I wasn't happy when they fired Lavy. I got why they did, but wasn't happy with it. I don't think the players tuned him out as much as he didn't have the players to play his system. That's more on the GM than the coach IMO.

Re. Bobrovsky. I get that trade as well. However, I didn't agree with the Bryz signing to begin with. I thought Bob has what it took to be the real deal. His numbers have backed that up, minus the playoff success of course.

The Bryz signing was a panic move based on Snider's impatience. However, it was a result of Lavy's handling of the goalies the previous post season that prompted it. That is one criticism I have of Lavy.

In the end, I want the Preds to win. I'll be real happy for them and Lavy if they do.

Put Rinne on those Columbus teams and the Flyers of the last few years and put a matured Mason (since Rinne broke into the NHL quite a bit later in age) on the Trotz and current Lavy Preds. You'd see the career save percentages reversed. In fact, I doubt Rinne would have matched Mason's .918 save percentage that he had in Philly these years. It is the Columbus post-rookie numers that pull down Mason's totals.
- bmeltzer

Situation/timing and fit. Two huge, huge ingredients to a players and a teams success. Some guys thrive in a new environment.

I wasn't happy when they fired Lavy. I got why they did, but wasn't happy with it. I don't think the players tuned him out as much as he didn't have the players to play his system. That's more on the GM than the coach IMO.

Re. Bobrovsky. I get that trade as well. However, I didn't agree with the Bryz signing to begin with. I thought Bob has what it took to be the real deal. His numbers have backed that up, minus the playoff success of course.

The Bryz signing was a panic move based on Snider's impatience. However, it was a result of Lavy's handling of the goalies the previous post season that prompted it. That is one criticism I have of Lavy.

In the end, I want the Preds to win. I'll be real happy for them and Lavy if they do.
- hockeylover

I like Laviolette for one main reason. As a fan, he gave me a fun team to watch. Sure the GM gets some credit, but having Boucher coaching those clubs wouldn't have been the same. I am a fan of hockey before being a fan of the Flyers. The game is a beautiful thing when played a certain way.

When Rinne was approaching free agency in his late 20s he had a 64 game season at .930 then a 73 game season at .923. That's how he got his big contract.

Not being able to perform at that level is why Mason is heading into free agency with an uncertain future. Unfortunately for him, the guys who think he's better than Rinne are posting on message boards, instead of running NHL teams.
- Feanor

And authoring the blog you're commenting on

You are right though. An NHL GM just needs to look at career numbers to figure out who to sign and how much

And authoring the blog you're commenting on

You are right though. An NHL GM just needs to look at career numbers to figure out who to sign and how much
- YuenglingJagr

Indeed. Worked great with Bryz, who excelled in 68-game and 69-game workloads under Tippett's system.

Can't really get behind Mason being as good as Rinne. Rinne's currently got a .941 save percentage and 1.70 GAA. If those numbers hold in that area and Nashville wins the cup he should be the Conn Smythe winner.

Can't really get behind Mason being as good as Rinne. Rinne's currently got a .941 save percentage and 1.70 GAA. If those numbers hold in that area and Nashville wins the cup he should be the Conn Smythe winner.
- pinkfloydfreak

Agreed, a 16-game sample in a best-of-seven tournament is the best way to evaluate a goalie.

The point that most seem to miss is the 2011 playoffs were 6 yrs ago and yet Bob still looks terrible in the playoffs. Watching him in person in Philly in 2011 he was a deer in the headlights. He looked overwhelmed and Lavy was more than justified in not trusting him.

Fast forward to 2017 playoffs and he looked shaky again. It was like a 2011 flashback. When he is bad, he just looks intimidated in net.

Like Roman Cechmanek he is outstanding in the reg season, but the Flyers would have been lambasted if they eventually gave him 7.5 m to be great in the reg season, then terrible in the playoffs.

I don't care about Vez Trophys. That does not get me excited as a season ticket holder. Need a goalie who can win in the Playoffs. Neither Mason nor Bob seem to have the mental capabilities to survive in the playoffs. I think they have one decent playoff round between them...

Snarky in here this morning

Can't really get behind Mason being as good as Rinne. Rinne's currently got a .941 save percentage and 1.70 GAA. If those numbers hold in that area and Nashville wins the cup he should be the Conn Smythe winner.
- pinkfloydfreak

To me, he is having a run kind of like Beezer ca. 1999, where the numbers look great and reflect strong overall play but the ones that do go in -- likes goals 1 and 2 in Game 4 vs. Ducks -- have been on several misplays. But the Preds have been more resilient than the Flyers of that year when Beezer yielded 9 goals in 6 games yet was branded the goat vs. Leads because of two ill-timed short siders.

Snarky in here this morning
- Mordecai

It is the most effective way to win an argument outside of using vague statistics

Can't really get behind Mason being as good as Rinne. Rinne's currently got a .941 save percentage and 1.70 GAA. If those numbers hold in that area and Nashville wins the cup he should be the Conn Smythe winner.
- pinkfloydfreak

It really isn't a Rinne vs Mason debate, IMHO. My point was that after years of watching Rinne and Mason, I do not think anyone can objectively say that Mason isn't good enough to do exactly what Rinne and the Preds are doing with whatever team Mason ends up on. It is more of a jab at the idea the Flyers need a "cup caliber" goalie in order to take the next step.

The point that most seem to miss is the 2011 playoffs were 6 yrs ago and yet Bob still looks terrible in the playoffs. Watching him in person in Philly in 2011 he was a deer in the headlights. He looked overwhelmed and Lavy was more than justified in not trusting him.
- joenardonesson

In Game 1, his first ever playoff game, they lost 1-0 on an odd bounce from, of all people, Patrick Kaleta.
In Game 2, they got off to a bad start defensively and he let in 1 bad goal.
Lavi then made him a healthy scratch.

I don't think "overwhelmed" is the term I'd use for that.

In Game 1, his first ever playoff game, they lost 1-0 on an odd bounce from, of all people, Patrick Kaleta.
In Game 2, they got off to a bad start defensively and he let in 1 bad goal.
Lavi then made him a healthy scratch.

I don't think "overwhelmed" is the term I'd use for that.
- jmatchett383

were you there?

i was and so was Lavy...

the fact that he remains shaky in the playoffs even today kinda confirms the point.

let the guy win something besides meaningless reg season hardware before we nominate him as the next Tretiak.

were you there?

i was and so was Lavy...

the fact that he remains shaky in the playoffs even today kinda confirms the point.

let the guy win something besides meaningless reg season hardware before we nominate him as the next Tretiak.
- joenardonesson

okay

True enough. I think a lot of folks don't think rationally when it comes to their favourite sports team, and they also know it (and are ok with that). For many, it's simply something to watch for some entertainment and take your mind off of dumb things in life.

Kum bah yah and all.


- flyer_nutter

Does thinking rationally about one's favorite sport team include thinking overtly pessimistic about everything a team does?

I wasn't happy when they fired Lavy. I got why they did, but wasn't happy with it. I don't think the players tuned him out as much as he didn't have the players to play his system. That's more on the GM than the coach IMO.

Re. Bobrovsky. I get that trade as well. However, I didn't agree with the Bryz signing to begin with. I thought Bob has what it took to be the real deal. His numbers have backed that up, minus the playoff success of course.

The Bryz signing was a panic move based on Snider's impatience. However, it was a result of Lavy's handling of the goalies the previous post season that prompted it. That is one criticism I have of Lavy.

In the end, I want the Preds to win. I'll be real happy for them and Lavy if they do.
- hockeylover

Hard to blame the GM for the injury to Pronger and the decline of Timonen. It's not easy to replace defenseman like that or find the right kind of defenseman when you need to add.

Hard to blame the GM for the injury to Pronger and the decline of Timonen. It's not easy to replace defenseman like that or find the right kind of defenseman when you need to add.
- MJL

You mean GM's might panic and overreact to something? SHOCKING!

- YuenglingJagr

Mason seems to run more hot and cold while Rinne seems more consistent.

If you're playing one big game and get to pick which one of those guys is going in net I'd think most folks are taking Rinne.

were you there?

i was and so was Lavy...

the fact that he remains shaky in the playoffs even today kinda confirms the point.

let the guy win something besides meaningless reg season hardware before we nominate him as the next Tretiak.
- joenardonesson

I was at Game 1. Saw Game 2 on TV. I'm not saying that he has proven anything in the playoffs, just that I don't think a 1-0 loss and then 1 bad goal in a team-wide defensive meltdown is "overwhelmed."

Mason seems to run more hot and cold while Rinne seems more consistent.

If you're playing one big game and get to pick which one of those guys is going in net I'd think most folks are taking Rinne.
- Queenie_5_hole

That completely comes down to personal opinion (regarding who you would want in net)

Please tell me how Rinne can ever be considered more consistent?

Well done, Bill.

Context has a way of getting glossed over in favor of recency bias and I think you summarized Laviolette's shortcomings quite nicely when he was here.

That said, I liked him as a coach and those Flyers teams were fun to watch.

Hard to blame the GM for the injury to Pronger and the decline of Timonen. It's not easy to replace defenseman like that or find the right kind of defenseman when you need to add.
- MJL

I'm not blaming the GM for either.


Where I blame Holmgren is not encouraging Mr. and Mrs. Provorov to conceive Ivan sooner. He could have played in Lavy's system then. Issue solved.

Thanks. Nice read.

I'm not blaming the GM for either.


Where I blame Holmgren is not encouraging Mr. and Mrs. Provorov to conceive Ivan sooner. He could have played in Lavy's system then. Issue solved.
- hockeylover

I blame the Flyers' science department for not being able to clone Pronger.