Game 18: Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens; 11/19/22 @ 7 PM, NBCSP

[Howie58]

Greetings:

The Habs are mild favorites (or should I say favourites) at -135.  They are 23 in Power Rankings; we are 26.  There isn't much to separate these teams statistically:

https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/phi-vs-mtl/2022/11/19/2022020280

 

Maybe we wake out of our scoring slumber.  We are 5-25 in our last 30 against the Atlantic Division.https://pickdawgz.com/nhl-picks/2022-11-19/philadelphia-flyers-at-montreal-canadiens-11-19-22-nhl-picks-and-prediction

 

 

 

 

[flyercanuck]

This is one of our key rivals in the boneyard  scrapyard Jean Luc Picard graveyard Bums Boulevard charred for Bedard?!? season. 

 

Go Habs!

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by flyercanuck

[GrittyForever]

charred for Bedard. I hadn't heard that one yet. I thought it was (in general) suck hard for Bedard, but charred isn't bad either. 

 

habs were supposed to be tanking but I think they're actually better than us. Kind of an even game though. We probably have the edge in goal. 

 

I predict 2 fights and 3 goals. 

[GratefulFlyers]

Saturday night at the Bell Center - once upon a time those were games you didn't want to miss.

 

No word on Konecny, nobody called up I guess Bellows gets another game...maybe he'll finally get on the board.

 

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Konecny is officially confirmed out with 'an upper body injury.' **** we've got idiots running the team. We all know it's a broken finger/s, hands or wrist. Schmuck isn't fooling anyone with that announcement. The organizing is run by people who are the smartest in a room full of down syndrome people. I wish Comcast would do the right thing, fire everyone and let a legitimate hockey person take over. Teams with worse players and less payroll are better than the Flyers. That speaks volumes as to how things are run. Embarrassing. 

[Samifan]

Edited November 19, 2022 by Samifan

[Samifan]

[Howie58]

Well, we were one clear and 1.9 seconds away from holding on to a great comeback win.  Then we look mildly incompetent in overtime lose in a shootout, as usual.  

 

Owen Tippett and Frost looked good.  Zack earns his keep.  

[GrittyForever]

This is the only thing that really matters this year: 

John Tortorella: "I'm a little frustrated tonight for them. I'm not mad. We don't get the result. But I'm not even looking at that right now. I'm trying to figure out who's who, and who do we really want to keep here?"

[SCFlyguy]

Lol, John, this is the easiest question on the exam.  Keep no one.

[GratefulFlyers]

2 hours ago, Howie58 said:

Then we look mildly incompetent in overtime

To your credit that’s a kind, generous way of assessing that OT. I don’t understand how they can be so bad 3 on 3. Tonight I’m not sure we even took one shot on net. It’s like they just forget how to play hockey all of a sudden…weird. But that was an entertaining game, what a shame they couldn’t close the door 6 on 5.

 

Tortorella said something about them being too frantic, I think that was the word, and he’s right. Tons of battle energy but good lord they have to calm down in those situations. Sounds like Tortorella’s working on it.

[flyercanuck]

3 hours ago, GratefulFlyers said:

 I don’t understand how they can be so bad 3 on 3.

 

 We have a GM who thinks in a game built on speed and skill, Kevin Hayes is THE GUY to have. 

 We have a GM that thinks building a champion starts with players with a Minnesota affiliation...because he was born in Montreal. Went to college in Connecticut. Was fired in Minnesota.

 We have a GM who lets the top scorer in the draft, on a team dying for goal scoring, slip past him not once, but twice. Yes the guy with 2 G 1 A against us last night. The guy with more goals than anyone NOT taken 1st overall in that draft. 

 We have a GM who covets one of the dumbest defenceman I've ever seen and grossly overpays for him....then after watching him be one of the dumbest defencemen HE'S ever seen, he signs him to a 5 year contract.

 Cause he's the dumbest GM we've ever seen. 

 

Hope this helps. 

[RonJeremy]

2 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

 We have a GM who thinks in a game built on speed and skill, Kevin Hayes is THE GUY to have. 

 We have a GM that thinks building a champion starts with players with a Minnesota affiliation...because he was born in Montreal. Went to college in Connecticut. Was fired in Minnesota.

 We have a GM who lets the top scorer in the draft, on a team dying for goal scoring, slip past him not once, but twice. Yes the guy with 2 G 1 A against us last night. The guy with more goals than anyone NOT taken 1st overall in that draft. 

 We have a GM who covets one of the dumbest defenceman I've ever seen and grossly overpays for him....then after watching him be one of the dumbest defencemen HE'S ever seen, he signs him to a 5 year contract.

 Cause he's the dumbest GM we've ever seen. 

 

Hope this helps. 

They don't call him schmuck for nothing. We passed up on Boldy and Caufield who are both snipers. Caufield has 12 goals already and Boldy had a great rookie season. York is doing well for the Phantoms and should be a very good player but I don't think he will end up being a dynamic threat like Caufield . The bottom line is...Caufield and Boldy are both in the NHL and Caufield is looking like a modern day Dennis Savard ,while York is still in the minors.  Historically the Flyers always go for the two way player instead of the highly skilled offensive players. They always talk about how we need to upgrade our skill level and how we need more speed and pure finishers, yet we don't draft Caufield who is exactly what we need. We always go for the pickup truck instead of the Porsche. We obviously prefer good two way guys over great offensive guys.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

3 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

 We have a GM who thinks in a game built on speed and skill, Kevin Hayes is THE GUY to have. 

 We have a GM that thinks building a champion starts with players with a Minnesota affiliation...because he was born in Montreal. Went to college in Connecticut. Was fired in Minnesota.

 We have a GM who lets the top scorer in the draft, on a team dying for goal scoring, slip past him not once, but twice. Yes the guy with 2 G 1 A against us last night. The guy with more goals than anyone NOT taken 1st overall in that draft. 

 We have a GM who covets one of the dumbest defenceman I've ever seen and grossly overpays for him....then after watching him be one of the dumbest defencemen HE'S ever seen, he signs him to a 5 year contract.

 Cause he's the dumbest GM we've ever seen. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Now, I happen to like Cam York and while the Flyers currently have no clue how to develop him (sending him to Lehigh Valley to learn how to take over a game by skating and instead he's being forced to be more physical), his upside remains that of a legitimate to pairing guy who can play in all situations. I won't blame him for being selected by the Flyers.

 

As for Caufield, let's be honest, he'd never get a fair shake here because of this franchise's obsession with size. He'd be expected to play a checking role and when he's getting bumped around and the goals aren't coming, he'd be sent to Lehigh Valley where they'd use all sorts of excuses as to why Caufield had to be sent there.

 

I agree that we have the dumbest GM (you could actually say dumbest management and senior advisor departments in all of hockey), but until the idiots are all fired, we're stuck with this garbage. Add in all the injuries and it's going to buy Schmuck another year. 

[flyercanuck]

25 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Now, I happen to like Cam York and while the Flyers currently have no clue how to develop him (sending him to Lehigh Valley to learn how to take over a game by skating and instead he's being forced to be more physical), his upside remains that of a legitimate to pairing guy who can play in all situations. I won't blame him for being selected by the Flyers.

 

 I like York too. But I liked 3 players that were available over him. 

 

25 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

 

As for Caufield, let's be honest, he'd never get a fair shake here because of this franchise's obsession with size. He'd be expected to play a checking role and when he's getting bumped around and the goals aren't coming, he'd be sent to Lehigh Valley where they'd use all sorts of excuses as to why Caufield had to be sent there.

 

 

 Do I think Caufield would be doing as well in Philly? Hell no. He'd be on the 4th line with BIG GALOOT MILANOVICH  and MINNESOTA BOB SNIVENS.

 

25 minutes ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

 

I agree that we have the dumbest GM (you could actually say dumbest management and senior advisor departments in all of hockey), but until the idiots are all fired, we're stuck with this garbage. Add in all the injuries and it's going to buy Schmuck another year. 

 

[GratefulFlyers]

3 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

Hope this helps. 

 

Not really. We knew Fletcher is a terrible GM before he got to Philly. "Big picture" the GM is responsible for everything but the Flyers' 3 on 3 game is hard to hang on management or even coaching. You really have to see it to believe it - how bad it is. It's beyond "lack of talent." In OT the Flyers look like midgets for about 75% of the 5 minutes. Seriously.

 

They look worse this year than last year, which is saying something. It's the one area that's actually gotten worse (and face-offs, but we expected that). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

26 minutes ago, flyercanuck said:

 

 I like York too. But I liked 3 players that were available over him. 

 

 

 

 Do I think Caufield would be doing as well in Philly? Hell no. He'd be on the 4th line with BIG GALOOT MILANOVICH  and MINNESOTA BOB SNIVENS.

 

 

Yep, we're stuck with Uncle Schmuck....

[flyercanuck]

42 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

 

Not really. We knew Fletcher is a terrible GM before he got to Philly. "Big picture" the GM is responsible for everything but the Flyers' 3 on 3 game is hard to hang on management or even coaching. You really have to see it to believe it - how bad it is. It's beyond "lack of talent." In OT the Flyers look like midgets for about 75% of the 5 minutes. Seriously.

 

They look worse this year than last year, which is saying something. It's the one area that's actually gotten worse (and face-offs, but we expected that). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well the problem with 3 on 3 is you can't hide slow very well. And Chuck seems to love slow.

[GratefulFlyers]

Good point. Slow is hard to hide in hockey. But 3 on 3, where there’s so much open ice, fast skating is less of an advantage than it usually is; even the quickest can’t keep up with accurate passing and good puck support. 
 

I’m sure Tortorella will use the tape from last night’s OT. It’s a perfect example of how not to play 3 on 3.

[SCFlyguy]

2 hours ago, GratefulFlyers said:

They look worse this year than last year, which is saying something. It's the one area that's actually gotten worse (and face-offs, but we expected that). 

What were you expecting?  I seriously can't imagine looking at the roster, subtracting Giroux, and thinking this team would be better.

 

The team is 5 years from being good and that's if they stripped it bare immediately and stockpiled assets.  Not doing this just pushes that 5 year window further.

[GratefulFlyers]

19 minutes ago, SCFlyguy said:

What were you expecting?  I seriously can't imagine looking at the roster, subtracting Giroux, and thinking this team would be better.

And that’s what’s so interesting. They are better. They’re competing more effectively than they ever did last season. Early on I attributed it solely to the new coach effect but we’re past that now and the guys are still blocking shots, still standing up for each other etc. They’re .500 now and will probably hover around that all year. Fine. Knocks us out of the Bedard sweepstakes but that’s a pipe dream anyway.
 

You can look at 1 guy and see the whole deal with this team: Zac MacEwen. Far from a gifted and talented player he works his ass off every shift. He never quits on a play. “So what” you say? Will he score 40 goals and lead the league in assists? Hardly. But the point is that, like the team he’s rewarded for outworking the competition, winning shifts and potting some goals. He makes life hard for the opposition and that’s a standard the Flyers can (must) build on. Some guys won’t make the grade but the ones who do will be around when the ABF* GM sheds the dead wood and acquires more talent.

 

*Anyone But Fletcher

[SCFlyguy]

1 hour ago, GratefulFlyers said:

They’re .500 now and will probably hover around that all year.

I would love some of what you are smoking.  I think .500 is the absolute ceiling for this team if everyone had a career year.  Hart has a .922 SV%, which would be a career year for him, except after his historic hot start his last five games are .879, .875, .848, .885, .889.  Maybe he won't be that bad the rest of the way, but if he's .907 the rest of the way (his career avg), they won't be .500.

 

Also, if the Flyers are .500 this year, Fletcher gets an extension, not replaced.

 

I chose not to spend a moment thinking about Zach MacEwen and neither should anyone else.

[SCFlyguy]

I just went back to the York draft thread and read all the brain geniuses defending passing on Caufield and getting so excited about York and there is Flyercanuck nailing it - just take the highly rated sniper you idiots.

 

The Flyers problems once again and always have been they think they are smarter than everyone when actually they are dumber. 

[Howie58]

13 hours ago, GrittyForever said:

This is the only thing that really matters this year: 

John Tortorella: "I'm a little frustrated tonight for them. I'm not mad. We don't get the result. But I'm not even looking at that right now. I'm trying to figure out who's who, and who do we really want to keep here?"

Gritty,

 

You beat me to the punch by quoting this. It was the most important part of the presser, and in some ways, the most depressing.  Torts sees himself as a teacher, which is great.  He is unlearning bad habits and instilling good ones.  But his quote begs a big question--who the hell is going to be around for as part of a new foundation?  If a chunk of the team is replaced, he will have to be teaching a new group.  Will we improve?  And if Fletcher is in charge of player acquisition, Ouch.  As a I sad a few weeks ago, I think Scott should tell him to stick with the waiver wire, where he does limited damage might get some decent third-fourth liners.

 

 

[GrittyForever]

4 hours ago, Howie58 said:

Gritty,

 

You beat me to the punch by quoting this. It was the most important part of the presser, and in some ways, the most depressing.  Torts sees himself as a teacher, which is great.  He is unlearning bad habits and instilling good ones.  But his quote begs a big question--who the hell is going to be around for as part of a new foundation?  If a chunk of the team is replaced, he will have to be teaching a new group.  Will we improve?  And if Fletcher is in charge of player acquisition, Ouch.  As a I sad a few weeks ago, I think Scott should tell him to stick with the waiver wire, where he does limited damage might get some decent third-fourth liners.

 

 

Well that's a stay tuned and we will find out kind of thing isn't it?

 

1) will they actually listen to Torts in terms of who should go or not? 

2) will they make it happen?

3) will they rebuild via the draft alone (which will be slow)?

4) or will they bring in new veterans in free agency and via trades?

5) will the new people be better people?

6) will Fletcher and Torts clash (which is likely) and if so who will get the door?

 

no idea, but those questions are the questions.