SoCalFlyfan

Maybe Shelly is on the move for a 'coveted' D-man

...WTF

Im in LA. Kings game is on regular NBC and NBC sports.com....and about 2 other local channels.... Awesome

@Mad Dog " This particular squad is far from heartless "

Very true. They have a solid core. However the longer a player stays in NY after that big contract the more jaded they get....just ask Brandon Dubinsky

@Philly29

I agree. I'd rather have depth with Mezaros,Bourdon,Gustaffson and Voracek to be honest. The only reason I say this is because at the end of the day Bryz is still between the pipes....and I personally think he plays better when he faces lots of shots (it keeps him in the game and focused).

Why would we send Shelley to Adrondack ? .... that's a waste of a valuable roster spot that we could give to an 'overager' who has something to prove down there.

The only thing missing from this is a hockey puck behind the goal line.

@OccamsRazor

My point is that none of those players drafted or aquired would matter if Bryzgalov was in net for the Kings.

If the Flyers had Quick in goal during this last run someone would be saying how the Flyers did such a great job with their youth and aquiring players to complement them.

Does anyone remember riding Leighton and Boucher into the cup finals... ?? Or was that some alternate reality ??

All good points. I believe LA set a prime example...

...it was a mixture of drafting well over the course of several years and targeting and signing the player you need to fill in the gaps...

..not like what just happened going after the best "name free agents" even when it's known they don't even want to play for you or because you fear they may sign with a rival, wasting time and effort when it could have been used to target legitimate players including role players...

Not really...

LA has a bonafide Goalie ... and a pretty good team that surrounds him ... but nothing ridiculous.

Replace Quick with Bryzaster and LA is out in the 2nd round.

I like all 3 but I think Gus gets the start because of his mobility and puck moving skills.. also he blocked alot of shots during the playoffs which showed me alot about him..

Yea, Gus showed some poise out there in the Pittsburgh series and reminded me a little of a younger Timmonen.

Bourdon is solid and becoming more reliable

and

Manning looked like a pro in his first game. I vividly remember thinking "who the hell is this guy" and you never really say that about a defenseman unless the puck is getting slammed into our own net.

Either way...it's a good problem to have.

Which one of these guys cracks the lineup and becomes a regular in 2012/2013 ?

I liked what I saw in Brandon Manning in limited use. What are his chances ??

Best Ice

1.Wells Fargo Center

2. The ice in my glass of Johnnie Walker Black.

I predict Homer makes a splash and signs : Marty Murray, Brad Tapper, and Mark Cullen...and maybe Niko Dimatrakos.

@Podein25

Our team is built for speed with the personnel we have to match Lavi's system.. but we do not necessarily have the 'size' to win one on on one battles (which you say is the determining factor) -our skill guys like Briere,Read,Wellwood,Jagr,Voracek and to a lesser extent guys like Schenn and Couturier (youth) are not going to win one on one battles when things get nasty in the corners.

So, in a way you and I are both right... it's the players, but those players were brought in because they fit Lavi's style...or (cough) SYSTEM.

I liked Jagr this year, but he had nothing left toward the end there.

No.

"The biggest issue this team faces for the next 50 years with Bryz in net is the 'confidence' (or lack thereof) our players will have knowing he's back there every night in outer space"

Really? The biggest issue?

I think you're way off base.

Fundamental skills aside (and even there Bryz is lacking) I'm looking at intangibles like personality, desire, focus, swagger, and saying the right things.

Watch Holtby before a game, he's completely locked in and ready to face the heat. Look at Lundkvist...the epitome of 'cool' under pressure. Mike Smith says all the right things you want your goalie to say and backs it up on the ice. Quick looks more confident than anyone out there and is in the zone. And Brodeur is a proven winner...nothing needs to be said there. All these remaining goalies have all the above intangibles throughout the playoffs so far...and the skills.

Bryz has NONE of these attributes ...but I guess all that matters is he stops the routine shots and hopefully we can outscore the other team. WOW... in that case, Bob Barker, I'll go with Brian Boucher please for $1

The biggest issue this team faces for the next 50 years with Bryz in net is the 'confidence' (or lack thereof) our players will have knowing he's back there every night in outer space. I look at the teams remaining and if I'm a player on that team I'm confident we can win any given night. Sure, things happen, goalies have a bad night, but for the most part the success of a team depends on the mental makeup and swagger that team carries with them...which is dictated by their confidence in the goalie.

Maybe it's me but when watching the Flyers in the playoffs this year, every shot on net against Bryz almost gave me a heart attack. Any innocent shot on net had a good chance of going in one way or another. I can only imagine how the forwards feel knowing this, not to mention the pressure they must fell to have to put up 5 goals every night, or 'get that goal back' we just gave away about 5 times a game.

Will this team, or the fans ever feel 'confident' with Bryz regardless of the personnel we put in front of him ?

What did Homer say about getting rid of Bryz ?

I would like to see some former Flyers with more coaching responsibilities.

Seriously ?

How does being an ex-Flyer qualify you as a great coach ?

The Good Ol Boys club thing needs to get shut down.

@Podein25

SYSTEMS

I've been ripping Lavi's SYSTEM all year and getting nothing but rolled eyes.....but now we're one game away from elimination and we're talking about 'SYSTEMS' as a possible problem !!!

Great job guys for being on the ball !

Seriously though, as someone mentioned Jersey is just beating us at our own game. It's that simple. Lavi likes to attack, but this team is not built to play a puck possession game along the boards. We're built to be a transition team. Not to mentionen we have not figured out a way to dump it in against a goalie with stickhandling skills like Brodeur. Oh, and our defense is not physical enough to counter a team that can grind in the corners, and neither are our forwards....and our goalie blows.

But given that we win every once in a while, we are certainly a level over cities like Buffalo and Cleveland, which are true loser cities.

Thanks..that really makes me feel better.

Carter with the Cup winner on a feed from Richards. BOOK.IT.

(other way around would require a pass from Carter, and we all know THAT isn't gonna happen)

Even worse...Kings call a timeout, John Stevens gets the sharpie out and draws a play, Richards wins the faceoff to Carter who shoots wide but banks in off a defenseman in double OT.

NO!

I agree.

I actually like the team and Richards, but the reason i will not root for them is JEFF CARTER. He whined his way out of Columbus to be with his boyfriend in LA and now he has a realistic chance of going from the cesspool of hockey to raising the cup...all because he whined and played poorly to force a trade.

If they win I'll watch Richie lift the cup and then change the channel when he passes it to his blonde girlfriend (Carter)