The other day, I was speaking to a Comcast executive who said to me, "Peter Laviolette has the world's biggest b----."
I was making the case as to why Sergei Bobrovsky should start the Winter Classic and why I felt that Lavy would make that decision.
Like Ken Hitchcock, there are certain mannerisms about Laviolette that are entirely predictable, just as a full moon.
He rewards good play with extra ice time. He rewards his goalies' good play with more starts, regardless of opponent.
Now, when you've won a Stanley Cup as a coach, it earns you the right to say, 'screw the Winter Classic hype, I'm going with this guy, not that guy.'
Doesn't matter if all of Mother Russia is up in arms tonight that Ilya Bryzgalov, their hero from HBO's 24/7 is not starting. What matters is that Lavy holds firm to his values of rewarding good play.
In the past several days, players and other team sources suggested to me that Lavy was prepared to make a statement on Bryz and that what Bill Meltzer and I had felt all along was about to happen.
And it did. Except, Bryz beat Lavy to the punch by announcing that HE was not starting and that the team was better off b/c of it.
Without getting into specifics, I can tell you with absolute certainty this did not play well within the Flyers organization today. Lavy was like a caged Siberian Tiger before our presser, pacing around outside the press room after hearing what Bryzgalov did.
No coach likes to be upstaged, especially at the Winter Classic.
I love that Scott Hartnell went on the record, as did Kimmo Timonen, talking frankly about why it was the RIGHT move to start Bobrovsky.
Wake-up call.
Someone who I have trusted for a long time, told me a few days ago that it was necessary for a coach to judge the pulse of the dressing room and if the players felt a goalie wasn't doing the job, but the coach went the other direction just because of the "event," then the coach was doing a disservice to the players in the room.
Win or lose tomorrow, Lavy made the right call.
That Bryz cavalierly dismissed not starting, stating a number of bizarre things, including selling his equipment to make money, will not go down very well with the Flyers organizational brass in the days ahead.
Remember this: Bryz is the first, truly off-the-wall goalie we have had in Philly since Garth Snow. Yeah, Marty Biron was talkative, but he wasn't off-the-wall.
Given the $51 million contract, Flyer fans feel they need someone "earthy" and "grounded" and not a space cadet who talks about life as a bigger picture in the universe.
I can't disagree. But as a reporter, I have to admit, this is SOOOOOO Philadelphia, it seems natural. And it's funny, and crazy and ... Flyers hockey.
Here's my story on CSNPhilly.com with some candid, maybe even shocking quotes, from what people said today.
click here 
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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