Who played the role of?
- jmatchett383

Captain Herbert Sobel, formerly of Easy Company.

Remember when you cross-checked me in the back the other day...
- wolfhounds

What did I do? Did you post this earlier?

I don't think Carolina minded that "controversy" that starting their rookie backup caused in 2006. Backup or not, if you have a guy that the team is winning with, you stay with him until he starts to crack.

Back in 2000, there was the do you/don't you play Lindros in the ECF. The Flyers were playing great hockey without their "star" player, and conventional wisdom states that your best player gives you a better chance to win. Well, they played him, they became a broken team, and blew their 3-1 series lead. Just because one player is better on paper, you stick with what makes the team win until that stops.
- jmatchett383

There is no controversy. Where is this coming from? Emery has played 2 games and is 1-1. If Mason is healthy, I think he goes. But there's no need to rush him which might lead to some sort of setback.

What did I do? Did you post this earlier?
- PhillySportsGuy

Posted and picture and No.

10 points for confusing me!

There is no controversy. Where is this coming from? Emery has played 2 games and is 1-1. If Mason is healthy, I think he goes. But there's no need to rush him which might lead to some sort of setback.
- wolfhounds

Beat writers. (Both where it is coming from, and my solution to stop it.)

I don't think Carolina minded that "controversy" that starting their rookie backup caused in 2006. Backup or not, if you have a guy that the team is winning with, you stay with him until he starts to crack.

Back in 2000, there was the do you/don't you play Lindros in the ECF. The Flyers were playing great hockey without their "star" player, and conventional wisdom states that your best player gives you a better chance to win. Well, they played him, they became a broken team, and blew their 3-1 series lead. Just because one player is better on paper, you stick with what makes the team win until that stops.
- jmatchett383

Didn't Keith Jones reveal that the players went to Neilson and begged him not to put Eric in? Fun times.

Posted and picture and No.

10 points for confusing me!
- wolfhounds

I confused myself! I'm an idiot.

Cooty is a beast and the flyers biggest and most hated rival will always be the rangers

Didn't Keith Jones reveal that the players went to Neilson and begged him not to put Eric in? Fun times.
- Tomahawk

Everything about that series, that moment in time in Flyers history, makes me angry.

There is no controversy. Where is this coming from? Emery has played 2 games and is 1-1. If Mason is healthy, I think he goes. But there's no need to rush him which might lead to some sort of setback.
- wolfhounds

I never used the word controversy. The other poster (GOA, I think) said sitting Mason would cause one.

My only thing is, you play with the guy you're winning with. A example would be the 2008 Phillies with Moyer and Hamels. Hamels was BY FAR the better pitcher. But, for whatever reason, the Phillies played better when Moyer was in the game. Hamels had a better ERA, a better WHIP, more shutouts, was basically better in every single category, except for the one that mattered: wins. The team won more games with Moyer on the mound.

So my point is, if a team is winning with a goalie, whether he's a starter or backup, keep him in until they stop winning, or he struggles badly. Maybe the team plays differently in some small way for Emery, and that way will be exploited or changed for the worse when Mason comes in. For whatever reason, aside from the East-West passes, Emery has been fantastic in net so far in a place we couldn't win in. I feel no need to pull him if Mason's back.

I think the Power Plays are 13-4.

Flyers have deserved many of them, but the Rangers have been flopping like fish. I'm hoping things turn around a bit at home. Flyers can dictate the match ups, so that may help as well.
- PhillySportsGuy

After 2 games, that's just absurd. Rangers are getting too much of a benefit of the doubt. The trend should reverse for game 3.

Keeping a healthy Mason on the bench would create a controversy. Would it not? Mason is the reason we are in the playoffs to begin with. He absolutely gives this team the best chance at winning. He needs to come back when he's healthy and ready. No rush... because Emery is doing his job as the BACKUP.
- GOA88

Agree with this.
Stick handling skills and more rounded overall.
I think this is the right approach.

Didn't Keith Jones reveal that the players went to Neilson and begged him not to put Eric in? Fun times.
- Tomahawk

Pretty much. They had that whole "us against the world" mentality going. I still think he would have played in Game 7, but I don't think it would have gone 7 games if they left him out.

Apparently, he wasn't well-liked by that team. That may be why there was no response to the Stevens hit; Game 7 or not, if a guy lays a predatory hit on your superstar, there SHOULD be a response.

Funny. Flyers lose game 1 and the masses cry about how you need to put Mason in there at the first sign of relative health. Flyers win game 2, with a above-average, performance by Emery and the masses cry that you need to leave Emery in there because he earned the job. Am I to understand that 1 playoff performance > 82-game regular season? The fans have been begging for goalie-consistency and this is their chance to have it.

If Mason is still hurting come Tuesday, then I'm fine with sitting him. Emery has showed he can fill in admirably as a backup. But there is no way that he won over this team/coaching staff/locker room. It's silly talk. This is Mason's team and the team isn't so quick to forget that. "Thanks for superb backup-performance, Emery. We hope we don't need you again this year. But if we do, we feel mighty good about it."

Beat writers. (Both where it is coming from, and my solution to stop it.)
- Moose_15

Crack the heads of a few hacks with pucks and sticks?

I never used the word controversy. The other poster (GOA, I think) said sitting Mason would cause one.

My only thing is, you play with the guy you're winning with. A example would be the 2008 Phillies with Moyer and Hamels. Hamels was BY FAR the better pitcher. But, for whatever reason, the Phillies played better when Moyer was in the game. Hamels had a better ERA, a better WHIP, more shutouts, was basically better in every single category, except for the one that mattered: wins. The team won more games with Moyer on the mound.

So my point is, if a team is winning with a goalie, whether he's a starter or backup, keep him in until they stop winning, or he struggles badly. Maybe the team plays differently in some small way for Emery, and that way will be exploited or changed for the worse when Mason comes in. For whatever reason, aside from the East-West passes, Emery has been fantastic in net so far in a place we couldn't win in. I feel no need to pull him if Mason's back.
- jmatchett383

I get what you're saying, but I would bring Mason back if he's healthy.

The Lindros thing had a lot to do with the team absolutely hating him. This team likes both goalies and both goalies seem to get along well and want whats best for the team. I just feel Mason is a significant upgrade over Emery. He's better and his puck handling really comes in handy.

Agree with this.
Stick handling skills and more rounded overall.
I think this is the right approach.
- FlyersFirst

Well, let me ask you this: If the Flyers win Game 3 with Emery, and then play Mason in Game 4 and he has a bad game, what do you do? Do you reward Mason with another start because he's the "starter?" Or do you do the unthinkable and (GASP!) put in the "backup" who is 2-1?

so far, for sure...the puck does seem to find him...no matter what level it takes a certain "hockey sense" to produce like that. maybe ...just maybe that translates to the NHL....so far Im impressed...
- landros 2

That "hockey sense" is what I always remember detroit looking for in players once they get passed the first two rounds in drafting. Its how they ended up with Datsyuk and Franzen and Zetterberg. You never know how they will translate to the pro level, but guys that just have "it" always seem to end up doing alright for themselves.

Funny. Flyers lose game 1 and the masses cry about how you need to put Mason in there at the first sign of relative health. Flyers win game 2, with a above-average, performance by Emery and the masses cry that you need to leave Emery in there because he earned the job. Am I to understand that 1 playoff performance > 82-game regular season? The fans have been begging for goalie-consistency and this is their chance to have it.

If Mason is still hurting come Tuesday, then I'm fine with sitting him. Emery has showed he can fill in admirably as a backup. But there is no way that he won over this team/coaching staff/locker room. It's silly talk. This is Mason's team and the team isn't so quick to forget that. "Thanks for superb backup-performance, Emery. We hope we don't need you again this year. But if we do, we feel mighty good about it."
- steelydan

There were masses crying out for Mason after Game 1? Are we to assume that he would be able to stop rockets of cross-ice passes on a 4-minute PP? Emery was the one player least responsible for the Game 1 loss, and was most responsible for the Game 2 win.

Well, let me ask you this: If the Flyers win Game 3 with Emery, and then play Mason in Game 4 and he has a bad game, what do you do? Do you reward Mason with another start because he's the "starter?" Or do you do the unthinkable and (GASP!) put in the "backup" who is 2-1?
- jmatchett383

Put Heeter in.

I think the Power Plays are 13-4.

Flyers have deserved many of them, but the Rangers have been flopping like fish. I'm hoping things turn around a bit at home. Flyers can dictate the match ups, so that may help as well.
- PhillySportsGuy

Leading to 2 embellishment calls yesterday

Funny. Flyers lose game 1 and the masses cry about how you need to put Mason in there at the first sign of relative health. Flyers win game 2, with a above-average, performance by Emery and the masses cry that you need to leave Emery in there because he earned the job. Am I to understand that 1 playoff performance > 82-game regular season? The fans have been begging for goalie-consistency and this is their chance to have it.

If Mason is still hurting come Tuesday, then I'm fine with sitting him. Emery has showed he can fill in admirably as a backup. But there is no way that he won over this team/coaching staff/locker room. It's silly talk. This is Mason's team and the team isn't so quick to forget that. "Thanks for superb backup-performance, Emery. We hope we don't need you again this year. But if we do, we feel mighty good about it."
- steelydan

Don't see how he can be healthy this soon, if he still had issues on Saturday.

I'm not getting started today, especially after a win, but this post...wow.

Some people just can't bear to say, "You know what? Jason Akeson's been the Flyers' two or three best forwards in the first two games, and I didn't think he could do it."

It's always gotta be something where what the player does or doesn't do on the ice has to be damned with faint praise for the overall narrative that diminishes what they accomplished.
- AllInForFlyers

Nothing in my post stated that Akeson hasn't played well. In fact, I think that he has played remarably well for a player in the situation he is in, which is an AHL player called up getting his first extensive look in the NHL in a playoff setting. Not an easy situation for a player.

I don't think Carolina minded that "controversy" that starting their rookie backup caused in 2006. Backup or not, if you have a guy that the team is winning with, you stay with him until he starts to crack.

Back in 2000, there was the do you/don't you play Lindros in the ECF. The Flyers were playing great hockey without their "star" player, and conventional wisdom states that your best player gives you a better chance to win. Well, they played him, they became a broken team, and blew their 3-1 series lead. Just because one player is better on paper, you stick with what makes the team win until that stops.
- jmatchett383

Lindros was their best player and scored their only goal in game 6 of the 2000 ECF. Him playing was never a question. The distraction of the off-ice drama and stripping him of the captaincy became a convenient touchpoint for the media - and extremely tiresome for Flyers fans.