Last year 3rd in the Metro had 107 points. This year 3rd is going to be roughly 20 points less, maybe more than 20. The Flyers current point totals would make them 5th or 6th in every other division except the Metro.

That should give everyone a better picture of exactly how bad the Metro is this year and to question really how much was improvement and how much is a mirage created by a dumpster fire of a division.
- Flyers_01

Thought for sure it would be the Rags, Canes and Devils getting those top 3 spots at the start of the season. The Devils fell on their faces or the Metro race would be long over.

Most likely not going anywhere. Have to see what the Flyers do. How they approach the off season in terms of being better or worse in 24/25.
- MJL

I don’t see them doing enough in the offseason to counteract the fact just about everyone below them now in the conference will be better. New Jersey definitely. Ottawa and Buffalo had the talent to be better this year. Montreal probably looks to step forward. Columbus might be the only true dumpster fire in the conference next season.

Look, I am under no delusion that the Flyers are nothing more than a bubble team. But there is a body of work here throughout the season where the Flyers have played really good hockey and beaten top teams. On top of that, 5v5 the Flyers are controlling these games, but their lack of finish and their putrid PP has done them in.
- jd250

Wait a minute a couple of days ago when I said they were a mediocre, at best, team you argued over and over that they were a GOOD hockey team. Now you say they are a bubble team. Which is it? This is a below .500 team ,no well below, that over achieved for a period of time. They have a few pieces to build around but little on way of quality. Plus they have a coach who is wearing thin with these young guys and insists on playing His guys who are not part of the future. Watch as they inplode

We'll see if that is the case. This coach is always going to heavily favor veterans.
- MJL

A "rebuilding" team sat 3 22/23 year olds in favor of 2 37 yo d-men. Absolutely astounding

Last year 3rd in the Metro had 107 points. This year 3rd is going to be roughly 20 points less, maybe more than 20. The Flyers current point totals would make them 5th or 6th in every other division except the Metro.

That should give everyone a better picture of exactly how bad the Metro is this year and to question really how much was improvement and how much is a mirage created by a dumpster fire of a division.
- Flyers_01

And the Flyers haven’t won a game against a division opponent in the year 2024. Shows you how good they really have been.

I don’t see them doing enough in the offseason to counteract the fact just about everyone below them now in the conference will be better. New Jersey definitely. Ottawa and Buffalo had the talent to be better this year. Montreal probably looks to step forward. Columbus might be the only true dumpster fire in the conference next season.
- psuhockey

You said that the Flyers were going to be worse next season. The Flyers could make moves and be better next season then they are this season and still be behind other teams.

Wait a minute a couple of days ago when I said they were a mediocre, at best, team you argued over and over that they were a GOOD hockey team. Now you say they are a bubble team. Which is it? This is a below .500 team ,no well below, that over achieved for a period of time. They have a few pieces to build around but little on way of quality. Plus they have a coach who is wearing thin with these young guys and insists on playing His guys who are not part of the future. Watch as they inplode
- hfc355

What are you talking about? The Flyers are going to build around Tortorella's guys. Poehling, Laughton, Hathaway. Players with balls! Tortorella type players. That's a good start to any rebuilding team.

A "rebuilding" team sat 3 22/23 year olds in favor of 2 37 yo d-men. Absolutely astounding
- mr4tno

In fairness all of those guys stink both young and old.

You said that the Flyers were going to be worse next season. The Flyers could make moves and be better next season than they are this season and still be behind other teams.
- MJL

Having a worse record and standing in the conference would be by definition worse.

How many times can the Flyers use the old “we outplayed them but ran in to a hot goalie” excuse?
- mikeyo27

For the Flyers this is a tale as old as time....

Having a worse record and standing in the conference would be by definition worse.
- psuhockey

Moving the goal posts. The Flyers can have a worse record than the teams above them next season and still be an improved team from this year.

In fairness all of those guys stink both young and old.
- psuhockey

That's not true. Don't know if Attard and Ginning stink. Anyway, really the point is if the vets stink, why play them over the kids as a rebuilding team.

A "rebuilding" team sat 3 22/23 year olds in favor of 2 37 yo d-men. Absolutely astounding
- mr4tno

Yea, i still don't get all the Torts love. He's a bigger than life personality that's great from a PR standpoint if you don't dig to deep into how he coaches. For a team looking long term instead of just this year, he's a disaster and if the metro wasn't a dumpster fire, it would be even more obvious.

What other coach sits in the press box during games (and then complains about how he hates it up there), the dumb 11 forwards/7 defensemen lineups, dumb player decisions like last night, refusing to change or address the PP with the press, etc. He has gotten away with things in PHI that no other team would put up with.

It goes on and on but as long as Torts calls out his players for not having any balls in the press, a certain segment of the fans are happy.

How much of the young player improvement is just the byproduct of getting ice time since he doesn't have enough vets to play in front of them?

Another big game. No frost no TK no Farabee. Why even play Farabee at this point. Coach refuses to use him

the flyers are just as inferior. you act as though the flyers as this real good team. They are really not much if at better than the teams they are losing too; except Montreal as they are bad.

is it choking or just not as good as you want to thin they are? little bit of both
- hello it's me 2050

Little bit of both.

Moving the goal posts. The Flyers can have a worse record than the teams above them next season and still be an improved team from this year.
- MJL

Your definition of better is different than mine. I tend to think if they finish with less points and lower in the standings then they are this year then by definition they would be worse but each to their own.

I don’t see them doing enough in the offseason to counteract the fact just about everyone below them now in the conference will be better. New Jersey definitely. Ottawa and Buffalo had the talent to be better this year. Montreal probably looks to step forward. Columbus might be the only true dumpster fire in the conference next season.
- psuhockey

Hopefully if the collapse does continue DB reverts back to the plan of an actual rebuild and stops with the nonsense that we need to keep guys like Laughton because of Character and locker room presence. Actual TOUGH decisions need to be made.

Is it possible that one of these teams nabs a playoff spot with less than 90 points? Why am I getting this queasy feeling that the Pens are gonna come out of nowhere and sneak in?
- Phillywhiteout

If they do they do. They are going to get smoked anyways.

Hopefully if the collapse does continue DB reverts back to the plan of an actual rebuild and stops with the nonsense that we need to keep guys like Laughton because of Character and locker room presence. Actual TOUGH decisions need to be made.
- landros 2

Potential silver lining of missing the playoffs. There’s a chance it knocks some sense into someone. If you watched this team down the stretch here, there is not much to like

A "rebuilding" team sat 3 22/23 year olds in favor of 2 37 yo d-men. Absolutely astounding
- mr4tno

Who both looked rough last night….and enough of Atkinson….FFS he’s a waste of a spot and has been for 2 months.

Potential silver lining of missing the playoffs. There’s a chance it knocks some sense into someone. If you watched this team down the stretch here, there is not much to like
- ClaudeFather

100%….Torts got something right. We are learning about some of these guys and where they are actually at.

Your definition of better is different than mine. I tend to think if they finish with less points and lower in the standings then they are this year then by definition they would be worse but each to their own.
- psuhockey

Does it escape you that my statement of the Flyers can be improved next year from this year would mean that they would have more points next year than this year? What else would I mean? Which could still mean they could finish lower in the standings if other teams improve more.

Hopefully if the collapse does continue DB reverts back to the plan of an actual rebuild and stops with the nonsense that we need to keep guys like Laughton because of Character and locker room presence. Actual TOUGH decisions need to be made.
- landros 2

The last tough decision DB made was deciding not to burn a year off of Gauthier's entry level contract so that they would have more cap space to retain salary on players Torts refused to play. Then again maybe that was an easy decision for Danny as Torts is in charge.

Who both looked rough last night….and enough of Atkinson….FFS he’s a waste of a spot and has been for 2 months.
- landros 2

Old washed up vet in the lineup, instead of a young guy who would benefit from the icetime. I'm shocked, said no one.

Have to look at the season in it's entirety. The Flyers are definitely an improved team this season. For most of the season, they play hard, check well, defend well and are competitive against most teams. They generally outshoot teams and carry play. Have to credit Tortorella for all of that. However, how many games have the Flyers lost where they have more shots on net but still lose. How despite carrying play for the majority of the game, they lose. Where the high level talent executes and beats them. The process is important but there is a next step from there. Saw it last night. Shot attempts at 5 on 5 were 58 to 44 Flyers. Scoring chances 30-20 Flyers. High danger chances 11-5 Flyers. Yet they lost. Buffalo's skilled players put the puck in the net more than the Flyers. This is the issue. It is skill and talent that wins in the NHL. Backed with structure. Don't out the cart before the horse. That is the issue and will always be the issue with Tortorella. The Poehling, Laughton and Hathaway's of the world are his core players and the type of players that he prefers. The players with balls. With just a sprinkling of skill players. Cart before the horse.