Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 12/2/23 @ PIT

He scored a breakaway goal (off a tremendous lead pass from Foerster)

Bill, I could have made that pass, far from tremendous lol

He scored a breakaway goal (off a tremendous lead pass from Foerster)

Bill, I could have made that pass, far from tremendous lol
- ClaudeFather

Delivered tape-to-tape in a key situation. If you can do that trailing by two goals to the Carolina Hurricanes -- not "getting the big eyes" as Moose Dupont called it when you see a wide-open teammate and rushing an errant pass in his direction -- then you should be in the NHL.

need to get staal back in the lineup against a skilled team like the pens. That's good coaching.

Delivered tape-to-tape in a key situation. If you can do that trailing by two goals to the Carolina Hurricanes -- not "getting the big eyes" as Moose Dupont called it when you see a wide-open teammate and rushing an errant pass in his direction -- then you should be in the NHL.
- bmeltzer

They were down 1-0, and he was wide open, no one near him. Nice to see the young player didn’t panic but a far far cry from a tremendous pass

From the eye test and from the last 2/3 of last season I’m a little surprised that Frost has been the 13th forward for most of the season. Much like Farabee’s one play the other night (something that really doesn’t show on any quantifiable stat) I wonder if Frost just wasn’t doing what was being asked of him in certain sequences? I couldn’t agree more that talent wise Frost is not a kid that shouldn’t fit into the top 9.
Who cares that him and Brink are similar…same can be said for Cates and Coots, Foerster and Tippet or even ND and Hathaway.
I’m actually hoping DB can move out a veteran D so that guys like Zamula are in the lineup nightly. I’m not sure having 6 or 7 vets in the line up every night is needed to help show the young guys in the press box how things are done or how to be a good pro.
If by the end of the year we are still in a place where the line up still looks the same and guys like Atkinson, Laughton and Staal are givens then to me it will have been a wasted year where by it could be argued that the coach and DB have done more harm then good.

They were down 1-0, and he was wide open, no one near him. Nice to see the young player didn’t panic but a far far cry from a tremendous pass
- ClaudeFather

It was a nice play…Foerster has played pretty good. Obviously we are all hoping for a little more offence but I do like that they are at least letting him figure it out while playing

From the eye test and from the last 2/3 of last season I’m a little surprised that Frost has been the 13th forward for most of the season. Much like Farabee’s one play the other night (something that really doesn’t show on any quantifiable stat) I wonder if Frost just wasn’t doing what was being asked of him in certain sequences? I couldn’t agree more that talent wise Frost is not a kid that shouldn’t fit into the top 9.
Who cares that him and Brink are similar…same can be said for Cates and Coots, Foerster and Tippet or even ND and Hathaway.
I’m actually hoping DB can move out a veteran D so that guys like Zamula are in the lineup nightly. I’m not sure having 6 or 7 vets in the line up every night is needed to help show the young guys in the press box how things are done or how to be a good pro.
If by the end of the year we are still in a place where the line up still looks the same and guys like Atkinson, Laughton and Staal are givens then to me it will have been a wasted year where by it could be argued that the coach and DB have done more harm then good.
- landros 2

Players will have to be moved at some point if not then firing CF was pointless because we’re making the same mistakes over again

Torts is really starting to be irksome to me! I've been one of his supporters, but why the hell would you put Staal back in the lineup tonight? Zamula has his warts and is gonna make some mistakes, but let him play. Staal looks like he is skating in mud. Torts is gonna Torts.

Good of Bill to highlight this teams scoring or lack there of. While some are complaining of this coaches style of coaching, do we honestly think we can win games any other way? I mean, should we run and gun with the better teams in the league? No one here believes that. In the same breath, we’re complaining about not having high end talent. I don’t think it’s fair to lambaste this front office after exactly one offseason. Who cares or believes what they say publicly? When has any front office been honest about their intentions, especially this organization. Reminds me of the Joe Conklin skit. Ring Ring “ Hello liars I mean Flyers.” If you’re hanging onto every word out of their mouths, I feel sorry for ya. Just as we gave the Hextall and Fletcher groups time to build, we’ll have to do the same here unfortunately. Patience is not our strong suit, especially when they haven’t given us much hope in the last decade or so.

The Flyers make so few solid tape to tape passes that it merits mentioning when someone actually makes one.

Loved Tort’s little tirade about the pussification of the NHL. He can scream all he wants about this being a man’s game, it’s not going to change the way teams need to play the game now to be successful. It’s just childish.

Torts is really starting to be irksome to me! I've been one of his supporters, but why the hell would you put Staal back in the lineup tonight? Zamula has his warts and is gonna make some mistakes, but let him play. Staal looks like he is skating in mud. Torts is gonna Torts.
- Phillywhiteout

It confirms it is a jockstrap

Good of Bill to highlight this teams scoring or lack there of. While some are complaining of this coaches style of coaching, do we honestly think we can win games any other way? I mean, should we run and gun with the better teams in the league? No one here believes that. In the same breath, we’re complaining about not having high end talent. I don’t think it’s fair to lambaste this front office after exactly one offseason. Who cares or believes what they say publicly? When has any front office been honest about their intentions, especially this organization. Reminds me of the Joe Conklin skit. Ring Ring “ Hello liars I mean Flyers.” If you’re hanging onto every word out of their mouths, I feel sorry for ya. Just as we gave the Hextall and Fletcher groups time to build, we’ll have to do the same here unfortunately. Patience is not our strong suit, especially when they haven’t given us much hope in the last decade or so.
- Laceemup88

Are the Flyers able to match any of the better teams in the league playing any style of hockey? Should the Flyers tailor their style of hockey based on trying to win games? Or should they tailor to what is best to develop their young talent? Supposedly they're a rebuilding team.

The Flyers make so few solid tape to tape passes that it merits mentioning when someone actually makes one.

Loved Tort’s little tirade about the pussification of the NHL. He can scream all he wants about this being a man’s game, it’s not going to change the way teams need to play the game now to be successful. It’s just childish.
- Dkos

I assume this is about the Hathaway hit? It's no secret that I'm not a Tortorella fan. In this case, I don't know what his words were but if he is standing up for Hathaway there. Good for him. There are times when a coach needs to do that for a player and I think this is one of those times.

you guys think york will be a flyer for a long time or will we trade him

Are the Flyers able to match any of the better teams in the league playing any style of hockey? Should the Flyers tailor their style of hockey based on trying to win games? Or should they tailor to what is best to develop their young talent? Supposedly they're a rebuilding team.
- MJL

Coaches are hired to win games. I’m sure in his mind, he is doing it the way he feels he should with this collection of players. If we don’t agree with his style, he probably could care less. On the same token, he also probably thinks he’s developing their young talent the way he’s sees fit. They hired him so they must be on board. As far as their talent level, they are what they are at this point. Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken sh!t. (See Bills scoring info in the blog). You and I both know, there’s no quick fix here. We’re gonna have to wait till MM, Cutter, and then some for the high end talent to get here. Can’t win games with highly skilled talent and plays if the talent is not here.

Torts is really starting to be irksome to me! I've been one of his supporters, but why the hell would you put Staal back in the lineup tonight? Zamula has his warts and is gonna make some mistakes, but let him play. Staal looks like he is skating in mud. Torts is gonna Torts.
- Phillywhiteout

They are probably trying to get him up to speed because they will be trading Walker any day now.

you guys think york will be a flyer for a long time or will we trade him
- 2Real

"Everyone is available for a trade"
Brière

"Do not trade my 200 foot robot players! Frost is available, to skilled for my liking"
Torts

Coaches are hired to win games. I’m sure in his mind, he is doing it the way he feels he should with this collection of players. If we don’t agree with his style, he probably could care less. On the same token, he also probably thinks he’s developing their young talent the way he’s sees fit. They hired him so they must be on board. As far as their talent level, they are what they are at this point. Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken sh!t. (See Bills scoring info in the blog). You and I both know, there’s no quick fix here. We’re gonna have to wait till MM, Cutter, and then some for the high end talent to get here. Can’t win games with highly skilled talent and plays if the talent is not here.
- Laceemup88

You dodged every single question. Again, should the focus be in winning or should a team that is supposedly rebuilding, tailor their style of play towards preparing the talent they have to play with a higher level of talent when it gets here? Building towards that? What is winning? Some regular season games to the point of being a .500 team? That's winning? That's what they should be tailoring their strategy towards? To what end?
Here is the bottom line. Tortorella is about the worst coach you could have to develop a young team. Every word or comment coming from the coach, the GM and the PHOP tells us that they're not rebuilding. That they have no clue how to rebuild.

Happy game day guys. These two teams are so mediocre it’s somehow an oddly compelling and relevant game.

You dodged every single question. Again, should the focus be in winning or should a team that is supposedly rebuilding, tailor their style of play towards preparing the talent they have to play with a higher level of talent when it gets here? Building towards that? What is winning? Some regular season games to the point of being a .500 team? That's winning? That's what they should be tailoring their strategy towards? To what end?
Here is the bottom line. Tortorella is about the worst coach you could have to develop a young team. Every word or comment coming from the coach, the GM and the PHOP tells us that they're not rebuilding. That they have no clue how to rebuild.
- MJL

I didn’t dodge anything. You just don’t agree the way they’re doing it. That’s fine. Look, this isn’t the Ed Snider mid 1980’s Flyers, challenging for cups every few years.
Everyone has bosses, how do we know the big 3 are not being told by higher ups at Comcast, to try to win along the way. Puts butts in the seats. They are a business after all. Nice chatting with you, have stuff to get done. Thanks.

I didn’t dodge anything. You just don’t agree the way they’re doing it. That’s fine. Look, this isn’t the Ed Snider mid 1980’s Flyers, challenging for cups every few years.
Everyone has bosses, how do we know the big 3 are not being told by higher ups at Comcast, to try to win along the way. Puts butts in the seats. They are a business after all. Nice chatting with you, have stuff to get done. Thanks.
- Laceemup88

You're right, they aren't challenging for cups. Yet they're operating in many ways in the same manner. Without the success. They have not evolved into modern times. The coach is on record saying he is not going to put developing a young player ahead of winning a game. The GM is saying Frost is a big part of the teams future, yet he is scratched half the time. Staal is back in the lineup tonight. The POHO is taking about culture, integrity, honesty and toughness for heavens sake! LOL
I don't are who is telling them what. The question is if it is the right way and should we as fans support it? It seems as though you do. I don't. Your welcome.

It confirms it is a jockstrap
- THE BLACK HAND

I see the obsession continues along with your weak attempts at humor. Congrats! I'd feel sorry for you, but I really don't like you so...

I assume this is about the Hathaway hit? It's no secret that I'm not a Tortorella fan. In this case, I don't know what his words were but if he is standing up for Hathaway there. Good for him. There are times when a coach needs to do that for a player and I think this is one of those times.
- MJL

I have no problem with the coach being upset about the bad call on his player. I do find it childish for him to then go on and cry about the NHL wanting a no hit league and that players are at fault for not knowing how to take a hit. The mistake the ref made was failing to blow the play dead and then assessing a major based on the appearance that the player was hurt. The play was reviewed and Hathaway was not fined or suspended. He did nothing wrong. This wasn’t about wanting to take physicality out of the game. It was just a bad call. I don’t need to hear the coach crying about the good old days.

Happy game day guys. These two teams are so mediocre it’s somehow an oddly compelling and relevant game.
- stayinthefnnet

how do you feel about games against the devils