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.
- Flyskippy

I don't think I'm in the minority when I say I wouldn't sign Bryzgalov to his deal in retrospect. However, it's much easier for me to say that than for Holmgren to make such decisions in realtime. I totally agree, though, he's our goalie and therefore I will root for him.

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.
- Flyskippy

Would we be in a better or worse position if they had signed Vokoun instead?

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 playkay so I couldn’t have hurt him that bad.”
- Lexington Flyer

What a poopstain. Seriously. I have hated no team the way I hate everyone on the Penguins.

I just want to see someone paste Neal to the ice and the scrape him off with a spatula. And we can take care of Mary Kate and Ashley while we're at it.

Someone give me some reasons:

Bryzgalov had a shaky first half playing behind a team with 9 rookies, plus many other new players, in a different league, for a poor defensive team.

In his second half, he was as good as advertised and if it wasn't for a broken foot during the Pens series would have continued to play well.

He was the only reason the Flyers were even in the Devils series still playing on a bum foot.

Honestly, why do so many people hate him so much?

Why are so many people convinced he sucks?

I seriously don't get it.

Does he need to improve? Of course he does. Overall 33-16-7 is not too shabby. The one stat he definitely needs to improve in is his .908 save%.

Are there that many Cataldiots in here who just jump on his "Hate Bryzgalov" campaign (this is an actual thing) because they don't like his interesting personality?

Someone please tell me why. I really want to know.

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

Let Mitch rest in peace.

Would we be in a better or worse position if they had signed Vokoun instead?
- mayorofangrytown

Worse, I distrust goofy-handed goalies and fear hammarby's wrath of said goofy-handed goalies much more.

Someone give me some reasons:

Bryzgalov had a shaky first half playing behind a team with 9 rookies, plus many other new players, in a different league, for a poor defensive team.

In his second half, he was as good as advertised and if it wasn't for a broken foot during the Pens series would have continued to play well.

He was the only reason the Flyers were even in the Devils series still playing on a bum foot.

Honestly, why do so many people hate him so much?

Why are so many people convinced he sucks?

I seriously don't get it.

Does he need to improve? Of course he does. Overall 33-16-7 is not too shabby. The one stat he definitely needs to improve in is his .908 save%.

Are there that many Cataldiots in here who just jump on his "Hate Bryzgalov" campaign (this is an actual thing) because they don't like his interesting personality?

Someone please tell me why. I really want to know.
- MBFlyerfan

It's easier to go with the flow or suckle from radio host WIPples than stand up for a guy whose sole purpose is to stop pucks.

Worse, I distrust goofy-handed goalies and fear hammarby's wrath of said goofy-handed goalies much more.
- Flyskippy

Would we have advanced further than the second round? We'd have nearly 7 million more in cap space.

Bryzgalof or Luongo?

Someone give me some reasons:

Bryzgalov had a shaky first half playing behind a team with 9 rookies, plus many other new players, in a different league, for a poor defensive team.

In his second half, he was as good as advertised and if it wasn't for a broken foot during the Pens series would have continued to play well.

He was the only reason the Flyers were even in the Devils series still playing on a bum foot.

Honestly, why do so many people hate him so much?

Why are so many people convinced he sucks?

I seriously don't get it.

Does he need to improve? Of course he does. Overall 33-16-7 is not too shabby. The one stat he definitely needs to improve in is his .908 save%.

Are there that many Cataldiots in here who just jump on his "Hate Bryzgalov" campaign (this is an actual thing) because they don't like his interesting personality?

Someone please tell me why. I really want to know.
- MBFlyerfan

If I'm getting average play from my goalie I'd rather pay him average money so I can take the rest and spend on defense to keep the puck away from him.

For me it's not hate as much as it is the memory of the constant eye rolling moments he created last season.

“There’s no real effort there,” Toews said. “It’s just a ploy to kind of sway the positive light back in their favor”.

Someone give me some reasons:

Bryzgalov had a shaky first half playing behind a team with 9 rookies, plus many other new players, in a different league, for a poor defensive team.

In his second half, he was as good as advertised and if it wasn't for a broken foot during the Pens series would have continued to play well.

He was the only reason the Flyers were even in the Devils series still playing on a bum foot.

Honestly, why do so many people hate him so much?

Why are so many people convinced he sucks?

I seriously don't get it.

Does he need to improve? Of course he does. Overall 33-16-7 is not too shabby. The one stat he definitely needs to improve in is his .908 save%.

Are there that many Cataldiots in here who just jump on his "Hate Bryzgalov" campaign (this is an actual thing) because they don't like his interesting personality?

Someone please tell me why. I really want to know.
- MBFlyerfan

From what I've seen on TV, I like him as a personality. I think he's goofy and funny.

What I do hate is his contract (which is not his fault). I've hated it since the moment I found out the details of it. I was never sold that he was an elite goaltender, which many built him up to be that off-season. And I would never commit that much money and that many years to any goaltender ever.

He underperformed vs. my already lowered expectations.

He demonstrated a perceived lack of mental sharpness. One that is needed to be successful at his position, and especially at his position in Philadelphia.

All that being said, he's a member of the Flyers and because of that, I will root for his success.

From what I've seen on TV, I like him as a personality. I think he's goofy and funny.

What I do hate is his contract (which is not his fault). I've hated it since the moment I found out the details of it. I was never sold that he was an elite goaltender, which many built him up to be that off-season. And I would never commit that much money and that many years to any goaltender ever.

He underperformed vs. my already lowered expectations.

He demonstrated a perceived lack of mental sharpness. One that is needed to be successful at his position, and especially at his position in Philadelphia.

All that being said, he's a member of the Flyers and because of that, I will root for his success.
- bradleyc4

I agree with most, if not all of this. Nice post.

What a poopstain. Seriously. I have hated no team the way I hate everyone on the Penguins.

I just want to see someone paste Neal to the ice and the scrape him off with a spatula. And we can take care of Mary Kate and Ashley while we're at it.
- Giroux_Is_God

LUKE SCHENN WILL ERASE THAT poop STAIN AND DEAL WITH NEAL......START THE DAMN SEASON ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The way I see it is this, Bryzgalov has two factions by in large, one group of people who regardless of what he does won't be satisfied with his performance, and another who blindly defend every soft goal he allows. Not saying this is everyone, but the vast majority of fans fall into these two categories.

The elephant in the room when it comes to Bryzgalov is his contract. That cannot be denied. IMO the Flyers drastically overpaid a marginal goaltender due to the instability at the position since Ron Hextall left town. That is not the players fault, that has to fall at the feet of Ed Snider, and to a lesser extent Paul Holmgren.

Bryzgalov will be judged by one factor, if he doesn't help the Flyers win a Stanley Cup during the course of his contract it will be viewed as a colossal failure.

The way I see it is this, Bryzgalov has two factions by in large, one group of people who regardless of what he does won't be satisfied with his performance, and another who blindly defend everything he does. Not saying this is everyone, but the vast majority of fans fall into these two categories.

The elephant in the room when it comes to Bryzgalov is his contract. That cannot be denied. IMO the Flyers drastically overpaid a marginal goaltender due to the instability at the position since Ron Hextall left town. That is not the players fault, that has to fall at the feet of Ed Snider, and to a lesser extent Paul Holmgren.

Bryzgalov will be judged by one factor, if he doesn't help the Flyers win a Stanley Cup during the course of his contract it will be viewed as a colossal failure.
- PLindbergh31

The thought of a goaltender signing for 9 years at age 31 makes me very uncomfortable. Any goaltender for that long isn't something I'd do to begin with, let alone one in his 30s.

Honestly, why do so many people hate him so much?

Why are so many people convinced he sucks?

I seriously don't get it.

Someone please tell me why. I really want to know.
- MBFlyerfan

First of all, nobody hates Bryzgalov or is looking to scapegoat him.

The question that was brought up, and it's a valid one, is whether or not he's ever really been anything more than an average/mediocre/middling NHL starter. We certainly know that he's paid to be upper-echelon, but his performance has been well under that.

I'm of the mind that the lion's share of his success in Phoenix was directly attributed to Tippett's goalie-friendly system, and the gaudy numbers that he put up effectively masked a lot of his apparent deficiencies in focus, confidence, seriousness and consistency that we observed this season.

He had a stellar month of March, and an average-to-forgettable rest of the year. Now he's struggling for playing time in a lower league.

At which point are we observing the "real" Bryzgalov? I don't think that question has been answered yet, and merely asking that question doesn't mean we hate the man. If he's just slow to adjust, then great, there's hope. If he was overrated from the get go, then we're in for a long falling out with him.

The thought of a goaltender signing for 9 years at age 31 makes me very uncomfortable. Any goaltender for that long isn't something I'd do to begin with, let alone one in his 30s.
- funmaster18

No question about it. And a good chunk of his NHL career prior to signing in Philadelphia was as a backup.

The thing that is troubling to me is, Mike Smith was nothing more than a career journeyman, he steps into the Phoenix system and puts up numbers that far exceed anything Bryzgalov ever did there. If that isn't cause for concern, I don't know what is.

First of all, nobody hates Bryzgalov or is looking to scapegoat him.

The question that was brought up, and it's a valid one, is whether or not he's ever really been anything more than an average/mediocre/middling NHL starter. We certainly know that he's paid to be upper-echelon, but his performance has been well under that.

I'm of the mind that the lion's share of his success in Phoenix was directly attributed to Tippett's goalie-friendly system, and the gaudy numbers that he put up effectively masked a lot of his apparent deficiencies in focus, confidence, seriousness and consistency that we observed this season.

He had a stellar month of March, and an average-to-forgettable rest of the year. Now he's struggling for playing time in a lower league.

At which point are we observing the "real" Bryzgalov? I don't think that question has been answered yet, and merely asking that question doesn't mean we hate the man. If he's just slow to adjust, then great, there's hope. If he was overrated from the get go, then we're in for a long falling out with him.
- Tomahawk

What no one mention is that he kept them in every game against new jersey....he was the only one that showed up....as far as im concerned march was the only time the team committed to defense hence his numbers. Bryz for prez.

Mike Smith's season was like catching lightning in a bottle....We had goalies that did that once their names were.......Leighton, Bouch, Checkmanek.....

- Lexington Flyer

Flyer fan from Detroit here.
I've been to 2 games in Philly, the first was a Saturday afternoon 8-1 win over the Caps. (I went to see a Phantoms game at the Spectrum that night).

And the 2nd was that game.
I've seen the Tigers eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs in person, and now have seen the Flyers eliminate the Penguins from the playoffs in person.
Top to sports moments in my life.
That first shift was frickin awesome.

No question about it. And a good chunk of his NHL career prior to signing in Philadelphia was as a backup.

The thing that is troubling to me is, Mike Smith was nothing more than a career journeyman, he steps into the Phoenix system and puts up numbers that far exceed anything Bryzgalov ever did there. If that isn't cause for concern, I don't know what is.
- PLindbergh31

The only thing I have to think here is that the flyers are smart enough to raise these same questions before signing him. That doesn't change the facts or my concerns, but I don't think the flyers would have signed him without considering these factors. It's only been one year so I'm not jumping to conclusions, but regardless of how well he plays, I still won't change my mind on not liking the length of his contract.

Hopefully this season gets underway soon so we can stop dwelling on last year and start talking about this one.

The only thing I have to think here is that the flyers are smart enough to raise these same questions before signing him. That doesn't change the facts or my concerns, but I don't think the flyers would have signed him without considering these factors. It's only been one year so I'm not jumping to conclusions, but regardless of how well he plays, I still won't change my mind on not liking the length of his contract.

Hopefully this season gets underway soon so we can stop dwelling on last year and start talking about this one.
- funmaster18

Before the season started he said all of the right things. Every player basically does, even Zherdev. The thing here isnt about liking the guy or rooting for him. Hell I'd root for Buffalo Bill if he was the Flyers goaltender. I love his personality but blindly defending him after every soft goal is close to just being homerism.

The thing with every Flyers goaltender as far as I can remember is for them to simply not let in a large amount of weak goals. Bryzgalov was not good in doing that last season. Sure he had a great march and hot streaks here and there. So did guys like Biron and Leighton. Bryzgalov needs to be consistent in not allowing those back breaking weak goals.

Am I worried about him as the started for the next 5+ years? Hell yeah. Do I want him to do well? Absolutely. Although this hoping that he shows up finally, or adjusts will be decided soon. If he thought he had pressure last season it will be even worse this year.

Ask yourself this. How many teams would like to take on Bryzgalov right now? The answer would probably be zero. The contract plays huge in that but he really needs to bounce-back this season.

There is a group that jumps out to defend him tooth and nail as soon as anything negative is said about him. I understand rooting for a guy, who truly is seems like a good guy, but to constantly seem to ignore that he really did have a pretty damn bad season last year is drinking the orange cool aid. I hope he does well, because I have no clue how the team would even get rid of a contract like his.

#fugly

The only thing I have to think here is that the flyers are smart enough to raise these same questions before signing him. That doesn't change the facts or my concerns, but I don't think the flyers would have signed him without considering these factors. It's only been one year so I'm not jumping to conclusions, but regardless of how well he plays, I still won't change my mind on not liking the length of his contract.

Hopefully this season gets underway soon so we can stop dwelling on last year and start talking about this one.
- funmaster18

After Ed Snider stated "Never Again" after the goaltending follies in the playoffs, you knew the Flyers were going to spend a fortune on a goaltender. Right now it doesn't appear to be a wise decision, hopefully Bryzgalov has better years ahead, I certainly have my doubts.

What no one mention is that he kept them in every game against new jersey....he was the only one that showed up....as far as im concerned march was the only time the team committed to defense hence his numbers. Bryz for prez.

Mike Smith's season was like catching lightning in a bottle....We had goalies that did that once their names were.......Leighton, Bouch, Checkmanek.....
- Philly1980

Cechmanek was not lightning in a bottle. He was solid, if screwy, and got no goal or team support in an Ottawa series that made Patrick Lalime look like his surname was Roy.

After Ed Snider stated "Never Again" after the goaltending follies in the playoffs, you knew the Flyers were going to spend a fortune on a goaltender. Right now it doesn't appear to be a wise decision, hopefully Bryzgalov has better years ahead, I certainly have my doubts.
- PLindbergh31

Long time no see plind. Hows it going?

I tend to agree with you. Nobody hates Bryzgalov. Everyone wants him to do well, but its normal to have doubts after last season, all the comments in the media about how he wouldnt wish what happened to him on to his worst enemy, etc.

Its a tough market, but all he really needs to do is not let in the weak goals. Which will happen once in a while but they happened all the time to him last season. If he doesnt improve on that, he is no better than a Biron or Leighton.

This is all so frustrating because honestly for how he apparently seemed to play in Phoenix he should be a real difference maker. Not a guy you just want to stop the easy stuff.