My take aways from this game and Ek's read:
1. Couturier shouldn't have played back to back. He was really laboring and the B's took advantage of it.
2. On the coaching question, see above. The Bruins, the road team, managed to keep pressure on and take advantage of Couturier's mobility. THAT is a team that is prepared ahead of time and responded as the game unfolded.
3. This was not Hart's fault.
4. The longer it goes with Fletcher doing nothing, the more likely it is he does nothing.

Please note. AV is a good coach but he is not a great in game coach.

My take aways from this game and Ek's read:
1. Couturier shouldn't have played back to back. He was really laboring and the B's took advantage of it.
2. On the coaching question, see above. The Bruins, the road team, managed to keep pressure on and take advantage of Couturier's mobility. THAT is a team that is prepared ahead of time and responded as the game unfolded.
3. This was not Hart's fault.
4. The longer it goes with Fletcher doing nothing, the more likely it is he does nothing.

Please note. AV is a good coach but he is not a great in game coach.
- wbon22

So you think with the season on the line and needing to win the game to gain on Boston, AV should've healthy scratched Couturier?

While it was not all on Hart, he should've made the save on Bergeron's first goal and the Marchand SH goal was easily scored.

So you think with the season on the line and needing to win the game to gain on Boston, AV should've healthy scratched Couturier?

While it was not all on Hart, he should've made the save on Bergeron's first goal and the Marchand SH goal was easily scored.
- MJL

I think you mean Bergeron's second goal? Not sure what Hart was doing there. Ghost needs to stop that pass from getting over at all costs, but again that was way too easy for Marchand. Not hard to evaluate that the Bruins goalie played better than Hart. He looked shaky to me again last night(looking behind himself after making saves) and I noticed that it appeared that the Bruins were taking shots at Hart's pads to create rebounds. I know shooters do this anyway sometimes, but this looked blantant to me as if they have detected that Hart gives up juicy rebounds.

At the beginning of the season I would have agreed with you about the final playoff spot coming down to the Flyers, Pens and Rangers. But now, with the Flyers and Rangers so far behind the Pens--and the B's behind them as well, Its foolish to think the battle with with Pittsburgh at all. Unless the Pens just crash and implode like a late season Steelers team... The Pens still have a bunch of games with NJ and Buffalo... So no, unless the Pens hit a prolonged losing streak, the final battle is with the B's, Rags, and Philthy Flyers

Your experiences in HS or pee wee or whatever are irrelevant. The Flyers defensive system coverage is similar to many teams in the NHL.



Disagree. You don't play to not lose. You put your normal PP units out there and try and score the go ahead goal.
- MJL

To your first point, I understand the NHL has the best players in the world and thus their systems are going to be far advanced over HS, but hockey fundamentals don't change. Maybe other NHL teams play the same man on man coverage, but maybe those teams have better players that can execute it. Given the players the Flyers have, its folly to continue to play like this!

Also, I don't think you are playing to "not lose" by respecting your opponent. So the Flyers put their best 5 out there against the Bruins best 4, and the Bruins won that sequence and won the game! Clearly the Flyers best 5 players were not good enough!

To your first point, I understand the NHL has the best players in the world and thus their systems are going to be far advanced over HS, but hockey fundamentals don't change. Maybe other NHL teams play the same man on man coverage, but maybe those teams have better players that can execute it. Given the players the Flyers have, its folly to continue to play like this!

Also, I don't think you are playing to "not lose" by respecting your opponent. So the Flyers put their best 5 out there against the Bruins best 4, and the Bruins won that sequence and won the game! Clearly the Flyers best 5 players were not good enough!
- jd250

Haha come on man! One sequence determines that their best 4 is better than our best 5, this is beyond ridiculous

The goalie played well , why does it matter if he’s a rookie, find a new slant this was garbage
- ClaudeFather

Is this the first time we have seen these Flyers make a young or even a rookie goalie look like an All star? We see this all the time. What is the reason? Are all these goalies really that good? Or do these Flyers make them look better than they are?

Haha come on man! One sequence determines that their best 4 is better than our best 5, this is beyond ridiculous
- ClaudeFather

Then tell me, how do you explain it? Is it just simply bad luck? Did some Bruins fan have a voodoo doll on Giroux and Couturier to make them fall down and lose the puck, or make Jake drift down to the corner all by himself? Did Ghost just trip on the ice that prevented him from stopping that pass? Was Hart just unlucky that he couldn't close his pads and stop Marchand?

What you're describing there is puck luck. What's hurting the Flyers offensively is the PP. They lost last night because they didn't play a good 3rd period. They didn't get enough big saves from Hart.
- MJL

Actually I thought Hart made a good amount of big saves last night. Yes it would have been great to stop the Bruins' 2nd and 3rd goals, but overall I thought he gave the team a chance to win, which is all you want your goalie to do.

Then tell me, how do you explain it? Is it just simply bad luck? Did some Bruins fan have a voodoo doll on Giroux and Couturier to make them fall down and lose the puck, or make Jake drift down to the corner all by himself? Did Ghost just trip on the ice that prevented him from stopping that pass? Was Hart just unlucky that he couldn't close his pads and stop Marchand?
- jd250

Well since you want to look at things in a vacuum, based on the second period the flyers are the best team in the NHL, 25 shots, 2 goals, 0 goals against. Just give us the cup

Well since you want to look at things in a vacuum, based on the second period the flyers are the best team in the NHL, 25 shots, 2 goals, 0 goals against. Just give us the cup
- ClaudeFather

Ok, so you really don't want to answer my question.

Ok, so you really don't want to answer my question.
- jd250

No, it’s beyond stupid

To your first point, I understand the NHL has the best players in the world and thus their systems are going to be far advanced over HS, but hockey fundamentals don't change. Maybe other NHL teams play the same man on man coverage, but maybe those teams have better players that can execute it. Given the players the Flyers have, its folly to continue to play like this!


- jd250

Actually based on this, you don't understand it. You think a defenseman doing what Braun did violates some kind of hockey fundamental. It doesn't.

Also, I don't think you are playing to "not lose" by respecting your opponent. So the Flyers put their best 5 out there against the Bruins best 4, and the Bruins won that sequence and won the game! Clearly the Flyers best 5 players were not good enough!
- jd250

Yes, what you're suggesting is playing not to lose. A single point in OT is not the goal. They needed the two points. Now if the Flyers were up a goal in the 3rd, and had a PP, then I can see putting out two defenseman. At 2-2 in the 3rd, with the way the situation is in terms pf standings, you play your normal PP units.

Actually I thought Hart made a good amount of big saves last night. Yes it would have been great to stop the Bruins' 2nd and 3rd goals, but overall I thought he gave the team a chance to win, which is all you want your goalie to do.
- jd250

He wasn't as good as the opposition's goalie was. He needs to be better.

One of the things I can’t stand about Hayes. He seems to always be the first player on his line looking to get off the ice. And all too often at the wrong time

One of the things I can’t stand about Hayes. He seems to always be the first player on his line looking to get off the ice. And all too often at the wrong time
- Just5

Conditioning issue, playing injured...it’s a good note to watch and question.