i'm so tired of the "bryz sucks" comments, because it's patently false. he's a very good goalie. his contract is not an albatross. and let's give him a chance to see what he can do with a solid defensive team in front of him without a million injuries and without being run into the ground because there's no backup - you know, like a championship caliber team would play and have.

and btw, i don't see the lord savior lundqvist doing much - and he's never been past the 2nd round, but that guy, man - he's the greatest. and if we had him, we'd have won 17 cups already.

for (frank)ing (frank)'s sake, enough already.
- hammarby31

Lundqvist made it past the second round last year. And I do believe is the best goalie currently in the league, even if he hasn't managed to make it to the Finals yet. Hasek was even better than Lundqvist, and it still took him many years to make the Finals and even longer to win a Cup.

If Bryz was really a very good goalie, he would not have an .899 save percentage after 35 games. The Flyer's team defense has been poor for most of the season, but so has Buffalo's. And yet Ryan Miller has managed to post .912 after 32 games.

And his contract is definitely an albatross because no one will trade for him, and if he retires before he turns 40 the Flyers will face recapture penalties.

I'd imagine the AHL/NHL will monitor if Laughton gets a lengthy suspension for his hit tonight and it's is longer then what Oshawa has left in these playoffs.
- ob18

Man, was it that bad? The kid needs to keep himself under control. We just got rid of Z; we don't need another suspension magnet on the team next year.

Lundqvist made it past the second round last year. And I do believe is the best goalie currently in the league, even if he hasn't managed to make it to the Finals yet. Hasek was even better than Lundqvist, and it still took him many years to make the Finals and even longer to win a Cup.

If Bryz was really a very good goalie, he would not have an .899 save percentage after 35 games. The Flyer's team defense has been poor for most of the season, but so has Buffalo's. And yet Ryan Miller has managed to post .912 after 32 games.

And his contract is definitely an albatross because no one will trade for him, and if he retires before he turns 40 the Flyers will face recapture penalties.
- Feanor

I hate when people say "albatross around the neck"....

Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a stupid poem.

I hate when people say "albatross around the neck"....

Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a stupid poem.
- Giroux_Is_God

brilliant assessment

brilliant assessment
- Don'tForgetTocchet

I'm just tired of it all. Bryz is our goalie. Deal with it. It could be much worse.

Lundqvist made it past the second round last year. And I do believe is the best goalie currently in the league, even if he hasn't managed to make it to the Finals yet. Hasek was even better than Lundqvist, and it still took him many years to make the Finals and even longer to win a Cup.

If Bryz was really a very good goalie, he would not have an .899 save percentage after 35 games. The Flyer's team defense has been poor for most of the season, but so has Buffalo's. And yet Ryan Miller has managed to post .912 after 32 games.

And his contract is definitely an albatross because no one will trade for him, and if he retires before he turns 40 the Flyers will face recapture penalties.
- Feanor

I'm probably somewhere in the middle - regarding the two Bryz posts.

On one hand, I feel that he is unfairly maligned, and would like to see him get a chance with a more talented defense in front of him. On the other, his body language is starting to annoy the hell out of me.

It would be one thing if the players in front of him weren't showing any effort - but the effort has been there all season. This stick-throwing, shoulder shrugging at his d-men poop has to stop.

It's one thing for the fans to say "oh he's playing poorly because of the defense" but it's another for the goaltender to act the same way. Man the (frank) up, and play your ass off to be part of the solution - not deflect blame on your teammates.

I'm starting to see why he had such a stellar reputation in the Phoenix locker room.

Of course, winning is a cure-all. So let's hope this current trend continues.

Get over it he sucks
- JoeRussomanno

i advocate 2 for a team win, 1 for the skills competition and 0 for a loss
- isaiah520

Same.

- wilsonecho91

Isn't that just the greatest argument trump card; he/she/they sucks? so intelligent and articulately constructed .

Isn't that just the greatest argument trump card; he/she/they sucks? so intelligent and articulately constructed .
- JoeRussomanno

BEAT IT TROLL

edit: i hope we can say the same about Sunshine one day . BRING HIM BACK HOLMERGETRDONE.
- Yosimar89

YES! Flyer 7th Rd '08 draftee, Joacim Eriksson. Dude is tearing it up in the Swedish Elitserien. We didn't retain him because Bob was here and they had Hovinen in the system...Bob is gone, Hov sucked in the ECHL and we termed his contract. Meanwhile Sunshine has had the chance to further develop and seems to be one of the top starting netminders in the Elitserien...If they can make up for lost time by getting him signed it could be a winning move...but this is the Flyers and goaltenders...


http://www.eurohockey.com...2946-joacim-eriksson.html

http://www.eurohockey.com...skelleftea&id_season=2013

Lundqvist made it past the second round last year. And I do believe is the best goalie currently in the league, even if he hasn't managed to make it to the Finals yet. Hasek was even better than Lundqvist, and it still took him many years to make the Finals and even longer to win a Cup.

If Bryz was really a very good goalie, he would not have an .899 save percentage after 35 games. The Flyer's team defense has been poor for most of the season, but so has Buffalo's. And yet Ryan Miller has managed to post .912 after 32 games.

And his contract is definitely an albatross because no one will trade for him, and if he retires before he turns 40 the Flyers will face recapture penalties.
- Feanor

Great post.

It's not whether or not Bryz sucks. He's mediocre to slightly above. Bottom line is he's nowhere near worth his cap hit and the number of years left on his contract. He is also not the first goalie to play in front of a bad defensive team. Goalies have put up some great stats in front of worse teams.

If Bryz were a true 'elite' goalie like Miller or Lundquist, I'd have no issue with his contract. The problem is he hasn't shown on the whole to be any better than what we've had in net the past 10 years. That cap space can be better spent on other pieces.

Lundqvist made it past the second round last year. And I do believe is the best goalie currently in the league, even if he hasn't managed to make it to the Finals yet. Hasek was even better than Lundqvist, and it still took him many years to make the Finals and even longer to win a Cup.

If Bryz was really a very good goalie, he would not have an .899 save percentage after 35 games. The Flyer's team defense has been poor for most of the season, but so has Buffalo's. And yet Ryan Miller has managed to post .912 after 32 games.

And his contract is definitely an albatross because no one will trade for him, and if he retires before he turns 40 the Flyers will face recapture penalties.
- Feanor

it'd be very difficult to make a cogent argument that bryz has been any better here than biron circa '09. i'd say, not quite as good really, but close.

it'd be very difficult to make a cogent argument that bryz has been any better here than biron circa '09. i'd say, not quite as good really, but close.
- isaiah520

Right and the Bryz defenders will gladly point out that this team has been riddled with injuries on D so you can't make a fair comparison. However, last year, Bob and Bryz played in front of the same team and from memory I believe their stats were pretty similar. Bryz hasn't shown on the whole to be better than any of our past goalies in the past decade. Sure, he's had hot streaks but so did Leighton during the run to the Cup Finals.

I know...I know...I'm tired of beating this poor lifeless horse, but I'm also tired of Micro, so I'm gonna decide to weigh in.

I want to address the people that say something like "If Bryz was a great goalie, how can he put up a sub-.900 sv %? Look at ________ on the _________ who ALSO have terrible team D. He's putting up a .910+ sv %!"

If I may- I saw the Sabres mentioned- I'd like to see turnover numbers and the "quality" (or....lack thereof) of these turnovers. How many times have we seen one of Gervais, Foster, Giroux, Hartnell, or anyone else commit a defensive zone turnover that results in a) an odd man situation down low that hangs Bryz out to dry or b) a scoring opportunity from a high percentage spot on the ice? How many times have we thought to ourselves, "Bernie couldn't even have saved that...."?

I'm not saying Bryz has met expectations. He should be playing better and he has done so in the past for this team. He's NOT playing to the tune of a 5.6 mil goalie right now.

THAT BEING SAID

What other choices have we had? Stick with Leighton/Boosh? Put Mason in? Stick with an unproven and at times leaky Bobrovsky? No. Homer went out and grabbed the best available option to tend the pipes.

And here we are, watching a team with an AHL defense corps and Kimmo and Luke playing in front of him, and also watching, in front of that trainwreck, a forward corps whose onus is basically running and gunning it, hardly focusing on team D as a whole at all.

And we female dog and moan about how "bad" Bryz is playing? Come on, man....

Bryzgalov is a main reason this team is looking at the playoff bubble. He is NOT the reason they are outside of it.

Right and the Bryz defenders will gladly point out that this team has been riddled with injuries on D so you can't make a fair comparison. However, last year, Bob and Bryz played in front of the same team and from memory I believe their stats were pretty similar. Bryz hasn't shown on the whole to be better than any of our past goalies in the past decade. Sure, he's had hot streaks but so did Leighton during the run to the Cup Finals.
- phillydentist

hard to argue

I hate when people say "albatross around the neck"....

Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a stupid poem.
- Giroux_Is_God

Maybe..but it is a great song by Iron Maiden!

brilliant assessment
- Don'tForgetTocchet

Right and the Bryz defenders will gladly point out that this team has been riddled with injuries on D so you can't make a fair comparison. However, last year, Bob and Bryz played in front of the same team and from memory I believe their stats were pretty similar. Bryz hasn't shown on the whole to be better than any of our past goalies in the past decade. Sure, he's had hot streaks but so did Leighton during the run to the Cup Finals.
- phillydentist

Bobrovksy and bryzgalov's stats were quite different upon conclusion of the season. For a stretch bob stats were higher then bryzgalov got sick then hurt later and bob had to carry a heavier load, once that happened his stats buckled. Memory is great bit often times facts can undo our porous arguments. Just to help you out tho, bob finished over three goals against and under.900 sv%. But let's not have facts get in the way.

- FlyerMike18

Bobrovksy and bryzgalov's stats were quite different upon conclusion of the season. For a stretch bob stats were higher then bryzgalov got sick then hurt later and bob had to carry a heavier load, once that happened his stats buckled. Memory is great bit often times facts can undo our porous arguments. Just to help you out tho, bob finished over three goals against and under.900 sv%. But let's not have facts get in the way.
- JoeRussomanno

You're right. Bryz went on a run last March and separated himself a bit from Bob. Before that they were about even. Bryz finishes with 2.48 and .909 vs Bob's 3.02 and .899 (which resemble this year's Bryz stats).

Too much to read back, it Kimmo playng tomorrow and what is thestatus on Rinaldo?

Too much to read back, it Kimmo playng tomorrow and what is thestatus on Rinaldo?
- Deasr1

Kimmo is a GTD, and Rinaldo is going to be out for weeks.

Too much to read back, it Kimmo playng tomorrow and what is thestatus on Rinaldo?
- Deasr1

Kimmo is a gametime decision, which means he'll play unless he doesn't have a leg to play on...that was last I heard early this afternoon.

Rinaldo has a sprained ankle and is out until the middle of the month, circa yesterday evening, I believe.

Thanks folks. I love that about Kimmo and hate it. He is the ultimate warrior, however, when his mobility is questionable, he very prone to terrible penalties