Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: What's Working/Not Working After 27 Games?

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What's going on with Philly? Consistency? I thought you guys had the goods to make a good run.

It's gonna be really interesting to see what kind of moves they make as we get closer to the deadline. Since you get two years to use your amnesties (if I'm not mistaken) they could just hold onto Bryz for one more season if they can't figure out something in the offseason. Really gotta find a way to bring in a big time defenseman....easier said than done but still

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: What's Working/Not Working After 27 Games?
- bmeltzer

A mixed bag.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: What's Working/Not Working After 27 Games?
- bmeltzer

I'd like to disagree with the ranking for Talbot. I think he's meeting expectations as a fine, if not stellar, defensive forward. His 19 goal outburst last year unfairly raised offensive expectations, imo.

What's going on with Philly? Consistency? I thought you guys had the goods to make a good run.
- Orpik44

maybe make a good run at druin, mackinin, or jones lol...Thats about it for this season.

WE loose to any team that plays disciplined....just like the last game you guys settled down and played disciplined and blew us out of the water. This team needs a coach that will teach these guys to play better defensively. They might struggle for scoring in the beginning, but sometimes you have to take to steps back to move forward.

Bring on the Murray era part II....

I'd like to disagree with the ranking for Talbot. I think he's meeting expectations as a fine, if not stellar, defensive forward. His 19 goal outburst last year unfairly raised offensive expectations, imo.
- bradleyc4

I don't think he's expected to be on another 19-goal pace but he does have an expectation now of being on a double-digit goal pace. Also, I don't think he was even all that good defensively in the first two-three weeks of the season but he's come back around to his accustomed level.

if we want the bryz from PHO, we better play more like the yotes...apparently.

Good blog, Bill. It makes me wonder if Bryzgalov has had a falling out with Laviolette. I know there was an incident in practice in which he threw his stick. Maybe somethings going on between the two? Who knows?

What's going on with Philly? Consistency? I thought you guys had the goods to make a good run.
- Orpik44

I think we do but I think said goods are not being used effectively.

It's gonna be really interesting to see what kind of moves they make as we get closer to the deadline. Since you get two years to use your amnesties (if I'm not mistaken) they could just hold onto Bryz for one more season if they can't figure out something in the offseason. Really gotta find a way to bring in a big time defenseman....easier said than done but still
- TypicalCat18

What about Robidas?He could be a nice addition.

Good blog, Bill. It makes me wonder if Bryzgalov has had a falling out with Laviolette. I know there was an incident in practice in which he threw his stick. Maybe somethings going on between the two? Who knows?
- NickTheKid87

He said he threw it bec it is fun to throw.

How much underachieving is actually going on? Maybe not as much as we hope. Perhaps we really are a below .500 team.

I just don't see how we're playoff bound this year.

Bill do you think Bryzgalov has stopped giving a crap if hes bought out or not....thats one of the worst things that could happen to this team.

What about Robidas?He could be a nice addition.
- Orpik44

flyers will be sellers this year...i dont see them gearing up for a playoff run...time to win the lottery

He said he threw it bec it is fun to throw.
- jak521

Oh did he really?

I'd like to disagree with the ranking for Talbot. I think he's meeting expectations as a fine, if not stellar, defensive forward. His 19 goal outburst last year unfairly raised offensive expectations, imo.
- bradleyc4

he did a bit of a disappearing act earlier this yr, but i hear what your saying. i had concern coming into the yr about all of the career yrs and the possibility of some sophomore slumps.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: What's Working/Not Working After 27 Games?
- bmeltzer

Is it too soon to discuss Bryzgalov as a buyout candidate? No.

I still think I'd wait until the summer of 2014. When the compliance buyouts were first confirmed, along with the cap recapture penalties, I felt Bryz was a candidate just for that reason.

Now, the level of play has become a concern-or at least the consistency has. If Btyzgalov can not recapture his level of play from earlier in the season, if there's two years of wild inconsistency, then the Flyers need to look at all options, including the nuclear one.

Good blog, Bill. It makes me wonder if Bryzgalov has had a falling out with Laviolette. I know there was an incident in practice in which he threw his stick. Maybe somethings going on between the two? Who knows?
- NickTheKid87

Bryz:hey coach you think we can play the 1-2-2 till things stabilize in our end?
Lavy: Bryz were going to keep playing the 5-0-0...it won me the cup...
Bryz: FU Coach....Im no Cam Ward...(throws stick)

The biggest concern I have is that, as we continue to talk about us being a young team, our biggest disappointments have primarily been older players.

G, Talbot, Timonen, Coburn, Gervais, Briere, Knuble, Bryz...

That to me is the scariest part of this whole debacle of a season. Its not that the young guys are not able to play up to par.. its that our vets are playing bad.

Look at Read, Schenn's, Voracek, Simmonds, Rinaldo..

How much underachieving is actually going on? Maybe not as much as we hope. Perhaps we really are a below .500 team.

I just don't see how we're playoff bound this year.

- FlyerGuy

I don't think we're an average team on paper. Think about it. If Hartnell was performing like he usually does, Giroux was playing like a top 5 player consistently and Briere was playing at least average, we'd be 10 times better offensively with Voracek and Schenn emerging plus Read and Simmonds continue to play well.

Defensively, if Coburn would play like he does normally and Mesz can stay healthy, we'd be better off on the back end too.

But we need to play better team D which has been an issue for awhile and Lavy can't/won't fix this.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: What's Working/Not Working After 27 Games?
- bmeltzer

Fair Bryz analysis, but I still put him at at least #8 on the list of things that need to be fixed before him.

1. Team defense
2. Defense
3. 5-on-5
4. Power play
5. Overall consistency
6. Fortitude in tight games
7. Coach adjusting

Oh did he really?
- NickTheKid87

We lost in OT in round 1 of the playoffs last night.. i threw my stick too.

"Erik Gustafsson (borderline case)"
In my opinion he has been horrible in every aspect of the game both on defense and offence. Having him on the power play has been a bad coaching move as well.