GratefulFlyers

So true. Hart hasn't played well this season but how much is on the skaters? I'd say quite a bit. Flyers' team D swings from non-existent to pretty good. It's no wonder Hart has struggled, no wonder his numbers are what they are. I think he'll be fine eventually....has a sports psychologist, friends with Bernie etc. But this season will be a black mark on his career and maybe only Flyers' fans will remember why.

2 hours ago, radoran said:

They *barely* beat The Rangers - a team that honestly wasn't supposed to be any good this year and yet is exactly at the same position the Flyers - set to make gains on last year - find themselves.

Not for nothing but the Rangers are much better now than when the season began. They gave the Caps all they could handle today - after a tough game yesterday while the Caps rested. With Shesterkin in net the Rangers are a tough out.

That wasn't to dispute your point though. I agree there's little cause to celebrate. Morin played well, got the GWer. Gostisbehere looked good and Eliot was good enough. There's a few things the Flyers can build on...if they actually build on them. Or they may give up 6 goals tomorrow night and lose to Buffalo. I just have no feeling for this team, no idea who will show up.

One thing I think is clear, a shake-up is in order and just about everyone is fair game.

Rangers using that same play every time on the PP ... slipping a guy down the wall then toward the dot and feeding him for a one-timer. Flyers soft coverage means he gets a good look every time.

Maybe it's okay keeping them on the perimeter...but no aggression no pressure on the puck-carrier. The PK has to battle not just wait and hope Eliot makes the save, which is what it looks like they're doing to me.

It's a wonder it's not 5-1. A couple missed passes on the rush and a few missed shots on the PP otherwise it would be 5-1.

True very true - I almost hit "edit" to say I take most of it back. No question the guy is a talented goal-scorer. He was slumping big-time before the Flyers' games. But I highly doubt he would've had even on HT against the Bruins or the Isles.

I mean it's a shooting gallery against the Flyers these days. The PK...just this last one that they killed off - there's a Ranger standing next to Eliot's left post and nobody within 3 feet of him. Allowed to stand there untouched.

The coaches have to take some blame for sure but when guys ignore the basics it's hard to blame them too much imho.

Wow Shesterkin keeps playing like this the Flyers may never score again. That was a Wicked save on Raffl right before the PP.

I'm sure you know it's not really Zibanejad. I mean give him a little credit sure but almost anyone who ever played would score most of those goals. Against this "Team D" it's like ... come one come all nobody's gonna bother to try and stop you.

This is so beside the point but Shesterkin is playing real well. I can see why the Rangers think they've got their goalie for the future he looks good.

Oh man WTF is Eliot doing? The Team D isn't bad enough...guess Eliot figures he can't make things worse. Flyers are just

lucky it isn't 2-0.

Another slam dunk against the PK what else is new? What kinda coverage is that? Myers is standing there and just ignores him. The guy who's got TWO hattricks in the past 2 games is left alone to wait by the post for an easy tap-in. Unreal.

11 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

True, but that's the risk inherent in any trade. The Flyers seem like a team that is ready to win now (or very soon).

Excuse me but ... win what exactly?

I'll be impressed if they win a few shifts today and keep the Goals-Against below 5. But I wouldn't bet on it.

11 hours ago, Howie58 said:

It looks like Elliott versus Shesterkin. 

I was afraid of that...he stoned the Flyers the other night...kid stood on his head.

I mean he literally stood on his head laughing at what was going on the other end of the ice.

Oh I got you now. Ya I can't argue with that. He's certainly not a generational talent or a big-time NHL star. But I'd say he's one of the best complements to a team you're going to find around the league. Voracek too, with an asterisk lol.

Not that it matters but making Giroux captain did him no favors.

I hope Morin plays on Saturday. He's a better option than Gustaffson.

41 minutes ago, radoran said:

 

I've been saying for years that the VeeGees are good but they're not good enough to actually compete with the top guys on other teams. The results tend to bear that out.

You seriously don't think Giroux can compete with the best players in the league? No offense but that's crazy-talk.

Ha! Alright then. Way to hang tough boys! NObody beats the Flyers 9-0 twice in a row.

It's strange though RJ because I agree we saw that mentally-defeated team for the first 30 minutes tonight. Then Giroux scores and suddenly they're playing with urgency and awareness of Team D. Myers covers for Sanheim as he should, NAK is throwing the body, Hayes actually shoots the puck for once, passing was more accurate etc.

Still making mistakes but not the OMG WTF type that littered the first 30 minutes. 

[edit: back to the mental midgets I guess. 7-2. Oh wait, Couturier makes it 7-3. FanFknTastic. This team is a damn joke.]

These guys are not as bad as they look. They're not. NHL players should not blow coverage the way they do. They shouldn't misfire on 5-foot passes. They shouldn't whiff on wide-open nets. Etc etc.

They're playing like they got their heads up their own asses, sometimes the whole night but always at least 20 minutes a game.

Something is really rotten god only knows what it is.

Nah don't worry about Hart he knows better than anyone his skaters are giving him no help. I do worry he prob has zero interest in staying in the O&B.

Not sure where he's at contract-wise...but what goalie would volunteer to stick with this "team?"

Wow. 5-0. After getting asskicked 9-0 last week.

Jeezuschrist can't even type a post before they score again. Hahaaa 6-0.

Un..Real.

Wow. Imagine facing that every night as you're lacing em up. If that doesn't make you "arrive early in ill humor" nothing will.

@radoran You should've read my mind...(!)...I didn't necessarily mean GWers only that their combined play has carried the team to wins this season. My eye test tells me they're the least of the problems. Their Pts/G reflects that I believe.

Can I think of better players who make less? Sure. So what. Part of Giroux and Voracek's value to the Flyers this year especially is that besides Couturier (and JVR for some strange reason) they're the only skaters playing the same way every night. I know what kind of effort, execution 28 and 93 will bring. The rest, with few exceptions is a big question mark.

I'm not saying they're immune to whatever's plaguing the team. But it's something new. Probably it's this Covid crap. Something made about 20 guys forget how to play hockey, which, let's face it is not that complicated to begin with. !

28 minutes ago, SCFlyguy said:

G and V are good players but in no way capable of carrying a team at this point. 

I guess it depends what you mean by "carrying the team." Just this season we've seen them combine for clutch goals that won games for the Flyers. But if you mean carry them to PO wins and eventually the Cup...they need a lot more help than they're getting now. Giroux is about 0.8pts/game and JV is about 0.9, which isn't too bad.

I get the feeling a lot fans here are "done" with Giroux and Voracek. To me neither one cracks the Top Ten of the Flyers' problems this year. I do yell at Voracek the most (!) followed by Hayes and for the same reason, trying to beat 3 defenders by themself. But l think the Flyers' problems lie elsewhere.

I wonder which Flyers team shows up tonight...the guys that looked like solid PO contenders for 2 periods vs. the Isles or the soft, mistake-prone clownshow we saw against the Devils. Game to game - period to period - it's anybody's guess

Wow. Unreal, just bizarre. So many bad decisions, poor passes, so much standing around. And cap it off with another goal in the final minute. A manageable 2-1 game turns into a 4-1 shellacking. Flyers' PP is no help.

I hate to complain about the obvious but signing Gustafson was such a dumb move. After Niskanen retired the Flyers' need was straightforward and instead Fletcher bring in Gustafson who's Ghost-Lite at best. And Justin Braun - well he's got the wrong last name is all I can say about JBraun.

1 hour ago, Lindbergh31 said:

...The question is with this team right now even if they made the playoffs they'd be one and done.

Yes it's hard to see the Flyers taking 4 of 7 against anyone right now. The last time they won 2 in a row was the shutouts vs. Buffalo 3 weeks ago.

If they face Buffalo, NJ or the Rangers the Flyers could possibly advance. The only problem is...  

11 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

"...failed to re-sign Tyler Pitlick..."

This really bothered me. I know a 10-min 3rd-line winger wouldn't make a difference now. But letting him walk was a real penny-wise-pound-foolish move by Fletcher. The guy loved to hit, to regain possession etc. all the things this team doesn't seem interested in lately.

I gave the Flyers credit for a solid 2 periods and beating the Isles the other night. The "collapse" in the 3rd wasn't so much a collapse as it was a revert-to-form, which, when your form absolutely sucks means you give up 3 unanswered and nearly blow the game. But Oskar nearly brought a tear to my eye on that GWer.

Anyway - nice to find a place to rant about the Flyers.