BearOnIce

Sometimes you're the winshield , sometimes you should have a beer.

Long season at some point we'll win one of these.

I share your frustration though.

What is The Cult? Is That Like Buck Dharma Blue Oyster Cult, the real cult?

This is neither Lavy nor Holmgren's fault.

The Flyers are hindered by an injury to their HOF captain defenseman -- which would slow down any team.

Imagine the Bruins without Chara, Red Wings without Lidstrom, etc.

And I know, it's tough to play the injury card but for the Flyers CP20 was the key to a cup.

The offense is one of those where you can plug in a lot of different players that are probably average and make them look good, see Ville Leino and probably Matt Read.

IMO, the key for the Flyers right now is to get a new #1 defenseman. Timmo is awesome and a legend, but he [just like any defenseman] can't do it on his own

The fact of the matter is the coach nor the GM are the problems; the Flyers have an unfortunate history with injuries and this year is no different.

Pronger is not Chara nor Linstrom at this point in their career's, nor in his.

It is obvious that there is a need to replace a #1 D-Man as It appears that CP is finished.

I guess the biggest question is do you replace your #1 D-Man with one player such as a Weber or two 3-6 D-Men and when is the best time to make a good trade, the deadline or the off-season?

I think (hope?) Homer may snag a 4-5 Vet D-Man at the deadline and work out the rest in the off-season and rotate MAB & Gus in the last slot.

You get a 1|2 paring that will be good for 5 years. Kimmo is a 3|4 next year. Colburn gets shopped, no consistency. Move Carle and get some value. Lilja gone. Gus too small. MAB years away. Marzaros a keeper. Might be nice if the Flyers had a farm system.

Even though Carle says he wants to stay with the Flyers, I believe that he has to go with the market value of defensemen of his caliber (overpaid of course.) And, with Bryz's contract and the uncertainty of Pronger, it would be in the best interest of the Flyers to trade Carle for some young assets. I really don't think the Flyers will be able to afford what Carle will demand on the free-agent market. Stock up for next year!!

Move Carle. Move JVR. Shop Colburn. Start to re-load. Get 1|2 pairing for next 5 years. Kimmo will be a 3|4 by next year. This team not going anywhere this year.

@Irishjim

hmmm.... this seems to be the same problem as last year and the year before that. The only difference is those that were the ones that didn't put out the effort aren't here anymore....so who is he talking about this time?

missed a fair amount of the game

I am a Lavy supporter. But, I am starting to question a system that stresses all attack and depends so heavily on forwards and defense moving up and back together for it to work. It is a finesse system that the Flyers are not ready to handle. With Pronger out, it is startling the leadership that is missing, not to mention a lack of leadership on the defense. We have kids that are getting their heads handled to them and I don't see Laviolette or Holmgren stepping in with a solution.

Lavys system is attack attack. There is no backcheck priority. The system does not work as well as it used to becuase of the better two-way forwards in the game today that get back up the ice. Rangers are a perfect example. Lavy's system is exposed by non-puck moving defensemen who are supposed to function as secondary forwards. Forwards and defensemen must ebb and flow togther. Up and back togther. The system takes a long time to gel and perfect and a young Flyers team is getting exposed. The dump and chase is a relic too. It is all about puck possession in both zones today with the speed of the game.

Enough is enough. The definition of the Comcast Spectator Flyers organzation is to put a team on the ice that is good enough to sell all of the tickets and fill all of the seats every home game WFC, oh, and sell tons of orange and black merchandise. How is that new merchandise store doing? It does not matter if after 36 years+ and counting this organization wins a Cup, as long as they get close!, as far as Comcast Spectator is concerned, this is stricty a business proposition. That is Holmgren's job description. Didn't you hear? Fill the seats Paul!! So Flyer fans don't get frustrated, invest emotionally and financially as much as you can take. Until it is excruciating. Ed is smiling over there in Bryn Mawr. Just make sure the Flyers win the fights and the fans cheer! Sparticus! Listen to your very own homers, Morgani, Jones, Coatsy, cheer you on, all the talking heads that fill the airwaves with such poignant, deep, meaningful, supportive commentary for their very own Flyers Faithful. Sell those club box seats! Hey folks, how about we get a goalie as advertised, some 1|2 defense that does not allow 3 power play goals, maybe even a power forward, the scoring as promised, and why does the Flyer system just dump and chase, add nauseum? How about some plays? Tic tac toe.. Tell you what, I hear your boos folks, but they means nothing. You paid you ticket. Ed is happy. Get Center Ice.

Thank you. Appreciate the sanity. Points well taken.

Anything that Holmgren does for the rest of this season, as far as player movement, could be his un-doing. How is that you say? This Flyers team has the most promise and the most solid nucleus of any Flyers team in Flyers histrory. Change the chemistry, you may blow it. That would be Holmgrens legacy. Not good for Paul.

So my advice. Flyer fans shut-up. Get some patience. This is not our year. Wait until next year. This is a work in progress. Enjoy watching it come together.

This applies to you too Ed Snider.

Is this team really a cup contender? I guess that's the big question. I would love for them to get a franchise Dman but not necessarily at the expense of the young team they have. I think wait til FA or even be seller's at the deadline and bring in a young prospect like the Zhitnik for Coburn trade years back...if they don't think they'll resign Carle for what he's asking for, get something for him.

I would look at it bigger picture and include Kimmo in the uncertainty of the D along with Carle's contract, Pronger's future, moving Lilja out for a better rental, and Bourdon's puck decision making. I see this being addressed in the off season prior to July.

You know, one could say this Flyers team is overachieving. They have a lot of rookies contributing a lot. They are not as good as NY or Boston and they are hanging right there with them. I wouldn't be so hard on the quigly.

I was thinking the same thing today after the Rangers loss. They are overachievers. Pronger is a huge loss. Not just his play but the leadership and accountability he brought to the back side. This youth movement is great to see. 2-3 years we'll have some special players blooming, and that is what this GM should be planning for. Not Ed's penchant for trying to win a Cup every year. Patience wins the race. Development from within.

Bryz was utterly deflating today. It was painful to watch. He took out a great effort.

Homer cannot be happy. But I fail to see what we can do. Bobo is trade bait. Bryz is impossible to trade. In the main, Homer looks good dumping Carter-Richards. But Bryz outweighs the positives right now. What we don't know is if this is a lost season or a lost career for Bryz.

One way or the other...a defining weekend on the downside.

Best,

Howie

Howie:

Bear here.

Yes, today was utterly deflating. Young kids have heart. Boy do I like that as a change from last year. 2-3 years rebuilding we got a chance again, but..

How does Homer get out from under the G egg he laid. Why is Bryz not tradable? NTC? Is it the contract or the present performance, or both? If it was just the performance, is there not another GM that is desperate and would take the chance?

I doubt Leighton could clear waivers without some GM trying to pick him up as a steal.

BOI

Thats funny you say that.

I was walking back from the store thinking to myself how many of these smaller, swifter forwards we have. Seems when we dont have them, we get beat by them (sabres when briere was with them) and when we have them we get beat by bigger teams pushing us around.

So sick of having the games dictated to us.

At any rate, i dont think there was a goal today scored off of corner work for either team. Simmonds, briere, read worked 'hard' down low, but who cares...i dont even think they got a shot on net from all that cycling. If im the rags i let the flyers play behind the net.

Man, this team is so frustrating and its so obvious they are in no position to make noise in the playoffs against the rags or bruins. We are clearly outclassed on so many levels

I share your frustration.

Need big time, physical center that can cause havock from the circles in.

Need another 3-4 D-man with Colburn size.

Need to resolve the G issue.

A few points to consider:

This is getting way too old... our forwards seem to be able to hit harder than our D. Is it just me or does our D just go into "stand around mode" and get pushed around a lot.

Why didn't 41 go down to try and block that shot or at least go out and challenge a 4th line forward.

Is it just me or is our D just too soft to win big games.

The way our D plays, we needed Rinaldo in there big time.

Harts played a great game... even if he can't skate, we need like him.

The transition D to O was challenging today, Rangers very good. Our D looses the puck in our own corers a lot. This is a size issue. Your right, our forward can control puck in the corners better.. Except for Colburn, and without Pronger, we really do not have size and we certainly don't have a physical, keep your head up crossing into the blueline defenseman. We have had out share of pylons. Everybody wants the Shea Webber type. It is time the Flyers started developing defensemen and goalies internally.

Good measuring stick today. Not a Cup year by any means but 2nd round playoffs unless Holmgren really gets creative and fleeces his usual suspects. Yes, dissappointing to be ahead by 2 goals, then to loose. Hate to say it, Jagr is a real difference maker. But, I do not see him coming back next year, eben with Giroux... By the end of the season his body will be well past 40. Rangers and Bruins are better right now. Clearly. They have a lot of size teamed up with skill and oh some toughness.. Gaborik is sick good. In general, our forwards are decent and a lot of promise in these young kids like Schenn and Reid. We picked up size in off season and can bang in the corners, but still think we need a big, physical, bruising, elite, play-making center to draw the defense in between the circles. Doesn't everyone? What does Columbus need for Carter. Maybe he is ready to be a hockey player now after seeing life in the basement. Simmons was outstanding today as was Hartnell. Briere is a shadow of his self. Goaltending is a real mess right now, and the defense needs another good 3-4 guy. Still very young and learning. I would take Bryz and shop him, use Pronger LTIR money, and keep Bob as back-up. Ok, lets go back and do it again.

That wind looks rough.

After the first minute most of the play in the rangers end.

Looks like equipment issue with Jagr.

I will settle for giving Bob a fair chance, but my wish was to leave Bryz in and let him crash and burn his career right out of Philly. Nothing personal, he just can't stop the puck he is paid handsomely against the cap to do.

I don't think so. I want Bryz to do well. But, he has some head issues so maybe siting on the bench with his herbal tea today will give him some time to think.

Where is the goalie coach? D

oes not exactly speak well of him that he canlt get Bryz's game back...

@canoli

Yup, saw that goal you are talking about. I didn't need replay or another angle to see but knew right away he fukked it up big there. For tomorrow, isn't it refreshing for us to watch the game with enjoyment rather then hate or annoyed that the other team will score easily on our dud. Most likely for the players, they will play with confidence in knowing Bob will make the necessary to bail them out instead of making them look bad.

We are seeing the emergence of the new team with the younger core. It is simple. This boyish-looking goalie is one of the boys. Like you say, they play with confidence with Bob. He is one of them. This move will be looked back on by Lavy as not only the right move, but perhaps a season changing move. It the right way.

lol, noted.

honestly, all bets are off at this point. this is the highest profile game the team has all year shy of the playoffs, and if laviolette has the green light to go with bob, he has the green light to treat this like an open competition for the rest of the season. which is to say, we may very well see things switch around and bob get the bulk of the load for as long as he is able to carry it.

Good points but the way Bryz is handling this, he will probably get his head handed to him in the morning by Lavy and Homer, and who knows what happens at that point... Implosion? Bench? Adarondack? Walk-out? Bryz is out there, even by goalie standards.. Seriously, I have been listening to him since he arrived in town, and especially on HBO. Not right. His head and feelings are just all over the place. He seems like he is not sure he even wants to play the game. He needs some professional help. We all do from time to time.

Just trying to stay grounded and realistic. Optimistic is thinking that Bryz will steal the game in the first place.

I think that got our wish doom, eh? Man, Bryz is out there....

BOI: Well, enjoy...26 years...heck, I am happy if I last 26 dates/days....

Peace,

Howie

Love, honor, and negociate. Heavy on the negociation...

I disagree, but it will help. After all, that would be the first game he has stolen this season. He needs to do quite a bit more, unless we are talking about a certain game seven.

Oh come on now, let's stay positive. Flyers 3 Rangers 1 !!

I don't mind that at all but he better play like Tim Thomas the rest of the way.

Let's Supersize that Vince! If Bryz steals the Winter Classic, all will be forgotton in this city of mercurial fans..

Bear:

Great observation RE: Homer. Yes, I suspect Homer and Jeff Reese are prodding Bryz. Meanwhile, I will try to enjoy tonight. Will visit a few friends tonight but probably have a dinner on my own...so significant other this New Year's...finding a decent gal will be a New Year's resolution.

Best,

Howie

Howie58:

I have a wonderful wife of 26 years. Not sure how we did it. She accepts hockey too. How's that to boot?

Good luck hunting tonight. Find one with your love of wine and hockey though, ok? I sense you are a pretty classy guy, so you should have no problem.

Weather here in Eastern Pa is Hot! Like upper 50's Hot. Alum game is set for 3pm but even with a 20-22oF ice surface, with sun exposure I would not be surprised for a push back.

We have folks coming over for New Years tonight and were hoping to use the garage as a back-up refrigerator... Whoops..

Enjoy!

BOI

BOI:

Your prognosis is sobering. I really hope that that Bryz turns it around.

Meanwhile, I was having some Cab at my neighborhood Chili's when you sent your message. You wouldn't think there was an economic downturn...place was packed.

I am looking forward to the Classic and the start of the New Year.

Stay well!

Howie

Howie:

I am in the foodservice business. I have seen the same recently. Counts and covers coming back up, but with mid-casual chains like the Chili's not the high end. A lot of consumerism and demand right now, a lot holiday based. Wait until credit card statements come in in January. Sobering...

Bryz will find his way. Does not matter much what Flyer fans say because Holmgren is going to ride Bryz.

I don't care of Bryz loses the next 10 if it takes him that long to get his groove back. All that matters is a game-changing goaltender in the season after this first 82 games of warm-up.

Enjoy the bubbly tonight!

BOI

Flyers fans are tough. I know. I have been one for a long time. The despiration of not having a Cup in 35+ years is wearing like a lead anchor. We all need to give Bryz a break. This guy is elite. I don't care if we lose the next 10 games with him in goal if that what it takes for him to get his groove. Nothing matters except getting in the playoffs and the season after the 82 game season.