Has JvR earned more time than that? He's been getting some of more favorable (on-paper) matchups. Is he finding seams? Winning his puck battles? He made 2 good defensive plays last game but that's not the No. 1 thing that they need from him.

As for Giroux, he absolutely does need to elevate his game, too. But he has set up two of the Flyers' three goals in the series.
- bmeltzer

Are all our ventures being help accountable and to the same standard? I don’t think so.

The Flyers are up 2-1 in this series, but they have scored 3 goals. That isn't good enough. Averaging a goal a game isn't going to beat anyone.
- PLindbergh31

True, but neither is averaging 0.50 goals in odd numbered games of a series.

Need to see a game today like the LVK, Colorado, Boston, hell even the Islanders are playing. Watching these teams play the games look nothing like how the Flyers are playing. The Bruins trailed 2-0 after two periods last night. They came out in the third period and outshot Carolina 13-0 in the first 10 mins. Completely dominated. And this was without David Pastrnak.

The Flyers are up 2-1 in this series, but they have scored 3 goals. That isn't good enough. Averaging a goal a game isn't going to beat anyone.
- PLindbergh31

Also without Svechnikov, to be fair. Both watching with weird cloth masks from the seats.

I think the Flyers offensive struggles are situational. Keep at it, and it will come.

Do you know how many times the Habs were shutout before this game, including throughout the regular season and playoffs? Just once. Yet we did it. I think that is just as impressive as the Boston game you cite.

I’d be ok with this. To me the kid is better defensively and lighter on his skates.

Didn’t realize quotes didn’t work. Farabee in for jvr

Also without Svechnikov, to be fair. Both watching with weird cloth masks from the seats.

I think the Flyers offensive struggles are situational. Keep at it, and it will come.

Do you know how many times the Habs were shutout before this game, including throughout the regular season and playoffs? Just once. Yet we did it. I think that is just as impressive as the Boston game you cite.
- PT21

Let each player play within their roles and within their strengths. This is about winning a Cup now, not earning ice time. Should fans be fine should we get knocked out of the playoffs, knowing the coaching staff could have done more, starting with tinkering the power play?

Also without Svechnikov, to be fair. Both watching with weird cloth masks from the seats.

I think the Flyers offensive struggles are situational. Keep at it, and it will come.

Do you know how many times the Habs were shutout before this game, including throughout the regular season and playoffs? Just once. Yet we did it. I think that is just as impressive as the Boston game you cite.
- PT21

Not buying the shutout being as impressive. 4 posts, and 3 odd man rushes. It easily could have been a 3-1 loss, as it was a shutout.

Montreal pre-bubble was a terrible hockey club. Beating the Penguins gave them some confidence and now they are playing pretty solid hockey. I think that is equally what the Flyers aren't doing then what Montreal is doing. I think we all agree the Flyers have to step up their game to have a chance to do something in these playoffs.

I would like to see Provy do a slap-pass instead of a shot. Would open things up near the net in the future.
- PT21

Or throw a fake and move east west to create a lane. Good PP dmen are able to create lanes. He’s way too stationary.

Do you know how many times the Habs were shutout before this game, including throughout the regular season and playoffs? Just once. Yet we did it. I think that is just as impressive as the Boston game you cite.
- PT21

The Flyers were extremely lucky that the Habs did not score in game 3.

I think we all agree the Flyers have to step up their game to have a chance to do something in these playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

I agree - and I think they need to step it up a couple steps.

True, but neither is averaging 0.50 goals in odd numbered games of a series.
- bmeltzer

This is definitely a battle of the goalies- low scoring (bar game 2) should be expected.

Flyers are up 2 games to 1, while being outscored 6-3? The optics are pretty bad. They need a solid effort from everyone this afternoon.

Not buying the shutout being as impressive. 4 posts, and 3 odd man rushes. It easily could have been a 3-1 loss, as it was a shutout.

Montreal pre-bubble was a terrible hockey club. Beating the Penguins gave them some confidence and now they are playing pretty solid hockey. I think that is equally what the Flyers aren't doing then what Montreal is doing. I think we all agree the Flyers have to step up their game to have a chance to do something in these playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

For me "could-haves" are just that. The Canadiens could have won 3-1? Sure. Fact is they did not.

I will agree that the Flyers are not playing there best game right now. Some of that is Montreal and some of that is the Flyers. The Flyers need to eliminate the "could-haves" and just do what needs to be done to win. Scoring more than 1 goal a game would be a good start.

Flyers are up 2 games to 1, while being outscored 6-3? The optics are pretty bad. They need a solid effort from everyone this afternoon.
- Doc_Sarcasm

May also want to add that the Flyers have allowed 1-1-1-1-5-0 goals across the six postseason games they've played so far. Which one looks like the outlier?

No, the Flyers cannot always rely on making 2-1 and 1-0 leads stand up to win a series. But they also don't figure to keep up a 1-for-25 ratio on the power play or for none among Couturier, Giroux, Hayes or Konecny to score a goal.

Flyers are up 2 games to 1, while being outscored 6-3? The optics are pretty bad. They need a solid effort from everyone this afternoon.
- Doc_Sarcasm

Yup. Continuing that way is a recipe for an early bubble exit.

Not buying the shutout being as impressive. 4 posts, and 3 odd man rushes. It easily could have been a 3-1 loss, as it was a shutout.

Montreal pre-bubble was a terrible hockey club. Beating the Penguins gave them some confidence and now they are playing pretty solid hockey. I think that is equally what the Flyers aren't doing then what Montreal is doing. I think we all agree the Flyers have to step up their game to have a chance to do something in these playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

Its actually a shutout in ES over 2 games. 1 and 3.

Were you impressed by the same BOS team going 0-3 during RR? If that happened to the Flyers, and they were down 2-0 after 2 in the game yesterday, you would have crucified the team.

Look, I am not denying the fact the offense looks unimaginative, and the pp utterly dysfunctional. But in a playoff series, you don't have the luxury of making huge changes. Next game is upon you before you know it.

And we have to face the fact that this is a poor match-up for us, that MTL made Pens look disinterested and won 3-1, that we went 2-1 against them in the reg season, with 1 bad loss and 2 OT wins. And that pre-lockdown rankings are not very relevant right now. MTL looks far more impressive than the Caps right now, for example.

Under such circumstances, what would you do? To utter banalities like "better players need to be better players and we need to compete harder is not very analytical". We can worry about whether offense is stuck once we have a few more games and actually see the next opponent.

For now, I saw significant changes in tactics and style of play. I saw cracks in MTL play, not so much in their ES style, which stayed admirably consistent, but in the penalties they took. Our pp should have busted the game open. That would have been the exclamation point in what I thought was a pretty well written essay. Keep up the work, and I believe you will see more cracks and you will get the exclamation mark you seek.

That Konecny x-check penalty CANNOT happen. The team is ahead, and he let his personal frustrations get the better of him.

I am hoping for 2-0 or a 3-1 game, with at least 1 pp goal and several good chances.

See y'all at game time.

May also want to add that the Flyers have allowed 1-1-1-1-5-0 goals across the six postseason games they've played so far. Which one looks like the outlier?

No, the Flyers cannot always rely on making 2-1 and 1-0 leads stand up to win a series. But they also don't figure to keep up a 1-for-25 ratio on the power play or for none among Couturier, Giroux, Hayes or Konecny to score a goal.
- bmeltzer

Lol. Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong.

Winning 1-0 at this time of year is impressive to me. Bill pointed out above what goals we have allowed. Always feel like the games are higher scoring earlier in the year as players are getting timing and rhythm back. Yes there is an outlier. This afternoon game worries me but am still glad we are up 2-1.

Are all our ventures being help accountable and to the same standard? I don’t think so.
- SuperSchennBros

To quote Fred Shero, "All players are not created equal."

JVR MUST score to bring value. While Giroux absolutely needs to score more for the team to win, he is a dominant faceoff man (JVR doesn't take draws except if the center is booted), can move back to center if needed (JVR is exclusively locked into one position), can kill penalties as needed (JVR doesn't kill penalties).

Because Giroux DOES more things, he is going to get a longer leash than JvR. By the way, I think JvR and Voracek both had one of their better two-way play seasons of their careers under Vigneault this season.

And we have to face the fact that this is a poor match-up for us, that MTL made Pens look disinterested and won 3-1, that we went 2-1 against them in the reg season, with 1 bad loss and 2 OT wins. And that pre-lockdown rankings are not very relevant right now. MTL looks far more impressive than the Caps right now, for example.


- PT21

I couldn't disagree with this more. Why is it a poor match up for the Flyers? It's not. It's probably the easiest match up they will see in the playoffs. The Flyers simply are not dictating play and not matching the Habs work ethic and intensity so far. It looks to me like they have taken the Habs lightly and now realize they're in a fight which is what the playoffs always are.

To quote Fred Shero, "All players are not created equal."

JVR MUST score to bring value. While Giroux absolutely needs to score more for the team to win, he is a dominant faceoff man (JVR doesn't take draws except if the center is booted), can move back to center if needed (JVR is exclusively locked into one position), can kill penalties as needed (JVR doesn't kill penalties).

Because Giroux DOES more things, he is going to get a longer leash than JvR. By the way, I think JvR and Voracek both had one of their better two-way play seasons of their careers under Vigneault this season.
- bmeltzer

All is becoming normal.


3 PM playoff hockey with no crowd in August, okay that isnt normal.
Flyers are up 2-1 in the series and they are crap.

All is becoming normal.


3 PM playoff hockey with no crowd in August, okay that isnt normal.
Flyers are up 2-1 in the series and they are crap.
- opeth_pa

Well. Some of the players have to like it. No boos or shoot the puck during the struggling p p.

To quote Fred Shero, "All players are not created equal."

JVR MUST score to bring value. While Giroux absolutely needs to score more for the team to win, he is a dominant faceoff man (JVR doesn't take draws except if the center is booted), can move back to center if needed (JVR is exclusively locked into one position), can kill penalties as needed (JVR doesn't kill penalties).

Because Giroux DOES more things, he is going to get a longer leash than JvR. By the way, I think JvR and Voracek both had one of their better two-way play seasons of their careers under Vigneault this season.
- bmeltzer

I'm hoping that the rule of "reverting to the mean" applies to G and company. The things that have been driving me nuts are the blind passes, the passes behind the play which are then intercepted, and puck fumbling with open pucks. It's been very frustrating to watch this team play like that. Hart has been the Flyers best player, which for a long time Flyers fan of 47 years, is a breath of fresh air.

Quick start and better execution

To quote Fred Shero, "All players are not created equal."

JVR MUST score to bring value. While Giroux absolutely needs to score more for the team to win, he is a dominant faceoff man (JVR doesn't take draws except if the center is booted), can move back to center if needed (JVR is exclusively locked into one position), can kill penalties as needed (JVR doesn't kill penalties).

Because Giroux DOES more things, he is going to get a longer leash than JvR. By the way, I think JvR and Voracek both had one of their better two-way play seasons of their careers under Vigneault this season.
- bmeltzer

Well first and for most, Fred Shero left us for the Rangers.

To quote myself, we knew exactly what to expect when we signed JvR. JvR is basically a power play specialist who needs skill around him to produce. This is about winning a Cup now, not playing favors.

I'm hoping that the rule of "reverting to the mean" applies to G and company. The things that have been driving me nuts are the blind passes, the passes behind the play which are then intercepted, and puck fumbling with open pucks. It's been very frustrating to watch this team play like that. Hart has been the Flyers best player, which for a long time Flyers fan of 47 years, is a breath of fresh air.
- Letterkenney

Giroux is literally passing to nobody out there. Like, what good is Winning a faceoff if it isn’t gonna lead to much?