I'd put in on both the GM and the Coach.
- MJL

Well the coach was fired. How is the GM being held accountable for it?

They're supposed to show up in off season shape. Playing games is what get's you in game skating shape. Flyers kept too many players around in training camp, and didn't do enough hard skating.
- MJL

Players organize shinny games in the summer as part of their on-ice training to get into skating-shape... playing actual games gets you into game-shape, which usually involves a lot more than your legs.

Well the coach was fired. How is the GM being held accountable for it?
- PLindbergh31

We'll find out.

Raffl (Young, European import)-G (Young Captain/stud center)- Vinny (Big bodied goal scorer)

Remind you of any line??? hmmmmmmmm?????
- PhillySportsGuy

Crazy Eights?

It's like the poor-man's, Diet Coke, non-alcoholic, Gluten-free, vegan, no sugar, low-fat version of the LOD...
- Tomahawk

Gross.

I know. I'm not going to lie though, I do like these combos tonight.
- PhillySportsGuy

it's time for Raffl to turn good chances into goals. Otherwise he'll soon be relegated to the Pyorala/Thoresen/Tolpeko realms

Crazy Eights?
- jmatchett383

No.

Brent Fedyk only LOOKED European.

Players organize shinny games in the summer as part of their on-ice training to get into skating-shape... playing actual games gets you into game-shape, which usually involves a lot more than your legs.
- Tomahawk

Games of shinny don't come close to playing actual NHL games for getting a team into game skating shape.

No.

Brent Fedyk only LOOKED European.
- johndewar

The Dan Line?

it's time for Raffl to turn good chances into goals. Otherwise he'll soon be relegated to the Pyorala/Thoresen/Tolpeko realms
- wilsonecho91

I'm predicting ROFL puts up his first NHL goal tonight.

At the risk of sounding like I'm just piling on here, JVR spent the summer working on improving the explosiveness of his skating:

James van Riemsdyk has given Maple Leafs fans an ongoing demonstration of how a single player’s devotion to improving himself can help a team become a true contender.

Van Riemsdyk’s two goals in Saturday night’s overtime win over Edmonton included a tip-in of a point shot and a wraparound, both reflections of a summer’s worth of refinements to his game the Leafs had asked him to make.

“I’ve always prided myself on skating, and the two biggest things for me were, after my first year, I started training with Ben Prentiss in Connecticut,” van Riemsdyk said, referring to Prentiss Hockey Performance in Darien, Conn., which has trained Olympic hockey players for more than 14 years.

“And coming here early (prior to camp) this year with (Leafs skating consultant and former world champion figure skater) Barb Underhill. She helped get me working on a lot of things that make you better, make you more explosive.”

http://www.thestar.com/sp..._riemsdyks_hard_work.html

I'm not going to ask what Schenn did all summer, because MJL has already determined his footspeed is fine.
- Atomic Wedgie

I was one of the more staunch JVR supporters (and I still sport his jersey). I wanna also say that I am seriously pulling for Luke Schenn. I wanna see him turn into a monster, but at the same time, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that its not gonna end up where we would like to see it.

Season to date:

JvR: Leads all leafs forwards in +- and icetime. Is second in goals and third in points. He has 8 points in 8 games off of 5 goals.

Schenn: Is a -3 (which would be good for third worst on defense), and has one lone point (a goal)... His ice time ranks dead last among d-men, and its not even close. He is 4th in PK ice time among d-men, and total ice time among the whole team is 16th. The only people seeing less ice time are Hartnell, Raffl, Hall, Rinaldo, Newbury and Rosehill.

In order for that to even be consider an OKAY trade, he needs to turn things around in a serious hurry.

I'm predicting ROFL puts up his first NHL goal tonight.
- johndewar

Rafflmania

In order for that to even be consider an OKAY trade, he needs to be a part of a Flyers team that wins a Cup.
- jak521

ftfy

Man, the Bruins look like absolute morons. If they had a goon in their lineup last night, Scott wouldn't have knocked Eriksson into next week.
- PLindbergh31

Maybe we can get Marchand for Rosehill.

The Dan Line?
- jmatchett383

Dan Lacroix >>>>> Scott Daniels >>>>>>> Dan Kordic

Rafflmania
- jmatchett383

The Flyers will be in the ROFLcopter tonight!

Players organize shinny games in the summer as part of their on-ice training to get into skating-shape... playing actual games gets you into game-shape, which usually involves a lot more than your legs.
- Tomahawk

If you show up being able to do 20 pushups, 20 situps and 30 deep knee bends, you'll be fine for the 1962 Leafs training camp.

Dan Lacroix >>>>> Scott Daniels >>>>>>> Dan Kordic
- johndewar

That's line saying Gino Odjick >>>>> Darren Langdon >>>>>>> Sasha Lakovic

That's line saying Gino Odjick >>>>> Darren Langdon >>>>>>> Sasha Lakovic
- jmatchett383

I know.

I felt like I was trying find the smartest teenager in the 4th grade.

Im gonna be more realistic..

It ends up being a much closer game than any think... Flyers lost 5-3 (empty netter for the 5th) after Talbot stands on his head in his first game. The Flyers thoroughly out play the Rags, but have two costly breakdowns (a trip on a breakaway by Timonen results in a shootout goal, shot misses the net (thanks Coby) and ends up in an odd man rush goal) that end up turning the game around. G finally breaks through, but leaves the game with an injury. Grossmann blocks a shot, and another, and another, and... you get the point... and then hurts his knee climbing over the boards for a line change.
- jak521

Wow. Just wow.

Well the coach was fired. How is the GM being held accountable for it?
- PLindbergh31

He isn't and hasn't been up to this point. Snider's hands are too involved in everything, which must makes Homer's job even more difficult than it already is, so there is blame that goes all the way to the top. If/when they fire Homer, I doubt it will be before the end of the season.

I was one of the more staunch JVR supporters (and I still sport his jersey). I wanna also say that I am seriously pulling for Luke Schenn. I wanna see him turn into a monster, but at the same time, I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that its not gonna end up where we would like to see it.

Season to date:

JvR: Leads all leafs forwards in +- and icetime. Is second in goals and third in points. He has 8 points in 8 games off of 5 goals.

Schenn: Is a -3 (which would be good for third worst on defense), and has one lone point (a goal)... His ice time ranks dead last among d-men, and its not even close. He is 4th in PK ice time among d-men, and total ice time among the whole team is 16th. The only people seeing less ice time are Hartnell, Raffl, Hall, Rinaldo, Newbury and Rosehill.

In order for that to even be consider an OKAY trade, he needs to turn things around in a serious hurry.
- jak521

He's not going to turn it around in a serious hurry. He's going to take time.

He's a stay at home defenceman. They take a heckuva long time to develop.

I'm not saying he's eventually going to be a great one, but if that's your plan, you are going to have to have patience with him.

Scoring winger vs. stay at home defenceman is not a fair comparison.

Wow. Just wow.

- FlyersGrace

What, you don't think it's possible than Timonen will trip a player on a breakaway resulting in a shootout goal?

This is more like the Legion of OOM....(Warcraft reference)
- PhillaBully

I'm not gonna be out of mana if mana = alcohol tonight.
Unpossible.

Games of shinny don't come close to playing actual NHL games for getting a team into game skating shape.
- MJL

What a pointless conversation.

You can't blame Lavi or Homer or McCrossin for guys not showing up to camp with their legs and hands not completely thawed out.... they scheduled the workouts, the practices, the preseason tilts... if certain guys are still stuck in preseason form, it becomes a matter of individual preparation.