You’re right it’s all his fault, strip the C , things will be fixed
- ClaudeFather

Never said that. I want him traded for whatever we get back.

I suppose you would agree that throwing our top 3 playmakers on the top line together is very efficient coaching. Let’s put it all on Coots to score when he is a well rounded offensive player but not a sniper. There is an age gap between our primary playmakers and our young shooters. We don’t help them by putting them with Hayes who needs a head start on the best offseason of his lifetime. The coaching is absolutely an issue. They are not developing the young talent and not surrounding them with vets on lines that can succeed.

The one exception last night was the Lindblom-Laughton-Allison line which has potential as a third line.
- NC Flyers Fan

I'm thinking more and more these days that when the Flyers moved Giroux to wing, they never replaced him with a comparable top end center. I love Couts but you're right, he is not a sniper, he is not going to dazzle you with speed, he is a decent playmaker but not a dazzling one. What Couts is is a great 200 foot center that can score, take big draws and play responsible defense. I think the Flyers may have overestimated Couts as a 1C and maybe in hindsight should have looked for a 1C instead of signing Hayes as a 2C. I agree with you also about Hayes, but I still think there has got to be something else going on, an injury perhaps, because Hayes is playing with decent players but is not anywhere close to making the impact this season as he did last season. As I stated, you can blame the coaching for line combinations, but in the end when you lack top end talent, its tough to work through. I for one am done with all the vets on this team. AV keeps rolling them out in every big situation game after game and they fail, fail and fail again. Maybe AV is doing this to make it plain to Fletcher where he needs to upgrade in the off season.

Ghost actually looked pretty good last night. Odd time to critize him. He was the best guy we had in the ice. Not saying much, but true.

It’s not his fault the Flyers use him wrong. They were tossing him out there on the first pairing against the other teams best line earlier in the yr and obviously that did not go well. He is dreadful in his end, but does make a good outlet pass and is very good in the offensive zone. He needs to be hidden on the 3rd pairing w Morin or whomever and start plays in the ozone. That’s what he is. He also has 8 goals in less than 40 games. That ain’t all that bad.

His contract is not his fault. At least he does something well.

Can someone explain to me what Myers has done well this yr and why it took so long to move him off the second pairing and eventually out of the lineup? He was not just bad this year, he was bad in the playoffs last year and the tail end of last season.

Both the GM and the coach deserved the wretched d they received this yr.
- Joe Nardone

Sorry, don't really agree with your assessment of Ghost. He had about 33 giveaways as usual last night and he registered ZERO points. He practically needs a point a game to counteract all his defensive blunders. He is an overrated PP QB cause he tries to blast the puck at a 1000 MPH when all that is really needed is getting the shot through from the point(versus blasting it wide or getting it blocked). I'm afraid Myers is yet another Flyer player with a below average hockey IQ. He just makes dumb plays on a regular basis. Ghost, Voracek and Elliot need to be the first 3 out the door this off season along with a couple asst. coaches!! Thanks!!

Never said that. I want him traded for whatever we get back.
- DrMidnite

At this point I’d love to see him flourish in another organization

I'm thinking more and more these days that when the Flyers moved Giroux to wing, they never replaced him with a comparable top end center. I love Couts but you're right, he is not a sniper, he is not going to dazzle you with speed, he is a decent playmaker but not a dazzling one. What Couts is is a great 200 foot center that can score, take big draws and play responsible defense. I think the Flyers may have overestimated Couts as a 1C and maybe in hindsight should have looked for a 1C instead of signing Hayes as a 2C. I agree with you also about Hayes, but I still think there has got to be something else going on, an injury perhaps, because Hayes is playing with decent players but is not anywhere close to making the impact this season as he did last season. As I stated, you can blame the coaching for line combinations, but in the end when you lack top end talent, its tough to work through. I for one am done with all the vets on this team. AV keeps rolling them out in every big situation game after game and they fail, fail and fail again. Maybe AV is doing this to make it plain to Fletcher where he needs to upgrade in the off season.
- jd250

Coots is fine offensively as a 1C with the right fit in wingers.

I agree Hayes is probably playing injured. He is completely ineffective, time to shut him down.

The only thing AV is convincing me of is that he doesn’t know how to develop young offensive players by playing them where they can succeed. Not that he has never done that in the past, but he for the greater part, is not doing it now. We have seen G, Coot, and Voracek for years. I am certainly not surprised by what they bring together. TK isn’t a rookie now. If they don’t like the combo of he and Giroux, TK can play LW with Voracek. It isn’t rocket science to find better options than what they have been rolling out in the top 6.

TK-Coots-Voracek
JVR-Giroux-Farabee
Lindblom-Laughton-Allison
Call up-Patrick/Cates-Sandin/NAK

Provy-Sanheim
Ghost-Braun
Morin/Hagg-Myers

Devils would have made the playoffs if they played the flyers 10 more games 😆 🤧
- Landsbergfan

Some Sunday morning truth right here

I saw this late I had to carry this over. First I think you’re nuts to hold Ghost to these expectations and without Ghost, we may not even have a legitimate PP quarterback, so it’s nice seeing Ghost up to speed.

Ghost isn’t two years removed from 65 points, that was three years ago, in April of 2018. If your standard for Ghost is 65 points every year, well you’re likely to be disappointed from now until the end of his career. Ghost has hit the 65 point mark once, three years ago and the closest he’s ever come to that was 47 points his rookie season, which was five years ago.

If you’re comparing Ghost among the elite, Erik Karlsson’s offensive numbers don’t offset his defensive responsibilities. Karlsson is a minus defenseman for his career and has surpassed the 65 point mark 5 times in his career and Ghost is not Erik Karlsson.

Ghost is definitely not John Carlson who surpass 65 points pretty regularly. I don’t think you understand how high an achievement 65 points is per season. There isn’t even 65 games to be played this season but on that note Shea Weber has never seen a 65 point season. Hedman has surpassed it only once. These are guys who see tremendous ice time and a much higher well rounded game.

I stand by my word. Ghost is having a nice season but to his own standard. Most certainly a rebound from last season. He’s not good defensively but the offense is definitely there.
- SuperSchennBros

Is it a nice season now or a good season ? Ghost turned 28 last week and should be in his prime years, no? Or is prime years when he was 23 and 24? If that’s the case can we expect Myers, Sanheim and Provy to all regress with more experience ? I’m not sure you watched Ghost at all early in his career. Yes he was no Rod Langway in his own end but he wasn’t the train wreck he has become now. He was a fairly consistent player who produced offensively and anchored the first PP.
Guys having good or nice, or what ever you want to change it to next, seasons are not healthy scratches on ‘that” blue line....guys having good season are not put through waivers. A good season for ghost is a hell of a lot closer to what he did 4-5 years ago then what he’s done this year. Yes it’s been better then last years abomination. Do I expect Ghost to be elite? No ...never said that....do I think ghost is a more capable player? Yes I do.
Its been another sub par year for him, plain and simple. Has he shown some life in the last few weeks, yup, but if your talking about him having a “good” year then I think you and your “word” are out to lunch.

Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Flyers Lose to NJ, 4-1; Phantoms Lose to Binghamton, 4-2
- bmeltzer

At least their hearts are in it

The organization as a whole is an apathetic mess. When Ed Snyder passed away, the air came out of the balloon. I have no faith in the current ownership, management, scouting, coaches, and current players. The Flyers as an organization once represented endless passion, grit, and impatience to succeed. The current Flyers’ organization displays none of these qualities.

Last night AV was asked what his level of frustration was right now and he answered it in this all too familiar way:

"Frustration won't help us play better, tonight especially in those first two periods we had a tremendous amount of offensive looks and zone time but didn't get enough out of it, and couldn't make that team pay for the mistakes that they made and they made quite a few
- jd250[mistakes] and gave us quite a few opportunities. In this game you have to be able to make the opposition pay when they make a mistake and that's how you build momentum but unfortunately tonight we were not able to do that."

AV has said something like this the entire season after a loss. To me its the NUMBER ONE thing this team must fix in the off season. A lot of us here think we need to upgrade our D, and we do need another top pairing Dman to play with Provey. However it means nothing unless we fix our forward group. We just don't have the skill, speed, and top level talent necessary to compete at a high level in this league. I knew it coming into the season. AV knows it based on how many times he basically states the same thing presser after presser, and I am very sure Fletcher knows it. We shall see if the Flyers can fix this in the offseason, because if they go into next season with this veteran core group, absolutely nothing will change!

Safe to say AV has tuned out like a lot of his players.

The organization as a whole is an apathetic mess. When Ed Snyder passed away, the air came out of the balloon. I have no faith in the current ownership, management, scouting, coaches, and current players. The Flyers as an organization once represented endless passion, grit, and impatience to succeed. The current Flyers’ organization displays none of these qualities.
- BroadSTmayhem

The team definitely has a different feel to it ...a corporate pass the buck feel. I listen to the excuses and get the sense they don’t see a problem. They don’t see this team has no identity.

Is it a nice season now or a good season ? Ghost turned 28 last week and should be in his prime years, no? Or is prime years when he was 23 and 24? If that’s the case can we expect Myers, Sanheim and Provy to all regress with more experience ? I’m not sure you watched Ghost at all early in his career. Yes he was no Rod Langway in his own end but he wasn’t the train wreck he has become now. He was a fairly consistent player who produced offensively and anchored the first PP.
Guys having good or nice, or what ever you want to change it to next, seasons are not healthy scratches on ‘that” blue line....guys having good season are not put through waivers. A good season for ghost is a hell of a lot closer to what he did 4-5 years ago then what he’s done this year. Yes it’s been better then last years abomination. Do I expect Ghost to be elite? No ...never said that....do I think ghost is a more capable player? Yes I do.
Its been another sub par year for him, plain and simple. Has he shown some life in the last few weeks, yup, but if your talking about him having a “good” year then I think you and your “word” are out to lunch.
- landros 2

Ghost was a minus 21 during the 2016-17 season and was a minus 20 during the 2018-19 season. You can only get these kinds of numbers if you are really bad in your own end. So I’m not understanding how he’s so terrible defensively now but wasn’t two to four years ago? Like, I don’t see why it matters if I use the word good or nice season, either word is a compliment to him. So you’re desperately reaching here. You set your standard for Ghost. 65 points in a season, which he’s reached that mark once but this is a 56 game season. So what you’re looking for doesn’t add up anyway.

Sorry, don't really agree with your assessment of Ghost. He had about 33 giveaways as usual last night and he registered ZERO points. He practically needs a point a game to counteract all his defensive blunders. He is an overrated PP QB cause he tries to blast the puck at a 1000 MPH when all that is really needed is getting the shot through from the point(versus blasting it wide or getting it blocked). I'm afraid Myers is yet another Flyer player with a below average hockey IQ. He just makes dumb plays on a regular basis. Ghost, Voracek and Elliot need to be the first 3 out the door this off season along with a couple asst. coaches!! Thanks!!
- Phillywhiteout

I’m not sure if this is sarcasm but Ghost had an assist last night.

Ghost was a minus 21 during the 2016-17 season and was a minus 20 during the 2018-19 season. You can only get these kinds of numbers if you are really bad in your own end. So I’m not understanding how he’s so terrible defensively now but wasn’t two to four years ago? Like, I don’t see why it matters if I use the word good or nice season, either word is a compliment to him. So you’re desperately reaching here.
- SuperSchennBros

The only reach was done by yourself.

The only advantage to these terrible games is that you can watch at 2X, 3X, 4X multiples and miss NOTHING.
30 minutes of torture MAX.
Watching the goals and how they develop has been the only moments of 'normal' speed to interrupt the rapid flow of meaninglessness.
But the new normal for me now is to hit that speed button and weep.
Shooting percentages are the primary difference. They shoot, they score and we DON'T.
Maybe new sticks?
To be applied to various body parts?

The organization as a whole is an apathetic mess. When Ed Snyder passed away, the air came out of the balloon. I have no faith in the current ownership, management, scouting, coaches, and current players. The Flyers as an organization once represented endless passion, grit, and impatience to succeed. The current Flyers’ organization displays none of these qualities.
- BroadSTmayhem

The last time I remember someone really being held accountable on this team was when Berube put Jake on the 4th line. That’s 3 coaches ago.

I’m not sure if this is sarcasm but Ghost had an assist last night.
- SuperSchennBros

No, it wasn't sarcasm. My bad for not realizing that he has an assist on a totally meaningless goal in a 4-0 game! Congrats to him! I think it's pretty clear the way Ghost is looked at around the league when 30 other GMs passed on him when he could have been had for nothing. Oh, almost forgot to offer my congrats to the team for playing their first May game since 2012!!!

The last time I remember someone really being held accountable on this team was when Berube put Jake on the 4th line. That’s 3 coaches ago.
- hereticpride

I do remember Vigneault demoting Voracek. It was either 3rd or 4rth line. Certainly TK, JVR, and pretty much everyone not called Couts, Provorov or Giroux I seem to recall some consequences directed towards (demotion/scratch) since AV arrived.

After reading the blog and comments, glad I didn't watch.

They just need to bite the bullet and start turning over the roster little by little. I can handle some struggling seasons if it puts them in a spot to draft some high end talent.

No, it wasn't sarcasm. My bad for not realizing that he has an assist on a totally meaningless goal in a 4-0 game! Congrats to him! I think it's pretty clear the way Ghost is looked at around the league when 30 other GMs passed on him when he could have been had for nothing. Oh, almost forgot to offer my congrats to the team for playing their first May game since 2012!!!

- Phillywhiteout

He was not an UFA. Teams that claimed him would have been on the hook for 4.5m for subsequent years, which we all agree is not his worth in this age.

Ghost 8 goals and 8 assists not great let’s not get carried away

I started thinking about why AV has seemed incapable of reversing the negative trends all season until they have now reached historically bad levels. This seems puzzling considering the coaching success he had last season and in prior NHL campaigns. But last season Hart was outstanding in net. In Van and NY he had HOFers Luongo and Lunqvist in net. They say goaltending can make a coach look like a genius or an incompetent. Is it possible that AV is mediocre at best and incapable of winning without All Star performances in goal? I hope not but after witnessing this season I’m not so sure.

Coots is fine offensively as a 1C with the right fit in wingers.

I agree Hayes is probably playing injured. He is completely ineffective, time to shut him down.

The only thing AV is convincing me of is that he doesn’t know how to develop young offensive players by playing them where they can succeed. Not that he has never done that in the past, but he for the greater part, is not doing it now. We have seen G, Coot, and Voracek for years. I am certainly not surprised by what they bring together. TK isn’t a rookie now. If they don’t like the combo of he and Giroux, TK can play LW with Voracek. It isn’t rocket science to find better options than what they have been rolling out in the top 6.
- NC Flyers Fan

Couts would be a 1c with a top line speedy winger . But don’t see Long term contract fit would be a mistake

At least their hearts are in it
- corduroy

Been going through the motions for two months. It's a disgrace. The fact they don't care that they are laughing stocks is sickening.