I wouldn't say it was an anomaly.

I'm willing to give it a bit of time before I can say whatever it is they are doing isn't working. I thought the chances were there on Wednesday. They just didn't bury them.
- johndewar

i'm probably the worst one for overreacting after a game like Wednesday as it kills me to see them start off and lose a game they should have won. In the cold light of day though, the effort and chances were there. I really don't want to see them go to montreal, have a stinker and lose 3-0 or something.. Pressure will be intense then.

Craig Berube's name has been thrown around as a potential replacement, so he's clearly in the system.
- isaiah520

Sorry Terry Murray fans.

Sorry Terry Murray fans.
- Tomahawk

I wish Berube could have been Anaheim's coach the other night. He seems like the kind of guy who'd pick up the glass and throw it back at Roy.

Sorry Terry Murray fans.
- Tomahawk

Just different coaching tactics between them. Murray will call the team chokers and Berube will literally choke them for poor play.

I wish Berube could have been Anaheim's coach the other night. He seems like the kind of guy who'd pick up the glass and throw it back at Roy.
- jmatchett383

I would not mess with the Chief.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Newbury, Laughton, Holding the Lines, Scud Missiles
- bmeltzer

* At Thursday's practice, the Flyers stayed with the line combinations that they featured for most of the first two periods of the opening night game against Toronto. That included Brayden Schenn on the top line, Jakub Voracek on the third line with Sean Couturier, and Matt Read on the Vincent Lecavalier line.

After Wednesday's game, Laviolette said the lineup switches were done in order to try to spread the wealth a bit offensively. Both he and Voracek insist the Czech forward is feeling fine physically, and the early line juggling had nothing to with the lower back injury that knocked Voracek out of a preseason game last Tuesday for precautionary reasons.

Certainly -- and for the record, I'd prefer for this Flyers team, as constructed, to score. I don't want to see anyone get moved.

But at the same time, Wednesday's game looked exactly like last year's team, with not an even-strength goal to be found.

It's one game, and we'll see. But as I always say, if something is so obvious that I can see it, I guarantee a professional saw it first.
- AllInForFlyers

they had a lot of quality chances at 5on5 though, no? i'm not worried about that ...


yet

i'm probably the worst one for overreacting after a game like Wednesday as it kills me to see them start off and lose a game they should have won. In the cold light of day though, the effort and chances were there. I really don't want to see them go to montreal, have a stinker and lose 3-0 or something.. Pressure will be intense then.
- Hextall271

That's the thing -- if they get rolled by the Canadiens AND really struggle to score at even strength...oh, my gosh.

Prophecies become self-fulfilling. Is Game 2 crucial for the season? Of course not.

But I don't think it's overstating to say that Game 2 is crucial for Peter Laviolette. They have to start scoring. They have to look like a team that doesn't just generate chances -- which certainly is not a bad thing, in and of itself -- but shows the ability to score and win over the course of the season.

That's the thing -- if they get rolled by the Canadiens AND really struggle to score at even strength...oh, my gosh.

Prophecies become self-fulfilling. Is Game 2 crucial for the season? Of course not.

But I don't think it's overstating to say that Game 2 is crucial for Peter Laviolette. They have to start scoring. They have to look like a team that doesn't just generate chances -- which certainly is not a bad thing, in and of itself -- but shows the ability to score and win over the course of the season.
- AllInForFlyers

If they're generating chances and not scoring, that has zero to do with the coach. The coach has to put them in a position to win, and the players have to execute.

If they're generating chances and not scoring, that has zero to do with the coach. The coach has to put them in a position to win, and the players have to execute.
- jmatchett383

Can we all at least give Lavy and the boys 10 games or so before anyone panics or rushes to judgement?

- -davies-

voppa is the new tubby

Scud missiles?? Showin' your age there Lavy. For you youngins out there, Scud missiles were developed/manufactured by the Soviet Union and then exported to various global baddies back in the 80's. Iraq and Iran shot them at each other during their war in the early 80's. Scuds were, perhaps, most famously used by Saddam Hussein against the US and allied forces in the Persian Gulf war. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but Laviolette could be using the word in a negative sense to describe the Flyers' inaccuracy in shooting, as the missiles often missed their intended targets during the war.
- TS_Downes

Listen, I may be a youngin but I've played PLENTY of Command and Conquer: Generals so I think I know a thing or two about Scud Missles.

voppa is the new tubby
- aightwebang17

and apparently the whole team has gone 'wides'.

I miss Kinison. He had a great observational mind.
- tangent_man

We still have this guy..




Same thing right?

Don't just pop in? I'm sorry that I have more to do with my life than increase my self esteem by making comments on a blog all day long like you do. I didn't realize that armchair coaches like yourself were able to dissect games and provide better solutions than a professional coach that has won a Cup and taken the Flyers to the finals once and the playoffs every year, but last season, amidst a poope load of player turnover in 2011-2012. His record as a Flyers coach is pretty damn good, has lasted longer than most coaches here have and although the "team" has struggled against the Devils, Rangers and Lightning, they have also done rather well against other foes, such as the Penguins. You can't always have it both ways, unless you are running the table in the conference. Sometimes certain teams just match up better against others.
- aantny88

The criticisms made of Laviolette last Season were warranted. He did a poor job of Coaching and adjusting last Season. So if a team just doesn't match up well against an opponent? What should happen? Should they just accept it, or make adjustments? And it's not only about players. That's the GM's job. The Coach's job is to adjust and put the players in the best position to succeed. Laviolette failed to do that last Season. But last Season is over.
it's only been one game, but I was happy with the adjustments made, and how they played structurally. Still some things to clean up, but progress was made. We'll see how it turns out.

Just different coaching tactics between them. Murray will call the team chokers and Berube will literally choke them for poor play.
- Hextall271

I think I remember a game with Toronto last year (before the Flyers got Rosehill) where I read a story that, Colton Orr skated by the bench and told Laviolette that he only had one guy on that bench that could stand up to him and it was implied that he was referring to 47 year old Craig Berube.

I might be misremembering details.

I love schenn and I know the want to give him more looks with giroux, and spreading the wealth, but jake can't be playing third line minutes. I liked schenns game but he scored with vinny.

Here we go again. Pete won a Cup so lets suspend all criticism. Never mind that he rode a goalie who played out of his mind to that cup and then proceeded to miss the playoffs his next three seasons and was fired because of it.

But no, lets not criticize Carolina Jesus because he won a cup 7 years ago. No No No.

NO!!!!!
- MBFlyerfan

Virtually every Cup-winning team has a goalie who plays extremely well in the posteason. There are a few exceptions, but that's usually the case. To give Laviolette zero credit for it -- or for the Flyers getting to OT of Game 6 in the 2010 Finals -- is unfair. Laviolette also managed to get some flawed Islanders teams into the playoffs, and that was a feat no one managed in a long span before last season.

I'm not a Laviolette apologist nor do I like every decision he makes. I actually personally think a more defense-first style of play is more conducive to being in the hunt year in and year out. I also think there's some evidence that he can be a bit inflexible at times and it's a bit apparent at times that he puts up too much of a wall between himself and his players. On the flip side, if I were an NHL forward (I might feel differently looking at it through a defenseman's or goalie's eyes), I'd think Laviolette's system was a challenging but enjoyable one to play.

However, I think in the balance of his strengths and weaknesses, Laviolette is a very good NHL coach. It may or may not be time for a change in Philly -- whether that comes this season or in the future -- but that's just the way the pendulum swings.

We still have this guy..




Same thing right?
- mayorofangrytown

Bobcat's mellowed. Check out "You Don't Look the Same, Either..." sometime.

But for old time's sake -

voppa is the new tubby
- aightwebang17

no !

Just pointing out that last week when I said that the inability to score in the preseason wasn't going to be as funny after Game 1 if the issue continued and that potential means nothing without production. I was getting mocked quite a bit.

Yeah. Just sayin'.

Bottom line: The inability to score on 5v5 is killing this team. I don't know what's wrong. I don't know why this team isn't scoring 5v5.

But nothing matters this season, nothing at all -- not the goaltending, not the coach, not the defense, NOTHING -- matters with this team until they start scoring even at a league average pace at 5v5.

They shouldn't have lost Wednesday. That's a game where, if you simply score once at even strength, you should've gotten at least a point.

My prediction is this, if this roster continues to not be able to score at even strength: The coach isn't getting fired before a trade gets made for a scoring winger, a true Top 6 forward who might have defensive issues but can flat-out score.
- AllInForFlyers

Not scoring at 5 on 5 play is the symptom. Have to look deeper at the root cause. And the root cause last year, of not scoring on 5 on 5, was not lack of scoring Wingers. It was inability to breakout and transition against a tough forecheck. It was poor defensive zone coverage, leading to spending too much time in their own end. And it was an over aggressive forecheck leading to easy transition for the opposition, to ente the Flyers zone. And giving up too many odd man rushes. Again leading to extended time in their own zone defending. So to say that defense and all that other stuff doesn't matter, is simply false. It matters a great deal. Defense creates offense. You can't score if can't breakout and transition the puck. You won't score if you're spending too much time in you're own end.
Now why they didn't score more then 1 goal in the first game, is completely different then last year. They just didn't finish well. They had a bunch of really good opportunities that they failed to convert. They need to continue to play how they did in game 1. Tighten up a few things, and execute better. And they'll be fine.

I wish Berube could have been Anaheim's coach the other night. He seems like the kind of guy who'd pick up the glass and throw it back at Roy.
- jmatchett383

I can't believe Brube's name is actually being bandied about as the next coach of the Flyer. Dregger even floated it last night on the NHL network. That's insane. He's never run a bench.

Sorry Terry Murray fans.
- Tomahawk

I would consider the source of who is throwing Berube's name around. Do you think the Organization is throwing Berube's name around?

I can't believe Brube's name is actually being bandied about as the next coach of the Flyer. Dregger even floated it last night on the NHL network. That's insane. He's never run a bench.
- mayorofangrytown

totally agree

I would consider the source of who is throwing Berube's name around. Do you think the Organization is throwing Berube's name around?
- MJL

Dreger is pretty accurate though