Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Best Playmakers, Voracek, Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

Mark Recchi seems really beloved by his teammates.

The y never can go back. It's impossible. They've tried. They got rid of the red line, they don't let the goalie play the puck in the corners, they give more PPs, eliminated a large portion of obstruction, the now have composite sticks. The thing is that defensive schemes are better and goalie styles/pads are much better.
- jmatchett383

I think the goalies alone have cut 20-25 points off scoring forwards -- that's the biggest change in the game over my lifetime.

Goalies today -- even a bad goalie is going to come in around .900 SVPCT, whereas back in the day, sub-.900s were commonplace.

I think the goalies alone have cut 20-25 points off scoring forwards -- that's the biggest change in the game over my lifetime.

Goalies today -- even a bad goalie is going to come in around .900 SVPCT, whereas back in the day, sub-.900s were commonplace.
- AllInForFlyers

Goalies and the focus on defenders blocking shots make it tough to get the puck to the net.

Goalies and the focus on defenders blocking shots make it tough to get the puck to the net.
- mickel25

AMac for Norris

I think the goalies alone have cut 20-25 points off scoring forwards -- that's the biggest change in the game over my lifetime.

Goalies today -- even a bad goalie is going to come in around .900 SVPCT, whereas back in the day, sub-.900s were commonplace.
- AllInForFlyers

Then again, you could probably argue that 99 and 66 cut SV%'s across the league by some significant margin as well.

Then again, you could probably argue that 99 and 66 cut SV%'s across the league by some significant margin as well.
- Tomahawk

In the early 90s, you had guys like Cam Neely, Pat LaFonatine, Alexander Mogilny, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, etc. all scoring 50+ goals, sometimes 70+ goals. 99 and 66 had an effect, but the scoring league wide was just out of control.

AMac for Norris
- jmatchett383

and then you woke up

AMac for Norris
- jmatchett383

and then you woke up
- vejim

He's just blocking your ability to see how good he is.

L. Saw a lot of Forsberg from his Nordiques/Avs days. Do not think Flyer fans ever really saw close to the real deal.
- spatso

He was leading the NHL in scoring at U.S. Thanksgiving weekend of 2005 when he pulled his groin. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the season. But it was vintage Forsberg in the playoffs against Buffalo.

This still remains the best individual shift I have ever seen by a Flyers player:

In the early 90s, you had guys like Cam Neely, Pat LaFonatine, Alexander Mogilny, Luc Robitaille, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, etc. all scoring 50+ goals, sometimes 70+ goals. 99 and 66 had an effect, but the scoring league wide was just out of control.
- jmatchett383

For sure... I think the tactical pendulum is about to swing toward another higher-scoring era, though.

He was leading the NHL in scoring at U.S. Thanksgiving weekend of 2005 when he pulled his groin. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the season. But it was vintage Forsberg in the playoffs against Buffalo.

This still remains the best individual shift I have ever seen by a Flyers player:


- bmeltzer

I tend to think giroux holding the puck in the offensive zone for about 30-40 seconds by himself back in 2010 playoffs is up there

Or richards with "the shift"

- bmeltzer

21 was like a katamari... at the end, Rico didn't have a guy within 40' of him.

Lindros in his prime was the purest combination of size, raw power and skill. Because people tend to focus on the power aspects of his game it is often overlooked that he was a magnificent skater and incredibly reliable in coming back on the play. Saw a lot of Forsberg from his Nordiques/Avs days. Do not think Flyer fans ever really saw close to the real deal.

But, the choice for me is between Clarke and Giroux. Nobody has have played the game with more intensity than Clarke. His anticipation and reactions were cat like.
Giroux is my favorite player, followed him since juniors. But, I vote Clarke.
- spatso

Earlier this week 2real posted a comment that stated "Man, would I like to see Lindros 2.0 on this team". At the time I agreed. The idea of that sounds amazing. However, aren't we seeing Lindros 2.0 right now in Claude Giroux? I know some are reading this post and thinking to themselves, what the heck is this guy talking about? The game prior to the new rules and the cap being put in place favourited the big guys. Lindros, Holik, Primeau, Stevens, Hatcher, Pronger were all players forced to adjust to the new, faster style in the new cap era. When I think of the best in the game today, I think Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and Ryan Getzlaf. Claude Giroux is cut from this cloth. A playmaking center who can play in all three zones. I'm not so sure Giroux will ever see 123 points in a season but he has what it takes to challenge for the league scoring league at least once in his career.

I think we can all agree we never saw Lindros' full potential.

Actually just rewatched "the shift". Yep that's the best

He was leading the NHL in scoring at U.S. Thanksgiving weekend of 2005 when he pulled his groin. He was in and out of the lineup the rest of the season. But it was vintage Forsberg in the playoffs against Buffalo.

This still remains the best individual shift I have ever seen by a Flyers player:


- bmeltzer

Didn't Forsberg have like 12 assists in a small amount of games during the start of his first season with the Flyers before even getting his first goal? He was a machine his first season and that chemistry between Forsberg and Gagne was undeniable. Those two made you forget about what we lost over the summer quickly.

Brind'amour

Brind'amour
- BINGO!

Lindforesclarke'amour

How is silverberg worth 850k on a one year deal? 23 pts in 52 games last year. I'm guessing anaheim has leverage in that the guy is always hurt. But the guy is very productive when healthy. What a deal for the ducks

Lindforesclarke'amour
- Streit2ThePoint

One day you may be able to mix Giroux's name into that jumble too, but today is not that day.

Retire #17.

Didn't Forsberg have like 12 assists in a small amount of games during the start of his first season with the Flyers before even getting his first goal? He was a machine his first season and that chemistry between Forsberg and Gagne was undeniable. Those two made you forget about what we lost over the summer quickly.
- SuperSchennBros

Forsberg did not score his first Flyers goal until his 8th game (he then scored four in five games) but he had 12 assists in his first seven games. At the time of his groin pull in a Nov 25 game against Boston he was leading the NHL in scoring with 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists) in 21 games.

Not too shabby for a player who was said to be "in decline" by that point of his career. In reality, he wasn't in decline at all. He just couldn't stay healthy thereafter.

AMac for Norris
- jmatchett383

Chuck Norris? Ninja blue liner. ....

Forsberg did not score his first Flyers goal until his 8th game (he then scored four in five games) but he had 12 assists in his first seven games. At the time of his groin pull in a Nov 25 game against Boston he was leading the NHL in scoring with 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists) in 21 games.

Not too shabby for a player who was said to be "in decline" by that point of his career. In reality, he wasn't in decline at all. He just couldn't stay healthy thereafter.
- bmeltzer

against Florida if i remember right.
him looking skyward like 'finally' haha

For sure... I think the tactical pendulum is about to swing toward another higher-scoring era, though.
- Tomahawk

You think so? It'd be interesting what fan reaction would be like, if their favorite team's goalie came in with, say, a 2.94 GAA and .899 SVPCT for an entire season.

I say that because fans are so used to not seeing a ton of goals, every goal scored, especially weaker ones, are analyzed to the Nth degree.

If we got back to the early-to-mid 90s, where 6-10 guys were pumping in 55-65 goals and 12-15 guys were topping 100 points, with corresponding scoring increases throughout rosters...man.

Some people would lose their poop, considering the types of goals that would be going in.

Actually just rewatched "the shift". Yep that's the best
- Just5

I agree. I saw the Richards shift and the Forsberg "Magnet" shift live, and I'll take Richards. Not the best puckhandling display, but it's up there.

One that isn't mentioned is Giroux's SHA in the 2008 playoffs, Gam3. Flyers were up 2-0 and Pittsburgh tied it 2-2. Pittsburgh had a PP. The Flyers cleared the puck and Giroux raced down and took the puck away from Gonchar. He went around the back of the net, stopped, and then reversed back the other way and fed a pass through 2 players to Gagne for a SHG. The hustle, stickhandling, and passing were all top-notch.