Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 1/25/14 vs. Boston; Bullies Teams Honored

Bill, do you when they are honoring the Bullies? Between periods of befor ethe game? I don't want to miss it.

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 1/25/14 vs. Boston; Bullies Teams Honored
- bmeltzer

Quick question: If Hartnell is going to skate on the 3rd line, why not flip Read to the right side and leave Hartnell in his usual position?

Also, is there any chance the Flyers dress 7 D and use Streit as a 4th line wing?

This is either going to be a fun game to switch, meaning the Flyers get their heads out if their ass or a complete disaster. I still think the leaders of this team need to start acting like leaders and show the team by example. For a team with a lot of ex-captains this team sure looks leaderless.

The problem is still the bad mix of defensemen. Even when they win it's more about the other team not capitalizing on the lack of speed/puck handling ability.

I thought the signing of Lecavalier was an interesting move in the offseason and relatively safe being he's only 33 but at his salary and on pace to score 31 points and playing on the third line, the results have not been encouraging.

The Flyers have to be glad they didn't resign Mason after his stellar November when his agent was asking for Bryzgalov money. His early season heroics are looking more and more like a fluke the further you get from them. They also have to be wishing they would've waited a few more weeks to resign him since he's been stumbling badly lately. I'm not saying everything is his fault but the guy who stole points and kept the flyers from getting blown out 2 months ago is not showing up. I'm not sure what the hurry was in the signing since he would only be an RFA anyway.

I'm sure this has already been rehashed over the last week. I'm going to go back and read some of the threads from earlier this week and see what the mood is since it's been awhile.

Quick question: If Hartnell is going to skate on the 3rd line, why not flip Read to the right side and leave Hartnell in his usual position?

Also, is there any chance the Flyers dress 7 D and use Streit as a 4th line wing?
- BiggE

I was reading the lineup and thinking this very thing. It would seem to make sense since Read can play anywhere.

The organization honoring and living in the past. I loved watching and celebrating the stanley cup teams but its time to move on...39 years is way too long for an organization that loves to spend money on the wrong players.

- nails

Where the hell has this been all season?? This could be what's been missing...

Where the hell has this been all season?? This could be what's been missing...
- tangent_man

just doing my part

Quick question: If Hartnell is going to skate on the 3rd line, why not flip Read to the right side and leave Hartnell in his usual position?

Also, is there any chance the Flyers dress 7 D and use Streit as a 4th line wing?
- BiggE

It's a good point. Berube has gotten the wins that at least opened the door to hope for the season after the 1-7 start, but his lineup choices baffle me. If you have to force in Lecavalier at center, why not bump Hartnell up to the Giroux-Voracek line, and drop Raffl down to 3rd line LW, with Read on the right side? Or even drop Raffl to the fourth line to give that line a bit more skill and re-unite Dowine with Couturier and Read?

I also hate the defense pairs. I don't like Grossmann & Streit together, and Schenn and Meszaros pairs two guys prone to mental mistakes and bad reads together.

I'd rather see 44-22, 5-32 & 41-8 if they won't bring in Gustafsson.

The problem is still the bad mix of defensemen. Even when they win it's more about the other team not capitalizing on the lack of speed/puck handling ability.
- Flyers_01

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.
- bmeltzer

They will get it eventually Bill....I hope.

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.
- bmeltzer

Yeah, the structural cohesion that got them back into the race is long gone... you can have lesser players playing as a team, or you can sometimes have great individuals overcome bad team play, but lesser players each playing on an island unto themselves? No way.

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.
- bmeltzer

Absolutely. Look at the Devils in 2012. They took a mediocre-at best-defense group to the Final. The Flyers need to get back to playing solid team defense and disciplined hockey. Far too often a lazy or dumb play leads to running around or an odd man rush and a goal against.

The defense gets a lot of heat, and it is a bad mix of guys, but it should be workable, but the forwards need to help out more and the defensemen need to do a better job with their decision making and avoid the dumb mistakes.

It's a good point. Berube has gotten the wins that at least opened the door to hope for the season after the 1-7 start, but his lineup choices baffle me. If you have to force in Lecavalier at center, why not bump Hartnell up to the Giroux-Voracek line, and drop Raffl down to 3rd line LW, with Read on the right side? Or even drop Raffl to the fourth line to give that line a bit more skill and re-unite Dowine with Couturier and Read?

I also hate the defense pairs. I don't like Grossmann & Streit together, and Schenn and Meszaros pairs two guys prone to mental mistakes and bad reads together.

I'd rather see 44-22, 5-32 & 41-8 if they won't bring in Gustafsson.
- Jsaquella

I like those pairs a lot better than what their throwing out there now and they could still go 5-8 on the pk

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.
- bmeltzer

LOL if they had that D, Pronger would make damn sure the forwards backchecked!

I like those pairs a lot better than what their throwing out there now and they could still go 5-8 on the pk
- BiggE

5-44 is Berube's security blanket, though... would be hard to snatch that away from him. It may be a case of better to have 1 pair you can count on, versus 3 that you can't.

If the Bruins offered Hamilton for Coburn and this year's first round pick, would you do it?

5-44 is Berube's security blanket, though... would be hard to snatch that away from him. It may be a case of better to have 1 pair you can count on, versus 3 that you can't.
- Tomahawk

not really sure you can count that much on any of the pairings. On a good team 5-44 is a 2nd pair and the rest are thirds

That is true. It's equally true, though, that they could ice a blueline of Howe-McCrimmon, Jim Watson-Desjardins, Pronger - Timonen (both ca 2010) and it still wouldn't solve everything if the forwards still don't backcheck and provide puck support.

Solid team D -- which the Flyers exhibited in November -- and goaltending can compensate for a less-than-spectacular blueline.
- bmeltzer

Didn't mean to excuse the lack of team Defense. The forwards haven't been good at backchecking (or held accountable for backchecking) in a very very long time.

If the Bruins offered Hamilton for Coburn and this year's first round pick, would you do it?
- PhillySportsGuy

probably

If the Bruins offered Hamilton for Coburn and this year's first round pick, would you do it?
- PhillySportsGuy

Nope.

Nope.
- Jsaquella

why not?

Nope.
- Jsaquella

What about for Coburn and a 2nd?