Really Hard To Watch!

[Lunatic]

This team is impossible to watch. I've been patient with the current coaching staff for the past 3+ years. The quality of the team on the ice has improved each year, but the coaching has not changed their basic approach. The plan seems to be safe at all costs. Play veterans who are more reliable, but far less talented than youngsters. Safe, but the more talented kids aren't given the opportunity to grow. No wonder Colorado has a better team than the Flyers. Besides all else it is boring hockey and difficult to watch. I imagine the team will improve through the year, and maybe make to playoffs for a round, then loose. Or maybe they won't make the playoffs. No matter, same pattern. It is past time to change the entire coaching staff!

 

[murraycraven]

Without going into a full blown tirade this team is brutal.    Ron, time is yours... 

 

I just can't muster the will to watch this crap

 

[OccamsRazor]

I'm so tired of it and commenting about it so I'm going to yeah what everyone else has said.

 

Can I get a refund on my Gamecenter?

[Buffalo Rick]

6 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

I'm so tired of it and commenting about it so I'm going to yeah what everyone else has said.

 

Can I get a refund on my Gamecenter?

What is gamecenter?  Is it like Center Ice?  I might dump Direct TV.  They are charging me a fortune and cant even fix the "List".  I can get hockey on YouTube TV it seems?  I may go with Apple TV.  looking for suggestions.  I do not have smart TVs.  They came out right after I bought my Samsung flat screens so I MUST go through my router and stream with a HDMI cable?

[OccamsRazor]

33 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

What is gamecenter?  Is it like Center Ice?  I might dump Direct TV.  They are charging me a fortune and cant even fix the "List".  I can get hockey on YouTube TV it seems?  I may go with Apple TV.  looking for suggestions.  I do not have smart TVs.  They came out right after I bought my Samsung flat screens so I MUST go through my router and stream with a HDMI cable?

 

Yeah it is like center ice you can watch anywhere.

 

On your laptop, phone PS4 whatever.

 

I watch it on my phone and just chrome cast it onto TV.

 

Or if I am at work watch it at work.

[vis]

Was coming to post something similar.  Been busy at work and with life during many of the games.  In years past, I would tune in late or I would watch the entire game later at night or early the next morning when I wake up (I have Gamecenter).  I don't even bother any more.  They are an average (if that), boring hockey team without any redeeming qualities.  There is nothing exciting or enjoyable about them.  Just disappointing all around.  It's really a shame.

[Buffalo Rick]

10 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Yeah it is like center ice you can watch anywhere.

 

On your laptop, phone PS4 whatever.

 

I watch it on my phone and just chrome cast it onto TV.

 

Or if I am at work watch it at work.

Expensive?

[vis]

Just wanted to add another thing as I thought about this some more.  The game itself has become a little boring.  I appreciate the skill in the game, especially among the young players, but the lack of physicality and bona fide villains is taking all of the emotion out of the game.  I'm not saying we need more fighting or that players should keep their heads up.  I despise headshots and grew bored of the staged fight.  But it seems like there is little hitting or emotion out there and, without it, a key element of the game (for me) is missing.  I kind of draw the analogy to guitar players: Yngwie Malmsteen is/was an amazingly skilled, blazingly fast guitar player.  But he never did much for me.  Rather, I preferred Stevie Ray Vaughan because he played with incredible emotion while also being very skilled.  Kind of the same with hockey these days.  

[radoran]

2 hours ago, vis said:

Was coming to post something similar.  Been busy at work and with life during many of the games.  In years past, I would tune in late or I would watch the entire game later at night or early the next morning when I wake up (I have Gamecenter).  I don't even bother any more.  They are an average (if that), boring hockey team without any redeeming qualities.  There is nothing exciting or enjoyable about them.  Just disappointing all around.  It's really a shame.

 

Of 10 games this year I've been to one (the 6-5 Florida debacle) and watched both games with the Knights. The opening game showed some promise, but since then it's been all downhill. Even the Florida game - giving up a 5-2 lead - wasn't pleasant start-to-finish. The 1-0 Knights game was typical "Flyer hockey" where they play well for 55 minutes without scoring and then give up a back-breaker.

 

I really don't see me ponying up $$$ - much less time - to watch them on a regular basis. I'll go to a few more games this season and watch the national broadcasts, but am not really expecting much to change.

 

It's another slow start that sees them giving up points at the start of the season that they'll struggle to get back and try to sneak into the playoffs, where they're not likely to move out of the first round. Again. For the seventh year in a row.

[vis]

40 minutes ago, radoran said:

It's another slow start that sees them giving up points at the start of the season that they'll struggle to get back and try to sneak into the playoffs, where they're not likely to move out of the first round. Again. For the seventh year in a row.

Wash.Rinse.Repeat.  That's what's frustrating.  No meaningful improvement for 7 years.  "But the prospects!" is what they'll say.  Great. They will have lost me by the time these prospects are making an impact (if ever).

 

What bothers me most?  This will sound cheesy, but I was looking forward to watching with my kids this year and taking them to a few games.  Last year, my son, who just turned 6, started playing and he was finally excited to watch games with me.  He would stay up with me until he passed out on the couch, usually after the second period, or get up early and watch the replay with me before school.  And this year I was planning on taking my daughter, who is almost 3, to her first game.  But my lack of enthusiasm is now affecting my son's enthusiasm since I don't watch that much.  And I'm not sure I want to spend hundreds of dollars on taking them to a game, though my son and I went to the Vegas game.  Kind of sucks that it is having an impact on them.  Trying to be better about that.

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Expensive?

 

I think it was $140 for the season.

 

Which i am blue collar and yeah i say that is expensive...but worth it.

 

Or if you just wanted to watch just the Saber's game you can choose that package only for $99.

[Buffalo Rick]

7 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

I think it was $140 for the season.

 

Which i am blue collar and yeah i say that is expensive...but worth it.

 

Or if you just wanted to watch just the Saber's game you can choose that package only for $99.

For $40 I would get the whole shabang.  Its kind of the same as Center Ice.  You can make 4 payments on Center Ice but its about the same total.  I am thinking of dumping the Direct Tv. Since they went to AT&T they suck.  They people that answer the phones can barely speak English and are dumber than the day is long.  

[radoran]

11 minutes ago, vis said:

Wash.Rinse.Repeat.  That's what's frustrating.  No meaningful improvement for 7 years.  "But the prospects!" is what they'll say.  Great. They will have lost me by the time these prospects are making an impact (if ever).

 

What bothers me most?  This will sound cheesy, but I was looking forward to watching with my kids this year and taking them to a few games.  Last year, my son, who just turned 6, started playing and he was finally excited to watch games with me.  He would stay up with me until he passed out on the couch, usually after the second period, or get up early and watch the replay with me before school.  And this year I was planning on taking my daughter, who is almost 3, to her first game.  But my lack of enthusiasm is now affecting my son's enthusiasm since I don't watch that much.  And I'm not sure I want to spend hundreds of dollars on taking them to a game, though my son and I went to the Vegas game.  Kind of sucks that it is having an impact on them.  Trying to be better about that.

 

I've found through watching other teams that I still like the game itself.

 

But the "no meaningful improvement for 7 years" is a big factor in where I am with the or-gan-i-zay-shun. When they blew up the Cup Finals team (which was, in itself, a fluke) it was to give what were then "the prospects" the chance (backed by the 35-year-old defenseman they decided to build around after unceremoniously jettisonning the previous batch of "top prospects").

 

Unfortunately, those prospects haven't done very much for seven years and we're left again with "well, they're building."

 

How long until it's actually "built"? Why do we still have the veteran leaders on the team talking about how they aren't playing well. Three days ago the GM said this:

 

"Our chemistry hasn't been great," general manager Ron Hextall said. "When you start seeing D pairs change and lines change, it's because there's no real chemistry there, and the chemistry comes with execution."

 

How is it possible that among guys - the "leadership core" - that have been playing together for seven years there's "no chemistry"? And why are we supposed to believe that's going to change by rearranging deck chairs?

 

They're going to have to reach out and grab me with results because while I'm still wearing my beat up old Flyers hat around, I'm not wasting my time watching the same old same old expecting new results.

[Howie58]

At the end of last season I said we were in a "Dark Ages" after going six years without a playoff series win.  Some thought that was an exaggeration.  Nope.  

 

I think we are sad as long-time fans.  If we were Phoenix or Florida...yeah, no rich history, no deep pockets.  This is a different story.  Add to that expectations and the JVR signing. This was a year we expected return on the patience model.

 

So, now we have to ask a tough question I posted two days ago: Are we under-performing or under-talented?  If it's the former, changing coaches will make a difference.  If it's the latter, we are in some deep dog doo. Then patience won't be rewarded.

 

There's a group of us who came over from Philly.com in November of 2011.  We've felt a promised land is a year or two around the corner.  Clear up the Homer cap mess...get rid of the deadwood.  I have to agree with Occam--maybe Joe Sakic in Colorado has done more in shorter time than our current GM.  Ouch.

[OccamsRazor]

32 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

 They people that answer the phones can barely speak English and are dumber than the day is long.

 

No argument there...it gets me so pissed i'm not even going to discuss it more than is it to hard to find people who can speak english and you understand it at the same time???

[OccamsRazor]

18 minutes ago, Howie58 said:

Are we under-performing or under-talented? 

 

Under performing no doubt just looking at this roster there is a lot of talent there to work with. A lot.

 

So now we have to ask is Hak coaching them up with where they need to be mentally so they can go out and play fast and not think so much??

 

Not sure after such great season for Giroux and Jake you would think they would come in and start where they left off especially with the young kids like Patrick, Lindblom, TK, Ivan, Sanheim, Ghost and other having played last year and should be smarter older.

 

 

So the only question i have to ask that would explain some stuff....did Hak chance the system game plan philosophy during the off season???

 

If he did then there might be an underlying reason however i bet that he didn't.

 

So that leaves me to believe it is one thing.

 

THE PLAYERS JUST ARE NOT EXECUTING THE GAME PLAN!

 

THE ARE NOT HUSTLING AND DOING IT FOR 60 MINUTES!

 

WANTING IT MORE THAN THE OTHER TEAM!

 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND NOT WANTING SOMEONE ELSE TO SAVE THEM!

 

Sorry not shouting at you Howie just this maddening goddamn team.

[Howie58]

21 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Under performing no doubt just looking at this roster there is a lot of talent there to work with. A lot.

 

So now we have to ask is Hak coaching them up with where they need to be mentally so they can go out and play fast and not think so much??

 

Not sure after such great season for Giroux and Jake you would think they would come in and start where they left off especially with the young kids like Patrick, Lindblom, TK, Ivan, Sanheim, Ghost and other having played last year and should be smarter older.

 

 

So the only question i have to ask that would explain some stuff....did Hak chance the system game plan philosophy during the off season???

 

If he did then there might be an underlying reason however i bet that he didn't.

 

So that leaves me to believe it is one thing.

 

THE PLAYERS JUST ARE NOT EXECUTING THE GAME PLAN!

 

THE ARE NOT HUSTLING AND DOING IT FOR 60 MINUTES!

 

WANTING IT MORE THAN THE OTHER TEAM!

 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND NOT WANTING SOMEONE ELSE TO SAVE THEM!

 

Sorry not shouting at you Howie just this maddening goddamn team.

Occ:

 

I get it!

[Lunatic]

22 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Under performing no doubt just looking at this roster there is a lot of talent there to work with. A lot.

 

So now we have to ask is Hak coaching them up with where they need to be mentally so they can go out and play fast and not think so much??

 

Not sure after such great season for Giroux and Jake you would think they would come in and start where they left off especially with the young kids like Patrick, Lindblom, TK, Ivan, Sanheim, Ghost and other having played last year and should be smarter older.

 

 

So the only question i have to ask that would explain some stuff....did Hak chance the system game plan philosophy during the off season???

 

If he did then there might be an underlying reason however i bet that he didn't.

 

So that leaves me to believe it is one thing.

 

THE PLAYERS JUST ARE NOT EXECUTING THE GAME PLAN!

 

THE ARE NOT HUSTLING AND DOING IT FOR 60 MINUTES!

 

WANTING IT MORE THAN THE OTHER TEAM!

 

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND NOT WANTING SOMEONE ELSE TO SAVE THEM!

 

Sorry not shouting at you Howie just this maddening goddamn team.

Watching Ghost and Provorov they have looked tentative and sometimes confused. They may have made mistakes In the past but they have never looked confused, over aggressive, yes, but not confused. I suspect that reflects whatever Hak is attempting to do. Additionally, scratching Gudas, after having one of his best games, and before a game telling reporters that his is considering sitting Lindblom, who has been playing reasonably well is  not on the players, it's directly on the coach.  It's poor coaching!

[OH1FlyersFan]

2 hours ago, vis said:

Just wanted to add another thing as I thought about this some more.  The game itself has become a little boring.  I appreciate the skill in the game, especially among the young players, but the lack of physicality and bona fide villains is taking all of the emotion out of the game.  I'm not saying we need more fighting or that players should keep their heads up.  I despise headshots and grew bored of the staged fight.  But it seems like there is little hitting or emotion out there and, without it, a key element of the game (for me) is missing.  I kind of draw the analogy to guitar players: Yngwie Malmsteen is/was an amazingly skilled, blazingly fast guitar player.  But he never did much for me.  Rather, I preferred Stevie Ray Vaughan because he played with incredible emotion while also being very skilled.  Kind of the same with hockey these days.  

Amen to all of this!  Though I'd be ok with a little more fighting, self-policing, if you will.  But then there's hardly anything to self-police these days because the NHL has neutered the game and taken all the emotion out of it.

[PuckMeister]

To All,

It's been awhile since I posted.  One of the things I've noticed is there are other teams able to add GOOD talent and remain under the cap.  How do the Caps, Bruins, Pens accomplish this and we are not able to?

A number of younger teams who have remarkable talent had to spend a number of years melting the ice with their stench in order to draft elite talent.  Brings me to the Flyers who always had to be competitive and pay high for low talent.  Thinking was they just needed one or two more players to get over the hump.  They were never willing to pay the price that other teams did.

Other teams must have better scouts because we NEVER find that true sniper or outstanding goalie that other teams come up with, or are never in a draft position to do so.

 

Coaching has been suspect for years.  I say, off with their heads!  Trying the same approach year after year and expecting the outcome to be different is the definition of insanity.  Perhaps there in lies the crux of the matter.

[OccamsRazor]

21 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

It's poor coaching!

 

Sure it ain't helping so you are letting the million dollar players off the hook??
 

Wonder what would happen at work if i blamed my bosses when i f**ked up???

 

I'd get a pass and they would fire them?? I'll try that next time...

[Howie58]

23 minutes ago, PuckMeister said:

A number of younger teams who have remarkable talent had to spend a number of years melting the ice with their stench in order to draft elite talent.  Brings me to the Flyers who always had to be competitive and pay high for low talent.  Thinking was they just needed one or two more players to get over the hump.  They were never willing to pay the price that other teams did.

Dear PuckMeister:

 

Yes, we have not had year after year of misery that nets the highest picks and talent.  But I would hope we have collected a good balance of talent. That's why the two losses to Colorado are so disappointing.  Yes, they have Landeskog, etc.  But you'd reckon we could field three or four good lines to compensate. Shoot...those folks skated through us, as Patton said, like crap through a goose.  That bugs me.

[Lunatic]

OR no offense intended. I am so pissed that this has been going on for so many years! I've followed the Flyers from their beginning. Intelligence is measured by the ability to learn from your experiences and modify your behavior on an ongoing basis. I have not seen that the coaching staff has done this. Players, especially vets, should be held responsible, but the coaching staff's inability to change their strategies over the years strongly suggests that it is time for a change.

[Poulin20]

15 hours ago, Lunatic said:

This team is impossible to watch. I've been patient with the current coaching staff for the past 3+ years. The quality of the team on the ice has improved each year, but the coaching has not changed their basic approach. The plan seems to be safe at all costs. Play veterans who are more reliable, but far less talented than youngsters. Safe, but the more talented kids aren't given the opportunity to grow. No wonder Colorado has a better team than the Flyers. Besides all else it is boring hockey and difficult to watch. I imagine the team will improve through the year, and maybe make to playoffs for a round, then loose. Or maybe they won't make the playoffs. No matter, same pattern. It is past time to change the entire coaching staff!

 

I'm sad to say I agree with you.  I have recently taken a part time job scoreboard operating and stat scorekeeping late night men's league games and periodic youth tournaments at the rink my son plays at (for $18-20 a game depending on the format) and it has been infinitely more exciting than the Flyers so far this season.  I have a tournament game tonight and 3 tournament games back to back to back tomorrow starting at 7 AM which I am looking forward to and then off to the Flyers vs Isles which I am dreading!

 

What pisses me off the most is that it seems like Hexy and the team have taken the long view with contracts and drafting well and we have all these young guys etc. but I don't see any upward trend as I had expected this year.  I'm all for being patient and have been preaching it to everyone around me but it is running out very quickly. 

[OccamsRazor]

30 minutes ago, Lunatic said:

OR no offense intended. I am so pissed that this has been going on for so many years! I've followed the Flyers from their beginning. Intelligence is measured by the ability to learn from your experiences and modify your behavior on an ongoing basis. I have not seen that the coaching staff has done this. Players, especially vets, should be held responsible, but the coaching staff's inability to change their strategies over the years strongly suggests that it is time for a change.

 

Sure i am at the point to say yeah let's try whatever....whatever it takes to fix it....because i admit i know idea what that really maybe.

 

It to me seems like this whole group needs to collectively lye on a coach and talk to a professional...hell they may even need an exorcist to move forward....at a loss for an answer.