Thats not Gs game, but he does excel in other areas. When we had a shooter like Hartnell, G excelled even more. G is a setup guy, and we need shooters to set up. Hughes definately does not take over a game. I love watching barzal, but he doesn't take over a game, he has some amazing shifts and i think him under a different coach he would be dominant, but he doesnt take over games. Now if you want to compare G to crosby, ovi, and marchand. Go ahead, they are better than G. Lets face it, G in on the downside of his career, and thats why he only has 1 year left on his contract. But he is still a good player.
- bradster

Hughes definitely does it in spurts but he’s still basically a teenager.

Barzal the puck is like a magnet to him.

Ovy is two years older than G.

I agree G is a set up guy but the only time he really hangs onto the puck is on the PP when he tries all of his head fakes & brings the play to a screeching stop making it easy to pk against which the numbers agree with.

This seems to be the same old song and dance we all participate in every year.

"The core needs to be changed!"

"No not player (x), he led the team in assists!"
"How are we going to replace this many goals?"
"This guy is a great locker room leader! Can't move on from him he isn't the problem!"

It's like in politics and how everyone seemingly supports term limits and thinks Congress is corrupt, but when it comes down to it the jurisdictions double down on the same clowns that ran the show before. "It wasn't my guy that is corrupt, it's everyone else!"

Of course, this misses the point entirely. The sum of this team has always been lesser than its parts for many years now. Changing the player mix may result in a "loss" of some form or another on paper but there is gain to be found on the ice and as a team.
- StepfordSam

I feel like piss poor management the last decade has put a ton of extra burden on these players. I could’ve told you 5 years ago that this core wasn’t good enough to compete. What’s Hextall do, goes and trades away part of the core in Schenn for picks. You either go all in or you rebuild. G and Jake have spent their entire careers here waiting for real help to come and what have they got over 10 years? Coots, Provy and some complementary players. It’s not enough. Never was enough.

I've seen enough of Voracek and Braun. Why exactly did we trade Raffl? For real why tho? Provorov needs a proper top defenseman partner. Sanheim does too, clearly Myers is not it. I'd fire all the coaches as well. Alain's post game pressers this year especially in the month of March are enough to last a lifetime. I know everybody wants Gostisbehere gone but honestly he had one of the better seasons and showed improved play down the stretch after missing time early. Not sure what the Flyers can do about Nolan Patrick. He's just not ready. TK needs to play with more skill. Amazing the Flyers don't have a pure 1A center. Couturier is close but rank top centers in the league and see where Coots lands. Hopefully Carter heals and isn't broken. What an absolute clusterf of a season.

The Flyers were slated to make the playoffs if not contend for the division lead by heaps and heaps of sports writers all throughout North America. Does this seasons shortcomings stretch back to that 1st round difficulty they had with the Montreal Canadiens?

You do understand “taking over games” has nothing to do with scoring goals necessarily. Yeah, he scored two goals in the final 3 minutes a few games ago against a team they had no business loosing to. But taking over a game is about controlling the puck winning every battle creating scoring chances. Please tell me one game where G is out battling anyone in the corners/front of the net skating around the O zone with the puck on his stick???? Everytime he gets the puck entering the O zone he pulls up inside the blue line. He is consistently the third forward high in the O zone meaning rarely in front of the net or in the corners.
- Fopa21

He has scored multiple goals late in games for wins twice actually, NJ and the Penguins (1st place team). He has also had (as he does every season) dazzling plays that it seems only he can make. Look at the assist to Coots from last game for example. It was incredible/mind blowing to see that creativity and vision. For his age, he is doing everything on the ice that is expected of him and more for an undersized forward that is north of 30 years old. Pointing the finger at the wrong person makes zero sense. The finger should be pointed at every single young guy that took steps back and played like trash this season except for Farabee. Provy, Sanheim, Myers, Nopa, Lindblom, NAK, TK, and Hart were the biggest culprits of why we did so bad this season. To blame it on Giroux is absurd

Explain that to the people running team Canada. Tim Tebow scored a lot of touchdowns running the bowl as a QB so he’s a good QB in your eyes?
- Fopa21

Great analogy. I don’t need to explain it as I don’t care about team Canada.

Because they were flush with centers and he would be miscast as a checking line center or a 4th line center. Also, iirc, that year when he was overlooked for the Olympics, he got off to a slow start.
- PT21

You said top 5-10 though. How many Canadian centers were 1-4? All of them? If you’re a top 5-10 player in the NHL you don’t get left off of your country’s team sorry

I totally agree!! I think this all the time watching this team. They have no true speed or snipers.
- bsw31usa

And let this sink in for a moment, the Flyers did not have any player in top 50 in scoring in the league!! The closest was Couturier who would have been in the top 50 if he had played more than 45 games. Hayes was not even in the top 100! This is the definition of futility for your so-called top players.

I think you are crazy to give any player on this team an A because the fact is no one exceeded expectations as far as I am concerned. JVR could have met expectations by playing consistently throughout the year, but that big drop off in March was disappointing. And Carter Hart did bounce back in April before he got hurt, but overall for the year you have to give him a C because did not meet expectations.

BTW, the way I view grades is A - exceeded expectations, B- met expectations, C- below expectations, D - really below expectations and F - you Suck with a capital 'S'!
- jd250

That's very old school . The exceeding expectation grade nowadays is A+. The median grade at Harvard is an A-.

Re: Couts, I honestly don't know what more he could have done. He was on pace for 75 points. On a team that had horrendous D, he finished -4. His Corsi is near 60%, and his relative Corsi/Fenwicks are near +10.

You don't see such rock solid seasons from guys in such adverserial conditions all the time. I think he should be traded but it is far from because he is not a stud. He is just a stud for the wrong team at the wrong time.

Team Canada is all about politics. Anyone who doesn't know this, isn't paying a lot of attention.

I think you are crazy to give any player on this team an A because the fact is no one exceeded expectations as far as I am concerned. JVR could have met expectations by playing consistently throughout the year, but that big drop off in March was disappointing. And Carter Hart did bounce back in April before he got hurt, but overall for the year you have to give him a C because did not meet expectations.

BTW, the way I view grades is A - exceeded expectations, B- met expectations, C- below expectations, D - really below expectations and F - you Suck with a capital 'S'!
- jd250

I am fine with your grading scale. No one individually exceeded my expectations.

Best grades were those two B pluses.

Team Canada is all about politics. Anyone who doesn't know this, isn't paying a lot of attention.
- KGBflyers10

It’s really funny he keeps going back to team Canada.

It’s really funny he keeps going back to team Canada.
- Ftown19125

I can go back to just this season. He is a perimeter player who for the longest time got most of his points on the pp & now that is even drying up. At this point he is overpaid & over used. Third line forward on a good team

You said top 5-10 though. How many Canadian centers were 1-4? All of them? If you’re a top 5-10 player in the NHL you don’t get left off of your country’s team sorry
- Fopa21

Eh? Its not linear like that. I looked at the roster. Chris Kunitz made that team (2014 btw) as did Jeff Carter and Matt Duchene. Were they better than Giroux in 2014?

Its a fit thing, and who plays on whose line. The first couple of center spots had Crosby, Toews, Tavares, Getzlaf...He got crowded out because of talent and a slow start (iirc).

Hughes definitely does it in spurts but he’s still basically a teenager.

Barzal the puck is like a magnet to him.

Ovy is two years older than G.

I agree G is a set up guy but the only time he really hangs onto the puck is on the PP when he tries all of his head fakes & brings the play to a screeching stop making it easy to pk against which the numbers agree with.
- Fopa21

So you want someone that hangs onto the puck and not really a difference maker.
Jakes hangs onto the puck way more than G. And i think G is quite a bit better.
Jake hangs onto it so long , that he usually ends up losing it.

BTW. Every team is searching for a difference maker, they don't grow on trees. And thats why almost every team will be in on Eichel.

Team Canada is all about politics. Anyone who doesn't know this, isn't paying a lot of attention.
- KGBflyers10

This ^ has been my assumption.

He has scored multiple goals late in games for wins twice actually, NJ and the Penguins (1st place team). He has also had (as he does every season) dazzling plays that it seems only he can make. Look at the assist to Coots from last game for example. It was incredible/mind blowing to see that creativity and vision. For his age, he is doing everything on the ice that is expected of him and more for an undersized forward that is north of 30 years old. Pointing the finger at the wrong person makes zero sense. The finger should be pointed at every single young guy that took steps back and played like trash this season except for Farabee. Provy, Sanheim, Myers, Nopa, Lindblom, NAK, TK, and Hart were the biggest culprits of why we did so bad this season. To blame it on Giroux is absurd
- Richieattack18

I agree the young guys were trash but do you know who tells the young guy your play/preparation is trash. It’s the 33 year old captain not his 22 year old linemate or defensive partner that he was drafted with. It’s not rocket science.

I can go back to just this season. He is a perimeter player who for the longest time got most of his points on the pp & now that is even drying up. At this point he is overpaid & over used. Third line forward on a good team
- Fopa21

I’m specifically talking about you saying he led the league in points over a period of several seasons and isn’t a good player. That’s what is hilarious, and incorrect.

Eh? Its not linear like that. I looked at the roster. Chris Kunitz made that team (2014 btw) as did Jeff Carter and Matt Duchene. Were they better than Giroux in 2014?

Its a fit thing, and who plays on whose line. The first couple of center spots had Crosby, Toews, Tavares, Getzlaf...He got crowded out because of talent and a slow start (iirc).
- PT21

It goes to show you they were better hockey players than G otherwise he would of made it over them. Does G have sick hands no doubt is he more gifted offensively than chris kunitz absolutely but a country is trying to field the best team of hockey players who play the right way they aren’t going for sickest hands. Hence the miracle on ice team. Giroux is one dimensional. So many better hockey players few with better hands

Thought it was interesting the Comcast crew analyzing what needs to be changed, the discussion has been going now for nearly 3 months with fans. Believe it or not, this is one time you can say it is simple. Compare the last 3 seasons and it will be evident. 2 of the 3 were without a legit d man like Niskanen, and those were the ones that turned into dumpster fires. Stopping the puck fixes a lot of problems. Conversely, letting in goals creates new problems that weren't there. We didn't see a lot of those problems last year. Fix the blue line and things will begin to fall in place. We should consider the same kind of move Holmgren did to acquire a player of Pronger's caliber. Yes, you give up a lot, but you end up plugging a lot of other holes. Then you can begin to build with the younger players coming up. This should be the laser focus of the off season. Without it, I don't see this roster being capable of supporting young player development, or being competitive.

I’m specifically talking about you saying he led the league in points over a period of several seasons and isn’t a good player. That’s what is hilarious, and incorrect.
- Ftown19125

Again Tebow runs the ball in for double digit TD’s is he a good QB? Cam Newtown? There is more to being a good hockey player than just points. He was always given the most ice time here the most pp time the greatest chance to succeed of course he was going to put up numbers with getting the opportunity however the numbers are what overvalues him. Zero defense zero physicality no speed will pass up scoring chances but he’s good at face offs & puts up points i guess that’s enough to make him a good hockey player

...
- [email protected]

You might not want to give out your real name and your email address in one fell swoop there buddy. At least make the scammers work for it. This site is about as secure as a Kardashian's box.

I agree the young guys were trash but do you know who tells the young guy your play/preparation is trash. It’s the 33 year old captain not his 22 year old linemate or defensive partner that he was drafted with. It’s not rocket science.
- Fopa21

Oh so now its all Claude Girouxs fault that the young guys all took steps back. Lmfao. You have no concept of reality. These are grown men. They don't need a 33 year old dude to magically make them play good. The young guys need to take personal responsibility for how their seasons went. Blaming G is just a BS cop out excuse for why the young guys sucked.

I agree the young guys were trash but do you know who tells the young guy your play/preparation is trash. It’s the 33 year old captain not his 22 year old linemate or defensive partner that he was drafted with. It’s not rocket science.
- Fopa21

Also were you following Giroux around to see if he told any of the young guys their preparation was trash? How did you receive this information that Giroux said and did nothing all season? Do you have insider locker room access or what? Or - could it be that you are talking out of your ass making poop up?

Oh so now its all Claude Girouxs fault that the young guys all took steps back. Lmfao. You have no concept of reality. These are grown men. They don't need a 33 year old dude to magically make them play good. The young guys need to take personal responsibility for how their seasons went. Blaming G is just a BS cop out excuse for why the young guys sucked.
- Richieattack18

Hahahha these are 22-24 year olds which is considered young by NHL standards. G is ten years their senior & their captain. Yes it’s his job to say your effort is unacceptable

Again Tebow runs the ball in for double digit TD’s is he a good QB? Cam Newtown? There is more to being a good hockey player than just points. He was always given the most ice time here the most pp time the greatest chance to succeed of course he was going to put up numbers with getting the opportunity however the numbers are what overvalues him. Zero defense zero physicality no speed will pass up scoring chances but he’s good at face offs & puts up points i guess that’s enough to make him a good hockey player
- Fopa21

hahahahahahaha dude this analogy is just bad. did either of them lead the league in rushing touchdowns? then, did they do it over a period of 3-5 years, as you said?

completely idiotic. say he's a bad captain, ok. you couldn't possibly know that, but that's your opinion. but he's a bad hockey player? you're a moron.