Eastern Conference: Round 1 - #2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #3 Philadelphia Flyers

[ruxpin]

15 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I think this is a watch the game tape and see if there are adjustments to be made.

 

"Hi, tower?  This is Max Pruss.  We may have to make some adjustments..."

[OccamsRazor]

6 hours ago, brelic said:

Lyon is not a better option.

 

You're right is is close to the same....but he hasn't been given a lot of games to prove himself. Neuvy has the actual better numbers.

 

Still Elliott 909% Lyon 905% Mrazek 902%

 

Elliott 2.66 Lyon 2.75 Mrazek 3.03

 

with those numbers he at least deserves a shot to be the backup.....however a 3rd rounder wasn't wasted on him. Had there he would be the backup at least.

[flyer4ever]

This team sucks, period, the corporates insist on a couple of playoff gate receipts and as long as that is the M>O then this is what we get. If you want a competitive playoff team finishing 8th and drafting at 15 -20 isn't going to get it done. The worst part of this for me is how soft this team is. The Flyers had an identity for 25 years. Not anymore. Very sad.

[Pucked in the head]

5 hours ago, MaineFlyFan said:

One of my "pre-game" (like 3 days ago) things was Laughton scoring! I said he was due....and he blew it.

 

Tough game to watch. But we lost ONE game...lets see what happens.

 

YES, the Pens are the better team. (just vomited in my mouth), Yes, Elliott is mediocre at best, YES, we need to get the puck out of our zone!!!......but that doesn't mean we can't beat them!!!!

 

COME ON EVERYONE!!!!

LETS GO FLYERS!!!

PUCKIN A MAN!!!   LET'S GO FLYERS!! ! ! !

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, flyer4ever said:

The worst part of this for me is how soft this team is.

 

 

That and as much as they pass you would think they would be good at it at least. And please please stop with the skating forward only to pass it backwards....this team's attack plan is pee wee like.

 

AND SHOT THE GODDAMN PUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Fourteen of the #Flyers’ 24 shots came from up top by defensemen. Another 24 attempts were blocked. To beat Matt Murray, they’ll need to make adjustments.

[OccamsRazor]

 

 

 

Wow shocked Hak wouldn't even know were to begin to spark this club....

[Lindbergh31]

5 hours ago, B21 said:

 

Or...they just aren't that good? Good players get back to back championships because they don't whiff on open nets.

 

Cup winning goalies win Cups because they don't direct juicy rebounds into the slot.

 

Cup winning players win Cups because they don't change lines mid-rush.

 

Now - do you learn any of the above playing regular season hockey or must one have experienced playoff hockey to be reminded of these?

I'm sure if we went back in time when the Crosby and the Pens entered their first playoff series the same mistakes were made by them. Bottomline is the Pens gave the Flyers an ass-whooping and the Flyers helped them do it. The experience of this playoff series will help the young Flyers down the road, as the old saying goes, you have to learn how to lose before you learn to win. Crosby and company are on a mission to be the first team since the '80-'83 Islanders to three-peat as champions, will they achieve that, only time will tell. As for the Flyers, we'll see what kind of character they have for game 2.

[swflyers28]

1 hour ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

 

Wow shocked Hak wouldn't even know were to begin to spark this club....

 

He doesn't, Hak has never been one to fire up anything.  Words can't express how much I hate him as coach of this team.  Our vets will need to do something for tomorrow night to even have the slightest of chances of even scoring a goal.  If they don't, I am up for getting rid of Simmonds and Jake for something.   Could be a goalie or a younger player.

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, swflyers28 said:

 

He doesn't, Hak has never been one to fire up anything.  Words can't express how much I hate him as coach of this team.  Our vets will need to do something for tomorrow night to even have the slightest of chances of even scoring a goal.  If they don't, I am up for getting rid of Simmonds and Jake for something.   Could be a goalie or a younger player.

 

Man when you watch other games it really puts into perspective how crappy the Flyer's goalies are.

 

The only club that seems to think they don't need good goaltending.

 

That isn't on the coach. That is on the GM.

[B21]

5 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

The regular season is 82 games long. Guys take shifts off....guys take games off. On every team. Did Pittsburgh play 82 games like they did last night? No. 

 

 Pittsburgh ended up 2 points ahead of Philly. Did that look like a team ONE game better over an 82 game sched?  Not to me...that looked like a playoff ready team. Philly looked like it was game 4 of the regular season. Laughton scored 10 goals in the regular season. Hagelin scored 10. I don't see a "superior" scorer there. ONE of them couldn't score in a wide open net last night.   My guess is he was probably gripping his stick a little too tight last night. FOUR career playoff games (including last night) might have had a bearing on that.

 

 I'm not arguing the two teams are equal here....I didn't expect playoffs this year. The Pens are better...but they're also comfortable in playoff hockey. They KNOW the grind. There's a lot of Flyers who either forget...or don't know it at all.

 

 

OK but still...do you have to "experience" the playoffs to "know" how much harder it is? That you don't take shifts off? You and I know that we neither of us played in the NHL. And those Flyers with no "experience" have Giroux and a handful of others in that locker room to remind them what playoff hockey is all about...to lead them. It's not some big secret that only those who have played in the post season  know about.

 

Ron Hainsey was 35 years old last year. Those were the first playoff games of his career. He acquitted himself quite well, no? Did all those years of not playing in the post season hurt him? No. If you want to argue about young players like Ghost, Konecy and Provorov that's fine. But then it's more of a lack of experience in general - not a lack of playoff experience.  The dumb plays and penalties they made were due to a lack of hockey experience. Not a lack of playoff hockey experience. Those mistakes just get amplified in the playoffs...which I'm pretty sure they know. 

 

 

[B21]

1 hour ago, Lindbergh31 said:

I'm sure if we went back in time when the Crosby and the Pens entered their first playoff series the same mistakes were made by them. 

 

Sure - because they lacked NHL hockey experience. Not necessarily playoff hockey experience.  The next year they went to the SCF.  Do you really think losing in the first round the prior year to Ottawa made "that" much of an impression? I don't.

 

 

[B21]

6 hours ago, ruxpin said:

 

The difference between the experienced team and whatever the hell was wearing orange & black last night is that the experienced team, the team that ultimately wins the cup, doesn't let it snowball.   They realize it's a marathon and not a sprint and don't let any one of those things become the end of the world.    Sometimes, an experienced team--or any team that ends up winning the Cup''can have all of these things happen at once and get blown out of a game.   The experienced team, again, realizes it's a marathon, picks itself up, goes about business and goes back for the next game. 

 

 

I agree. Experienced team. Veterans. Not necessarily playoff experience. Exhibit A: Ron Hainsey.

[swflyers28]

6 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Man when you watch other games it really puts into perspective how crappy the Flyer's goalies are.

 

The only club that seems to think they don't need good goaltending.

 

That isn't on the coach. That is on the GM.

 

I see this, how our hockey team never sees this is beyond me.  Yes, we bring up Hart and Sandstrom but it seems like our scouting system never thinks drafting a good goalie is key.  Or we never had the luck of drafting a good one like every other team seems to have done.

[B21]

@flyercanuck

@ruxpin

 

My final point about the important of playoffs experience...

 

2015-16 Pens: Dumoulin, Sheary, Kuhnhackl, Rust and Murray. 1st post season. All played big roles. Huge roles in Murray's case. First taste on the NHL post season.

 

2016-17 Pens: Wilson and Guentzel. See above.

 

I know. Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Fleury had been there. So has Giroux. 

 

Not meant to say any are better leaders than the other. I just don't buy the "playoff experience" cliche. Filpula has been to 3 Cup Finals. Simmonds has 37 playoff games under his belt. Weisee 38. Voracek 29. Coots 20.  You got guys that "know".

 

 

[hf101]

10 hours ago, B21 said:

Laughton fans on a wide open net. Poor play? Or inexperience?

 

nah.  lack of real talent.

[ruxpin]

18 minutes ago, B21 said:

@flyercanuck

@ruxpin

 

My final point about the important of playoffs experience...

 

2015-16 Pens: Dumoulin, Sheary, Kuhnhackl, Rust and Murray. 1st post season. All played big roles. Huge roles in Murray's case. First taste on the NHL post season.

 

2016-17 Pens: Wilson and Guentzel. See above.

 

I know. Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Fleury had been there. So has Giroux. 

 

Not meant to say any are better leaders than the other. I just don't buy the "playoff experience" cliche. Filpula has been to 3 Cup Finals. Simmonds has 37 playoff games under his belt. Weisee 38. Voracek 29. Coots 20.  You got guys that "know".

 

 

If all you're arguing is that it gets over exaggerated, I'm with you. 

 

If you're saying it's non-existent (I don't think this was your initial position) then no. 

 

In either case, I don't think the Pens examples are good ones. They don't compare to the Flyers' situation, anyway. I mean we haven't won a series in six seasons. There's no or little muscle memory even among the couple that were there.  Your core had that. 

 

The Pens-Flyers is a really extreme contrast in that regard. But I still think it's probably over-exaggerated. And, really, after the first game it really can't be used as an excuse. 

[hf101]

23 minutes ago, B21 said:

I know. Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Fleury had been there. So has Giroux. 

 

That statement really says it all.  Pens have Talented top 2 centers, PP- Quarterback d-man, and a top-notch goalie.  Add in other vets, and and it is a recipe for success built for years.  Flyers have a ways to go it will be a few years yet.  Giroux has never been able to do it all by himself.

[Howie58]

I was in Denver on work assignment and only watched a part of the debacle.  I don't think Elliott was healed.  That said, he is not a playoff goalie!

https://winnersandwhiners.com/games/nhl/4-13-2018/philadelphia-flyers-vs-pittsburgh-penguins-expert-prediction-7283/

 

We made it to the playoffs beating the so-so teams.  Pitt is manhandling us. They have skill; we utilize glorified pump-and-dump, thinking low percentage shots from the perimeter will save the day.  Yikes.

 

 

 

[intheslot]

Its one game ..

must win friday night.

and its the D-men

Have to hit ...

 

[Podein25]

24 minutes ago, intheslot said:

Its one game ..

must win friday night.

and its the D-men

Have to hit ...

 

 

Is that a haiku?

[B21]

10 hours ago, hf101 said:

 

That statement really says it all.  Pens have Talented top 2 centers, PP- Quarterback d-man, and a top-notch goalie.  Add in other vets, and and it is a recipe for success built for years.  Flyers have a ways to go it will be a few years yet.  Giroux has never been able to do it all by himself.

 

Talking about the importance of having experience - not skill sets - and how that can/can't influence the less playoff-tested members of the team. Basically my way of asking - does it really matter if you have 1 guy or 3-4 guys who have "been there" as far as making sure the rest of the team "knows what it takes" (pick your playoff hockey cliche).

[OccamsRazor]

5 minutes ago, B21 said:

 

Talking about the importance of having experience - not skill sets - and how that can/can't influence the less playoff-tested members of the team. Basically my way of asking - does it really matter if you have 1 guy or 3-4 guys who have "been there" as far as making sure the rest of the team "knows what it takes" (pick your playoff hockey cliche).

 

 

Screw all that right now i'll just take a dude who can stop the damn puck.

[B21]

11 hours ago, ruxpin said:

If all you're arguing is that it gets over exaggerated, I'm with you. 

 

If you're saying it's non-existent (I don't think this was your initial position) then no. 

 

In either case, I don't think the Pens examples are good ones. They don't compare to the Flyers' situation, anyway. I mean we haven't won a series in six seasons. There's no or little muscle memory even among the couple that were there.  Your core had that. 

 

The Pens-Flyers is a really extreme contrast in that regard. But I still think it's probably over-exaggerated. And, really, after the first game it really can't be used as an excuse. 

 

I think we are on the same page. I don't think it's non-existent at all. I just can't consider it much of a....difference maker?...when it comes to looking at who has an edge in any given series.  I like numbers, stats, analytics. So far - the "edge" for a player/team who has more playoff experience has been limited to knowing the playoffs are harder, more intense, no taking shifts off, no dumb mistakes as those are magnified, etc.  My reply is simply - do you have to have played in the NHL playoffs to know any of that? Not. Really.  Don't mean to pick on you and FC.  "Playoff experience" is just one of those sports cliches that drives me bonkers.  

 

Example: In baseball: "He's a professional hitter." No shite Sherlock. Aren't they all?

[B21]

Just now, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Screw all that right now i'll just take a dude who can stop the damn puck.

 

Which at the end of the day is by far the biggest reason why you lost Game 1.  Elliott has 40+ playoff games worth of "experience" including a trip to the Conference Finals. How'd that work out for him in Game 1?

[OccamsRazor]

7 minutes ago, B21 said:

 

Which at the end of the day is by far the biggest reason why you lost Game 1. 

 

 

Absolutely.

 

And i'm afraid they don't have much better waiting in the wing.

 

The truth of the matter is Neuvy i think is their best bet but he can't stay healthy.

 

Sadly he is made of paper mache.