GratefulFlyers

sounds about right. Rask is certainly capable of ending it in 4 or 5 but I'm starting to believe Sorokin is as well...could be a nice long series!

damn leafs score 3 straight so we got OT again...Price was good but a weak one to Galchenyak...killer goal. Can't blame him too much though the Habs were running around loose, fumbling the puck playing without any focus - so different than how they came out in the 1st and 2nd. Woo Hoo! barely a minute in and the Leafs go down! Those cross-ice passes at the blue line will kill you every time!

It does kind of feel that way doesn't it? It's been coming for awhile, with the injuries to Crosby and Malkin over the last couple years. And this PO season...yikes. I'm not ready to write either one of them off but obviously they both were ineffective. And pretty bad defensively at times. One goal apiece, a handful of assists for Malkin. Crosby had 2 pts in 6 games.

Haha yeah they beat him there a bunch of times this series. He's a good goaltender all in all but the Isles really exposed his glove hand esp up high.

Wow 4-min Isles PP and it's the obvious call - Martin got whacked and he's bleeding down his chin. Coupe great chances! holyshit Barzal what a move... OMG open net and Nelson misses for the HT - oh my goodness! you can't make this stuff up. Bye bye Penguins...Isles were the better team this series - not every game but tonight for sure. Good for them, good to see Barzal and Sorokin get to play more hockey

I’ll be perfectly happy to see Crosby and Malkin eliminated tonight...G7s are so unpredictable but I have to give the Pens a huge edge if this goes 7. Announcer just said it’s the first time the Isles can advance at home since 1993. They’re due...get it done boys! ugh not the way the Isles wanted to start...Carter beats Sorokin early...nice shot.

what a great game 2-2 start of OT... Sorokin made up for his earlier goof with some great goaltending in the 3rd...poke checked at least 2 that were going in for sure. screw the Leafs game this is some great PO hockey!

wow what a move by Beauvillier...all Pens in the 1st till that highlight reel goal. 1-1 after 1. soft goal Sororkin early in the 2nd 2-1...Isles don't look nearly as good as they did in G4. Give Pitt some credit but I think it's more the Isles are playing sloppy. Sorokin letting Rust score from 40' doesn't help.

I'm not sure Mojo..."had a bad day" is putting it mildly. In any case I would not put it that way. It wasn't like the Pens just didn't have their legs, or they had bad puck luck or Jarry was bad. They were skating hard, they had some chances. But that was a convincing Isles' win. They gave the Pens nothing uncontested. They pressured the puck relentlessly - I don't think the Pens had 2 strong shifts in a row all day. It was a lot of fun to watch and the best game in the series so far. G5 should be even better...unless you're right and the Pens can score a few early, force the Isles to make mistakes chasing the game. But the Isles look tough yesterday and it didn't feel to me like it was temporary.

If Patrick is symptom-free this summer he could come back and Wow people. Let's face it, at this point almost any change in his game will be an improvement. But I see some snarl from him in the scrums. He skates well, has a quick release and his defense is ... not terrible. If he's 100% healthy he may surprise us and become a game-changing player. I realize that's a little pie-in-the-sky right now but the kid is not small, not slow, can shoot and skate...the only thing holding him back is his health from what I can tell. Am I alone in thinking he may have a bright future with the Flyers? Or somewhere in the NHL?

According to https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/kevin-hayes-15821/ he's got another year NMC then a Modified-NTC (12-team no trade list) kicks in 2022 and runs the length of the contract, which ends in 2025-26. Did I read it wrong somehow? I might've... In any case it's a horrible contract...$7mil cap hit through 2026 for a 2nd line center (supposedly) who's NEVER put up even 50 pts. in the NHL. SIX seasons ago he hit 49. And you guys hate Voracek...At least Voracek's a solid 65pt guy. Flyercanuck noted that Hayes did play well last year. The problem is Hayes has been around long enough to know last year was an exception. Why AV loves him is a mystery, he had to scratch him a few times in NY and for exactly the same reason...invisibility. Whatever...Hayes isn't going anywhere, obviously AV still believes in him. Why I have no idea...

Voracek's cap hit could be better spent and if he can be moved without retaining salary I say great. But losing Voracek isn't critical to the Flyers' future in my opinion. Unloading Hayes' contract would be my priority. It's 2 years longer and only ~million less than JV. You call Voracek a "floater" but Hayes is the ultimate floater, him and JVR. I can't imagine what Hextall was thinking handing Voracek $66mil over 8 years. But I'm even more baffled by Fletcher giving Hayes...well, ANYthing #1, but a frggn NTC to boot...just unreal stupidity. (btw I know I'm "preaching to the choir" here; I've read what you think about KH) Voracek doesn't score many goals but he was 12th this year in primary assists with 18. An A isn't a G but it's the next the best thing. And because so few goals are scored unassisted in the NHL I think every team needs a guy who deals out assists and does it consistently.

Amen. "lacked teeth" is being nice about it. Oh there were some real nice 3-pass goals, nearly always involving Giroux and Voracek. Some point shots got through for JVR to whack away at them. But all in all I agree it was too predictable and too stationary. Same with the PK where I'm convinced there was terrible coaching or terrible buy-in, one or the other because they got scored on almost "at will" against everyone. Some turnover yes. But I find it odd you prefer a totally one-dimensional player like JVR - who was playing a complete game early on (totally out of character it must be said) - over Voracek. I don't sense you share the blind hatred for 93 so I'm curious what's so terrible about a 65+ pt guy with already established great chemistry with Giroux and Couturier? They skated top line only by default, because the Flyers' younger guys weren't ready for big minutes, defending against the best. They're closer now. I still think there's a huge need for what Voracek brings, turnovers and all. (!)

But is he making too much to be a 40+ point D-man? It wasn't long ago Mike Green made what, $6mil per and I'd put Gost's D up against his any day. Werenski is making $5mil I think. He may be a more complete player but not by leaps and bounds. So no, not "keep him at all costs" only that his pluses outweigh his minuses - And - as you noted he puts butts in the cushions. He's fun to watch and since the Flyers will hardly be legit Cup contenders next year we need Entertainment Value in a big way. [edit: I hope I'm wrong about Goligowski too...it probably won't be that bad. Then again...Hayes.]

Moving Gost is a mistake, which I'm sure Fletcher / AV will make if allowed. Gost is finally healthy enough to play the way he wants to, the way he did when he took the NHL like a storm. He will always need to "clean up" his defense but I can live with some beats on D to trade for a 40+ point PP QB. Plus his D is far from the worst for an offense-minded D-man. I'm not so sure this season is evaluation-worthy. I don't say pretend it didn't happen only that it was so "off" in every imaginable way...something else was going on besides "character" or "leadership" or even "talent shortage." Not to mention any of the other usual intangibles we complain about. Added to the fact that the core guys, Giroux, Couturier and Voracek, all had productive seasons, completely in line with what we'd expect. I know the argument is "a decade is long enough to reveal..." 1) Giroux's weak leadership, 2) Jake's _____ (fill in whatever horrible attribute you like) but there are just too many variables imho to assign blame or conclude "it's X" - "it's Y" - "No it's X and it's Y." I would love to start over...jettison everyone who's been wearing the O&B for more than 5 years. Also disappear Hayes. But it can't happen. So move Jake if you must, hope the Krackpipe takes JVR, hire Goligoski (that'll be Fletcher's Big Move on D) and get ready for another just-above .500 year. I'm afraid that's the best we can hope for.

I can't be as sure as that. This season...the less said the better. Just one thing - it was so below par for nearly everyone that for evaluation purposes I say throw it away. I'd say Provorov's ceiling is undetermined. He's only 24 and he started in the NHL at 19 I believe. He could very well grow into the role of a "true #1 D-man." I don't think he's that far away now. But my real concern is Chuckie Boy moves heaven and earth (overpays, in a word) to get that "true #1" and it's Tyson Barrie. Or Alex Goligoski. Nothing against those guys...but does Fletcher know what a #1 D-man is, or what Provorov needs? Niskanen retires and his answer was Gustafsson, a guy who played all of 24 games for the Flyers. Doesn't inspire much confidence.

LOL - yeah a little TMI but funny enough you get a pass for it!

And NAK...omitted on purpose? ("better than they've shown this year.") His play this year may be more of the general FUNK that was the Flyers 2020-21 season...hardly anyone rose above it. But at 25 he's got to sink or swim next year, wherever he ends up if he doesn't want to be a career AHL guy.

please pardon the length...next time I'll be better... "through the lens of production" is one of 2 things we have to go on, production - what was expected, what was delivered - and the "eye test." All the rest is intangible stuff we're generally not privy to. That's about it. What you expect, what you got, and what you saw on the ice. And the last one is open to many versions, all kinds of interpretation. I'm not so sure "the leadership" on the team is responsible for any of the mess that is the Flyers. In a general sense, sure, they're leaders they're supposed to lead...to wins not to 9-0, 8-3 losses in a week, not to starting the game in the 2nd period. Etc. Etc. But you can't blame the leaders for your own mistakes, your own lack of preparation, your own Fk It attitude. What you can blame leaders for is having a shtty attitude. I'm not talking abrasive personality I mean a real Who-gives-a-damn attitude. I'd be shocked if Giroux, Voracek or Couturier is viewed that way. Hayes, JVR -well I'd say it's obvious those 2 simply check out for long stretches. Giroux does not, Voracek and Couturier do not. You may hate the way they play but that's different from not showing up, not giving an honest night's work. I'll spot every NHLer a handful of games per season where they just don't have it...the legs are shot, their head is not into it, whatever. The only Flyers I see who go beyond a handful is Hayes and JVR. I highly doubt AV gets fired this summer. Unless he requests it I'm sure he'll be back. Now his staff...needs a shakeup. We can't troll the bottom of the league again in special teams.

I can't remember where I read it, probably in Creem but Page was going on about all the layering they did, running tapes backwards...all sorts of studio wizardry to get those guitar sounds. A 12-string and somebody else on a 6 is as close as I've come; not like the album but pretty nice, esp with a bit of phaser/flanger and reverb/decay of course. you tune the bottom string to D right? edit: you know i may be misleading you...i can't honestly rem if it TYG he was talking about or something else. But the low E tuned to D is correct AFAIK. Good luck have fun!! i know you will.

Nice summation of the game. The Flyers seemed to be working hard but all the unforced turnovers. Wow. It's been bad all year but this was a new low. Is it lack of talent? If you mean the talent level is too low to become an elite team then I think you're right. The only way this roster could be a legit threat is if everyone, from Hart on out, was having a career year or close to it - all at the same time.

Wow the Flyers are passing to the Penguins as often as to their own teammates. and just like that it's 3-0. and Justin Braun makes it 3-1. Justin Braun? His 1st goal of the season... edit: now that is what the Flyers have been missing...some clutch goal-scoring!

Figured it'd be Elliott. Seems a shame one of the LHV goalies can't get a game. Elliott's been out of gas for awhile now.

But you're probably right. It's hard to imagine the Flyers playing just as hard/fast/smart again tonight. Plus like you said the "buzz saw Pens squad" may be out for blood after losing 7-2. And then there's Elliott, who I assume goes tonight. He's kind of a disaster waiting to happen...all the signs point to him being spent. Then again the Pens don't really need the points so they may not go full tilt. Unless maybe they have a preference for NY or Boston in R1...?

Wait I thought Rad was the champion of the C&I squad... A good win obviously doesn't erase the drek that came before it. It's still sweet to whip the Penguins. I'm glad the paying customers finally got their money's worth.