Well said Bill. Not once by Philly commentators or analysts did they call out horrendous d-coverage on either the Grabner goal or Moulson goal. I can almost find no fault w/Mason on the Moulson goal as he had to be completely shocked by the decision of Gervais to leave his man to make to play the puck carrier who was moving semi-laterally on his backhand. Had Gervais stuck w/his man the play wouldn't have even yielded a scoring chanc against. I understand the team has been decimated by injuries on the blue line but Gervais is putrid and that lies on Homer.
- flyguy12

Could not believe my eyes when I saw Gervais leave Moulson and head toward the puck in that situation. Horrible, horrible decision.

I sincerely hope they don't go that route again. They've finally been sticking to a plan of developing the young core... the worst thing they can do, is trade half of them away for middle aged vets. Sure, they've been going through growing pains, but that happens when you have such a young team overall.

For once in decades, they seem to be sticking to a plan... I hope they don't back out now. Just spot-address the few things that need it, and let the rest alone.
- WarriorHockey21

pretty sure 90 percent of flyers fans agreed with snider to try and get a real #1 goalie after our goalie carousel

And again - can Laviolette hustle for a loose puck?...It's just ridiculous...
- WarriorHockey21

bill posted this before the start of the year:

Laviolette Under Pressure to Change the System?

Something that became abundantly clear after the Flyers' playoff elimination last year was that general manager Paul Holmgren wanted to see Peter Laviolette make a few adjustments to his offense-oriented system. The GM perceived a need for the club to improve its team defense and keep things a little bit more under control in front of Ilya Bryzgalov, as the team did during the month of March.

Holmgren was very straightforward about his views when asked about it on media day after the team's playoff elimination by New Jersey.

Said Holmgren, "There is no question in my mind that we have to do a better job with goals against. It is related to Ilya a little bit. It is related a little bit to how we play. We are an offensive team that can score. We just finished a five-game series where we didn't score a lot of goals. We certainly didn't generate a lot of offensive chances."

A step toward putting some action behind that ambition was asking John Paddock to be the eye-the-sky assistant coach looking primarily at the team defense aspects of the game and communicating his findings to Laviolette.

Another step: In his media availability session yesterday, Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider put some not-so-subtle pressure on Laviolette to sacrifice a bit of scoring in the name of lowering the team's goals against average...

and on it went...

we clearly have a combo of homer's rotten off season, lavi's struggle to make adjustments -esp w/ the forecheck, neutral zone play and their breakouts- and players underperforming. an entire org fail.

I agree its not the coaching, Flyers have a good young nucleus of Giroux, Simmonds, 2 Schenn's, Courterier, Vorecek, and some others....
I also agree with most that Brz has a bad contract. And whats with Pronger, will he be back or bought out?
Too many injuries on D has hurt, but is it time to move Hartnell & Briere, only bc of age and salary?

In a short season, anything can happen, Flyers are still talented and still dangerous to any team .....
- Ur Not Me

Pronger more than likely won't return, and cannot be bought out due to injury. As for Briere, a buyout seems more probable than a trade.

Personally, I don't think the Flyers seem dangerous at all this season. They're their own worst enemy.

this season can't end soon enough. a lot of work to do for next year. a lot.

Bill,
Let's say the forwards get their act together next season and provide defensive support, can the Flyers win with this roster and with Laviolette's system?

Does one (or both) have to change?
- bradleyc4

yes

This team either lacks talent or a coach that can work with the talent they do have.

Probably a combination of both of these things.

Your move, Paul Holmgren.

this season can't end soon enough. a lot of work to do for next year. a lot.
- hammarby31

Seth Jones

Disaster of a season. It happens.

The two positives are:

1. The long standing goaltending issues that have plagued this franchise have finally been put to bed.

2. The team has shown an ability to stay healthy.

this season can't end soon enough. a lot of work to do for next year. a lot.
- hammarby31

at least their not the Sixers...
in Flyerland there is some hope

Disaster of a season. It happens.

The two positives are:

1. The long standing goaltending issues that have plagued this franchise have finally been put to bet.

2. The team has shown an ability to stay healthy.
- PLindbergh31

nice...i see what you did there...

I get that people like Lava because he is emotional, seems like a good guy, and calls good time outs, but come on. He doesnt skate, he doesnt hustle, he doesnt score?

His job is to do whats best for the team he has... He hasnt been able to change his ways. The gap between the forwards and the d-men has been an issue his whole time here in Philly. He needs to change, but has been very reluctant to do so. Right now were are the 6th worst team in the league.

same ole thing over and over...homer wanted a aggressive coach to implament a "hunt the puck" mentality and we got it, leaving our d and any goalie out to dry on most nights.

now we want a d-minded coach and a different goalie and so on.

what i see is a good team with a ton of injuries, youth/inexpierience and a coach with a worn out message and a gm who presses the panick button too fast in years past to model the team after last years winner.

we clearly have a combo of homer's rotten off season, lavi's struggle to make adjustments -esp w/ the forecheck, neutral zone play and their breakouts- and players underperforming. an entire org fail.
- isaiah520

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Not Good Enough
- bmeltzer

A scathing dissection with scalpel-like precision. Roger Ebert would be proud

Im pretty sure this finally means that the seesaw of emotions over the team is over now. I can go back to not worrying about the rest of the season like I did a few weeks ago

Too many injuries on D has hurt, but is it time to move Hartnell & Briere, only bc of age and salary?

- Ur Not Me

Briere yes because of age and contract.

Hartnell is 30 with a very manageable cap hit of 4.75 this coming season. I love how people, not the person above, forget that he has been the only constant on our top line the past 3 yeas and has averaged 25 goals a season since coming to the team.

yes he has not been great this year but he also broke his foot and missed roughly 15 games.

Unless you can package him for a number 1 dman or use him in a bid to get in the top 3 picks this season I don't understand moving him.

Im pretty sure this finally means that the seesaw of emotions over the team is over now. I can go back to not worrying about the rest of the season like I did a few weeks ago
- TrentKlatt

Season was over when they thought the first 4 weeks was preseason

I agree with Warrior. I also see that the team lacks any type of leadership. When Pronger was playing, he held everyone accountable. I really don't see that now.
In the off season, we should keep our forwards, but start to revamp the defense. Start drafting, and developing players instead of getting fill-ins, and guys at the end of their careers. If you have to trade for a D-man get a young guy that you can develop. Injuries have been an issue for us this year, but I think that is due to the crazy schedule, and the shortened season.
I am not a big fan of Bryz, because of what I see as his lack of mobility (post to post he's really slow, and his glove hand ugghhh), his lack of focus (quit looking at the stars Dude), and I really think that he gives up on the team (throwing his hands in the air, looking depressed all the time, etc..). Don't even talk about how much money he costs the team. I really hate long term contracts since it takes money away from the other players, and that the player receiving the money seems to relax his play (there is no sense of urgency in his play).
I think that Lavy is gone at the end of the season. Why else would you bring in a new coach that has experience in the pros as your minor league coach (Murray)? I would have kept Paddock as the Phantoms coach, and then brought him up next season. He seemed to turn the Phantoms around last season when they really didn't have anybody.
Anyway, to sum up my point, scrap the D, and Bryz, and start from scratch. It is really painful to watch the Flyers play like this. Oh, and find a true leader for the team. I hate to repeat myself, but Pronger was the leader that this team needed. Hey, maybe if he retires, make him an assistant coach...just a thought.

Im pretty sure this finally means that the seesaw of emotions over the team is over now. I can go back to not worrying about the rest of the season like I did a few weeks ago
- TrentKlatt

I'll watch the remaining Flyers games just to see how certain players play.

When the playoffs start?

I plan on moving on to root against the Pittsburgh Penguins for the duration of the NHL playoffs.

I'm also going to root for a Montreal - Toronto playoff series to happen. The hate will be awesome.

Season was over when they thought the first 4 weeks was preseason
- phi1671

And that is probably the one thing that makes me the angriest.

The nonchalant "we have plenty of time" attitude that the team (and some fans) had in the beginning of the year when the team was obviously repeating negative patterns from the year before.

Could not believe my eyes when I saw Gervais leave Moulson and head toward the puck in that situation. Horrible, horrible decision.
- bradleyc4

That was such a bad defensive decision... I was screaming at the tv as soon as it happened. Yea Huskins got deked off the play, but let him deal with his man... and even if he doesn't, Moulson had a much better angle for the shot. ugh, so bad

I am all but certain that Lavi gets the axe as most are saying. They just don't seem to respond to him in big games etc this year.

Also, I thought Mason looked good in the part of the game I saw..(3rd).. As has been said many times, the issue isn't goaltending.. This just isn't a very good team right now. Fix the D, get a new coach, and go into next year with Bryz and Mason..

pretty sure 90 percent of flyers fans agreed with snider to try and get a real #1 goalie after our goalie carousel
- mydoglicks

I guess I was in the 10% then. I wanted him to have one more year as the starter. His growth in that first year, which was amazing considering it was his first year in the US, plus his work ethic and atheticism were the things that impressed me most. A young goalie can always flame out Sophomore year (see Mason, Steve) but I really thought he had potential to be a special goalie.

I agree with Warrior. I also see that the team lacks any type of leadership. When Pronger was playing, he held everyone accountable. I really don't see that now.
In the off season, we should keep our forwards, but start to revamp the defense. Start drafting, and developing players instead of getting fill-ins, and guys at the end of their careers. If you have to trade for a D-man get a young guy that you can develop. Injuries have been an issue for us this year, but I think that is due to the crazy schedule, and the shortened season.
I am not a big fan of Bryz, because of what I see as his lack of mobility (post to post he's really slow, and his glove hand ugghhh), his lack of focus (quit looking at the stars Dude), and I really think that he gives up on the team (throwing his hands in the air, looking depressed all the time, etc..). Don't even talk about how much money he costs the team. I really hate long term contracts since it takes money away from the other players, and that the player receiving the money seems to relax his play (there is no sense of urgency in his play).
I think that Lavy is gone at the end of the season. Why else would you bring in a new coach that has experience in the pros as your minor league coach (Murray)? I would have kept Paddock as the Phantoms coach, and then brought him up next season. He seemed to turn the Phantoms around last season when they really didn't have anybody.
Anyway, to sum up my point, scrap the D, and Bryz, and start from scratch. It is really painful to watch the Flyers play like this. Oh, and find a true leader for the team. I hate to repeat myself, but Pronger was the leader that this team needed. Hey, maybe if he retires, make him an assistant coach...just a thought.
- OrangeAndBlack1

So if we had a leader on the team... all our worries would be better.

This is probably one of the heaviest vet laden teams we have had in a few years.. Leadership isnt the issue.

Briere, Gags, Rusty, Huskins, Timonen, Hartnell, Talbot. Having a general isnt gonna make this team a contender.