Vanflyer

Without reading the responses yet.....hmmmm....who can handle Ovie. I was going to say Trotz would be the front runner, but not so sure he wants to sign up for the gig. It will start with GM anyway.

I don't want to sound harsh (especially since I was unable to watch the game), but here it goes. This is just from watching the highlights and from a strictly analytical point of view: The Good: 1) Goal tending- Mason was superb. 2) Faceoffs- Many over look this, but this is the first game of the series that the Flyers dominated the faceoffs. While G. has been stifled in other areas of the ice, all serious long him and hall have been the only ones to win more than lose in the dot. Tonight, there was not a single loser. Puck possession is a key to winning and a big part of that is winning the draws. 3) The D- Mason did his job, but the d also sucked it up when grossman went down. The Bad: 1) Giveaways- to point number three above, puck possession three above, puck possession is key to winning. The flyers had a 4:1 ratio on giveaways. Kind of negates the dominance in the face off circle. 2) Shots- Extremely outshot again (38-25). While the Flyers had 25 tonight (to NYR 38), they are still averaging 20 shots to the rangers 35 per game through the series. Won't win many hockey games, let alone series that way at the NHL level. 3) Blocked shots- normally a forte' of the Flyers, they lost the blocked shots 2-1. I guess you could look at it a couple of ways: a) the flyers were trying to generate chances that were blocked or b) the Flyers were not very good at preventing opportunities on goal by the Rangers. The bottom line for me is that without Mason (or any other stand on your head goalie), just looking at it from a numbers perspective, the game would have been a route.

I was torn. Varly would be a homer pick from me (born in Colorado). Bishop was a shining star. But no rock has been more solid than Rask. Rask this year and Varly will get his in the next couple of years.

Miller is not horrible. He is just not the stud / elite goalie you make him out to be. He is not losing the games for St Louis, but he is also not winning them. His stats are quite pedestrian (another .900 sv pctg night for him). I think its awesome to love and support your team and follow the players when they move on from your team. You obviously love hockey, and perhaps anything Buffalo more. All cool and to each their own. But you are missing ALLOT of great hockey by just focusing on the players you know and like. Broaden your horizon a bit and enjoy the sunshine. Just a suggestion. Just curious why you are not touting anything about Vanek?

I am sure its my eyes, but did I see that ott had only 3 hits the entire game. 16 minutes of ice time. In 35 shifts he could only hit three players (keep in mind the game was in St Louis and its St Louis score keeper- which tend to be generous towards the home team). Your prognostication skills are superb!

Bashing aside, Centers are one of the most coveted players of all. Its the hardest job on the ice aside from goaltending. While it takes longer to develop / teach defensemen (which I am not sure that I fully understand why), its the center position that is the coveted position in my mind. The fact that we have a nice young stable full is excellent. A center to me is akin to a queen in chess.

How dangerous he can be? Really?? When and where?? Not this season, not last season, in fact- never. Tarasenko, Schwartz, even your boy Roy are more dangerous than Berglund. In fact if you were going to gamble on an injured player for the "long" haul philosophy, why not the Blues second leading score Oshie??

I was thinking they let them win one so I could garner a couple more points from Kopitar.

Your road is hard, but not impossible. I thought it was an excellent game (though Marchand could have put you out of your misery with a gaping net in the 3rd). Opportunities abounded for both teams. One big bright spot is I thought the Monster had an excellent game. The wings, with all the injuries, were / are significant underdogs. Winning another game or two should be considered a moral victory (even this game).

Yeah, perhaps a bit disingenuous of me to use purely numbers. I haven't watched the last two games, so really not fair for me to dis Fleury. But, as you say, a team that should be a front-runner playoff team, needs their goalie to make that OT goal save. The worse part of that is its an enormous back-breaker. But Pitts should not be looking to the net in disgust, they should look to the skaters who let off the gas thinking it was in the bag.

He made the team out of camp, but after a 5 game "trial" it was decided one more year of Junior seasoning would be better. He has had a great year for the generals. I don't think he can hurt.

Can laughton kill penalties? :unsure:

Really??? 3.08 gaa and .903 sv pctg is solid in your books?? Truthfully, if Bobs can get his act together, Pitts could be on the ropes.

Isn't this an annual rite of spring for the Pens (at least the last few seasons)?

I didn't see the game, so I stand corrected. On the limited ice time, he played almost 21 minutes. 7 shots and a mammoth -3, and lost 67% of his faceoff draws. OUCH! He is a decent player, but in this kind of format for FHL playoff, not one I would have picked at all. What is it about his whopping 32 points he scored this year that inspired you to pick him??

I don't see it happening. This is not like the Lemieux shenanigans of the 90's where there was not suspensions. Cooke is out. Now had cooke gotten a flyer and was in the lineup, that would be a whole other story.

Translation "Um, thank god I don't have to worry about that douche bag anymore. Its a tight series and we will be ready to go tonight"

I agree with most you wrote. While the wild will miss Cookes hitting (aside from the Barrie hit- as he leads the team in hits by a mile), I don't think its a factor. In fact, it may be a positive for Minny as they don't have to worry about the jackass running around the ice. Regarding retribution, while certainly a Roy type of action, its far from a Sakic kind of action and the Avs are Sakics team. I think it will be a hard, tight, clean games here on out. If the Avs get the next one, its done for Minny. I can't see them winning 3 in a row after that.

Has Berglund played a minute of ice time in the first round yet? Truthfully, you have done well- particularly since you have BOTH Girardi and Berglund on your roster. Sadly, when Chi eliminates St Louis, your goose will be cooked.

No worries.

Most definitely. Its just an indicator, that's. The proof is always in the pudding- and that pudding is best made using the brain and eyes.

Not only did he not score, He is pointless and a -1. Hossa only has 1 assist and is a -2. Both lead the hawks in shots (so not like they are not trying / getting opportunities). If either of those two get going, look out.

Thanks.

Will the real MAF please stand up? Maybe MAF was watching the play on the jumbotron? Who did that for the Flyers one time?? I forget.

You are an interesting dude. Why do you just focus on the ex-sabres? Ott is a decent player. But he regularly takes himself out of the play. As for hits, while he is leading the blues in hits, I would not say he is going to "nail anything that movies with a Blackhawk shirt (the injun comment was a bit reckless in my mind- particularly since the Sabres coach is Native American Indian)". Ott is getting 35 shifts a game and averages 5 hits in those 35 shifts (so 1 out of every 7 shifts he makes ONE hit).