You're like the John Smallwood of this blog.
- PhillySportsGuy

Is he buddies with this guy?

To me, Steve Mason is as much a reason as Ilya Bryzgalov being unsigned as anything.

No, Mason didn't play enough games with Philadelphia to ensure that he is the starter going forward, nor did he prove he was a franchise goalie. I'm not saying that.

But I am saying that if you're another franchise's GM, Steve Mason absolutely played enough games with the Flyers where you had to ask yourself this question:

"Um, Steve Mason has a .944 SVPCT and Ilya Bryzgalov has a .899 SVPCT...behind the same defense. In fact, Bryzgalov had more experienced defensemen for most of the season. So, if I sign Bryzgalov...how do I know he's truly a difference-maker for an NHL team?"

Again, Steve Mason didn't earn the Flyers job for life. But he so thoroughly outplayed Bryzgalov, I can't imagine why anyone would sign him -- I totally had the feeling he wasn't going to have a spot in the NHL this season.

Bill, I have never heard of this "Bryzgalov" character before, but it seems trouble finds him wherever he goes. I am glad the Flyers never signed him.

Is he buddies with this guy?



- Tomahawk

In terms of simple-mindedness, yes.

I don't understand why people always just look for an easy answer. Whenever somethings wrong economically in the world it's Chinas fault. Whenever somethings wrong socially in the world it's America's fault. Whenever somethings wrong with the Flyers it's Bryz and Matt Carles fault.

To me, Steve Mason is as much a reason as Ilya Bryzgalov being unsigned as anything.

No, Mason didn't play enough games with Philadelphia to ensure that he is the starter going forward, nor did he prove he was a franchise goalie. I'm not saying that.

But I am saying that if you're another franchise's GM, Steve Mason absolutely played enough games with the Flyers where you had to ask yourself this question:

"Um, Steve Mason has a .944 SVPCT and Ilya Bryzgalov has a .899 SVPCT...behind the same defense. In fact, Bryzgalov had more experienced defensemen for most of the season. So, if I sign Bryzgalov...how do I know he's truly a difference-maker for an NHL team?"

Again, Steve Mason didn't earn the Flyers job for life. But he so thoroughly outplayed Bryzgalov, I can't imagine why anyone would sign him -- I totally had the feeling he wasn't going to have a spot in the NHL this season.
- AllInForFlyers

I would actually like to see the numbers of both goalies down the stretch. The overall team play was much better. The numbers for both guys after the acquisition of Mason.

Whenever somethings wrong with the Flyers it's Bryz and Matt Carles fault.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think Bryzgalov and Carle have plenty of defenders and plenty of detractors, like most other players who play in goal or log plenty of minutes. People see what they want to see, at the end of the day.

What I saw with Bryzgalov is a goalie who has to have everything go right -- system, execution, backchecking forwards, defensemen who do the right thing almost every single time -- in order for him to be elite.

That doesn't make Bryzgalov a horrible person. But there are goalies who play better than he does when things...aren't quite as structured.

In terms of simple-mindedness, yes.

I don't understand why people always just look for an easy answer. Whenever somethings wrong economically in the world it's Chinas fault. Whenever somethings wrong socially in the world it's America's fault. Whenever somethings wrong with the Flyers it's Bryz and Matt Carles fault.
- PhillySportsGuy

Lol, I was only speaking to the wang references in the names.

Ug. Summer Days... And I have to sell my car. I love my car. But my wife needs a new car, and with a new car payment I cant afford the upkeep a high performace car costs....

Anyone interested, or know anyone interested in a 2004 Dodge Neon SRT4, Blue?

I would actually like to see the numbers of both goalies down the stretch. The overall team play was much better. The numbers for both guys after the acquisition of Mason.
- PhillySportsGuy

Only knock on Mason in his short stint with us so far: did he cost us a better draft pick
I know Bill was always arguing against tanking games to do better in the draft, but we really did rise up from the bottom over the last several weeks. Hopfully Morin will pan out anyway and Haag was a steal, it seems . . ..

Only knock on Mason in his short stint with us so far: did he cost us a better draft pick
I know Bill was always arguing against tanking games to do better in the draft, but we really did rise up from the bottom over the last several weeks. Hopfully Morin will pan out anyway and Haag was a steal, it seems . . ..
- FlyersFirst

If both of those guys develop into top 4 dmen, it is a successful draft in my eyes. Having Z2 develop into a 4th liner would be fine if the first two picks pan out. Anything after that would be gravy.

If both of those guys develop into top 4 dmen, it is a successful draft in my eyes. Having Z2 develop into a 4th liner would be fine if the first two picks pan out. Anything after that would be gravy.
- PhillySportsGuy

no doubt.
Anyway, back to the point-- I thikn the that the Mason/Razor combo is way better (and cheaper) than what we have had in years between the pipes. Homer did a great job solving this issue over the past year

To me, Steve Mason is as much a reason as Ilya Bryzgalov being unsigned as anything.

No, Mason didn't play enough games with Philadelphia to ensure that he is the starter going forward, nor did he prove he was a franchise goalie. I'm not saying that.

But I am saying that if you're another franchise's GM, Steve Mason absolutely played enough games with the Flyers where you had to ask yourself this question:

"Um, Steve Mason has a .944 SVPCT and Ilya Bryzgalov has a .899 SVPCT...behind the same defense. In fact, Bryzgalov had more experienced defensemen for most of the season. So, if I sign Bryzgalov...how do I know he's truly a difference-maker for an NHL team?"

Again, Steve Mason didn't earn the Flyers job for life. But he so thoroughly outplayed Bryzgalov, I can't imagine why anyone would sign him -- I totally had the feeling he wasn't going to have a spot in the NHL this season.
- AllInForFlyers

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bryz just retire, take his money, and call it a career.

Forget about the limits of his on-ice performance, he just never struck me as one of those guys who's both in love with the game and obsessed with the craft of his profession. He's not Marty Biron w/ his sewing kit, Cechmanek doing anything humanly possible to stop the puck, Ray Emery who is just grateful for his health and happy to still be living his dream.

Bryz has always done only as much as he has to, and isn't known to go the extra mile. He admittedly doesn't deign to study shooter tendencies, isn't famous for being the first and last guy on/off the ice, and seems to spend more energy trying to impress people with anecdotes or wallowing in the drama of his own self-importance than spending the majority of his waking hours worrying about getting better at stopping the puck.

Is it any wonder that he fell apart in a demanding market, against a backdrop of mile-high expectations?

As bad as the bryz saga was at least we're not the brewers.

The money he is owed by the Flyers is not that much compared to what Bryz has gotten used to receiving each of the past five years. He must want to play somewhere this season.

no doubt.
Anyway, back to the point-- I thikn the that the Mason/Razor combo is way better (and cheaper) than what we have had in years between the pipes. Homer did a great job solving this issue over the past year
- FlyersFirst

I think it's good in that the team has two highly motivated guys on the cheap. They still don't really have a long term solution set up.

I think it was a smart move by Homer because they will, at the very least, get comparable goaltending to last year along with good puck handling on dump ins and no headaches.

You can't go back in time, but it may have benefitted the Flyers greatly if they asked for Bernier or Quick (this is before he was all world) as part of the Richards deal. Maybe Bernier and Simmonds for Richards instead of Schenn.

Lol. BTW - Hope all is well on the homefront. My wife and I are at the hospital now to have baby moy #2. I'm bracing for the next three months or so of no sleep but its the price I'll pay to welcome a new flyers fan to this world!
- moylander

Things are ok. Mommy still has abdominal pain from the c-section. Baby is finally gaining weight and has his 1-month appointment tonight. M4 is an awesome older brother and helper around the house. His charge is our cat, Clarke, who most probably has cancer based on his vet's opinion. This morning we noticed his face was swollen on one side where they think the tumors are. *sigh*

Hey Bill, I guess it's becoming pretty safe to say that you were wrong as you continued to defend Bryz and instead blame the defense for the team's issues over the last year. The rest of the NHL and now the Russian Olympic Committee can't all be incorrect about him being horrible. Oh that's right it's not his play that is keeping him off the Olympic team. It's his relationship with Fedorov.
- lar6767

Sounds like Tim the Panache.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bryz just retire, take his money, and call it a career.

Forget about the limits of his on-ice performance, he just never struck me as one of those guys who's both in love with the game and obsessed with the craft of his profession. He's not Marty Biron w/ his sewing kit, Cechmanek doing anything humanly possible to stop the puck, Ray Emery who is just grateful for his health and happy to still be living his dream.

Bryz has always done only as much as he has to, and isn't known to go the extra mile. He admittedly doesn't deign to study shooter tendencies, isn't famous for being the first and last guy on/off the ice, and seems to spend more energy trying to impress people with anecdotes or wallowing in the drama of his own self-importance than spending the majority of his waking hours worrying about getting better at stopping the puck.

Is it any wonder that he fell apart in a demanding market, against a backdrop of mile-high expectations?
- Tomahawk

I think he still tries and gets a job...Would you walk away from millions at his age? IMO no team wants him. Neither NHL or KHL.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bryz just retire, take his money, and call it a career.

Forget about the limits of his on-ice performance, he just never struck me as one of those guys who's both in love with the game and obsessed with the craft of his profession. He's not Marty Biron w/ his sewing kit, Cechmanek doing anything humanly possible to stop the puck, Ray Emery who is just grateful for his health and happy to still be living his dream.

Bryz has always done only as much as he has to, and isn't known to go the extra mile. He admittedly doesn't deign to study shooter tendencies, isn't famous for being the first and last guy on/off the ice, and seems to spend more energy trying to impress people with anecdotes or wallowing in the drama of his own self-importance than spending the majority of his waking hours worrying about getting better at stopping the puck.

Is it any wonder that he fell apart in a demanding market, against a backdrop of mile-high expectations?
- Tomahawk

Perfectly said and poetically written. He seems like a guy with other interests and only plays hockey because he's good at it. He often talks about hockey as being "just a game" or "not important in the grand scheme of things." He's right, but players who love the game just don't say those types of things.

As bad as the bryz saga was at least we're not the brewers.
- twotoekenn

I feel sorry for the people who truly believed that Braun was "set up"

no doubt.
Anyway, back to the point-- I thikn the that the Mason/Razor combo is way better (and cheaper) than what we have had in years between the pipes. Homer did a great job solving this issue over the past year
- FlyersFirst

Well I'm excited about Mason and Emery. Especially Emery. I like who the Flyers brought in. But I'm not at the point yet where I'm going to state anything as being solved. They still have to improve the overall team play defensively. And they need to get better goaltending. I have high hopes for the current tandem. But still it has to get done on the ice.

no doubt.
Anyway, back to the point-- I thikn the that the Mason/Razor combo is way better (and cheaper) than what we have had in years between the pipes. Homer did a great job solving this issue over the past year
- FlyersFirst

Mason/Razor combo just sounds too much like something I'd get at the Home Depot.

I think he still tries and gets a job...Would you walk away from millions at his age? IMO no team wants him. Neither NHL or KHL.
- PhillaBully

He's burnt a lot of bridges. I think the way he acted about the buyout really bothered people around the NHL. Guys who get bought out are usually embarrassed and upset. Bryz seemed the relish the idea of getting paid for 14 years without having the work.

Lol. BTW - Hope all is well on the homefront. My wife and I are at the hospital now to have baby moy #2. I'm bracing for the next three months or so of no sleep but its the price I'll pay to welcome a new flyers fan to this world!
- moylander

Moy, sorry I got hung up talking about me.

Congrats to you and Mrs. Moy. I pray all goes well & we get to hear about Baby Moy #2 soon!

I feel sorry for the people who truly believed that Braun was "set up"
- PhillySportsGuy

I believe Aaron Rodgers bet a fan on twitter his entire year's salary that Braun was clean.

Quite the expensive tweet.