Same here. I haven't noticed any changes from the style and manner they are playing now from the start of the season.
- funmaster18

They've made some slight changes in their D zone coverage, but other then that. Not much.

New to the boards but i have been reading Bills blogs on this site for some time now, always well written and well informed pieces thanks Bill for the read.
- FlyerInEdm

welcome aboard. Bill is the best Flyers coverage going. Knows the game inside and out and gives an honest assessment. Not interested in trashing a guy to get page views.

Unless Lavi makes adjustments and puts emphasis on playing defense this team has no chance. They could bring in a new coach but with the shorten season I just think they let him coach out the year and evaluate not only the coach but the players.
- stveshdy

I see no need for further evaluation on the coach.

1. Peter
2. Laviolette
3. Lavy

As Hartnell said after the game yesterday after they got down 1-0 the players packed it in. Clearly the coaches fault for not being able to motivate grown men making millions of dollars to compete.
- PLindbergh31

I actually believe Lavi is a very good motivator. I just wish he would make adjustments to their style of play.

They don't. But neither does NJ, really. Yet the Devils make it work.


Granted the Devils have been bad lately, but a lot of that is on Johan Hedberg, he's been brutal. The Moose has been as bad as the Philly media thinks Bryz has been.
- Jsaquella

I wonder what move Lou will pull to replace Marty B.

His puck moving ability as a goalie made their entire defense so much better.

If Leighton does indeed start (and leftwinglock.com has him penciled in), I think it's an experiment to see if the team plays any differently in front of him.

I think I can tell you how that's gonna turn out.
- tangent_man

I think they made the move because he's gotten some work in at Adirondack and looked solid.

I'd suggest re-reading what I wrote, because you've completely missed any semblance of my point. I will try again.

He didn't have a number one defenseman, he had several good defensemen. Glen Wesley, Oleg Tverdovsky, Bret Hedican and Frank Kaberle were all very solid puck moving defensemen.

He doesn't have that kind of defenseman now. He has guys whose primary ability is as stay at home, physical defensemen. There's not a lot of mobility and transitional ability.

To try and play the same system that worked with Wesley, Tverdovsky, Hedican & Kaberle(or with Timonen, Carle and Pronger) using Coburn, Schenn, Grossmann and Foster isn't going to yield the same results.

The Flyers defense, right now, is very similar to the Devils defense of last season. Slower, more physical guys that are not great s passers. Zidlicky is sort of the Timonen, Volchenkov the Grossmann, Greene the Coburn, etc...

So what Deboer did was to develop his system to fit those kind of defensemen. He stressed disciplined play, and benched guys who didn't conform. Hell, he even sat Ilya Kovalchuk a game or two.

Laviolette is doing the opposite. He's increasing ice time to the veterans who are making the mistakes-Briere plays more minutes than Voracek, Hartnell and Simmonds. Braydon Coburn leads the team in ice time-while continuing to accept the mistakes and not changing the system to minimize the weaknesses of the roster.

That's my issue. He's either not willing to adjust, or he's unable to adjust. This is also manifest when his team faces a good team that plays disciplined hockey. The success against Pittsburgh has come when the Flyers have gotten them to get off their game and playing undisciplined.

But when the Pens have played disciplined hockey and played without losing compsure, they have beaten the Flyers.
- Jsaquella

is there anyway bill can print this out and give it to homer? It's so frustrating watching how lavy rewards dumb play and punishes younger players for good play. Its like watching these movies of woman suffrage with their husbands telling them to watch their place. What a rookie or younger player isn't supposed to play well? A veteran is supposed to screw up frequently and get rewarded with more ice time? I don't (frank)ing get it anymore either way I think his time has passed. If he rights the ship it won't be because he continues the way he's going about things.

Where do you have the GM? I'm guessing between the popcorn vender, and the guy who scans tickets.
- PLindbergh31

The GM would be a distant 4th. There is plenty of talent on this roster to be a top 8 team in the Conference.

I actually believe Lavi is a very good motivator. I just wish he would make adjustments to their style of play.
- stveshdy

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?

Briere is like a ghost 95% of the time this year.
- funmaster18

So tough to watch.

I dearly love the feisty little bastard and enjoy when he scores more then anything.

I want him to succeed especially because of his small stature and attitude, but it has been very hard this year.

If he keeps waiting to try it, it will soon be too late.
- tangent_man

Seems like we are flirting with that situation already..

I wonder what move Lou will pull to replace Marty B.

His puck moving ability as a goalie made their entire defense so much better.
- Marc D

It does play a big role in helping their defense, but the key is making stops. It's a bigger factor against the Flyers because they're not making adjustments as player or coaching staff.

In order your list of blame

1.
2.
3.
- stveshdy

Holmgren
The Players Holmgren put together
Holmgren's inability to choose an identity for the team and stick with it

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?
- PLindbergh31

The adjustments that I want made are adjustements that any Professional Hockey player can execute. And If Laviolette is making adjustments and any player is just tuning him out, then that player should be benched. Hockey is not a complicated sport. It is clear that the adjustments are not being made.

I think they made the move because he's gotten some work in at Adirondack and looked solid.
- Jsaquella

I'm just hoping for a solid effort, guys playing as units of 5, etc...just some progress.

I thought, for the most part, that the gaps were pretty tight coming out of the D zone yesterday, but then again I was only watching sporadically after the lead got to 3.

I wonder what move Lou will pull to replace Marty B.

His puck moving ability as a goalie made their entire defense so much better.
- Marc D

I see a bidding war for Leighton's services next year between Holmgren, and Lomoriello.

No worries though, Holmgren will win!

So tough to watch.

I dearly love the feisty little bastard and enjoy when he scores more then anything.

I want him to succeed especially because of his small stature and attitude, but it has been very hard this year.
- Marc D

i noticed a pens fan make a comment last week asking what happened to briere he used to be such a pain in the ass to play against etc

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?
- PLindbergh31

The GM said the coach needs to have his players be more responsible in their own end during the summer. The coach was interviewed and said hes not changing his style of hockey. The coach is falling on deaf ears and to stubborn to make adjustments. The same mistakes have been happening for over a year now.

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?
- PLindbergh31

If that is the case, why aren't the players being held accountable? Why is Braydon Coburn leading this team in ice time? Why is Briere playing more minutes than Hartnell, Simmonds & Voracek? Why do we see the same kind of undisciplined play we saw last year?

You seem more than happy to shred players and the GM. The GM tried to get Weber. He tried to get Suter. I don't see the coach making an effort to make changes because the GM couldn't get the gusy he wanted.

This isn't exonerating the GM, either.

The adjustments that I want made are adjustements that any Professional Hockey player can execute. And If Laviolette is making adjustments and any player is just tuning him out, then that player should be benched. Hockey is not a complicated sport. It is clear that the adjustments are not being made.
- MJL

So a coach who has a Cup on his resume is failing to make basic adjustments you can see from your couch. Interesting.

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?
- PLindbergh31

Lavy's comments about clinging to the way he coaches earlier in the year lend ammo to people such as my own's assumptions. Also the fact he keeps giving guys who underperform minutes while sitting guys who do is absurd. There's nothing to assume there, our own eyes show us this.

Seems like we are flirting with that situation already..
- funmaster18

It's getting closer, but if they can somehow pull it together over the last 20 games...

man it's too nice out to argue about these clowns. I'll be back around or after game time.

If that is the case, why aren't the players being held accountable? Why is Braydon Coburn leading this team in ice time? Why is Briere playing more minutes than Hartnell, Simmonds & Voracek? Why do we see the same kind of undisciplined play we saw last year?

You seem more than happy to shred players and the GM. The GM tried to get Weber. He tried to get Suter. I don't see the coach making an effort to make changes because the GM couldn't get the gusy he wanted.
- Jsaquella

The coach is a stubborn bastard. I'm tired of seeing the same mistakes over and over. Then start holding players accountable if they arent doing what you ask of them. Scratch guys who wont do the job right. Make a statement.

At the professional level, you shouldn't need a coach to motivate you.

I love how people just assume Laviolette isn't making adjustments. You think it's possible the adjustments are falling on deaf ears, or perhaps this collection of players aren't able to execute the adjustments effectively?
- PLindbergh31

Honestly I think its a combination of not having the talent to execute what he is asking them to do.

Seriously, which defenseman on this team do you have confidence in making the crucial decision to pinch in the offensive blue line and not get burned?

Kimmo used to be the guy you would trust, but more often then not he is getting caught on the wrong side and ends up taking the hook on a break away.

Gusty has the wheels but not the experience in the league, it is a split second decision that makes all the difference.

Schenn, Coburn, and Grossmann I really don't want those guys pinching very much. Even if they keep the puck in, it rarely leads to a scoring chance and often ends up going the other way on an odd man rush.

But that is what Lavi asks of them.

They don't have the right kind of D men to do this and not get burned, especially when the forwards don't cover for their pinches every time.