PhilsFanDrew

I still thought the Flyers should have traded JVR at the deadline..he's nice to have but not needed anymore on this team..his 4 mill a year cap hit is going to hurt..

I agree that JVR has become expendable I just don't see what team would have traded for an injured player at the deadline. Typically teams are adding pieces at the deadline to make a run to the playoffs. Teams are more willing to take a flier on a guy and make a move for JVR in the offseason when they do a roster makeover. I'm hoping he does well soon and builds his value back up in the playoffs so we can move him for a D prospect or picks.

I think adding another vet that would command ice time away from young developing players would be a step in the wrong direction. The other problem is his contract is too rich. Its nice that the Flyers locked up Grossmann but both Kubina and Carle could be walking so defense will definitely need to be addressed which is going to eat up the remaining cap number.

I think the trading of picks is a little overblown, especially with the Flyers being such a young, deep team. They don't really need a ton of draft picks right now because whoever they draft is going to be blocked from the NHL anyway. If they were an older team with lots of veterans it would be a different story. Another point is Homer has done a great job targeting unsigned free agent players to make up for the lack of picks that have panned out.

I disagree Flyers didn't have the goaltending to beat Boston or Vancouver..

did you forget Patrick Kane from the class of 07?

Did you forget to read the entire article? Right underneath the graph, Kane is mentioned.

This was an OK road trip. I would not indict the new defenders after a few games. And frankly, it looks like Grossman is having fun booming away from the point.

My biggest concern after last night's game--why the hell haven't we won in that venue since 1999? What does that say about our play against Western clubs? If we want to win a Cup...we need to look at our performance against the West...and I suspect it is not so hot.

Howie

Actually this year against teams from the Western conference the Flyers record is 10-5-2.

I love this gem. "It's not like I'm playing bad, just consistently doing some stupid mistakes." Thats like saying, I'm not drinking and driving, just consistently drinking beer and getting behind the wheel. He has to realize the bad goals just zap the energy out of your team. Fortunately the guys were up last night regardless of his play. 4 goals on 26 shots is not good enough.

@doom88 You made some valid points. If the decision to send Z to the Phantoms is solely for Z only......then I'm good with that. I just dislike wasting Couturier on the fourth line with line mates of less offensive skill.

I know what you mean about Couturier being moved down to the 4th. I think Talbot's scoring early in the season was pretty much a flukey occurance. I love what Talbot brings in energy and PK but to me I would rather see him center the 4th line and move Couturier up. Couts has got a nice release and has more offensive upside to his game when paired with capable linemates.

Also did anyone else find it odd that they tried Simmonds out on the shootout again? Also why place him ahead of Giroux? I just don't understand our shootout lineup this year. Why not try Read or Coots?

It is unconscionable that Giroux does not get a crack at that shootout last night. Your better shooters need to go first or second. You can't wait and hope to get a goal from someone else in hopes that your best clinches it. I would have went Giroux, Briere, Schenn last night.

I think 17-9-4 is more realistic. There are some games the Flyers just seem to play down to their opponents. If I am not mistaken I think they have more home games the remainder of the season. They are a much better road team. I think at best they finish the season as a 4 seed in the East. I don't see them being able to catch the Rangers unless Lundquist's play drops off and/or Gaborik gets hurt for an extended period.

I think you will see Homer acquire a depth D-man off the scrap heap around the deadline but nothing in the class of a Weber or Suter. Personally I could do with or without a trade for that type of player. I figure just give minutes to Bourdon and Gus and continue to allow them to develop and evaluate them to see what the damage will be in the offseason.

I think people put way too much stock in these White House visits. Do you really think in the immediate and near aftermath of winning the Stanley Cup they thought about going to the White House to meet Obama? Not a chance. I highly doubt his teammates look at him any differently for exercising his right by not going and if they do it speaks to their own insecurity and they are the ones with the issue not him.

Nice Though I have to say, kind of a strange decision considering that Bryz played well the other night, and it isn't a B2B situation.

Probably should have been Bryz in goal.

Lavy was on 97.5 The Fanatic yesterday with Mike Missanelli and he pretty much said that the only reason Bob is starting is because of his great numbers against the Isles. I probably would have started Bryz to keep his confidence up after last game but I can also see where Lavy is coming from. He wants to put his team in the best position to win every game. The problem is sometimes when you do that you do so at the expense of games down the road. Right now its more important to get the goaltending situation stabilized than it is to overtake the Rangers for 1st in the div/East.

I would like to see thier fall like a rock in playoffs

This team reminds me Caps couple years ago.

The only way they remind me of the Caps a couple years ago is their points in the standings. How they got there is completely different. The Caps were a high octane offensive machine. The Rangers are a top the NHL because of their goaltending.

If Lundquist continues to put up Vezina/Hart like numbers the Rangers are definitely contenders. Without his great play this season the Rangers are a borderline 6 or 7 seed at best. They don't get a whole lot of secondary scoring. Gaborik is currently slumping but he is putting up a large portion of their offense. Torts seems to have pretty good control of that lockerroom and they have good leadership in guys like Callahan and Richards. I think the team realises their ownership is just trying to create "buzz" around the team but they know its steady as she goes.

Bob is our future, he's untouchable imo

Bob should have been our future. I agree. But when you go and sign someone else for a 9 year $51 million contract it is a pretty clear message that the organization opted for a different direction. Unless Bryz waives his NMC or the Flyers decide to do a buyout Bob is not the future.

Difference was, the Sens played physical on the Flyers and Bullied us around.

Carkner chased Simmonds everywhere begging for a fight, Neil pushed around everybody, Konokpa destroyed Rinaldo..

Everyone hates Shelley but he should have been in the lineup for these past 2 games..

If you want Shelley in who do you want out? Rinaldo? Rinaldo didn't fare well in his fight but he answered the bell. He also delivered a nice check on Carkner to set up an odd man rush that Couterier scored on. With the G line struggling offensively it was a darn good thing they were able to roll out the 4th line otherwise they probably lose by even more than 2 goals last night.

you think letting Kane stand alone in front of the net is good defence... 10 out of 10 times he buries that shot.. got to get a body on him..

Every team has defensive lapses in a game. I'm not going to eat his lunch on the Kane goal you are right the defense failed him on that occasion. But if you look at the vast majority of goals that Bryz has given up over the last month they have been soft goals.

I think Bryzgalov having slightly better numbers with Pronger in the lineup are coincidence not correlation. If you examine the goals that Bryz has been giving up lately many have been of the soft variety where defense has done their job in front of him.

I think the problem is the few big guys we have don't play very physical. JVR is built to be a bruiser but he plays like Jeff Carter. Simmonds has got the height and he tries to be physical at times but he's got no weight. Couterier is still a young pup but hopefully as he fills out a bit he will be a little more confident to bang. Voracek has decent size but he is more of playmaker/finesse player.

Briere on the penalty shot? Briere, who's tied with Talbot and Simmonds in scoring? Briere's had some fine moments over the last 2 years, but this year he doesn't seem to be putting in the ones he was then.

Why not Briere on a penalty shot? He's got one of the best if not the best shootout percentages on the team. He may not be lighting the lamp as much as of late during regular game play but he's typically money in shootouts and has had prior success against Lundquist. Danny just out thinked himself and deviated from his typical strategy.

My favorite part of last nights episode was Shelley trying to get Mike Rupp to fight and Rupp told him that he was "irrelevant". Well played Rupper, well played.

Same here... It wasn't as good as the first one. Btw, am I the only one who doesn't give a sh!t about the rangers side of things!?

Split the episodes in two... Sorry, but the cripple boy angle is touching and all, but I don't need to see it in this show.

It's clear, to me, that lavvy is a great motivator. Torts sucks. Who'd you rather play for? Torts treats them like children.

I agree. I'd rather see the players out partying after a win and the single guys on the team chasin tail at a bar/club. Sleaze sells.

@tgordon_25

Hindsight? I said it then and I'll say it now. I'd rather have Sbisas potential, Lupuls 15 g and 22a (or whatever he could bring in a trade) and 2-1sts than a $5 million boat anchor. We got ONE good year out of Pronger, and it's all downhill from here.

Lupul wasn't living up to the bad contract he was signed too while playing here. Way overpaid for 15g, 22a. We will get the same production out of Matt Read this year and got similar production from someone like Ville Leino a season ago for a fraction of Lupul's price tag.

I watched it last night with the steam and maybe I had to much to drink but I didn't think it was that good.

I'm going to watch it again this morning

I didn't think it was that good either. The Caps/Pens one last year was better than the Flyers/Rags (so far anyway). This team either has little personality or Lavy has them purposely guarded to keep them focused. I'm leaning towards the latter. Still cool to watch but I will be honest I am underwhelmed so far. Hopefully it picks up in the last two episodes.

agree. don't mortgage the team for webber. there are d guys out there the flyers could get for a measly draft pick that would be serviceable. we all thought this would be a somewhat of a hodgepodge rebuilding yr but it is far from that. let these young guys get the experience they need

Thats what I would rather see done. I think its also important to evaluate the team over the next couple weeks rather than looking at one horrendous game against Boston and making rash decisions. That was the kind of game where you just throw the tape away because it has no redeeming value.