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Carle's Season a Good One


Guest AlaskaFlyerFan

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http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/flyers-talk/post/Overlooked-Carle-putting-together-solid-?blockID=669478&feedID=695

If there isn’t a radar screen in the United States and Canada picking up the kind of season Matt Carle is having for the Flyers, there is no record of it on sonar either.

Six entirely deserving players were assigned, via the locker room blackboard, responsibilities to speak into media microphones after the Flyers’ complete and satisfying 3-0 victory over the Devils last night. But of course Carle was unlisted as usual. It took a special request and about 15 minutes after the locker room had cleared for Carle to emerge from the anterooms, presumably because he had to be dug out from underneath other Flyers’ press clippings.

“Kind of been that way my whole career,” he said with a smiled.

We’ve kind of been waiting to write about him the whole season. And now that time has arrived. Four of the five consecutive games the Flyers won without Andrej Meszaros, Kimmo Timonen and Pavel Kubina -- not to mention Chris Pronger -- were with Carle playing elevated minutes so No. 25 is no mere speck of dust in what suddenly has become Ilya Bryzgalov’s Universe.

It’s still hard to make a case for anyone but Timonen for this season’s Barry Ashbee Trophy. But Carle, moving the puck, making good decisions and a much-improved one-on-one defender, probably has been the 2011-12 Flyers’ next best guy on their blueline.

“For the longest time you used to hear Matty was good because he played with Chris,” said coach Peter Laviolette. Indeed last season, when Pronger went out in March for what would turn into all-but one Game 7 against Buffalo, Carle supplied plenty of visual evidence to support that supposition. He struggled mightily in the sweep by Boston.

But with no Pronger this season since Nov. 19, there has been no visible dropoff in Carle’s play, most impressively while paired with the since-demoted rookie Marc-Andre Bourdon.

“[Carle] has been a mainstay for us,” said Laviolette. “He’s one of the those guys you don’t ask any questions about, just shows up every night playing 23 minutes and is consistent in all three zones.

“Especially with the injuries we have had, to have a guy like that available every day has been a real bonus for our team.”

This is Carle’s seventh season full season in the NHL, about the time when a lot of defensemen mature. But this also is the first season for the Flyers in three when it has been depressingly clear Pronger is out for the duration. Carle politely disagrees that he was ever utterly lost without The Big Guy, says everybody goes through some adjustment when usual partners are no longer available. But he also concedes that once Pronger was lost, this time presumably for the season, it became easier to take more responsibility, if only for the obvious lack of any better solution.

"We were dressing seven defensemen in the playoffs because we didn’t know if we were going to have him,” said Carle. “Of course we miss him but guys like me and [braydon Coburn], considered lower tier guys, had to step up.”

General manger Paul Holmgren already has done that for Coburn, with a new contract that will average over $4.6 million from 2012-13 through 2014-15. Carle, making $3.5 million, is up at the end of the season and, building value the way he is, figures to be a challenging cap fit.

I have a lot of faith in my agent and Paul Holmgren,” said Carle.

We’ll see if that is rewarded as much has been Laviolette’s faith while his defense has been in tatters and still shutting teams out. Even without Pronger, the Flyers have six defensemen who can play on practically any team’s first two pairs. Carle emerging as one of the better ones, some might not yet be aware.

If Average Time On Ice (ATOI) is a measuring stick, then Carle is the #1 D-man on the Flyers. His ATOI has surpassed Pronger's ATOI. The Coaching staff is playing him like a #1. He is on the ice over a minute longer than #2 Coburn, 1:40 more than #3 Timmonen, and 2:20 more than #4 Meszaros. He needs to be resigned and, IMHO, $5mil/per yr is not overpaying.

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After really thinking about it, I'd have to agree, he probably deserves something in the 5mil range. At least this time, it's for a young guy in his prime, not a kid coming off his EL. And, it's for a well-rounded defenseman.

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@AlaskaFlyerFan

I think the James Wisnewski signing is going to f us in regards to resigning Carle, that guy got 6 years 33 million from Columbus... I think Carle is a better player, I think a lot of GM's probably think they are very similar at least....is he worth Wisnewski money ?

If CBJ doesn't pull that crap we might be able to keep him around for 5.5... now i'm not so sure.

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@AlaskaFlyerFan-

Did you read many of the replies to that article?? Talk about hate for Carle (and some idiotic arguments)!

The article I like is this one (as its gets into allot more meaningful information):

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2012/3/2/2830998/philadelphia-flyers-matt-carle-ryan-suter-nhl-free-agency-2012

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For all the Carle haters, I say: I hope you don't take your wife or loved ones for granted like you do Carle.

'Cause when he's gone, you'll wonder where our transition game went or why we get beat to pucks all the time in the neutral zone.

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@AlaskaFlyerFan-

Did you read many of the replies to that article?? Talk about hate for Carle (and some idiotic arguments)!

The article I like is this one (as its gets into allot more meaningful information):

http://www.broadstre...ree-agency-2012

@Vanflyer

I didn't go back and read the comments. Maybe I should. The article you posted is very good. I don't understand the hate...just doesn't make sense.

Edited by AlaskaFlyerFan
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