Howie58

i agree with you, howie, the team lacks a consistent, 60 minute effort. their forecheck is sporadic, at best, and they lose so many little battles that i really believe they need a heart transplant. simmonds is the only guy i see busting his ass on every shift. giroux and voracek (one of my favorite players) should be ashamed of themselves for the number of shifts they take off.

 

and, while i applaud the chief for instilling defensive principles, those said principles mean nothing if the team doesn't work hard ALL THE TIME.

 

the tampa loss was really alarming because the flyers looked inept breaking out of their own zone and couldn't handle tampa's forechecking pressure - simply because they lost all of the battles along the boards. i am not exaggerating - they lost all of them. it's not rocket science here. the team that battles hardest usually wins and yet time and time again, the flyers get outworked.

 

i really love what the chief is doing but i really think this team needs to get grittier and tougher.  

 

the third line of couturier, downie and read is by far our best unit because they have the guts to battle for the puck EVERY SHIFT (and i have been one of couturier's biggest bashers). sadly, the same cannot be said of giroux, hartnell, voracek, and b schenn.

 

the next time giroux forgets to backcheck, he should be benched; i think that would send a message to the rest of the team.

I would say we were fortunate tonight that Mason's work kept us in the game.  Otherwise...more poor offense.

Howie

I am not sure which game you watched today howie but the Flyers were a long way from looking inept except for the PP.. They held the Jets to 2 shots on goal in the first period....TWO. The passing was much better than the previous 2 games and Pavelec kept his team in the game with a chance much as Mason has done since he has been here. Now their PP, that would qualify as inept but not their overall play. The only goal the jets managed was a puck that was batted out of the air during a scrum in front of the net. A golden bb as it were. You are entitled to your view of the game but I hope you get a better seat next time.

Flyerrod:  I agree they are playing a sound defensive game. But I don't think most of the shots on Pavelic were high quality. It is true the first period was 12-2 in shots. But as the game wore on the Flyers seemed to fall back on their heels. I do not see much offensive flow from this team.  Our high shot totals may not be translating into goals because they are not tough shots from with 15-20 feet.  

Best,

Howie

Hi Guys…just wanted to share the good news that my wife gave birth to the newest Flyers fan today with plenty of time before the 11:30 am start so that he could watch his first Flyers game and see a good win against the Jets.  My wife, a Devils fan, was nice enough to let us watch the game in her hospital room.  Wife and baby are doing great and now I'm home from the hospital and my other son is staying at his grand parents house, so it's time to enjoy a cold one (or 5) and soak it all in!

Congratulations! I hope all three of you spend many more games together in good health.  Invoking Spock...Live long and prosper.

Best,

Howie

Greetings:

I was at the game today.  The Flyers' lack of offense was stunning. Hartnell's goal was opportunistic. Coots' was an unassisted SH.  Five-on-five, the team looked genuinely inept. Mason is the MVP so far. It would be hard to reckon where this team would be without their goaltending. 

Homer has collected a lot of high draft picks. But the parts are really a lot less than the whole. This next road trip will be a really critical test. But I still don't see this team finishing at .500.

Best,

Howie

P.S. It was my first game at WFC in five years. It is a lot more exciting than Sunrise. 

Howie can never win in FLA but also like they weren't there either! As I said after Christmas make moves  everybody is on block in my mind!

Jam:

I just wrote Brelic the next stretch on the road will say a lot about the team. If we head into 2014 on a low note all but goal would seem touchable but the cost of contracts may limit our deck clearing. Who would pay for some of these people?

Howie

I stopped watching after the 1st. It just had that "bad things are about to happen" kinda feel to it. THey were being outworked, outhit, outhustled, and their poor execution - which hadn't cost them games lately - didn't get any better and this time it cost them.

I think @Howie58 is bang on - they're not as bad as we thought, but not as good as their recent 6-0-1 streak either. Playoff bubble, likely a playoff miss.

Brelic:

The next stretch on the road will say a lot about this gang. There are no slugs the next two weeks.  

Peace, and happy Turkey Day.

Greetings:

I think we may be seeing the "true" Flyers; a group that isn't as bad as we thought but not as good as the recent streak hinted. We may be lucky to finish .500. 

Best,

Howie

Greetings:

My two cents:

1) I seem to recall a post some time ago that the coaching change impact in the NHL is greater than in the other big sports.

2) There is the old regression to the mean effect. We started terribly...far below expectations. Now we making up for it. The real question may be where we go in the next 10-15 games. They may be the best indicator of "real" status.

That said, our goaltending is probably the best it's been in a generation.  And as others have said, Berube may be coaching to the players he has on hand.  His tight-checking, defense first approach may be best for his staff.

Best,

Howie

Wow how out-of-left-field is this? Let's take the 1 position that has absolutely no problems and cause some trouble. Take the hardest position in the NHL to fill - fill it beautifully - and then trade away 1 of them. Brilliant!

Canoli:

There is street wisdom in your point. My only concern that hasn't come up in the thread is budget bucks. With the cap increase I hope we can keep both. The question may be what each expects with a possible resigning. 

Visiting in the region...up in Boston now but flying in for Turkey Day...will be at Black Friday game with brother. Best to you...and lay off the the canoli and other chow...keep in battle trim.. (smile).

Best,

Howie

Howdy:

WC, good to see you. Potvin was canned as an announcer from my backyard Panthers....there must have been a reason. 

The 3rd period "outburst" was something we'd expect from this team at some point. It didn't hurt that their goalie was not too sharp.  Mason earned his keep. 

As a long-time fan it's interesting to see the team go back to defensive roots.  I grew up with lots of 3-2, 2-1 wins. Berube's system is taking hold. 

Peace,

Howie

@pilldoc

yeah it's a tough call but I guess I agree (reluctantly) that Mason is "a bit better" than Bryzgalov. 

 

HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....................  dot vuz uh gude von Doc!

 

[edit: oh wait, you meant in the SO. And you weren't being sarcastic. Ohhhh...well...I think I'll stick with my sarcasm even if we're only comparing SO success. With Mason standing on his head all night at least I felt we had a chance. With Bryzgalov, he stunk so bad I never even hoped we'd win a SO.]

 

@Howie58

 

yep the legs were looking a little heavy in the 3rd...I think the Flyers managed 4 SOG. But they found that "extra gear" in OT and that was great to see. I didn't expect it. After seeing them hang on for dear life in the 3rd, giving up another PP goal to lose the lead...I thought for sure OT would end quickly with a Jets goal.

 

The first 2 periods were a lot different than the 3rd. The Flyers didn't dominate the Jets but they had the ice tilted a few times and gave Pavlec some trouble. They weathered an early onslaught by the Jets and didn't fold after getting scored on. Last night was the first time this season the Flyers earned a point after giving up the first goal.

 

I wish I knew what's up with Couturier and Downie though. Neither guy seems to be able to hang onto the puck for more than 2 seconds at a time. Couturier's line was really weak offensively. I understand it's a 3rd line, a checking line. But Read was quiet too, invisible really and he can make plays and score goals, he's done it often enough. For some reason they just didn't click at all last night.

 

Speaking of Couturier - I love his defensive work; I know he gets all the toughest assignments; I realize he's only 20 years old. But I hope he starts putting it all together soon, in all 3 zones. Right now he doesn't accept passes very well, gets ridden off the puck pretty easily along the wall and is basically useless offensively. Like I say I get it, he's centering a checking-line and the Flyers shouldn't be depending on him for goals. But maybe it's time they expanded his role and give him more PP time (at least).

Sir Canoli:

Good to hear from you...hope all is well!  Coots is not getting a lot of love on this board. He is certainly not an offensive threat. Maybe the guy was oversold/billed at draft. 

Peace,

Howie

I only caught the last period and OT.  The tying goal was a screened blast. The team looked tired except for OT.  I can't fault Mason for our OT woes. Five out of six points on a road trip ain't shabby. Coburn is playing as well as any time in his career.  Overall good stuff.

Best,

Howie

It's hard to say if our coach has instilled a new system or the team is playing up to where they should be. One way or the other they are working hard.

Best,

Howie

This was a complete effort against a respectable club. I hope the momentum carries forward.

Mason got a richly deserved shutout. The guy has carried this squad and it was good to see teammates salute him at the end. 

Putting a fourth forward on the PP may be a very wise move for this club. It is nice to see some improvement. 

Best,

Howie

Howdy:

I think my backyard Florida Panthers and the Flyers represent a study in contrasts. You could argue that the Panthers have been chronic underspenders who don't keep the good draft choice they accumulate because of salary limitations. This builds a losing culture that makes it tough to attract quality UFAs even if they were affordable. The Flyers overspend on past-their-prime UFAs and don't give their draft picks time to mature.  These are contrasting models that have (at least this year) similar results. You can replace Dineen with Horacek.  And you can switch out Lavy for Chief. But you still get cellar dwellers.  

I think the long-term question we have to ask is where we are historically? Is this a repeat of the 1990-93 stretch (I think) with no playoffs? Are we facing a kind of dark ages until the expensive headaches Homer has gotten us are off the books via retirement or trade?  I can't say. 

What I've said here before is that our history since the first strike suggests tremendous inconsistency between and within seasons.  From my vantage--that is the result of short-sided opportunism versus long-term drafting and developing. By chance we will have an occasional deep playoff run. Otherwise we will be mediocre. 

Best,

Howie

P.S. It is Memorial Day. We owe a lot to the people who protect our right to post here as we see fit.

Mason continues to look sharp. His critical saves played a big part in this win. At least one part of this ream looks reasonably good. 

Best,

Howie

Greetings:

No stick

No Mobility

No Effort,

Maybe Gill is the second best Homer off season move. 

If he isn't a healthy scratch Saturday, Berube should go on medical pot.

Howie

PS. Maybe reefer before the game is what this dog needs.

Greetings! 

It is boring to watch. And I see little hope. 

Best,

Howie

Well, I don't think SOG is all that important (as long as you actually get some). Toronto is 10-5, TB is 10-4, and both are averaging fewer SOG/G than the Flyers. It would be interesting to know where they rank as far as failing to get SOG, i.e., blocked and missed shots. Also, good scoring chances. Does anyone actually keep that stat?

Agreed! And if you recall, Fred Shero admired the euros (particularly the Russians) because they emphasized the quality rather than the quality of shots!!!

Best,

Howie

Sorry, but the last thing this team needs right now is an all out youth movement. This team's core (forwards and goaltending at least) is mostly younger players right now and the team is tanking. The same thing happened in 06-07 when they made youth the focal point of the team. I'm not against youth at all, but you can't throw out a roster of kids and expect them to simply start winning. I would focus on youth, but I think it's very important to have several guys on the team in their late 20s and early 30s to serve as a veteran presence.

 

I agree with you about some of the guys you want to move, but if you trade them all for a bunch of 20 year olds, given the youth's already fragile state on this team, that isn't going to help.

 

I'm with you on Couturier. I'm not in a rush to get rid of him, but for the right deal, I absolutely move him. No hesitation.

Greetings:

It would not surprise me if one or more of these folks are let go by trade deadline.  But at this juncture, I see very little demand for overpriced, under-productive players.  And with Holmgren at the helm, what difference will it make? 

Sorry for sounding bummed.

Howie

Greetings:

I am worried that Mason's behavior at the end of the game is a sign of cracking. He looked petrified after the tying goal. Then he bounded to the locker room after the loss. He may be losing it. Given the lack of support, I can understand his behavior. But it may be sign of something deeper. Like..."what the f..bomb am I doing....."  He will be our Gilles Milloche...playing well for a suck-face team. 

Peace,

Howie

Perhaps Hal Gill is the secret weapon!

Best,

Howie

I am not sure about the new waiver gig after the strike but wonder if someone would get waived as a signal. I don't even know who would be wanted but to put a Coburn or other on waiver would be interesting. 

When the GM admits it was painful to watch...not only should he go but I have to wonder if a new architect would have any hope of rebuild with the contracts we have.

Peace,

Howie

A bunch of loser idiots, starting at the top of the disfunctorganization.  This is what happens when the owner puts in luxury boxes and prices out the average fan.  He now truly does not give a rat's a*s about the typical, longtime caring Flyers fan that many of you and myself are.  The team can't draft, lacks in talent evaluation, has ridiculous notions like hates Russian players and has to play Broad Street Bully hockey by taking 12 penalties a game.  He is more interested in corporate BS to sell to corporate clients that just want 'a night out'. He has turned into, if not is a 'snake oil' salesman phony, by getting players who are aged and names onlyand has no clue or care to have a clue.  He should have fired Holmgren after the second period of last night's game, and did nothing. Going into the locker room and yelling isn't enough.  Holding your employees accountable is. Instead, he was making plans on buying another leather jacket with his rich buddies while his franchise is basically the (new, maybe) joke of the NHL.  Does Snider own the Sixers at all anymore? What we can hope, if he doesn't, is that they get really good quickly, and no one goes to see the Flyers anymore. 

Dear FD:

Well said. Actually, one of my hopes (besides Snider's departure) is that Comcast sees its franchise getting tarnished and that Lukko begins to pull the strings to right the ship. Snider no longer owns the Sixers. And yes, you raise and interesting benchmark question.

I think another serious loss may cause some painful reckoning.

Best,

Howie

This thread made me laugh after a long day and two merlots. I had teach tonight so I saw the fight replays. Yikes.

It is sad, just sad.

Howie