Our goalies getting beat high constantly= poor mechanics

[RonJeremy]

Im sorry but there is no way you should have a shot blown over your shoulder from the top of the circle. Bryz and Bob are getting beat on high shots way too often. Twice in tonights game Bryz got beat high from the top of the circle on an unscreened shot where it was him against the shooter and all he had to do was come out, stand up and challenge, instead he stayed back went down and got beat high.

I cant stand it any more, the butterfly style blows, when will our coaching staff teach these guys to challenge a bit more ,there is no reason to be crouching down when a guy is winding up from the circle, when play is in tight around the net, then you should be down, otherwise when GUY IS WINDING UP, come out and stand there and the puck hits you, the Pens are shooting high on our goalies and scored a ton of goals in the last game the same way.

is not mentally strong enough to play in Philly ,and both our goalies have a severe problem with goaing down on every shot, when there is no need to, We has 5 hole Hextall, short side Leighton, now its top shelf Bob/Bryz. will we ever have a mechanically sound goalie

[doom88]

Not quite. The butterfly isn't the problem, but anticipation/instincts and technique execution are. They do need to challenge shooters more when appropriate, but Bryz especially may be too slow to recover or move further laterally. Also, keeping the stick down and arm half up would help.

[aziz]

@RonJeremy

out of curiosity, what is your background on the topic? are you a guy who watches a lot of hockey, or have you played the position?

[Bakanekimiwa]

Jonathan quick says hello.

[terp]

Im sorry but there is no way you should have a shot blown over your shoulder from the top of the circle. Bryz and Bob are getting beat on high shots way too often. Twice in tonights game Bryz got beat high from the top of the circle on an unscreened shot where it was him against the shooter and all he had to do was come out, stand up and challenge, instead he stayed back went down and got beat high.

I cant stand it any more, the butterfly style blows, when will our coaching staff teach these guys to challenge a bit more ,there is no reason to be crouching down when a guy is winding up from the circle, when play is in tight around the net, then you should be down, otherwise when GUY IS WINDING UP, come out and stand there and the puck hits you, the Pens are shooting high on our goalies and scored a ton of goals in the last game the same way.

is not mentally strong enough to play in Philly ,and both our goalies have a severe problem with goaing down on every shot, when there is no need to, We has 5 hole Hextall, short side Leighton, now its top shelf Bob/Bryz. will we ever have a mechanically sound goalie

@RonJeremy

You can beat most goalies in the league by putting the puck hard right under the crossbar. I wouldn't say that was Bryzgalov's best moment; it might have been stoppable. But I would place more blame on the forward (Briere) that allowed Staal to be open in that spot. I would say that about the goals scored in the last game on Bob too. If you leave NHL shooters alone in the slot with time, goals are going to be scored, especially if those guys can pick the corners.

[RonJeremy]

AZIZ to answer your question, both. I have seen this with Nitty, Bryz and Bob. Im not saying those shots were not good shots, but if your inside the net and crouching down, you will never stop those shots. Come out challnege the shooter and you have a chance take those shots to your arm,shoulder or to waffle away that slap shot especially, you saw the guy winding up, Bryz had time, to come out and square up, but he is a timid wuss, hiding inside his net. Its not like Bryz is robbie Moore in the net ,he and Bob have some height, you cant get beat like that. Make yourself bigger in net, not smaller.

[RonJeremy]

Terp, I know todays shooters are great, but Bryz and Bob do not give themselves a chance when they crouch like that on a dead on shot that is unscreened. I think you have to stand up, come out and make yourself bigger. which neither of them do. When you see a guy winding up, you have time to come out and take the angle away, then if you get beat, fine, but at least challange. Im tired of these weak minded Russians who wilt under the spotlight

[terp]

Terp, I know todays shooters are great, but Bryz and Bob do not give themselves a chance when they crouch like that on a dead on shot that is unscreened. I think you have to stand up, come out and make yourself bigger. which neither of them do. When you see a guy winding up, you have time to come out and take the angle away, then if you get beat, fine, but at least challange. Im tired of these weak minded Russians who wilt under the spotlight

Staal didn't wind up he held the puck and then put a very hard wrist shot right under th crossbar. Bryzgalov may have been worried about the cross ice pass and he should have left that for the defenseman to worry about. However, I see that as a poor choice on that play rather than an issue with mechanics. Would have to look at Kennedy's goal again.

Bryzgalov played remarkable hockey in March so I think we have seen first hand what he can do when he's in a groove. His mechanics are fine. He got set back a bit by the injury, which came at a very bad time and let's just hope he can be back in that groove soon. He played OK yesterday and wasn't the reason the Flyers lost.

[Mad Dog]

Bryzgalov played remarkable hockey in March so I think we have seen first hand what he can do when he's in a groove. His mechanics are fine. He got set back a bit by the injury, which came at a very bad time and let's just hope he can be back in that groove soon. He played OK yesterday and wasn't the reason the Flyers lost.

But that's just it. What separates great goalies from average goalies is that great goalies are consistent. But more importantly, they are capable of stealing games and coming up huge when the team counts on them. That's where a great goalie makes his legacy. Not in March, not in February, not in October, but in the playoffs - when it counts the most.

I don't know if his mechanics are bad. I mean just because he was playing well in one out of 7 months in a regular season doesn't lead me to conclude he is a good goalie. And frankly, I don't care what his issues are: physical or mental. What I tend to believe is that he is just incapable of helping a team to accomplish anything significant. He came up very small for Phoenix last year, and he is coming up even smaller for the Flyers this year. Mike Smith, who is earning a third of what Bryzgalov is earning, is Phoenix's MVP. To me this is simply astounding and, from the Flyers' perspective, is somehting that's supposed to be difficult to swallow.

His resume looks very, very unimpressive so far. And I don't know if it's about to change.

[terp]

@Mad Dog

He's playing injured, so I'm not ready to throw him under the bus right now for not carrying the team. He played well down the stretch and stole a bunch of games for the team at a critical time. It mattered. So I'm not ready to anoint him Patrick Roy, I'm not ready to crucify him either.

Mike Smith never played consistently anywhere before now. Good for him for stepping it up during a really short sample period. I'm not ready to say he's the real deal but if he is, it will surprise a lot of GM's around the NHL.

[Mad Dog]

@Mad Dog

Mike Smith never played consistently anywhere before now. Good for him for stepping it up during a really short sample period. I'm not ready to say he's the real deal but if he is, it will surprise a lot of GM's around the NHL.

Fair enough. But here is the thing: Bryz didn't play consistently anywhere before either.

I agree that Bryz didn't cost the Flyers the game yesterday. He didn't quite cost us Game 4 either, although he was brutal in that game.

And the first three games the Flyers almost won despite him.

But that's not the big picture here. He was signed to win games, or at least being instrumental in winning games. Fair or not, his salary is in line with the salaries of elite goalies in this league. He hasn't come anywhee close to the expectations people had for him - I think we can agree there. In these playoffs, he is being outplayed by the likes of Brden Holtby, Scott Clemensen, and Craig Anderson, just to name a few. His GAA is second worst amongst the netminders playing in this post-season.

Brian Boucher could've given us equal, if not better, performance. Sorry, but as a Flyer fan I cannot accept that.

[radoran]

It's primarily a reflection of style of play.

The Coyotes were 5th in goals against this season. And 18th in goals-for.

The Flyers were 3rd in goals for this season. And 20th in goals against.

IMO, if you put Mike Smith in the Flyers net this season, he'd have been roasted like a turkey on Thanksgiving. And if you put Bryzgalov in Phoenix, they'd be right where they've been Despite Smith and winning their division, the Coyotes actually had fewer points this season (97) than either of the last two (99, 107).

If you had, say, a Ken Hitchcock behind the Flyers' bench you'd likely see a lower GFA and a better GAA. Robert Esche put up a 2.04/.915 season under Hitchcock. No, really.

Bryz has to play better. No question. No argument. And, yes, that's what he was signed here to do.

Win tomorrow and move on.

[RonJeremy]

Terp the goal I had the biggest problem with, was the 3rd goal that pig face scored, sure he had an open lane due to a Flyer breakdown, but everyone else was covered, so all Bryz had to do was challenge Kennedy, and come out and stand up. Kennedy was coming in and had no other option but to shoot, once that stick went up ,its Bryzs job to take away as much net as possible. The goalie is supposed to challenge ths shooter, and if a pass is made or he is burned on a rebound,then its not the goalies fault' its on the defense. Common hockey sense, the goalie takes the shooter, but then again, when has Bryz ever made sense.

[RonJeremy]

p.s the net is four feet high, the only way your getting beat over the shoulder is when your crouching down, there is no need to crouch when someone is 15 feet out, stand tall and stop the damn puck

[JackStraw]

p.s the net is four feet high, the only way your getting beat over the shoulder is when your crouching down, there is no need to crouch when someone is 15 feet out, stand tall and stop the damn puck

Every butterfly goalie does it. Hartnell beat Fleury with a shot over his shoulder yesterday. And just now, Thomas got beat on the winning goal from about 20+ feet by a wrist shot- not quite over his shoulder but same kind of shot. That's the way the position is played today, for better or worse.

[RonJeremy]

Yes but Hartnell was in tight on the net, Bryz gives them up from 20 feet away, i will let thomas slide, since he stops so many sure goals....when Bryz makes saves like

Thomas,

i will forgive him

[terp]

@Mad Dog

I'll say this much: while those weren't awful goals yesterday, for the kind of money they're paying him we should expect some big stops. I've seen him at a level where he makes those stops but right now, I think he's playing hurt. So I'm not ready to slam him for not being good enough.

[JackStraw]

Yes but Hartnell was in tight on the net, Bryz gives them up from 20 feet away, i will let thomas slide, since he stops so many sure goals....when Bryz makes saves like

Thomas,

i will forgive him

Well, that's kind of my point. It's not the butterfly (which I've never liked myself) so much as the goalie. When Bryz is on, he's playing the position well. When he's off, it's not his technique (imo), it's between his ears.

[Bakanekimiwa]

@Mad Dog

I'll say this much: while those weren't awful goals yesterday, for the kind of money they're paying him we should expect some big stops. I've seen him at a level where he makes those stops but right now, I think he's playing hurt. So I'm not ready to slam him for not being good enough.

just watch pretty much every other series and those weak ones from yesterday are getting stopped. it takes a lot more to get by most of these other goalies. fleury and bryz have been terrible. edge goes to bryz, however, as fleury seemed to get his game together the other night.

[InHexyWeTrust]

None of Bob or Bryz's misses up high was weaker than Timmy Thomas getting beat by that snapshot rocket from Brouwer, how did that get through??

[flyercanuck]

None of Bob or Bryz's misses up high was weaker than Timmy Thomas getting beat by that snapshot rocket from Brouwer, how did that get through??

If Bob or Bryz put together an entire season like Thomas did last year and won us a cup, I wouldn't care if neither of them ever stopped another shot ever again ever.

[Mad Dog]

@Mad Dog

He's playing injured, so I'm not ready to throw him under the bus right now for not carrying the team.

If he was injured to the degree that he would be more of a liability than help, he would be sitting, trust me. Knowing how crucial these games are, the fact the team felt they could put him in net tells me he is not really injured that bad. Otherwise, he would be sitting and Bob would be in net.

[flyercanuck]

@Mad Dog

He looked like he was in a bodycast in game 4. He seemed like he was 100% healthy in game 5. Well, except in the head.

[doom88]

If he was injured to the degree that he would be more of a liability than help, he would be sitting, trust me. Knowing how crucial these games are, the fact the team felt they could put him in net tells me he is not really injured that bad. Otherwise, he would be sitting and Bob would be in net.

Not so sure it's that simple. Snider never wants to see what appears to be goalie cycling again.