Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 
Forums :: Blog World :: Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Wheels Fall off in 2nd Period of 7-3 Loss
Author Message
corduroy
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: “How many times is she gonna ask this f'n question?”, NT
Joined: 12.09.2006

Feb 22 @ 8:22 AM ET
Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Wheels Fall off in 2nd Period of 7-3 Loss
- bmeltzer


They got smoked
Sublime55
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 07.24.2012

Feb 22 @ 8:25 AM ET
Well, this was not a surprise at all. I hope the league was happy to have most viewers turning off the game by the 2nd period. The Flyers should have NEVER BEEN FORCED to play this game!!

However, there are some big concerns here for this team. First and foremost, Carter Hart is regressing, there is no other way to put it. Granted he has been under siege for most of the season with the Flyers giving up the 2nd most shots in the league, but he has not helped his team with big saves either. His shootout performance against the Rangers being a prime example.

Secondly this team just won't SHOOT THE PUCK!! Last night the Flyers had a BIG advantage in the 1st period with the sun setting directly in Tuukka Rask's eyes and they only managed 11 shots on goal. What is worse is the Flyers only managed 5 shots over the next 30 minutes of the game. There are simply too many passengers in this forward group, players looking for the pretty play versus just getting pucks to the net. Hayes, who I have been a fan of, is one of the biggest offenders!

Thirdly the Flyers are getting a lot of their shots blocked, and its not just against the Bruins, most teams the Flyers have played this season are having a easy time blocking shots. The Flyers apparently do not have players that know how to get pucks through!

Finally, Provorov is not playing like a top defenseman in this league, and that is a big problem for this team. For example last night's first Bruins goal, Provorov has got to take away that pass to Pastrnak and let Hart handle Marchand coming down the wing. But Provorov flinched allowing Marchand to make a pretty pass for an easy goal. Of course a turnover at the Bruins blue line started the play, but the Flyers need their top defenseman to make a play there and he didn't, and this is not the first time I have seen this from him this season.

- jd250


To your second paragraph about Hart, it looks as if Bill already addressed that. %919 save percentage against everyone outside of the Bruins. I thought he’s played well and kept his team in games when they haven’t been generating much offense.
wbon22
Season Ticket Holder
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Cherry Hill, NJ
Joined: 02.21.2008

Feb 22 @ 8:30 AM ET
Hart never seemed to settle in this game. His tracking looked off as well. Not making excuses, just an observations.

Farabee really looks good.

Is there any sense of when TK or G will be back?

MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Feb 22 @ 8:31 AM ET
Bruins top line versus Flyers this year:

GP G A Pts +/-
Brad Marchand: 5 3 5 8 6
David Pastrnak: 3 6 2 8 6
Patrice Bergeron: 5 3 6 9 4

The Bruins have scored 23 goals against the Flyers in 5 games this season, and this line has score more than 1/2 of them! As I mentioned early on, if you shutdown the Bruins top line you have a good chance to beat them, but the Flyers have shown thus far that they can't do that! This to me is the number 1 reason Fletcher needs to go get a defenseman like Ekholm! These types of players do not become available that often and thus Fletcher needs to gird his loins and go make a good hockey trade now, otherwise forget this season because the Flyers are not coming out of their division.

- jd250


Can you tell me what team has consistently shut down the perfection line?

All of your posts drastically overrate Ekholm. He is not what you think he is.
NC Flyers Fan
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 07.19.2018

Feb 22 @ 8:32 AM ET

Any news on when Voracek, Giroux or the others might be back?

MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Feb 22 @ 8:33 AM ET
But honestly, it is different this year with Covid, otherwise there wouldn't be a taxi-squad. Also this game is different, its a special game with the sole purpose of highlighting the NHL, it was not just a run of the mill Tuesday night regular season hockey game. So with this in mind, the Flyers should not have played this game. The casual fan or even new fan is probably asking themselves why the league would showcase this sport with a team with a severely depleted lineup because of Covid? The answer of course is simply, this league is a joke!
- jd250


Is it just different for the Flyers or is every team playing under the risk of Covid? There was no legit reason for the Flyers to not play in the game in my opinion.
ClaudeFather
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: west haven, CT
Joined: 08.14.2015

Feb 22 @ 8:34 AM ET
Not sure if it was the setting of the practice before and the actual Lake Tahoe game but there is a video of Hart saying he’s having a tough time tracking the puck in the practice Rink they used before this game , and this game did not go well. Let’s get this man back in a NHL arena
jd250
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.12.2018

Feb 22 @ 8:35 AM ET
They got blown out with Coots acting as defacto captain! They need to strip it from him and give it to someone else.
- ClaudeFather

Agreed
MBFlyerfan
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Be nice from now on, NJ
Joined: 03.17.2006

Feb 22 @ 8:39 AM ET
Not sure if it was the setting of the practice before and the actual Lake Tahoe game but there is a video of Hart saying he’s having a tough time tracking the puck in the practice Rink they used before this game , and this game did not go well. Let’s get this man back in a NHL arena
- ClaudeFather




He looked to me like he was having trouble seeing the puck. It annoyed me to no end that the Flyers weren't shooting everything at Rask to test out this theory.
jd250
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.12.2018

Feb 22 @ 8:40 AM ET
Is it just different for the Flyers or is every team playing under the risk of Covid? There was no legit reason for the Flyers to not play in the game in my opinion.
- MJL

Every team of course has the risk of Covid exposure. I am speaking specifically about this game, a game that is supposed to showcase the league to new or casual fans. Otherwise I agree with you completely.
Tomahawk
Location: Driver's Seat: Mitch Marner bandwagon. Grab 'em by the Corsi.
Joined: 02.04.2009

Feb 22 @ 8:43 AM ET
All of your posts drastically overrate Ekholm. He is not what you think he is.
- MJL


We're always just one last silver bullet away from the Cup.
login
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 08.21.2020

Feb 22 @ 8:44 AM ET
Hart isn't "regressing". He's hit a bump in the road and will need to adapt. It's normal. Against every East team except Boston this year, he is 5-1-1, 2.73 GAA, .919 SV%. That's far from a disaster.
- bmeltzer


Samuel Ersson will be here shortly. What's this kids deal Bill? Seems to be having an outstanding year in Sweden. Can we expect to see him in next year?
MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Feb 22 @ 8:45 AM ET
Every team of course has the risk of Covid exposure. I am speaking specifically about this game, a game that is supposed to showcase the league to new or casual fans. Otherwise I agree with you completely.
- jd250


If the conditions and risk are the same for every team then your point that it is different this year, so the league should postpone a game just because some top players are out, is not valid in my opinion.
Hextall271
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Hart-Land, NB
Joined: 01.18.2007

Feb 22 @ 8:47 AM ET
didn't play well, was back in his net and the goals hit the corners while fluttering. Goalies play angles and odds, top shelf corner will go in more often than not but he does need to be out on the angle
- wcorvette


As I mentioned, this is a sign his confidence is low. It was quite evident. I think he'll bounce right back after some practice time. He's shown to be very resilient which is promising long term. This is all a part of the process for a young goalie.
Hextall271
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Hart-Land, NB
Joined: 01.18.2007

Feb 22 @ 8:50 AM ET
I understand fans being unhappy that the Flyers had to play with a depleted lineup. However it's nonsense in saying they shouldn't have played the game. It's no different than if a team had a slew of injuries.
- MJL


To be fair, I can't remember a time when we would have had 5 regular forwards and a reg Dman out all at the same time coupled with not being able to practice or play for 2 weeks then being asked to jump right back into games without practicing very much with the replacement players. It's a tall order.
jd250
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.12.2018

Feb 22 @ 8:55 AM ET
Can you tell me what team has consistently shut down the perfection line?

All of your posts drastically overrate Ekholm. He is not what you think he is.

- MJL

Tampa did a decent job against Boston in the playoffs last year, but you are right, its really hard to shut this line down. Especially if you are team that takes dumb penalties and has a poor PK like the Flyers. Regarding Ekholm, he is a really solid defenseman that has been healthy, plays big minutes, can score and is a plus player. He would fit in our top 4 really well. Now he is another left shot defenseman which is not ideal, but I really wonder how important this really is.
login
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 08.21.2020

Feb 22 @ 8:56 AM ET
How does AA play more minutes than Patrick, 30 seconds less than JVR, all while having the 2nd most minutes of even strength time (NAK had 21 seconds more)
Bill Meltzer
Editor
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Joined: 07.13.2006

Feb 22 @ 9:06 AM ET
Samuel Ersson will be here shortly. What's this kids deal Bill? Seems to be having an outstanding year in Sweden. Can we expect to see him in next year?
- login


I'd think he is signed and joins the Phantoms next season. Had that great Allsvenskan and WJC season two years ago. Last year in SHL was so-so but has played very well this year on a struggling team.

Scoob
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: love is love
Joined: 06.29.2006

Feb 22 @ 9:07 AM ET
dbth
Scoob
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: love is love
Joined: 06.29.2006

Feb 22 @ 9:08 AM ET
With the exception of the teamwide debacle in the first game against Buffalo, Hart has been fine against the rest of the East apart. He's got a .919 save percent against every team but Boston.

Even the OTL at home against Boston was not a goaltending issue. He was not good in either blowout loss, obviously. In the shootout loss in the first game in Boston, he took a shutout into the third period before giving up four goals, of which one -- Coyle's goal that tied the game at 2-2 -- was seemingly stoppable.

- bmeltzer



I agree, Bill. I'm not concerned about Hart. I will say, though, that it's very nice to have a goaltending tandem like Hart and Elliott. I have no concerns about either.
Scoob
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: love is love
Joined: 06.29.2006

Feb 22 @ 9:10 AM ET
I understand fans being unhappy that the Flyers had to play with a depleted lineup. However it's nonsense in saying they shouldn't have played the game. It's no different than if a team had a slew of injuries.
- MJL


Agreed. The position that it was "unfair" is weak.
jd250
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.12.2018

Feb 22 @ 9:10 AM ET
If the conditions and risk are the same for every team then your point that it is different this year, so the league should postpone a game just because some top players are out, is not valid in my opinion.
- MJL

As I said, this was not "just a game". This was a special outdoor game in Lake Tahoe to showcase the league. This year is different, and the game itself is different. That is why I feel the Flyers should not have played.
jd250
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 01.12.2018

Feb 22 @ 9:12 AM ET
To your second paragraph about Hart, it looks as if Bill already addressed that. %919 save percentage against everyone outside of the Bruins. I thought he’s played well and kept his team in games when they haven’t been generating much offense.
- Sublime55

Hart certainly has had good games this year. However he is not been consistent, and has let up what I consider quite a few weak goals. That is why I saying he is regressing.
login
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 08.21.2020

Feb 22 @ 9:14 AM ET
I'd think he is signed and joins the Phantoms next season. Had that great Allsvenskan and WJC season two years ago. Last year in SHL was so-so but has played very well this year on a struggling team.
- bmeltzer

My understanding from what I read and what not is the team he is on is not very good at all. He has pretty much kept the scores respectable.
Scoob
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: love is love
Joined: 06.29.2006

Feb 22 @ 9:15 AM ET
But honestly, it is different this year with Covid, otherwise there wouldn't be a taxi-squad. Also this game is different, its a special game with the sole purpose of highlighting the NHL, it was not just a run of the mill Tuesday night regular season hockey game. So with this in mind, the Flyers should not have played this game. The casual fan or even new fan is probably asking themselves why the league would showcase this sport with a team with a severely depleted lineup because of Covid? The answer of course is simply, this league is a joke!
- jd250



Imho, the main blunder the NHL made with these games was playing them during the day. The sun and shadows were ridiculous. The games should've been 5pm local time starts. The problems they had were completely foreseeable and avoidable.
Page: Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next