http://www.icethetics.inf.../concepts/?currentPage=32

Love those Detroit and Seatle converts

I

CAN'T

WAIT
- -davies-

Meh. Sept is for football

so is Riley Cooper going to be the scapegoat for this season

at least i can watch the niners

Meh. Sept is for football
- Just5

not if you hate football

True about Giroux Bill, but if Giroux gets me above 90 points and plays 20 mins in all situations, I pretty much give him a pass on that as he is not horrible defensively. His value is to produce and if he makes the Olympic Team, he is being noticed and is certainly doing something right
- Daceroni

Then you can forget about winning A Stanley Cup. Because regardless of how many points he racks up, or how many minutes he plays, unless Giroux and the rest of the team improve their two way play, then they have little chance. I could care less if he makes the Olympic team.

I'm hopeful that the team will be more responsible defensively, but I also think there needs to be some sort of onus on the coach.

I'm not ignoring things like Giroux's lazy backcheck, but I am saying that to some extent when the entire team is not doing a good job in paying attention to the defensive side, at some point the coach has to adjust.

We all saw what happened when Laviolette "simplified" the system late in the season. The Flyers, with basically Luke Schenn and a worn out Kimmo Timonen leading an AHL defense, went 11-5 down the stretch, beating 9 playoff teams and playing solid team defense.

It's in this team to be competent defensively. But they have to embrace it and the coach needs to emphasize it.
- Jsaquella

I couldn't have said it better. It needs to come from the Coach on down. I think he's a good Coach who obviously has had success. But I don't think he stresses the defensive side of the puck. Not saying he doesn't want to play well defensively, but he doesn't demand it from his team. If Laviolette demanded strong defensive play, and checking in all 3 zones, the same way he demands a strong aggressive forecheck, the Flyers would be a better team.

I can't really say for sure whose to really blame without sitting in a practice as they implement the system in general and the game plan in particular and understanding each player's responsibilities at a given time during the game.

Not to say you're incorrect, it just seems when a boneheaded play is made like the examples you've described above, the exasperated look on Lava's face says to me there was a screw up on the ice somewhere.

It's just hard for me to fathom that a SC winning coach would place such an obviously defective system in place. But then again, without being on the inside, I really can't argue that strenuously against your point.
- 77rams

You don't have to be at practice to know what system Laviolette plays, or what the game plan is. His system is like any other system, play it well and you can be successful. It's the players on the ice that win, not the system. That being said, there are components missing from the Flyers system play in my opinion. I think they play too much with a press forecheck. And I don't think their neutral zone component, a hybrid LW lock, is good enough. I watch teams like Boston, LA, Chicago play. They aggressively forecheck, but they do it smartly. Deep in the offensive zone is not the only place where you can pressure the puck. They pressure the puck all over the ice. They don't go hell bent in deep to forecheck on a puck they have no chance of getting. They regroup and pressue higher up in the zone or in the neutral zone. Every inch of ice is contested. With the Flyers, beat their initial forecheck, and your home free. There needs to be layers to a team's checking. The Flyers puck pressure is a single layer.

I can't really say for sure whose to really blame without sitting in a practice as they implement the system in general and the game plan in particular and understanding each player's responsibilities at a given time during the game.

Not to say you're incorrect, it just seems when a boneheaded play is made like the examples you've described above, the exasperated look on Lava's face says to me there was a screw up on the ice somewhere.

It's just hard for me to fathom that a SC winning coach would place such an obviously defective system in place. But then again, without being on the inside, I really can't argue that strenuously against your point.
- 77rams

It's not necessarily a defective system, but it's a system that requires certain pieces to be highly effective.

My issue is, when you have 20 players all making the same sort of mistakes from over aggressive play, then goes on a 11-5 run, playing much more sound hockey after the coach makes tweaks to simplfy the system for newer players after injuries, it speaks volumes to me.

After they lost Coburn, Grossmann and Meszaros, the breakout was changed to shorter, higher percentage passes, and the attack was adjusted to ensure that there'd generally be a forward high in the zone to limit odd man rushes.

The players didn't play especially well, but until the tail end of the season, the coaching staff was trying to jam square pegs into round holes. I can't count how many times a Coburn or Luke Schenn was forced to carry the puck through the neutral zone last year because the gapping between the defense and forwards was too great for a safe pass.

And the gapping issues in the neutral zone have been an issue in years past, but were really prevalent last season.

not if you hate football
- -davies-

The players didn't play especially well, but until the tail end of the season, the coaching staff was trying to jam square pegs into round holes. I can't count how many times a Coburn or Luke Schenn was forced to carry the puck through the neutral zone last year because the gapping between the defense and forwards was too great for a safe pass.


- Jsaquella

And then it's a case of what you alluded to earlier. The defenseman dumps it in, while the forwards are up ice, waiting at the blueline, and aren't able to get on the puck quick enough, but they go in balls to the wall anyway. And quick puck movement beats them, and it's transition offense the other way. Which leads to quality scoring chances against. And at the very least, extended zone attack time for the opposition. If it's one or two individual players making a mistake, that's on the player. But when it's team wide, it's obvious they're doing it because they're told to do it.

- JAKEw1234

couldnt have said it better myself.

It's not necessarily a defective system, but it's a system that requires certain pieces to be highly effective.

My issue is, when you have 20 players all making the same sort of mistakes from over aggressive play, then goes on a 11-5 run, playing much more sound hockey after the coach makes tweaks to simplfy the system for newer players after injuries, it speaks volumes to me.

After they lost Coburn, Grossmann and Meszaros, the breakout was changed to shorter, higher percentage passes, and the attack was adjusted to ensure that there'd generally be a forward high in the zone to limit odd man rushes.

The players didn't play especially well, but until the tail end of the season, the coaching staff was trying to jam square pegs into round holes. I can't count how many times a Coburn or Luke Schenn was forced to carry the puck through the neutral zone last year because the gapping between the defense and forwards was too great for a safe pass.

And the gapping issues in the neutral zone have been an issue in years past, but were really prevalent last season.
- Jsaquella

That's what I meant by "defective" - the wrong pieces for the system you put into place, but that can also mean you've over evaluated the hockey IQ of the team. At the same time I absolutely agree you could be dead on accurate because I watched the same head scratching plays as you did.

But maybe, just maybe, the offense continually broke away from their checks and skated out of the D zone too quickly, or spread the gap too wide, or the defense too often misread their coverage on plays in their zone, or were a tick too slow on the breakouts...

Perhaps we just have too many knuckleheads, or maybe we have just one.

Again, your points are valid and I'd feel better agreeing if I only knew for sure what the coach required from them, responsibility - wise.

While I can make assumptions like everyone else on the board, I'd really like to sit down with one of the coaches and watch the tape and have him explain to me what the heck is really going on out there.

That's what I meant by "defective" - the wrong pieces for the system you put into place, but that can also mean you've over evaluated the hockey IQ of the team. At the same time I absolutely agree you could be dead on accurate because I watched the same head scratching plays as you did.

But maybe, just maybe, the offense continually broke away from their checks and skated out of the D zone too quickly, or spread the gap too wide, or the defense too often misread their coverage on plays in their zone, or were a tick too slow on the breakouts...

Perhaps we just have too many knuckleheads, or maybe we have just one.

Again, your points are valid and I'd feel better agreeing if I only knew for sure what the coach required from them, responsibility - wise.

While I can make assumptions like everyone else on the board, I'd really like to sit down with one of the coaches and watch the tape and have him explain to me what the heck is really going on out there.
- 77rams

Hockey as far as systems play is concerned, isn't very complicated. There is tons of information that you can search on the internet that will teach you all you need to know.
Secondly, when players team wide are all playing the same way, and doing the same thing over and over, it's not the players being knuckleheads, or continuing to make the same mistakes over and over. It's the players playing the game the way they're coached to play.

anyone here hate clay mathews?

anyone here hate clay mathews?
- 2Real

Kapernick poop on his chest

anyone here hate clay mathews?
- 2Real

How can you hate a viking warlord like him?

anyone here hate clay mathews?
- 2Real

Yep. I'm a bears fan! I hope he gets suspended lol

Leafs bringing Mason Raymond in on a PTO

When do the Flyers have camp in Philly? 14th and 15th if I recall from the other blog?

Also, what time do they practice?

Yep. I'm a bears fan! I hope he gets suspended lol
- Hextall271

he's a complete dirt bag go niners!

eli is alot better when there are miracle helmet catches and fluke game-sealing welker drops

eli is alot better when there are miracle helmet catches and fluke game-sealing welker drops
- Crimsoninja

cowboys won
YESSSSSSSSS

Kapernick poop on his chest
- Winning

kapernick will be doing that to a lot of teams this year

[quote=Winning]
how mad is plindbergh?