With Jake gone, am staring to wonder which of the remaining forwards are capable of carrying the puck up the ice and over the blue line. Frost? Is G still capable?

Otherwise, we're in for a lot of chip and chase and pray.
- Tomahawk

Hayes doesn’t have Jake’s wheels but his first year when he played more of a north-south game showed he can carry the puck well up the ice. Hopefully the surgery will get him back to this. But I think Farabee could be a candidate. Not sure if Cam Atkinson can do it, but that’s just because I didn’t follow him closely in CLB.

Hayes doesn’t have Jake’s wheels but his first year when he played more of a north-south game showed he can carry the puck well up the ice. Hopefully the surgery will get him back to this. But I think Farabee could be a candidate. Not sure if Cam Atkinson can do it, but that’s just because I didn’t follow him closely in CLB.
- arichardson22

Coots, TK, Hayes, Farabee, hell NAK has from time to time. We have guys that can carry the puck. Laughton too

Im not sure I agree. 7th in goals in 19-20...15th in 20-21.

Sure they can always use more offense, but I don't think its as big a deal as you believe it is. This teams issue is keeping goals out of the net. If they do that they will score plenty to win games.
- MBFlyerfan

The issue was how many goals went into our net.. that's been the biggest adjustment that this team needed. I like our offense going into this season as well.. maybe I am in the minority but I don't see goal adoring as an issue with this team

Hmmm .. sounds like a team that can challenge for a Cup, eh? Oh right, there's the other side of the coin, team defense ...
- jd250

Challenge for a Cup? I have doubts. Might have a run in them. Who do you see as the measuring stick in the league?

I’ll just be happy to see someone who is willing to go to battle again. Don’t even mean fighting per see but toughness. Physicality. Seems like our aggressive players recently have all been smaller. Now even if we are losing Risto may be leveling people and Morin breaking jaws. We must protect this house. Glad it won’t just be tk stirring the pot or NAK the only hard hitter. Or our s men getting man handled in front of our net.
- Peter Richards

I would be highly critical of a coaching staff who would put Morin in the lineup, just to match up with a knucklehead on the other team. Play your best 6 defenseman. Morin isn't one of them. At best, he is #8.

Kid maintains a short gap, which is what you want, but that leaves him susceptible to great 1v1 moves. He's gotta get a better feel for who he can step up on, and who he should just try to contain. That Wilson toe drag tho... lol.

But yeah... some pretty embarrassing goalie play on most of those goals.
- Tomahawk

Watching those videos, many of the mistakes made are correctable with coaching. I also saw plenty of breakdowns where the forwards hung the defense out to dry. On one of the sequences on the rush video, Myers has two players to try and defend on at the blueline which made the other defenseman have to rotate over while Konecny lost his man, the goal scorer back door. On that rush, all 3 forwards were coasting and out of position. Perfect example of what Fletcher was talking about how they lost F3.

Translation: I will always look at every #/stat and try to see it describes EVERYTHING.

Since no #/stat can describe EVERYTHING, and was never intended to, I will find that "flaw" and then use it to support a thesis that is my favorite narrative.
- PT21

Would an example of that be when you use RelCF% to criticize Ristolainen while ignoring other numbers. No poster cherry picks one stat to support a narrative more than you do.

so who is better, the same and who is worse in the East?

Bolts? not as good
Rangers, could be same or little better with young players getting better
Devils better
Canes, same
Bruins, little worse I would say
Montreal, no Weber, not as good and was it just a special run this past season
Toronto baffles me
Pitt, worse they could Pitt tho
Caps, year older
Panthers, Better
Columbus, worse
Isles, the same assuming they resign some but with Lou probably not done yet
Sens huh better
Buff, no need

So who is the class of the East? Is it still the Bolts? I think there is more parody for sure.

My guess it is still the Bolts until otherwise proven, then I think it is the Panthers. I would like to say the Canes but I don't think they are better, though they have cap to add. Seems like this season will be about the Bolts coming back close to the pack. A chance for a team who plays to their ability to get out of the east and be beaten by the Avs LOL?

No question that Hart went into a complete mental meltdown. Remember that press conference where he just looked like a defeated child in depression? For all the talk about his mental toughness in the time since we drafted him, THAT was truly both sickening and sad. I hope that the time off has given him a mental reset.
- Letterkenney

It's a combination of things including the isolation of covid. You can look at Myers and see his body language and how the aggressiveness was gone. How he failed to execute a simple one on one coverage. The entire team was in a mental funk. Some more than others.

With Jake gone, am starting to wonder which of the remaining forwards are capable of carrying the puck up the ice and over the blue line. Frost? Is G still capable?

Otherwise, we're in for a lot of chip and chase and pray.
- Tomahawk

I want to see less individual rush plays and more of a team concept. Control the neutral zone and choke off pucks. Create odd man rushes with linemates and using short passes to get the puck to the middle of the ice. Good outlet passes and forwards coming deep. With more of a veteran defense, Vigneault has to trust them more and use the middle of the ice instead of constantly putting the puck along the wall. Where advanced scouting has the opposition easily cutting off the boards to create turnovers and extended attack time in the Flyers zone. The coaches never made any adjustments last year.

so who is better, the same and who is worse in the East?

Bolts? not as good
Rangers, could be same or little better with young players getting better
Devils better
Canes, same
Bruins, little worse I would say
Montreal, no Weber, not as good and was it just a special run this past season
Toronto baffles me
Pitt, worse they could Pitt tho
Caps, year older
Panthers, Better
Columbus, worse
Isles, the same assuming they resign some but with Lou probably not done yet
Sens huh better
Buff, no need

So who is the class of the East? Is it still the Bolts? I think there is more parody for sure.

My guess it is still the Bolts until otherwise proven, then I think it is the Panthers. I would like to say the Canes but I don't think they are better, though they have cap to add. Seems like this season will be about the Bolts coming back close to the pack. A chance for a team who plays to their ability to get out of the east and be beaten by the Avs LOL?
- wcorvette

Don't make fun of them

Don't make fun of them
- DaveofYork

dang, beat me to that one lol

Don't make fun of them
- DaveofYork

oops

oops
- wcorvette

it's all good. Just like to lighten things up once in a while. Sometimes the arguing of every minute point gets out of hand on this board.

it's all good. Just like to lighten things up once in a while. Sometimes the arguing of every minute point gets out of hand on this board.
- DaveofYork

glad to help LOL

glad to help LOL
- wcorvette

pretty good list, btw

pretty good list, btw
- DaveofYork

TU

what are your thoughts?

TU

what are your thoughts?
- wcorvette

Yeah, I agree with a lot of your observations. Hard to argue with the bolts success, even though some of the key pieces are getting older. I do like the panthers, though.
There will always be dark horses and teams that bomb, unexpectedly ( like our boys last year, gulp). Flyers gonna be real interesting with the new defense, but I still would like a little more speed upfront. Maybe a better transition game from the backend can make up the difference

With Jake gone, am starting to wonder which of the remaining forwards are capable of carrying the puck up the ice and over the blue line. Frost? Is G still capable?

Otherwise, we're in for a lot of chip and chase and pray.
- Tomahawk

Jake was a huge part of our offense because of his ability to control the play. This isn’t Cam Atkinson’s game.

I cannot believe there are “fans” around here who believe Can Atkinson is as good or even better than Jake Voracek. Jake has two 80 plus point seasons and Atkinson has never seen more than 69 points in a season. Spare me the “two way game” speech. Voracek was carrying the mail here, Atkinson never has.

Jake was a huge part of our offense because of his ability to control the play. This isn’t Cam Atkinson’s game.

I cannot believe there are “fans” around here who believe Can Atkinson is as good or even better than Jake Voracek. Jake has two 80 plus point seasons and Atkinson has never seen more than 69 points in a season. Spare me the “two way game” speech. Voracek was carrying the mail here, Atkinson never has.
- SuperSchennBros

They are very different players. Here is the bottom line…Atkinson can score 30 goals for the Flyers this season and plus play on the PK. Jake would have projected to 20 goals and plays only PP. Between players like Atkinson, Farabee, Lindblom and Allison, Voracek’s point totals will be replaced. With the Flyers desperate need to reduce goals against and their abundance of playmakers, this hockey trade was about a better fit for both teams.

The big question going into the season isn’t whether the Flyers have enough offense, it is whether they can keep enough pucks out of their own net.

They are very different players. Here is the bottom line…Atkinson can score 30 goals for the Flyers this season and plus play on the PK. Jake would have projected to 20 goals and plays only PP. Between players like Atkinson, Farabee, Lindblom and Allison, Voracek’s point totals will be replaced. With the Flyers desperate need to reduce goals against and their abundance of playmakers, this hockey trade was about a better fit for both teams.

The big question going into the season isn’t whether the Flyers have enough offense, it is whether they can keep enough pucks out of their own net.
- NC Flyers Fan

The concern I have with Atkinson is that he seemed to be in a decline. Was that team related? Possibly. I have no doubt that he can contribute in areas that Voracek could not. I just hope that he regains his goal scoring touch.

The concern I have with Atkinson is that he seemed to be in a decline. Was that team related? Possibly. I have no doubt that he can contribute in areas that Voracek could not. I just hope that he regains his goal scoring touch.
- MJL

Yes, I think more than likely team-related. His biggest impact on ice might still be the PK; which honestly, that’s reason enough to get him. Speed and a shorthand scoring threat is a big addition to the PK.

Having Ryan Reaves in the lineup is not going to stop Tom Wilson from doing anything.
- MJL

BS

BS
- BroadSTmayhem

Wilson took out Brandon Carlo with Tinordi and Frederic in the lineup. He fought both of them after the hit, won both fights easily. Wilson's not scared of anybody in the league, Ryan Reaves included.

They are very different players. Here is the bottom line…Atkinson can score 30 goals for the Flyers this season and plus play on the PK. Jake would have projected to 20 goals and plays only PP. Between players like Atkinson, Farabee, Lindblom and Allison, Voracek’s point totals will be replaced. With the Flyers desperate need to reduce goals against and their abundance of playmakers, this hockey trade was about a better fit for both teams.

The big question going into the season isn’t whether the Flyers have enough offense, it is whether they can keep enough pucks out of their own net.
- NC Flyers Fan

I think Columbus leaned on whatever they had. I agree Atkinson and Jake are two very different players and I expect more scoring from him but Jake was normally the most threading player on his line by making players better for his line. Not the case with Cam Atkinson.