They lost 3-2 in OT last night.

I would blame the bad cross ice pass at the end of the shift as what cost them.
- J35Bacher

Agreed, with Del Zotto cheating, that was an odd man rush waiting to happen.

Could it be Cooter and Read have been run down from all the defensive usage?
- JFlyers00

I agree with this and I think the first line will also suffer from the same fate eventually from being overused. They need Laughton at the 2C position and he certainly has been a boost to the team, but they really have nine legit forwards and that's it: Giroux, Voracek, Raffl, Simmonds, Laughton, Schenn, Read, Couturier and Bellemare. Read and Couturier do the heavy lifting on the PK (and not very well this year) and they are logging the tough minutes against top lines. Read and Couturier are missing a legit wing and Bellemare is solid but can't carry any line. This means the rest of the forwards are carrying too much of load. Add on to that a defense where no one has been consistent and the team can't be consistently good. There's no way. Some nights Coburn is great other nights he's terrible. The same is true for every defensemen on the team. This team is destined for a pick between 5 and 10 in this draft.

Both guys have been putrid of late (for much of the year)...but they both still get the minutes....those two on the PP is awful....but what are Berube's options??? I asked a few weeks back for Bill's opinion on Couturier to see if his drop in play had the Flyers concerned.....I think everyone assumed that their play would get better, things would level off...they haven't things have gotten worse..... I do wonder why Berube hasn't separated them????? I understand why they are in the line up.....but there play has gone beyond stale....
- landros 2

Honestly, I think the Flyers are concerned about of lot of players on the roster, Couturier and Read among them.

I am glad that Laughton looks like he can mesh well with Simmonds, which has been helpful.

But I think it would be a crime to just have Couturier stagnate into a player who does little more than check. You can see the flashes of what he can be when he has wingers who aren't killing offensive zone time.

He hasn't always made the most of his opportunities to drive the net and make plays. But when your wingers are Umberger and Lecavalier, what does anyone expect him to do? Hint: Sisyphus never gets to the mountain top
- AllInForFlyers

What else can you do with Coots though? G is G and if Laughton works as the 2nd line Center what else can you do?

What else can you do with Coots though? G is G and if Laughton works as the 2nd line Center what else can you do?
- hereticpride

Read - Giroux - Simmonds
Schenn - Cooter - Voracek

Honestly, IDC which one of Laughton or Coots develops enough o-game to be counted on as the 2C... just need one of them to. It's starting to look like Laughton is the more dangerous player.
- Tomahawk

It does look like that. And then you check the stats and see he has 1 ES point all season, and that came in the last minutes against San Jose with the goalie pulled.

Honestly, I think the Flyers are concerned about of lot of players on the roster, Couturier and Read among them.
- bmeltzer

They should be concerned -- it's too easy to blame Berube for what has happened this season.

Lecavalier and Umberger are what they are: Players at the end of their careers. They aren't the answers to anything.

But the Flyers better have some damn good answers about Read, Coburn, MacDonald, Luke Schenn and what, if anything, you want to do with Del Zotto moving forward

I am glad that Laughton looks like he can mesh well with Simmonds, which has been helpful.

But I think it would be a crime to just have Couturier stagnate into a player who does little more than check. You can see the flashes of what he can be when he has wingers who aren't killing offensive zone time.

He hasn't always made the most of his opportunities to drive the net and make plays. But when your wingers are Umberger and Lecavalier, what does anyone expect him to do? Hint: Sisyphus never gets to the mountain top
- AllInForFlyers

Coots is definitely part of the solution... there is just soooo much dead weight on this roster right now that it's inevitable that he gets saddled with some of it.

I'm just looking ahead to the day when Leier/Coots/Aube-Kubel forms one of the best 3rd-lines in hockey.

It does look like that. And then you check the stats and see he has 1 ES point all season, and that came in the last minutes against San Jose with the goalie pulled.
- Feanor

Laughton is doing some head scratching things out there when the puck is on his stick, spin o rama passes, impossible dekes, etc. He's out there working his ass off but he needs to simplify his game soon or I start to worry about his development.

It does look like that. And then you check the stats and see he has 1 ES point all season, and that came in the last minutes against San Jose with the goalie pulled.
- Feanor

Underlying numbers with him ain't bad, tho*... seems he (and his line) are due.


*- especially when you consider he spent a few games w/ VinnyBurger

Laughton is doing some head scratching things out there when the puck is on his stick, spin o rama passes, impossible dekes, etc. He's out there working his ass off but he needs to simplify his game soon or I start to worry about his development.
- Just5

He's playing a very sound defensive game despite all of that. Maybe that's just what a player with actual stick skills looks like.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Conclude So-So Road Trip with OT Loss
- bmeltzer

I have to say, that calling the trip "So-So" is a bit generous. 4 points out of ten is not anything to be happy about, although there were signs of a potential turn around.

Decemeber looks like it could be a good chance for the Flyers to at least stockpile some points, if not gain much ground standings wise.

the sooner they move coburn the better. he needs to go asap.
- rinaldo

Trade him for me all the devils fans hate me and i feel like killing myself with my stick

Underlying numbers with him ain't bad, tho*... seems he (and his line) are due.


*- especially when you consider he spent a few games w/ VinnyBurger
- Tomahawk

I think he just needs some time to adjust to the NHL speed. His windows of opportunity close a lot faster at this level. He's had multiple chances that he's either missed the net or allowed the defender to get to him. It's a common thing that happens with young players.

I think it's safe to say he will be generating more offense than John Madden though.

Trade him for me all the devils fans hate me and i feel like killing myself with my stick
- Peter_Harrold_

lol

Trade him for me all the devils fans hate me and i feel like killing myself with my stick
- Peter_Harrold_

I think he just needs some time to adjust to the NHL speed. His windows of opportunity close a lot faster at this level. He's had multiple chances that he's either missed the net or allowed the defender to get to him. It's a common thing that happens with young players.

I think it's safe to say he will be generating more offense than John Madden though.
- PhillySportsGuy

the flyers will never win another cup unless you sign daniel briere to a 10 year contract

Coots is definitely part of the solution... there is just soooo much dead weight on this roster right now that it's inevitable that he gets saddled with some of it.

I'm just looking ahead to the day when Leier/Coots/Aube-Kubel forms one of the best 3rd-lines in hockey.


- Tomahawk

Agreed. It's hard when he's faced not only with heavy defensive usage, but also carrying Umberger and the poorly performing Matt Read.

But but but what about the season ticket holders ?
- Just5

SUCKERS!

I'm just hoping to enjoy the lottery pick and the extra picks they obtain at the deadline.

Thats all I got at the moment
- BiggE

Unless they draft McDavid or Eichel, I'm not going to get excited. Taking a prospect 3 years away from contributing at the NHL level isn't giving me the warm and fuzzies.

SUCKERS!
- Fast_Eddie_1

Hey is that how you treat your fellow cryer fan ill backcheck you to death

SUCKERS!
- Fast_Eddie_1

He wasn't talking about the ones here on HB.

Rinaldo is a waste of time. He's not a player on a winning roster. Pretty simple. A -9 playing limited 4th line minutes, lack of discipline, not a lick of skill. Complete waste.
- PLindbergh31

Let me get this straight....so, what you're basically saying here is that Rinaldo is not your favorite Flyer?

the sooner they move coburn the better. he needs to go asap.
- rinaldo

Agreed. How dare he block a cross-crease pass on the PK.

Edit: Your username is rinaldo, so...yeah.

Honestly, I think the Flyers are concerned about of lot of players on the roster, Couturier and Read among them.
- bmeltzer

I am concerned about the coach, continuing to play Umberger game after game and even rewarding him with powerplay time here and there is a disgrace. Another zero shot night last night to go with the listless play. Throw in the regression of almost all of the younger players and the fairly safe assumption he helped force Hartnell out of town and I am more than ready to make a coaching change.