Howie58

I think the comments on Coots' limited development were interesting. The tune out factor cannot be denied. Last night looked like a sleep walk. It would be ironic if two of Homer's bargain signings, MASEM, turned out a lot better than our senior hires of Vinny and Streit.  This may set the franchise back a year or two. It is no fun.

Howie

Per Sarah Baicker, Berube is not interim coach, he's the new coach.

Oy Veh! You'd think they'd learn after Stevens. How and why is this guy going to bring a new set of eyes?  Maybe he will be more militant--tougher. OK But it is more of the inside bias that plagues this organeyeshayion if I can invoke Canadianese. 

Howie

@all

 

Everyone has made good points.  I know there are no clear cut aswers and I am just as frustrated/doumbfounded as everyone else. Face the facts...this team as put together is not that good.  The reasons are multi-faceted to why this team is not performing to expectations. I agree with Rux.  I wish management would just say rebuild and cut some aging vets...but then you have those damm hideous contracts that Homer has given out.  What a mess. (shaking my head).

Pill:

It's not just the length and cost of these contracts...I am wondering who wants these parts?  It may be that Carter-Richards was end of the big deal line. About the only sign of hope so far is that MASEM, particularly the former, don't look too bad.  I thought Mason carried the team last night.

Peace,

Howie

Greetings:

It's on Yahoo too. This is part butt covering, part signaling. It is CYA for Homer, et. all. But it is a signal to the team that their lazy, uncommitted play is unacceptable. Their posteriors are next. Berube is a "safe" bet; they know him. But this is a repeat of history...bring in the Assistant. Where have we seen that before? And to what end?  I wonder if Berube is made interim?  

Tomorrow night against my hapless, backyard Panthers should be interesting. A battle of the lightweights.

Best,

Howie

Greetings:

My only positive observation after three games is that our goaltending seems to be OK.  I thought Mason kept it close tonight. But the rest of the troops look disorganized and disinterested with the exceptions of Read, Vinnny, and Rinaldo.  Their PP is inept and they can't get the puck out of the zone.

I concur with others in this thread that offing Lavi is scapegoating. Holmgren is as much the problem.  Yes...we may be back to 2006-7.

Peace,

Howie

Doc, good question.  Now what...  Most likely tomorrow morning the Flyers will hold a closed-door players-only meeting.  And they will go over some stuff... I am sure.

 

But the reality is, I agree that this is nothing more than a continuation of the last season.  They don't look terrible, but they are clearly not an elite team.  Not only they are not an elite team; right now they look very much like a team who is going to miss the playoffs.  They will eventually win the first game of the season I am sure.  They will also win a good deal of games.  But something is missing with this team.  For the first time I followed this team I am watching intently and I can't even identify what it is that's plaguing them.  If in previous years it was easy to pinpoint the problem... whether it was goaltending, or transition, or inability to generate the offence, I am not sure what it is this year.  I mean as you watch this team play, you can see this is a flawed team.  No doubt.  But I don't know what it is.  The players don't seem to be on the same page.  There are missed opportunities.  There are sloppy plays.  I disagree with those who indicated the lack of mobility is an issue.  I really don't see much of that.  But the players are just not clicking.

 

It would be interesting to see what happens next.  I will say the next week is probably going to be very crticitical in the status of Laviolette.  Beyond that, I am just going to seat back and watch.

Excellent Assessment!  Howie

OK, OK....Hey, I don't see Lasse Kukkonen!

Peace,

Howie

Lavy or other, I think we will be asking if the team is less than the sum of its parts or if the parts aren't that good? Ironically, goal may not be the issue. The defense is marginally competent. But our vaunted forwards with the exception of Read and Vinny look pretty sad and don't help the D. I am getting my haircut tomorrow at five; don't mind missing a period of this crap.

Best, 

Howie

Greetings:

Let's give MASEM 6-10 games before the crucifixion. I thought Mason looked pretty good last night. He made most of the first stops he had to...his D left people alone for too long and nobody would have stopped Kessel's rocket. 

Our management may not be so hot. But the coach will go before the GM.

Peace,

Howie

Sekkes:

My attendance at Panthers games is limited in part, because I have no emotional attachment, but in part due to the bad behavior.  And I am sick of having people show late for the game, disrupt the first 10 minutes of each period due to long food breaks, etc. My NHL Center Ice is a bargain all around. But I am sorry to hear about your issues just the same. It is a sign of the times.

Peace,

Howie

Howdy:

I agree with all that was said. I felt badly for Mason...the guy was darn good and we broke down around him. The PP sucked. But worse still, are we in for a bad five-on-five. This schedule will reveal a lot early on.  

Peace,

Howie

I hope we are not back to our limited five on five offense.  The team started out well. Now they are on their heels. Mason looks fine. But our offense needs to wake up.

Howie

People are forgetting one thing about Gill's signing. He was signed to be the 8th defenseman, not an every day player. If you want to actually develop Lauridsen, you don't sit him in the pressbox as the 8th defenseman. You play him top-pair minutes in the A and make him your first recall. Now if the Flyers had, say, moved both Meszaros and Grossmann, then signed Gill to play in the top 6 rather than play Lauridsen full time, I'd have a much bigger issue.

AJ:

Thanks for the very good explanation. I hope the organization employs your reasoning.

Peace,

Howard

I think you could point the finger in either direction (or both)- coaching or management. If management's approach is to draft BPA (which is what the Flyers generally claim to do) then the coach has to adjust his system to fit the players, or he has to ask for different players (trades, free agency). Regardless of who is ultimately to blame, I don't get the feeling that the players are suited to Lavi's system. And to be honest, I think it would be difficult to put together a roster that really is suited to his system.

Jack:

If the mismatch is there..we are really screwed. I find myself perplexed with the signings of some of the vets who are on the way down. The signals sent to the young players can't be very positive...if I were Lauridsen, what does Hal Gill's signing mean?

Greetings:

Thanks for the post. This is a tough one to assess. 700K is not much. But what does it say about perceived value of the youngins? It's one thing to say they need more seasoning. But this may have a different signal. Sometimes I think Homer and colleagues like big, hulking defenders. It's almost as if "The New NHL" is something they give lip service to while longing for another Barry Ashbee.

Peace,

Howie

Good article by Bill Meltzer today on Hockeybuzz...

 

 

Couldn't agree with him more.

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=54406#.Ukq2_NJjuSp

Yes, this is a great post and excellent assessment. What's striking is that it comes what, three years into Lavi's tenure (or is it longer)?  That tells me Homer and company have as much to do with the problem.  But the sum is less than its parts applies in a big way.  The D is problematic...but I also wonder if the forwards are as good as we say or think?

Best,

Howie

Think is has something to do with the stoppage last year, the subsequent uninspired season, the strange moves in the off season, Giroux's stupid injury after getting his big contract, the way the treated gagne, I don't know.

I'm trying to tell myself it's not because of how bad they look preseason because obviously that doesn't matter, but I'm still not in love with what Labvy's spraying... I dunno, just not sure...

I just have a really bad feeling about this year. God willing I'm just dead wrong.

King:

I share many of your thoughts/beliefs.  As others say here, you are not the only one.  Part of the problem with this team, especially for older fans, may be the post-first strike inconsistency. I've said it before. If you think about this team since '04-'05 you have two of the worst seasons in franchise history coupled with an SCF and some serious runs. Old timers are used to this team being consistently good. I think the salary cap has done something and it may be that management is not as good as we thought.  Younger fans may not appreciate it. Older fans may wonder what's up. So I understand where you are coming from.

Best,

Howie

Yes, I concur. Per comments this morning on my "Questions" thread, I don't think it will take full season for the brass to pull the rug out from Lavi.  I agree with others that a slow start after 10 to 20 games could do him in. 

Best,

Howie

17 teams have won a cup since the flyers last did.  the flyers have won a cup more recently than 12 teams.  granted, 7 of those were later expansion teams.  still, the coyotes/old jets, canucks, blues, leafs, sabres, and capitals have been waiting a long time.  and of those, only the leafs have ever won.  unless you count the jet's winning the WHA a few times.

 

depending on your definition, maybe one of the longest in the league...but i'm gonna guess it doesn't even register in professional sports.

Howdy:

I agree the wait has been even longer for others.  And we are not in the Cubs' league. 

Best,

Howie

Brel,

 

could not agree more... the more I look at this Team the more I believe we could be looking at a dreadful season.  This is pretty bad b/c I am usually an optimist by nature.   There are too many questions and too many things that need to go right for this Team to make the playoffs and/or make a run. 

 

I hate to sound like a downer but this is just the way I see it...   If they start out slow this thing could go terrible wrong - aka: 2010.  I am just not confident in the defense and goaltending.   I understand they will be better by defaul b/c they are healthy but I still think the defense is below average - and aging.

 

Of course I could be terrible wrong (which I hope) but I am just trying to set myself up for realistic expectations.   There are just too many holes and too many questions...

Greetings;

The question mark nature of this team is a universal.  Snider has to be thinking "legacy."  Right now he can look on a long track record of excellence, but recent disappointment. And I suspect that our Stanley Cup drought is not only one of the longest in the league (Leafs + expansion team) but probably one of the longest in all professional sports. The inconsistency of this franchise since the first lockout is pretty astounding. 

Best,

Howie

Howdy:

Before bearing down on AM work, it's good to see the gang on point. I forgot about Yann Danis in goal (too many gray hairs...or too much merlot.

I read what people say and the consensus and reality are in sync that the offense may not be the question the D is.  I stress 'may,' because we really don't know if the sophomore slump is just that.

Lavy and Homer are on the hot seat. I saw Homer on the CSN site last night and he looked terribly aged and hassled. I do not think this is a happy guy.  

This really is something of a pivot point for the franchise.  We see if the nucleus of forwards is as good as hoped. We assume at least 50% of MASEM pans out. The D is a patchwork that could flounder or function.  My fear with a quick coaching change is that it removes one more element for benchmarking these guys--a new system would bring new challenges.  I did not read Seravalli's piece but you can't fault the guy for his ranking. This squad is a big question mark.

Best,

Howie

Greetings:

I am looking forward to facing the Leafs on the 2nd. Win or lose (preferably the former) it seems like a long summer will come to an end.

Here are some questions for the team.  My overall forecast is for 3rd in the Metro, though I may be optimistic.  Overall performance aside, here are my Qs for our performance.

1) Will we be in the top 10 in PP?  We  normally do well on PK.  

2) Will we avoid the stretches of limited to no puck movement out of our zone?  This has been a nightmare at times over the last few seasons. 

3)  Will we play .500 against the West?  We see a lot more more of them this year and their uptempo style could be a real challenge.

4)  Who will be the 3rd goalie if MASEM under-performs or has an injury?  Stolarz-Heeter may have potential but could either be a backup in the majors?

5)  Will we have a top 10 scorer?  Let's hope the sophomore slump thing is just that rather than an indicator of real potential.

Overall I will be an Eisenhower-style guarded optimist, but this preseason makes me wonder about the real potential.  On paper we have talent. In practice...this could be a collection of 2-3rd tier talent that doesn't gel.  I could see Lavy getting scapegoated early on if we are below .500 after a dozen or so games.  

Peace to all,

Howie

Howdy:

Mason's save percentage and GAA have not been so hot this pre-season. Is it him or the light line-up?  I don't get a warm and fuzzy from this if Emery was playing the same team with better results. 

Best,

Howie

Murky is the PERFECT word... for me this is the season of the see saw.

 

 

Regardless of how good or bad i will watch. The goal tending could be either really good or rock bottom (havent we hit it yet). The defense if healthy could be one of the top units in the league or if not healthy worse then last year (how is that possible). The youngsters could regress and play like their age or become breakout stars. The vet forwards could slump and vanish for a majority of the season or guys like giroux vlc and hartnell could have all star/mvpish seasons. We could trade all the kids for aging veterans or stand pat and let them develop and step up.

 

I see every one of these thoughts/questions with every post on here.

 

I am very excited regardless of how fast they get out the gate or how bad they start...but either way this will be a season we will never forget or wont be able to forget

Falcor:

You really have captured what many think. But there is a sense of optimism in the experimentation...not a sense of gloom.  I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Best,

Howie

Woh, woh, woh there. Making a play for Dan Cleary does not indicate we're trading away the youth. Cleary is a nice role player and has some good leadership skills, but he's not nor he should be expected to replace what the youth is expected to be. It's very obvious what the logic behind it is. They turned the team over to the youth last year and that didn't pan out. That not panning out does not mean we're "done with" the youth, it simply means they want to give them some veterans to guide them along.

 

This circus around his contract is ridiculous, and I'm not trying to rationalize or explain it, but clarifying that going after a veteran role players does not indicate you have given up on the youth.

Fanatic:

I don't think we would be trading away youth wholesale, but I could envision a trade for a top D or prospective D where we had to give to get. When this bizarre sequence started, I had a feeling he was viewed as a relatively cheap replacement for one of our younger folks. He might have been a good add. I guess we will never know. And I am not too unhappy.

Best,

Howie