Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 3/15/13 vs. Devils
- bmeltzer

Bill, thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to be the absolute best writer about this struggling team. I get mad at myself for even reading the other tripe out there right now.

There are at least 3 people influencing their direction: Snider, Homer, & Lavi. They can't all be on the same page if the owner is dictating to the GM and the owner & GM are dictating to the coach. Another reason the coach needs to change: either the game plan or the person himself.

I am curious to (but will never) know what would've happened in 2011 had the Flyers stuck with Bob & got a backup instead of signing Bryz.
- Flyskippy

I highly doubt the coach and current GM has been influencing the direction of the franchise since the 70s and 80s, which is about the last time the team drafted/developed good defensemen and goalies. Snider has zero patience and it hurts the team. Yes, Bob is playing well now, but so is Jeff Carter and no one is complaining about that trade (Voracek/Coots).

is anyone actually excited about the game? even if they win does it really matter?
- mydoglicks

I'm excited in that I like hockey and I hope for the best, but frankly, this team is done like dinner. I'm not sure it matters if they win at this point. Too little, too late.

can you guys buyout Briere so we can sign him for cheap? That guy could score absolutely nothing while he's on the penguins, but at least he wouldn't kill us like he usually does against us in the playoffs...
- SuperHenderson13

Just don't play Fleury and you'll beat us. Put a black and yellow urinal cake in net and we'd bounce pucks off it all day...
And yeah I have no doubt Briere will turn it back on for the play-offs. Sadly not for us this season...

That can be attributed to a few reasons.

1. Flyers dug an early season hole
2. No credible backup goaltender
- PLindbergh31

true dat

The Flyers 1st and a roster player to Columbus for Bob. Holmgren could also offersheet him as an RFA this year. The Flyers have shown they aren't above offersheeting people.

Kid is only 24 years old and putting up stellar numbers on a horrible team with his top 4 defensemen all injured at one point or another. In the 2 years he's been a starter behind suspect defensive teams he's put up .915 and .921 sv% so far.

He could lock down the goalie position for the next 9 years.
- Flyers_01

I hope Lava gives Rinaldo a chance to have a few words with Carter... seeing how his teammates decided it wasnt worth it.
- jak521

I made this point the other day. Very disconcerting that none of his teammates had his back. Rinaldo would have been the first player to come to a teammates aid.

Rinaldo is becoming one of my favorite players on this team of underachievers.

Steps for firing a coach.

1. GM issues a statement, a vote of confidence in the coach.
2. Ownership issues similar statement. Says coach will be around for long time.
3. Announcement that coach has been relieved of duties.
4. Press conference to name new coach.
- spatso

Yep.

It's kind of weird in that in 2006-07 there was a different feel to the atmosphere around the team. Perhaps the latest lockout sullied the allegiance I usually have (along with the greed machine that is the business side of things), but I don't have the same optimism for the short term future I did in March of 2007. There seem to be too many philosophical differences from the coach on up that the organization is a conflicted hydra.

In short, no and not really, to answer your questions.
- Flyskippy

Sing it like it is Skippy...

Did anyone see Sheridan's and Seravalli's two articles on Lavy this am?
http://mobile.philly.com/...ports/flyers&id=198378691
http://mobile.philly.com/...ports/flyers&id=198380871

One say Holmgren gives a vote of confidence and the other says he is on the hot seat.
The hot seat one uses a bit more literary license and speculation, but really? They used the same dialog and came to two differing conclusions.
- section32

I can explain the two different conclusions.

Sheridan is a columnist who is basically paid to express his opinion and read tea leaves. Take that for what you will.

Seravalli is a beat writer whose job it is tell us what is going on with the team. His work should be more fact based.

So, Sheridan did what every commenter on this site does; gives his 2 cents on the team. And Seravalli is simply reporting what he was told (i.e.--Homer's dreaded "vote of confidence").

I made this point the other day. Very disconcerting that none of his teammates had his back. Rinaldo would have been the first player to come to a teammates aid.

Rinaldo is becoming one of my favorite players on this team of underachievers.
- PLindbergh31

I said the same thing as well.. as soon as Carter stuck his knee out, Rinaldo went down, and NOBODY did a thing, or hell.. even skated over and tried to do anything.. I knew the game was over. It was the perfect chance for the team to rally around something... and they pissed it away.

I hope Lava gives Rinaldo a chance to have a few words with Carter... seeing how his teammates decided it wasnt worth it.
- jak521

Them be fightin words!
Yeah... I was peeved not a damn soul stood up for Rinaldo. Made me want to prop Shelley up on his walker to go after 'em....

Timonen is certainly not the player he used to be. But he's not done. He's still a pretty good player. And I'll be the first to admit that Coburn has underachieved. Overall with the exception of needing a top pair defenseman for the future. I like the makeup of this defense. I need to see a comprehensive and supportive team game, and then we'll find out what this defense has. It has some good elements to it. Hard to truly evaluate anybody with the Flyers team game in shambles.
- MJL

Timonen will be ok for another year, but that cap hit is outrageous. Mez might as well be nicknamed Mr. Glass...as much as I like his game when he's healthy, that happens to infrequently. I like Grossmann and L. Schenn, so again the team still needs at least 3 more defenders and for heavens sake no more giant tree stumps on the back end and get someone with good passing and has a shot from the point.

Timonen will be ok for another year, but that cap hit is outrageous. Mez might as well be nicknamed Mr. Glass...as much as I like his game when he's healthy, that happens to infrequently. I like Grossmann and L. Schenn, so again the team still needs at least 3 more defenders and for heavens sake no more giant tree stumps on the back end and get someone with good passing and has a shot from the point.
- aantny88

The mix of players on the blueline is very ill conceived. Too many similar type players.

i thought bringing in a young guy to compete with bob would have been a good alternative. kinda what the caps have done the last couple of yrs.
- isaiah520

Not a bad idea, but who was available that fit that description?

I said the same thing as well.. as soon as Carter stuck his knee out, Rinaldo went down, and NOBODY did a thing, or hell.. even skated over and tried to do anything.. I knew the game was over. It was the perfect chance for the team to rally around something... and they pissed it away.
- jak521

I think Rinaldo will take matters in his own hands tonight.

The mix of players on the blueline is very ill conceived. Too many similar type players.
- PLindbergh31

Agreed...too many big bodies with no shot, or at least shots that hit the net/don't get blocked (Foster excluded, but he rarely plays) and average at best puck moving ability.

I highly doubt the coach and current GM has been influencing the direction of the franchise since the 70s and 80s, which is about the last time the team drafted/developed good defensemen and goalies. Snider has zero patience and it hurts the team. Yes, Bob is playing well now, but so is Jeff Carter and no one is complaining about that trade (Voracek/Coots).
- aantny88

Too much emphasis on drafting Dmen and goalies. Who cares where they come from? Yes, it'd be nice to grow their own but the direction of the 70's & 80's mean jack squat right now. Where they're headed now is all that matters.

If the Flyers want to develop Gustafsson as an NHL defenseman he should be playing games with them. There is nothing more for him to accomplish playing games in the AHL.

Recall him, and put Gervais on waivers. I'm sick of seeing that guy.

I posted on the Senator thread that they should approach the Flyers and see about doing a straight up deal Lehner for Voracek. Lehner is arguably the best developed young goalie to come along since Cary Price. In Sweden, he is regarded as a possible successor to Lundqvist on the national team.

Anyway, Senator fans said I was nuts and Ottawa would never do that deal, they would want more than Voracek.

So, may as well give Flyer fans a chance to reciprocate and say the same thing from the opposite point of view.

The mix of players on the blueline is very ill conceived. Too many similar type players.
- PLindbergh31

No doubt the Flyers could use an upgrade on the blueline, but look at New Jersey's. Salvador, Tallinder, Volchenkov, Zidlicky, Greene, and Larson are no more mobile than the Flyers group and are actually older on average. It is becoming the new lazy argument for the Flyers struggles just like goaltending use to be the go to reason for failure.

If the Flyers want to develop Gustafsson as an NHL defenseman he should be playing games with them. There is nothing more for him to accomplish playing games in the AHL.

Recall him, and put Gervais on waivers. I'm sick of seeing that guy.
- PLindbergh31

You're making Max Talbot sad.

Regardless of Talbot's feelings for Gervais, I'm not opposed to this at all.

There are at least 3 people influencing their direction: Snider, Homer, & Lavi. They can't all be on the same page if the owner is dictating to the GM and the owner & GM are dictating to the coach. Another reason the coach needs to change: either the game plan or the person himself.

I am curious to (but will never) know what would've happened in 2011 had the Flyers stuck with Bob & got a backup instead of signing Bryz.
- Flyskippy

I think they would be in a much better spot then they are right now. I also think the fans may have given the team a "pass" due to Bob and the rest of the team still being very young.

No doubt the Flyers could use an upgrade on the blueline, but look at New Jersey's. Salvador, Tallinder, Volchenkov, Zidlicky, Greene, and Larson are no more mobile than the Flyers group and are actually older on average. It is becoming the new lazy argument for the Flyers struggles just like goaltending use to be the go to reason for failure.
- psuhockey

I understand that. NJ plays with much more structure and discipline than the Flyers do. Their forwards are much more responsible defensively as well.

Not that I disagree with the move.. going out and getting an established #1 goalie is never a bad thing.. but had Lava hadnt been so spastic about his goalie choices, I dont know that Snider would have sent Homer on a goalie manhunt.
- jak521

owners should stay out of the personnel biz, but this is an very old story w/ the flyers