I like Bishop. But he has an obvious five-hole weakness that he'd need to correct before he could be a #1 goalie.
- bmeltzer

In other words he get ripped apart here, by fans and media.

Who's fault is it that they don't have the personnel to play his system?
- PLindbergh31

homer tried to get him the best guys on the market...he struck out oooo well it happens....lavy has had 5-6 months to adjust and he just sat on his ass....

you think ottawa is packing it in because they lost karlsson or spezza...im sure that affected their system, but no they are continuing to play well as a team by making adjustments....

The point is that no matter what the coach does, the players still have to compete, finish their chances, makes saves, etc. When a team is successful a few years in a row under the same coach then loses important pieces to that team (Pronger, Carle, Jagr, JVR, et al), there has to be an expected drop off. There are so many variables that contribute to a team's success or failure, yet the coach is where you constantly put the blame. Many on this board laud the talent level on this team and maybe that is part of the problem. The talent may not be as great as is claimed.
- aantny88

JVR was never an important piece in regards to the team's success. He was part of the future but that got sidetracked with the need to revamp the defense. All team's fail to finish chances, make saves etc. That's why its incumbent upon the coaching staff to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. You've done nothing to show how this coach has done so.

it's ok to fill a need in the draft, btw. what's to be avoided is reaching for need...
- isaiah520

Agreed, but by the time a lot of draftees (regardless of position but especially defense and goaltender) are ready to fill that need, the team's composition will likely have changed.

Needs a full OHL season. Also, he doesn't turn 20 until January of 2014.
- bmeltzer

seems in 4/5 years we might have something over here.

The Flyers are finding out what the Whalers, Blues, Oilers and Ducks have already found out… Losing Chris Pronger is bad

it's ok to fill a need in the draft, btw. what's to be avoided is reaching for need...
- isaiah520

Most drafted players aren't ready for 2-3 years. Needs change. It's better to take the best player available and move other assets to fill needs when necessary.

that's one area i really think they should prioritize in free agency... go out and get a guy like boyd gordon to center the fourth line. i think a player like that can be a big asset
- FlyerMike18

A 60% faceoff guy like that would be a huge help on the 4th line.

Looking at the Coyotes stats you notice that Mike Smith is having a pretty poor season. Almost the same numbers as Bryz, and I can't imagine the Coyotes have as many complete defensive breakdowns as the Flyers do.

http://www.mynhldraft.com...l-draft-prospect-rankings

sucks that is march 22nd and we are already keyed in on the draft

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.
- MJL

I'd like to add that this isn't only true in hockey but all team sports.

The Flyers are finding out what the Whalers, Blues, Oilers and Ducks have already found out… Losing Chris Pronger is bad
- TimB

amen to that

Darnell Nurse looks like a player. A lot more Raw than Jones but also has a mean streak
- Baxter27

nothing like a mean Nurse

The Flyers are finding out what the Whalers, Blues, Oilers and Ducks have already found out… Losing Chris Pronger is bad
- TimB

sorry we found that out last year. But come back in two years to see how we fare in Timmonen's departure.

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.
- aantny88

Nobody is saying the players are completely absolved either. However what are we to do? Blow up the team just to save the job of a coach who refuses to adapt to the hand he is dealt?

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.
- bmeltzer

the organization has alot of these type players

Agreed, but by the time a lot of draftees (regardless of position but especially defense and goaltender) are ready to fill that need, the team's composition will likely have changed.
- bmeltzer

w/ a reactionary org like the flyers, yes, but given that a priority-weighted approach to the draft would likely show that dmen have the greatest value, it's well past time for this org to get on the stick. the position they are in is directly related to their incompetance in this area. would not be surprised if it prejudiced their draft board.

this discussion reminds me of the ones about drilling for oil in Alaska...because "by the time they get the oil out, it won't address our immediate need"...

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2013-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings

sucks that is march 22nd and we are already keyed in on the draft
- nastyflyergirl

At least it is a deep draft, unlike the last time the Flyers were terrible.

The trouble here is that when somebody says that a guy is a good player, or that a coach should be fired, it's immediately taken to the extreme.

Defending Braydon Coburn, like Matt Carle in years past, is suddenly the equivalent of saying Coburn is an awesome player on par with Zdeno Chara. Conversely, saying that the team is poorly coached, and pointing out that Laviolette hasn't made effective adjustments is laying all the blame at the coach's feet.

This is what 4 year old kids do. They live in a world of absolutes, black and white, wrong and right, no gray. The real world is full of gray.

When I call for a coach to be replaced, I don't do it from one game. I do it based on a lot of things. When I see the same mistake made by just about every member of the team(i.e. ill advised pinches by defensemen that lead to odd man rushes) That's something I blame on the coach. Because the same kind of thing happening repeatedly and done by 90% of the roster is something systemic.

When you have an incident like Kostisyn it's on the player. The Preds don't have a habit of doing what he did, and he got shredded by the coach after the game for doing it.

The Flyers have had several players that haven't approached their expected level of play. That's also a factor, but the bottom line is, there are a LOT of teams that have less talent than the Flyers who are ahead of them in the standings. Toss in the record against the Devils and Rangers, not to mention Boston over the past couple years, and the comical mishandling of the goalies in the 2011 playoff, and it's time to make a change behind the bench.

27th place and a couple teams below us have games in hand.
- Just5

we suck!!!

The Flyers are finding out what the Whalers, Blues, Oilers and Ducks have already found out… Losing Chris Pronger is bad
- TimB

Hey, you going to credit Adam Proteau for that? He tweeted the exact same thing two or three days ago.

Sounds like an excuse, shifting blame to the GM for past failure when the coach is actively making the same mistakes. It's easier to just blame the GM and call it a day, though.
- BulliesPhan87

wonder what Eddie would do?

Is there any realistic way the Flyers could trade for another first rounder this year?
- Feanor

Sure. But the cost would be too high for me

sorry we found that out last year. But come back in two years to see how we fare in Timmonen's departure.
- JoeRussomanno

When Timonen leaves, it will be up to guys like Coburn to step up production. If/when he fails to do so, one person will argue that there never were higher expectation for him to do so.

wonder what Eddie would do?
- vejim

He'll probably wait to see who wins the Cup, then try to be like them.

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.
- PLindbergh31

You are an individual. If your entire squad is making mistake after mistake, who does it fall on? Especially if those mistakes come from what the squad is being told to do. Why are there Supervisors, managers and Coaches? Why do you have a Boss at all? If you can do it all on your own. You should tell the Township that you work for that they are wasting money paying some officer more to be Sargeants and LT's.