Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 4/8/17

Let's get this over with and move on to the draft and off season.

The only thing left is to see if the phantoms choke their playoff position away while friedman remains grounded in the press box

Well 2 more games to look at the defensive pairings Bill writes in his blog and sigh. Here's to the future and much needed change.

The only thing left is to see if the phantoms choke their playoff position away while friedman remains grounded in the press box
- Just5

shut up, please.

Bill is the game at 7pm or 12:30pm? The NHL app has 12:30 listed as the start time

Edit: never mind, this is what I get for reading before the caffeine kicks in

xx

ALLENTOWN - 215 minutes and 38 seconds.

That's how long the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have gone without scoring a goal against their bitter Atlantic Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins across the past four meetings including Friday night's 3-0 shutout loss - the Phantoms' third straight shutout loss to the Penguins in the last three weeks.

Wow ...are the Blue jackets actually that much better then the Flyers? Is Tort's that much better of a coach? Is Bobrovsky that much better then Mason? Are those prospects taken in the same years as a lot of our guys developing that much faster? How did the Blue Jackets change this scenario around in one year? I thought you had to be patient and wait for 5 years? I guess every team has its own way....and we can see by the Blue Jackets that there are other ways.

Wow ...are the Blue jackets actually that much better then the Flyers? Is Tort's that much better of a coach? Is Bobrovsky that much better then Mason? Are those prospects taken in the same years as a lot of our guys developing that much faster? How did the Blue Jackets change this scenario around in one year? I thought you had to be patient and wait for 5 years? I guess every team has its own way....and we can see by the Blue Jackets that there are other ways.
- landros 2

Things have gelled for Columbus this season. The several years since their last trip to the playoffs (and just the second in franchise history), not so much. Bob had a down year last year and had a .908 SV%, same as Mason's this year. Also, can we at least wait until Columbus wins a playoff series --- they have yet to play in a conference semi in franchise history -- before we declare them all the Flyers should aspire to be? As for Torts, correct me if I am wrong, but weren't people just about writing his NHL coaching obituary after flopping in Vancouver, things not going well at all with Columbus last year and the Team USA fiasco at World Cup?

Let's get this over with and move on to the draft and off season.
- BiggE

My wish list without having any prospect exspertise and figuring they will be in the 11-13 range

Eeli Tolvanen
Michael Rasmussen
Cody Glass
Owen Tippett

My wish list without having any prospect exspertise and figuring they will be in the 11-13 range

Eeli Tolvanen
Michael Rasmussen
Cody Glass
Owen Tippett
- nastyflyergirl

Very likely BAP will be a defenseman when the flyers are up from what I've seen. Yay!

Things have gelled for Columbus this season. The several years since their last trip to the playoffs (and just the second in franchise history), not so much. Bob had a down year last year and had a .908 SV%, same as Mason's this year. Also, can we at least wait until Columbus wins a playoff series --- they have yet to play in a conference semi in franchise history -- before we declare them all the Flyers should aspire to be?
- bmeltzer

I would venture to guess they are currently in a better spot then the Flyers today. Let's not live in the past. Let's actually take a hard look at where they are today. That is what both my post and opinion is. I could care (frank)in less about 5 years ago...
Columbus is a young franchise who has never had the financial backing that the Flyers have always enjoyed until recently. If all we are talking about is franchise history that gets a little old when I watch the piss poor product on the ice TODAY. Why is it when people point out what a piss poor result and product the Flyers have produced in the last 5 years guys cling to the past glory ? I've watched and cheered as long as you I just choose to form my own opinion and if it differs from yours...oh well.

My wish list without having any prospect exspertise and figuring they will be in the 11-13 range

Eeli Tolvanen
Michael Rasmussen
Cody Glass
Owen Tippett
- nastyflyergirl

At 11 or 12 Cody Glass is intriguing...will he be there? I think he's climbing some are talking top 5.

Columbus lineup doesn't exactly inspire me thst they are suddenly a long term top eastern conference team. They had a good year but you take their winning streak out and they are largely middle of the pack. Torts despite his flaws and his failures has a cup and has brought the best out in teams.. for short periods of time until it turns into a dumpster fire and they tune him out. I wouldn't list them as someone I inspire to be.

I do agree I'd like to see the ahl team more connected to the nhl in terms of playing style. But to say a team that had a 20 point improvement year of year doesn't mean something is asinine. We do have a lot of prospects contributing to that including 2 prospect goalies. Not being the class of the ahl just yet is okay as long as continue to see marked improvement.

The only glimmer of possible joy for this NHL season would be to see the Leafs fall short in their playoff hunt. highly unlikely due to their last two games.. But it would be nice

I would venture to guess they are currently in a better spot then the Flyers today. Let's not live in the past. Let's actually take a hard look at where they are today. That is what both my post and opinion is. I could care (frank)in less about 5 years ago...
Columbus is a young franchise who has never had the financial backing that the Flyers have always enjoyed until recently. If all we are talking about is franchise history that gets a little old when I watch the piss poor product on the ice TODAY. Why is it when people point out what a piss poor result and product the Flyers have produced in the last 5 years guys cling to the past glory ? I've watched and cheered as long as you I just choose to form my own opinion and if it differs from yours...oh well.
- landros 2

If we are being asked to be patient and wait for prospects to funnel through the channels then I want it done right. I want and expect the Phantoms to be playing the brand of hockey that Hak has instilled in the flyers so transitions are smooth. Basically I want what the Penguins have which is consistency between the parent and AHL clubs. If you watch the Phantoms play the Pens they are completely outclassed, and it has nothing to do with the skill level. I'll begin to have major doubts about this thing if Hexy continues to run Scott Gordon out there to play a brand of hockey similar to Lavy's dying days.

I would venture to guess they are currently in a better spot then the Flyers today. Let's not live in the past. Let's actually take a hard look at where they are today. That is what both my post and opinion is. I could care (frank)in less about 5 years ago...
Columbus is a young franchise who has never had the financial backing that the Flyers have always enjoyed until recently. If all we are talking about is franchise history that gets a little old when I watch the piss poor product on the ice TODAY. Why is it when people point out what a piss poor result and product the Flyers have produced in the last 5 years guys cling to the past glory ? I've watched and cheered as long as you I just choose to form my own opinion and if it differs from yours...oh well.
- landros 2

"Piss poor" teams don't rank in the top one-third of the league at home nor do they rattle off any 10-game winning streaks plus a 5-1-0 runs as they recently had. You want to say a"flawed" team that is two impact players -- one up front and one more on D if Provorov stays.Healthy and on his current track -- away from being more than a streaky bubble team? Absolutely. The sky is falling hyperbole is over-the-top, in my opinion.

Also where did I say a thing about five plus years ago? My point is that Columbus looked like an utter mess before gelling this season. I think they are for real and will be a playoff team for years to come but then again, we were all saying that about the Islanders two years ago and they have since had misseteps and regressed to bubble team status again. I think Jarmo is a sharper GM than Garth Snow, but I also.think Hextall is as well.

If we are being asked to be patient and wait for prospects to funnel through the channels then I want it done right. I want and expect the Phantoms to be playing the brand of hockey that Hak has instilled in the flyers so transitions are smooth. Basically I want what the Penguins have which is consistency between the parent and AHL clubs. If you watch the Phantoms play the Pens they are completely outclassed, and it has nothing to do with the skill level. I'll begin to have major doubts about this thing if Hexy continues to run Scott Gordon out there to play a brand of hockey similar to Lavy's dying days.


- Just5

One team having dominance over another team at the pro level is never about coaching.

One team having dominance over another team at the pro level is never about coaching.
- MJL

I know. It's about tom kostopolous winning all the wars

Things have gelled for Columbus this season. The several years since their last trip to the playoffs (and just the second in franchise history), not so much. Bob had a down year last year and had a .908 SV%, same as Mason's this year. Also, can we at least wait until Columbus wins a playoff series --- they have yet to play in a conference semi in franchise history -- before we declare them all the Flyers should aspire to be? As for Torts, correct me if I am wrong, but weren't people just about writing his NHL coaching obituary after flopping in Vancouver, things not going well at all with Columbus last year and the Team USA fiasco at World Cup?
- bmeltzer

You'd think they were the Chicago Black Hawks or the mid 80's Oilers

I know. It's about tom kostopolous winning all the wars
- Just5

If Gordon was as incompetent as the narrative that some are floating is saying, Hextall would not have him coaching the Phantoms.

I would venture to guess they are currently in a better spot then the Flyers today. Let's not live in the past. Let's actually take a hard look at where they are today. That is what both my post and opinion is. I could care (frank)in less about 5 years ago...
Columbus is a young franchise who has never had the financial backing that the Flyers have always enjoyed until recently. If all we are talking about is franchise history that gets a little old when I watch the piss poor product on the ice TODAY. Why is it when people point out what a piss poor result and product the Flyers have produced in the last 5 years guys cling to the past glory ? I've watched and cheered as long as you I just choose to form my own opinion and if it differs from yours...oh well.
- landros 2

I can't speak for their minor league system but things will start to get interesting for them. Wennberg is a RFA. After next year Jenner and Anderson are RFA's. Atkinson and Calvert will be UFAs

I still don't get what people expect. Hextall has said from day one of being hired he is building through the draft. he has had several drafts now and we are seeing some of those players trickle onto the team and more in the works not to mention some of the kids drafted under Holmgren. Yes there is more to building a team than just drafting. But until the kids start filtering onto the team I don't think big time free agent signings are smart. until you see what you have in prospects, I wouldn't trade any of them.

If we are being asked to be patient and wait for prospects to funnel through the channels then I want it done right. I want and expect the Phantoms to be playing the brand of hockey that Hak has instilled in the flyers so transitions are smooth. Basically I want what the Penguins have which is consistency between the parent and AHL clubs. If you watch the Phantoms play the Pens they are completely outclassed, and it has nothing to do with the skill level. I'll begin to have major doubts about this thing if Hexy continues to run Scott Gordon out there to play a brand of hockey similar to Lavy's dying days.
- Just5

Have our prospects struggled when recalled or do they seem perfectly fine in Hakstol system ? This is overblown though I agree I'd like to see similar systems I don't think it has the effects on prospects you think it does.

Very likely BAP will be a defenseman when the flyers are up from what I've seen. Yay!
- Just5

If a Dman is, in their scouts opinions, the best available player then you take him. However, once the draft gets past the top 3 picks, and there is a forward you really like, then try to move up. In this years draft, I don't think it's going to take a massive package to move up from say 12 to 7. Some centers that I like, and that I think will all go somewhere between 4 and 15 are Mittlestadt, Glass, Pettersson and Necas. If you see a run starting on centers, then I'd be fine with moving up to get one of these guys.

Honestly, I'd be pretty surprised if all 4 are off the board before the 10th pick and even if the Flyers are at 13, it may not cost any more than the 13th pick and their 2nd rounder to move up 3 spots. If you really like a guy, then that is not to hefty a price to pay get him.