Howie58

Greetings: The Flyers are underdogs (+165); the Rangers are 9-0-1 in the last 10 matchups and have taken the last six: https://winnersandwhiners.com/games/nhl/3-26-2024/philadelphia-flyers-vs-ny-rangers-prediction-4776/ We are also playing our third game in four nights against an excellent home team. The Rags are a better offensive squad with an excellent PP: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nyr-vs-phi/2024/03/26/2023021137 We may be due for an upset.

Sandstrom is a disaster. That 3rd goal was a backbreaker. Torts was disgusted.

Call up Gahagen! We have super-abundant evidence that Sandstrom is not an NHL goalie. I'd rather see a Zepper type than him. How must teammates feel when a guy with a 4.0+ GAA starts? Get him out of the picture. Thank the Lord his contract expires this year!

It's strange seeing two starting goalies where one has half the GAA as the other! Can't recall that.

Greetings: Florida is favored (-160), with both teams on the second of back-to-backs: https://www.oddsshark.com/nhl/florida-philadelphia-odds-march-24-2024-2020404 We've taken the first two games of the season, 2-1. Statistically, they are nearly as good as we are on the PK, and better on just about every stat: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/fla-vs-phi/2024/03/24/2023021129 If we play tight, "Flyers Hockey," this squad can compete with any team. Bobo is slated to start against the Rangers on 3/23. Someone named Anthony Stolarz (ha!) is his backup. Take a gander at these stats, at $1.1 million salary: https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/stolaan01.html We do a wonderful job drafting goalies for other teams!

So, what carries on to Florida? Will post game thread later tonight.

Can Errson and Company hang on? Shades of 1974! Yep!!!

This is a chess match. That favors the Flyers. No steamroller so far!

Gilles Gilbert nearly stole the Cup from Bernie.

Greetings: The Bruins are favored (-142) with 60% win probability: https://www.dimers.com/news/boston-bruins-vs-philadelphia-flyers-prediction-odds-nhl-picks-3232024 The statistics point to the Bruins advantage on the PP and defense: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-phi/2024/03/23/2023021114 This is a squad that has given us fits since coming into the league. They've taken the last seven in the series and we haven't beaten them at home since October, 2021. We've lost both meetings this year: https://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/opponent.cgi?Boston_Bruins The Flyers squad that played against Carolina will compete against the B's. Will that squad show up?

Well, there's no shame in this loss. Oh dear Lord...if we only had a PP. We had 1:20 5 on 3 and couldn't do crap with it. I can't recall a Flyers team that skated this well in ages. Poehling was active and taking the war to Carolina. Attard and Ginning were very good.

We are skating with them. You wish we had one more finisher.

I agree with Flyerforever. Short-term, this is a locker room/optics issue. Longer-term, the real question is Coots' value to the team if he's a fraction of the former Selke winner. It's interesting to me how the media, traditional and digital, focus on the locker room stuff. Hopefully, we don't have another Vinny on our hands.

Greetings: Carolina is favored (-222) with a 69% win probability: https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/article/carolina-hurricanes-vs-philadelphia-flyers-odds-tips-and-betting-trends-8/ Carolina has won two of three against us this season. They've also won 8 of their last 10. Carolina's PP is near the top of the league, and they average slightly under a half goal per game more offense: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/car-vs-phi/2024/03/21/2023021099 This is another matchup in which we play "our game" or we get steamrollered.

I didn't jinx them by watching. But after seeing the highlights, it looks like we took the war to the Leafs. Good win. When Tippett is on his game, he makes a big difference. Scoring 15 seconds into the game sends an important signal.

The game-by-game stuff isn't concerning. What is? The guy is signed, thanks to CF, through 2029-2030 at nearly 8 million a year. As many of us have said before, he is not a young 31. I really hope we aren't seeing the post-back surgery Coots, who may be little more than a 3C.

Wayne was a member of the Warrior Class. He had grit and skill. The fans will him give enormous appreciation. This is a nice gesture.

What I don't get about the RJ gig is that he played two nights before the trade deadline. WTF was he injured? https://phillyhockeynow.com/2024/03/17/philadelphia-flyers-danny-briere-reveals-truth-about-ryan-johansen-injury/ Did the Avalanche pull a fast one on us? Did he get injured having sex? But the bottom line is that he can't be sent down or waived if he's injured. And if this "injury" is permanent, then we deal with another Ellis mess come next season. Oh...and I almost forgot...if he's injured, no buyout!!!!

Greetings: Toronto is the favorite (-138) with a 56% win probability: https://www.dimers.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-vs-philadelphia-flyers-prediction-odds-nhl-picks-3192024 The PP and scoring are the big statistical differences between the squads: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-tor/2024/03/19/2023021086 We lost 6-2 at home to this squad last week. They scored two goals in eight seconds. That is like the opening of the third period against Boston on Saturday--a sign our current D is struggling. The gauntlet continues, hopefully with some improvement.

Grateful, I defer to you on Johnson. The media have not been so kind. I agree that Staal is probably slow to the point it hurts. Morganti has been critical.

Grateful: That's why I said having even one of their injured D around might have made a difference. And it's clear that Staal and Johnson are spent. A payoff series would benefit the kids. I wonder if they will stagger in?

Sandstrom's inconsistent play is tough to swallow. He comes up with some fine stops, then blows a seemingly easy one. This has been his MO from the start.

A different goalie and one or two of the injured defense and we might have a different outcome. We are giving up a lot of goals. It's bad. Five goals generally wins a game. This is another example of limited talent relative to compete level. We were game. It didn't matter much.

No surprise in goal. Errs may be worn out. The other side here is our forwards. The PHLY gang dissected it. They are all slumping big time. Coots' performance raises long-term questions. He hasn't played more than 60 games in over 4 seasons. May only catch part of game. Lots at stake. Win or lose, they need to be respectable. Agreed with Morganti and Ashlyn, they are marginal against SJ, and haven't looked good in weeks. Losing Walker may mean more than we could imagine.

Greetings: The gauntlet continues with the Bruins favored (-194): https://www.lines.com/nhl/predictions/flyers-vs-bruins-puck-line-mar-16-2024 Statistically, the biggest differences are in the PP and offense, advantage Bruins: https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/bos-vs-phi/2024/03/16/2023021064 We lost 6-2 in Philly on January 27th. Boston has been tough on us historically; we are on a six-game loss streak against them: https://champsorchumps.us/team/nhl/boston-bruins/head-to-head/philadelphia-flyers#:~:text=The Bruins have an overall record of 137-86-21-4,a 119-72-21-4 (60.0%) record against the Philadelphia Flyers.