Bill Meltzer: Flyers ECSF Gameday: Game 5 vs. NYI (9/1/20)

Bill Meltzer: Flyers ECSF Gameday: Game 5 vs. NYI (9/1/20)
- bmeltzer

Thank you Bill!

Bill, Do you have any thoughts on what's going on with G?? Hurt?

Thank you Bill!

Bill, Do you have any thoughts on what's going on with G?? Hurt?
- Flyers_1488

I don't know if there's a physical problem. All I know is that he was on a roll at the time of the stoppage (8G, 10 A, 18 pts in the last 15 games before the league pause) and is one of the players who has not been able to pick up where he left off. Too easily confined to the perimeter, too easy to take off the puck. Forcing plays that aren't there.

He did have a good game in Game 4 but the Flyers need points from him.

Thank you for all you do, Bill! We're lucky to have the best writer on the site cover the team we love!

Here's hoping that today isn't your last game day blog for a few months. LET'S GO FLYERS!

I don't know if there's a physical problem. All I know is that he was on a roll at the time of the stoppage (8G, 10 A, 18 pts in the last 15 games before the league pause) and is one of the players who has not been able to pick up where he left off.
- bmeltzer

Bill, do you believe the bubble atmosphere/being away from his baby is affecting him? Along with Couturier and JVR? Many say that it isn't a legitimate excuse, and I know they all need to play better, but they are "human" after all?

Buckle up, fellas. Hopefully at the end we raise our glass in victory. If not, well there’s always women and whisky.

I often foolishly fix things with whisky and women until I need fixing from women and whisky.

Whatever. The point is I’m looking forward to 7:00 with a a drink in hand and a hatred of NY in my soul.

I’m tired. Time for bed. Gonna be tough to sleep. Always is on game day during Flyers playoff hockey.

In the words of The Damned ... smash it up.

The Isles or the Flyers core. At this point it really doesn’t make a difference to me.

I hope AV puts Ghost in the lineup . This team is in need of offence, down 3-1 to a team that plays an excellent defensive system. There is nothing to loose now, they can't play worse . We need an offensive boost and he certainly would look better on the PP ( at least the 2nd PP) than Niskanen who has been very disappointing this whole playoffs.

I hope AV puts Ghost in the lineup . This team is in need of offence, down 3-1 to a team that plays an excellent defensive system. There is nothing to loose now, they can't play worse . We need an offensive boost and he certainly would look better on the PP ( at least the 2nd PP) than Niskanen who has been very disappointing this whole playoffs.
- 3flyerkids

Idk, it was pretty cool when Nisky smashed Gallagher’s jaw like a watermelon...

I hope AV puts Ghost in the lineup . This team is in need of offence, down 3-1 to a team that plays an excellent defensive system. There is nothing to loose now, they can't play worse . We need an offensive boost and he certainly would look better on the PP ( at least the 2nd PP) than Niskanen who has been very disappointing this whole playoffs.
- 3flyerkids

He should have been in the lineup since Game 1. Braun has not been good and neither has Niskanen in both series. Provorov, IMHO, is not a PP1 QB and Ghost should be in that spot. Unfortunately, they're only getting 1-2 PPs per game against the Isles.

He should have been in the lineup since Game 1. Braun has not been good and neither has Niskanen in both series. Provorov, IMHO, is not a PP1 QB and Ghost should be in that spot. Unfortunately, they're only getting 1-2 PPs per game against the Isles.
- aantny88

What offense has Ghost produced, with any sort of consistency, the last two years? Not nearly enough of it to make up for the weaknesses in his game. There are flashes of it -- a play here, a game there -- but not reliably so.

I like Ghost, both as an elusive player when he's on his game and a person. But he can't live forever off his 2015-16 and 2017-18 campaigns when three of his last four seasons have fallen short of expectations.

Ghost finished the Montreal series with a strong performance in Game 6. But he really struggled in Game 1 of this series: four giveaways (three on the a single shift), six shot attempts blocked, one that missed the net, one harmless one on net. That's not going to keep him in the lineup as a player whose primary values are his shot, his lateral skating (north-south he is an average skater), and his NZ ability.

A hard truth: Ghost was not one of the primary players who brought the team to the dance this year. He didn't build up the credit to be allowed to play through a rough night like Game 1. No, Niskanen and Braun have not been good in the postseason. But both were important parts of what got the team this far in the first place.

What offense has Ghost produced, with any sort of consistency, the last two years? Not nearly enough of it to make up for the weaknesses in his game. There are flashes of it -- a play here, a game there -- but not reliably so.

I like Ghost, both as an elusive player when he's on his game and a person. But he can't live forever off his 2015-16 and 2017-18 campaigns when three of his last four seasons have fallen short of expectations.

Ghost finished the Montreal series with a strong performance in Game 6. But he really struggled in Game 1 of this series: four giveaways (three on the a single shift), six shot attempts blocked, one that missed the net, one harmless one on net. That's not going to keep him in the lineup as a player whose primary values are his shot, his lateral skating (north-south he is an average skater), and his NZ ability.

A hard truth: Ghost was not one of the primary players who brought the team to the dance this year. He didn't build up the credit to be allowed to play through a Game 1. No, Niskanen and Braun have not been good in the postseason. But both were important parts of what got the team this far in the first place.
- bmeltzer

The way his career has gone is reminding me a whole lot of Michael Del Zotto

Keep your head up, keep your feet moving, screen their goalie, drive the net, bring the play to them, good passes, and shoot. Shoot as if the last ten shots you sent went in and this one will too. Then shoot again. Shift by shift, one period to the next, win one game.

Whatever happens, I’ll still love you. Let’s go Flyers!

Win or lose tonight (preferably win), the team has gained a valuable experience.
In the beginning of the season we collectively had hoped that Flyers would win a round of play offs- they did. So they, sort of, performed as expected. But could they have done better? of course.
They had spoiled us with a promise during the regular season, but then brought us down to earth with the level of play in the bubble. Disappointing? Of course. But I would not rush to conclusion based on the aberration year.
I hear calls to have a coaching staff and the team shaken up. I think it would be wrong to rush to judgement and "dispense punishment" based on pains of this post season.

Tampa had excruciating experience last year, but instead of gutting their team and coaching staff they have learned from it.
If we lose this series, the team and the coaches will have to go through the painful self evaluation and hopefully, will have emerged emboldened to do more.
Let's go Flyers!

The last pregame post of this wacky season.

Change the Legacy....let’s (frank)ing go

ttt

The last pregame post of this wacky season.
- SMS4016

That's the spirit!

Keep your head up, keep your feet moving, screen their goalie, drive the net, bring the play to them, good passes, and shoot. Shoot as if the last ten shots you sent went in and this one will too. Then shoot again. Shift by shift, one period to the next, win one game.

Whatever happens, I’ll still love you. Let’s go Flyers!
- NC Flyers Fan

Yep - can't win three tonight, just get one

Win or lose tonight (preferably win), the team has gained a valuable experience.
In the beginning of the season we collectively had hoped that Flyers would win a round of play offs- they did. So they, sort of, performed as expected. But could they have done better? of course.
They had spoiled us with a promise during the regular season, but then brought us down to earth with the level of play in the bubble. Disappointing? Of course. But I would not rush to conclusion based on the aberration year.
I hear calls to have a coaching staff and the team shaken up. I think it would be wrong to rush to judgement and "dispense punishment" based on pains of this post season.

Tampa had excruciating experience last year, but instead of gutting their team and coaching staff they have learned from it.
If we lose this series, the team and the coaches will have to go through the painful self evaluation and hopefully, will have emerged emboldened to do more.
Let's go Flyers!
- missingmike

Yeah. I hope they win another game and force it to six, but the way the series has gone thus far, I have very little confidence. The isles have basically owned us with the exception of a couple periods. This could easily have been a sweep.

Having said that, much progress this year. I think we have our tender (I expect Hart in tonight), and some experience for the young core. This isn't a linear progression and we might regress some next year, but I think we're on a good path to the window opening in the next couple years with the right moves.

I was hoping that we'd get to the conf finals, but I don't think we'd put up much of a fight vs T bay. If the isles hem us in for 5 mins at a time, we'd never get out of our zone vs T bay. Much progress but a way to go. I hope the new season starts up first of December but we'll prob still be in bubble hockey.

Yeah. I hope they win another game and force it to six, but the way the series has gone thus far, I have very little confidence. The isles have basically owned us with the exception of a couple periods. This could easily have been a sweep.


- Hextall271

To me it doesn't feel like the Islanders own them, but rather that they are hurting themselves. Some of the issues should be fixable on the fly - reducing turnovers, improve the power play - which makes it frustrating that they haven't been fixed. I have confidence that they can win tonight.

To me it doesn't feel like the Islanders own them, but rather that they are hurting themselves. Some of the issues should be fixable on the fly - reducing turnovers, improve the power play - which makes it frustrating that they haven't been fixed. I have confidence that they can win tonight.
- Scoob

Agree

Going into the series people were upset that some fans were saying that Giroux hadn’t produced in the playoffs since 2012. Now they stopped defending him.

And the reason people want ghost in so badly is that he is one of the few Flyers who willingly shoots the puck.

The 2012 playoffs killed the Flyers players. The penguins series was full of behind the back, no look touch passes that the fans loved and they’ve been trying to recreate ever since. The Devils series showed other teams how afraid the Flyers become when you forecheck 3 players. That’s why less talented teams always give the Flyers fits.

We have to carry the puck out of the zone. And if you say we don’t have enough fast talented players to do that then I say quit overcooking Frost and sitting ghost while pylons like Braun and Thompson get their crap pushed in.

If the other team is trying to push you into a shell, going into a shell isn’t the best strategy to beat them.

My kingdom for a coach who values talent over grit.

Yep - can't win three tonight, just get one
- Scoob

Although if they could find a way to win all three tonight that would be cool.

In the words of The Damned ... smash it up.

The Isles or the Flyers core. At this point it really doesn’t make a difference to me.
- hereticpride

Also in the words of The Damned: I Just Can't Be Happy Today (if the Flyers lose and exit the 2020 Playoffs).