Downie's been accused of a lot of things in his career, but lazy and passive are new ones for sure.
- Tomahawk

Exactly. Mainly because the one thing the guy isn't, is lazy.

Either he's suddenly developed a split personality, or there's something amiss.
- Tomahawk

The guy's history has been of a pretty high compete level. Too high, at times.

I think there's something physically wrong.

You'd hope guys wouldn't hide symptoms, yet if you are THISCLOSE to your next contract or sticking with an NHL team and you believe that you can gut it out....you'll probably try to gut it out, much to your own detriment.
- johndewar

That's my point. You won't play well, so your next contract won't be better than if you miss the extra games, come back and play well.

Exactly. Mainly because the one thing the guy isn't, is lazy.
- AllInForFlyers

And again, that's the problem.

You'd hope guys wouldn't hide symptoms, yet if you are THISCLOSE to your next contract or sticking with an NHL team and you believe that you can gut it out....you'll probably try to gut it out, much to your own detriment.
- johndewar

Exactly. Guy is hitting the UFA market in a few months. Think he's eager to do that fresh off a concussion?

The thing is, of all the things one could say about Steve Downie's game, lazy and lacking intensity are about the last two things I'd ever expect to hear.

Even if he didn't have a concussion, there's other injuries that could be hampering his level of play.
- Jsaquella

He's made some lackadaisical plays. Most players do at time times.

Exactly. Guy is hitting the UFA market in a few months. Think he's eager to do that fresh off a concussion?
- Jsaquella

Plus, he'd already been traded, plus he was on a hot line, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Steve Downie can count to 10, which is the number of forwards the Flyers have who are available to play in the Top 9 when everybody's healthy.

Which means you'd much rather be No. 9 than No. 10.

He's made some lackadaisical plays. Most players do at time times.
- PhillySportsGuy

He's played poorly overall. He doesn't look like himself, and hasn't for awhile.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's nursing some sort of injury

He's played poorly overall. He doesn't look like himself, and hasn't for awhile.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's nursing some sort of injury
- Jsaquella

Which is much more likely than the pending UFA who has never not worked hard is, all of a sudden, lazy.

Plus, he'd already been traded, plus he was on a hot line, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Steve Downie can count to 10, which is the number of forwards the Flyers have who are available to play in the Top 9 when everybody's healthy.

Which means you'd much rather be No. 9 than No. 10.
- AllInForFlyers

And his decision to come back has surely paved the way for 30 GMs to start preparing big-$$, long-term deals.

The guy's history has been of a pretty high compete level. Too high, at times.

I think there's something physically wrong.
- johndewar

Yeah, if there was one last Krispy Kreme in the middle of the room, and the guys hadn't eaten for days, my money would be on Downie to come out with it... unless Claude, with his preternatural vision, thought to tie Downie's skates together first... then maybe it would be him.

Edit: if it was a grilled cheese, G would come out with it 100/100 times, however.

He's made some lackadaisical plays. Most players do at time times.
- PhillySportsGuy

Downie came out and said he's not going to use injury as an excuse for his poor play. If that's his take, it's good enough for me. He was awful against TB, and Berube is sending a message to him. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's unfortunate, because now Rosehill gets to skate around for 4 minutes and be completely useless.

And his decision to come back has surely paved the way for 30 GMs to start preparing big-$$, long-term deals.
- jmatchett383

Hey, I never said I agreed with it, should it be true.

I'm saying that he wouldn't be the first to do it, and he hasn't played well since Emelin cheap-shotted him.

Hey, I never said I agreed with it, should it be true.

I'm saying that he wouldn't be the first to do it, and he hasn't played well since Emelin cheap-shotted him.
- AllInForFlyers

And I'm just saying that, while players do it, it rarely (if ever) gives them any benefit in the end. If you ask MAB, I'm positive he'd rather be playing as an AHL/NHL tweener, making over $100K a year for the next 4-5 years than not being able to do day-to-day activities.

I'm sure Pronger's also happy he only missed a few games before coming back.

Savard coming back for the playoffs.

...

Downie came out and said he's not going to use injury as an excuse for his poor play. If that's his take, it's good enough for me. He was awful against TB, and Berube is sending a message to him. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's unfortunate, because now Rosehill gets to skate around for 4 minutes and be completely useless.
- PLindbergh31

What would he say -- "Yeah, I've been playing with an undiagnosed concussion or separated shoulder or whatever injury I'm nursing?"

Yeah, if there was one last Krispy Kreme in the middle of the room, and the guys hadn't eaten for days, my money would be on Downie to come out with it... unless Claude, with his preternatural vision, thought to tie Downie's skates together first... then maybe it would be him.

Edit: if it was a grilled cheese, G would come out with it 100/100 times, however.
- Tomahawk

You beat me to the grilled cheese reference....

/kicks dirt

What would he say -- "Yeah, I've been playing with an undiagnosed concussion or separated shoulder or whatever injury I'm nursing?"
- AllInForFlyers

If he's injured he shouldn't be practicing, and shouldn't be announced as a healthy scratch. It's just plain dumb.

If he's injured he shouldn't be practicing, and shouldn't be announced as a healthy scratch. It's just plain dumb.
- PLindbergh31

Didn't Vinny play with the back injury during a game or two, took the shootout winner before he had to sit?

Those guys are tough. They want to play. The ones who prove they aren't soft over the years, the ones who compete...those guys aren't going to always tell you the truth.

You beat me to the grilled cheese reference....

/kicks dirt
- johndewar

Danny B fixing Claude a cheese toastie:

Didn't Vinny play with the back injury during a game or two, took the shootout winner before he had to sit?

Those guys are tough. They want to play. The ones who prove they aren't soft over the years, the ones who compete...those guys aren't going to always tell you the truth.
- AllInForFlyers

IIRC VL missed a few games with what was called back spasms, later it was diagnosed as a fractured back. Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard up to their old tricks again.

Downie MAY be injured, or at least suffering from some post-injury effects. If that's the case, he's doing neither himself nor the team any favors by playing,a nd he should be benched.

Downie MAY be healthy. If that's the case, then there are far bigger issues.

IIRC VL missed a few games with what was called back spasms, later it was diagnosed as a fractured back. Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard up to their old tricks again.
- PLindbergh31

They probably didn't have a clear diagnosis yet. It's not like he played between the two announcements.

Danny B fixing Claude a cheese toastie:

- Tomahawk

this is great

Ever wonder what Hartsy and Danny B would do if they worked at Whole Foods?

Because it seems like the seasons last forever, it seems like forever ago, but Downie took that shot from Emelin on Dec. 11 -- barely a month ago. He was borderline unconscious.

He had already missed two weeks after that dude from Washington broke his face -- though no one ever called that one a concussion, I mean, seriously. We all saw that dude's face.

Has Downie played well of late? No. But which is more likely: The guy is playing worse after taking two significant head shots, or the guy is playing worse because he's not interested in playing hard?