i'm ready to move on too, but i don't think making a change now will make any difference or save the season or turn them into contenders. they need some personnel change on the ice in some key spots. not going to happen overnight.
- hammarby31

Really right now it's not about becoming a contender or about personel changes . It's about righting the ship and heading in the right direction. Of learning to play the right way that will lead to success down the road.

The coaching has been bugging me for sometime. I'm hesitant to call for a change. That said, I think it's time.

And I'm not absolving the GM. He'll be going on his third coach if he fires Laviolette. The next change would be him.
- Jsaquella

I like Lavy and expected him to adjust. I'm shock he hasn't. You think he could be doing it to spite upper management? I.e. trying to run his system to prove them wrong? I hope not because it's gonna get him fired.

Edit: Homer struck out in the offseason big time but I think Lavy has done a worse job at adjusting.

The simple fact is, nobody is doing their job well enough, except maybe Jake Voracek, on the entire team.

The coaching has been questionable, going back to the 2011 playoffs, when his handling of the goalies led to Snider issuing a dictum to get a goalie. The Flyers record vs New Jersey and the New York Rangers over this season and last is 5-17-1. That's not a bad matchup, that's a coach having zero answers. He has been dealt a less than stellar hand this season, but other coaches have gotten far worse cards and have managed to ice competitive teams. Hell, just look at Deboer's team. Their defense is similar to the Flyers and he designs a scheme that minimizes their weaknesses. Laviolette has been unwilling or unable.

The play on the ice has been bad, too. Veterans like Briere and Coburn, who could have helped a transitional year by simply providing competent play have been dreadful. There's been a real bad lack of discipline, which is partly on the coach, but the veteran leadership that looked so solid in the beginning of the year has been nonexistent. Worse, the two key younger players have had growing pans. Couturier has played goo defense, but his offensive game is non-existent. Conversely Brayden Schenn has provided solid offensive contributions, but hasn't been the good two way guy he was in juniors.

The GM will obviously get blamed for assembling the team, but I find it hard to lay much blame there when the trade pickings are slim and when he handed out $200mm in contract offers to the top two defensemen on the market in the summer.

This team didn't look like a threat for the top of the conference or division at the start of the year, but it should have been a solid 5-8 playoff seed. It's very close to the time where they have to decide if they're going to make an effort to save this season or simply chalk it up to a bad year and make changes to solidify for the future and the young core. Of course they could also try to rebuild. Again.
- Jsaquella

Nice analysis! I can't really argue with any of it. Lavi is not a defensive coach by nature but every coach should have (and most do have) an arrow in their quiver to deploy some kind of scheme to protect a lead. No lead is safe with this team. Obviously much of it falls on the players but the coach also bears responsibility here.

Back in the summer of )(, Homer stated that he wanted more of a "hunt the puck" style of play. Stevens was fired and Lavi took over and provided exactly that style. Now the team is hemorrhaging goals unlike they have since 06-07 and I'm just not sure Lavi will be able to implement the required changes for the current personnel to reverse this trend.

I'm not saying they should fire Lavi but doubt he will last past this season if things continue as they have.

There's only so much he can do. I mean, imagine if a coach had a decent team. then lost key players like a reigning Norris winner, a top-10 league scorer, a 35-goal scorer, and a goalie who was on Vezina pace. How could any coach make that team a playoff contender?
- jmatchett

There is only so much he can do. But he hasn't even done that. Every single poster on this board knew going in that the Flyers were lacking a good puck moving defenseman. Most of us said it all summer long.

Even people like me, who felt the defense should be adequate noted that Laviolette would need to make adjustments.

So if a bunch of morons on a message board can see that the defense wasn't suited to Laviolette's system, why is it that the needed adjustments were not made by the coaching staff? Why is it that New Jersey, with a similar defense group, can get to the SCF and run a system designed to mask the weaknesses they have on the blue line, where in Philly the coach runs a scheme that asks them to do more than they can?

Not True at all, For Bryz if you go back in every game he has played this year has given up at least one soft goal and usually at the most inopportune time which totally changes the momentum of the game. I do not buy that he is tired either as he is a professional athlete that is paid to play hockey. The fourth goal the Pens scored was bad. He needs to be able to steal games for us right now and is not doing that at all. I believe he gets one more year and if it remains the same he is gone(crazy buyout but has to happen).
- Daceroni

You're on crack. Bryz, up until about last week, was great. He put the team time after time in a position to win the game. Its not his fault if the Flyers can't put the puck in the net, and it's not his fault if the D can't get the puck out of the zone.

And he's absolutely tired. He's played more minutes than any other goalie in the league (except maybe one), and has started 23 out of 25 games. That's a ridiculous pace for such a condensed schedule. You're just being ignorant when you say "he's a professional athlete that is paid to play hockey". Guess what? Hockey is a demanding job. What are you saying? You never get burnt out from your job?

But who am I kidding, you're probably in college.

Rock solid all year long? What have you been watching? And believe me, I stand up for Bryz when everyone blames him for every loss. But he has been dreadful for about 3 weeks now.
- The_Universe

He hasn't been dreadful, but his team ought to be picking him up the way he picked them up early in the season.

Not True at all, For Bryz if you go back in every game he has played this year has given up at least one soft goal and usually at the most inopportune time which totally changes the momentum of the game. I do not buy that he is tired either as he is a professional athlete that is paid to play hockey. The fourth goal the Pens scored was bad. He needs to be able to steal games for us right now and is not doing that at all. I believe he gets one more year and if it remains the same he is gone(crazy buyout but has to happen).
- Daceroni

What's not true is that Bryzgalov has given up at least one soft goal, every game. What is true is that for the majority of the Season, Bryzgalov has been the team's best player. Asking the goaltender to steal games for them, because the overall team play is absolutely horrendous, is not realistic. and it's a poor strategy to rely on. How about fixing the issues in front of him, and then seeing what he has.

There is only so much he can do. But he hasn't even done that. Every single poster on this board knew going in that the Flyers were lacking a good puck moving defenseman. Most of us said it all summer long.

Even people like me, who felt the defense should be adequate noted that Laviolette would need to make adjustments.

So if a bunch of morons on a message board can see that the defense wasn't suited to Laviolette's system, why is it that the needed adjustments were not made by the coaching staff? Why is it that New Jersey, with a similar defense group, can get to the SCF and run a system designed to mask the weaknesses they have on the blue line, where in Philly the coach runs a scheme that asks them to do more than they can?
- Jsaquella

That was one of your best lines of all time. Might have to tweet that.

He hasn't been dreadful, but his team ought to be picking him up the way he picked them up early in the season.
- BulliesPhan87

Dreadful was probably the wrong word. I just think it's frustrating to watch him right now because he is not playing confident. Very easily rattled and loses focus after a goal is scored. Once the game was 4-2, you knew they were going to tie it.

Really right now it's not about becoming a contender or about personel changes . It's about righting the ship and heading in the right direction. Of learning to play the right way that will lead to success down the road.
- MJL

i agree. but i don't know that making a change now with an interim coach for 25 games is going to make that happen or make a real difference.

i'm ready to move on too, but i don't think making a change now will make any difference or save the season or turn them into contenders. they need some personnel change on the ice in some key spots. not going to happen overnight.
- hammarby31

I'm more concerned with starting the process of breaking bad habits, instilling discipline and getting these players to be accountable than making the 8th seed. More than that, I see no reason to continue down the road they're on.

flyers suck. in other news, my Maccabi Games custom mask is ready and being shipped back to me today. woooohoooo! i'm such a nerd.
- hammarby31

No, you're a goalie. You'd be a nerd if it was your Dovahkiin mask being shipped to you.

I like Lavy and expected him to adjust. I'm shock he hasn't. You think he could be doing it to spite upper management? I.e. trying to run his system to prove them wrong? I hope not because it's gonna get him fired.

Edit: Homer struck out in the offseason big time but I think Lavy has done a worse job at adjusting.
- NickTheKid87

Dirty little secret: I like Laviolette. I don't think he's a terrible coach. In fact I think he's a good coach. I just don't think he's the right coach any longer.

i agree. but i don't know that making a change now with an interim coach for 25 games is going to make that happen or make a real difference.
- hammarby31

I think if you brought in a teacher type coach, they development of the young guys would benefit greatly. I don't care about making the playoffs.

***STANDING OVATION***

Dirty little secret: I like Laviolette. I don't think he's a terrible coach. In fact I think he's a good coach. I just don't think he's the right coach any longer.
- Jsaquella

Oh I'm with you 100%. Give Lavy a team for his style of play and they'll be top 5 in the league but I also think his fiery nature sort of wears off after awhile. That happens a lot with coaches like him across sports. Players get desensitized to it eventually and it stops working.

Bryz has no confidence right now. I think he's lost faith in team in front of him and more importantly I think he's lost faith in the coach. He had a tantrum a few practices back, played well against the Caps and Sens, but is back to looking shaky.

Watching his body language, he seems like he's not buying into Lavy's philosophy. That's trouble.
- NickTheKid87

2nd paragraph is speculation & quite a jump, IMO

i agree. but i don't know that making a change now with an interim coach for 25 games is going to make that happen or make a real difference.
- hammarby31

I think it will. This team has so many bad habits it's ridiculous. They are constantly on the wrong side of the puck. It's all over the ice. And there are no signs of it improving. And this team is quickly reaching the point of no return for this Season.

The start of the 2nd period wasn't the time to shorten the bench. It's the time to roll 4 lines and check. If the Flyers were taught to, and had the element in their system play that Pittsburgh played and has in their arsenal, after the go ahead goal in the 3rd period. The game would have all been over. Same thing in the Rangers game. And we'd be looking at 3 points gained in the standings, versus 0 points gained.
- MJL

ESPECIALLY with a 3 goal lead. There just seems to be a real lack of confidence from top to bottom, right now.

Not even close.

That's like arguing that Ray Emery is better than Bryz because he's 10-0. Bryz has been rock solid all year long, but he gets no help from the D or the forwards. Bernie Parent would still have the same GAA as Bryz right now.
- KGBflyers10

Define 'rock solid'. We kid ourselves.

Dreadful was probably the wrong word. I just think it's frustrating to watch him right now because he is not playing confident. Very easily rattled and loses focus after a goal is scored. Once the game was 4-2, you knew they were going to tie it.
- The_Universe

I can agree more with this. He isn't as confident and totally locked in as he was at the start of the season. The harsh reality is that few players can be at the top of their game through an entire season, there's an ebb and flow. Bryz usually gives them enough to win if the skaters can compensate, but they couldn't do that. Whether it's coaching that can't adapt or whatever, the other hand isn't washing back.

Personally, I think pulling Bryz was a mistake last night.

2nd paragraph is speculation & quite a jump, IMO
- Flyskippy

I meant to put IMO but I forgot it.

But I don't think it's too much of a jump. Maybe he likes Laviolette but has lost all trust in the system. He looks to cheat on plays sometimes as if a breakdown is about to occur. We know Bryz is a talented guy so obviously this has to be all mental.

I can agree more with this. He isn't as confident and totally locked in as he was at the start of the season. The harsh reality is that few players can be at the top of their game through an entire season, there's an ebb and flow. Bryz usually gives them enough to win if the skaters can compensate, but they couldn't do that. Whether it's coaching that can't adapt or whatever, the other hand isn't washing back.

Personally, I think pulling Bryz was a mistake last night.
- BulliesPhan87

dont get why Homer traded for Boosh if he is that bad?

No, you're a goalie. You'd be a nerd if it was your Dovahkiin mask being shipped to you.
- Flyskippy

haha. trust me, i'm a nerd in my own way.

here's a few pics of the mask:

ESPECIALLY with a 3 goal lead. There just seems to be a real lack of confidence from top to bottom, right now.
- jak521

The shortened bench and pulling Bryz were signs of weakness against a team that's been strangely intimidated (might not be the right word, but they're in the Pens heads) by the Flyers over the past calendar year. I don't get it.