to cap one of the greatest turnarounds in NHL history and take the Flyers to the conference finals the next year.

The Penguins knocked them out in 2008, and eliminated the Flyers again in the first round last season.

The additions of goalie Ray Emery and defenseman Chris Pronger made the Flyers a playoff favorite heading into this season. But injuries and a loaded offense that quickly went dry sent them into a tailspin.

Philadelphia has one win in its last seven games and has scored two goals or less in the last four.

“If I had the answer, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about this right now,” Pronger said Thursday.

Stevens went 120-109-34. He had two 10-game losing streaks with the Flyers.

A former draft pick of the Flyers in 1984, Stevens had a 15-year pro career as defenseman, including 53 NHL games with Philadelphia and the Hartford Whalers.

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