That was especially evident when Vocoun signed his deal after.
- MBFlyerfan

I remember that. The contract bothers me.. not the player.

Philly.com in full on Braden Schenn is a bust mode. It must be horrible to be only 21 and know your career is already over.
- MBFlyerfan

That's a bit of a straw man.

Brayden Schenn's play has been pretty uneven and I think the team came into this year counting on him for more than he has produced.

Whether that is fair or not, is certainly up for debate.

I haven't read through all the pages yet but here are my thoughts:

I wasn't particularly happy with the officiating last night. Sure they let them play but the Islanders sure did take more advantage of it. Running over Mason, head hits, high sticks, boarding. Come on!
- FlyersGrace

The refs should be fined a week's wages for not calling that obvious boarding penalty on Lauridsen and missing the blatant goalie interference penalty. It's no wonder the refereeing in the NHL is so poor when there's no real accountability.

Oh ok thanks , and to the rest that commented sorry fir the missed sarcasm , I thought that was what he was going for but you never know , I still can't believe u guys are not in the playoffs , I think if it was a full season you guys get in Nd the leafs fall out , what is it that the flyers are missing the most this year ?
- Redmile247

We miss Pronger. His leadership, his holding players accountable, his snarl on the ice, his ability to hand the media their A-holes.
We need a goalie out team can believe in. Bryz doesn’t trust our D. I think a lot of his “soft goals” have been him cheating the angle cuz he knows the guy in front of him is gonna screw up. The only D he seemed to trust was Grossmann who is currently injured.
We need to figure out if Lavi has lost the ear of the room and the reason we are all over the place with his offensive style is because he has had such limited time in this short season to correct errors or if he has refused to adjust to other teams. And why he can’t seem to beat the Devils or Rangers not just from this season but from previous ones.
We need forwards who can actually pass… Who can support each other and can learn to get open for a friggin outlet pass from the D. Some back-checking might be nice occasionally as well. This would include someone on G’s wing who can finish.
We need a defensive core that isn’t getting destroyed blocking shots, is another team’s cast offs or is on their first time up in the NHL.
And that’s just off the top of my head.

New name for the Ike and mike show.....


The dumb-Dumb and douche-bag show.

I think there is just a lack of talent, guys playing in spots "higher" then they should be.

Look at the top 6 forwards, the defense has been discussed into the ground already.

B Schenn could very well be a 2nd line center some day.
The only time he looked like it this year was when he played with Jacob Voracek.
He was very hot for a few games with Czechie on his wing.

Czechie is really the only legit top six winger this year on this team. He has made every line he played on better. One of the few bright spots this season. A guy to build around.
He really benefitted from his time with Jagr, and uses the Jagr butt forcefield very effectively to keep defenders away. One of the few puck possession guys they have.

Hartnell can do it and has in the past, but he does not even look like an NHL player on most shifts this season. Hopefully he rebounds next year, or maybe they can include him in a trade to upgrade the D.

I love Simmonds, he is a beast and great on the PP, but 5 vs 5 he really is a 3rd line winger. He could be a top 6 guy with better defensive play, maybe.

Read is more of a utility guy then a true top 6 wing. He has a good shot and good speed, maybe a little small to put out there against the bigger wings in the East like Lucic, Nash, Kovalchuk, etc. Before his injury he showed signs of maybe being a top 6 wing.
Ideally he is a third liner who can move up and down, and play special teams.

Briere on wing, forget it.

G is obviously the top center, but he has not had a great season.

Couts was showing some signs of improvement recently, but most of the season has been "a learning process".
- Marc D

Good stuff, Marc. I agree with almost all of it.

I think Matt Read is a solid 2nd line winger, though. If they had the depth, he would make an outstanding 3rd line winger on a "shutdown" line.

Not sure if anyone mentioned it but Hartnell was absolutely brutal last night. Drop passes to know one couldn't give or handle a pass and had many occasions where he failed to get the puck deep. He was a liability on the ice for g and voracek

I have no problem with getting Bryz per se. What I did have a problem with was how they handled Bob in the playoffs the previous season. He had one bad period and was stapled to the press box for the duration after pretty much being the guy all season.

It was no coincidence the only game they were competitive in was the last game against Boston when they finally let him play again.

After that Snider does his thing, here comes Bryz, there goes Bob after the next season.
- MBFlyerfan

Agreed. I said previously on this site that Lavi's legacy may not be the 2010 playoffs, it may be handling of goalies in the 2011 playoffs and the chain of events it created that eventually cost us Bob.

In addition to letting Mason start most of the games the rest of the year, the Flyers need to find a way to surround Coots with better players. Having this kid play on the 4th line with Rosehill and Hall is (frank)ing ridiculous.

It was just a case of a team that isn't deserving of being in contention for a playoff spot.

- bmeltzer

This is exactly what I said to my wife as the game was about to end last night.

Good stuff, Marc. I agree with almost all of it.

I think Matt Read is a solid 2nd line winger, though. If they had the depth, he would make an outstanding 3rd line winger on a "shutdown" line.
- bradleyc4

Read reminds me a lot of Patrick Sharp....

I think there is just a lack of talent, guys playing in spots "higher" then they should be.

Look at the top 6 forwards, the defense has been discussed into the ground already.

B Schenn could very well be a 2nd line center some day.
The only time he looked like it this year was when he played with Jacob Voracek.
He was very hot for a few games with Czechie on his wing.

Czechie is really the only legit top six winger this year on this team. He has made every line he played on better. One of the few bright spots this season. A guy to build around.
He really benefitted from his time with Jagr, and uses the Jagr butt forcefield very effectively to keep defenders away. One of the few puck possession guys they have.

Hartnell can do it and has in the past, but he does not even look like an NHL player on most shifts this season. Hopefully he rebounds next year, or maybe they can include him in a trade to upgrade the D.

I love Simmonds, he is a beast and great on the PP, but 5 vs 5 he really is a 3rd line winger. He could be a top 6 guy with better defensive play, maybe.

Read is more of a utility guy then a true top 6 wing. He has a good shot and good speed, maybe a little small to put out there against the bigger wings in the East like Lucic, Nash, Kovalchuk, etc. Before his injury he showed signs of maybe being a top 6 wing.
Ideally he is a third liner who can move up and down, and play special teams.

Briere on wing, forget it.

G is obviously the top center, but he has not had a great season.

Couts was showing some signs of improvement recently, but most of the season has been "a learning process".
- Marc D

Nice evaluation. Like Bradleyc4, my only adjustment would be on Read. I think he came back too quickly from his rib injury. The first part of his season he was all over the ice and making a serious difference every time. He was by far and away my favorite forward, then he got hurt, came back and was a shell of himself.

I remember that. The contract bothers me.. not the player.
- jak521

When it is all said and done, the whole thing will probably be spun (not all that inaccurately) that the team had a good young goalie but where unwilling to play through the growing pains associated with him. Going so far as to get in their own young goalie's head with talk about the playoffs and how tough they were, culminating in his benching after a bad period in game 2 of a playoff series. The ensuing, and EMBARRASSING goalie carousel that followed for the rest of the series caused the owner to make public statements that had to be backed up in a forceful manner.

Organizational impatience from the owner on down caused the them to vastly overpay in money and years for an above average/not elite goaltender.

The signing, designed to put to rest the goalie issues for this team once and for all, instead did the exact opposite and made the whole thing worse. The controversy is now worse than ever, the goalie is unpopular among the media and a very vocal section of the fan base.

Does that about sum it up?

Not sure if anyone mentioned it but Hartnell was absolutely brutal last night. Drop passes to know one couldn't give or handle a pass and had many occasions where he failed to get the puck deep. He was a liability on the ice for g and voracek
- thenighttrain17

Yep, Hartnell should have either been dropped from the line, benched, or just taken to the locker room and shot. He was terrible last night and it was glaringly obvious since he was on the top line. Every pass he hand-cuffed the guy or missed him completely, or turned it over....

Not sure if anyone mentioned it but Hartnell was absolutely brutal last night. Drop passes to know one couldn't give or handle a pass and had many occasions where he failed to get the puck deep. He was a liability on the ice for g and voracek
- thenighttrain17

he was ... and I'm not sure what he did in recent games to deserve being put back up on the top line.

to be fair, the team as a whole couldn't complete a pass last night.

Yep, Hartnell should have either been dropped from the line, benched, or just taken to the locker room and shot. He was terrible last night and it was glaringly obvious since he was on the top line. Every pass he hand-cuffed the guy or missed him completely, or turned it over....
- FlyersGrace

Hartnell has pretty much been brutal all season. Before and after the injury.

Nice evaluation. Like Bradleyc4, my only adjustment would be on Read. I think he came back too quickly from his rib injury. The first part of his season he was all over the ice and making a serious difference every time. He was by far and away my favorite forward, then he got hurt, came back and was a shell of himself.
- FlyersGrace

And he hit the nail on the head with Simmonds. A nice, rugged winger. Very good on the PP. But he's a passenger on whichever lines he plays. Not good enough at even-strength to be a "good" 2nd line winger (but you live with it because of the other assets he brings), and not good enough defensively to be on an ideal third line.

When it is all said and done, the whole thing will probably be spun (not all that inaccurately) that the team had a good young goalie but where unwilling to play through the growing pains associated with him. Going so far as to get in their own young goalie's head with talk about the playoffs and how tough they were, culminating in his benching after a bad period in game 2 of a playoff series. The ensuing, and EMBARRASSING goalie carousel that followed for the rest of the series caused the owner to make public statements that had to be backed up in a forceful manner.

Organizational impatience from the owner on down caused the them to vastly overpay in money and years for an above average/not elite goaltender.

The signing, designed to put to rest the goalie issues for this team once and for all, instead did the exact opposite and made the whole thing worse. The controversy is now worse than ever, the goalie is unpopular among the media and a very vocal section of the fan base.

Does that about sum it up?
- MBFlyerfan

Yeah, that's pretty much the story.

Hartnell has pretty much been brutal all season. Before and after the injury.
- MBFlyerfan

It's like he showed up not quite in shape and it got worse after the injury.

When it is all said and done, the whole thing will probably be spun (not all that inaccurately) that the team had a good young goalie but where unwilling to play through the growing pains associated with him. Going so far as to get in their own young goalie's head with talk about the playoffs and how tough they were, culminating in his benching after a bad period in game 2 of a playoff series. The ensuing, and EMBARRASSING goalie carousel that followed for the rest of the series caused the owner to make public statements that had to be backed up in a forceful manner.

Organizational impatience from the owner on down caused the them to vastly overpay in money and years for an above average/not elite goaltender.

The signing, designed to put to rest the goalie issues for this team once and for all, instead did the exact opposite and made the whole thing worse. The controversy is now worse than ever, the goalie is unpopular among the media and a very vocal section of the fan base.

Does that about sum it up?
- MBFlyerfan

You left out the whole, the player they gave up on is on the verge of winning a Vezina, but yea... that will suffice.

Good stuff, Marc. I agree with almost all of it.

I think Matt Read is a solid 2nd line winger, though. If they had the depth, he would make an outstanding 3rd line winger on a "shutdown" line.
- bradleyc4

If somehow they get another winger to mesh with G and Hartnell on the top line then
Czechie on a second line spot would give them two real scoring lines.

Fixing the top end defense is a much bigger need, and Read and Simmer can play top six for now. Expecting the team to be an offensive juggernaut with these players, and no playmakers on D is a big stretch.

If somehow they get another winger to mesh with G and Hartnell on the top line then
Czechie on a second line spot would give them two real scoring lines.

Fixing the top end defense is a much bigger need, and Read and Simmer can play top six for now. Expecting the team to be an offensive juggernaut with these players, and no playmakers on D is a big stretch.
- Marc D

ROB BYAN

Good stuff, Marc. I agree with almost all of it.

I think Matt Read is a solid 2nd line winger, though. If they had the depth, he would make an outstanding 3rd line winger on a "shutdown" line.
- bradleyc4

Read has to be still battling his rib injury. I haven't been seeing him win to many battles on the wall. Tought injury for a guy that's already undesized.

You left out the whole, the player they gave up on is on the verge of winning a Vezina, but yea... that will suffice.
- jak521

Not sure if anyone mentioned it but Hartnell was absolutely brutal last night. Drop passes to know one couldn't give or handle a pass and had many occasions where he failed to get the puck deep. He was a liability on the ice for g and voracek
- thenighttrain17

by far the biggest problem I had with him was on the game winning goal.

B Schenn made a mistake not dumping the puck and finishing the line change, but it was 1-1, and he was on a 2 vs 2 and took a chance. Not smart, but he is 21 and these things happen.

Hartnell comes on the ice, drifts all the way across to the far face off circle, and leaves the middle ice open for Grabner to fly in and get his screened shot off.

I can live with B Schenn making a bad play there, but Hartnell's play left a bad taste.