What QMJHL playoff game to watch at 4



Sherbrooke Phoenix vs Baie-Comeau Drakkar

or

Gatineau Olympiques vs Rimouski Oceanic




Where is Crims when you need him

When the season is over and we know where the Flyers are drafting, I plan to do something similar in the form of an off-season outlook blog.
- bmeltzer

Bill, can you help Homer with draft tips please

Richards was never asked to play Wing here. There was no reason for him to. What position is Jeff Carter currently playing in LA? He's currently tied for 3rd in the NHL in goals playing on the Wing. Brayden Schenn has played 92 NHL games. It's a little early to be labeling him as not being comfortable at a position. Briere prefers Center, and seems to play better there. There is no such thing as having too many quality players at a position. Especially at Center. And having that depth there is a very good thing. Not a bad thing. You can use that depth to bolster other positions.



What is the likelihood of now? What is now? The way I see it. This team is loaded with young, solid talent, and the future is very, very bright.

What GM trades well from a position of weakness?

Your statement that time will show that Toronto got the better player, is extremely premature. I'll take a top pairing stay at home physical defenseman over a goal scoring Winger. Your statement that D is a more rare and valuable commodity contradicts your stance that Toronto got the better player. As does the point you make on the return for Richards and Carter.



LA got lucky to get in last year, and got hot at the right time. Happens quite frequently.
- MJL

Do you ever agree with anyone? geez

When the season is over and we know where the Flyers are drafting, I plan to do something similar in the form of an off-season outlook blog.
- bmeltzer

For now I'm just watching any CHL playoff game I can but trying to focus on some with players draft eligible for my own perspective on them.

I'm talking about the team defensive issues that plague the team this year. It was a problem last year. And Laviolette's style of play, greatly contributes to that.
- MJL

So defense was never an issue before the hiring of Lavi?

I just think the coach is taking all the blame here. The players have not lived up to expectations this year.

Berube pretty much said in a CSN interview that the team has been forced to downshift into a more defensive posture since the ES goal scoring has dried up.

While he's not blameless in this (who is), Lavi's getting a lot of blame from message board "analysts" for a lot of the questionable reads, rookie/sophomore mistakes, and plain suckage on the part of his players.
- Tomahawk

Explain to me how they've gone into that more defensive posture. What specific changes have they made?

There is no doubt that the players have made some individual mistakes that are unrelated to systems and style of play. That is also the Coaches job to correct that, and improve it. So if the team as a whole keeps making the same mistakes. That is also on the Coach. One mistake here on there, not on the Coach. Chronic and repeated issues are on the Coach. Whether you agree that there are systemic issues or not. The verdict is the same.

So defense was never an issue before the hiring of Lavi?
- stveshdy

How far do you want to go back? 5 years, 10 years?

just to show everyone how popular hockey is here in So Fl, the Panthers played a great game the other night at MSG against the Rangers and the Headline and the NHL scores were on page 9 of the sports section?

Berube pretty much said in a CSN interview that the team has been forced to downshift into a more defensive posture since the ES goal scoring has dried up.

While he's not blameless in this (who is), Lavi's getting a lot of blame from message board "analysts" for a lot of the questionable reads, rookie/sophomore mistakes, and plain suckage on the part of his players.
- Tomahawk

yea, i don't know how much i buy the "unwilling" part. i think he's just been unable to, for whatever reason. i'm at the point where it's been going on long enough that i'm ready to see a change, however

in re the whole message board "analysts" thing: people just have their opinions. i don't think there's anything wrong with discussing the conclusions you arrive at after watching the games

And that's why you don't break the bank for guys like Luke Schenn.
- Flyers_01

Good, because they didn't break the bank for Luke Schenn. And every team needs some mix of stay at home defenders on the back end. Having all puck movers and finesse players on defense is just as bad.

How far do you want to go back? 5 years, 10 years?
- MJL

All I am saying is defensive issue have been a concern for years even before Lavi was here.

The Flyers had over 100 points last season. They knocked out the favorite Pittsburgh Penguins last year in Round 1.

This season the team has struggled and part of that has to do with coaching and the GM not getting the personnel needed. The players haven't been playing that well either if we go down the list.
- stveshdy

The Round 1 series was River Hockey. When they got to the Devils they were soundly beaten.

The organization has issues b/c they can't decide on their style. They keep bringing in different coaches and changing their philosophy based on previous winners. They want to play more defensive oriented one year and then want more scoring the next year.

The Flyers know Lavi's style when hiring him and now want him to change it?

Thats like the Eagles hiring Chip Kelly to run the spread offense and then asking him to run the Wing-T.

I honestly don't know whats going on as far as adjustments b/c I am not at practice or in the locker room every day. What we see out on the ice "looks" like no adjustments are being made but I really dont know.
- stveshdy

The organization typically tries to win last year's cup, no doubt. This year, though, was influenced more by a badly miscalculated offseason strategy. Could they have given him a better roster, or one more suited to him? Sure. But once the puck dropped, he should have been adapting to the tools he was given, and I haven't seen that. If we're going to build this roster around a coach's strategy, I'd really prefer it were a more dynamic benchminder. We're not going to get very far if we can't beat defensive minded teams, and it's apparent we can't, let alone with any modicum of consistency.

Good, because they didn't break the bank for Luke Schenn. And every team needs some mix of stay at home defenders on the back end. Having all puck movers and finesse players on defense is just as bad.
- MJL

I like Schenn but dont think he was worth the #2 pick in the draft

All I am saying is defensive issue have been a concern for years even before Lavi was here.
- stveshdy

I would agree that it's been quite a while since the Flyers have been a quality defensive club. But not sure why that matters now.

Do you ever agree with anyone? geez
- flyerfan28

His answer will obviously be no...why would I.

If you ask me Homer has done as bad of a job during the offseason as Lavi has done in season.

Thats fine that he missed on "superstars" b/c you have to take a shot but the backup plan wasn't very good. Signing Foster (late) and Gervais.
- stveshdy

homer undoubtedly had a sub-par year as well

I like Schenn but dont think he was worth the #2 pick in the draft
- vejim

Time will tell. I like the trade a lot.

The Round 1 series was River Hockey. When they got to the Devils they were soundly beaten.
- MJL

Most teams were soundly beat by the Devils except LA.

Berube pretty much said in a CSN interview that the team has been forced to downshift into a more defensive posture since the ES goal scoring has dried up.

While he's not blameless in this (who is), Lavi's getting a lot of blame from message board "analysts" for a lot of the questionable reads, rookie/sophomore mistakes, and plain suckage on the part of his players.
- Tomahawk

And they have downshifted. It's been obvious.

Lavi receives the lion's share of the blame because he's the coach and, well, like they say, you can't fire the whole team. But the mistakes on the ice are too often attributed to him and that is grossly unfair unless one of us is at every practice or in the pre-game meetings when the game plans are laid out and are able to properly comment on the soundness of his strategies.

You can have a perfect blueprint coming out onto the ice, but if the players don't follow it correctly, stray away from their assignments, don't hustle to cover their responsibilities, take too many stupid untimely penalties, turnover the puck at inopportune times or make bad decisions leading to odd man rushes - all of which are not Lava's fault - then as a coach, what do you do?

You can sit all the lazy, inattentive players, there's been too many games that only a small handful of guys have showed up. It's tough to run out 1 and 1/2 lines every other shift, or only play three defensemen on any given game.

I like Schenn but dont think he was worth the #2 pick in the draft
- vejim

we had the #2 pick last year and traded it? news to me

His answer will obviously be no...why would I.
- TheGreat28

It gets old quickly no one wants to have their every comment analyzed or argued.

Most teams were soundly beat by the Devils except LA.
- stveshdy

not quite. Florida took them the distance and then some, ending game 7 in double OT IIRC. The Rangers had a 2-1 series lead before choking per the norm

The organization has issues b/c they can't decide on their style. They keep bringing in different coaches and changing their philosophy based on previous winners. They want to play more defensive oriented one year and then want more scoring the next year.

The Flyers know Lavi's style when hiring him and now want him to change it?

Thats like the Eagles hiring Chip Kelly to run the spread offense and then asking him to run the Wing-T.

I honestly don't know whats going on as far as adjustments b/c I am not at practice or in the locker room every day. What we see out on the ice "looks" like no adjustments are being made but I really dont know.
- stveshdy

I agree with that. The Flyers wanted and Holmgren specifically said he wanted more of a "hunt the puck" style. Well they go it. Now the decision is do they stay with that, and tweak the team to fit it. Or do they make a change.

What QMJHL playoff game to watch at 4



Sherbrooke Phoenix vs Baie-Comeau Drakkar

or

Gatineau Olympiques vs Rimouski Oceanic




Where is Crims when you need him
- ob18

just talked to him, he's getting ready for gatineau rimouski. got his bourdon jersey on and all