Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Weal, Elliott, Even-Strength Points, Frost and Much More

Morgan Frost is looking like a very good player. Tremendous skill set, seems to create the scoring. I look forward to watching him play big minutes when he finally gets them in about 9 years.

Morgan Frost is looking like a very good player. Tremendous skill set, seems to create the scoring. I look forward to watching him play big minutes when he finally gets them in about 9 years.
- Lip_Out

He’ll battle it out with Dustin Brown once we acquire that contract, I’d expect a lot of time in the press box for him observing weise and brown, the 2 who’ve been there and done it

Any updates on Myers? Brutal injury. He turned around to skate to the corner and it looked like his groin came apart. Pretty cool

I know Bill talked about it is how you react after allowing the first one in.

It is also the timing of the key save or the timing of the goal you allow. The Flyers goalies haven't come up clutch. Sure they have had stretches of damn good play, but then will allow a horrible goal and the team wilts or the complexion of the game changes.

Good goaltending also helps to breed confidence.

When you trust that your goalie is going to stop all the make-able saves and then steal one or 2 that maybe he shouldn't, that give an air of confidence to the guys in-front of them that they don't have to play "perfect" hockey to win.

Look at the San Jose game. G comes out scores in the first minute then Nuevy allows 2 goals, that he HAS TO STOP, and bam! That game was a total disaster.

Exactly, G has to realize that the players around him and the goalie are fragile with the lead and not score. You can't give your team a lead with the attitude they have. Selfish G.

Any updates on Myers? Brutal injury. He turned around to skate to the corner and it looked like his groin came apart. Pretty cool
- Just5

Just keeping the legacy of Mark Streit alive and well.

Any updates on Myers? Brutal injury. He turned around to skate to the corner and it looked like his groin came apart. Pretty cool
- Just5

He'll be out awhile. Recurring nagging injury that worsened.

Morgan Frost


If they land a prospect as good as Frost with that other pick from St. Louis, I really don't care what Schenn is doing for the Blues, I will be happy with the trade.

re the ES scoring:
Outside of the top line and Patrick (having dealt with a concussion and only played 16 games, I'll give him an incomplete), the forwards have just been atrocious at generating offense at ES. Yes, overall the team has played very well defensively at ES, but they need to find some more offense from the other 8-9 forwards and they need it soon.

re the goaltending:
Bill, I know you like Mason, but I see a guy who is just mentally soft and just doesn't have the intangibles that you want to see from a #1 on a contending team. I've always felt, he would really be better off if he just kept his mouth shut more and just concentrated on his own play. Often, I think he's his own worst enemy.

On Elliott, it's really hard to judge. Yes, he's let in some goals that he should have stopped, but he's also made some incredible saves and he's facing a ridiculous amount of good scoring chances and overall shots during the last few weeks. I'm not sure anyone else that they could have reasonably expected to bring in would be doing any better and even the best goalies in the league would be hard pressed to succeed when facing 40+ shots and playing behind a team that is a total dumpster fire on the PK right now.

Neuvirth is what he is, a streaky guy that you can't count on to be a number one because of the combo of his streaky play and injury history. At some point this season, he'll probably have a run where he looks fantastic and steals some games. However it's just as likely that he also goes ice cold or gets injured at some point too.

However, all that being said, if you start getting more secondary scoring and better play on the PK, I believe that Elliott/Neuvirth is a good enough tandem to get a team into the playoffs. The D will have another year's experience under their belt and the forward group should be deeper next season as well so I would be very disappointed if this team did not return to the playoffs in 2018-19. However, if you want to see them win a round or 2 next year, I do think they will need to upgrade the goaltending. I don't think the current guys can do that unless you get lucky and Neuvirth goes on one of his red hot streaks just as the playoffs are starting.

An observation on the penalty kill this season vs last.
I think they miss Bellemare a bit.
He was like Lappy, 100% commitment and pretty effective. I know at 5 on 5 PAB was not stellar, but I think he was very good on PK.

Any updates on Myers? Brutal injury. He turned around to skate to the corner and it looked like his groin came apart. Pretty cool
- Just5

Oh well, they aren't all going to pan out. Hopefully he can get this fixed once and for all and come back strong next year. It's not like they need to rush him up, they have more than enough young D right now.

An observation on the penalty kill this season vs last.
I think they miss Bellemare a bit.
He was like Lappy, 100% commitment and pretty effective. I know at 5 on 5 PAB was not stellar, but I think he was very good on PK.
- Marc D

He couldn't hurt at this point. It did drive me nuts last year, and this I pin fully on Lappy, that they would start the kill with him and VdV. PEB was pretty weak in the FO circle and I always thought if they would just start the PK with a guy like Coots, they had a much better chance at winning the opening draw and getting an easy clear.

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- YuenglingJagr

That's not how you spell "everything is litrilly terrible"

ttt

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Weal, Elliott, Even-Strength Points, Frost and Much More
- bmeltzer

I love the goalie content today, Bill. Thanks! You wrote a lot more about Mason's personality and how he's perceived in the locker room and around the league than I think you ever had before. Interesting stuff.

Exactly, G has to realize that the players around him and the goalie are fragile with the lead and not score. You can't give your team a lead with the attitude they have. Selfish G.
- Lip_Out

lol - well played

Boy do I hope Strome can get his skating worked out. The kid has NHL hands and hockey sense. Steal of the draft if he can work it out.

On Elliott,
- BiggE

The only thing that really worries me about Elliott is he still seems to get small and sit back in the net when the play is in close to him.

However, all that being said, if you start getting more secondary scoring and better play on the PK, I believe that Elliott/Neuvirth is a good enough tandem to get a team into the playoffs. The D will have another year's experience under their belt and the forward group should be deeper next season as well so I would be very disappointed if this team did not return to the playoffs in 2018-19. However, if you want to see them win a round or 2 next year, I do think they will need to upgrade the goaltending. I don't think the current guys can do that unless you get lucky and Neuvirth goes on one of his red hot streaks just as the playoffs are starting.

I agree. The tandem is fine for the team as it is currently constructed and where it is on the learning/progression curve.

I love the goalie content today, Bill. Thanks! You wrote a lot more about Mason's personality and how he's perceived in the locker room and around the league than I think you ever had before. Interesting stuff.
- Scoob

For sure, a lot of subtle insight in to why they didn't want him back.

That's not how you spell "everything is litrilly terrible"
- BiggE

awful sucky dumb flyers

awful sucky dumb flyers
- Scoob

Ahh, I get it.

Boy do I hope Strome can get his skating worked out. The kid has NHL hands and hockey sense. Steal of the draft if he can work it out.
- MBFlyerfan

Yeah, it's a long term project though. His skating is just awful, he makes Coots look like Pavel Bure


However, if he really dedicates himself every summer to power skating lessons, and agility/conditioning/core strength drills, he could be a very good player. If he can just get to where he's a mediocre NHL skater, he has all the other tools in enough abundance to be a productive top 6 forward and a beast on the pp.

I got to see first hand the Mason melt down against the Panthers two years ago. The Flyers started out with an OT loss to the Lightning 2 days before. Then Mase went sicko and the game was over before I got my first beer. It was 4-0, 8 minutes in. That was hard to watch and my wife wouldn't let me leave. (Well I could go but she was staying, semantics. SHRUG.)

Mason spent too much time inside his own head. For the most part, I think he played well. He always played starter number of games, yet whined about it. He female doged about last year and played I think 59 games. That's starter numbers, no whining!😝

I got to see first hand the Mason melt down against the Panthers two years ago. The Flyers started out with an OT loss to the Lightning 2 days before. Then Mase went sicko and the game was over before I got my first beer. It was 4-0, 8 minutes in. That was hard to watch and my wife wouldn't let me leave. (Well I could go but she was staying, semantics. SHRUG.)

Mason spent too much time inside his own head. For the most part, I think he played well. He always played starter number of games, yet whined about it. He female doged about last year and played I think 59 games. That's starter numbers, no whining!😝
- jaws1955

This is exactly how I feel about him. IMO, he just doesn't have the mental makeup to be a starting goalie on a contending team.