2015-16 Flyers Reality.

[LegionOfDoom]

I'm still backing up my statement, Flyers make the playoffs, the win two rounds I'll play the wait and see game.

We're climbing up in the standings. We got even strength scoring led by our captain. Putting him on the PK was a brilliant move by Coach Hakstoll, it seems to be invigorating him on his play. These several days off is going to give time to work on several things Coach Hakstoll still wants them to be faster at and not having to think too much but more of an automatic reaction.

This is also going to be telling as to how they start the first period when they play next week.

Last year anymore than a two day layoff and the team would usually have bad starts.

I believe they have/will have taken care of this issue this year, but we'll see next week.

I like Gagner on Coots line, but I think a Read Coots Schenn line would empower the next line of having Gagner Laughton and Simmonds as another scoring line.

When Umburger comes back having him on the PEB line with either VV or White would solidify four solid lines being thrown out shift after shift.

Hopefully the team practices 3 on 3's this week and next.

Should it be man on man coverage or zone coverage. Either way play aggressive but rotate your player coverage to makeup for switching up positions, on the attack.

[Bakanekimiwa]

I'm still backing up my statement, Flyers make the playoffs, the win two rounds I'll play the wait and see game.

We're climbing up in the standings. We got even strength scoring led by our captain. Putting him on the PK was a brilliant move by Coach Hakstoll, it seems to be invigorating him on his play. These several days off is going to give time to work on several things Coach Hakstoll still wants them to be faster at and not having to think too much but more of an automatic reaction.

This is also going to be telling as to how they start the first period when they play next week.

Last year anymore than a two day layoff and the team would usually have bad starts.

I believe they have/will have taken care of this issue this year, but we'll see next week.

I like Gagner on Coots line, but I think a Read Coots Schenn line would empower the next line of having Gagner Laughton and Simmonds as another scoring line.

When Umburger comes back having him on the PEB line with either VV or White would solidify four solid lines being thrown out shift after shift.

Hopefully the team practices 3 on 3's this week and next.

Should it be man on man coverage or zone coverage. Either way play aggressive but rotate your player coverage to makeup for switching up positions, on the attack.

 

I won't be shocked if they did squeak into the playoffs, but I'm still sticking with them NOT making the playoffs. Sure, the early going has been up and down.... we've seen some exciting and promising play along with that stinker. But, for me... this is all to be expected in a big transition year. I think there are signs of promise as well as signs of what still needs taking care of. Nothing I've seen, thus far, changes my overall opinion that this is rebuild year #2. 

 

If we're looking at the big picture... I'm not sure we even *want* to get into the playoffs this year. If they do squeak in, I'd be happy some of the young guys get some experience. But, that's just it... this season, for me, is about getting the young guys some experience... riding out contracts.... and Hakstol getting comfortable and getting players to buyin. So far, so good. 

 

MacKenzie had a spot on take on the Flyers last night between per. 1 & 2 that a lot of fans won't like. But I'm totally in line with everything he said. 

[radoran]

I'm still backing up my statement, Flyers make the playoffs, the win two rounds I'll play the wait and see game.
We're climbing up in the standings. We got even strength scoring led by our captain.

 

Certainly possible, but let's not go overboard. Giroux's got one goal and two points in four games - that's projecting to a 20-goal, 40-point season which is not at all what they need from their $10M captain...

 

The depth scoring is nice to see - and essential if they are going to make that run. The depth defense is a remarkable turnaround from the previous few years - and the goaltending (Mason's Florida game notwithstanding) has been solid as well.

 

They've played well and other teams have underachieved. Time to take advantage of that situation.

 

I'm happy with the start to the season so far and looking forward to 78 more games

[LegionOfDoom]

That's the interesting thing that, sometimes you don't necessarily "deserve" to be in the playoffs, but taking advantage of the opponents "downtime" and "taking" those points is being opportunistic and when your opportunistic, you have a chance at being at places where you normally wouldn't be at.

Case in point, me on the traveling bus with the Flyers at an away game.

[OccamsRazor]

That's the interesting thing that, sometimes you don't necessarily "deserve" to be in the playoffs, but taking advantage of the opponents "downtime" and "taking" those points is being opportunistic and when your opportunistic, you have a chance at being at places where you normally wouldn't be at.

Case in point, me on the traveling bus with the Flyers at an away game.

Exactly tell the Kings they didn't "deserve" that 1st Cup and see how that goes...

...they probaly can't hear you for the Cup plugging each ear....

[radoran]

I don't think that taking a realistic look at the situation is akin to saying a team doesn't "deserve" the playoffs.

 

They're not #nodoubt™ guaranteed the playoffs, but any team that makes it certainly deserves to be there.

 

They simply need to play at a high level on a consistent basis throughout the season.

 

And they'll deserve to be there.

[LegionOfDoom]

Going back to the Chicago Philadelphia Stanley Cup Finals, those two team goal tenders weren't that great, and might of been the weakest tandem of goaltending competition in a finals recent history, Kanes goal was oppurtunistic in squeeking in a rather very stoppable save. He threw that on goal hoping for something to happen, as many goals scored in the NHL come about, his happened to hit paydirt and a routinely stoppable goal squeeked in.

He made that happen by taking action and tossing it out there, and it stuck....it stuck a nail in our coffin.

Jeff Carter did the same at an open net...but didn't produce the same results.

Had they not done that, we might be celebrating that year, we might not of been referring to Jeff Carter as high and wide.

They deserve to be there is subjective. Some believe just showing up qualifies as deserving; others say putting in the work will pay as results. The reality is both where in an opportunity to be a part of something that presented itself to them, they took action and reaped the consequences/rewards of an opportumity. The Kings squeeking into the playoffs and then taking off and winning it the way they did is another example of running with an opportunity. No one predicted them to win their first Cup that year.

I see us in an opportunity to make the playoffs, if the team sticks to the coarse, works through the process that we started this year, buying in to our coaches roadmap for success.

[aziz]

They deserve to be there is subjective.

 

in a literal sense, i would say it is relative.  you make the playoffs by being better over 82 games than 8 of the other teams in the conference  (with some wiggle for division leaders, etc.).  you don't have to have a particularly great season, so long as it ends up 1 point better than 8 others.  "deserve" is a weird word to use, because it sounds like there is some pick-and-choose about it.  there isn't, it is pure numbers, you either have more than other teams, or you don't.

[Bakanekimiwa]

in a literal sense, i would say it is relative.  you make the playoffs by being better over 82 games than 8 of the other teams in the conference  (with some wiggle for division leaders, etc.).  you don't have to have a particularly great season, so long as it ends up 1 point better than 8 others.  "deserve" is a weird word to use, because it sounds like there is some pick-and-choose about it.  there isn't, it is pure numbers, you either have more than other teams, or you don't.

 

well well.. but there is the OTL points to muddy the waters of 'deserving'.

[LegionOfDoom]

The ten game in mark and we're half way from the 20 game marker we needed to snippet our season reality into four chunks and though many say its too early and it's true, 10 games makes a progress report and our grades come out in 10 more games. Right now we're in the warning stages and there's alot of work to do.

I posted the statement a while back that Coach Hakstol has a method of wanting his team to play and if they don't follow they could get traded and I eluded to also mean Claude in that picture as at that time people saw him as untouchable. No one is untouchable, if he or others don't listen to the coach, they are the problem.

Am I saying to trade away our two top players? No. But what should be done is, you go to the player and have him go to a one on one meeting and tell them they're gonna sit out the next couple games, and there assignment is to look at the team from the stands. Think about why they want to play hockey and "look" at the game from above.

Sometimes you need to seperate yourself from the "situation" to be able to better handle things.

10 more games in and we can grade this team where its at.

Right now, they need to focus on doing their homework and stay that extra one or two hours shooting at the corners of the net and working on the little details of the game.

Back and forth skating down the rink as a team passing it back and forth to each other tape to tape, one mistake they all skate lapse.

[RJ8812]

Going back to the Chicago Philadelphia Stanley Cup Finals, those two team goal tenders weren't that great, and might of been the weakest tandem of goaltending competition in a finals recent history, Kanes goal was oppurtunistic in squeeking in a rather very stoppable save. He threw that on goal hoping for something to happen, as many goals scored in the NHL come about, his happened to hit paydirt and a routinely stoppable goal squeeked in.

He made that happen by taking action and tossing it out there, and it stuck....it stuck a nail in our coffin.

Jeff Carter did the same at an open net...but didn't produce the same results.

Had they not done that, we might be celebrating that year, we might not of been referring to Jeff Carter as high and wide.

They deserve to be there is subjective. Some believe just showing up qualifies as deserving; others say putting in the work will pay as results. The reality is both where in an opportunity to be a part of something that presented itself to them, they took action and reaped the consequences/rewards of an opportumity. The Kings squeeking into the playoffs and then taking off and winning it the way they did is another example of running with an opportunity. No one predicted them to win their first Cup that year.

I see us in an opportunity to make the playoffs, if the team sticks to the coarse, works through the process that we started this year, buying in to our coaches roadmap for success.

 

Jeff Carter was known as "high and wide" long before his game 6 choke job 

 

I still think one of Homer's biggest mistakes was not moving Carter that summer. The team proved that they could be successful without him since he was injured for the playoffs and had little impact when he was playing. With the emergence of Giroux, Carter was expendable that summer. Trade him to Columbus for their first in the 2010 draft & Voracek. With that pick you select Cam Fowler.

 

While I was fine with trading Carter and Richards, Homer blew it with what we got in return. Not that they weren't good returns, but the fact that he didn't acquire a single bluechip defense prospect in those deals, makes me wonder what Homer was thinking.

[OccamsRazor]

While I was fine with trading Carter and Richards, Homer blew it with what we got in return. Not that they weren't good returns,

????

He got Jake and the pick that ended up beings Coots. That i think was a nice haul.

[RJ8812]

????

He got Jake and the pick that ended up beings Coots. That i think was a nice haul.

 

I never said it wasn't a nice haul. However, all he got was forwards in those trades when he knew this team had absolutely nothing in terms of young up-and-coming defenseman

[radoran]

????

He got Jake and the pick that ended up beings Coots. That i think was a nice haul.

A third line center and a guy who has yet to score 25 goals?

[LegionOfDoom]

The question of the year....Mr. Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup Playoffs..

[LegionOfDoom]

Game 20 came and went and that last block of 10 games shows a team that was not showing positive results. Bad habits spruced up and they left the gameplan.

Enter the next ten games and we'll see what progress report they show in that time.

Quarter 1 grade: D

They flirted with a B at the beginning and after game 3(F) never kept it fully up top.

You can still make the playoffs, just don't get another D, at least a C.

So far game 21 started as a B but went down to a C+ for the overtime home win.

[radoran]

Giving up a 2-0 lead in the third at home TO CAROLINA is ridiculous.

I watched it. Live and in person.

The building was half empty by the time regulation ended. Seems like the crowd cares as muchas the team...

[LegionOfDoom]

On 8/24/2015 at 11:50 PM, LegionOfDoom said:

Too much bs of Flyers not making the playoffs.

If they put there @$$ in gear , they WILL make the playoffs. Any team can collapse for a period of weeks in this league, every time I look over at Detroit last 10 games and there like 1 in 9 or 2 and 8, no big stink is made out of it. Do the Flyers have a top defensive pairing? Berube had the right concept of putting complementary defensive players together at times, he just needed help with what to do with them after in regards to set plays/strategy and counter strategies. That should be key with Haksty he thrives on counter strategies.

He has a penchant for having his teams fire on all cylinders by the end of the season stretch.

If the Flyers don't make the playoffs this year and pass the first round at least it better be because we have two or three rookies learning in the process, then having this vet team.

Last year we were without Read, Vinny, Umberger and to an extent Coots and lesser extent Schenn offensively to help with secondary consistent scoring. Without that we are a bubble team, "with that" we make the playoffs. The Flyers need to focus on themselves first by playing the game the way it SHOULD be played. Pull your own weight and when you stumble, that's why you have team mates to pick you up, to help you out, or to cover for you. The chemistry is there off the ice, make it show on the ice.

Passing the half way mark and the team is coming together as the coach is coaching his philosophy into this team.

And Ghost finally made the team with Hexy being cautiously careful as well as the coach in regards to TOI.

I still think having Gagner on G's line with Jake will possibly, lightning in a bottle the first line into a scoring threat into the playoffs.

When Koneckny season ends this year in the minors and he goes possibly to LHV after, will he be one of the Ace's to play in the playoffs?

 

 

PS: I Love You: Lecavalier already has two goals and scored against Anaheim on the PowerPlay to get the Kings on the board.

"This" is what he was brought in to do for them.

[Howie58]

I'll repeat what I said earlier....making the playoffs would "make sense" if it were developmental for the squad.  But I suspect a huge chunk of this squad is gone in two seasons.  Hakstol might benefit more than the troops.  But developmentally, I'd just as soon get a better pick (all things being equal) and make the playoffs next year.  I am not here to be a killjoy. I'd like playoffs. But this iteration of Flyers may be radically changed come 2016-17.  

Howie

[flyercanuck]

3 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

I'll repeat what I said earlier....making the playoffs would "make sense" if it were developmental for the squad.  But I suspect a huge chunk of this squad is gone in two seasons.  Hakstol might benefit more than the troops.  But developmentally, I'd just as soon get a better pick (all things being equal) and make the playoffs next year.  I am not here to be a killjoy. I'd like playoffs. But this iteration of Flyers may be radically changed come 2016-17.  

Howie

Great minds think alike Howie....going forward I'd rather see one of those top ten picks on our team than the wonderous joys of another playoff defeat.

[OccamsRazor]

26 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

I'll repeat what I said earlier....making the playoffs would "make sense" if it were developmental for the squad.  But I suspect a huge chunk of this squad is gone in two seasons.

Who remains is unimportant to me...the main thing is the core and young coach get some experience when it comes to the playoffs they'd learn more IN the playoffs than watching on their couches! I agree the picks would be ok but they do have 10 draft picks in the draft coming still plenty of ammo to move up to get some key guys if they see fit.

You trade picks for playoff experience you either earn it and get there or not.

[Howie58]

Again, if we get to the playoffs, I'd be happy. That said--half the squad won't be there (I think) next year.  Heck, I think Giroux is the only person left from the 2010 gig. We thought that was the start of a new era...yeah.....G, V, Simmonds and the top;line people have some experience, as do the old farts.  They don't need it. The others are likely to be out.  I think next year is when we need to start making noises.  I will be disappointed if we aren't in the playoffs next year. 

 

Howie

[LegionOfDoom]

Though I want them to make the playoffs, I would logically prefer them to be in the top 5 in draft position, it would suck missing the playoffs back to back years and the loss of coaching experience in the playoffs as a team would also be a factor.

When the Kings squeeked in as an eigth seed they had good goaltending in Quick and some star players. If we squeek in the playoffs eigth seed we have good tandem goaltending and a few stars as well. I guess I'm willing to roll the dice with those odds. 100% of the playoff games your not in you don't win.

No one picked the Kings to win from an eigth seed back then. And they had huge hurtles to overcome each series. If the Flyers make the playoffs I don't think they'll be climbing as much to advance.

Injuries to other teams players can also factor in, in winning a few rounds.

The Flyers could of won a few more cups had it not been for injuries as well. As well as when the Sixers were the only team in the playoffs that beat the Lakers with Iverson and Mutumbo. That team was badly hurt and the Lakers were more healthy. The Lakers were actually scared of that beatup Sixers team, had we been healthy I could of seen a 7 game series for sure.

If the Flyers make the playoffs, they could play against a few injured teams, who knows, but I'm willing to take that chance.

Logically though of course drafting a top 5 winger would be nice as well, that's the big pill to swallow though.

PS I Love you2: If only Hexy could package a few of his draft picks for a (1 or 2)semi/star player(s) and then turn around and trade that to a "top 5 pick" bottom dweller "teams needs type player" for their top pick.

Three way deals are astute when you know your market and aquire the right assets to use as trading pieces for the ones you want.

[briere48]

at least hextall is the only gm that doesnt want to tank with playing all young players and not afraid bringing in experienced players. i wish the sixers had a gm that was smart as hextall that wants to win and not tank for players.

[OccamsRazor]

NHL: The 4 Worst Contracts in the League

http://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/nhl-the-4-worst-contracts-in-the-league.html/?ref=YF

3. Andrew MacDonald, Philadelphia Flyers

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Andrew MacDonald came to the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade with the New York Islanders during the 2013-14 season. MacDonald was in the final year of a four-year deal with the Islanders at the time. In exchange for MacDonald, the Islanders received Matt Mangene and draft picks. When it came time to sign MacDonald, the Flyers gave him a six-year deal worth $30 million. His salary with the Islanders had been $434,359 in his final year of his deal with that team.

In 58 games last season, MacDonald scored 12 points (2G, 10A) for the Flyers. MacDonald played one game for the team this season before he was placed on waivers. Not surprisingly, the defenseman went unclaimed, and he is currently playing in the AHL for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Thanks Homer!!!