They're going to want to use both Couturier and Talbot to play against other teams top lines. and in key defensive zone start situations. Doesn't make a lot of sense to have Briereon a line with them in my opinion.
- MJL

Doesn't seem to be working at the moment does it.

No harm in switching things up for a game or two and see what happens.

Been following Briere since early Buffalo days. Best production year (95 points in 2007) he was centering Hecht and Pomminville.

Remember Prospal, Leino.... For some reason Briere builds chemistry with mediocre offensive guys.

I like this alot but would think about Rinaldo as a main stay with Knuble and Rusty switching in and out of the lineup.
- Stinkfitz

I think the 3 would be interchangeable but I like Rusty because he kills penalties.

Some random stats I just want to throw out there... no agenda behind them.. just bored...

B.Schenn, L.Schenn, and McGinn are the top 3 in +/- on the team.

Only 8 players are on the + side of +/-. 12 players on the - side. 5 are even.

Timonen, Coburn, Giroux, and L. Schenn are all averaging over 20 minutes a game.

Timonen leads the team in PP points with 7, followed by Giroux with 6.

- Team Stats

St Louis leads the NHL on the PP at 34%.
Philly is 20th at 17%.
Boston leads the NHL on the PK at 93.5%
Philly is 18th at 80.3%

Philly wins 62% of the time when they score first.
Philly wins 16% of the time when they're trailing after the first (25th).
Philly wins 100% of the time when leadings after 1 (tied for 1st).
Philly wins 85% of the time when leading after 2.
Philly is 26th in the league on faceoffs with a team average of 47.7%.

Philly is 19th in the league in goals against/game.
Philly is 22nd in goals for/game.
Philly is 18th in 5v5 ratio

I'm even more bored now.. ughh

Some random stats I just want to throw out there... no agenda behind them.. just bored...

B.Schenn, L.Schenn, and McGinn are the top 3 in +/- on the team.

Only 8 players are on the + side of +/-. 12 players on the - side. 5 are even.

Timonen, Coburn, Giroux, and L. Schenn are all averaging over 20 minutes a game.

Timonen leads the team in PP points with 7, followed by Giroux with 6.

- Team Stats

St Louis leads the NHL on the PP at 34%.
Philly is 20th at 17%.
Boston leads the NHL on the PK at 93.5%
Philly is 18th at 80.3%

Philly wins 62% of the time when they score first.
Philly wins 16% of the time when they're trailing after the first (25th).
Philly wins 100% of the time when leadings after 1 (tied for 1st).
Philly wins 85% of the time when leading after 2.
Philly is 26th in the league on faceoffs with a team average of 47.7%.

Philly is 19th in the league in goals against/game.
Philly is 22nd in goals for/game.
Philly is 18th in 5v5 ratio

I'm even more bored now.. ughh
- Flyersgod

Interesting. Hopefully a lot of these numbers are on the up swing. Do you know how many times they've lead after 1? Gotta be like once or twice right?

Interesting. Hopefully a lot of these numbers are on the up swing. Do you know how many times they've lead after 1? Gotta be like once or twice right?
- NickTheKid87

Liking the avatar rollback, sir.

Liking the avatar rollback, sir.
- BulliesPhan87

Yes, I love Sam Barks but I think it was time to return to my roots. Also something Flyers' themed.

Doesn't seem to be working at the moment does it.

No harm in switching things up for a game or two and see what happens.

Been following Briere since early Buffalo days. Best production year (95 points in 2007) he was centering Hecht and Pomminville.

Remember Prospal, Leino.... For some reason Briere builds chemistry with mediocre offensive guys.
- Chris48

I personally wouldn't call any of those player mediocre offensive players. Especially Hecht and Pomminville. Leino when he was here, was an offensive catalyst. Talbot and Couturier, right now, are checking line players. I think it skews the teams matchup capabilities.

http://video.today.msnbc....m/today/50794224#50781349

Hockey is for everyone!™

Doesn't seem to be working at the moment does it.

No harm in switching things up for a game or two and see what happens.

Been following Briere since early Buffalo days. Best production year (95 points in 2007) he was centering Hecht and Pomminville.

Remember Prospal, Leino.... For some reason Briere builds chemistry with mediocre offensive guys.
- Chris48

It's not really the lack of offensive prowess around Briere that would make a 48-14-27 line disagreeable, it's that that line should be a shutdown line and Briere is shaky defensively.

I personally wouldn't call any of those player mediocre offensive players. Especially Hecht and Pomminville. Leino when he was here, was an offensive catalyst. Talbot and Couturier, right now, are checking line players. I think it skews the teams matchup capabilities.
- MJL

Mediocre for top line offensive talent in the NHL.
Hecht is a 40-45point season guy as of Leino and Prospal.
Pommer since 2007 took off and is an incredible two way guy (had 30 points the year prior playing with Danny B.).

I dunno, the only reason I like Canada is because they produce hockey players...


- FlyersGrace

Canada also has maple syrup, good beer, and good fishing.

When Sharp was traded, it was worked out by Clarke to find him a place to get more playing time since he wasn't going to crack the top 6. Plus, they thought they were getting a good return...it just didn't work out.
hind sight 20/20

Mediocre for top line offensive talent in the NHL.
Hecht is a 40-45point season guy as of Leino and Prospal.
Pommer since 2007 took off and is an incredible two way guy (had 30 points the year prior playing with Danny B.).
- Chris48

Well Pominville still puts up points so I guess Danny B. wasn't the whole reason.

Interesting. Hopefully a lot of these numbers are on the up swing. Do you know how many times they've lead after 1? Gotta be like once or twice right?
- NickTheKid87

3 times i think..

Vs Fla
Vs Carolina
Vs Winnipeg

prospal has shown no interest in wanting to be a flyer. don't want him back for a 3rd time.
- hammarby31

Agreed. He couldn't wait to get outta town after his last stint in Philly. Screw him. Heartless Euro

I personally wouldn't call any of those player mediocre offensive players. Especially Hecht and Pomminville. Leino when he was here, was an offensive catalyst. Talbot and Couturier, right now, are checking line players. I think it skews the teams matchup capabilities.
- MJL

RE: Leino

If Buffalo buys him out, I admit, I'd be open to bringing him back here at the right price (and if he were healthy).

When Sharp was traded, it was worked out by Clarke to find him a place to get more playing time since he wasn't going to crack the top 6. Plus, they thought they were getting a good return...it just didn't work out.
hind sight 20/20
- phi1671

Yeah Sharp played 66 games in Philly and had 15 points. In his first 130 games in Chicago, he had 24 points so it's not like he was great from the get go with CHI. Then in 07-08 he put up 62 points.

It irks me that we have to look back at every single trade and deem it a "win" or a "loss". At the time, the trade made a ton of sense. Sharp was a 3rd round pick anyway although he did play pretty well for the Phantoms. Regardless, the trade made sense in 2005, which is really the only time that should matter in this case.

Not necessarily true. At the time of the trade from Tampa, he was hoping to be able to permanently live in Florida and not have to relocate his family again. The Flyers made an agreement with him that if he finished out the year in Philly (with his family remaining in the Tampa area), the club would help him get back there assuming the Lightning wanted to bring him back.

After the season, Holmgren made good on his promise by trading Prospal's rights back to Tampa so they could sign him ahead of the start of free agency.

Circumstances have changed since then. Prospal was no longer in the Lightning's plans by 2009, and he got bought out after signing a long-term contract (which he thought would let him finish his career in Tampa).

At that point, he had the choice either to relocate the family again or end his career. He chose the former.

Now he's been in Columbus for a season-plus after two season with the Rangers. Given that he has a no-movement clause, he may or may not be willing to go somewhere as a rental player. I don't think he'd mind Philly (though I have no way to know for sure) since it's already a familiar organization to him and the Flyers had previously made good on a promise Holmgren had made to him.

In hockey terms, I'm not sure if Prospal at this point would be a big help to the Flyers as a second-line guy to play with Briere again. The problem in playing them together even the first time around was that neither is strong defensively; although they did have some offensive chemistry together.
- bmeltzer

I never knew of this gentleman's agreement. Pretty classy on Holmer's part. Still don't want Prospal back.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20130214_Flyers__prospect_Cousins_wants_to_change_for_the_better.html


i don't know if lappy or the org would be thrilled with the way his quotes sound in this article
- Don'tForgetTocchet

people just starting to catch wind of it via twitter now. can't imagine he really feels the way the words came out here but yeeeeeesh is that insensitive.

Yeah Sharp played 66 games in Philly and had 15 points. In his first 130 games in Chicago, he had 24 points so it's not like he was great from the get go with CHI. Then in 07-08 he put up 62 points.

It irks me that we have to look back at every single trade and deem it a "win" or a "loss". At the time, the trade made a ton of sense. Sharp was a 3rd round pick anyway although he did play pretty well for the Phantoms. Regardless, the trade made sense in 2005, which is really the only time that should matter in this case.
- NickTheKid87

I recall the Sharp trade, which was in the 2005-2006 season, as: "We don't quite know where Patrick Sharp fits on this team with Forsberg, Richards, Umberger, and Carter playing center. Also on that team: Michal Handzus. Plus, Sharp and Ken Hitchcock apparently didn't care for one another very much."

But I could be misremembering.

Yeah Sharp played 66 games in Philly and had 15 points. In his first 130 games in Chicago, he had 24 points so it's not like he was great from the get go with CHI. Then in 07-08 he put up 62 points.

It irks me that we have to look back at every single trade and deem it a "win" or a "loss". At the time, the trade made a ton of sense. Sharp was a 3rd round pick anyway although he did play pretty well for the Phantoms. Regardless, the trade made sense in 2005, which is really the only time that should matter in this case.
- NickTheKid87

good or bad, on more then one occasion Allen/Clarke and even Homler has traded someone to help them and try to get something in return. In Allen's case he has signed players to contracts on purpose then traded them away to get them some money at the end of their career.
At the time, the trade had some sense to it. No reason to continue to re-visit...although sometimes a new perspective is brought up beyond "I didn't like it".

I recall the Sharp trade, which was in the 2005-2006 season, as: "We don't quite know where Patrick Sharp fits on this team with Forsberg, Richards, Umberger, and Carter playing center. Also on that team: Michal Handzus. Plus, Sharp and Ken Hitchcock apparently didn't care for one another very much."

But I could be misremembering.
- johndewar

Not sure about the Hitchcock thing but it makes sense that he didn't fit on the team. I feel like I'm one of the few people who doesn't hold the Sharp trade against Clarke.

I liked Danny Markov when he was here and I'm not terribly sure why he wasn't brought back.
- johndewar

Me too. He had that kind of nasty to him that Flyers fans appreciate.

good or bad, on more then one occasion Allen/Clarke and even Homler has traded someone to help them and try to get something in return. In Allen's case he has signed players to contracts on purpose then traded them away to get them some money at the end of their career.
At the time, the trade had some sense to it. No reason to continue to re-visit...although sometimes a new perspective is brought up beyond "I didn't like it".
- phi1671

I don't mind new perspectives at all. It's just not entirely fair to judge some trades as good or bad. For example, I would deem the Zhitnik for Coburn trade as good, because they were giving up a guy who was obviously way past his prime for a 21 year old former top 10 pick. That would have been a good decision even if Coburn never panned out. On the flip side, a bad trade would be what Atlanta made.

A trade like Richards for Simmonds & Schenn or Schenn for JVR shouldn't really be viewed as good or bad regardless of what happens, because they made sense at the time and/or the team was trading from a position of strength to help bolster a weakness.

Not sure about the Hitchcock thing but it makes sense that he didn't fit on the team. I feel like I'm one of the few people who doesn't hold the Sharp trade against Clarke.
- NickTheKid87

i think it falls on both hitch and clarke.