I don't like what they're doing w/ PP2... not following what worked in the preseason w/ Akeson at LW, MDZ at the top of the umbrella. Now it's some semi-overload w/ Amac on the left-point and Coots QB'ing it from the right wall... it was ugly.
- Tomahawk

I would try:

Akeson-Bschenn-Couturier
Read-MDZ

A couple of scoring chances that stick in the mind, but they got hemmed in a good number of times, and Raffl in particular had a rough night w/ the puck. Still, better than that 10/40/17 line that I hope we never have to see again.
- Tomahawk

Raffl has been shaky ever since I said he was having a great preseason.

Exactly -- somebody's gotta shoot, in that scenario. I don't mind Couturier QBing off the wall, but if that's the case, the defense can't not shoot.
- AllInForFlyers

Yeah, JB had a nice write-up about the 'Hawks PP and how they make life hard for themselves by putting Keith's left-shot at the left-point:

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/594202

We lose tonight, we miss the playoffs.

#YouHeardItHereFirst
- aightwebang17

i haven't backread but i bet u weren't first

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.

PS Plus seems like a pretty good value (please don't tell anybody I said something nice about console gaming)
- BulliesPhan87

lol It's better value for the PS3 right now. BioShock Infinite, Uncharted 3, Arkham City, NBA 2K14, etc. were all free games at one point or another.

For those who might think I am blindly saying "Shoot" to the defensemen, it's not that at all -- San Jose runs their PP with Thornton like the Flyers did last night with Couturier. But guys like Brent Burns and Vlasic and Braun know that when you do that and the puck comes off the wall, either you shoot it or the defense partner you pass it to has to get the shot off, because the PK rotation should be coming off the wall, too

That's how Pittsburgh runs theirs, with Crosby. It's effective, but like Letang and Niskanen, you gotta fire it

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.
- mcefalu

Maybe Plus will. You know? Coburn for a pick, Plus?

My eye test tells me they lost last night because Bergeron made Giroux his own personal Toby.

I wonder if he is still a bit rusty from missing that time due to injury? He was largely ineffective last night and got slapped around at the dot.

I thought the Vinny line looked very good (the curse of low expectations perhaps?) and seemed to have some pretty good pressure.

I think Simmonds with the Coots line is a work in progress. They need to find out what they are about.

The 4th line was fine (minus Rinaldo's stupid penalty) Bellamare seems to have a little bit of pest in his game. I noticed him jawing with some opponents a few times after the whistle.

Del Zotto made some pretty nifty plays to skate the puck out of trouble.
- MBFlyerfan

I'm aware of Giroux's injury but there was some talk as to whether or not Giroux would play a preseason game at all, just so that he would see the light of regular season. That would have been a mistake. Giroux needs to see his share of preseason games as anyone else.

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.
- mcefalu

Remember last year when the rumour was that the Oilers were offering Magnus Paajarvi for Coburn? I think we need to add to our current D and not further depleat it!

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.
- mcefalu

I wouldn't trade him but he needs to be better. On the second PK Coburn was paired with Grossmann and both Coburn and the PK looked much better.

I wouldn't trade him but he needs to be better. On the second PK Coburn was paired with Grossmann and both Coburn and the PK looked much better.
- SuperSchennBros

yeah coburn turned it around on the 2nd pk

My eye test tells me they lost last night because Bergeron made Giroux his own personal Toby.

I wonder if he is still a bit rusty from missing that time due to injury? He was largely ineffective last night and got slapped around at the dot.

I thought the Vinny line looked very good (the curse of low expectations perhaps?) and seemed to have some pretty good pressure.

I think Simmonds with the Coots line is a work in progress. They need to find out what they are about.

The 4th line was fine (minus Rinaldo's stupid penalty) Bellamare seems to have a little bit of pest in his game. I noticed him jawing with some opponents a few times after the whistle.

Del Zotto made some pretty nifty plays to skate the puck out of trouble.
- MBFlyerfan

It was a typical season opener. Team was a bit rusty and it doesn't help to open on the road against arguably the top team in the East. With 81 games to go, I'm not quite ready to hit the panic button yet.

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.
- mcefalu

Well, if you can trade him in June for the 1st overall pick

I would try:

Akeson-Bschenn-Couturier
Read-MDZ
- Feanor

Was working great in preseason... no idea why Chief got cold feet there.

It was a typical season opener. Team was a bit rusty and it doesn't help to open on the road against arguably the top team in the East. With 81 games to go, I'm not quite ready to hit the panic button yet.

- BiggE

Me either. It would have been nice to get a point but that's a tough club to start against. The whole month of Oct is killer schedule wise. IF we get out of that at .500, we'll be in good shape.

I'd like to point out that Mason is currently ranked 4th in save percentage with a cool .939

I'd like to point out that Mason is currently ranked 4th in save percentage with a cool .939
- mcefalu

That's nonsense.. According to the Canadian experts, he's worse than most backupss in the NHL.

I wouldn't trade him but he needs to be better. On the second PK Coburn was paired with Grossmann and both Coburn and the PK looked much better.
- SuperSchennBros

Great point
As long as they don't need offense the Coburn Grossmann pair is very effective in a shut down role

Was working great in preseason... no idea why Chief got cold feet there.
- Tomahawk

You and Feanor are right -- that should probably work, because Read will shoot

I'd like to point out that Mason is currently ranked 4th in save percentage with a cool .939
- mcefalu

1.) Stop it. Don't you know the narrative that Steve Mason is bad at goaltending?

2.) With the talk in some outlets about how Mason is the Flyers' most important player, I still maintain that it's Giroux. Even through the first month of last season, when Mason kinda stood on his head, the team floundered because Giroux floundered.

I wouldn't trade him but he needs to be better. On the second PK Coburn was paired with Grossmann and both Coburn and the PK looked much better.
- SuperSchennBros

I've been saying that from day 1 of camp, D pairs should be:

At ES in general what we had last night was fine.

On the PK and late in periods/games when leading, go to 4:
Coburn-Grossmann
Schenn-AMac

Late in games when trailing and in OT, also go to 4:
MDZ-Coburn
Streit-AMac
spot in Schenn on D zone faceoffs

MDZ and Streit should not see the ice in the last couple minutes of a period or the last 5 minutes of a game when the Flyers have the lead. Conversely, Grossmann should be glued to the bench when trailing late in a game or in OT and Schenn should only be used when facing off in the D zone during these situations.

The Coburn trade for a pick proposition needs to stop. That draft pick isn't going to pick up his 22 minutes a night.
- mcefalu

Coburn is the Flyers best defenseman, but he's not a # 1 dman. Asking him to be an anchor on a top pairing is unfair, especially when his partner isn't very good.

1.) Stop it. Don't you know the narrative that Steve Mason is bad at goaltending?

2.) With the talk in some outlets about how Mason is the Flyers' most important player, I still maintain that it's Giroux. Even through the first month of last season, when Mason kinda stood on his head, the team floundered because Giroux floundered.
- johndewar

Yup
Shut down G and the other team is going to win

I'd like to point out that Mason is currently ranked 4th in save percentage with a cool .939
- mcefalu

He was great last night, could have been an ugly one from the couple of breakaways and point blank shots that forced him to make big saves on. He was 'A-MAZE-ING!'