Rinaldo's regressed badly. So has Luke Schenn. Two of last season's most pleasant surprises have been next to worthless this year.
- Jsaquella

I was so confident with L. Schenn last year. He was being a stud while getting pretty solid matches and monster minutes - at least towards the end of the season.

I am most worried with our first line MIA, and what is the leagues slowest, and priciest, D corp.

The Dallas top line.
- bmeltzer

Thankfully Morin plays shortly

The Dallas top line.
- bmeltzer

Ouch, thanks Bill. You are now off my holiday list.

Damn..
anyone watching the Bruins vs Pens game and see what just happened?

I'll give you a hint, incoming 200billion Tweets about fighting will ruin hockey.

Damn..
anyone watching the Bruins vs Pens game and see what just happened?

I'll give you a hint, incoming 200billion Tweets about fighting will ruin hockey.
- opeth_pa

Why? Did someone destroy Crosby or Malkin?

Why? Did someone destroy Crosby or Malkin?
- hereticpride

Nope...pretty bad scene..

Game started out rough with a big hit by Orpik on Louie Erickson.
Hits keep building up.
1 Fight
Neal with a somewhat dirty hit on Marchand.

Then.

Shawn Thorton grabs Orpik.. Pulls him down, sort of slams his head down on the ice, punches him in the face and Orpik is knocked out..Orpik looks like he is dead and taken out on a stretcher.

Nope...pretty bad scene..

Game started out rough with a big hit by Orpik on Louie Erickson.
Hits keep building up.
1 Fight
Neal with a somewhat dirty hit on Marchand.

Then.

Shawn Thorton grabs Orpik.. Pulls him down, sort of slams his head down on the ice, punches him in the face and Orpik is knocked out..Orpik looks like he is dead and taken out on a stretcher.
- opeth_pa

I don't feel bad for Orpik. Call me heartless, but he would kill someone if he could. Likewise, Kronwall should be next. (With no serious injuries to either, just a scare of a lifetime)

I think the main problem today was that we couldnt keep up. Id hope we do more hard skating practices so this isnt such a problem again

I was so confident with L. Schenn last year. He was being a stud while getting pretty solid matches and monster minutes - at least towards the end of the season.

I am most worried with our first line MIA, and what is the leagues slowest, and priciest, D corp.
- Bearintheforest

We always wonder why the Flyers have a tough time developing D and handling young D once they're on the roster... Schenn is really good for 40-games, and then he struggles for 20 and it looks like everybody's ready to declare him DOA, toss him the bin.

Young D men are going to be inconsistent... sometimes maddeningly so... sometimes they disappoint for whole seasons... it wasn't always a smooth ride for guys like Doughty, Subban, Phaneuf, etc...

The solution isn't to give up on them the minute they hit a bump in the road. You gotta just keep sending them out there, for a poop ton of minutes, even if they make mistakes -- because, otherwise, they'll never get better.

If they blow it w/ Luke Schenn, I shudder to think how little patience they're going to have with Morin, Hagg, Alt & Ghost.

I don't feel bad for Orpik. Call me heartless, but he would kill someone if he could. Likewise, Kronwall should be next. (With no serious injuries to either, just a scare of a lifetime)
- Flyersgod

https://vine.co/v/hQmwr2aI5BX

Vide of the incident. Neal made a dirty hit on Marchand earlier as well leading up to the play.

Edit: If I am a casual NHL fan, or someone tuning in for the first time, I think this is a joke league.

I think the main problem today was that we couldnt keep up. Id hope we do more hard skating practices so this isnt such a problem again
- JAKEw1234

No offense or anything, but I don't think hard practices are really going to make guys like Grossmann, Luke Schenn, and Streit better skaters.

Or some of the members on the forward corps.

We always wonder why the Flyers have a tough time developing D and handling young D once they're on the roster... Schenn is really good for 40-games, and then he struggles for 20 and it looks like everybody's ready to declare him DOA, toss him the bin.

Young D men are going to be inconsistent... sometimes maddeningly so... sometimes they disappoint for whole seasons... it wasn't always a smooth ride for guys like Doughty, Subban, Phaneuf, etc...

The solution isn't to give up on them the minute they hit a bump in the road. You gotta just keep sending them out there, for a poop ton of minutes, even if they make mistakes -- because, otherwise, they'll never get better.

If they blow it w/ Luke Schenn, I shudder to think how little patience they're going to have with Morin, Hagg, Alt & Ghost.
- Tomahawk

Hawk, have you seen anything of Alt in the AHL? I keep hearing his name but honestly have never seen him play. Is the hype simply because Lilja said Alt would become a solid NHL regular?

https://vine.co/v/hQmwr2aI5BX

Vide of the incident. Neal made a dirty hit on Marchand earlier as well leading up to the play.

Edit: If I am a casual NHL fan, or someone tuning in for the first time, I think this is a joke league.
- flyer_nutter

Thorton should get around 15 games for that I think.

Slew foot, two punches to the head while Orpik is on the ice..

It was bad.

I was so confident with L. Schenn last year. He was being a stud while getting pretty solid matches and monster minutes - at least towards the end of the season.

I am most worried with our first line MIA, and what is the leagues slowest, and priciest, D corp.
- Bearintheforest

Part of the issue this year is likely that he's not getting the big minutes. I agree with Tomahawk that you have to deal with the growing pains sometimes.

People get too hung up on the cost of the defense. A big chunk of that is going to Pronger. A lot more of it was spent in an effort to replace Pronger after his injury. Either way, next season will see a remaking of the defense, by simply attrition.

https://vine.co/v/hQmwr2aI5BX

Vide of the incident. Neal made a dirty hit on Marchand earlier as well leading up to the play.

Edit: If I am a casual NHL fan, or someone tuning in for the first time, I think this is a joke league.
- flyer_nutter

Marchand, Neal, Thorton, Orpik, dirty bastards everywhere

That will take away from the trolling about what Rino did today.

Marchand, Neal, Thorton, Orpik, dirty bastards everywhere

That will take away from the trolling about what Rino did today.
- Yosimar89

To a degree I don't mind Rinaldo showing emotion.

Far too often though the crew only does it at the end of a game when its futile, and a loss is almost all but certain. They need to bring some of that nasty, and initiate earlier in the games.

To a degree I don't mind Rinaldo showing emotion.

Far too often though the crew only does it at the end of a game when its futile, and a loss is almost all but certain. They need to bring some of that nasty, and initiate earlier in the games.
- flyer_nutter

There's being nasty and there's being a (frank)ing moron. too often this season, Rinaldo's been the latter.

To a degree I don't mind Rinaldo showing emotion.

Far too often though the crew only does it at the end of a game when its futile, and a loss is almost all but certain. They need to bring some of that nasty, and initiate earlier in the games.
- flyer_nutter

Im just talking from the constant female doging about how "ohhhh flyers so dirty/joke/bunch of goons" from NHL fans.

Im just talking from the constant female doging about how "ohhhh flyers so dirty/joke/bunch of goons" from NHL fans.
- Yosimar89

It helps to just ignore that nonsense...James Neal is a dirty mother(frank)er. People can't see that, (frank) 'em

Marchand, Neal, Thorton, Orpik, dirty bastards everywhere

That will take away from the trolling about what Rino did today.
- Yosimar89

Neal is a piece of poop, Orpik isn't much better. Live by the sword die by the sword. The a Pens are such a dirty team, throw the ugly Russian in there, what they get away with is a joke. I don't like seeing someone get hurt, but the league brings it upon themselves, with the protection they give the Pens. I say screw them you get what you deserve.

Im just talking from the constant female doging about how "ohhhh flyers so dirty/joke/bunch of goons" from NHL fans.
- Yosimar89

That's just because of the whole "broad street bully" thing imo. Even media up here play that line.

I personally don't really think this team is up there with the more physical and intimidating teams in the league but that's just me. For also carrying an enforcer pretty much full time, they don't fight too much.

It helps to just ignore that nonsense...James Neal is a dirty mother(frank)er. People can't see that, (frank) 'em
- Jsaquella

He is a repeat offender as well. It'll be interesting to see what he gets. It's pretty clear he meant to knee him in the head while skating by him.

Well, I agree they can't trade for a Weber or Pietrangelo. But they could go after a Kulikov or Del Zotto or Jeff Petry, guys who can skate well and have the ability to carry the puck.
- Jsaquella

Of course they can trade for Webber, but they'd have to be willing to give up a ton.

He is a repeat offender as well. It'll be interesting to see what he gets. It's pretty clear he meant to knee him in the head while skating by him.
- feelingkettle

Nothing this league has such strong interest in seeing the Pens do well. That is the money making machine. They have Crosby and the ugly Russian on the ice and super Mario behind the scenes.

We always wonder why the Flyers have a tough time developing D and handling young D once they're on the roster... Schenn is really good for 40-games, and then he struggles for 20 and it looks like everybody's ready to declare him DOA, toss him the bin.

Young D men are going to be inconsistent... sometimes maddeningly so... sometimes they disappoint for whole seasons... it wasn't always a smooth ride for guys like Doughty, Subban, Phaneuf, etc...

The solution isn't to give up on them the minute they hit a bump in the road. You gotta just keep sending them out there, for a poop ton of minutes, even if they make mistakes -- because, otherwise, they'll never get better.

If they blow it w/ Luke Schenn, I shudder to think how little patience they're going to have with Morin, Hagg, Alt & Ghost.
- Tomahawk

Luke Schenn will never ever be close to being any one of those 3 you mentioned. Doughty already has 198 points in his career and he's younger than Luke Schenn. Subban is the same age as Schenn, is a consistant 40 point defenseman and a norris trophy winner. None of these guys have been as bad as Schenn. Also, none of those guys are defensive defensemen with average/below average footspeed. I would trade Luke Schenn for any one of those guys.

You are comparing apples to oranges and if you expect Luke Schenn to turn into any of those 3 players in the future, I think you will be disappointed. He is capable of being a solid top 4 defensive defenseman, nothing special but every team needs two.

Also, let's not forget it's his 6th season, he's not a rookie and has played 70+ games 4 times already. He is a veteran of 382 games.

He's still young and will probably get better defensively but he's never going to be a Doughty or PK Subban or Phaneuf.

If Morin looks like Luke Schenn in his 6th year and his offense doesn't develop at the NHL level then yea, he'll be a bust for the position in which he was taken.