GratefulFlyers

I guess that's a Twitter thing...but I tried...

Good win against a rival. A little shaky and then the penalties started but credit the Flyers they got back to attacking and were rewarded for their effort. We got a glimmer, a reminder of how well they can play. And Lyon had a strong game too. Okay go ahead tear it all down. I know it's coming...LOL tough room. Cynical and unimpressed, is that a badge around here? Nothing personal to anyone just trying to figure you guys out. [edit: see above - lol - right on time Occam! You nailed it, fulfilled my expectations perfectly!]

Hmm... Scott was asked who is the most accountable for the season: coaches, players, or management. “You look at it, and it’s the coaches’ jobs to make sure the players are ready to play,” he said. “We’ve been showing up not ready to play. I mean, the guys have gotten off to slow starts in, what, 19 of the last 21 games” and allowed the first goal. I read some post where you guys were talking about alternating years of blaming the players, then the coaches. Anybody keeping track? Who's getting axed this summer? Scott's quote sounds like AV and his staff but of course later he's quoted as "they have all my confidence and Chuck's too."

oh you poor dear...

Just over 9 min left, 4-2 Flyers...Do they hold on and win in regulation or no? Asking for some friends on a message board. edit: Whoa who's that #93? Man I'll bet he's a real fan favorite! What a play even better finish by Farabee. 5-2 Flyers. Same question though...do they win in regulation? Still only 50/50 in my estimation.

Ah okay I guess I missed the captain / wrong year mistake. oh fk me 4th straight minor penalty and this one is real horsesht. I agree the Flyers can't exactly celebrate a "big win" here like it means something. [edit: if they do hold on for a win that is - still lotta game left - and now it's 4-2] But the fact is the Flyers are playing well - until the 3 straight penalties - and the Pens are not laying back or sleep-walking. They're trying hard to win so I'll gladly give the Flyers credit for showing up strong tonight. But they better get back to winning battles and quicken up their decision-making or this game will be tied in a matter of minutes.

Boo... so my all-in-good-fun demeanor, which I took some pains to make obvious, evidently didn't register with you. Okay friend...I won't make that mistake again. Meanwhile, I posted Giroux's stats, which are a matter of record. Whatever your problem is with the numbers you should talk to Giroux. After all he's the guy who racked up the points, ten years ago and again tonight. Enlighten me as to which ones count and which ones don't. Good luck with that btw. As to "crediting a playoff win rouns (sic) as captain that didn't happen" I don't know what that is.

Who are these guys in the black and orange? Can't be the Flyers cuz the Flyers suck. These guys are skating and burying goals like a real pro hockey team. WTF is this? Holy wow that lousy captain strikes again now it's 3-0. Weird. edit: SEVENTEEN shots on goal in the 1st. Yes the Pens are little loose but the Flyers really played well. So now they get to rest for 40 minutes I guess?

Oh my...a sincere LOL on that one. No criticism intended but damn man do you ever lighten up? (laughing but not at you) So Hextall levels Chelios for wasting Propp (on a dirty hit) earlier in the series...and "but they lost" is what you remember? Even a classic, one-for-the-books thrashing like that...Hextall out-Hextalls Hextall and it's, "great but the Flyers still suck." LOL I swear I'm not being critical - it's comical is what it is. I'm starting to realize you must be completely, totally and finally Fed Up with the Flyers. Is that fair to say? And it started long before this year. You'd be great to argue with over beers at a sports bar...with Flyers' games from the '70s and '80s on the screens. I think I'd have a decent shot at cracking your half-empty glass. LOL...maybe.

Yes...and no. Remember the Lindros years, watching him smash through the opposition night after night? Do you remember when Hextall wasted Chelios in the POs? How about when the Flyers made the world-renowned, elite Russian hockey team cry? The Bullies scared them so bad they wouldn't take the ice till they were told, "fine, quit and go home but you don't get paid" (they left the ice after Van Impe elbowed one of their stars, knocked him out. But they were scared shitless of the Flyers, nobody had ever played them that way before). Anyway the Flyers were the only team to beat the Russians that year. Well there's many more examples but you know what I mean. And I know what you mean too. And I can't argue with it. You're right the all-time greats are almost always champions. I just can't concede or convince myself that everything since May 27, 1975 has been a failure. Like Giroux's tenure as captain...lot of great memories, lot of disappointments.

Claude Giroux: All-Time Leaders 2nd in Assists (Clarke 206 more games) 3rd in Points - 851 in 938 games (Clarke 1210 in 1144; Barber 883 in 903) 7th in GW goals (Giroux's pace much slower; all top 50 ex. Barber and Clarke played fewer games) 8th in Assists/Game 9th in Goals 9th in PP goals 14th in Points/Game - 0.907 39th in Goals/Game - 0.289 All-Time Playoffs leaders 6th in Points (all top 5 played many more PO games) 10th in Points/Game (0.859) 11th in Goals (1-10 all played more PO games ex. Briere and Kerr) 16th in Goals/Game - 0.294 (Briere #1 - 0.544) I didn't post this to propose or convince anyone of anything. I was curious whether he deserves the PO choke-artist or PO under-performer label. Also I wondered what example he has set over the years as a lead-by-example type of captain. Maybe he is a terrible leader; or maybe he's a fine leader and captain but wrong for the Flyers. I won't pretend to know. As they say in the car ads "your mileage may vary." [edit: Stats courtesy of https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/philadelphia-flyers-players-career-nhl-stats.html ]

I hope not and I don't think he will unless something behind-the-scenes convinces the suits this was his fault somehow. Frankly I don't think it was anyone's fault, individually or collectively. I said before it's Because Covid and I think that explains a lot. It does not however explain the Flyers' goal differential this year, which is MINUS 42. WTF is all I got on that. Rad and others have complained about the leadership group. Their points are valid, not just imho but clearly and plainly valid. For a decade they've been alternating by year, Make / Miss the POs. They haven't found ways to build on success. Some of that is on the GM(s) poor decisions, some is on the coaching. But the players who've been around since this Make/Miss started have to take responsibility for too. Not sole responsibility but a good chunk of it. It seems to me there's a huge hole in the personality of a team that swears it's a Stanley Cup contender but never makes it out of the 1st round. Once in 9 years is the punchline to a joke, nothing more. Good teams, Cup-winning teams have a will to win. Maybe it's a hate to lose mentality. Whatever, I can't describe it very well but it's like porn, when you see it you know it. Whatever it is the Flyers sure don't have it.

Fair enough...I think you're still at just better than even money whether you're right or wrong. But fair enough. Because I agree there are many signs pointing to a dearth of leadership. ... slow starts, inability to hold a lead / close out games, all the goals-against so quickly after scoring. The weak special teams speaks to disorganization. Also, the stats say they're a great FO team but possession time doesn't seem to reflect it when I watch...not all the time but enough.

Boy do the Flyers really suck. Some decent players but as a team they are nowhere. And Brian Elliot ought to retire this summer.

Ha what a great intro! Well played sir... Hard to imagine anyone paying to see them in person....I feel abused cuz I paid $85 for NHL’s online feed this year, which only covers Flyers games...a few weeks later it dropped to $49 for all the games....and of course, “sorry but we do not refund or apply credits to NHL product purchases.”

Damn, thought for sure I would’ve changed your mind completely. Lol hey to each his own. I won’t be sorry to see him go but unless Mr. Fletcher is a true wizard I guess ol’ Jake will be driving you guys crazy for a few more years.

[warning: the following may trigger blind hatred, irrational objections and other unhinged protestations] He leads the team with 40pts in 47 games...0.85 PPG. For reference Barzal is at 0.80, Bergeron is 0.88, Couturier 0.92. He's not afraid to carry the puck, make plays...maybe the most underrated skill of forwards who can do it. Hayes can rag it with the best (when he feels like playing) but Voracek has the vision to actually make something out of it. Does he fk it up sometimes? Yes he does. But more often than not he gains time/space for his mates to get into the zone and get a forecheck going. He always (usually?) leads the Flyers in assists. League-wide I guess he's in the top 20. Assists aren't goals but they're the next best thing. I don't love his game because the holes are large - over-passing, too cute when he's high in the zone = turnovers. I like his game and if he'd shoot more he'd have more fans. But he is what he is. I certainly wouldn't give him away for picks though, that would be stupid. He's a valuable point-producer and has great chemistry with Giroux/Couturier. If those 3 are together again next year I won't be upset. "Big Changes" would be probably better though. Start with Hayes.

Indeed it is...you're right you simply can't call yourself "one of the best teams" if you don't win consistently. I don't think the veterans are kidding themselves, they know they've sucked as a team all year. None of them can answer the obvious "why can't you start a game on time?" or "why only 3 minutes of hard work tonight?" Maybe they're hedging, protecting teammates or coaches from embarrassing revelations but I doubt it. I think they're genuinely befuddled. One thing I find debatable is re: the "money players." I've been happy with Giroux and Voracek's game this year. At times they even "wow-ed" me. And Couturier impressed me long before he scored 30+ for the Flyers. The problem as I see it has more to do with the surrounding cast, although I do agree with the point you've made a few times - that these 3 are not good enough to be the (only) "money players" to take the Flyers to the Cup. But imagine Marner or Buchnevich or any of the speedy scoring demons skating with them. How many great PP feeds and setups would be goals instead of near-misses because TK is still in his funk, Allison is still green or because Hayes and JVR are on one of their many float days? Oh well just imagining...kinda late for those dreams when it comes to our aging veterans. Not too late but almost too late. As to their leadership I don't think fans can comment intelligently. Too many variables and intangibles that fans never see.

I don't know if you're referring to Couturier's quote but he said something like this, although he began it with "when we're on we're one of the best teams..." I forget the exact words but that was the gist. And I think there's some truth to it. Or, to put it in reverse (sort of), I don't believe for a second that this is the best this group of Flyers can play. re: the other teams and Covid - yes to all of that...no denying the facts. The only "but" is one more fact, and that's that everybody reacts differently. Not just to the virus itself but all the disruption, the zero practice (which I believe has really hurt the younger guys) and the uncertainty surrounding everything this season. It's not an excuse it's just the way it is. Am I disappointed in them, esp the veterans? Of course I am, although Giroux, Voracek and Couturier have all had solid seasons. Collectively they stink, no two ways about it. I just don't believe the effects of Covid can be quantified. We'll never know how much it played into their overall suckage.

And it applies to the Rangers too, not the same situation but similar to the Devils when they met the Flyers - also as you noted, the Sabres too. Look out Flyers' fans...this year was bad but next year could be worse. The outlook is dismal for a quick turnaround over the summer. Unless - and I believe there's a good chance this is true - unless this mess is mostly Because Covid. Well there is the Kracken draft so that'll shake things up a bit. But I agree with you, I'll be shocked if there are any big, bold moves by Fletcher.

Something weird and out of the ordinary happened this year. Is it the obvious Because Covid? Whatever it is, guys that make it to the NHL don't generally play with this level of indifference to puck support, to coverage, to protecting the net etc. You're right Maine it should not be this bad. The usual suspects, the target(s) for blame - it just doesn't explain losing 9-0 and a week later losing again 8-3 to the same team. Division rivalry aside that amount of apathy is practically unheard of in the NHL. The past 2 games vs. the Devils made it even more obvious. Both will miss the POs this year but one team had jump, played responsibly for the most part and was hungry for goals - and got them. The other team barely went through the motions for long stretches of the games. It's fkn embarrassing to be a Flyers' fan this year. I sure would love to know what's really been going on in that locker room...

From all accounts he's a smart guy with good people around him. I doubt he's been pressuring himself to play through injuries, at least no more than any pro athlete. Since the game in Tahoe the Flyers' nosedive has been obvious and Hart is partly responsible for it. He knows it and said as much in post-game interviews. But I never got the impression the Flyers could "ruin him" either by overwork or by exposing him to the worst defense in the NHL. Hart seems too strong-minded to be "ruined."

ha yeah they've got a tough job this year...how do you keep a straight face trying to sell the Flyers this year? Ugh. Well I guess there's always Gritty!

it's almost unbelievable how consistently the Flyers give up goals after scoring one. This has to be some kinda record. All year...I have no idea how many times it's happened but it seems like nearly every game I watch...Flyers go down by 2 or 3, start working, score and cut the lead...and then give it right back. WTF. I think they better stick with Lyon...Elliot was spent in the 3rd last game. hey hey now it's 3-2...soon to be 4-2 I assume.

Yes sir that pretty much covers it. That really was such a What-Else-Is-New? goal to give up...the timing of it made it even more awful. Flyers have given up the first goal in 9 straight games now. well at least Hayes finally got benched.