Easiest thing in the world to do is blame the coach. Everyone claims no adjustments blah, blah, blah.... Players have to be held more accountable, that is the bottom line. These are grown men who are professionals getting paid a fortune, it's not biddy ball.
- PLindbergh31

Nobody claims that there have been no adjustments. It's simply not there. If they have been made, tell me what they are? And who holds players accountable? Either way, it falls on the same guy.

I just hope we get thru the Pittsburgh game without any injuries and without any embarrassing incidents.

Our biggest concern since hextall has been a goalie and this guy is a fleury/brodeur type goalie. We have enough forwards or can add by FA. Defence is a need but adding a cant miss goalie is a must. I think a lot of people will agree after the playoffs.
- MrPerfect316

We'll see what happens. Goalie drafting is the biggest crapshoot of all the positions. I am very, very leery of drafting a goalie in round one. Conversely, I am believer in taking at least one goalie in every draft, once you get beyond the best available player phase early. You never know which goalies will be the ones that click.

In fact, very often, the ones who end up being the Vezina candidates weren't the ones who were considered the top guy in their draft year.

So often, the heavily hyped goalies end up being very ordinary when they reach the pros. A few of many examples: Trevor Kidd, who was drafted ahead of Brodeur, was touted as a franchise goalie in 1990. Martin Biron was touted by THN as a "virtual Patrick Roy clone" before the 1995 draft and turned out to be, well, the first Martin Biron. In 2008, Chet Pickard was "the first slam-dunk first-round goalie to come along Marc-Andre Fleury"... in 2013, he's still stuck in the ECHL (side note, thank goodness the Flyers were unsuccessful in their attempt to move up and draft Pickard).

That's not to say Fucale couldn't go on to be a franchise goalie somewhere. But it's going to be a long wait to find out, and the risks are high to draft a goalie in round one.

Here's the risk: Think back to when the Flyers used 1st round picks on Brian Boucher (1995) and Maxime Ouellet (1999) and also used their first pick of the 1997 draft (second round) to take Jean-Marc Pelletier. They also used a 6th rounder in 1998 on Antero Niittymaki; and you can debate whether he or Boucher ended up being the best of the bunch. But for all those early round picks used on goalies, not one of them ended up being the Flyers' long-term starter at the NHL level.

Wishful thinking. I see this team playing well once they are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Winning meaningless games to worsen the draft pick is something they will excel at.
- PLindbergh31

The Maple Leafs Special, huh?

Nobody claims that there have been no adjustments. It's simply not there. If they have been made, tell me what they are? And who holds players accountable? Either way, it falls on the same guy.
- MJL

Players need to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
When I (frank) up at work I'm going to start blaming my Sargent for not putting me in a position to do my job. The amount of excuses being used are pathetic.

How do you know that nobody is blaming Julien or Hichcock for those issues? Also when a team is winning, it's not the same. Are the bench minors the only issue with the Flyers?
First you're comparing one incident in one game with another team to the Flyers situation. Now you're comparing the situation in Boston to the Flyers situation.
Trust me, if the Flyers record had them in the tops of the League like Boston. I wouldn't be criticizing the Coach.
- MJL

Because I read articles about other teams and pay attention to what goes on in the rest of the league. The reason I threw the Kostitsyn incident out there was because poor line changes were blamed on Lavy...players are responsible for making the change at the proper time. The coach tells them which line/player is up next and that's where it ends. Have you ever laced up skates and played hockey? If you did this would be fairly obvious.

Bill, do you see Holmstrom making the team next year as the 4th line center?

Players need to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
When I (frank) up at work I'm going to start blaming my Sargent for not putting me in a position to do my job. The amount of excuses being used are pathetic.
- PLindbergh31

I couldn't agree more. It's equivalent to blaming the teacher when a student fails to learn...

Players need to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
When I (frank) up at work I'm going to start blaming my Sargent for not putting me in a position to do my job. The amount of excuses being used are pathetic.
- PLindbergh31

Sounds like a lot of excuse making on Laviolette's behalf, too.

Players need to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
When I (frank) up at work I'm going to start blaming my Sargent for not putting me in a position to do my job. The amount of excuses being used are pathetic.
- PLindbergh31

It's not really a mistake on the player's part to be caught forechecking below the goaline or caught pinching on a 50/50 chance when that's what your coach has told you to do.

And this has been going on since late last year when they had Carle and JVR and Jagr, and still got humiliated in the playoffs by the Devils.

Players need to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.
When I (frank) up at work I'm going to start blaming my Sargent for not putting me in a position to do my job. The amount of excuses being used are pathetic.
- PLindbergh31

And guess what, if you screw up over and over on the street and make mistake after mistake. Who's job is it to get you off the street? Or does the Seargent say, hey, he needs to hold himself accountable!

Easiest thing in the world to do is blame the coach. Everyone claims no adjustments blah, blah, blah.... Players have to be held more accountable, that is the bottom line. These are grown men who are professionals getting paid a fortune, it's not biddy ball.
- PLindbergh31

Dude they are overly aggressive...the coach dictates that...they pinch when they shouldnt. That is Lavys system...most smart teams chip the puck out along the boards where the defenseman is pinching and it creates a lot of odd man rushes...It is Lavys system for that defenseman to pinch. the gist of it is be aggressive in the offensive zone to keep play out of your defensive zone. Teams like the rangers and devils have no problem stiffling them and creating oddman rushes.

You think the defenseman are dumb enough to keep pinching? Perfect example was the last game against the rangers....they came out balls to the wall aggressive in the and lost a very important pivotal game. Not only did they loose they got killed...It was a complete turn around of how they played the first two periods of strong team defense game.

Bill, do you see Holmstrom making the team next year as the 4th line center?
- nastyflyergirl

He'll get one more look. The ACL tear was unfortunate. Personally, I still view him more as an AHL/NHL swing man than a full-time NHLer.

Nobody claims that there have been no adjustments. It's simply not there. If they have been made, tell me what they are? And who holds players accountable? Either way, it falls on the same guy.
- MJL

Accountability? He holds Coots accountable taking away ice time, power play time, etc and most posters on here believe that is some enormous tragedy. Can't have it both ways.

Because I read articles about other teams and pay attention to what goes on in the rest of the league. The reason I threw the Kostitsyn incident out there was because poor line changes were blamed on Lavy...players are responsible for making the change at the proper time. The coach tells them which line/player is up next and that's where it ends. Have you ever laced up skates and played hockey? If you did this would be fairly obvious.
- aantny88

Anyone who played Hockey knows that repeated and chronic problems that keep happening, is on the Coach. And bad line changes are just one of many problems with the Flyers.
You use done incident by one player in one game. It was a poor comparison.

I couldn't agree more. It's equivalent to blaming the teacher when a student fails to learn...
- aantny88

...

so are you arguing that there is no such thing as a bad teacher?

It's not really a mistake on the player's part to be caught forechecking below the goaline or caught pinching on a 50/50 chance when that's what your coach has told you to do.

And this has been going on since late last year when they had Carle and JVR and Jagr, and still got humiliated in the playoffs by the Devils.
- Feanor

Laviolette has to take some of the blame, but to lay it all at his feet for this cluste(frank) is ridiculous.

We'll see what happens. Goalie drafting is the biggest crapshoot of all the positions. I am very, very leery of drafting a goalie in round one. Conversely, I am believer in taking at least one goalie in every draft, once you get beyond the best available player phase early. You never know which goalies will be the ones that click.

In fact, very often, the ones who end up being the Vezina candidates weren't the ones who were considered the top guy in their draft year.

So often, the heavily hyped goalies end up being very ordinary when they reach the pros. A few of many examples: Trevor Kidd, who was drafted ahead of Brodeur, was touted as a franchise goalie in 1990. Martin Biron was touted by THN as a "virtual Patrick Roy clone" before the 1995 draft and turned out to be, well, the first Martin Biron. In 2008, Chet Pickard was "the first slam-dunk first-round goalie to come along Marc-Andre Fleury"... in 2013, he's still stuck in the ECHL (side note, thank goodness the Flyers were unsuccessful in their attempt to move up and draft Pickard).

That's not to say Fucale couldn't go on to be a franchise goalie somewhere. But it's going to be a long wait to find out, and the risks are high to draft a goalie in round one.

Here's the risk: Think back to when the Flyers used 1st round picks on Brian Boucher (1995) and Maxime Ouellet (1999) and also used their first pick of the 1997 draft (second round) to take Jean-Marc Pelletier. They also used a 6th rounder in 1998 on Antero Niittymaki; and you can debate whether he or Boucher ended up being the best of the bunch. But for all those early round picks used on goalies, not one of them ended up being the Flyers' long-term starter at the NHL level.
- bmeltzer

Stolarz seems to be doing great in the OHL...his save % and GAA are on par with subban's....Do you think he starts in the AHL next year, or is it too soon?

Accountability? He holds Coots accountable taking away ice time, power play time, etc and most posters on here believe that is some enormous tragedy. Can't have it both ways.
- aantny88

That's not having it both ways. He hasn't done enough. Simple as that. Laviolette has done a very poor job with this team, this Season.

Dude they are overly aggressive...the coach dictates that...they pinch when they shouldnt. That is Lavys system...most smart teams chip the puck out along the boards where the defenseman is pinching and it creates a lot of odd man rushes...It is Lavys system for that defenseman to pinch. the gist of it is be aggressive in the offensive zone to keep play out of your defensive zone. Teams like the rangers and devils have no problem stiffling them and creating oddman rushes.

You think the defenseman are dumb enough to keep pinching? Perfect example was the last game against the rangers....they came out balls to the wall aggressive in the and lost a very important pivotal game. Not only did they loose they got killed...It was a complete turn around of how they played the first two periods of strong team defense game.
- Philly1980

And the countless brainless penalties, the constant missing of the net, the soft goals that happen in droves, all the coaches fault too right?

Accountability? He holds Coots accountable taking away ice time, power play time, etc and most posters on here believe that is some enormous tragedy. Can't have it both ways.
- aantny88

Danny has been way more attrocious this year then Couter...Id rather have couts play through it this year and learn...where as danny will never learn...that is the biggest issue with that.

And the countless brainless penalties, the constant missing of the net, the soft goals that happen in droves, all the coaches fault too right?
- PLindbergh31

I dont give a poop about the penalties.... they are # 6 in the league at killing....Most often than not about 50% of them are directly related to the odd man rushes....

Soft goals that happen in droves??? Do you watch the games or do you just listen to those morons on WIP....Im not going to say bryz has been a friegin wall but lets be honest here, he has kept them in games and kept the scores respectable.

Sounds like a lot of excuse making on Laviolette's behalf, too.
- BulliesPhan87

i really have no idea if it's laviolette's fault or not. but it seems pretty clear that what he's preaching isn't getting through (for whatever reason...). so something has to change. just seems more logical to make a change at the top and see if it resonates. unless, of course, the flyers are planning on completely remaking the entire team because players aren't receiving laviolette's message well enough (again?)

And guess what, if you screw up over and over on the street and make mistake after mistake. Who's job is it to get you off the street? Or does the Seargent say, hey, he needs to hold himself accountable!
- MJL

I don't need my boss to motivate me, or hold me accountable. I do it all on my own. It's a neat concept.

...

so are you arguing that there is no such thing as a bad teacher?
- FlyerMike18

There are some absolutely awful teachers...but now the onus has shifted from student accountability to the teacher. Students are never at fault for their failures anymore.