brelic

Well, that was one helluva hockey game. - That 2nd period was probably the most organized and dominant stretch of hockey I've seen the Flyers play in about a decade. - As brilliant as Hart was, last night really was a complete team effort. Special teams, all lines and defense pairs. They seem to just control play at will. The 1st period was more even - probably a bit of rust, nerves, and just a feeling out process. After that it was all Philly. - Hughes is already impressive even if he is still quite raw. You can see the vision. On the other hand, did Hischier even play? I honestly did not see him, nor did I hear his name. - Lovin' the Lindblom/Coots/TK line. Man, they are so strong on the puck. - Hayes is a difference maker. Superb acquisition by Fletch. He's noticeable every time he's out there. - G's line will get going eventually, and when they do, watch out. - Bobby Mac talking about a team "that first needs to move out some salary or a roster player" looking at getting Brian Boyle. Hope it's not the Flyers for several reasons, but mostly because that would signal that Patrick is pretty much out for the year. GO FLYERS!

Didn't he tie an NHL record last year with most consecutive wins from start of a career? Wasn't it like 9? Tied with Thibault, IIRC.

Our longest home stand this year is three games, and the first one won't happen until November. Last time we started the season at home? 2013.

It's also in our time zone! The only one this month! Ok, maybe not. But it sure feels that way.

Jeez, this GDT is 5 days old and still going. Will ya play some hockey already?

Yeah, not sure why they signed Berube other than as insurance against Elliott. He doesn't have a ton of NHL experience, but he has more than Lyon so in the worst case scenario, he could play a role until they figure out something more permanent.

He's only 22, they'll figure it out.

More importantly, we’ll know if Hart is up for the task.

I don’t know, it truly feels like the schedule makers don’t give a crap about the Flyers having to start in Europe.

Oh Provorov. Back to your old tricks, I see.

Too much of that darn home cookin' again.

Haha, good catch! I'm assuming it's TK? Yeah, both Laughton and Twarynski are probably playing above the ideal, but there's not much of a choice right now. I like Laughton as a winger on the 3rd line when he has to step up, but we're short on centers. Honestly, I'm surprised that Pitlick is not above Twarynski if only because of his NHL experience, but it might be because he's just fresh off an injury. Depending on how we fare in the first 5-6 games, we'll probably see Frost or Farabee or both by the Dallas (19/10) or Vegas (21/10) games. And we should know by next Wednesday's home opener if Patrick is going on LTIR or not.

Here's a take from Paul Stewart. https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Paulbr-Stewart/Kane-Suspension-Further-Weakens-Abuse-of-Official8230/196/101760 In the case of San Jose Sharks' winger's suspension this week, it was a no-brainer that it fit in the 10-game category and not the three."The crux of the three-game category in this instance: "Any player who, by his actions...deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than three (3) games."This is the 10-game category: "Deliberately applying physical force without intent to injure an official." The distinction between the two categories is the added wordage in the milder category about the player specifically trying to get free during an on-ice altercation between the two teams.In Kane's case, there was an altercation that he'd been separated from -- not very effectively or in the fashion in which officials are trained -- but that situation had died died down by the time Kane and the linesman tumbled to the ice. Kane's subsequent response -- a non-forceful, but nevertheless inappropriate and dangerous shove to the official -- had nothing to do with getting free to get back at the opponent and everything to do with feeling angry and embarrassed. That's a 10-gamer, in my opinion.

Interesting lineup choice from AV. 4-2 Flyers. G, Coots, JVR, and Hayes. Voracek with 3 assists.

Good points - though I would argue that LA is the exception over the past decade, and NJ is part of the trap era. So while it's definitely possible to win without GBT, it seems to be the exception. Hart could be the game breaking talent in the way that Rask was/is. Giroux is that now. Couturier is in the same mold as a Bergeron. But other than Hart, we don't have a youngster in the system that fits the bill - at least not yet. Of course, we just need someone or two someones to get hot at the right time. Is Ville Leino a GBT? Not in this universe... but during that one playoff run we had, he sure played like it. He was beyond impressive. I guess what I'm really saying is not that we don't have current and upcoming elite talent. We do. But remove Giroux from the equation, and oof. Those are big skates to fill.

Totally - like I said, it's a problem for another day. But when I see teams like NJ get Hischier and Hughes, NYR getting Kakko, it makes me wonder if Hextall's approach was not the best. He drafted great while trying to remain competitive (which unequivocally did not work out) so we were not in a position to grab some top 3 draft picks. Patrick is the exception, though I'm not sure I see game-breaking talent from him. Again, maybe he follows Coots' path and takes 5-6 years to full mature and round out his game.

Honestly, the thing that bothers me the most about the lineup is that I don't see a Giroux replacement in the near future. We just don't have one in the organization. Frost *might* turn out to be that guy - way too early to tell. I don't think Patrick will ever be that. If he can come back healthy and get his condition under control, he can probably become a very solid 1/2C but I don't see him putting up Giroux numbers. His ceiling is probably a Couturier type, which is great, and something we need long term - a defensively responsible 70+ point 2-way center. Other than those two, I just don't see high level game breaking talent in our organization. It's definitely a problem for another day, but a problem nonetheless.

Well, the other pairings didn't work in the preseason, so why not? I know, "preseason" is "preseason", but 1-3-3 with slow starts in almost all of them doesn't inspire confidence.

Like @radoran said, zero tolerance for touching officials, IMO. That's just not a window you ever want to have even a wee bit open. But also, E Kane is a class A s**tbag.

I think it’s Ray Whitney and Paul Bissonnette.

Fun interview with one of my favourite Flyer ever. https://www.barstoolsports.com/boston/spittin-chiclets-episode-205-featuring-mike-richards-dry-island-pacific-preview-ras-gambling-corner-much-more

That $1M retention on Gudas suuuuure don't look so good right now. And they've screwed themselves defensively because they don't want to give up Morin or Hagg for nothing by waiving them.... so it makes sense that Myers gets the cut. In all honestly, I think he played himself out of a spot at least to start. What a mess that simply didn't need to be a mess.

Please tell me you're kidding. Is it cap space, or did they prefer dressing Morin over Farabee? If so, that tells me AV does *not* trust the defense. Either way, this wouldn't have happened if they were, you know, in North America. They would have released/traded/demoted someone, I'm guessing.

I was looking for Episode 2 of Behind the Glass, but ended up finding this instead... Three things immediately jump out - 1 - You could have told me the intro narrative was about this upcoming season, and I'd believe you. Same story, six years later. 2 - If you'd told me in 2013 that by 2019, Morin would play in 8 total NHL games, I'd say you're crazy. Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil! 3 - Wow, how much has technology evolved in six years?!?! The production looks absolutely amateur. Crazy times we live in!

Did I say garbage team? I probably did, but I meant more "garbage product." I'm willing to see if a real coaching staff can get different results - though the points you bring up below are salient. This isn't the players' first rodeo, and have failed to really show any kind of strong playoff ability in just about a decade. My 8-10-2 prediction is non-scientific, and based around these first 5-6 games that could be really rough. Within their first week, they are playing 3 games across 9 time zones. *If* they go something like 1-4-1 in their first 6, yeah, that's not good. Like I said, I'm hoping for 2-2-2 at the worst. Middling, but I'd say successful all things considered. Bottom line, I agree. Put up or shut up. The Patrick injury is really unfortunate because we're basically in the same position we were last year, thin down the middle. A lot better with Hayes, but a bit weaker with a rookie on the 4th. As much as I think Laughton has a role on this team, I don't think it's with JVR and Lindblom or Farabee. That line will just not generate enough offense to best utilize JVR's strengths. Maybe Frost comes up soon enough and makes things click.