eleven24

I'm not doubting AT ALL that Giroux cares and is trying. I care and I'd try too, but I'd be hurting the team if I were on the ice.

I don't mean to always beat on G, because until the past month I've always seen him in a positive way. Even if he's struggling without his family in the bubble, which is perfectly understandable, consider these stats: From the 2012-13 playoffs through yesterday (8 seasons) games played: 30 plus/minus: -9 (51st out of 51 players) goals: 3 ( 1g every 10 games ) assists: 12 ( 1a every 2.5 games ) hits: 32 ( 1 per game ) sog: 61 ( 2 per game ) ice time avg: 18:48/gm But let's compare that to his playoff performance from the start of his career through in 2005-06 through the 2011-12 playoffs (7 seasons) games played: 50 plus/minus: +13 ( 1st out of 60 players ) goals: 21 ( 1g every 2.4 games ) assists: 34 ( 1a every 1.4 games ) hits: 66 ( 1.3 per game ) sog: 113 ( 2.2 per game ) ice time avg: 19:55/gm I think it's a large enough sample size comparison to come to the conclusion that this may just be who Giroux is now. He'll throw a hit per game, score once every 10 games (which means he's due today) and tack on an assist every 2.5 games.

Aside from all of this, did anyone catch the hour long documentary after the Flyers game on NBCSN on how they created the bubbles in Edmonton & Toronto? The level of detail they went into for the display in the empty seats is incredible to watch

Good to see Leon Stickle is alive and well.

Shouldn't have even been in a position where an offsides should've mattered in this one. Even if that one was offsides, the Islanders were dominating the Flyers. I'll go as far as suggesting the problem with the Flyers is endurance. They're all sucking wind at every stoppage.

One period of good hockey, and realistically it was just the last 15 min of the first. Then it was back to allowing the Islanders to come out of their zone with zero resistance. I just don't get it. The first forechecker is hanging out in the neutral zone and not even forcing the NYI puck carrier to change direction until the red line. This game had the chance to be a confidence building statement game after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Instead, even if the Flyers win in OT, the Isles walk away feeling like they're clearly the better team. And they are.

What I want to see today: 1. Aggressive forecheck. Don't get so worried about getting caught in deep that you're not forcing turnovers with your speed & aggression on the forecheck. Pressure everywhere below the dots. Relentlessly. Forecheck. Rinse. Repeat. 2. Keep it simple. No east-west passes at either blue line. If pressured, get to the red line and get it deep. Shoot the puck and drive the net for rebounds. 3. Get dirty. Drive hard at the net. Get into the corners. Throw the body all over the ice. Little constant bumps are just as good as highlight level hits. Do all 3 of these and the Flyers will be dictating play, rather than reacting. When they play like that, they can compete with anyone.

#12, Gary Dornhoeffer, who I remember more as a color analyst who said things like "you're not going to win if you don't score more goals than the other team" Yes, he did so during a post playoff game recap... Brilliant stuff.

No. 11 “Big Bird” Don Saleski (we need more nicknames in 2020) Flocky Hockey - Ron Flockhart Kevin Dineen Dan Quinn Tony Amonte Mike Sillinger I think Recchi had 11 at one point??

Because there’s a huge 3pm EST audience. The NHL is too smart to have games in prime time every night. Too too smart. 3 PM is where it’s at

What I see is a team that has completely abandoned the aggressive forecheck. Opposing teams meet resistance in the NZ, not their own DZ. There's a large gap between the 1 and the 2-2 part of the forecheck. I don't remember that when they were playing well. When they were on their game it was more of a 1-2 (or even 2-1) rotating hard on the forecheck with the D pair in at the blue line. They simply did not allow other teams to turn up ice and continually forced turnovers. That's just not happening right now. Is it simply being tentative? Is it by AV's design?

This whole coddling of players is ridiculous. The kid's been playing hockey his entire life. Every 2 years or so since the age of 5 he moved up a level, had to play against tougher competition. He did it, and kept getting better. Had horrible games, had great games. Learned from the horrible ones and they made him a better player. That's what being a hockey player is. Just let the kid play. If one game in the NHL playoffs tanks the kid's career, then he was nothing special to begin with.

I said this to my son while watching the game. A lot more room to move through the NZ. Even dumping the puck in there's no Price back there to get it and move it out to the D. Flyers need to get back to dictating play and stop reacting to what the other team is doing.

Ok, valid. BUT Giroux is a +4 in 79 career playoff games. 1 goal in his last 23 playoff games. 5 in his last 33 dating back to 2012. He's the guy with the "C" on his jersey. That said, I hope he blows someone up with a huge hit tomorrow and scores or sets someone else up to score. That's the G I'm waiting for, but frustrated when he never shows up.

Of course a series can turn quickly, but the red flags have been waving enough now that I think it's time to stop putting this on a lucky bounce here or there, a slip, fanned shot, posts, etc. Good players make their own opportunities, they're not reliant upon some twist of fate to be in their favor. Perhaps our top players are simply top players in February, but not come playoff time. BTW - I've owned 4 Flyers jerseys in my life. Clarke, Poulin, Podein, Kapanen. That right there should tell you how I expect players to play when pulling on the O&B.

Giroux's contract is up in 2 years. It would be foolish to resign him as he'll likely want 2-3 years, which would bring him to age 37. Better to trade him within the next 12 months while he still has trade value. Wait any longer than that and other teams will just wait until he hits the open market.

Proof? G has 5 goals in the 33 playoff games since the 2012 series against the Pens. You know, the one where he started it off with a huge hit on Crosby in the game's first shift? He has just 1 goal in his last 23 playoff games. 1 goal in his last 23 playoff games doesn't give me any confidence he's going to break out of a rut. I can't even say he's "snakebitten" because I can't remember the last time he even had a scoring chance. Danny Briere, he is not.

Mark my words. Ghost will get traded and end up having 20 goal seasons after he leaves here and has a coach that understands he's an offensive defenseman with dynamic skill. I swear, every time I think of the current Flyers PP it's the hunched over Provorov skating from the middle of the ice to his left, gets to the boards and shoots or dishes to Giroux. Ahh.. forget it. I'm tired of singing this song.

I've had it with Giroux. Done. You can't even make the argument that he contributes. in 79 playoff games he's a career +4. This year he has FOUR hits in 9 games. The only players he has more hits than are Ghost and Bunnaman (who have both played 5 less games). There are no intangibles you bring when 9 games into the playoffs and not only do you not have a goal, but not even a sniff of a goal. You simply cannot win in the playoffs when your captain and team scoring leaders are a no show. It's time for AV to sit G. Put Frost in the lineup. Heck, JVR will give you the same production. Tonights game? Coots was horrendous. The 3rd goal was completely on him. His job is to cover net front when both D men are behind the net. He was also uncharacteristically turning the puck over left and right. There's part of me that thinks some of these guys just want to get out of the bubble and go home to their families.

Lord, what a disgrace of a period. Seems an eternity ago that this team dictated any kind of play or kept a team pinned in with their forecheck.

Because AV doesn’t like PP success

What is the killer part of that non-call is that the Flyers would've likely won game 6 and then headed home to the Spectrum for game 7. There's no way they're losing game 7 at home, especially in that era. Seriously though, look at Stickle standing there with his arms out to signal on side when 12 feet to his left is an Islander player who likely just skated by him. He ALREADY has his arms out BEFORE the puck even crosses the blue line! I'm now re #*$&ing irritated!

My thoughts on trading G are not only his age, but that he has 2 years left on his contract. For him to retire in the O&B it likely means giving him a 2-3 year deal at the conclusion of his current contract, which would bring him to age 37. He ABSOUTELY brings a lot to a team, especially from a leadership presence. If Flyers history has taught anything, you don't pay players high salaries for what they've already done in their careers. Trade deadline deals of the past 3 decades that saw youth and/or picks traded away for just past their prime veteran players are why the Flyers have not won a cup since the 70's. To use a baseball comparison, I hated seeing Chase Utley in a Dodgers uniform. Hated it. BUT... the Phillies should've made that move a year or two sooner and gotten a better return on him. I'd feel the same way seeing G in a different jersey, but there's no room for sentimentality in pro sports if you want to continually be competitive.

Dear 6lb 8oz baby Jesus, please let AV see the benefits of Ghost on the top PP unit. Please let him go back and look at how Ghost, G, and Voracek worked so well together & that the PP could very well get G going again. Please let him recognize how unpredictable Ghost is on the PP and that makes the entire PP harder to defend. Above all, baby Jesus, please remember that you owe us one from the non offsides call. You know the one I mean.

But is it truly a lot of points out the door? Sure, it's easy to look at stats and say you're losing 25 goals if Giroux is moved and 15-20 if Voracek is moved, but what about the increased ice time that their vacancies would give younger players like NAK, Farabee and Konecny? Perhaps clearing ice time accelerates these younger players reaching their potential earlier, and in the end providing more points than those which were lost by trading away guys on the back side of their careers.