Uh-oh...

and he got market value for a UFA of his skill and output at his age. not an overpay!
- bradleyc4

If we're only giving up one, then I'm fine with that.
Come on, don't make my list of people whose posts I don't even read grow to 5. you're better than the WIP downer crowd.
- jmatchett383

Ah. Bah Humbug. I'm not really a downer, but its a combination of 2-8, not scoring, and not lighting up a team worse then them when they should have. I'm very worried, and the future doesnt look bright right now.

If I ws part of the WIP club I would be saying how they dont have a good goalie, I would shout at them to "SHOOOOOOT" and I would Boo them after 30 seconds on a PP. I am not that guy. I would like to think, while I might be frustrated and spouting, at least my comments are close.

Ah. Bah Humbug. I'm not really a downer, but its a combination of 2-8, not scoring, and not lighting up a team worse then them when they should have. I'm very worried, and the future doesnt look bright right now.

If I ws part of the WIP club I would be saying how they dont have a good goalie, I would shout at them to "SHOOOOOOT" and I would Boo them after 30 seconds on a PP. I am not that guy. I would like to think, while I might be frustrated and spouting, at least my comments are close.
- youarewrong

It' just that many teams (even the one that went to the ECF in (07/08) went through a worse stretch than this, and have played just about as bad. It's 9 games. They've taken steps toward improving. they;re 9so far) getting solid goaltending. The defense is somewhat improved. I have faith that the scoring will figure itself out. If they're 5-22 come December, and they have 28 goals, then we'll have quite an issue.

Say what you will, they were a hell of a lot funner to watch under Lava.

Farmer hockey lately.

Not this season and preseason they weren't.

I want to bring up another point from the game last night. I've brought it up before, but it got reinforced.

If there's any hit to the head/board/etc. where a player gets injured, the offending player almost automatically (James Neal excluded) gets a 5-minute major and a game misconduct.

Can someone please explain to me how a game misconduct is a penalty to that player? You're SAVING them. You're doing them a favor. I haven't seen a TV replay of the Pouliot hit, but I heard it wasn't all THAT bad. But take the Kaleta hit or, any of the other suspendable hits this year. I know that, if I made a hit like that, I'd be hoping to be sent to the locker room as opposed to having to look over my shoulder all game long. Just my 2 cents.

I want to bring up another point from the game last night. I've brought it up before, but it got reinforced.

If there's any hit to the head/board/etc. where a player gets injured, the offending player almost automatically (James Neal excluded) gets a 5-minute major and a game misconduct.

Can someone please explain to me how a game misconduct is a penalty to that player? You're SAVING them. You're doing them a favor. I haven't seen a TV replay of the Pouliot hit, but I heard it wasn't all THAT bad. But take the Kaleta hit or, any of the other suspendable hits this year. I know that, if I made a hit like that, I'd be hoping to be sent to the locker room as opposed to having to look over my shoulder all game long. Just my 2 cents.
- jmatchett383

I think that call is more about the officials being proactive and trying to head off any shenanigans.

And by "shenanigans", I mean "street violence".

Not this season and preseason they weren't.
- Feanor

Or pretty much all of last season.

I think that call is more about the officials being proactive and trying to head off any shenanigans.

And by "shenanigans", I mean "street violence".
- johndewar

So let's say Jay Rosehill takes a flying leap into Sidney Crosby and knocks him out cold. His "punishment" is to make his team shorthanded for 5 minutes, go take a seat and have a nice drink in the locker room, sit out 10 games while Sidney Crosby is out for a year and a half? Nothing would bring Sid back, but 5 guys getting Rosehill in a corner and beating the snot out of him is more of a deterrent (he's still gonna get suspended anyway) than having an early night off.

It' just that many teams (even the one that went to the ECF in (07/08) went through a worse stretch than this, and have played just about as bad. It's 9 games. They've taken steps toward improving. they;re 9so far) getting solid goaltending. The defense is somewhat improved. I have faith that the scoring will figure itself out. If they're 5-22 come December, and they have 28 goals, then we'll have quite an issue.
- jmatchett383

Last night the Flyers just tied the 1964 Bruins for most games to start the season with 2 goals or fewer. 1964. That's about 50 years ago. That's when scoring was ALWAYS low. This is the worst offensive start for any team in 50 years.... If this isnt driving you crazy.... if you cant see how bad this really is.... you have orange color glasses on.

If it was a 3-4 game streach in the middle of a season with major injuries I could understand. But this is 9 games! Its no longer a slump, but a trend.

I want to bring up another point from the game last night. I've brought it up before, but it got reinforced.

If there's any hit to the head/board/etc. where a player gets injured, the offending player almost automatically (James Neal excluded) gets a 5-minute major and a game misconduct.

Can someone please explain to me how a game misconduct is a penalty to that player? You're SAVING them. You're doing them a favor. I haven't seen a TV replay of the Pouliot hit, but I heard it wasn't all THAT bad. But take the Kaleta hit or, any of the other suspendable hits this year. I know that, if I made a hit like that, I'd be hoping to be sent to the locker room as opposed to having to look over my shoulder all game long. Just my 2 cents.
- jmatchett383

Stewert had a good article on something like this a couple days ago.

So let's say Jay Rosehill takes a flying leap into Sidney Crosby and knocks him out cold. His "punishment" is to make his team shorthanded for 5 minutes, go take a seat and have a nice drink in the locker room, sit out 10 games while Sidney Crosby is out for a year and a half? Nothing would bring Sid back, but 5 guys getting Rosehill in a corner and beating the snot out of him is more of a deterrent (he's still gonna get suspended anyway) than having an early night off.
- jmatchett383

Don't misconstrue. I don't necessarily agree with the penalty call, but I do understand it.

Refs (and likely, the NHL) want to maintain control of the game and don't want it to devolve into a big punch up.

The NHL's relationship with fighting is dodgy, at best, and this sort of proactive call is their one sop that they give to the anti-fighting crowd.

Last night the Flyers just tied the 1964 Bruins for most games to start the season with 2 goals or fewer. 1964. That's about 50 years ago. That's when scoring was ALWAYS low. This is the worst offensive start for any team in 50 years.... If this isnt driving you crazy.... if you cant see how bad this really is.... you have orange color glasses on.

If it was a 3-4 game streach in the middle of a season with major injuries I could understand. But this is 9 games! Its no longer a slump, but a trend.
- youarewrong

Again, I'll take the ECF team of 07/08. They were shut out twice in a 5-game stretch, they scored a whopping 19 goals in 10 games (wow, a drastic improvement over this year), and looked absolutely awful. A number of those goals were scored when the team was already beaten and the other team lightened up.

Yes, this team has looked bad offensively. But in the past 4 games or so, the defense has been better (less breakdowns), they're getting better chances, and the goaltending has held up. There's some cause for worry, but not the panic/"SEASON'S OVER, ABANDON SHIP!" mentality that's running rampant.

So let's say Jay Rosehill takes a flying leap into Sidney Crosby and knocks him out cold. His "punishment" is to make his team shorthanded for 5 minutes, go take a seat and have a nice drink in the locker room, sit out 10 games while Sidney Crosby is out for a year and a half? Nothing would bring Sid back, but 5 guys getting Rosehill in a corner and beating the snot out of him is more of a deterrent (he's still gonna get suspended anyway) than having an early night off.
- jmatchett383

The only thing I would change is, if you injure a player in a blatent Head shot or boarding or charging, or kneeing then you get a set amount of games PLUS the number of games the other player misses.

Again, I'll take the ECF team of 07/08. They were shut out twice in a 5-game stretch, they scored a whopping 19 goals in 10 games (wow, a drastic improvement over this year), and looked absolutely awful. A number of those goals were scored when the team was already beaten and the other team lightened up.

Yes, this team has looked bad offensively. But in the past 4 games or so, the defense has been better (less breakdowns), they're getting better chances, and the goaltending has held up. There's some cause for worry, but not the panic/"SEASON'S OVER, ABANDON SHIP!" mentality that's running rampant.
- jmatchett383

Its an evaluation year imo, and this isnt a quick fix in any way.

The defense wont be here when this team is ready to contend. I'm mainly looking at the kids, to see not who is only worth keeping around, but where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Is bSchenn a guy who will initiate and provide goals, or more of a complimentary guy best suited to a 3rd line. Is Coots ever going to develop an offensive game? Stuff like that.

Its been fun to watch Mason, and the only thing that really worries me as of now is Giroux. You would have thought they learned about the Richards fiasco to not paint a kid with the "face of the franchise/captain" brush so early. They did not, and its biting them in the ass.

The only thing I would change is, if you injure a player in a blatent Head shot or boarding or charging, or kneeing then you get a set amount of games PLUS the number of games the other player misses.
- youarewrong

Again, having Jay Rosehill sit out a bunch of games and having Sidney Crosby sit out a bunch of games is a trade I'd gladly take. Heck, I'd sign a Link Gaetz guy and pay him $2million to play 1 game if that's the only repercussion he's gonna face.

Its an evaluation year imo, and this isnt a quick fix in any way.

The defense wont be here when this team is ready to contend. I'm mainly looking at the kids, to see not who is only worth keeping around, but where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Is bSchenn a guy who will initiate and provide goals, or more of a complimentary guy best suited to a 3rd line. Is Coots ever going to develop an offensive game? Stuff like that.

Its been fun to watch Mason, and the only thing that really worries me as of now is Giroux. You would have thought they learned about the Richards fiasco to not paint a kid with the "face of the franchise/captain" brush so early. They did not, and its biting them in the ass.
- flyer_nutter

Guys like Lecavalier, Streit, Emery, and Timonen were brought in/back this year for an evaluation year? I guess our evaluation will be up 6 seasons from now.

Again, I'll take the ECF team of 07/08. They were shut out twice in a 5-game stretch, they scored a whopping 19 goals in 10 games (wow, a drastic improvement over this year), and looked absolutely awful. A number of those goals were scored when the team was already beaten and the other team lightened up.

Yes, this team has looked bad offensively. But in the past 4 games or so, the defense has been better (less breakdowns), they're getting better chances, and the goaltending has held up. There's some cause for worry, but not the panic/"SEASON'S OVER, ABANDON SHIP!" mentality that's running rampant.
- jmatchett383

I'm not abandoning ship, per se, but I have backed off of my "this team is talented enough, on paper, to make the playoffs" stance. From what I've seen so far, I'm not confident anymore that the talent they have in certain Top 6 forward roles have developed to the point where they can contribute consistently in those roles. They are going to need time to develop into them and this may be a season where we just need to be patient.

Again, I'll take the ECF team of 07/08. They were shut out twice in a 5-game stretch, they scored a whopping 19 goals in 10 games (wow, a drastic improvement over this year), and looked absolutely awful. A number of those goals were scored when the team was already beaten and the other team lightened up.

Yes, this team has looked bad offensively. But in the past 4 games or so, the defense has been better (less breakdowns), they're getting better chances, and the goaltending has held up. There's some cause for worry, but not the panic/"SEASON'S OVER, ABANDON SHIP!" mentality that's running rampant.
- jmatchett383

Oh I know the season isn't over, but I think a Change needs to be made. Its obvious the Firing of Lavi didn't help. Snider said as much that it was the players, not the coach, and if the players didnt "man up" he would trade eacha nd every one of them. Now I dont want to be that drastic, but I do think its time to realize that players like Simmonds, Read, Schenn, Couturier, and Laughton will not become much more then 2nd/3rd line players. IMO Voracek is boarderline 1st/2nd. So IMO this team is lacking a top scoring forward. So if you have to trade a young 2nd-3rd liner or 2 to get that scorer, then now is the time to do it. WHile there is time to right the ship. Not in december when they are 5-28. then its too late.

Again, having Jay Rosehill sit out a bunch of games and having Sidney Crosby sit out a bunch of games is a trade I'd gladly take. Heck, I'd sign a Link Gaetz guy and pay him $2million to play 1 game if that's the only repercussion he's gonna face.
- jmatchett383

Oh I know the season isn't over, but I think a Change needs to be made. Its obvious the Firing of Lavi didn't help. Snider said as much that it was the players, not the coach, and if the players didnt "man up" he would trade eacha nd every one of them. Now I dont want to be that drastic, but I do think its time to realize that players like Simmonds, Read, Schenn, Couturier, and Laughton will not become much more then 2nd/3rd line players. IMO Voracek is boarderline 1st/2nd. So IMO this team is lacking a top scoring forward. So if you have to trade a young 2nd-3rd liner or 2 to get that scorer, then now is the time to do it. WHile there is time to right the ship. Not in december when they are 5-28. then its too late.
- youarewrong

Laughton has played 5 NHL games and he's already a bust? Guess that Mike Richards guy will never make it past the 4th line either.

I agree that changes have to be made. But the constant day by day whining crying and overly dramamtic calling-out of the same 3 players gets so (frank)ing old.

.the reason the flyers are in this mess is because of pronger...if pronger was here this team would be contender.
- PhillaBully

Yeah, wagon hitched to a couple of geriatric defensemen... we know Kimmo hasn't lost anything at the age of 38... not a bit. I suppose we can just assume Pronger would have been the same player at 39 that he was during the Cup run, too. Pure beauty. All our problems solved.

- johndewar

He was simply a mean guy. He didn't care if he hurt you bad.