Snider in Early December

“All teams are having cap problems. We’ll find a way to work around it. In the meantime, that’s not the issue. The issue is that we have pretty much the same team as last year, and we’re not performing. We’re hoping they can turn it around. We have two of the best forwards in the league, but two players can’t turn around a team. What’s going on with everybody else? What’s going on with Couturier, Read, Simmonds, and the other guys? They should be chipping in with some goals. It’s weird. I’m not going to give up on those guys. Even Lecavalier got 20 goals last year. What happened?”

And right here is your mother (frank)ing problem. Starting at the very (frank)ing top.
- flyer_nutter

I think last year's team was held together by a thread on D. The loss of Timonen has crippled us and there's no quick fix.

Didn't catch the game but just looking at the ice time.

Laughton 12:30
Bellemare 10:17
bSchenn 15:48
Raffl: 13:34
Simmonds 15:10
Voracek 17:31

Umberger 16:59


- flyer_nutter

You see something like that, and hear people saying, "Well, you can't blame Berube"...and I wonder if these people have serious drug abuse troubles.

You see something like that, and hear people saying, "Well, you can't blame Berube"...and I wonder if these people have serious drug abuse troubles.
- Jsaquella

I think last year's team was held together by a thread on D. The loss of Timonen has crippled us and there's no quick fix.
- Hextall271

Snider is right and wrong. Where he's right is that there are good players who have been underperforming. Guys like Simmonds, Read, Couturier and Schenn have been inconsistent or flat out bad for stretches. Others have been flat out worthless.

Even on defense, it was expected to be an area that was a weakness, but even there, there's guys who haven't provided past levels of at least competent play.

Where Snider is wrong is, this team isn't the same as last year. They lived and died on excellent special teams. They miss Hartnell's PP scoring and Timonen's stellar PK work, badly. The PK going from top 3 to bottom 3 is probably the single biggest reason they're not in the wild card mix.

I think this year is just a perfect storm. It's a great draft, we aren't playing well. Maybe this is the year the Flyers finally get some luck with the ping pong balls.

Inregards to Laughton having less ice time then Umberger I really don't see the big deal. Laughton is a rookie and playing a different roll then what Umberger is. He is on the Couturier line which sees a lot of ice time because of match ups. Also Laughtons ice time has gone up since being recalled. He is a rookie. They are gradually building him up instead of just throwing him to the wolves.

For years everyone wanted patience and now they are showing it buy gradually building Laughton up and also letting our prospects develop in juinors and the AHL. We all knew this team was flawed. Hextall has had one draft that was his and by all accounts it was successfull. At this point I would like to let the TDL come and then the offseason to see how he shapes this team. I think the TDL will be very telling of the direction he wants to go.

how sad is it when the daily blogs are a thousand times more entertaining than the games are? tough to watch this team right now.....total disconnect between whatever talent they have and how they play as a team

I think this year is just a perfect storm. It's a great draft, we aren't playing well. Maybe this is the year the Flyers finally get some luck with the ping pong balls.

Inregards to Laughton having less ice time then Umberger I really don't see the big deal. Laughton is a rookie and playing a different roll then what Umberger is. He is on the Couturier line which sees a lot of ice time because of match ups. Also Laughtons ice time has gone up since being recalled. He is a rookie. They are gradually building him up instead of just throwing him to the wolves.

For years everyone wanted patience and now they are showing it buy gradually building Laughton up and also letting our prospects develop in juinors and the AHL. We all knew this team was flawed. Hextall has had one draft that was his and by all accounts it was successfull. At this point I would like to let the TDL come and then the offseason to see how he shapes this team. I think the TDL will be very telling of the direction he wants to go.
- J35Bacher

The bigger issue is that Umberger had more TOI than any forward not named Giroux, Read, Couturier or Voracek, and he had almost as much as Jake.

Snider is right and wrong. Where he's right is that there are good players who have been underperforming. Guys like Simmonds, Read, Couturier and Schenn have been inconsistent or flat out bad for stretches. Others have been flat out worthless.

Even on defense, it was expected to be an area that was a weakness, but even there, there's guys who haven't provided past levels of at least competent play.

Where Snider is wrong is, this team isn't the same as last year. They lived and died on excellent special teams. They miss Hartnell's PP scoring and Timonen's stellar PK work, badly. The PK going from top 3 to bottom 3 is probably the single biggest reason they're not in the wild card mix.
- Jsaquella

The really don't miss Hartnell's PP scoring. They are ranked 5th in the NHL at 24% on the PP, and have scored the 5th most PP goals in the League. The PK is where they miss Timonen the most, and the Flyers PK% is a horrendous 75%. The other area of concern is ES goal scoring.

You see something like that, and hear people saying, "Well, you can't blame Berube"...and I wonder if these people have serious drug abuse troubles.
- Jsaquella

No need to wonder. They do have serious drug abuse issues along with our coach

I think this year is just a perfect storm. It's a great draft, we aren't playing well. Maybe this is the year the Flyers finally get some luck with the ping pong balls.

Inregards to Laughton having less ice time then Umberger I really don't see the big deal. Laughton is a rookie and playing a different roll then what Umberger is. He is on the Couturier line which sees a lot of ice time because of match ups. Also Laughtons ice time has gone up since being recalled. He is a rookie. They are gradually building him up instead of just throwing him to the wolves.

For years everyone wanted patience and now they are showing it buy gradually building Laughton up and also letting our prospects develop in juinors and the AHL. We all knew this team was flawed. Hextall has had one draft that was his and by all accounts it was successfull. At this point I would like to let the TDL come and then the offseason to see how he shapes this team. I think the TDL will be very telling of the direction he wants to go.
- J35Bacher

Berube played the Couturier line a lot last night at ES, and Umberger is just a part of that. I guess Berube lost the game because of it. Had zero to do with the lousy first period, or the lack of urgency all game equal to what they showed in OT, the lousy puck management and execution with the puck, or the continued futility at the shootout. None of that cost them the win.

So our coach has no faith in VL, sits him for 7 games then throws him in on the 4th line without much chance for offensive success.

But... When it's shoot out time. The first player our coach throws out is the one he thinks is best suited for the 4th line.

Next shootout we may see Hamburglar, Rinaldo, Schultz

Who knows with this guy behind the bench

So our coach has no faith in VL, sits him for 7 games then throws him in on the 4th line without much chance for offensive success.

But... When it's shoot out time. The first player our coach throws out is the one he thinks is best suited for the 4th line.

Next shootout we may see Hamburglar, Rinaldo, Schultz

Who knows with this guy behind the bench
- 3flyerkids

Can't blame him.

So our coach has no faith in VL, sits him for 7 games then throws him in on the 4th line without much chance for offensive success.

But... When it's shoot out time. The first player our coach throws out is the one he thinks is best suited for the 4th line.

Next shootout we may see Hamburglar, Rinaldo, Schultz

Who knows with this guy behind the bench
- 3flyerkids

I didn't agree with that decision either. Lecavalier looked rusty, and was mishandling the puck throughout the game. The shootout is still on the players, and not the coach.

What's that now 10 consecutive shootout losses? 3 out of 6 shooters miss the net.
What a complete farce.

What's that now 10 consecutive shootout losses? 3 out of 6 shooters miss the net.
What a complete farce.
- PLindbergh31

If it helps, even if they had 5 more points, they're still not in the playoffs

I really have to question the heart of this team. New faces are needed. There is a cancer in this organization....

If it helps, even if they had 5 more points, they're still not in the playoffs
- Jsaquella

I know. I think we all hate shootouts, but being they aren't going away anytime soon, it would be nice to win a few of them. Continually pissing away that second point. 8 game road trip upcoming, baring the unforeseen, this team is probably going to be buried before the new year. I'm really hoping for a top 2 pick now, but I know that won't happen. I know there are a lot of good players available in the 5-10 range, but those guys are probably 3-4 years away. Hard to get excited by that right now.

how sad is it when the daily blogs are a thousand times more entertaining than the games are? tough to watch this team right now.....total disconnect between whatever talent they have and how they play as a team
- hogweed

I was late tuning in last night because I got home from the gym late... but you know the saddest thing? It didn't bother me one bit. I turned it on, saw a tie game that looked boring as heck, and went for a shower. Came back out and watched the shootout, knowing.. KNOWING they would lose...

I just didn't feel like I missed anything last night... I used to live for games, and make sure I was there to see them. Now? Not so much.. I'm not bailing by any means, or a "fair weather fan"... I just don't feel the need to go to any means to make sure I tune in. They're boring, and just flat out there. I just don't feel like wasting my time, knowing the outcome, if I have something else to do.

I didn't agree with that decision either. Lecavalier looked rusty, and was mishandling the puck throughout the game. The shootout is still on the players, and not the coach.
- MJL

The shootout is on the players once they are picked by the coach. Our coach should not have picked Vinny. Is he playing mind games with Vinny. " look Vinny I will sandwich you between Rinaldo and Bellemare..just watch how hard your buddy Zombie works and maybe just maybe I will give you a shot at playing with some talent"
" Oh, and by the way,your first up on the shootout"

The coach controls who goes on ice. Therefore it is on coach IMO

Didn't catch the game but just looking at the ice time.

Laughton 12:30
Bellemare 10:17
bSchenn 15:48
Raffl: 13:34
Simmonds 15:10
Voracek 17:31

Umberger 16:59


- flyer_nutter

This really is unbelievable. Unfathomable, unconscionable. I'm sure there will be one person to defend it! Get the pom poms out!

I really have to question the heart of this team. New faces are needed. There is a cancer in this organization....
- GOA88

They came out flat and lacked any sign of urgency in the first period. Hard to understand. They're quickly approaching the point where they are digging a hole too deep to get out of.

I know. I think we all hate shootouts, but being they aren't going away anytime soon, it would be nice to win a few of them. Continually pissing away that second point. 8 game road trip upcoming, baring the unforeseen, this team is probably going to be buried before the new year. I'm really hoping for a top 2 pick now, but I know that won't happen. I know there are a lot of good players available in the 5-10 range, but those guys are probably 3-4 years away. Hard to get excited by that right now.
- PLindbergh31

It's going to be hard to watch this for another 3-4 years. It has been torture. I was hoping for Eichel. We can still get him. Canes have #1 locked up.
I am refusing to go down and watch game tomorrow night. I am going to get hammered at home and watch it instead of paying top buck to be subjected to live torture

The shootout is on the players once they are picked by the coach. Our coach should not have picked Vinny. Is he playing mind games with Vinny. " look Vinny I will sandwich you between Rinaldo and Bellemare..just watch how hard your buddy Zombie works and maybe just maybe I will give you a shot at playing with some talent"
" Oh, and by the way,your first up on the shootout"

The coach controls who goes on ice. Therefore it is on coach IMO
- 3flyerkids

I disagree on that overall. I agree that the decision to pick Lecavalier first, as he was struggling with the puck all game, was not the right choice. There were how many shooters in the shootout? The Flyers had a couple of chances to win the game. How many choices does this coach have to choose from that have scored even at a decent percentage in the shootout other then Giroux? The shootout is on the players, not the coach.

It's going to be hard to watch this for another 3-4 years. It has been torture. I was hoping for Eichel. We can still get him. Canes have #1 locked up.
I am refusing to go down and watch game tomorrow night. I am going to get hammered at home and watch it instead of paying top buck to be subjected to live torture
- 3flyerkids

My friend went to a game at the ACC last month, he told me he paid $16.50 for a beer.

You see something like that, and hear people saying, "Well, you can't blame Berube"...and I wonder if these people have serious drug abuse troubles.
- Jsaquella

oh you can play Berube his system isn't working the players don't buy into it or just can't execute it either way the coach needs to recognize this and alter his system......what baffles me is he sits Del Zottto he sits Luke Schenn he sits Vinny but that useless waste of space Umberger plays every game WTF is up with that...