Why is there a problem with effort?

[Phillygrump]

Either at the start of some games of after a big lead like this the effort for the Flyers team is terrible. It was bad against the Rangers Tuesday and now they play one period and coast the rest of the game against the Penguins.

What is he problem? Everyone is playing the same packed schedule. Is it conditioning? Is it leadership? Is it coaching?

Someone please explain this to me. They just stopped skating hard and winning races to he puck tonight. Unbelievable.

[Phillygrump]

I mean, if they can't show up consistently the. They need to break it up and start selling Kimmo and Briere (if he waives his no trade clause) because he is harmless with the puck these days and then buy out Bryzhalov. I love being competitive every year but I can't root for a team with a lack of heart.

I know I'm venting, but there is truth to this team's inconsistent effort. Something needs to change because you can add whatever player, but of the culture of the team is to show up when they feel like it and/or turn it off when they think they can coast nothing will change.

It's 60 minutes of their lives. Aren't they competitive? Don't they hate losing? Don't they have any pride? Geez.

[Howie58]

Hello PG:

I suspect it is all of the above. This game epitomized "Flyers Hockey" this season: poor goaltending, shoddy defense, inconsistent effort. This game may force Homer to think about his own work. It may put Lavi on the line. I cannot even begin to comprehend the D or Bryz.

Yikes is all I can say. It is no fun watching this team. As I said a few months ago, you knew why the Flyers of '06-'07 were bad...Lasse Kukkonen, etc. This is a very different story.

Best,

Howie

[Phillygrump]

I'd like to see a move for a young goaltender, but then again I'd like to own a vacation ski lodge in Colorado or a Florida beach house too. I'm starting to feel ok with moving pieces for young defenders or a goaltender because this organization can find scoring and what are we really trying to preserve if this team needs an early wake up call via timeout by Laviolette?

Hey Lavy, why not have this little "pep talk" during pregame so you don't waste your timeout. I am having difficulty supporting this particular Flyers team because of their lack of effort.

I might stop venting soon.

[Phillygrump]

I'd like to see a move for a young goaltender, but then again I'd like to own a vacation ski lodge in Colorado or a Florida beach house too. I'm starting to feel ok with moving pieces for young defenders or a goaltender because this organization can find scoring and what are we really trying to preserve if this team needs an early wake up call via timeout by Laviolette?

Hey Lavy, why not have this little "pep talk" during pregame so you don't waste your timeout. I am having difficulty supporting this particular Flyers team because of their lack of effort.

I might stop venting soon.

[doom88]

The effort is mostly there, but Pit is a very good team with a lot of high end talent.

I just want refs to call a fair consistent game. The Flyers deal with more holds and interference (damn near every game this season mind you) every time they skate the puck into the offensive zone than Grossmann got called for. If other teams had to back off as far as Philly's D, the offense would be a ton more effective.

I hate the refereeing in the NHL, despise the opinion based discipline, and loathe that I complain about it. The complaining is definitely not becoming, but I think the refs are that bad.

[OH1FlyersFan]

I knew as soon as they went up 4-1 with two full periods left to play the Flyers were in trouble. And then when they went down by just 1 single goal with over half the last period left to play, I knew the game was over because they can't, or don't, or won't ever come back.

My one word answer to your question PG is - laziness.

The most frustrating thing for me is watching the great starts and then the epic collapses. They get your hopes up only to dash them to pieces. I feel like freakin' Charlie Brown every time Lucy pulls that football away.

And I couldn't agree more with Doom88.

[Phillygrump]

I agree with you doom, but the effort is still a problem. I echo everything else exactly though.

[Polaris922]

I thought the officiating favored you guys quite well ... the Neal phantom elbow... the Neal slashing penalty for digging for the puck to the whistle... they paid us one back on the Grossman call. Though that is interference by the book, they let it go 90% of the time. The officiating is never good.. but it went your way the first period, ours in the second.. then non-existent in the third.

[Bertmega]

My take (venting of course)

Hartnell: Gone (He is a goofball that is hardly 2nd line talent let alone 1st)

Briere: Bought out (what good is a playoff performer if you miss the playoffs)

Bryzgalov: Bought out (he is a boring system goalie that needs 5 guys back around the net to avoid it going in)

Coutuier: Gone. Flat out gone. I know he is young and has a ton of potential, but sell him for a young defender, or goalie or to move up in the draft to get a solid defense prospect. Give to get.

Trade Hartnell with Briere: land a solid defender or legit goalie that can play 60 minutes a night.

Buy out space man and let him rot in the KHL

Hate to see Cooter go, I love his game and he'll be missed, but if that means we can get a top five pick while retaining our own, you may have to do it.

Oh and if there is anytime, try and get a serviceable NHL back-up goalie. Key word, NHL not ECHL, IHL, AHL, Beer League back-up, NHL back up.

If Briere does not waive, than have fun sitting out a year. It worked for Lindros, it will work for Briere. If my company paid me to be a rockstar and I was performing like an entry level associate, I'd be shown the door with a quickness.

[radoran]

The Flyers are adept at playing 20 minutes of tough, hard-nosed, top flight hockey.

Unfortuantely the games are 60 minutes.

Moreover, take out the 7-1 drubbing of Florida and the 7-0 win over the Isles and the Flyers have scored 58 goals in 23 games.

2.52 GFA.

That puts them squarely in the range of most other teams who are muddling along at .500 or so.

[RonJeremy]

Bertmega, it would be a totally bad move to trade Hartnell. He creates so much room for Giroux other than Simmonds, he is our only scrappy forward with scoring skills, he is way more valuable than you think See how he went after that punk Neil, after his elbow on Giroux.... I agree on trading or buying out Briere, buy out Bryz and I also agree that Coots is probably the trade bait for a good young defenseman. With all the $$ freed up we then can go after Perry and Getzlaf and then when we trade Coots for a dman, we dont weaken the offense.

If we can get lucky in the draft lottery, hopefully we can land an NHL ready dman, and then trade Coots for an equally promising young dman, because with Timmos age and diminshing skills, we definitely need 2 more defenseman, one is not enough. Had we drafted Hamilton, we would have our first ever homegrown franchise defenseman

[AndyS]

No excuse whatsoever for a lack of effort. None.

This was, by far, the worst loss of the season. It could be the last nail in the coffin of their playoff hopes.

I think it's just about time to clean house.

Lavy will probably be let go soon if this keeps up.

[AndyS]

Oh, and watch Homer to to salvage it by a big trade. It's what we do, right?

And it will most likely be a player past his prime (i.e. Iginla).

[Bertmega]

@RonJeremy

I agree with Hartnell creating space, I just think he needs to really work on his physical conditioning. That has been his issue his entire career. He just has to give 110% to play where some would only give 80%.

This is something that maybe a full summer off with a full training camp he can improve. I just think something needs to be done to get this guy firing on all cylinders.

The effort is there, and he has proven to be the guy, I just want to see him give it 100% each night.

On a side note, it doesn't help that Giroux's game is completely off this season. He seems almost snake bitten, a pass before shot guy. In any case, it will be sobering for the squad to be on the outside looking come playoff time.

I guess I was ranting/venting regarding Hartnell. This is probably why I make a better Financier than an NHL GM

[doom88]

Giroux has been slapping shots away, and Voracek even is shooting more. They need to remember not to get cute with a lead, as it cost the Flyers at least one (likely two) strong scoring chance last night.

[RonJeremy]

Imagine if we can land a big finisher like Corey Perry to play on Girouxs right,with Hartnell on the left. Giroux will have all sorts of room. Then we can have more consistent scoring and more balanced lines. Then of course Coots will have to be traded for defense, but only if its a young equally as promising defenseman, i would never trade him for some old washed up guy. I jsut dont see any other way for us to improve the D.

[doom88]

Perry isn't necessary, but a nice idea. I'd rather save for a top D or G. I like the forwards on the team minus Briere.

Hartnell G Voracek

Simmonds Schenn Read

Gagne Couturier Talbot

The Rinaldo Show

[RonJeremy]

Doom, my thought is ,unless we give up a young forward, we are not getting any good young defenseman . i figure if we dump Bryz, Breiere, Fedetenko, Gags, Gervais, Foster, Shelly, Lilja,Walker amd Prongs on LTR, thats alot of cap space. So with that $$ we sign Getzlaf and Perry and then trade Coots for a good young dman.

[AndyS]

Doom, my thought is ,unless we give up a young forward, we are not getting any good young defenseman . i figure if we dump Bryz, Breiere, Fedetenko, Gags, Gervais, Foster, Shelly, Lilja,Walker amd Prongs on LTR, thats alot of cap space. So with that $$ we sign Getzlaf and Perry and then trade Coots for a good young dman.

Getzlaf apparently just signed an 8-year contract extension with the Ducks. Terrific signing. He's a heck of a hockey player.

And his presence on the ice makes Corey Perry's life a lot easier. (Getzlaf opens up a lot of ice for Perry.)

[RonJeremy]

There goes that idea...

[LegionOfDoom]

.....The Rinaldo Show.....aww Good times!

If you guys remember, we've been in the exact same situation before, with the conversation in the locker room being," we just have to turn on the switch, and we can come from behind." mentality that back then would have us on the edge of our seats and watch the boys will there way back into games.

Back then we had talent and depth. We lost that this year in loosing veteran players. Jagr was a major influence on Hartnell, got his ass up to work out and be in the best shape of his hockey life. It gave G the green light to go out there and play. It helped Rinaldo in his game as well. Damn foolish thinking in going goo goo gaa gaa over the free agents. The offer sheet I can understand for D. but Jagr was a good thing going, not because of his productivity, but his value in the locker room and his ability to coach team mates to look inside and be better than what they think they are. I think he'll make a great coach someday. He was the wiseman for our young core.

Right now there's no one in the locker room to turn on the switch.

That game pissed me three hours away from my life to do more productive things.

I could of watch'd Jerry Springer ' athon and come up with the same ending result....what a waste of time.

[AndyS]

.....The Rinaldo Show.....aww Good times!

If you guys remember, we've been in the exact same situation before, with the conversation in the locker room being," we just have to turn on the switch, and we can come from behind." mentality that back then would have us on the edge of our seats and watch the boys will there way back into games.

Back then we had talent and depth. We lost that this year in loosing veteran players. Jagr was a major influence on Hartnell, got his ass up to work out and be in the best shape of his hockey life. It gave G the green light to go out there and play. It helped Rinaldo in his game as well. Damn foolish thinking in going goo goo gaa gaa over the free agents. The offer sheet I can understand for D. but Jagr was a good thing going, not because of his productivity, but his value in the locker room and his ability to coach team mates to look inside and be better than what they think they are. I think he'll make a great coach someday. He was the wiseman for our young core.

Right now there's no one in the locker room to turn on the switch.

That game pissed me three hours away from my life to do more productive things.

I could of watch'd Jerry Springer ' athon and come up with the same ending result....what a waste of time.

So apparently we can finally all admit that Richards & Carter weren't the problem?

There is something systemic about that in this hockey club. Don't understand it at all.

It is one of the many reasons the Pronger injury was such a bad break for this team. I love Giroux, but this team needs a snarl or two on the active roster - someone to out the fear of God in anyone who is not making the required effort.

[Mad Dog]

What this team needs - in addition to at least two very good d-men and a goaltender of course - is an "attitude" player, Esa Tikkanen type player. This team is lacking personality and leadership, wich is why, again, the loss of Pronger was simply unsurmountable.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Mad Dog