I'm not advocating Akeson or screaming that he should be called up or anything like that. I'm just saying he can be an option- I said it I believe 2 nights ago...it's intriguing. Putting him, a hands guy, with a hard board battler and possession player in Simmer and a more well rounded offensive player in Schenn might be a good mix.

It's just an option. Everyone says he's the type of player that could only be successful playing in the top 6 on an NHL time. I agree with that, and right now, it looks like there could be an opening.

It's a tough situation because (the general) you could sit here and say, "it's worth a shot" but the problem being if it doesn't work for a few games...well there's not really MUCH margin for error at this point in the season, standings-wise.

The only reason I bring up Akeson is BECAUSE of my lobbying to keep Vinny on the 4th line. He's been a legitimate weapon playing on that line for the last 2 games AS A CENTER. I honestly think he's a bigger asset to the team playing 4th line minutes as center and on the PP than he is playing winger and more or less being exposed as a winger on the 2nd line.

Maybe he is injured, but it's tough to point your finger to that as the reason he wasn't producing on the 2nd line as a winger, saying "well now he's healthy" RIGHT when he gets bumped down to the 4th line CENTER. I think the fact that he may be 5x more effective as a center than a winger is definitely a plausible notion here.
- Giroux_Is_God

Akeson isn't an option. He's an AHL player. Lecavalier was showing clear signs of getting healthier and stronger even before being moved to the 4th line. That in combination with being moved back to his normal position, and he's a different player. And it's not because he went to the 4th line. It's because he's playing the position he's supposed to play. I don't advocate putting Lecavalier back at LW on the 2nd line. I advocate putting him on the 2nd line at Center. But I disagree wholeheartedly that Lecavalier can't play against 2nd line competition as a Center.

Lecavalier is no where near finished as a player.

good work by Vinny as well.


- FlyerGuy

Check out Chief's reaction towards the end of the vid

I'm not advocating Akeson or screaming that he should be called up or anything like that. I'm just saying he can be an option- I said it I believe 2 nights ago...it's intriguing. Putting him, a hands guy, with a hard board battler and possession player in Simmer and a more well rounded offensive player in Schenn might be a good mix.

It's just an option. Everyone says he's the type of player that could only be successful playing in the top 6 on an NHL time. I agree with that, and right now, it looks like there could be an opening.

It's a tough situation because (the general) you could sit here and say, "it's worth a shot" but the problem being if it doesn't work for a few games...well there's not really MUCH margin for error at this point in the season, standings-wise.

The only reason I bring up Akeson is BECAUSE of my lobbying to keep Vinny on the 4th line. He's been a legitimate weapon playing on that line for the last 2 games AS A CENTER. I honestly think he's a bigger asset to the team playing 4th line minutes as center and on the PP than he is playing winger and more or less being exposed as a winger on the 2nd line.

Maybe he is injured, but it's tough to point your finger to that as the reason he wasn't producing on the 2nd line as a winger, saying "well now he's healthy" RIGHT when he gets bumped down to the 4th line CENTER. I think the fact that he may be 5x more effective as a center than a winger is definitely a plausible notion here.
- Giroux_Is_God

Schenn is a well rounded offensive player?

HOLY poop

Gustav Nyquist just scored one of the single-best goals I've ever seen

I'm not kidding: EVER

Wow first time I saw that. Rinaldo has been lights out for awhile now. He brings a lot to this team. Glad to see Vinny contributing. This team looks playoff ready.
- Just5

Rinaldo and Hall have actually been playing quite good, and that's a solid 4th line with Raffl or Vinny. I'm diggin' it.

Akeson isn't an option. He's an AHL player. Lecavalier was showing clear signs of getting healthier and stronger even before being moved to the 4th line. That in combination with being moved back to his normal position, and he's a different player. And it's not because he went to the 4th line. It's because he's playing the position he's supposed to play. I don't advocate putting Lecavalier back at LW on the 2nd line. I advocate putting him on the 2nd line at Center. But I disagree wholeheartedly that Lecavalier can't play against 2nd line competition as a Center.

Lecavalier is no where near finished as a player.
- MJL

mkay

Maybe he can play 2nd line minutes as a C. But, he may not be as effective as he is in his role now. Are you really going to shoot down my claim (using absolute words like you always do) that he just might be more valuable to the team playing on the 4th line against lesser players? He's simply been a weapon since his role was changed. You're going to argue that?

Disclaimer: if you answer yes, I'm just gonna go write my comparative psychoanalysis of Norman from Psycho and Pink from The Wall

Claude Julien on the Flyers: "They're a good team. If I'm in the other division I'd be worried about these guys."

Kind of amazing to think how this team started the season. Mad propz to Berube.

Schenn is a well rounded offensive player?
- Flyersgod

No no I said MORE well rounded. I'm not using this like a praise to him, just a description.

i.e. he's not a sniper, he's not a grinder...he's really not anywhere extreme on the offensive spectrum. Not well rounded like Datsyuk is well rounded....it's kind of hard to explain.

He's sort of the hybrid guy- a mix of roles.

Flyers would beat a lot of teams with that effort today. I hate to say it because I love Mason. But the Bruins won because Rask was the better Goalie.
- MJL

I don't think either team deserved to have that game go to a shootout. Hell of a game.

Agree on both fronts here. Certainly not a dig on Mase. He played well today- can't ever really blame a goalie in the SO, and although did give up that soft goal off Bergeron, he made some real huge saves towards the middle of the 3rd to keep the Flyers within one
- Giroux_Is_God

He was trying to transition from butterfly to standing on that goal and got caught in-between in no man's land. That was just bad luck, and it went both ways today.

Vinny's 1st goal doesn't go in 9 out of 10 times.

Bruins should have gotten too many men on the ice instead of a goal from Mesz.

Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing puck that Jake found, backhanded, and Vinny was just able to pop it in the net.

No no I said MORE well rounded. I'm not using this like a praise to him, just a description.

i.e. he's not a sniper, he's not a grinder...he's really not anywhere extreme on the offensive spectrum. Not well rounded like Datsyuk is well rounded....it's kind of hard to explain.

He's sort of the hybrid guy- a mix of roles.
- Giroux_Is_God

Schenn medium well rounded.
Datsyuk well rounded.

NEXT

mkay

Maybe he can play 2nd line minutes as a C. But, he may not be as effective as he is in his role now. Are you really going to shoot down my claim (using absolute words like you always do) that he just might be more valuable to the team playing on the 4th line against lesser players? He's simply been a weapon since his role was changed. You're going to argue that?

Disclaimer: if you answer yes, I'm just gonna go write my comparative psychoanalysis of Norman from Psycho and Pink from The Wall
- Giroux_Is_God

Maybe just save yourself the wait and get to writing the paper.

Claude Julien on the Flyers: "They're a good team. If I'm in the other division I'd be worried about these guys."

Kind of amazing to think how this team started the season. Mad propz to Berube.
- feelingkettle

Yup. Even Doc and Pierre were talking "2 of the best teams in the NHL..." during the broadcast. Considering how the season started, and how much we were ragging on the D all season, that's quite an accomplishment by the Flyers.

Schenn medium well rounded.
Datsyuk well rounded.

NEXT
- feelingkettle

precisely

mkay

Maybe he can play 2nd line minutes as a C. But, he may not be as effective as he is in his role now. Are you really going to shoot down my claim (using absolute words like you always do) that he just might be more valuable to the team playing on the 4th line against lesser players? He's simply been a weapon since his role was changed. You're going to argue that?

Disclaimer: if you answer yes, I'm just gonna go write my comparative psychoanalysis of Norman from Psycho and Pink from The Wall
- Giroux_Is_God

Yes, I'm absolutely going to shoot down that he's more valuable playing 4th line Center then he would at 2nd line Center. Not question about that. His quality play lately is not due to playing against lesser players, it's due to playing center. And he can do the same playing on the 2nd line. Now if the statement was made that he's a better player for the team at 4th line Center then at 2nd line LW, then I would agree with that. It's clear that he can't play the left side.

As for the laugh emoticon concerning Akeson, on what basis is there to state that Akeson can play full time in the NHL as a Winger on the 2nd line?

back into 2nd place in the metro! Not quite Justin Bieber but at least Ashton Kuchtner??

Just saw the boxscore, Reilly Smith is 1st star?? 14 mins of ice time, 1 assist and 2 shots?? WTF?

Yes, I'm absolutely going to shoot down that he's more valuable playing 4th line Center then he would at 2nd line Center. Not question about that. His quality play lately is not due to playing against lesser players, it's due to playing center. And he can do the same playing on the 2nd line. Now if the statement was made that he's a better player for the team at 4th line Center then at 2nd line LW, then I would agree with that. It's clear that he can't play the left side.

As for the laugh emoticon concerning Akeson, on what basis is there to state that Akeson can play full time in the NHL as a Winger on the 2nd line?
- MJL

His goal the other day was from a 5 on 3 PP on the wing.

His goal today was from a feed from Hall...on the wing.

His 2nd goal today was when the goalie was pulled and he was again...on the wing.

It's good that Vinny is picking up his game, and who cares what line he's on so long as points are going up on the board, and that's about it. If anything, I'd attribute his increased performance to his demotion, and his handling of it the right way.

I agree completely with this. Ive wanted Vinny on the top PP unit for a while. I think his shot would be a tremendous asset to that unit. Jake would help the second unit too.
- PhillySportsGuy

Well since Niagara lost we must wait even longer to know who Oshawa plays in round 2

Yes, I'm absolutely going to shoot down that he's more valuable playing 4th line Center then he would at 2nd line Center. Not question about that. His quality play lately is not due to playing against lesser players, it's due to playing center. And he can do the same playing on the 2nd line. Now if the statement was made that he's a better player for the team at 4th line Center then at 2nd line LW, then I would agree with that. It's clear that he can't play the left side.

As for the laugh emoticon concerning Akeson, on what basis is there to state that Akeson can play full time in the NHL as a Winger on the 2nd line?
- MJL

yup nope bye I have a paper to write and clin skills to study for and physio to study for I don't have time for an argument with you.

I'll leave you with this though: on what basis is there to state that Akeson cannot play on an NHL second line? Can't find out until you try. But, alas- maybe now isn't the best time to try.

He and everything else, even Vinny playing 2nd line C, is an OPTION.

Enjoy the rest of the evening folks and maybe I'll procrastinate some more come midnight

He was trying to transition from butterfly to standing on that goal and got caught in-between in no man's land. That was just bad luck, and it went both ways today.

Vinny's 1st goal doesn't go in 9 out of 10 times.

Bruins should have gotten too many men on the ice instead of a goal from Mesz.

Bouncing, bouncing, bouncing puck that Jake found, backhanded, and Vinny was just able to pop it in the net.
- wolfhounds

I think the Lecavalier shot was tipped somewhat and it dipped down as it went, and it had a lot on it.

Just watched a replay of the Meszaros goal. Don't see any reason why it would be too many men on the ice to Boston.

Further, Vinny did get popped into the 2nd line center role a few times today, so I'm not sure where the debate is coming from.

yup nope bye I have a paper to write and clin skills to study for and physio to study for I don't have time for an argument with you.

I'll leave you with this though: on what basis is there to state that Akeson cannot play on an NHL second line? Can't find out until you try. But, alas- maybe now isn't the best time to try.

He and everything else, even Vinny playing 2nd line C, is an OPTION.

Enjoy the rest of the evening folks and maybe I'll procrastinate some more come midnight
- Giroux_Is_God

The basis for saying that he cannot play on the 2nd line in the NHL is that he is an AHL player who has never done it. And if he was capable of playing that role and being good enough offensively to do it, he would already be established as an NHL player at this point.

I think the Lecavalier shot was tipped somewhat and it dipped down as it went, and it had a lot on it.

Just watched a replay of the Meszaros goal. Don't see any reason why it would be too many men on the ice to Boston.
- MJL

It did dive, like a sinker pitch...I just couldn't tell if it was after Rask touched it, or it got deflected up top.

Did you see the angle from behind Rask's net up high? Somewhere in that area... It really looked like there were 6 or 7 guys fully on the ice - not up against the boards or in the door - when Mesz was already in the O zone. I'd need to see it again to be sure.

Have to look for replay.

His goal the other day was from a 5 on 3 PP on the wing.

His goal today was from a feed from Hall...on the wing.

His 2nd goal today was when the goalie was pulled and he was again...on the wing.

It's good that Vinny is picking up his game, and who cares what line he's on so long as points are going up on the board, and that's about it. If anything, I'd attribute his increased performance to his demotion, and his handling of it the right way.
- wolfhounds

I'd attribute his increased performance to playing Center. Instead of LW. And it matters because the 2nd line is not producing at the level it needs to, if the Flyers are going to make a run. And I think that Lecavalier can change that if he centers the 2nd line.

The first goal he was playing the Center position, and it was from the slot in front of the net. And the tying goal was from around the net on the right side of the ice, which in his entire career, is where he scored most of his goals from, while playing Center