An all round " physical game" is missing from this team. Finishing checks, aggressive forechecking, body checks, physical play along the boards....these are elements the Flyers do not do well. Some of it has to do with personel we are dealt.
- 3flyerkids

I think it is missing because the team wants it missing. Berube is preaching it day and night. Be disciplined, don't retaliate, etc etc etc. But I think these players, especially Schenn(s) Simmonds, Rinaldo etc, dont know how to play a hard game without going to the edge and over it. So they pull too far back. And the result is a soft team.

Just a theory,

Great win last night. Giroux is just all out warrior and yet IMO remains one of the most underrated players in the game. Living in Toronto the self proclaimed" Hockey Market of the World"... I see it every day, Giroux is rarely mentioned as a top star in this game.
I was disappointed in the Flyers " team toughness". They were pushed around last night. Every board or corner battle they were getting hammered. Hextall needs to address this via trade or FA at some point. I may be in the few but having Rosehill up wouldn't hurt for a few selected games.
Great job by Mr Led Zepp
- 3flyerkids

I would rather he remain underrated in the media. When Laviolette proclaimed him the best player in the world it did nothing but draw all sorts of negative attention from Crosby worshippers that couldn't bare hearing someone think that their lord and butt-savior was second to anyone. As far as team toughness goes, I believe the Flyers are trying to change their culture towards being more disciplined. The age of the punch-head-Flyer appears to be over. I don't like it either, but that is the way the game appears to be going.

I think it is missing because the team wants it missing. Berube is preaching it day and night. Be disciplined, don't retaliate, etc etc etc. But I think these players, especially Schenn(s) Simmonds, Rinaldo etc, dont know how to play a hard game without going to the edge and over it. So they pull too far back. And the result is a soft team.

Just a theory,
- MBFlyerfan

I agree... it seems they don't know how to play the edge without crossing it. Like you said, so many times they're told not to retaliate, and to keep a cool head... which is fine.. but then the guys listed above tend to shy away from ALL physical contact, even if it's clean. These guys need to realize there is a pretty defined line there, and instead of seeing it, they either stay all the way on one side or the other.. lately, it's been the "not physical at all" aspect...

Byfuglien is like Phaneuf a little. They don't fight when challenged but will go with someone lesser. I think in the Toronto game i saw Simmonds challange Phaneuf in the third but he wanted nothing to do with it.
- J35Bacher

Phaneuf fights. He's scrapped with Hartnell many times and this is only one example. Byfuglien doesn't fight at all.

I think it is missing because the team wants it missing. Berube is preaching it day and night. Be disciplined, don't retaliate, etc etc etc. But I think these players, especially Schenn(s) Simmonds, Rinaldo etc, dont know how to play a hard game without going to the edge and over it. So they pull too far back. And the result is a soft team.

Just a theory,
- MBFlyerfan

Agree. For as long as I've watched this team, they've played at their best when playing on the edge. I'm not really interested in a change of philosophy. I do expect more of our special teams so they can play with an edge.

Good win last night.. Congrats to Led Zepp on the win!

Makes us older goalies think we still have a shot hahahahahha

I'd like Evander Kane and Byfuglien. Kane is a talented kid, who has size and can play physical, but who also can turn on the jets and fly and score goals. He's immature, but he's got a great package of skills.

Byfuglien is what he is. He's going to have his issues in coverage and make mistakes in his own end. But he's also a big, dynamic guy who can drive play and keep the puck away from opposing teams. Sure he had defensive breakdowns last night, but so did Nick Schultz, Andrew MacDonald and Luke Schenn.
- Jsaquella

I also like both guys but I'm not sure we have much we could give up to get either of them, or at least nothing I'm willing to part with.

I wonder if we'll see a white-Bellemare-VDV line. Unfortunately I don't think berube ever thinks about healthy scratching Rinaldo.

It was a good win, a lot of fun to watch. Seeing Giroux be the target of Byfuglien's hostility all evening and then beating the big lug to set up the winning goal was fantastic.

Zepp was every bit as good as could be hoped for in his debut. He didn't allow anything weak, and he made some really huge stops at key momentum points to keep the game in reach.

I also have to give credit to Vincent Lecavalier. He's played very well, with a lot of effort since his stint of games in the press box. He's been giving a lot of obvious effort and busting his tail. Berube handled his return perfectly, and if he continues to play well and with good effort, I'm sure his role will expand.
- Jsaquella

I'm glad they won, but I really don't like watching them sit back and let a 260 lb jackass physically abuse their 175 lb captain. Someone needs to lay a few hard, legal hits on Byfuglien on 1/29

I agree... it seems they don't know how to play the edge without crossing it. Like you said, so many times they're told not to retaliate, and to keep a cool head... which is fine.. but then the guys listed above tend to shy away from ALL physical contact, even if it's clean. These guys need to realize there is a pretty defined line there, and instead of seeing it, they either stay all the way on one side or the other.. lately, it's been the "not physical at all" aspect...
- WarriorHockey21

There is a " fine line" that teams and players have to know is there, and the good teams know where that is. Simmonds IMO is the only guy who knows how to handle himself in a physical manner. He doesn't take stupid penalties but can be intimidating....he should have stepped up that part of his game last night. We need a couple more of these players. This team was getting physically beat up last night for the first 2 periods. It's games like that when you worry that a star player will get hurt

Rosehill is generally disciplined, but a limited player.

The trouble is, Byfuglien would never fight Rosehill. He'd laugh and skate away. As tough as Rosehill is and as good a fighter as he is, those guys simply do not deter anyone from taking a run at star players.
- Jsaquella

True

I'd rather see a guy like Rinaldo leave his feet and drive an elbow into the fat (frank)s head. It would be worth the suspension, IMO

srsly though, how exciting was that tying goal by Vinny? Good for him.

I think it is missing because the team wants it missing. Berube is preaching it day and night. Be disciplined, don't retaliate, etc etc etc. But I think these players, especially Schenn(s) Simmonds, Rinaldo etc, dont know how to play a hard game without going to the edge and over it. So they pull too far back. And the result is a soft team.

Just a theory,
- MBFlyerfan

May very well be true. They need to learn how to play a clean physical game. The late 70s Canadiens rarely took undisciplined penalties but their D played a very physical, hard hitting game. It can be done.

srsly though, how exciting was that tying goal by Vinny? Good for him.
- BulliesPhan87

I rip Vinny as much as anyone around here, but he played very well last night. It wasn't just the goals, moreso it was his skating and work ethic that was clearly evident. If he can play like that on a consistent basis, he will once again have trade value.

In case you missed Morin:

http://www.tsn.ca/video/w...canada-vs-sweden-1.165780

I rip Vinny as much as anyone around here, but he played very well last night. It wasn't just the goals, moreso it was his skating and work ethic that was clearly evident. If he can play like that on a consistent basis, he will once again have trade value.
- BiggE

he spent a lot of his non-scratched time moping around this season, it was nice to see him getting it done and looking excited and all. I felt feelings, it was great.

In case you missed Morin:

http://www.tsn.ca/video/w...canada-vs-sweden-1.165780
- aflyerpower8

Morin? Where? All I see is McDavid!!!

Good win last night.. Congrats to Led Zepp on the win!

Makes us older goalies think we still have a shot hahahahahha
- Hextall271

Was happy for Zepp. Thinking of all those bus rides he had to endure, and all the toiling he did in foreign countries. Last night is something he will never forget, and if he never wins another NHL game, all his hard work paid off. Before yesterday I had no idea he was 33 years of age. He played pretty well last night, glad the guys rallied and got him a win.

Someone needs to help me out as to why no assist was given to Vandevelde on Vinny's tying goal in the third. He dove for the loose puck and put it right on Vinny's stick, did he not? It's not that important in the scheme of things but I was just wondering.

Someone needs to help me out as to why no assist was given to Vandevelde on Vinny's tying goal in the third. He dove for the loose puck and put it right on Vinny's stick, did he not? It's not that important in the scheme of things but I was just wondering.
- BOSS_TWEED

Berube bribed the official scorer. He can't bench VDV coming off a game where he registered a point in order to put that useless stiff Rinaldo back in the lineup.

Yea, just for the record, the Flyers are now 2-0 when I watch the game with my newborn baby girl.

Yea, just for the record, the Flyers are now 2-0 when I watch the game with my newborn baby girl.


- jak521

Congratulations!

Someone needs to help me out as to why no assist was given to Vandevelde on Vinny's tying goal in the third. He dove for the loose puck and put it right on Vinny's stick, did he not? It's not that important in the scheme of things but I was just wondering.
- BOSS_TWEED

His stick actually never touched the puck. He dove and hit the other guys stick which pushed the puck to VL.. either way its an assist and a hell of an effort in my eyes.

Yea, just for the record, the Flyers are now 2-0 when I watch the game with my newborn baby girl.


- jak521

Congrats!!
Now keep watching with her!!

Yea, just for the record, the Flyers are now 2-0 when I watch the game with my newborn baby girl.


- jak521

Congrats! Unfortunately you won't be outfitting her in a McDavid onesie.