As it should be... stop signs on the back of practice jerseys and Shanabans don't seem to be getting the message across.
- Tomahawk

Rinaldo would be rendered MUCH less effective, because God Forbid he accidentally hit a guy in a bad position.

It's funny...when players didn't wear head protection and the instigator rule was around, these types of play didn't happen often.

Barking up the wrong tree, then, as I don't have any.

It's like art, I'll know it when I see it.
- Scoob

Fair enough. Although I'm not an art fan.

It all depends. If you're a guy who wants results and discards the means, you'll be very disappointed and angry. If you're a guy who wants results but judges more of the means, then you'll just be frustrated. I am frustrated, because this team has been playing good enough to win. But as Bill said, it gets frustrating saying that over and over again. But, I have to believe that if they keep playing like this and improving, the results will come.

All of the players that I named are proven 20 goal scorers. And that is the entire point. They aren't scoring. And more importantly, why aren't they scoring? McGinn has done a great job to this point, but he is not a first line Winger in this League.
- MJL

You can make that argument and be correct. Rob Brown is not someone I would consider a first line winger over most of his career, but he scored 49 goals and 66 assists playing on a line with Mario Lemieux. He never even remotely approached those numbers for the rest of his career.

Sometimes a guys style just fits with someone. I wouldn't be averse to keeping McGinn with the top line. I think they need someone who is going to create room and crash the net with regularity. He just seems to play a style that fits with Giroux.

See and that's what I think this team needs. More elite talent.

I have mentioned a few times, and continue to see Coots developing into a Handzus type of player. We all have different opinions. No worries.

Jsaq mentioned here before that Lava was trying to go race a Corvette when having a tractor. I think its more clear now that the tracker is hamster powered and rusty.
- flyer_nutter

It's not more clear now. It's clear that they're still trying to dig out of the hole that the previous coach had them in. That's it's a cohesion and confidence issue. This team has a lot of talent. Just needs to continue to play better as a team, and gain confidence.

Jsaq summarizes things nicely here:

http://thehockeyguys.net/...teps-towards-future-blow/

Good work Jsaq!

Rinaldo would be rendered MUCH less effective, because God Forbid he accidentally hit a guy in a bad position.

It's funny...when players didn't wear head protection and the instigator rule was around, these types of play didn't happen often.
- jmatchett383

Funny, when players were smaller, less fit, and slower, these types of play didn't happen often.

Rinaldo would be rendered MUCH less effective, because God Forbid he accidentally hit a guy in a bad position.

It's funny...when players didn't wear head protection and the instigator rule was around, these types of play didn't happen often.
- jmatchett383

Yeah, aside from the ankle-chopping, hair pulling, eye-gouging and stick fighting, the league was a much more honorable place.

It's such a pity that we have to continue to lose great players to the fans incessant need for a gladiatorial spectacle.

If Rinaldo has to hit more carefully so Giroux doesn't get Savarded by Kaleta? Then so be it.

Schenn's best game of the year by far was against DET... 7 SOG for himself and his line was clicking. They looked decent against VAN, too. Before that, he got a couple of gifts, but I wouldn't say that duo was playing well.

If Streit is Homer's idea of a long-term replacement for 44... oh boy.
- Tomahawk

Streit was brought in to replace what they lost with Carle. Not to replace Timonen.

Jsaq summarizes things nicely here:

http://thehockeyguys.net/...teps-towards-future-blow/

Good work Jsaq!
- Marc D

It's not more clear now. It's clear that they're still trying to dig out of the hole that the previous coach had them in. That's it's a cohesion and confidence issue. This team has a lot of talent. Just needs to continue to play better as a team, and gain confidence.
- MJL

I see them in the last few games markedly winning the first period, playing about even with the other team in the second, and then crumbling in the final period.

The confidence and play starts on a high, and then they get into bad habits of not skating, trying cross ice passes, and get into the long shifts in their own zones.

I wonder if they are getting mentally or physically fatigued in the third period?

They have not been able to close out close games for a while.

You can make that argument and be correct. Rob Brown is not someone I would consider a first line winger over most of his career, but he scored 49 goals and 66 assists playing on a line with Mario Lemieux. He never even remotely approached those numbers for the rest of his career.

Sometimes a guys style just fits with someone. I wouldn't be averse to keeping McGinn with the top line. I think they need someone who is going to create room and crash the net with regularity. He just seems to play a style that fits with Giroux.
- MBFlyerfan

I think we'll find that McGinn is going to come crashing down to Earth. Hartnell when he comes back fits the same mold, and has the pedigree of a goal scorer. I think playing McGinn in that spot long term is setting him up for failure.

You can make that argument and be correct. Rob Brown is not someone I would consider a first line winger over most of his career, but he scored 49 goals and 66 assists playing on a line with Mario Lemieux. He never even remotely approached those numbers for the rest of his career.

Sometimes a guys style just fits with someone. I wouldn't be averse to keeping McGinn with the top line. I think they need someone who is going to create room and crash the net with regularity. He just seems to play a style that fits with Giroux.
- MBFlyerfan

And Hartnell/Couturier/Read would give Coots the best possible chance to get his offense going. Hartnell and McGinn can swap places assuming Scott finally gets his game back.

I think we'll find that McGinn is going to come crashing down to Earth. Hartnell when he comes back fits the same mold, and has the pedigree of a goal scorer. I think playing McGinn in that spot long term is setting him up for failure.
- MJL

I like what I see from McGinn, but I agree.

Fair enough. Although I'm not an art fan.

It all depends. If you're a guy who wants results and discards the means, you'll be very disappointed and angry. If you're a guy who wants results but judges more of the means, then you'll just be frustrated. I am frustrated, because this team has been playing good enough to win. But as Bill said, it gets frustrating saying that over and over again. But, I have to believe that if they keep playing like this and improving, the results will come.
- jmatchett383

I don't disagree, and I'm fine with that. I had low expectations for this season anyway. But if they keep playing like this and results don't come, we can rule out the coach being the issue. It'd then be time for some players to go. That's all I'm saying. But I'm saying it's still to early to ship players out as there hasn't been enough time to change and adapt to a new system. I think 10 games, while an arbitrary number, is a fair amount of time to assess the situation.

You can make that argument and be correct. Rob Brown is not someone I would consider a first line winger over most of his career, but he scored 49 goals and 66 assists playing on a line with Mario Lemieux. He never even remotely approached those numbers for the rest of his career.

Sometimes a guys style just fits with someone. I wouldn't be averse to keeping McGinn with the top line. I think they need someone who is going to create room and crash the net with regularity. He just seems to play a style that fits with Giroux.
- MBFlyerfan

Yeah, guys like Kunitz, Bickell, and Burrows aren't natural goal-scorers, but they have strong chemistry with great players, and often that trumps talent.

Hartnell's probably a fringe top-six forward in terms of skill, but he's found chemistry with a variety of better players, which has max'd his utility.

Streit was brought in to replace what they lost with Carle. Not to replace Timonen.
- MJL

It's incredibly unlikely that they will be able to get an elite, all-situations defenseman to replace what Kimmo brought to the team (at least he did before 2013).

So Gus and Streit will have to take over most of his ES and PP minutes, while they rely on other players to kill penalties and defend against the other team's top line.

Jsaq summarizes things nicely here:

http://thehockeyguys.net/...teps-towards-future-blow/

Good work Jsaq!
- Marc D

I don't disagree, and I'm fine with that. I had low expectations for this season anyway. But if they keep playing like this and results don't come, we can rule out the coach being the issue. It'd then be time for some players to go. That's all I'm saying. But I'm saying it's still to early to ship players out as there hasn't been enough time to change and adapt to a new system. I think 10 games, while an arbitrary number, is a fair amount of time to assess the situation.
- Scoob

Personally, I wish they have Lavi a month or fired him last year. While Lavi failed to adjust, I don't think he was the biggest problem. I still feel the mix of players is off and I can't pinpoint one or two guys as the issue. I don't think it's a question of talent either.

Too early to decide that Mason is a keeper, looks like he is ready to implode to me.
- flyerdude17

Based on his excellent starts and being the best player on the Flyers so far this season?

http://www.philly.com/phi...y-game-ends-in-brawl.html

Based on his excellent starts and being the best player on the Flyers so far this season?
- wolfhounds

Let's not ignore his career pattern of looking fantastic for awhile, getting everybody's hopes up, then subsequently turning into a pile of doggy poo.

I'm pulling for the guy, but a dozen or so games as a Flyer is hardly enough evidence to declare a turned page, much less a complete career turnaround.

Based on his excellent starts and being the best player on the Flyers so far this season?
- wolfhounds

It's his own fault for not playing below expectations

Let's not ignore his career pattern of looking fantastic for awhile, getting everybody's hopes up, then subsequently turning into a pile of doggy poo.

I'm pulling for the guy, but a dozen or so games as a Flyer is hardly enough evidence to declare a turned page, much less a complete career turnaround.
- Tomahawk

I'm judging him based upon what he's done so far this season. That's all that really matters. And it's the same way I'm judging every other player, and most have stunk.

The evaluation is ongoing.

Jsaq summarizes things nicely here:

http://thehockeyguys.net/...teps-towards-future-blow/

Good work Jsaq!
- Marc D

my whole point was that I am not going to judge Berube based on how he was as a player. its been, what, 10 years since he retired? I have no opinion one way or another. I will let time form my opinion
- nastyflyergirl

i know. i'm in the same camp. the guy played 1000+ games in the league, i'm sure he picked up a nugget or two that will help him.