brelic

Yeah, that’s totally fair. If last year’s Patrick shows up, it’s probably a marginal upgrade. But every once in a while you see flashes of why Patrick was drafted so highly. He’s gonna figure it out. Laughton has never shown any of those flashes, and that’s because it’s just not there.

I think the Flyers definitely have the existing pieces in the system to be a deep team, but a big chunk of it is derailed because of Patrick's injury. It really is a big set back that has no current solution. Man, I hope he comes back soon. The lack of news is... encouraging? Or at least the fact that he's not LTIR is encouraging.

Yeah, maybe. It's definitely possible that the team on the ice could be better with different leadership. The challenge in these cases, though, is that how do you realistically address that? That is a difficult and very disruptive process i.e. it would probably have a strong effect on the team for a while, whether good or bad. Hard to say. So not only is it a pretty hard thing for Fletch to realistically "solve", but it's also very risky on whether or not it will have the intended effect. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm just saying it's not easy, and I would guess, almost a non-starter for Fletch (to move Giroux). He would need a LOT of evidence that there is an actual problem.

And we are seeing this right now. Provorov has had a very up and down start to his career. Ghost is another. Sanheim, TK, Patrick, and almost certainly Hart will too. I know no one wants to hear this... but I'd say we're 2-3 years away Joking! But not really.

Definitely. I mean, the Oilers had more than their fair share of the "process" that was likely delayed by mismanagement, but on that Braun miscue last night, I don't think anyone not named McDavid scores there. He's just on another level. The bad news is, yeah, we don't have generational talent, and aren't likely to get some anytime soon. Hopefully Patrick comes back healthy and has a great career, but he is hardly a generational talent. The good news is, St Louis won the Stanley Cup. Without generational talent. And TB's elite talent was ousted by a team that played like a team, and wanted it more. Yes, you need top talent, and we have that. Maybe we need more, maybe we need "different" talent, I don't know.

That's almost definitely true lol. Honestly, I'd be surprised if PED use in the NHL was NOT rampant. Maybe that's an unfair assumption for me to make, but there's doping in all the major sports, and they're really good at hiding it for the most part.

Like it or not, our season depends on large part for Hart to play "above" his age level. Or Elliott providing some above average play for a stretch if Hart struggles. This is a little bit like the Provorov situation - he is a projected #1 at his position, but 'projection' doesn't help right now. He's at 2.46/.904 after 4 games. We'll know more after 20 games about where Hart's game is at. FWIW, Price's rookie year (20 years old) he played 41 games, 2.56/.920, then dipped for a few years (.905, .912). He he a great year at 23 years old (.923), and then a few more down years before hitting his peak years at 26/27 years old. Kid's got all the physical and mental tools. He just needs experience to reach the next levels, whenever that might be.

That's sooooo Hextallian.

Here's where we stand after 5 games... 23rd overall in points (16th in p%) 20th in GF/GP 21st in GA/GP 6th on the PP 20th on the PK 2-2-1. Those certainly aren't playoff-team stats. It's still early, and it was a brutal schedule for these first five games. A few troubling trends are still kicking around - namely, starting slow and giving up an early goal. Let's see where they are after 10.

I watched until they chased Hart. No sense losing any more sleep to watch the rest. A few positives... - Ghost actually looked like old Ghost and made a few picks and offensive plays that he would have done in years past to change the tone of the game. They didn't work out, but the fact that he tried is something I haven't seen from him in at least a season. - The PP scored a few times again last night, and more importantly, it got Jake going. 3 point night and he was quite noticeable. - It was, for the most part, a good response to the Calgary game the night before. The Flyers dominated for long stretches, and severely outshot the Oilers. After each of the first three Oilers goals, I thought the Flyers responded with strong shifts and stretches. Outside of that, the big difference tonight was top end talent and goaltending. They buried their few chances when they got them, and they had smart puck movement in the offensive zone that forced lateral movement and confusion. The Flyers just didn't bury their chances, and really looked like a peewee perimeter grinding team when compared to the offensively gifted Oilers players in transition. Hart was also not sharp and didn't give his team the timely saves it needed. All the goals were well placed shots from talented players, but they were all stoppable (except maybe McDavid). It was just a weak effort from Hart overall. I've noticed thru preseason (Lausanne) and the four regular season games that Hart's weakness seems to be shots from 10-15 feet out. Those are the ones that beat him, and they usually beat him clean with minimal or no screen. A lot like Carey Price early on, actually. Anyway, that's a part of his game he'll need to work on over time. The 2-2-1 record is fine considering the circumstances. Still, when watching the game last night, I couldn't help feeling that the Flyers are still just muckers and grinders and that top end "modern" NHL talent eludes us.

For those who don’t know, Tim Hortons is the Canadian Dunkin’ Donuts. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/former-nhl-enforcer-donald-brashear-is-working-at-a-tim-hortons-in-quebec

Yeah Niskanen looks like a very smart acquisition by Fletch. He's providing a lot of what was missing last year. As for the top guys not producing, it looks like they just don't have any chemistry right now. I'd be hesitant to break up the Lindblom/Coots/TK line since they're playing so well, but we know that JVR/Hayes/Voracek line was solid in preseason, so why not try that, and reunite G/Coots/TK? Of course, the problem then is that Lindblom loses out. Could swap him and JVR. Maybe we see a move by the weekend in time for the Dallas game? A lot willl depend on the outcome tonight and individual play.

Pretty much agree with all of this. Elliott kept this game within reach the entire time. How many shots did they allow? It was very close to 40 if not over. It's nice to see him dialed in. Lindblom is turning into a possession monster right before our eyes. He just turned 23 and I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit 40 points this year. Very strong on the boards, makes a lot of little subtle heads up plays. I also thought Niskanen had a very strong game again. The rest of the team just looked off last night. Could be the travel, the flu bug (which has apparently hit half the team), or just the growing pains of a new coach, new system, and seemingly new lines every shift. The worst they can do on through this opening road trip is .500 (2-2-1). On par with what I hoped they could at least reach in this tough stretch. The bottom 6 is struggling, but it is admittedly weak. Missing Patrick and another more talented winger (say, Farabee?) or a better pivot (Rubtsov?). I would bet that there will be roster changes once they're back in Philly. The more concerning issue is the top 6. G, Jake, Hayes, and JVR just aren't contributing offensively. They need to get going. On defense, oof. Provorov was guilty of some egregious turnovers and poor decision making last night. He did balance it out somewhat with some nice plays, but I was hoping those 'rookie' mistakes would be ironed out by now. He's still only 22, so I'm not worried about him long-term - but it becomes an issue when he's also expected to play like a consistent #1 right now, not 5 years from now. Braun was directly responsible for two major gaffes on the first goal. Ghost has zero dynamic element to his game left. Sanheim was playing a bit like Myers last night and trying to do too much. Hagg is Hagg. All in all, a rough night. Quick turnaround, so let's see them plaster McDavid to the boards.. oh wait, we don't have Manning anymore. They do! Watch out G!

Especially when you throw them at numbered balls.

They don't have it tonight. Fighting the puck.

Not a fan of the Stewart signing. He didn't really show much in preseason.

Can you imagine what he must have been feeling after that save, and having the entire building erupt to cheer him on? Can you imagine how the team felt watching him make that save, and then killing off the 3 on 5 to end the period? The building was ELECTRIC and that's the kind of atmosphere that has been sorely lacking since pre-Hextall. Probably since early in Homer's tenure. (The only game in recent memory that felt like that was Hart's debut against Nashville). Honestly, I said it earlier in the thread, but damn, that whole game - the 2nd period in particular - felt like a playoff game. The PP had puck movement I haven't seen from the Flyers in a LONG time. Both PP units, actually. The goalie was en fuego. The team dominated every aspect of the game. That's some great early success for them to build on, and to make them believers in AV, the coaching staff, and most importantly, in each other.

Oh, it's probably inevitable that he will have struggles in his career. Just about all players do. Remember when everyone wanted to trade Giroux when he had his 50-some point season? And, Philly being Philly, it's probably inevitable that fans will turn on Hart when he does struggle. But in the long-view, I truly believe he will be a top level goaltender for his career.

Yeah, I know, but I feel like Hexy would have been scanning the waiver wire for goalie #9, and then strapped on the pads himself to be #10 in a pinch lol. Absolutely. Love Hart. More than just his talent, he seems like a genuinely special human.

Oh c'mon FC, you know me better than that! Of course all the stuff Hextall did with drafting was pure wizardry. He stocked them cupboards like they've never been stocked before. And beyond Hart, we have at least two other potential star goalies in the system. I'd say I was a fan of 90% of what Hextall was doing. And I was fine with him taking the time necessary to get there because I believed in his vision. I was just talking about mood around the team. It was not good. The players, the fans, it just seemed blah.

Do you mean #79? I honestly believe that Hextall would not have recalled Hart last year. Could be wrong, but his pattern tells me he would have found another 'solution.' Haha, I'm excited but need professional help for entirely different reasons. I'm 'excited' that they can be the foils that allow Sanheim and Provy to play with more confidence, to learn from vets who have either won it all or come very close, and to play with actual talented defensemen. Completely agree. Fletch doesn't Fletch without Hextall laying the (very tedious but necessary) groundwork. I get all the nuances, and my position is also very nuanced. I'm not criticizing Hextall per se - as I was kind bummed when he was canned - I'm just pointing out the very noticeable difference in mood. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to the turnaround. Some of it is personnel (AV speaks with the right amount of authority, hard-assery, and humour), some is personality (micromanager, compartmentalized groups vs what appears to be a more collegiate atmosphere), etc.

@ruxpin @mojo1917 Just to be clear, all I meant was the somber mood that seemed to be around the franchise with Hextall at the helm. He absolutely drafted well - probably the best run in the franchise's history - and he moved out deadweight, cleared salary, and chose to try and rebuild the team from within. He handed out smart contracts. I love Hextall the player, and was totally onboard with Hextall the GM. But I have to admit that the negativity was palpable the last few years when seemingly no progress was being made (and *I* know that time was needed). The team was no fun to watch - partly because they just didn't have enough mature talent on the roster, and partly because they kids were either not in the NHL yet or most of those that were were still in the learning process. Also, Hakstol. The mood is different around the team this year, and that starts with Fletch. Hayes, Niskanen, and Braun are different beasts than Weal/Weise/Lehtera and Gudas and AMac. It's only two games, but this team looks fun and loose.

The game really had a playoff feel last night. Fans are hopeful again. Players seem energized and connected. I don;t think we can understate the damage Hextall did to the franchise. I was reading a bit from a STH that mentioned just how many things were stopped under Hextall and are now reappearing (things like discounts, meet and greet events, social activities, access, etc). On top of that, he was icing a terrible product to watch. The dark cloud around the franchise seems to be lifting.

Gritty is a stroke of genius. I imagine it must have been a hard sell and taken someone who just truly truly believed that it was the right approach for a mascot. Nailed it.