PK has been awful for 3 years despite some great goaltending 5v5, amid poor defense. Does a goalie magically lose skill there? Or maybe it's playing your worst players there or a PK coach who tells his PKers to cluster(frank) in the slot.

Using a 1 month sample is a stretch.
- Mononoke

I dont disagree that the PK has been terrible but the reason I made the statement that during the streak their PK was higher and better then their season so far was that goaltending plays a large part in the success of a PK.

Your first statement is far more opinion than fact. The Flyers as a team, aren't good enough and consistent enough to vary strategy greatly based on opponent. Hakstol is trying to build a team identity, and consistency of play. Many top coaches have the philosophy of play your game, and dictate play.
- MJL

Why do you always have to get the last word in responding on dead threads? It's a bit weird. I saw someone else posted another post, even after this new blog was active for 8 hours, and I just had a hunch. Neither I nor anyone else will likely read it or respond. It's just farting in the wind.

Why do you always have to get the last word in responding on dead threads? It's a bit weird. I saw someone else posted another post, even after this new blog was active for 8 hours, and I just had a hunch. Neither I nor anyone else will likely read it or respond. It's just farting in the wind.
- Mononoke

So...you didn't read it or respond to it?

I dont disagree that the PK has been terrible but the reason I made the statement that during the streak their PK was higher and better then their season so far was that goaltending plays a large part in the success of a PK.
- opeth_pa

You need to stop wronging so much. Your amount of wronging is very worrisome. You are the wrongest.

You need to stop wronging so much. Your amount of wronging is very worrisome. You are the wrongest.
- jmatchett383

For real this is screwing up my CORSI..

So...you didn't read it or respond to it?
- jmatchett383

Nope. I scrolled down to see the name to verify a hunch, exited. I usually gloss over them anyway.

Nope. I scrolled down to see the name to verify a hunch, exited. I usually gloss over them anyway.
- Mononoke

Well, you did respond. Not to the carry on the conversation, but you did respond.

So...you didn't read it or respond to it?
- jmatchett383

I can't wait to watch Marner tonight

I can't believe I'm saying this, but if the Sixers can stay healthy, I think they can sneak into the playoffs.
- BiggE

I doubt it because they have a bunch of back to backs left. Integrating a ball dominant player like Simmons won't be seamless either. They'd also need to pass several teams to get there.

I guess anything is possible, but I hope fans don't expect it to happen because it probably won't. This run of winning every close game isn't going to last forever.

I agree with those who post that he looks like he has a confidence issue at times. I just disagree that the coaches are to blame for it. I have full confidence that Gostisbehere is going to be just fine.
- MJL

This. He just needs to learn more. He's still doing things that he could easily get away with in lower levels that are causing him big problems in the NHL. He'll learn.

I can't wait to watch Marner tonight
- Mordecai

We have guys who know how to handle super rookies.

This. He just needs to learn more. He's still doing things that he could easily get away with in lower levels that are causing him big problems in the NHL. He'll learn.
- Scoob

Called up too early.
Development ruined.
Should have spent 2 more years in the AHL.

We have guys who know how to handle super rookies.


- jmatchett383

lol...now you've done it

LW #25... James vanRiemsdyk


SUCKS!

lol...now you've done it
- Scoob

Don't forget, he intentionally broke his neck by falling into the boards with him and MDZ.

Your first statement is far more opinion than fact. The Flyers as a team, aren't good enough and consistent enough to vary strategy greatly based on opponent. Hakstol is trying to build a team identity, and consistency of play. Many top coaches have the philosophy of play your game, and dictate play.
- MJL

It is my fact because I say so.

There are plenty of examples of coaches getting a crappy team to play above their heads.

And there are also examples of top coaches changing the way their team plays based on how they are playing at the time. Most notably Bruce Boudreau, who basically got the Ducks to play the trap when they had an awful start last season.

LW #25... James vanRiemsdyk


SUCKS!
- dragonoffrost

pigeon

PK has been awful for 3 years despite some great goaltending 5v5, amid poor defense. Does a goalie magically lose skill there? Or maybe it's playing your worst players there or a PK coach who tells his PKers to cluster(frank) in the slot.

Using a 1 month sample is a stretch.
- Mononoke

Just watching the games, you can tell Simmonds, Coots, Giroux are far superior on the PK to the two who shall not be named. I still remain flabbergasted how our entire bottom-6 is formed around them because they're supposedly so valuable on the PK.

For those of you who like to read Broad Street Hockey, Charlie O'Connor was on Dimitri Filipovic's podcast (hockey pdocast -- great general hockey podcast imo) yesterday.

Dimitri Filipovic ‏@DimFilipovic 24h24 hours ago
More
New PDOcast! @BSH_Charlie on Trusting The Process in Philly, the Flyers never being dull, Ghost Bear's weird season:

LW #25... James vanRiemsdyk


SUCKS!
- dragonoffrost

"YOU COULDN'T EVEN BEAT UP RANDY JONES!!!"

I dont disagree that the PK has been terrible but the reason I made the statement that during the streak their PK was higher and better then their season so far was that goaltending plays a large part in the success of a PK.
- opeth_pa

Go look at their 5v5 save %s over the years (or Mason's alone), and then look at PK save %. There's a disconnect.

The year Mason finished 2nd in NHL behind Price I believe at 5v5 (14-15), he had a .944 save % 5v5. And a .844 save % PK. This year, where we all know he has been subpar? He has a .909 5v5 save %.....and .854 on the PK. He is actually higher there than his career year. Last year? .937 save % 5v5....and .820 on the PK. Higher than there too. A poor save % on the PK is the only constant over the years, regardless of how well he does 5v5.

So how is Mason on the PK actually outperforming his two better years right now? Because it's a lot more than the goalie, unless you really believe Mason can be great 5v5 and then forget how to play goalie on the PK (and that's not even true this year). There's a large enough sample to see that this is systemic from Lappy/Hak down. They choose to play the worst players on the team there, and choose to have poor tactics. A lot of the PK goals against are just blown coverages or complete screens or whatnot -- just unlikely saves on the part of Mason.

So, with many of us, including me, thinking that the Flyers need to find another solid center for next season, here are some names that intrigue me. First up, a couple of RFA's who they would need to trade for:

Sam Bennett
Mikhail Grigorenko

Obviously Bennett would cost more and has a much higher upside, but Grigorenko could possibly fill a need at 3C.

And, the UFA's

Martin Hanzal
The big guy would be a nice 3C fit here, but he is injury prone and that is a concern. While his health issues may keep the cost down somewhat, he still may cost more than they'd want to spend even if available

Mike Fisher
I doubt he wants to leave Nashville to go anywhere, and he'll be 37 next season, but if he were willing to sign a 1 year deal, I'd have interest

Patrick Berglund
Depending on how many years and how much he'll cost, he could be a perfect fit.

Nick Bonino
The Pens won't have much to spend on a guy like Bonino, but he also won't cost a fortune. He could also be a decent short-term 3C fit.

Thoughts?

Whatever happened to that guy?
- aightwebang17

He still walks among us

tanking has been proven to work....the value theyre getting from rentals is admirable though
- YuenglingJagr

It worked great for them, but they also got kinda lucky to land a superstar that quickly

That's really just nitpicking. The coach has been trying to search for combinations that will work. How can you not consider what he has to work with roster wise? It does not matter what combination the coach puts out there in terms of line or defense pairings, where you can't find an issue. That's a question of talent, not coaching.
- MJL

So the coach is not to blame whatsoever for anything that goes wrong. It's solely a lack of talent? Wow, hard to believe Hak wasn't hired by an NHL team years ago if he's that good a coach.