Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 12/5/19 vs ARI

surprised to see crouse is a scratch for them, but their team is deeper than its been for years. Grabner on the fourth line...deep with speed

Tricky game tonight. Yotes are a sneaky good team who the Flyers have had trouble with in years past. Building will prob be dead too. Hopefully they can play a solid 60 minutes and get two points.

Tricky game tonight. Yotes are a sneaky good team who the Flyers have had trouble with in years past. Building will prob be dead too. Hopefully they can play a solid 60 minutes and get two points.
- PLindbergh31

I hope the atmosphere in the building picks up soon. This team is a playing an entertaining brand of hockey. It was dead during the Flames game.

The reason the power play percentage has dipped is that the PP1 has cotton weaker. This was done to have 2 balance PP lines however the first Line (Giroux) always starts and usually is on the ice for 85-90 seconds.
Frost and Konecny are not 1st line NHL PP players yet. Neither are as strong on the puck as Couts or Voracek which means they lose more puck battles and can't get set up in the offensive zone.
The second line which is a better power play line up (other than Giroux) are only getting one rush in the zone and then the penalty is up.

The reason the power play percentage has dipped is that the PP1 has cotton weaker. This was done to have 2 balance PP lines however the first Line (Giroux) always starts and usually is on the ice for 85-90 seconds.
Frost and Konecny are not 1st line NHL PP players yet. Neither are as strong on the puck as Couts or Voracek which means they lose more puck battles and can't get set up in the offensive zone.
The second line which is a better power play line up (other than Giroux) are only getting one rush in the zone and then the penalty is up.
- kennygarcon

Frost is an excellent puckhandler and was the Phantoms No. 1 entry guy. He's in a different role up here, being used as the bumper/ slot shooter and hardly touching the puck.

Regarding Crouse...

He is probably still in concussion protocols...and I wouldn't be surprised if he also has a UBI. He went down at a high rate of speed, hit the post and got spun into the end boards and he got folded like an accordion. It was a brutal hit, so he may be out for a few weeks.

Frost is an excellent puckhandler and was the Phantoms No. 1 entry guy. He's in a different role up here, being used as the bumper/ slot shooter and hardly touching the puck.
- bmeltzer

Exactly, he is in a different role. Along from the number, Frost reminds me of a young Briere. Slick but easy to knock off the puck at the present, due to age and size.

But more importantly, its the PP1 playing 3/4 of the 2 minutes, with Couts and Voracek on the bench.

Regarding Crouse...

He is probably still in concussion protocols...and I wouldn't be surprised if he also has a UBI. He went down at a high rate of speed, hit the post and got spun into the end boards and he got folded like an accordion. It was a brutal hit, so he may be out for a few weeks.
- juiced

oh didn;t know this. I remember i was interested in him at the draft. He and Tk are very tight.

In regards to our powerplay, we need to get the best guys on the ice. I don't agree with everything @ Kenny but G Cooter and Jake should be the first off the bench every time. Throw in TK and Ghost/Provy too. You don't see the Caps trying to get the second unit going, send out the big guns.

After losing in Springfield last night, Gordon's Phantoms are currently out of the playoffs (the top 4 in each division qualify).

https://theahl.com/stats/standings

The reason the power play percentage has dipped is that the PP1 has cotton weaker. This was done to have 2 balance PP lines however the first Line (Giroux) always starts and usually is on the ice for 85-90 seconds.
Frost and Konecny are not 1st line NHL PP players yet. Neither are as strong on the puck as Couts or Voracek which means they lose more puck battles and can't get set up in the offensive zone.
The second line which is a better power play line up (other than Giroux) are only getting one rush in the zone and then the penalty is up.
- kennygarcon

I agree with all of this except... no I agree with all of it.

After losing in Springfield last night, Gordon's Phantoms are currently out of the playoffs (the top 4 in each division qualify).

https://theahl.com/stats/standings
- Feanor

Panic immediately..........

Was that a typo or is Ghost off both PP units now?

After losing in Springfield last night, Gordon's Phantoms are currently out of the playoffs (the top 4 in each division qualify).

https://theahl.com/stats/standings
- Feanor

Well when Greg Carey and Cal O'Reilly are your top 2 scorers and JF Berube is your 1B starter, these things happen.

John Carlson could win the Norris and the Hart aged 30. He's up to 42 points in 30 games. Hamilton is the next dman at 28 points.

surprised to see crouse is a scratch for them, but their team is deeper than its been for years. Grabner on the fourth line...deep with speed
- Peter Richards

It seems that Crouse hasn't lived up to his draft position. FLorida either over evaluated him or he doesn't put in the required work to excel

John Carlson could win the Norris and the Hart aged 30. He's up to 42 points in 30 games. Hamilton is the next dman at 28 points.
- Feanor

That's just insane, and Wash is running away from the pack in our div. They and Boston are the standard in the east with Tampa flying under the radar.

In regards to our powerplay, we need to get the best guys on the ice. I don't agree with everything @ Kenny but G Cooter and Jake should be the first off the bench every time. Throw in TK and Ghost/Provy too. You don't see the Caps trying to get the second unit going, send out the big guns.
- ClaudeFather

I don't think TK is a first unit PP guy yet. He is speed guy at his best off the rush. A perfect 2nd PP unit. As they usually get the last 30 seconds starting in their own zone.

I don't think TK is a first unit PP guy yet. He is speed guy at his best off the rush. A perfect 2nd PP unit. As they usually get the last 30 seconds starting in their own zone.
- kennygarcon

I'd like to see him and G run it from down low like the opposite of Backstrom/Kusnetsov. TK is awesome with those misdirection change of pace plays in the cycle game and it would constantly keep Giroux moving opening up more passing lanes rather than being somewhat stationary.

I don't think TK is a first unit PP guy yet. He is speed guy at his best off the rush. A perfect 2nd PP unit. As they usually get the last 30 seconds starting in their own zone.
- kennygarcon

I think he's got the best shot on the team, honestly. That's nice to have on the PP.

It seems that Crouse hasn't lived up to his draft position. FLorida either over evaluated him or he doesn't put in the required work to excel
- corduroy

He's the type of guy who's low risk but low ceiling. He basically was what he is when he was drafted. Very NHL ready, but as a bottom-6 type.

He's the type of guy who's low risk but low ceiling. He basically was what he is when he was drafted. Very NHL ready, but as a bottom-6 type.
- jmatchett383

If a guy's scouting report leads with 'NHL-Ready', it's one of the biggest red flags there is.

Translation: guy was bigger/stronger than everybody he played with, possibly masking all kinds of defects.

Unless you're Eric Lindros or something.

If a guy's scouting report leads with 'NHL-Ready', it's one of the biggest red flags there is.

Translation: guy was bigger/stronger than everybody he played with, possibly masking all kinds of defects.

Unless you're Eric Lindros or something.
- Tomahawk

Exactly. That's why Ratcliffe needs some serious AHL time. Not that he's a bad player or will never amount to anything, but he was just so much stronger than the high school kids in the CHL that he was able to impose his will. That goes doubly for Strome.

RE: Carlson: I'm playing a guy this week in Fantasy that has him, he alone has 23 points vs. my entire team's 28. Having a great year.