Since it seems everyone else wants to be negative, I will go ahead an be positive.

I enjoyed last nights game. I was able to actually watch it without throwing something... I didnt hit my wife. I didnt kick my dog. I didnt drink myself to sleep.

Team aspects that I liked:
The break out. They are using quicker passes, and speed down the middle to break out. That is beautiful to me.

Shots (mainly early on) were coming from all over the place.. You never know what will happen when the puck is thrown towards the net.

The forecheck cause some turnovers and was the best Ive seen in sometime.

Players were actually skating.

Defense as a whole looked pretty solid, still would like the forwards to be more responsible (Giroux a few times was in la la land).

Couts and Schenn both looked very good to me again last night.. I like what we have seen, and I expect both to be very good as the year goes on. Couts is primed for a big game. He was all over the place last night...
- jak521

Good post. Still, you should take your positive outlook behind the shed and kick it in the nuts a few times until the harsh realities of life are driven home.

After tomorrow, we'll deal with your dog, wife, and drinking problems.

I agree with you (in bold)
some of the deals you mention were really tough to remember, I really wonder how bad things will get before the game plan changes (again).
- puckhead17

If they get flat-out railed, absolutely strafed, on Thursday...boy. I don't know, man.

See what I'm saying, folks? It's the first bolded thought that inevitably leads to the second. Because they're both true.

If this squad finishes where they are now...nothing they do should surprise anyone.
- AllInForFlyers

If it's determined that this team needs a shake up, I don't want Homer to be anywhere near the GM's office when it happens.

Maybe the initial tear-down stage, where vets are traded for prospects/assets, which he's actually pretty good at... but putting him charge of being the architect of whatever comes next? Please god no.

Coburn and Grossmann are being used as the first D pair by Berube.

They had an exceptionally good first period.

Grossmann hit a post early skating the puck from blue line to the top of the circle.
His second good shot was into Lu's pads and the rebound resulted in McGinn's backhand goal (very happy for the kid right now, he looks confident and is skating well).

Coburn got beat by a speedy Janik Hansen move down the wing and Mason made a terrific save. Otherwise he was very good + at the start.

Grossmann got called for a penalty when he got his stick parallel near a Sedin, who knew to flop to the ice. Stupid rule, but Sedin's have high hockey IQ.

Second period the G-NN Coburn pair seemed to struggle more, especially with some clears and their coverage.

My point is it is really the same old thing, these two are not a first pair D tandem.
The team right now is using them a lot and the way they play, breakdowns and penalties are going to happen... a lot.

Streit and Kimmo are sadly not top pair guys anymore either.

Luke seems to be in the doghouse right now, maybe, for somewhat unclear reasons to me.

I know the forwards and offense have done very little and their #1 center and Talbot who is supposed to be a good shut down forward, blew coverages leading to goals. There are a ton of problems with the team. I am not totally blaming the defense which has been really pretty decent so far.

But an obvious problem and a big one to me is Grossmann and Coburn by default are playing as their top pairing. After a very good first period they did not look the part.

Third period, well Coburn can go from good to bad in a hurry (Nutter calls him Mr Consistency facetiously) and they lost the game.

Same old same old... lack of filling their need for a top two way guy leads to decent defenseman having to play way to many minutes against the other teams best players.

One other thing... so far I have been disappointed in Jake. He looked prime to bust out this year. I had him pegged as an all star winger waiting to happen. I mean he was controlling the puck and generating top chances with any forward he was paired with last season. So far he has been way under my expectations. And it is hurting them.

Timonen went to the end boards for the pass.. thats part of their breakout.. usually the center goes deep, circles around, comes up with speed and takes a breakout pass from the d-man. Giroux let his man get away from him... the Flyers got a bad bounce and it ended up in the net.

PS: You are hilarious.
- jak521

Edit (no ban)

DeBoer may be on thin ice with the Devils......
- PLindbergh31

Too bad you can't "trade" coaches.... Lavi for DeBoer would have been swell.

They had losing streaks of 10 straight games in both 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 and made the playoffs. Not the way you want to start, but it can be overcome.
- jmatchett383

hire stevens!

He cant get caught coasting in his own end. Plain and simple. It happened twice last night and goals were scored both times. I dont expect him to glue himself to a guy, but he needs to cover that man.. turnovers happen. Bad bounces happen. Giroux gliding in towards his man at the net isnt getting it done. Plain and simple.
- jak521

I understand your frustration with the goal but I have to agree with J Match. That's not where Giroux is supposed to be on the play. When do you ever see a forward chasing the forechecker deep in the zone? It never happens.

The defensemen deal with the forechecker and the forwards set up for the outlet pass. Kesler was already out numbered 2 to 1 down low in the zone. It's a bad bounce off the boards. It happens once in a while and it blows when it happens to your team but you can't hang that on Giroux.

Too bad you can't "trade" coaches.... Lavi for DeBoer would have been swell.
- Tomahawk

Hail to the Chief! When you lead the world in penalties, hire a goon!

So why even watch them?
- jmatchett383

Because I need something to watch during the week when drinking.

Coburn and Grossmann are being used as the first D pair by Berube.

They had an exceptionally good first period.

Grossmann hit a post early skating the puck from blue line to the top of the circle.
His second good shot was into Lu's pads and the rebound resulted in McGinn's backhand goal (very happy for the kid right now, he looks confident and is skating well).

Coburn got beat by a speedy Janik Hansen move down the wing and Mason made a terrific save. Otherwise he was very good + at the start.

Grossmann got called for a penalty when he got his stick parallel near a Sedin, who knew to flop to the ice. Stupid rule, but Sedin's have high hockey IQ.

Second period the G-NN Coburn pair seemed to struggle more, especially with some clears and their coverage.

My point is it is really the same old thing, these two are not a first pair D tandem.
The team right now is using them a lot and the way they play, breakdowns and penalties are going to happen... a lot.

Streit and Kimmo are sadly not top pair guys anymore either.

Luke seems to be in the doghouse right now, maybe, for somewhat unclear reasons to me.

I know the forwards and offense have done very little and their #1 center and Talbot who is supposed to be a good shut down forward, blew coverages leading to goals. There are a ton of problems with the team. I am not totally blaming the defense which has been really pretty decent so far.

But an obvious problem and a big one to me is Grossmann and Coburn by default are playing as their top pairing. After a very good first period they did not look the part.

Third period, well Coburn can go from good to bad in a hurry (Nutter calls him Mr Consistency facetiously) and they lost the game.

Same old same old... lack of filling their need for a top two way guy leads to decent defenseman having to play way to many minutes against the other teams best players.

One other thing... so far I have been disappointed in Jake. He looked prime to bust out this year. I had him pegged as an all star winger waiting to happen. I mean he was controlling the puck and generating top chances with any forward he was paired with last season. So far he has been way under my expectations. And it is hurting them.
- Marc D

He should at least be driving the net more often & getting pulled down, we would decline the penalty anyway, but yeah, he's another that seems tentative with the puck at times coming into the zone.

The first pairing D that you mention is accurate, in that they always worry about the front line more so then the back end, & are not properly balanced

hire stevens!
- hammarby31

Trade FOR Jeff Carter!

DeBoer may be on thin ice with the Devils......
- PLindbergh31

The Devils handled the Laviolette led Flyers and unless Uncle Lou decides to abandon the team identity I don't see Laviolette ending up in Jersey.

If they get embarrassed by the Pens, I believe Laviolette is a goner.
- PLindbergh31

Too bad you can't "trade" coaches.... Lavi for DeBoer would have been swell.
- Tomahawk

yeah a west coast offense coach for a run the ball grind it out coach

- PLindbergh31

Trade FOR Jeff Carter!
- johndewar

Too lazy.

DeBoer may be on thin ice with the Devils......
- PLindbergh31

PL would have his second Cup in June '14.

Timonen went to the end boards for the pass.. thats part of their breakout.. usually the center goes deep, circles around, comes up with speed and takes a breakout pass from the d-man. Giroux let his man get away from him... the Flyers got a bad bounce and it ended up in the net.

PS: You are hilarious.
- jak521

he just glided and watched. it was like that ovechkin .gif.

Trade FOR Jeff Carter!
- johndewar

Too one dimensional.

Too bad you can't "trade" coaches.... Lavi for DeBoer would have been swell.
- Tomahawk

sure you can. see canucks, vancouver, and rangers, new york.

Trade FOR Jeff Carter!
- johndewar

this never gets old. for me anyway.

If it's determined that this team needs a shake up, I don't want Homer to be anywhere near the GM's office when it happens.

- Tomahawk

I'm thinking that it's a pretty safe bet that he'll not be the GM at the draft next year.

I'm thinking that it's a pretty safe bet that he'll not be the GM at the draft next year.
- Scoob

I can't help but wonder how much rope Holmgren has at this point.

Someone earlier suggested he could be gone if they lose to the Pens this week.

I doubt that, but I wonder if they are still kind of floundering around Thanksgiving if Homer will even make it to Christmas.

It'll be piecemeal -- maybe; this team has a way of making moves in a flurry -- but really, what I'm saying is no different than what other bad teams have done in overhauling their rosters.

Calgary's opening-night roster from last year to this year is radically different. So is Tampa Bay's, for example.

There will be turnover; there always is. The question is this: Do you accept a rebuild, or do you cash in your assets for older players, a different mix, and try to win?

The last time the Flyers looked like this, they moved Joni Pitkanen for Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul. Peter Forsberg for Ryan Parent and Scottie Upshall. Stuff like that.

What I'm saying only sounds radical if you think that there is a core of players on this team that are untouchable.

What the Flyers have proved repeatedly is that when they're losing, nobody's untouchable. That's all I'm saying -- and all of it done in a salary-cap system, with the Flyers spending to the cap every season, as they always do.
- AllInForFlyers

Question for you.

Are you saying "don't be surprised when they make a massive trade/roster shake up"

Or "this is what I personally would like to see them do"