Neuvirth certainly looks more than capable of being a solid backup.
Coming off back to back and a belly to belly shutouts, he's got to play the next game.

There is no chance this morphs into a goalie controversy right? RIGHT!!????
- PLindbergh31

Not yet but after stolarz posts 8 consecutive shutouts in the ahl IIt might be.

2 shutouts is nothing to sneeze at, but the defense has played well in both efforts. I was just hoping those guys can hold down the fort for awhile until the youngsters come up. Defense has been playing beyond my expectations.

Haven't read all 4 pages, but has anything been discussed regarding Mason/Neuvirth? Personally I would stick with Neuvirth but I understand the argument you shouldn't lose your job due to injury or in this case a family crisis.
- MatveiDmitrii

Play Mason. He's their #1 goaltender and should be ready to go for next game.

Neuvirth for Designated Shootout Goalie
- DaveofYork

Mason and Neuvirth have nearly identical shootout save percentage at .638%

But Mason has had triple the shots faced

They got a lot of o zone starts. The pk Might of balanced it but it seemed like the entire first they got the majority the starts. So the appearance they had them pinned is only semi true. Yes they kept puck possession in their end but they did nothing with it. They had one good chance. I didn't get it.
- Tfaehner

Well, in their defense, their main job as a 4th line is to provide energy and keep the other team off the scoresheet. Mission accomplished.

2 shutouts is nothing to sneeze at, but the defense has played well in both efforts. I was just hoping those guys can hold down the fort for awhile until the youngsters come up. Defense has been playing beyond my expectations.

Haven't read all 4 pages, but has anything been discussed regarding Mason/Neuvirth? Personally I would stick with Neuvirth but I understand the argument you shouldn't lose your job due to injury or in this case a family crisis.
- MatveiDmitrii

Im not about to make a starting goaltending change based off of two games. Neuvirth has been nothing short of spectacular, but Mason is our starter.

Schenn wasn't even on the ice for the goal Couturier assisted on last night when he brought the puck into the zone and fed Simmonds on the RW.
- Feanor

True. But it wasn't like he dominated on the play. Really, that play was mostly Read. Couts was having trouble corralling the puck as he entered the zone so he sort of shoveled it to Simmonds. Simmonds took a hard shot from beyond the dot. Read was driving to the net and beat his man to the rebound and knocked it home.

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/...ideo-tribute-for-timonen/

For people asking for kimmo tribute.

They did several TV timeout videos as well that I can't find anywhere including words for Holmgren (bood) hextall (huge cheers) Coburn Hartnell (huge ovation) and Ryan suter

Well, in their defense, their main job as a 4th line is to provide energy and keep the other team off the scoresheet. Mission accomplished.
- BiggE

I'm just undecided on whether I like hasktol deployment of our top lines need to be able to go from d to o. And our lower lines get the easier starts. That's what it seemed like.

And I'll say it until somebody responds!
Read coots Schenn
It needs to happen

I loved what I saw for the first two periods. I'm not a fan of the "we have the lead so let's hunker down in our own end and hang on for dear life" strategy. It worked last night but it's not a sustainable strategy. I will say, however, that at least this time they didn't seem to panic and scramble while doing it as they had in prior seasons.

Four games in and I'm happier with where the team is now than what they were last year early on. I certainly don't think they are a finished product or even close to being a contender, but I'm enjoying the ride so far. A bit of a shame they are on a break right now in some ways.

I love Bob but he hasnt looked good
- vejim

I'm a big fan of his, too, but last night he was not good at all. I didn't see the game but the highlights I saw this morning...eek. He'll come back around.

I loved what I saw for the first two periods. I'm not a fan of the "we have the lead so let's hunker down in our own end and hang on for dear life" strategy. It worked last night but it's not a sustainable strategy. I will say, however, that at least this time they didn't seem to panic and scramble while doing it as they had in prior seasons.
- Scoob

I don't think that was what happened. Chicago came out as a ball of fury and only played 7-8 offensive players jumbled into 2 lines for almost the entire third. They combined their pp unit to form a super unit. They were pressing. Toews I can tell you compete level was off the charts and he was visibly frustrated. One of my favorite moments was he actually went to push mdz back after neuvirth stopped the puck and he puts his arm up to go push him and Manning pushes his arm down and says something like I wouldn't do that. But beside that moment Chicago is a 3 time cup winning team at the core. They know how to put pressure on you when they are behind. They threw the barn door at us and we really didn't respond til the last 8 minutes of the third.

I'm a big fan of his, too, but last night he was not good at all. I didn't see the game but the highlights I saw this morning...eek. He'll come back around.
- Scoob

He spoke after the game and said he has zero confidence. He needs to get his head right. Maybe a few games off.

Is booing Kane every time he touches the puck a new thing? Related to his extra-curricular activities over the summer?
- wolfhounds

I hope so, and yes. I hope he gets that treatment everywhere. The kid is a punk.

I hope so, and yes. I hope he gets that treatment everywhere. The kid is a punk.
- Scoob

Imagine the treatment the crowd would have given him if the Hawks were considered an actual rival of ours.

Or if he were on the Rangers or Pens.

Yikes.

I know the Hawks have a rivalry with the Blues, but I wonder if Blues fans would be as vociferous as Flyers fans were last night.

Renewed my dislike of Doc last night. A few times he referenced how the Flyers were known for and/or supposed to take a lot of penalties, as if that was built into the team. Like a lot of people, he's stuck in the 70s regarding the Orange and Black.
- wolfhounds

Agreed.

But my dislike of him never went away.

Really? I just haven't seen it, but you get to see them in practice so hopefully you're right.
- BiggE

He scores a lot of goals in practice and was a very good goal scorer in the Swedish league -- hands are hands, although there's less time and space at the NHL pace and the smaller rink.

you could have waited til after the ceremony to clean up
- vejim

I couldnt.... baby formulathrow up smells so horrible

Has that happened in other arenas? Has there been a development in the case that I don't know about? Because if the investigation is still on going I don't really feel good about it. Seems inappropriate no?

Kinda like this: http://nhl.nbcsports.com/...boo-for-flyers-fans-boos/


I don't like Kane as much as the next guy (because trouble seems to follow him, he scored that crap goal and he represents the JVR disaster to me) but is this in a similar light to the snowball at Santa incident? I can't find anything about it online for what that is worth.
- coffee junkie

It's early, but yes, the booing and in another arena "no means no."

I'm not sure if I'm in the minority or not, but when the guy behind me said it was wrong for the fans to do it I turned around and said what's wrong here is that he's playing. Of course, if he weren't a superstar, he might well be sitting until the grand jury sits.

I don't think that was what happened. Chicago came out as a ball of fury and only played 7-8 offensive players jumbled into 2 lines for almost the entire third. They combined their pp unit to form a super unit. They were pressing. Toews I can tell you compete level was off the charts and he was visibly frustrated. One of my favorite moments was he actually went to push mdz back after neuvirth stopped the puck and he puts his arm up to go push him and Manning pushes his arm down and says something like I wouldn't do that. But beside that moment Chicago is a 3 time cup winning team at the core. They know how to put pressure on you when they are behind. They threw the barn door at us and we really didn't respond til the last 8 minutes of the third.
- Tfaehner

I saw little to no effort on the Flyers' part to generate and sustain offensive zone presence or pressure. Imho they clamped down and held on.

Thanks Bill. Good win last night, and Neuvy played his butt off. They are on a roll, but the coming up break may break that roll; time will tell. It would be interesting to see the stats of how well the Flyers play after long breaks in the past.
The key words from Kimmo were "hard work." Yes, the elite teams have talent, but they also work hard most nights. The core group has to learn to do this on a regular basis.
The other thing to look at is the road trips. How will this group respond to the away games, and if they can close the gap difference from road, and home wins from last year.
I hope that Mason is doing well, but Neuvy has filled in nicely to this point.

Play Mason. He's their #1 goaltender and should be ready to go for next game.
- Streit2ThePoint

Maybe he will, maybe he won't. That's really up to how he is holding up mentally and emotionally. Maybe practicing yesterday was cathartic. But maybe he's still not able to totally focus on hockey. Everyone is different.

I regards to last nights broadcast team, I watched a lot of the game with the sound off and a guitar in my hands.
- BiggE

Hmm...broadcast crew or BiggE? Depends on if you were singing. Screw it, just shoot me.

I hope so, and yes. I hope he gets that treatment everywhere. The kid is a punk.
- Scoob

Booing him is fine, and I agree that he's a guy that trouble just seems to follow him around. He needs to reevaluate some of his lifestyle choices. But the chant was a bit much for me, especially when it seems as though he wasn't guilty (from what I've read). But hey, it's a player we don't like, so let's make light of rape allegations because Philly, yo.

I loved what I saw for the first two periods. I'm not a fan of the "we have the lead so let's hunker down in our own end and hang on for dear life" strategy. It worked last night but it's not a sustainable strategy. I will say, however, that at least this time they didn't seem to panic and scramble while doing it as they had in prior seasons.
- Scoob

It's not a sustainable way to protect leads but when you play Chicago, you know there will be wave after wave of attacks when they trail by two goals in the third period. Very hard for even an elite defense team -- and the Flyers are far from that yet -- to hold them at bay all night. That said, still too many bad penalties.

Neuvirth has been outstanding the last two games. His lateral movement and glove are tremendous. But he has trouble handling the puck and is a smaller goalie by today's standards (smaller than his listed 6-foot by at least an inch and a half) so there is room upstairs when he butterflies. Both Florida and Chicago had some good looks at the net with a decent amount of room but missed the target and shot high and wide --- that's what happens when a goalie is going really well, though.