I'm fine with trying that. My only concern is that they normally use Coburn's pairing against the other teams top lines. Do you really want to see MDZ on the ice against Crosby, Tavares, Stamkos etc...
- BiggE

Not particularly, but AMac-Coburn against those guys is unlikely to end well, either.

Maybe MDZ will do a better job of skating/moving the puck up ice, which is the best defense we have against other team's top lines.

Like Feanor touched on, if it's a clear defensive/critical situation, put Amac in there.
- Tomahawk

Yeah, I suppose

To paraphrase an old saying, you can paint it or dress it up but a turd is still a turd. Sadly the Flyers D is that piece of poop right now.

I would agree. And if you look at Schenn's skill set, it points to playing the Wing. Not a guy who carries or distributes the puck to a high level. Not great defensively. he's a north/south player who likes to get in on the forecheck and go to the net, when he's on his game. And even more so in the Flyers center lock forecheck, where the wingers are going to be in deep on the forecheck most of the time, it even further points to Schenn playing the Wing, in my opinion.
- MJL

Vinny was a two-way power forward who had the perfect skillset for LW, so....

Only if you enjoy nightmares!
- BiggE

Nightmare on Broad Street

Nightmare on Broad Street
- PhillySportsGuy

Starring Ed Snider as Freddie Kreuger!!

Vinny was a two-way power forward who had the perfect skillset for LW, so....
- Tomahawk

MDZ ES Stats (team D rank):

P/60 1.32 (1)

CF 48.9% (1)
CF/60 59.4 (1)
CA/60 62.0 (2)

QoT TOI: 27.1% (6)
QoC TOI: 27.4% (7)
OZS% Rel: 9.84 (6)

OnIceSV%: .778 (6)


Translation:
When he's on the ice, the Flyers have the puck more than with any other dman, including Streit. That means more time playing 200-ft away from their own net, and less time hemmed in.

He's playing sheltered minutes, but no less sheltered than Streit. Streit actually gets the easiest minutes of anyone. MDZ also doesn't see the same quality of teammates that Streit enjoys.

But... what about all those goals against!

Look at that OnIceSV%... when your goalies can't stop more than 3/4 of the shots on net when you're on the ice, you're looking at some wicked short-term, unsustainably bad luck. Mark Streit, by comparison, enjoys a 96.2 SV% when he's on the ice.

So yeah, MDZ has been better than Streit, but has been a victim of poor short-term puck luck. He's not the most hearty guy down low, nor the most risk-averse... but as far as doing his darned job (pushing play forward), he's faring as well as can be expected.

They could bench him when Coburn gets back, but right now he's the only thing that's holding the anchor that is Luke Schenn afloat.
- Tomahawk

Again, stats aren't the only way to look at things and evaluate a players play. It's obvious that you think it does. If we look at the actual plays on the ice, more importantly, the goals scored on the ice. Luke Schenn has been the better player by far. Corsi stats are a team stat, not an individual player stat.

But I do agree that the pair has seen some bad puck luck.

I just want to win a game!

The coach had so little confidence in the Schenn MDZ pair that he played Amac 28 minutes the last game. Schultz was 23+ min I think.

This is fckin crazy.

Those two have been fine, I'm not criticizing them.
But those ice times are not good. I'm not an Amac hater, I think he is a solid bonified NHL defenseman. But those are Ryan Suter minutes which won't work.
- Marc D

What does it say about the Flyers other dmen, when Schultz who was awful in pre-season, and was signed to be the teams 7th defenseman, comes in and is second in ice time?

Vinny was a two-way power forward who had the perfect skillset for LW, so....
- Tomahawk

BSchenn reminds me of a smaller, dumber Shane Doan more than he reminds me of Vinny.

Interestingly, Doan didn't break out till his 5th season when he was 23. His first four seasons were fairly brutal, even for the dead puck era - 249 games, 62 points.

There's generally always been a guy back when he pinches... too bad it's been VL on a couple of occasions.




Probably a factor, but most of it was how bizarre that -4/-5 game that 15/22 had.
- Tomahawk

Lecavalier has been much improved in his all around play this season so far.

What does it say about the Flyers other dmen, when Schultz who was awful in pre-season, and was signed to be the teams 7th defenseman, comes in and is second in ice time?
- PLindbergh31

That they suck?

That they suck?
- BiggE

Just playing possum.

BSchenn reminds me of a smaller, dumber Shane Doan more than he reminds me of Vinny.

Interestingly, Doan didn't break out till his 5th season when he was 23. His first four seasons were fairly brutal, even for the dead puck era - 249 games, 62 points.
- Feanor

In Doan's defense, he played on some incredibly awful Jets teams at the start of his career.

What does it say about the Flyers other dmen, when Schultz who was awful in pre-season, and was signed to be the teams 7th defenseman, comes in and is second in ice time?
- PLindbergh31

To be fair, Amac is a #1 defenseman on any team and the pairs of Grossmann-Streit and MDZ-Schenn have been fantastic together this year.

Just playing possum.
- Tomahawk

Can only hope!

Yeah, I suppose

To paraphrase an old saying, you can paint it or dress it up but a turd is still a turd. Sadly the Flyers D is that piece of poop right now.

- BiggE

Optimizing these D pairs = putting lipstick on a pig

It will be better with a healthy Coburn.

But still a pig.

To be fair, Amac is a #1 defenseman on any team and the pairs of Grossmann-Streit and MDZ-Schenn have been fantastic together this year.
- PhillySportsGuy

What are you on, and where can I get some?

Optimizing these D pairs = putting lipstick on a pig

It will be better with a healthy Coburn.

But still a pig.
- Marc D

They are referred to as officers of law thank you

BSchenn reminds me of a smaller, dumber Shane Doan more than he reminds me of Vinny.

Interestingly, Doan didn't break out till his 5th season when he was 23. His first four seasons were fairly brutal, even for the dead puck era - 249 games, 62 points.
- Feanor

If they keep him on wing, they're effectively limiting him to Troy Brouwer. I still believe there's more to him than that, but he's a Schenn, so...

That they suck?
- BiggE

Pretty much.

What are you on, and where can I get some?

- BiggE

Just so much acid right now

To be fair, Amac is a #1 defenseman on any team and the pairs of Grossmann-Streit and MDZ-Schenn have been fantastic together this year.
- PhillySportsGuy

Not particularly, but AMac-Coburn against those guys is unlikely to end well, either.

Maybe MDZ will do a better job of skating/moving the puck up ice, which is the best defense we have against other team's top lines.
- Feanor

The only way that I would be okay with Del Zotto playing with Coburn, is if they were to pair that up with the Giroux line, and go head to head with top lines.

In Doan's defense, he played on some incredibly awful Jets teams at the start of his career.
- BiggE

And he was thrown in as a full time player in his draft year.

I'm just saying it would be nice if this season was the first of 14 straight 46-78 point seasons for Brayden Schenn as a Flyers winger.