Jvr should play like Neal

[Earle'sGaffe]

It seemed this past season that Toronto had some interest in JVR. Is there any chance they might be willing to take him and our first round pick in exchange for the number 5 overall pick? I'm liking Griffin Reinhart toward the top of the draft and would love a chance to get a potential defensive stud. I'm not saying we should be anxious to dump JVR, just that he might be the coin we'd need to fill a bigger need.

[The Quigster]

Is anybody else on the team playing with a steel plate in his foot? His foot apparently is not completely healed,Lavi has yet to put him on a set line,he never gets to use his slapshot,nobody on the team can keep up with him,so if he get the puck he is by himself,etc. During the trade period the number one guy the other teams wanted was JVR. How do you explain that?

[doom88]

It seemed this past season that Toronto had some interest in JVR. Is there any chance they might be willing to take him and our first round pick in exchange for the number 5 overall pick? I'm liking Griffin Reinhart toward the top of the draft and would love a chance to get a potential defensive stud. I'm not saying we should be anxious to dump JVR, just that he might be the coin we'd need to fill a bigger need.

As much as I don't want to give up on JVR, sign me up for that trade. That provides immediate cap relief, space for the hungry young guys to get TOI, and helps the team in the future through a high draft pick. So full of win.

And it won't happen. Maybe if Burke is still GM, but even then, doubt it.

[flyercanuck]

Is anybody else on the team playing with a steel plate in his foot? His foot apparently is not completely healed,Lavi has yet to put him on a set line,he never gets to use his slapshot,nobody on the team can keep up with him,so if he get the puck he is by himself,etc. During the trade period the number one guy the other teams wanted was JVR. How do you explain that?

Has he had the steel plate his entire career? He nevers gets to use his slapshot? WTF does that mean? Nobody on the team can keep up with him? You mean other than Giroux, Briere, Read, Simmonds, Voracek, Schenn, Talbot, Wellwood, Rinaldo, Zolnierczyk, Coburn, Carle, Timonen, Gustafsson and Couturier. Couturier couldn't skate with JVR in a straight line, but if JVR had the puck, Couturier would know where he was going before JVR did. Actually, so would we...wide to avoid contact.

[The Quigster]

Wide to avoid contact like Jagr? Another Sharp,Williams,Downie,trade in the making? Are all the other GMs nuts for trying to acquire JVR during the trade period? I didn't read about any interest in any of the other Flyers you mentioned? Do they see a teams inability to handle real talent and make a killer deal based on that? Have you guys expressed your concern to Homer? Apparently he isn't listening. You know "fool me once".

[flyercanuck]

Jagr doesn't go into dirty areas? He's the king of puck control in the corners, not sure what you're watching?

GMs are asking about JVR because (A) he might be available and ( B) he still has upside.

I STILL don;t know what you mean by he doesn't get to use his slapshot. Please explain.Has someone forbidden him?

The other Flyers I mentioned were in response to your comment..."nobody on the team can keep up with him". So I named 15 players who could. The team has shown it can score WITHOUT the #2 overall pick who they're STILL waiting to develop. Meanwhile, the #3 overall pick from that year, who has the physical presence of a coatrack, just put up similiar numbers to what JVR has been doing. And most people on here are STILL being patient with him. Some of your comments just weren't very clear., I was just trying to get the gist of them.

[Spinorama]

@Spinorama

In all fairnes to JVR I expected him to be rusty and mentioned in an earlier thread he likely wouldn't be an improvement over what we already had. But if Philly continues to go deeper, he can shake that rust off and if he puts his mind to it, be a difference maker. I just hate the fact he has to decide whether he wants to or not.

Indeed, you can't expect someone to come back from foot surgery, and only get 4 days of skating in before getting inserted back into a lineup that is currently in the mist of an extremely physical and high paced first round playoff series and NOT have rust. I was just wondering I guess if a non-physical, rust laden forward just coming back from surgery really was an improvement over Rinaldo. Rinaldo was severely neutered this series but he did some good things.

I like the JVR from the playoffs last year. If he could keep up that level of play, or at least play with the passion we both agree he likes to tuck away for long stretches of time, I'd have zero problem with him. That said, I'm glad we got him back for this post season!

[flyercanuck]

@Spinorama

If JVR can somehow bring himself to play hockey like he did a year ago, it won't matter how out to lunch Bryzgalov plays, we can beat anyone 7-5.

[flyerrod]

I'm glad we got him back for this post season!

Yes but only because Rinaldo is not allowed to be on the ice. Most of his penalty calls this series were ridiculous calls, not all of them but I would say better than 80% of his calls were strictly on reputation alone. JVR gives more options and has way more leeway when it comes to calls versus Zac......

[Spinorama]

Yes but only because Rinaldo is not allowed to be on the ice. Most of his penalty calls this series were ridiculous calls, not all of them but I would say better than 80% of his calls were strictly on reputation alone. JVR gives more options and has way more leeway when it comes to calls versus Zac......

it drove me nuts the way they called Rinaldo. It really did feel like as soon as he stepped on the ice they had an eye on him and the arm half cocked just waiting to call a penalty.

[terp]

@flyerrod

@Spinorama

If you heard or read Kerry Fraser's comments about the officiating in game 3 of the Pens series, you may recall his mantra that an official needs to be "aware at all times who is on the ice". That sounds innocuous enough, maybe even good until you realize that this may be why NHL officials are all about calling the "who", sometimes with little regard for the "what". This perspective may explain a lot about the way games are called and it seems NHL officials need to be less aware "who" is out there and pay more attention to "what" they are actually doing.

The on ice officials somewhat get a pass from me because they have a tough job and this is how they are trained and later instructed to call it. There is no excuse for the "who over what" approach to supplemental discipline, which is all about punishing 3rd and 4th liners and letting stars off the hook.

Edited April 24, 2012 by terp

[Spinorama]

That sounds innocuous enough, maybe even good until you realize that this may be why NHL officials are all about calling the "who", sometimes with little regard for the "what". This perspective may explain a lot about the way games are called and it seems NHL officials need to be less aware "who" is out there and pay more attention to "what" they are actually doing.

ah, and part of what frustrates me.

as I keep saying, make a rule book and call the rules that are outlined within. If you don't want a ref to call a certain play sometimes, then it shouldn't be called at all. Make a rule and it's either adhered to or broken. And called no matter who is committing the penalty.

There is no excuse for the "who over what" approach to supplemental discipline, which is all about punishing 3rd and 4th liners and letting stars off the hook.

I agree, there is no excuse and nor should there be. It's a ridiculous notion to think that some players are allowed to skate closer to the line than others and in some cases, cross the line.

In regards to officiating in the rest of the series though, I thought they called game 4 a little too close and after that it was fine. I guess if the refs HAVE to be able to make judgement calls, then I'd at least like to see calls being made consistently.

There shouldn't be a need to establish a tone of the game either. If the players want to play with high energy and rough, let them. so long as it is within the rules. Some of Frasier's comments about how the refs could have done a better jobs and maintaining the tone with some better timed calls bothers me. Don't you mean that the refs should be calling penalties that occur?

[flyerrod]

Some of Frasier's comments about how the refs could have done a better jobs and maintaining the tone with some better timed calls bothers me. Don't you mean that the refs should be calling penalties that occur?

From his interview, I took him to mean that was the case, to call penalties when they should be called (earned) to keep the game under control. Poor officiating / poor calls go hand in hand. To anyone that watched last Sens/Rags game, they missed some calls then made up for it with a made up call and then made an absolutely bad call again putting the Rags on a 5 on 3 PP. The Refs totally blew that game by trying to control it with manufactured calls not actual calls. That is one of the biggest problems with the officiating in today's game...

[terp]

Refs totally blew that game by trying to control it with manufactured calls not actual calls.

Totally agree. The call on Foligno was horrible and may have changed the outcome of the game.

[AJgoal]

Totally agree. The call on Foligno was horrible and may have changed the outcome of the game series.

[terp]

@AJgoal

You give the Rangers, who can't score but who can keep you off the board all game long, a goal and it matters.

[AJgoal]

@terp. Yep. That power play goal put Ottawa on their heels. I think they may well have carried their momentum to a win if it wasn't for those two calls. Now they need to quiet the Garden in game 7. Admittedly, they've done it for most of the season (Game 1 was their only loss between reg season and playoffs), but it's a tough order. Of course, there's always the possibility that that goal at the end of the game pushes the wrong buttons on Lundqvist.