Phlyer1

Holmgren can go back to what he does best SCOUTING,

TSN.ca could not find room to mention his passing.

Damn. I hadn't heard this. I really didn't want to open your thread because I knew what you were going to tell me.

This makes me sad

Interesting that a team of tough guys had so many gentlemen on it!

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/flyers/Ross-Lonsberry-member-of-Flyers-Cup-champs-dies-at-67.html

Thanks Ross R I P

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sports/flyers/Ross-Lonsberry-member-of-Flyers-Cup-champs-dies-at-67.html

Inquirer carried a story about the grades for the players. I am sure he must have scored on a wiggly curve. The grades were a tad inflated to me. I will go back and see if I can forward it.

Here goes:http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20140505_Grading_the_Flyers.html

Cliche maybe? But it is obvious there is no chemistry between Coburn and Kimmonen any more.  Streit did not carry a puck over the blue line enough and Gustafson played well considering he was not on the ice most of the playoffs.Schenn did not make  me feel good that we gave up JVR for him. Macdonald can play better i am sure with the right pairing next season he will do better. JMHO

How could you even think about dealing Simmonds? He is the only physical power winger we have, I won't count Hartnell cause he's on a downward slope of his career. Simmonds is also the key to our PP up front as much as Giroux is.We have a surplus of centers,we are stuck with VLC and Laughton is on the way. You deal from your excess and from your strength, you do not deal from a thin position and weaken it, in order to strengthen another area. So if anyone is traded for defense,it will have to be one of the centers.

Since Hartnall never reached an upward slope the downward slope is even closer than it appears. kind of like the mirror on the passenger side.

Yeah. Season over, beards shaved, trying to decide who - if anyone - we want to pretend to care about over the next three rounds. Sucks.

There are the predictable "no skill" threads, and the "trade everyone" threads. The accusations of laziness and proclamations of early ceilings. Everyone is slow, no one cares, anyone else is a better option.

Maybe some of it is true.

Still. We all knew this was going to be a transition year. Making the playoffs was hoped for, but we all knew much beyond that was going to be gravy. We didn't get much gravy, but if we're honest, this season didn't fall too far below realistic expectations. Expectations that included an understanding of the core's overall youth, and the idea that a positive direction was the short term goal. I think that was there. I think there is an increasingly solid foundation for the team, and expectations can reasonably rise over the next few seasons.

Thoughts :

I thought MacDonald and streit ended up as very good acquisitions. World beaters they are not, but filled a need well, and once streit got used to the new jersey wasn't the defensive disaster I thought he'd be.

Timonen really is winding down. He is still a very smart player, still good positionally, but... His legs are going quick, and his ability to adapt to a developing play is falling off a cliff. Plus, he is having a tougher and tougher time with bouncing pucks at the point. I think the Flyers will have him back if he wants another season, but I kinda hope he has had enough.

Gustafsson suddenly looks like an nhler. I thought he was one of the more composed defensemen in those last few games of the series. Composure was the reason he couldn't crack the lineup before, if he's gotten over that....

I really like grossmann. He's slow and a zero offensively, but I like him as a heavy hitting third pair guy.

Luke schenn, thought he seemed to take a positive step as the season went on, too. He is what he is, but there are worse options out there.

Hartnell needs to stay off the first line.

B schenn... Time is begining to run out. He's still young, but really does need to start giving some glimpses of being a reliable top six guy soon. Doesn't need to actually put up 70 points, but needs to show everyone that he might, one day. One day soon.

VLC. Was a weird signing out of the gate. I'd hoped he'd be a good anchor, providing some leadership depth and consistent secondary scoring... But he hadn't, on either front. There was a rumor back when he was first signed that Tampa actually wanted him to retire there, but couldn't swallow the previous contact anymore. The plan being to buy him out, have him sign a more tolerable contract with a team who didn't really want him full term, and trade for him back after that first year. It's a stretch, but I'm hoping to see him en route to Florida this summer. With st Louis having left, they DO need something down there. Fingers are crossed.

Mason, full confidence in him at this point. Experiment was a success, the Flyers finally have a real goaltender.

Akeson impressed the hell out of me this series. Should be a fixture next season.

What else? I dunno. The Flyers have a few holes to fill - a top line LW, the ever elusive top pair dman - but overall I think the team (mostly) as built is headed in the right direction. I think a lot was learned this season, by the players, coach, maybe even the GM. There will be higher expectations next season. Sucks this one was over so fast, but that is part of the process.

Jack: The usual finger pointing of course but it happens to be people like Hartnal the Schens are not cutting it most of the time. Siimmons went above and beyond Courterir and Read did the jobs they were assigned.Too many turn overs all around added to the demise. Better finish than i thought but not as good as I hoped for.

If they are smart it would be the Rangers Flyers would put a hurt on them they don't want to take to the next round.

 

 

Hallefrigginujah! 

 

(now watch him go -4, take 3 bad penalties and serve up a breakway!)

 

If h is going to  have a place on the team someday he will have a chance to show himself off tonight.

Gustafson to start tonight!

Unlike Reid, Hitch actually has won a Championship*

 

 

* fixed it for you

Right by why spoil a good line with facts?

Th Blues also had Hitchcock and like Ried he takes you to the gate of the promised land but he doesn't take you in.

@Phlyer1

 

 We're down ONE game.

I know that! I said what I said because much of what I read was Mason was ready to go the other night. I can also hope that the team will be lifted by Mason in net.

Only hope it is not too late!

Rookie mistake cost dearly.

I used to say My Kingdom .for a goalie. Now I have no Kingdom and maybe no goalie? Having said that just give us your best Ray!

So what you're saying it... Emery played above his pay grade too?  

Flyer have a habit of making backups look like Patrick Roy/Martin Broduer

At least one goal was because one of the hitting leaders Schenn left the guy skate by him at the back of the net and you see  the  result. He has not earned his keep this year JMO

Giroux and company have taken a hiatus from scoring goals. Result more losses than wins. Simple arithmetic.

@AlaskaFlyerFan

 

 I'd have no problem with that. The problem would be, IF you win, you then play the Bruins. At least we could avoid them seeding in our ridiculously named division.

But if they finish third they play the Rangers at the Garden so which is worse the Brunes or MSG and that is not Accent.

Looking at his splits this season he had one PP assist in four games against the Flyers and was -5.

 

Primarily asking what it was you saw in him with the Isles you don't see now?

I guess I did not see what I thought? I never question your take on things. thanks

Maybe I am wrong but I am not seeing the McDonald that played against us when  he was with the Isles. Is it as mome pointed out the wrong pairing the wrong side of the ice? He i a big league r and should be able to adjust. JMHO

The good: we got a point.

The bad: The Rangers got two.

 

Assuming we make the playoffs (we have a 98% chance of making it), who would you rather face? 

 

Rangers

Bruins

Pens

 

Honestly, I would rather face the Pens. The Rangers are playing some excellent hockey, and the Pens are sliding/coasting. They haven't been healthy, so that's a consideration, but it seems we match up better against them than either the Rags or Bruins. 

 

A few notes on last night's game:

 

1. Ok, you're the NHL's 3rd top point getter. You're on a breakaway in a scoreless game against the best team in the NHL. Do you: 

a. Go in for a deke and try to fool Miller

b. Try to beat Miller on a shot and hope for a rebound if it doesn't go in

c. Slow down, and wait for an undrafted 3rd liner who has 21 points to catch up, dish off the puck to him, and skate away from the net.

 

If you answered C, you win the Giroux Questionable Play of the Night Award. 

 

He did that a few other times last night, where he chose to force a pass when a great shooting lane existed. For all that Giroux does right, this is one area where I wish he were more selfish. 

 

2. It seems MacDonald is being misused as a left handed shot playing on the left side. He has a much better shot and more offensive acumen than Schenn, and I wish they would switch spots. To any defensemen out there, how difficult would it be for Schenn to adjust to the left side? I've noticed on more than a few occasions missed opportunities because MacDonald couldn't get off a good shot being on the left side. 

 

3. Emery saved their bacon more than a few times last night. Nice to see him turn in an excellent performance.

 

4. I thought Brayden Schenn looked great out there. He was skating hard, cycling well, and creating chances.

 

5. McGinn, on the other hand, looks overwhelmed. If they need a guy for the second line, I'd like to see Akeson or Straka get a shot. 

 

All in all, strong game by the Flyers. It's impressive that in 2 games against the Blues, they've snagged 3 points. 

McGinn is absolutely out of his league and Rafl has some great chances that he needed to elevate the puck and he would have a couple of goals last night.