I think the real question is whether or not Coots will ever be as good as Taro Tsujimoto.

I don't think there is anyone you can really compare Cooter to. I think he is gonna surprise everyone when his offense starts to come around more. A big key to this will be supplementing him with good wingers which he has had to wait a while to get.

He is already pretty strong with the puck, think about how much better he could be with another 10-20-30 pounds on his frame. He sees a lot of stuff that I don't even see watching on a tv, its beyond impressive.
- JFlyers00

How many times, especially on the PK, do we see Couturier intercept a pass, as if the pass was meant for him? He sees the game two steps ahead defensively. Eventually that anticipation and hockey sense will work for him offensively also. I see no reason why he can't be a 60 point player in this League.

Dude...if Coots' ceiling peaks at Handzus I'll be a pissed off human.

That being said, I think he'll end up being a much better player

How many times, especially on the PK, do we see Couturier intercept a pass, as if the pass was meant for him? He sees the game two steps ahead defensively. Eventually that anticipation and hockey sense will work for him offensively also. I see no reason why he can't be a 60 point player in this League.
- MJL

I don't mean to make a direct comparison to the two, but his anticipation of the PK reminds me a lot of a young Mike Richards. He doesn't have the breakaway speed or certain other attributes of Richards, and he plays a different type of game, but in that category, they're very similar.

So...Richards v1.5?

03-04 Handzus was damn good. 58 points was 39th in the league in that low scoring season. He was also +18 and led Flyers forwards in TOI/G.

Hopefully Couturier has several seasons as good as Handzus' peak season.

How many times, especially on the PK, do we see Couturier intercept a pass, as if the pass was meant for him? He sees the game two steps ahead defensively. Eventually that anticipation and hockey sense will work for him offensively also. I see no reason why he can't be a 60 point player in this League.
- MJL

Guys will cut into the zone and slam on the breaks and couts is like already stopped and on the puck somehow. He like can read a guys shoulders and can tell when they are about to do different things. I dunno. I know his defense is A++, I just hope it translates to offense. I think he has offense talent. I just think he needs some confidence and some power play time. He deserves PP time over damn Downie thats for sure.

An actual blog that contains more than just projected lineups and a quick "more later" comment.... VERY NICE.

I'd compare Coots to a young Danny Briere.

An actual blog that contains more than just projected lineups and a quick "more later" comment.... VERY NICE.
- Beaver-Warrior

This is every day with Meltzer. We are spoiled.

Guys will cut into the zone and slam on the breaks and couts is like already stopped and on the puck somehow. He like can read a guys shoulders and can tell when they are about to do different things. I dunno. I know his defense is A++, I just hope it translates to offense. I think he has offense talent. I just think he needs some confidence and some power play time. He deserves PP time over damn Downie thats for sure.
- FlyersSteve118

This, although you don't wanna run him ragged. But the guy has offense. He led the QMJHL in scoring in 2010, and was 5th in 2011 despite missing 10 games, giving him the highest PPG of any draft-eligible player in the entire CHL.

An actual blog that contains more than just projected lineups and a quick "more later" comment.... VERY NICE.
- Beaver-Warrior

You are new here......

Bill is the best, he should be required reading for any hockey fan.

I'd compare Coots to a young Danny Briere.
- The_Universe

Well, they do both have eyes, so there's that.

He was actually very good on Saturday. He was the Steve Downie who was part of that Read-Couturier-Downie trio that got the team going. Sunday was the more frequent one. You're not alone on this, but at present, there's no better option, and we can only hope his play comes back around.
- jmatchett383

The line perfomed well, but not because of anything i saw him doing. I mean, dude, he was out there headbutting a guy in the chest. His head is not screwed on right. Friggin Carcillo all over again. He should take some notes from Rinaldo on playing the edge.

This, although you don't wanna run him ragged. But the guy has offense. He led the QMJHL in scoring in 2010, and was 5th in 2011 despite missing 10 games, giving him the highest PPG of any draft-eligible player in the entire CHL.
- jmatchett383

I would love for them to put him on in the Ozone against a weaker second line and see if he can generate some offense. Just a shift or two in a game.

The line perfomed well, but not because of anything i saw him doing. I mean, dude, he was out there headbutting a guy in the chest. His head is not screwed on right. Friggin Carcillo all over again. He should take some notes from Rinaldo on playing the edge.
- Girouxy

The head butt was Sunday. On Saturday, he actually played well. He got in on the forecheck, used his body well, was using his stick effectively, and wasn't running around being an idiot. We need to see more of that going forward.

The head butt was Sunday. On Saturday, he actually played well. He got in on the forecheck, used his body well, was using his stick effectively, and wasn't running around being an idiot. We need to see more of that going forward.
- jmatchett383

I know the day, my point is one game of playing like he should isn't worth the 10 in between. But people who get paid to make decisions put him in right. i'm just sayin...

The head butt was Sunday. On Saturday, he actually played well. He got in on the forecheck, used his body well, was using his stick effectively, and wasn't running around being an idiot. We need to see more of that going forward.
- jmatchett383

Downie has intangibles that are actually beneficial to the work the Couts and Read do out there. Flyers need to find a guy like him that won't take so many stupid penalties in the off season to replace.

I doubt the flyers will resign him because a lot of teams can use a heart and soul guy on their team like Downie.

03-04 Handzus was damn good. 58 points was 39th in the league in that low scoring season. He was also +18 and led Flyers forwards in TOI/G.

Hopefully Couturier has several seasons as good as Handzus' peak season.
- Feanor

Hitch seemed to love him some Michal Handzus in those days.

He played Zeus everywhere and I always felt Zeus was a good player in that era.

I know the day, my point is one game of playing like he should isn't worth the 10 in between. But people who get paid to make decisions put him in right. i'm just sayin...
- Girouxy

You're right, we should be giving Rosehill his minutes. Or perhaps we can call up the beloved Tye McGinn, who's got the worst +/- amongst Phantoms forwards and is injured.

The thing is, no one's arguing with you. No one's absolving him. He's very prone to stupid, selfish penalties. But he's still the best option on that line, unless you want to move Raffl up and have a 4th line containing both Rinaldo and Downie. Like I said, you just have to hope, moving forward, that he can play more like the guy from Saturday and less like the guy we've seen for the majority of his time here. I'm not really expecting it, but I'm hoping for it.

An actual blog that contains more than just projected lineups and a quick "more later" comment.... VERY NICE.
- Beaver-Warrior

Bill is the best writer on this site and whatever Eklund is paying him, it isn't enough.

I wouldn't mess with the lines right now. Everyone seems to be clicking together and they have been slinging together wins... which is what we need.

I think the real question is whether or not Coots will ever be as good as Taro Tsujimoto.
- jmatchett383

In addition to frustrating Malkin, Taro would have scored a hat trick and had his way with Malkin's GF after the game just to drive the point home.

Bill is the best writer on this site and whatever Eklund is paying him, it isn't enough.
- johndewar

I'm amazed that Garth has a "featured" blog and Bill doesn't. I guess it's because Bill's so good that he doesn't need one. Throw in the fact that he writes 2 per day for different teams, and damn right it isn't enough.

In addition to frustrating Malkin, Taro would have scored a hat trick and had his way with Malkin's GF after the game just to drive the point home.
- johndewar

Absolutely he would. You just don't find many guys like him in the 11th round any more.

I'm amazed that Garth has a "featured" blog and Bill doesn't. I guess it's because Bill's so good that he doesn't need one. Throw in the fact that he writes 2 per day for different teams, and damn right it isn't enough.
- jmatchett383

Speaking of which... are there no Dallas fans on this site? All of Bill's blogs about Dallas games have like 3 or 4 replies, whereas Flyers have 1000+ at times.