Raffl back is huge. I can't wait to see the Raffl/Laughton/Simmonds line. These guys should be able to generate chances.

As far as the defense goes, my current thoughts are:

1-Coburn- Keep him, I still think he is their #1 defensemen, even as poorly as he has played since returning from the injury
2-Del Zotto- Keep him not only for this year but beyond. He and Streit are the only ones to provide consistent offense from the back end.
3-Streit- The only real veteran presence on defense who has some skill. He is key on the PP.
4-McDonald- He's steady and can eat some minutes. He's worth keeping around, basically because he does contribute and there is no way they could move his salary.
5-Grossman- He's needed because he's physical imposing like no one else on defense.
6-Schultz- He's exceeded expectations, but the bar was really low.
7-Schenn- Such a disappointment. He struggles to be a positive contributor on the team. This should be a reminder that trading for need usually makes for a bad deal.
- ManCity

so you like the Flyer D

One reason why they're 2-6-1 on the road so far.
- Tomahawk

That plus the special team play on the road

Ok Fantasy question.

Do I start your beloved Mark Sanchez or Eli Manning

Leaning towards Sanchez

T

MacDonald had a shift of 2:52 in the 2nd period when the forwards kept blowing chances to get the puck deep.
- Feanor

I am going to choose between the Macallan 18 and my Chivas Regal 18 .
- 3flyerkids

I envy your choices

So everyone roll this around their head.....

JVR was traded for a player who has been surpassed on the depth chart by Nick Schultz.

Let that sink in.
- PLindbergh31

And given how poorly JVR was at the time of the trade who cares.Everyone seems to like to think we traded away a 1st line winger. We traded a guy with his head up his ass that we gave every chance to. Looking back I point blame at no one besides JVR.

And given how poorly JVR was at the time of the trade who cares.Everyone seems to like to think we traded away a 1st line winger. We traded a guy with his head up his ass that we gave every chance to. Looking back I point blame at no one besides JVR.
- hereticpride

Do you actually remember how JVR was?

He had come off of an amazing stretch run, a completely dominant 1st round playoff, and started out very good before a string of injuries limited him to a 40 point pace.

At 20.

Oh, and the bit about every chance... Couldnt be any more off. He was never given an extended look at top line or top PP minutes.. He was a routine 3rd liner.

Ok Fantasy question.

Do I start your beloved Mark Sanchez or Eli Manning

Leaning towards Sanchez
- 3flyerkids

Manning. They are playing the Jags...

The Flyers "good core" you speak of really isnt producing away from G and Jake and the first PP unit...

Giroux and Jake aside...

Schenn and Simmonds- 15&14 points respectively.
Simmonds has 8 of his 14 points on the first PP unit with Jake and G.

Next on the list we have Couts and Read with 8 points each. That would put them both 4th on the Sabres.. one point ahead of Gionta.

We then have 6 forwards who have played in 12 or more games and have scored less than 5 points. The sole leader of that group is Bellemare with 4 points.


We severely lack actual producing skilled players in our 7-13 forward range.

Add to that the fact that we have a plethora of depth d-men (ideally 3rd pair or reserve range) and its going to cause issues.


When you are constantly chasing the puck, constantly making physical (passing) and mental (bad reads) mistakes... you are going to get "out worked".

Out classed as well.
- jak521

Not sure what you're trying to say here. Are you saying that they just aren't that good, or that they just are off to a slow start? Players such as Read and Couturier, and even Simmonds are slumping and that is causing issues for the team. But that doesn't mean that they lack talent or ability.

One of the reasons why a team constantly chases the puck, is because they aren't matching the intensity, and aren't competing. That is an obvious problem with this team, and has been for a while. To discount the role of intensity, work ethic, and compete level as a factor in Hockey or any other sport, is simply foolish. It's ridiculously obvious when the Flyers compete, and when they don't. Not hard to see.

So many examples over time with teams and individual players, in how compete and work ethic can make an average team into a good team. How it can make a good player into great player. The best player the Flyers franchise ever had, Bobby Clarke was the player he was in large part to the compete level he had inside of him. He had a solid skill level, but it was his refusal to lose, and the heart that he had that made him special. Same for a player like Rick Tocchett. Who was moderately skilled, but his compete level made him into a top player and scorer. If either of those players just relied on skill, they wouldn't have come close to being the players they were.
If it was just about skill, and player like Nik Zherdev would have been a star. He was massively skilled. But he simply didn't work, and didn't give a poop.
It's the reason why a player like Danny Briere could be a decent regular season player, and then ramp it up in the playoff, and become a leading scorer in the playoffs. By your premise,it would suggest that Briere's skill level got better once the playoffs started. Not the case. His compete level, and his emotion and intensity is what increased. There are countless examples of this from player to player, and from game to game, all across the sports world.

Instensity and compete level is a big factor for this team. You want to ignore it and say it's a mirage. That is patently false. Otherwise Ron Hextall wouldn't have gone into the Flyers locker room after the Ranger game, and chewed the team out. Was it for a lack of skill that he chewed them out. Berube wouldn't have stated after the Islanders game that he just doesn't have enough guys who want to compete. Hextall is an ex NHL player, Asst. GM, and currently a GM. Berube is an ex NHL player, AHL head coach, asst head coach, and current NHL head coach. Neither must understand that it's a mirage that they aren't working hard, and aren't competing.

yay datsyuk is back tonight looks like a sure loss for us

Do you actually remember how JVR was?

He had come off of an amazing stretch run, a completely dominant 1st round playoff, and started out very good before a string of injuries limited him to a 40 point pace.

At 20.

Oh, and the bit about every chance... Couldnt be any more off. He was never given an extended look at top line or top PP minutes.. He was a routine 3rd liner.
- jak521

Manning. They are playing the Jags...
- Streit2ThePoint

Yeah, that would seem logical but I am thinking that Eagles/Cowboys may be a shoutout. It's a tough call.
I have both Maclin and Beckham as WR's

yay datsyuk is back tonight looks like a sure loss for us
- 2Real

We will just match Zombie against him. Maybe it will scare him!

- wolfhounds

Fun fact:

Bob's SV% as a Blue Jacket is .923.

Mason's SV% as a Flyer is .922.

Fun fact:

Bob's SV% as a Blue Jacket is .923.

Mason's SV% as a Flyer is .922.
- Feanor

Not familiar with who has the 'better' D.

I just threw Bob up there as another player railroaded out of town.

Fun fact:

Bob's SV% as a Blue Jacket is .923.

Mason's SV% as a Flyer is .922.
- Feanor

Mason also placed higher in Vezina voting last year

In other news.... Donald Brashear signs with MODO. Yup, Donald Brashear still plays hockey.

Fun fact:

Bob's SV% as a Blue Jacket is .923.

Mason's SV% as a Flyer is .922.
- Feanor

You're not following the narrative.

Mason = WURST GOALIE EVAR!1!1!! lulz

Bob = Tretiak

Mason also placed higher in Vezina voting last year
- JAKEw1234

Just think how good Mason would be if he was in the top 25 goalies in the league? Maybe he would've scored a goal against the Islanders.

In other news.... Donald Brashear signs with MODO. Yup, Donald Brashear still plays hockey.
- Coleman

Related to this, from the department of "totally not surprised", I read in those same reports that Brash had an MMA fight since he retired.

It's not surprising that he won the fight. The surprise for me was that it was apparently his only fight.

http://www.mmafighting.co...ns-mma-debut-cote-also-wi

yay datsyuk is back tonight looks like a sure loss for us
- 2Real

Helm Datsyuk Weisse is their line

All 3 centers

You're not following the narrative.

Mason = WURST GOALIE EVAR!1!1!! lulz

Bob = Tretiak
- johndewar

Whose narrative is that?

Instensity and compete level is a big factor for this team. You want to ignore it and say it's a mirage. That is patently false. Otherwise Ron Hextall wouldn't have gone into the Flyers locker room after the Ranger game, and chewed the team out. Was it for a lack of skill that he chewed them out. Berube wouldn't have stated after the Islanders game that he just doesn't have enough guys who want to compete. Hextall is an ex NHL player, Asst. GM, and currently a GM. Berube is an ex NHL player, AHL head coach, asst head coach, and current NHL head coach. Neither must understand that it's a mirage that they aren't working hard, and aren't competing.
- MJL

The idea that they are our biggest problem is what is a mirage. I have stated many times that at times they do lack intensity. At times they do lack compete. But, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Umberger and VLC are terrible. They literally are unable to compete because they are no longer good NHL players.

Because players like Rinaldo and CV are not good NHL players. They can hit, and work hard all they want... they will never drive play. They will never truly dictate play.

Because guys like Read, Simmonds and Couts are cold right now, it puts more pressure on other guys.

When you have Schultz, Schenn, Coliacovo, etc all on the gameday roster, it puts even more pressure on the players.


When you dont execute you chase the play. Not because you dont have the passion.

Now there are times when guys are not moving their feet, they dont get into the battles along the boards the way they should, they lack fight...

I just dont think that those problems are the preliminary issue, but as a result of other issues.

Whose narrative is that?
- wolfhounds

That of most national hockey writers.

The idea that they are our biggest problem is what is a mirage. I have stated many times that at times they do lack intensity. At times they do lack compete. But, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Umberger and VLC are terrible. They literally are unable to compete because they are no longer good NHL players.

Because players like Rinaldo and CV are not good NHL players. They can hit, and work hard all they want... they will never drive play. They will never truly dictate play.

Because guys like Read, Simmonds and Couts are cold right now, it puts more pressure on other guys.

When you have Schultz, Schenn, Coliacovo, etc all on the gameday roster, it puts even more pressure on the players.


When you dont execute you chase the play. Not because you dont have the passion.

Now there are times when guys are not moving their feet, they dont get into the battles along the boards the way they should, they lack fight...

I just dont think that those problems are the preliminary issue, but as a result of other issues.
- jak521

they need, what we call in IT, a hard reset