Time to Bench some Top Forwards?

[The Quigster]

????????? Anybody figured out what Voracek is doing ? No point Mezzo getting lonely!

[brelic]

I have Voracek in my FHL. He's one of those guys that is useless if he's not putting up points. He doesn't hit, doesn't block shots, doesn't get PIMs, doesn't take faceoffs, has a bad +/-.

I'll probably drop him after this week if he doesn't pick it up. Guys like Clarke MacArthur, Chris Higgins, Steve Downie are more useful than Voracek, and I have all three. Heck, lowly Stephane Robidas and Andy MacDonald are way more useful to my team right now.

I like the guy but he's gotta step up the consistency.

[Samifan]

No point Mezzo getting lonely!

 

Mezz has Hal Gill to keep him company. That being said, I agree with you in that no one on this should be exempt from watching a game from "The Balcony Lounge" and enjoying an industrial size tub of popcorn with Homer, Clarke, Snider and Lukko.

[Phlyer1]

This would be a good time top put Giroux in the rafters for a game. I agree Varacek is dong a lot of skating but goes nowhere and then gives up the puck.

[Samifan]

This would be a good time top put Giroux in the rafters for a game

 

I just hope Giroux is not sluggish from all of that Turkey and Box Wine he had yesterday

[flyercanuck]

@Samifan

 

Giroux is from Hearst...I doubt he's that classy!

[Samifan]

FC,

That was my poor attempt to throw in a Seinfeld reference   The guys probably got Hartnell to overdose onturkey and boxed wine yesterday so they could play with his toys.

[murraycraven]

Start with Giroux! I really can't take watching him...

[Mad Dog]

Start with Giroux! I really can't take watching him...

 

While he seems to have made some strides compared to the beginning of the season (he was plain unwatchable earlier in the season), he is still nowhere near where an elite forward needs to be.  I won't even compare him to the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Towes, Getzlaf, Kane, Ovechkin, Tavares, and Stamkos, because his play is miles behind any of those guys, but I am looking even at second-tier players like Zach Parise, Perry, Zetterberg, Neal, Kunits, and Seind brothers, and Giroux doesn't fare well even when compared to those guys.  He frankly starts looking just like an ordinary and average player. 

 

I still believe that he is a star, albeit not a SUPERstar, like many of us thought he would become.  And he is sitll very young.  But I have to say, I don't like what I see.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Mad Dog

[Howie58]

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. 

[flyerrod]

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. 

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.

[Howie58]

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

[caluso]

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

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.

[fanaticV3.0]

????????? Anybody figured out what Voracek is doing ? No point Mezzo getting lonely!

 

I have no problem with treating your top players like everybody else, but I see a few problems with it.

 

First, it just doesn't happen in today's day and age. It's such a rarity that when it does happen, it becomes a way bigger issue than it should be. It's like when Giroux didn't talk to the media a few games ago. It's something that gets your attention, but the media makes some huge deal out of it. We treat players like they are made of glass that on the rare occasion we do call them out and/or hold them accountable, you get pouting, whining, and bickering with the media.

 

I don't think the team is good enough to scratch guys just for playing poorly. Who are you going to put in for Viroux or Voracek? Newburry?

[doom88]

The replacement is irrelevant. The player getting scratched is the problem and the rest of the team will need to bond together and win. It's not like losing G for a game will make a difference anyway. Based on his play this season, he sucks. McGinn for a game or two might wake Giroux up.

Someone should force Giroux to watch some Rinaldo video. THAT guy works his ass off every second, every inch of the ice, and strives to be the best he can. And, Zac is earning his ice time and extra responsibilities.

[fanaticV3.0]

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. 

 

Guys like Giroux (and he's still leading the team in points) and Voracek aren't even playing their best hockey. Most of the teams in the conference are .500 or worse. It's definitely within reach.

[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

[flyerrod]

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

Amen to that. Jake's play tonight was egregiously bad at both ends of the ice.

[Howie58]

Rod:

 

Watching this team two days in a row brings back memories of the Cup years...victories by one goal were frequent in that era with Bernie, Ashbee, et. al. But there were Clarkes and Leaches to get the puck in the opponents' net. Without Mason, this season is godforsaken. 

 

Best,

 

Howie