Here's the deal on last night's game in my opinion. Going into the 3rd period, the score was tied 2-2. Flyers certainly haven't played a perfect game up until that point. But the game is certainly up for grabs. There is no doubt in my mind, that the Coach told the Flyers in the intermission, that they need to ramp up the aggressivenes in the 3rd period, due to not generating enough offensive chances in the 2nd period. From the very beginning of the period, Timonen is in deep leading to a scoring chance the other way. Gustafsson is in deep attacking the puck, leading to a goal the other way. On the 2nd Nash goal, all 3 forwards are below the puck in the offensive zone, with no chance to get the puck. With the defense changing behind it. With no forward high, and nothing but free ice for the Rangers from their zone to the Flyers net. Why are the Flyers players making these aggressive ill timed moves? Because they're told to do so. Because that's how the Coach wants them to play. Be aggressive and gamble on the offensive side of the puck.
The Rangers were content to stick to their game plan, and wait for the inevitable. Which is a Flyers breakdown. Whether it's a turnover, bad pinch, lack of coverage, whatever. And that's the game. Laviolette just can't sit back and play solid Hockey and wait for a chance. you're on the road. Go into OT, and play 4 on 4. Where the team's offensive talent has a much better chance of beating the Ranger tight defense. Get atleast a point on the road, and ake your chanced for the 2nd point. That should have been the mindset of the team. Not to come out and gamble in the 3rd.
- MJL

Its his best trait and biggest failure. He lives and dies by offense. Cant say it doesnt make for exciting hockey and at times extremely frustrating.

Nick Kypreos ‏@RealKyper

#Rangers gathering medical info 2day regarding Marc Staal but early indications r his eye injury isn't career threatening. Out indefinitely

Good news for Staal's future, not so good for the Rangers short term prospects
- Jsaquella

Great to hear. I was very troubled after last night's game. Not just for the horrendous 3rd period. But also for Staal. Looked to be a very painful event for him. And after what he had to go through to get his game back to where it was. That just really bothered me. So I'm glad to hear that it might not be a career ender for him. Kid deserves a break.

pronger:

“What’s happened was I had 30-year-old eyes. I got hit and the doctor told me I had 60-year-old eyes,” the former Hartford Whaler, St. Louis Blue, Edmonton Oiler, Anaheim Duck and Philadelphia Flyer tells Murphy. “I don’t have very good peripheral vision. That so-called sixth sense? I used to really have a good one. Now, I couldn’t feel anybody comin’ around a corner. My kids scare me all the time.

“That used to be what I was known for: knowing where ever
ybody was; having a feel for who was around me. Now I don’t have that.”

“It’s gotten a little bit better. I can leave the house, go do the stuff,” he said of the symptoms that followed a stick in the eye, Oct. 24, 2011, and a subsequent head trauma in a game about three weeks later. “If I do too much I may get a headache. Occasionally, if I start to feel a bit better I do a bit more, and I get nauseous.”

Great to hear. I was very troubled after last night's game. Not just for the horrendous 3rd period. But also for Staal. Looked to be a very painful event for him. And after what he had to go through to get his game back to where it was. That just really bothered me. So I'm glad to hear that it might not be a career ender for him. Kid deserves a break.
- MJL

Just hope he has no complications with a concussion like Pronger. Reading what Mark Spector wrote about the upcoming interview, I feel real bad for Pronger.

Got to wonder how New Jersey got to the SCF last year with such a rag tag group of defensemen, and how Ottawa has managed to be 5 games over .500 without Spezza, Karlsson, Michalek, Anderson and a 40 year old Sergei Gonchar playing 24+ minutes a night and a lot of Flyers fans simply blame the players.
- Jsaquella

Fine. I'm sold. Seal up the volcano and cease the Lava flow. But don't give me Murray, either. I want someone off the map.

Its his best trait and biggest failure. He lives and dies by offense. Cant say it doesnt make for exciting hockey and at times extremely frustrating.
- jak521

All the way back when Laviolette was first hired. I talked about his style of play as being a double edged sword. He dies far more often then he lives.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/spector-on-pronger-nothing-to-gain-from-nhl-return/

A preview of the Pronger interview...He's not doing well
- Jsaquella

This is absolutely heartbreaking.

Here's the deal on last night's game in my opinion. Going into the 3rd period, the score was tied 2-2. Flyers certainly haven't played a perfect game up until that point. But the game is certainly up for grabs. There is no doubt in my mind, that the Coach told the Flyers in the intermission, that they need to ramp up the aggressivenes in the 3rd period, due to not generating enough offensive chances in the 2nd period. From the very beginning of the period, Timonen is in deep leading to a scoring chance the other way. Gustafsson is in deep attacking the puck, leading to a goal the other way. On the 2nd Nash goal, all 3 forwards are below the puck in the offensive zone, with no chance to get the puck. With the defense changing behind it. With no forward high, and nothing but free ice for the Rangers from their zone to the Flyers net. Why are the Flyers players making these aggressive ill timed moves? Because they're told to do so. Because that's how the Coach wants them to play. Be aggressive and gamble on the offensive side of the puck.
The Rangers were content to stick to their game plan, and wait for the inevitable. Which is a Flyers breakdown. Whether it's a turnover, bad pinch, lack of coverage, whatever. And that's the game. Laviolette just can't sit back and play solid Hockey and wait for a chance. you're on the road. Go into OT, and play 4 on 4. Where the team's offensive talent has a much better chance of beating the Ranger tight defense. Get atleast a point on the road, and ake your chanced for the 2nd point. That should have been the mindset of the team. Not to come out and gamble in the 3rd.
- MJL

I'm pretty sure this is accurate. If you stymie Laviolette for too long, he'll generally get more and more aggressive and push the attack, which opens up for the counter attack, which is exactly what happened last night in the third.

- jak521

Fine. I'm sold. Seal up the volcano and cease the Lava flow. But don't give me Murray, either. I want someone off the map.
- Flyskippy

I'm only looking at Murray or Paddock as an interim candidate. I think they would help in the development of some of the younger players' two way game.

Fine. I'm sold. Seal up the volcano and cease the Lava flow. But don't give me Murray, either. I want someone off the map.
- Flyskippy

Someone off the map can come in, in the off season. Right now this team needs a Coach who will get them to play all areas of the ice, and add discipline, structure, and stress the details. Murray would be great for that. He will teach the younng kids how to play the right way. This team obviously isn't being taught that.

Fine. I'm sold. Seal up the volcano and cease the Lava flow. But don't give me Murray, either. I want someone off the map.
- Flyskippy

Problem is that Murray is a known quantity...Everyone knows what he brings to the table...someone off the map, well that could be either really good or it can be a disaster.

Someone off the map can come in, in the off season. Right now this team needs a Coach who will get them to play all areas of the ice, and add discipline, structure, and stress the details. Murray would be great for that. He will teach the younng kids how to play the right way. This team obviously isn't being taught that.
- MJL

Heck, John Stevens could do that. He helped develop Richards, Carter, etc. from the 2005 Calder Cup-winning Phantoms team to their time here. Then go get someone else this offseason, leaving Murray in the AHL to develop those players in Adirondack.

EDIT: Or bring Murray up and put Stevens in charge in Adirondack, if he'd come.

Problem is that Murray is a known quantity...Everyone knows what he brings to the table...someone off the map, well that could be either really good or it can be a disaster.
- Philly1980

Do you want Seth Jones or not?

Heck, John Stevens could do that. He helped develop Richards, Carter, etc. from the 2005 Calder Cup-winning Phantoms team to their time here. Then go get someone else this offseason, leaving Murray in the AHL to develop those players in Adirondack.
- Flyskippy

Well, sure, but Murray was an assistant on those teams with Stevens. Murray can come up, be the interim guy, do some teaching and then return to the Phantoms next season.

I do agree with Bill, though. I think it'll be Paddock if they pull the string

Problem is that Murray is a known quantity...Everyone knows what he brings to the table...someone off the map, well that could be either really good or it can be a disaster.
- Philly1980

Do you take the risk with an up-and-comer and see if you get the next great coach or do you go with Terry Murray, who will not be anymore than he already is? No offense to Murray of course but he hasn't had the greatest track record. I wouldn't mind him as interim and then replacing him with an unknown in the offseason.

Because the Rangers are lower in the standings than the Flyers
- Jsaquella

Not after last night we aren't. Do they determine waivers on the day of and he was waived yesterday? I assume so because yesterday we were higher but today we aren't...

Not after last night we aren't. Do they determine waivers on the day of and he was waived yesterday? I assume so because yesterday we were higher but today we aren't...
- FlyersGrace

Waivers is when the player is waived, not when the claim has to be in by.

Also Flyers might not have claimed him.

Any word on Grossmann?

I know my bias for Lavi isn't letting me see the situation objectively, but I just don't think he's the major problem here. I think our team doesn't come out consistently enough with the same type of effort. It seems we're the best team in the league on some nights, and just so, so, so flat on others.

I worry that a guy like Murray could alienate some players with his hard-nosed defensive and no bull-poop style. I worry that what we're seeing out of Voracek now, under Lavi, could evaporate in an instance under Murray due to the system change.
- Flyers_V88

A system change doesn't take away a players talent. With the way the Flyers are playing under the current Coach, you're worried about alienating some players? If they balk at a Coach who is demanding that they play the game the right way. Then better for the Flyers to find that out now about a player then later. Because then the Flyers can make a move to correct that situation if you follow my drfit.

A system change doesn't take away a players talent. With the way the Flyers are playing under the current Coach, you're worried about alienating some players? If they balk at a Coach who is demanding that they play the game the right way. Then better for the Flyers to find that out now about a player then later. Because then the Flyers can make a move to correct that situation if you follow my drfit.
- MJL

Zherdev resembles that comment....

A system change doesn't take away a players talent. With the way the Flyers are playing under the current Coach, you're worried about alienating some players? If they balk at a Coach who is demanding that they play the game the right way. Then better for the Flyers to find that out now about a player then later. Because then the Flyers can make a move to correct that situation if you follow my drfit.
- MJL

I get you. The Flyers traded Gary Galley away for being a difficult teammate, according to "Full Spectrum," by Jay Greenberg.

Do you take the risk with an up-and-comer and see if you get the next great coach or do you go with Terry Murray, who will not be anymore than he already is? No offense to Murray of course but he hasn't had the greatest track record. I wouldn't mind him as interim and then replacing him with an unknown in the offseason.
- NickTheKid87

Outside of Laviolette's Cup win, he and Murray have similar track records as coach. After that Cup, Laviolette didn't make the playoffs for 3 straight years.

Granted, the Cup win is a big qualifier, but Murray has a better track record with younger players and development.

Zherdev resembles that comment....
- FlyersGrace

When Lavi's time finally runs out, I'm going to be sad. Sports fandom can be a cruel mistress sometimes.