My theory? If he can learn to handle those distractions, I think he'll put up solid numbers.
- Giroux_Is_God

So... a 32-year old goalie who's been in the NHL for 12-seasons... has yet to learn to successfully deal with distractions like TV crews, unfamiliar surroundings, variations in game plans and team mates, and late-game and post-season pressures? Considering how 95% of stopping the puck consistently at the NHL level is between the ears, that's a bit disconcerting to say the least.

I'm inclined to like the guy and pull for him to redeem himself, but I honestly don't feel any more secure watching him backstop the Flyers than I did watching guys on the level of Bobrovsky, Biron, Niittymaki, Leighton, etc. They could be playing well, but the chance of a critical mistake and/or meltdown was always present and right around the corner. I think that description fits Bryz as well.

So... a 32-year old goalie who's been in the NHL for 12-seasons... has yet to learn to successfully deal with distractions like TV crews, unfamiliar surroundings, variations in game plans and team mates, and late-game and post-season pressures? Considering how 95% of stopping the puck consistently at the NHL level is between the ears, that's a bit disconcerting to say the least.

I'm inclined to like the guy and pull for him to redeem himself, but I honestly don't feel any more secure watching him backstop the Flyers than I did watching guys on the level of Bobrovsky, Biron, Niittymaki, Leighton, etc. They could be playing well, but the chance of a critical mistake and/or meltdown was always present and right around the corner.
- Tomahawk

While Bryz hasn't lived up to expectations (in one year) I still rather have him in net over Bob, Biron, Nitty, and Leighton. Obviously its costing a lot more to have him between the pipes but I think overall hes more talented than any of those goalies. He needs to be better no doubt about it.

Hard to argue against that. I know the defense gets ripped also b/c they weren't very good either but you expect Bryz to help clean up those mistakes. Will he be perfect and stop everything? No, but you would like to see him be a difference maker and make it tough for the opponents.
- stveshdy

i think if the defense can cut down on the wide open back door slam dunks, and Bryz can stop a few more deflected shots, every thing will be fine.

i think if the defense can cut down on the wide open back door slam dunks, and Bryz can stop a few more deflected shots, every thing will be fine.
- MBFlyerfan

I agree. Limit the opponents wide open looks and allow less soft goals. All fixable for this team.

Just an opinion. Have no facts, evidence, or news to back it up. Going on "gut" feeling. I can't see the NHL losing an entire season again.
- stveshdy

Judging by how many players went overseas so quickly, I feel it'll be a long process and potentially the full year. I really hope ok wrong though. Just seems like neither side is really ready to make a sacrifice yet, thought I have read all of the latest proposal.

So... a 32-year old goalie who's been in the NHL for 12-seasons... has yet to learn to successfully deal with distractions like TV crews, unfamiliar surroundings, variations in game plans and team mates, and late-game and post-season pressures? Considering how 95% of stopping the puck consistently at the NHL level is between the ears, that's a bit disconcerting to say the least.

I'm inclined to like the guy and pull for him to redeem himself, but I honestly don't feel any more secure watching him backstop the Flyers than I did watching guys on the level of Bobrovsky, Biron, Niittymaki, Leighton, etc. They could be playing well, but the chance of a critical mistake and/or meltdown was always present and right around the corner. I think that description fits Bryz as well.
- Tomahawk

Well, for the first few seasons he was a backup in Anaheim. Then he went to a defense-oriented system in Phoenix.

Were there HBO cameras in his face 24/7 in Phoenix? Was there pressure on him that was even COMPARABLE to what he is under here in Philly? How hot was that spotlight in Phoenix, exactly? And did the even Yotes make the playoffs during Bryz's tenure there?

His time in Philly is a gauntlet. Nothing in his career can be prepared to what it's like playing here, let alone BEING A GOALIE and playing here.

It could happen to anyone. Sometimes, it really takes a season to get used to a new city. I think that's what Bryz went through last year. It's no myth....

i think if the defense can cut down on the wide open back door slam dunks, and Bryz can stop a few more deflected shots, every thing will be fine.
- MBFlyerfan

Deflections are deflections. We all know we can't fault the goalie on that. Otherwise, you're spot on.

However, I must say while we're on this note- there was an abnormal amount of flukey goals against the Flyers last year.

Why is Ilya Kovalchuk wearing a C for SKA St. Pete??

He's an NHL player- basically a rental....this makes no sense to me

Why is Ilya Kovalchuk wearing a C for CSKA??

He's an NHL player- basically a rental....this makes no sense to me
- Giroux_Is_God

Stands for Commy

Stands for Commy
- funmaster18

Gave me a nice laugh

Well done

Whatever happened to the Cost Certainty the league clamored for -- and supposedly received -- in 2005?
- Flyskippy

They got it. What they failed to do was stop the NHLPA from pouring over their books each year and finding out how much was truly being made. If the PA had just trusted the numbers the NHL owners were throwing out there the salary cap would have gone down every year and we wouldn't be here today. Instead they got all up in their business and found all this income and made them share it so now they're pissed and want it back.

Oh and those high end long term contracts the players were signed to... They want the players to pay part of those.

I know that works where I'm employed. "John, gave you a $150 a week raise. We'll need you to put in an extra $20 a day to cover the insurance that we were paying though."

Deflections are deflections. We all know we can't fault the goalie on that. Otherwise, you're spot on.

However, I must say while we're on this note- there was an abnormal amount of flukey goals against the Flyers last year.
- Giroux_Is_God

This is my point. Bryz let up some bad goals, but not nearly as many as people think he did. Many of them were of the slam dunk back door, and deflected variety.

I just hope that he finds a way through positioning too allow some of those deflections to hit him instead of missing him out of pure luck.

His time in Philly is a gauntlet. Nothing in his career can be prepared to what it's like playing here, let alone BEING A GOALIE and playing here.

It could happen to anyone. Sometimes, it really takes a season to get used to a new city. I think that's what Bryz went through last year. It's no myth....
- Giroux_Is_God

Until the puck drops for the 2012-13 season (or 13-14 if you're cynical), we just won't know either way.

However, his struggles for CSKA thus far are not exactly encouraging to see.

Until the puck drops for the 2012-13 season (or 13-14 if you're cynical), we just won't know either way.

However, his struggles for CSKA thus far are not exactly encouraging to see.
- Tomahawk

Id be more worried if he had a full training camp, or any training camp for that matter, and was still playing this way. Instead of basically being thrown into a full on competitive game basically cold.

Worrying about him based on last season is understandable. But throwing in the towel on him now (not saying you, just in general) based on a few games is just idiotic. And to me it just betrays a built in bias against the guy that no amount of success or facts will cure.

From January on Bryzgalovs stats were second only to Lundquists...Give the guy a (frank)ing break...He played hurt against the penguins and kept them in the devils series...Reason flyers never have a goalie is that they compare everyone to Bernie..Bernie is a once a decade goalie..Sorry to say it but there cant be another bernie....Bryz is above average and can be extraordinary at times...If Lavy didnt mind (frank) the guy at the begining of the season he might have been better. Let bryz be bryz and play him alot and things will be great.

Until the puck drops for the 2012-13 season (or 13-14 if you're cynical), we just won't know either way.

However, his struggles for CSKA thus far are not exactly encouraging to see.
- Tomahawk

I think its due to the fact that he needs a lot of playing time to stay sharp...

test test...am I being SCALRed?

I think its due to the fact that he needs a lot of playing time to stay sharp...
- Philly1980

And maybe a training camp.....just sayin'

Word up Flyers Buzzers. Long time no read/post/lurk. Hope y'all have had a good summer. Fookin' eh lets get this season going (preferably without that weird "traded players on 5+ year contracts send their cap hits back to the original team if they retire" clause...screw that garbage). Anyway can't believe nobody has commented on Crosby's recent comments.

Comments can be found here: http://blogs.sites.post-g...mething-to-prove-10-17-12



Here he is doing his best impersonation of former Habs coach Guy Carbonneau:

Q: The primary highlight from last season’s playoff series between the Penguins and Flyers was Claude Giroux’s hit against you in Game 6. How much have you thought about that series and that hit this past summer?

Crosby: "It was a clean hit. I don’t think I would have really changed anything. Do you like putting yourself in that position? No. The odds of a guy making a hit like that at home and then having the puck end up on his stick two seconds later and scoring a goal…. That probably is the whole series in a nutshell. The series could have been over, we could have not had to play that game if we would have won the first two (games). It might not have even gotten to that point. We learned a pretty good lesson there hopefully. We didn’t execute. We lost leads. We did everything possible to lose. We let in a lot of goals. Weren’t good defensively. The only thing that really came out of that was our power play was pretty good. But that’s not usually what wins you games. We got a pretty good lesson and we’ve got to learn from it.”

.....and here he is just being his generally douchebag self:

Q: During the offseason, Giroux claimed you broke his wrists while taking faceoffs. Do you recall any plays where that might have happened?

Crosby: ”No. I really like to win the faceoff. I don’t try to go after his wrists but if I caught it, I’m not sorry for it. I think it’s hilarious I hear that stuff from Philly. It’s comedy to me to be honest with you. They’re probably involved in that stuff more than any team in the league and they’re the ones always talking about it. I guess I’m not apologetic. I was trying to win a faceoff and if I caught his wrist, then I caught his wrist. He seemed to play okay so I couldn’t have hurt him that bad.”

All I have to say about this is Suck it Sid:

From January on Bryzgalovs stats were second only to Lundquists...Give the guy a (frank)ing break...He played hurt against the penguins and kept them in the devils series...Reason flyers never have a goalie is that they compare everyone to Bernie..Bernie is a once a decade goalie..Sorry to say it but there cant be another bernie....Bryz is above average and can be extraordinary at times...If Lavy didnt mind (frank) the guy at the begining of the season he might have been better. Let bryz be bryz and play him alot and things will be great.
- Philly1980

Ill worry when the season starts and he's wearing orange and black.

Ill worry when the season starts and he's wearing orange and black.
- stveshdy

Yeah! Put Leighton in!

Yeah! Put Leighton in!
- MBFlyerfan

I'm probably in the minority but I think Leighton will be fine as a backup goalie.

Well yeah, I don't think it was unfair for fans to have lofty expectations considering his elite paygrade. At that salary, he ought to be a difference maker.
- BulliesPhan87

I hate putting the blame on 1 guy (& my Lavi post earlier was a joke), but I wanted the team to go with Bob @ a vet backup going into last season. I'll still root FOR Bryz though because he's my team*'s goalie.

* = The Flyers, not CSKA.

Yeah! Put Leighton in!
- MBFlyerfan

We wouldn't be having this conversation if we hadn't thrown Hedberg into that deal.