Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Rubtsov, Odjick, Doc and More

Here’s hoping German get a fire under him.

Luv Gino Odjick

Now the Flyers are the Pens little brother.

Luv Gino Odjick

Now the Flyers are the Pens little brother.
- login

Flyers are the older brother who peaked in high school and now lives with mom and dad. The Pens are the little brother who became a doctor.

Get well soon, Gino

Re Rubtsov:
I just don’t see him ever being an NHL regular. His defensive awareness and ability to play multiple positions might eventually see him bounce around as a 12/13F but he just hasn’t shown either the consistency or the durability to ever be much more.

Right now, I’m not even sure if he’s one of our top 10 forward prospects. At the very least I’d rate Foerster, Frost, Brink, Allison, Ratcliffe, Cates, Lacyzinski ahead of him and that’s just off the top of my head.

Flyers are the older brother who peaked in high school and now lives with mom and dad. The Pens are the little brother who became a doctor.
- mickel25

Doctor that the parents had to donate a library to the college to get the school to accept them.


Pens are going in the toilet pretty soon at least. Rutherford is doing an awful job with them.

Doctor that the parents had to donate a library to the college to get the school to accept them.


Pens are going in the toilet pretty soon at least. Rutherford is doing an awful job with them.
- hereticpride

Sure are. Sports are cyclical so it’s always inevitable but damn did he jam the fast forward button. I’m fine with just good health for Crosby/Malkin at this point to ride out their careers. Serious contention is all but done.

Sure are. Sports are cyclical so it’s always inevitable but damn did he jam the fast forward button. I’m fine with just good health for Crosby/Malkin at this point to ride out their careers. Serious contention is all but done.
- stayinthefnnet

I honestly thought you guys had one more cup in in you. You don't think Kapanen with Jake and Sydney could be a dynamite first line?

The Spectrum was a house of horrors over the years for the Pittsburgh Penguins. At one point, the Penguins went winless in 42 straight games in Philadelphia (0-39 with three ties), spanning Feb. 7, 1974 to Feb. 2, 1989.

I'm giving away a bit of my age here, but I was at that 2/2/89 game, and it felt a little like the world was ending. I mean, it was bound to happen eventually - you know the saying about "all good things" - but man, to go so long without losing to a team at home, and it took the Pens 4+ years to win a game in the Spectrum even with Mario Lemieux on their team.

Doctor that the parents had to donate a library to the college to get the school to accept them.


Pens are going in the toilet pretty soon at least. Rutherford is doing an awful job with them.
- hereticpride

flyers been doing an awful job since 1975; in terms of no cups.

Here’s hoping German get a fire under him.

flyers been doing an awful job since 1975; in terms of no cups.
- login

Wow, this is news to me.

They can both stay over there

flyers been doing an awful job since 1975; in terms of no cups.
- login

True, they haven't won in what seems like forever, while we've had to endure some of our least favorite teams winning multiple times.

However, over the next 14 seasons after the last Cup (i.e. 1976-1989), the Flyers were in the SCF 4 times, and the semifinals another 3 times. Meaning, on average every other year, they were in the Final 4. They didn't win it all, but they were better than most teams each of those years.

Then from 1995-2004, the Flyers were in the SCF once and the semis three other times... so 4 times in 10 years in the Final 4. Again, no cigar, but closer to winning than most teams.

Get well soon, Gino

Re Rubtsov:
I just don’t see him ever being an NHL regular. His defensive awareness and ability to play multiple positions might eventually see him bounce around as a 12/13F but he just hasn’t shown either the consistency or the durability to ever be much more.

Right now, I’m not even sure if he’s one of our top 10 forward prospects. At the very least I’d rate Foerster, Frost, Brink, Allison, Ratcliffe, Cates, Lacyzinski ahead of him and that’s just off the top of my head.
- BiggE

I’m not sure if all teams have this issue with first round picks but Couturier took a bit of time to develop his offense. Laughton took what felt like forever to make the leap from minors to the big club. I lean towards your mindset but I hate running into this slow progression or no progression at all.

I really hope those Flyers jerseys that leaked yesterday aren’t serious, they look like a style you’d find for the women’s jersey. Very disappointed.

Here’s hoping German get a fire under him.
- Peter Richards

I hope you are right but his career certainly is trending in the wrong direction. One thing that I never understood. What aspect of German’s game did the Flyers see as good enough to warrant a first round pick?

I’m not sure if all teams have this issue with first round picks but Couturier took a bit of time to develop his offense. Laughton took what felt like forever to make the leap from minors to the big club. I lean towards your mindset but I hate running into this slow progression or no progression at all.
- SuperSchennBros

Rubtsov is done. All clubs go through it, we just don’t pay attention to their prospects as much. Even guys like Hertl and Meier took time to really get established. We also have Provy and Tk who were very quickly integrated

I really hope those Flyers jerseys that leaked yesterday aren’t serious, they look like a style you’d find for the women’s jersey. Very disappointed.
- ClaudeFather

They look absolutely terrible. Problem is they need to keep churning out something for people to buy. They’ve already milked everything from the military to blackout jerseys to st.Patrick’s day.

Wow, this is news to me.
- hereticpride

well look here you learned something today.

True, they haven't won in what seems like forever, while we've had to endure some of our least favorite teams winning multiple times.

However, over the next 14 seasons after the last Cup (i.e. 1976-1989), the Flyers were in the SCF 4 times, and the semifinals another 3 times. Meaning, on average every other year, they were in the Final 4. They didn't win it all, but they were better than most teams each of those years.

Then from 1995-2004, the Flyers were in the SCF once and the semis three other times... so 4 times in 10 years in the Final 4. Again, no cigar, but closer to winning than most teams.
- copelal

All fluff. Bottom line didnt win.

Rubtsov is done. All clubs go through it, we just don’t pay attention to their prospects as much. Even guys like Hertl and Meier took time to really get established. We also have Provy and Tk who were very quickly integrated
- ClaudeFather

so rubstov is a bust at this point?

so rubstov is a bust at this point?
- 2Real

A bust? Was their really ever high expectations? Not every first round pick pans out and I don’t think their was ever much hype around him. The pick was questioned when it was made. Sure, call him a bust.

Rubtsov is done. All clubs go through it, we just don’t pay attention to their prospects as much. Even guys like Hertl and Meier took time to really get established. We also have Provy and Tk who were very quickly integrated
- ClaudeFather

Gagne, Williams, Carter, Richards, Giroux, Konecny and Provorov were all quick to find their full overall games.

I honestly thought you guys had one more cup in in you. You don't think Kapanen with Jake and Sydney could be a dynamite first line?
- PT21

To me it’s not their first two lines. It’s the supporting cast and suspect d. I actually think their d may be a little better this year. But with trading away picks every year they have almost no system built up. Crosby was a draw for players for years. But now other teams are providing that interest.