Jump to content

Closing thoughts

eleven24

By eleven24
in Philadelphia Flyers

Recommended Posts

eleven24 Newbie

eleven24

Posted
Posted

... on the Flyers/Caps series

 

  • Alex Ovechkin is everything a Flyers fan would love.  Tough, physical, immensely talented.  Leading scorer in the NHL who is just as feared for his hitting as he is his shot... hate to say it, but I love watching the guy play.  Well, other than when he's on the PP and just standing there with arms down at his sides.

 

  • The Caps don't impress me as much as they should.  Let's be honest here, on paper the Flyers had no business even competing with the Caps.  Yet there we were one little bounce away from a game 7.  The Caps don't have that killer instinct.  I can't see them getting past Pittsburgh, and if they do they're not beating a team from the West.

 

  • There has to be something wrong with Voracek.  Forget not scoring, his decision making and just balance on his skates was horrendous in not only this series, but the season in general.  

 

  • Ditto with Giroux.  Wouldn't be surprised to hear he has some sort of lower body injury as well.  Either that or he was just exhausted.  He had no motor at all this series.

 

  • Proud of the way this team showed resolve in the face of insurmountable odds.  Pushing it to 6 games, regardless of shot differentials, is something that I'm sure would've made Ed Snider smile.

 

... on the Flyers going forward

  • Obviously, can't wait for guys like Provorov to play alongside Ghost.  
  • Speaking of Ghost, hoping the Flyers get him on a strength training program.  It was evident in the playoffs that as slick and shifty as he may be, one good hit and he's done.  There were even times where it was obvious that he pulled up or got rid of the puck out of fear of getting hit hard.
  • Streit has hit the same wall that Desjardins and Timonen before him had hit.  The game quickly passed him by.
  • Schultz was a workhorse in the playoffs.  Totally didn't expect that one.  Manning actually showed something too.
  • Offense.  Enough said.
  • Making the playoffs will have done more for the team,it's coach and it's future than missing and getting a higher draft pick.
  • Was it simply because there was no other offense, or did Gagner look like a keeper during the playoffs?
  • Colin MacDonald > Ryan White
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Podein25 Proficient

Podein25

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, eleven24 said:

The Caps don't impress me as much as they should.    I can't see them getting past Pittsburgh

 

I'm not so sure. If Orpik remains out, then I agree that's a challenge for them as they don't have any depth there. That's there one weak point.

 

But I will say this about them as a team: they don't give up much and both their neutral zone and defensive zone play are as good as I've seen. Did it not seem like there were always 3 Caps players near the puck? And it's not just collapsing passively - anybody can do that - they both collapsed to defend the slot and the front of the net and had pressure on the points. Not easy to do. 

 

They won the vast majority of battles all over the ice and the reason is puck support. All their players support the puck and battle hard. I wouldn't count them out against the Pens especially with their clear upperhand in goal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
flyer4ever Community Regular

flyer4ever

Posted
Posted

Totally disagree about making the playoffs benefitting the future. I see 3 or 4 guys at the most on this roster being part of a serious Cup run. I also watched some viable assets depreciate in this series, Giroux being the main one.  For all the great things I hear about the Flyers strength coach, I still see them as the Philly Falldowners. Need some serious core strength improvement. The 2 wins over the Caps was a fallout of the modern game, coaches playing not to lose. Everything from the perimeter. The Hawks win Cups because they play to win, they go to the net. They have forwards with skill and size. Sorry for my reality check, but have been watching without a Cup for 40 years now. And who gives a **** about the Caps, golf season starts today.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
eleven24 Newbie

eleven24

Posted
  • Author
Posted

All I kept thinking in the series is that if the Flyers had any amount of firepower the Caps would lose the series.  Everyone likes talking about the Flyers getting outshot in game 4 by a count of 44-11, but nobody (media) cared to mentioned that the FLYERS had outshot the Caps in the series up to that point.  Game 2 saw the Flyers double up the Caps in SOG 42-23.  If I recall it was something like 19-6 in the first period.  

 

I do agree though, the Caps are solid down the middle in terms of team defense.  They keep everything to the outside from the neutral to the defensive zone.  I still think though that a team with some bona fide snipers, like the Pens, could put the Caps out of the playoffs.  If the Flyers were one bounce away from a game 7, despite the lack of offense they had in the series, what happens when a team that can score faces them?

 

So I guess the "not being impressed" by the Caps is more me comparing what I saw to what I thought should've happened.  The Caps let the Flyers hang around in the series and didn't have that killer instinct.  Great teams have that.  The Caps are a great regular season team.  Great team on paper.  They just need to prove it.  If anything I think they proved in the 1st round that they're not everything they think they are... yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Howie58 Mentor

Howie58

Posted
Posted

Our team is small.  Good Inquirer post comparing weights of our lines with Caps...we are 20+ pounds smaller on average.  That has to be a major factor. Agreed that many on this squad will not be around in 2 years...maybe even next year. But if only from the evaluation sake...and Hakstol's benefit, I am glad we made it.  

 

Gagner looked better to me than V over the last 20+ games of the season. He has speed and seemed willing to forecheck.  At a discount, I'd resign him for a "reclamation" project test.  

 

If nothing else, I feel we are heading in the right direction.  We had our head fakes in 2008 and 2010...felt good, deep runs....blah, blah. But they were short-term highs with no foundation. I feel a lot better today about Flyers' prospects than any time in the last decade.  

 

Howie

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OccamsRazor Grand Master

OccamsRazor

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, eleven24 said:

Colin MacDonald > Ryan White

 

 

AAAaaaahhh no. Sure i enjoyed Colin's introduction to the lineup but he is not better than White. Bigger than White sure. But White put up 11 goals last year on the 4th line.

 

Mcdonald has never done that.

 

And he wins faceoffs and hasn't finished below 50% in the last 4 years so no i can't agree better than him.

 

But i would welcome him on the 4th and remove Vandevelde or just keep him and waive him to the AHL instead until needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OccamsRazor Grand Master

OccamsRazor

Posted
Posted

Anyone will to give give Gagner another deal is just asking to be MEH. And the Flyers can find that elsewhere for cheaper. There is a reason he has never been to the playoffs and it wasn't just the crappy teams he has been on.

 

HE JUST ISN'T THAT GOOD!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
murraycraven Newbie

murraycraven

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

AAAaaaahhh no. Sure i enjoyed Colin's introduction to the lineup but he is not better than White. Bigger than White sure. But White put up 11 goals last year on the 4th line.

 

Mcdonald has never done that.

 

And he wins faceoffs and hasn't finished below 50% in the last 4 years so no i can't agree better than him.

 

But i would welcome him on the 4th and remove Vandevelde or just keep him and waive him to the AHL instead until needed.

 

 

100%.... 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Podein25 Proficient

Podein25

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, AndyS said:

And I think Koneckny is going to be tremendous. (Shades of Rick Tocchet?)

 

I like TK's tenacity and aggressive play, but I don't think Tocchet is the right comparison....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BobbyClarkeFan16 Proficient

BobbyClarkeFan16

Posted
Posted
On 4/25/2016 at 2:23 PM, Howie58 said:

Our team is small.  Good Inquirer post comparing weights of our lines with Caps...we are 20+ pounds smaller on average.  That has to be a major factor. Agreed that many on this squad will not be around in 2 years...maybe even next year. But if only from the evaluation sake...and Hakstol's benefit, I am glad we made it.  

 

Gagner looked better to me than V over the last 20+ games of the season. He has speed and seemed willing to forecheck.  At a discount, I'd resign him for a "reclamation" project test.  

 

If nothing else, I feel we are heading in the right direction.  We had our head fakes in 2008 and 2010...felt good, deep runs....blah, blah. But they were short-term highs with no foundation. I feel a lot better today about Flyers' prospects than any time in the last decade.  

 

Howie

 

The problem though is that you have to find skill with the size. There have been times in the past when the Flyers have drafted size, but there was little skill with it. As well, I'm not sure if they need as much size up front as they do on the back end. Once Morin and Sanheim arrive, that will add some much needed size to the back end. In the case of Morin, he'll be able to keep guys like Tom Wilson in check, a must going forward. 

 

What I think the Flyers really lack are some players with a mean streak in the line up. To me, that's the biggest problem. There isn't a player in the line up right now that strikes fear into any team. Honestly, I wish Brayden Schenn was that guy because he plays with a bit of an edge and if he had a mean streak to go with it, he'd be a player that would give teams fits. 

 

I'm not sure there will ever be a Tocchet type player to grace the lineup again, but I would certainly love to see a physical player that can score, fight and hit in the lineup and someone who can bring it regularly. As much as I don't personally like him, I think a guy like Max Jones would fit that bill if Hextall goes in that direction. He's playing in a good system in London, so we all know he's defensively aware and his offensive game will develop. 

 

I'm feeling good about the direction the club is going in. I'm still going to play devil's advocate and I think they'll take a slight step back next year when they work more younger players into the lineup (I'm still thinking that Konecny and Provorov for cetain, Drake Caggiula potentially, will be in the lineup opening night and Morin will join them mid season), but I'd be willing to see that if it meant that they were going to be better in the long run as a result. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OccamsRazor Grand Master

OccamsRazor

Posted
Posted

What?? Really after the disappointing regular season and playoffs he just had and now then....

 

Jakub Voracek up for NHL17 cover vote

 

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2016/4/26/11510944/jakub-voracek-up-for-ea-sports-nhl17-cover-vote-vs-connor-mcdavid

 

When i saw this i thought it was a joke....no way this guys deserves to be on the cover much less considered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BobbyClarkeFan16 Proficient

BobbyClarkeFan16

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, AndyS said:

And I think Konecny is going to be tremendous. (Shades of Rick Tocchet?)

 

Konecny simply doesn't have the size that Tocchet had. However, Konecny is Mark Recchi sized. And Recchi was a HELL of a player for the Flyers. I'd certainly be content with Recchi 2.0

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DaGreatGazoo Newbie

DaGreatGazoo

Posted
Posted
On 4/25/2016 at 11:57 AM, flyer4ever said:

I see 3 or 4 guys at the most on this roster being part of a serious Cup run.

Serious Cup Run is arguably 2-3 years away....you are saying they Flyers will turn over 75% of their roster in that time.  Which probably means they trade Giroux and/or Voracek.

 

I get the frustration, I don't disagree with many of your points, but I disagree with this one.  This isn't Homer.  They are building, they have a core.  Now they need to fill in around it.   

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...