NJSikkbreed

it's never a bad decision to draft a goalie..good goalies are rare and is worth taking a gamble on..

Just as the Sixers have needed a legit franchise Center for years --- so have the Flyers needed a franchise goalie.....

it's been so bad, I'd just keep drafting multiple goalies every year until one finally sticks!! Screw it. haha....

...to me this was a case of ride out the potential --- which may turn into nothing special --- or SELL HIGH while you still can get value....

JVR just fetched us a solid, young defensman who can hit -- with many long, good years in front of him.....

I'd see Luke Schenn's stability and resume as a safer bet to add in a big area of need -- rather than HOPE for the higher upside and potential JVR may possibly reach

in a position of strength right now. Makes sense to me.....

Straight from the horse's mouth --- Flyers Exit interview:

HOLMGREN: on bringing Jagr back

"Yeah -- I'd like to have him back. But, I imagine some other teams around the league would like to have him as well.

We spoke to Jaromir and his agent during the season a bit about next year and said we'd revisit after the season - we havent spoken to him - YET - of course."

SO ---- pretty much confirmed they will try to bring him back..... but if someone else feels that he is worth more to them than the Flyers, he'll be gone.

However, I dont think teams will overbid for him -- and I'd say Jag's will take less money to stay here rather than start over again at this point in his life.

Unfortuntaely, as I look at those stats, I've gotta put the Devils in as the favorites. Yuck.

@radoran

Here is the reason I find the Devils to be the new favorites in theory --- while your stats may back it up.

The last 3 teams to knock out the Flyers have been the last 3 Cup winners.... Pitt, Chicago and Boston...... the Devils could make it FOUR! Crap.

Enough about your lace and word counts Q!

@Podein25

I thought it was lace and "thread counts" that matter together! Egyptian cotton..... Mmmmmm.

For my brief stay, I've enjoyed this place --- and I'm probably one of the longest standing, most dedicated philly.com posters around.... almost

every work day for close to 10 YEARs --- since 2003. (too bad you cant easily click into a Phillies, Eagles or Sixers link on this forum, I'd never leave)

Lavy is playing with what he has

Sadly, some nights it happens to the best of us men.....

Not suggesting he is the problem per se. But is it possible that the players - at least some of them - just stopped listening to him? The team just looked lost and completely out of sink... I don't know.

Sometimes when the other team is just whopping your arse in every way, game after game, even the players buying into the coaches word the MOST will still look

like they have tuned him out -- because once you keep getting beat down and have no answers and nothing is working.... the coaches words start to mean less and less....

because at that point, it doesnt matter.... the other team is just, well..... better in this matchup at this time of year.

G'd Afternoon Hockey Peeps.....

Here is a season ending observation from a "fan"..... not a casual fan -- and not a 100% hardcore hockey fan, like many of you ---

so take it for what its worth as an invested point of view, but not an overly emotional point of view.

This 2011-2012 Flyers team was GOOD.... and they were much better than I thought they would be....

They had GREAT moments.... and at other times, very BAD. The day after the Phillies lost in the playoffs I made a post

saying -- "Dont worry - only 6 more months until the Flyers break everyone's hearts" -- because that's what they DO, every

Spring, like the flowers in bloom -- the Flyers will make a run -- only to be outmatched, out worked, out coached, just out "talented"

sometimes...... the Devils series wasnt an out-talented version -- just out worked. Simple. Sometimes you face a matchup at the wrong

time that you just cant beat.... and something happened somewhere along near the end of Game 2 where I saw this series was not

going to end well. The puck was played way too much in the Flyers zone and it just wore us down.... there were no legs left... and

we werent winning this series.

One main point --- DONT run Bryz out of town - fans and media. I'll have to sit thru an entire summer hearing everyone say how

much Bryzgalov sucks..... well, he doesnt. A lazy, ignorant fan will point to him as the reason we lost -- and that deflating, awful goal

he allowed to make it 2-1 and take the wind out of our sails.... well, that happened, and the TEAM had over 40min to correct it....they didnt.

Bryz made probably about 7-8 amazing saves after that keeping it close and giving the TEAM a chance to tie it --- while not really even testing Marty ONCE along the way..... Bryz was maybe reason #3 or #4 they lost.... he didnt do much to steal or win many games, but he is good

enough to work with moving forward -- and with that contract, not much choice..... so please, dont whine about him all summer.

Moving forward -- there is hope. The team is stocked w/ youth and promising talent.... make a small move here or there offensively, but

the offseason focus will be on reloading that defense in front of Bryz. We have one of the best players in the league on board in Giroux

and plenty of weapons..... sadly the Pronger days will be gone and its time to reload w/ a defensive star. The Flyers can always get their

guy..... that I'm not afraid of..... but, I think its time the Flyers Org stopped living off their glory days of the 70s -- and started reloading

for today's NHL.... they've made the moves to gather up more speed and Euro players --- time to keep it in that direction and add in some

more defense.... defense, speed and goaltending wins Cups --- as you'll see w/ this year's Champ. So yes, another Spring w/ no Cup in Philly...nothing new to me. But, I do think there is more promise here than we've had in a long time.

@MadDog

I agree --- I think some of them have fallen into the "look ahead" mode, listening to family and media hype them up -- already salivating over the chance to take on the Rangers.....which, ironically, I think is happening in NY, too (to play the Flyers).... both better wake up or we'll have a NJ/WASH Eastern Final.

@sarsippius

Forty Six and 2 may be my favorite "hit" of theirs..... Prison Sex was a good one back in the day, too.

Saw them at Lollapolooza back in '93 w/ Rage, Alice In Chains, Primus, etc (great show!) and the Troc in early '94..... cant believe I've been listening to these

guys for almost 20 years!!! Dam, that's scary.

You could say the same thing about Jagr. They both have cooled off considerably in the post season.

I disagree..... while Jagr hasnt looked as fresh recently -- he still can puck handle basically as long as he wants to in the offensive zone, his vision

is still good and he had probably the biggest goal of the 1st Round netting the game-winner in Game 2 vs Pitt..... Hartnell appears back to his

"Bambi on Ice" skating habits falling all over the place, making dumb decisions and taking bad penalties.....

Can anyone tell what's going on w/ Hartnell these playoffs so far??

Our leading goal scorer for the season has basically been a big, fat ZERO so far through 8 games....

and took a really bad penalty that helped lead to NJ's first goal.

He's gotta step up..... I've given him a pass so far --- but not after last night.

He needs to get some "jam" in his game!

As far as Tool, I do enjoy the complexity of their arrangements, and they absolutely pull it off live. I think for the most part their songs that have gotten airplay are far inferior to most of the rest of their material.

@sarsippius

That's pretty much because Tool's label "made" them write atleast a song or two that can considered somewhat radio-ready -- and ironically, their hits are what most of the meat-head college rock crowd grew up knowing, while you and I probably both prefer their more obscure songs.......but, there was a story about them turning in their follow up the their classic "Aenima" to their record company...... it was bascially 3 songs totalling @ 74min.... they laughed at them and told them to take it back! re-do it and make it into real "songs"! lol

.....just picture the Flyers from Game 4, then...... that should help!!!

One thing that I like this year, there will be a new team from out West making a Cup appearance.....some team

that we havent seen in a long time... and most never at ALL!

It's nice knowing we wont have the same Red Wings, Avalance, Canucks, Stars, etc coming from that conference

this year --- and any of the teams remaining will be a fresh face in the Stanley Cup Finals.

I'm pulling for Phoenix overall (sorry 'Yotes!).

Not looking ahead (but if the Flyers get there, fantastic) -- someone give me a little more insight on some of these teams

I dont get to watch too often..... I can see that the Blues and Kings can play some stiffling defense, good goaltending....

but, I really dont know too much about the Coyotes or Predators.....

how do any of these teams match up vs our Flyers, potentially.... and who would you like to see --- and who would you NOT

like to see if the Flyers make the Cup??

Wow.... how exciting, every one of those analysyts all picked the same exact teams across the board, cept for one guy picking Phoenix over Nashville....hope

they arent in a contest or something....pfft.

Pretty hard to argue against any of those guys (G'roo isnt as much a shoot-first player as the other 2 and had some slow stretches that cost him a bit in pt totals)..... but, hopefully Girox will get the award everyone really wants....being the MVP for the Stanley Cup winning team...

@terp

Thanks for posting this.... since most of us were rooting Caps, I have to admit -- this goal didnt pass "the eye test" to me. All the attention and momentum was

on Knuble coming in for the shot and then he and Thomas pretty much blended together to the point I didnt even see the puck bounce out and only saw it again

once it hit the back of the net..... it happened so fast, but something didnt seem right..... as I saw the review, my gut told me it looked like Thomas wasnt given a fair chance

to recover and face the shot without interference..... but --- the Broons just won a Cup I havent seen in Philly my entire life.... OHHHHHH WELLLLLL.

FLA generally destroyed NJ at faceoffs in this series. Faceoffs can go a long way toward determining a successful PK or PP

Perfect point.... I was actually thinking about that last night watching the game how dominate Florida was on face-offs.

Yeah pretty much..... since they are long series, the playoffs are all about matchups.

Anybody can beat you in a single game, random Tuesday night in mid-January, and a Sunday morning in early March....

but, when you have to play 5-7 times in 2 weeks, the true weaknessess in clubs get exposed by teams you may not think

because they give "matchup problems".....which is why you can have a #8 beat a #1 in hockey.

Can someone give me an explanation here......

So, New Jersey had one of the best penalty killing units of all-time this year? is that correct?

---- then the playoffs come and Florida completely tears them apart on their power plays to the point

where announcers are saying NJ cant afford to committ a single penalty anymore?

How does that happen....???

This could be the biggest key to our series.....

The Flyers hit an insane 50%+ on their power play vs Pitts.... and if NJ continues to struggle

on their "pen-ALL-tee kill" (says Max talbot) that could be the downfall for the Devils since the Flyers

looked unstoppable vs Pitt.... if that's the case --- I like Flyers in 5.

@doom88

Machine Head is still kickin arse better than ever...... their last few albums have been a complete step up in song writing and progression....

they started out more as a NY hardcore type/metal band....went thru that stupid rap-metal phase for a bit late 90s, early 00s, but recently --- The Blackening was a masterpiece

and the new one "Unto the Locust" went in the same direction with lots of intricate guitar work, dueling harmonic solos and epic 7+ min marathon

songs...... this is one of those rare bands that have actually gotten BETTER in time.

the people that laughed when they brought Hunter in as coach. Its kind of laughable to me how people think that an ex-player has to be a Mario Lemieux, Gretzky type (oops, did I actually say that?) to have any success as a coach.

I actually think average to crappy former players make BETTER coaches than Superstars..... they didnt rely as much on raw talent and had to work harder to understand

the game and utilize types of skills to hang on in their career..... whereas Superstars dont have as much patience w/ certain players and ways of the game because everything just came so easy to them, so they get too frustrated when guys cant perform certain tasks like they could have....

EWWWW --- that is one ugly dude.

they gave 2 stats. One was their record in game 1 after a 5 day break and it was something to the effect of 4-8. But their overall record in those series' is 8-4. Something like that.

Good stuff right there..... what this basically states is, yes teams can be a bit rusty vs a team just coming off a series and some momentum, but grind out the

series and that team will wear down near the end while our guys still have some jam in their legs left.... key is just not falling down 0-2.