I'm still confident in our chances of winning this series. Mason is back and we know we can win in NY. Nobody said this would be an easy series. Everyone just about predicted 7 games. I still think that happens.

Agreed. But that first goal was an outright misplay by Emery, which took some air out of the Flyers' balloon for about 10-12 minutes after they strung a few good shifts together very early. By the time the Flyers got going again late in the first period, they were in a 2-0 hole.
- bmeltzer

I don't believe the flyers outright lost due to goaltending but the game is definitely different with a healthy mason. It's difficult to win when the difference in goaltending is so significant. Lundqvist had a good game and emery had a subpar game.

Ill give the chief a pass on starting emery but it should be noted that emery isnt a starting goaltender. Hes just not the same since that hip injury despite a very commendable comeback.

After sleeping in this bullpoop loss i think theres still hope the forwards can explode for some goals and make this a series. Of mason can keep out the stoppable goals they still have a shot to win, but its 30/70 ny from here out.

I don't believe the flyers outright lost due to goaltending but the game is simple tell different with a healthy mason. It's difficult to win when the difference in goaltending is so significant. Lundqvist had a good game and emery had a subpar game.
- PhillySportsGuy

Exactly. IMO.... Mason at the very least keeps that game a 1 goal game, not 4-1 with 10 min left... Flyers knew they were cooked at that point

I read something about saying Giroux isn't an elite player if he can't make his teammates better but I disagree with that statement. Crosby doesn't make his players better, his linemates still suck. Kunitz is ok but the other Scrubs they add to the top line like Stemniak, Bennett or Gibbons any better. Sure you can take pressure of them and get them the puck but it is up to them to do something with it. Hartnell is too streaky. When he hot he plays like a top line guy but when he isn't he brings the entire line down. He makes awful passes and often loses races to pucks. I missed tonight's game as they had the dumb basketball game on TSN instead but PP is hurting this team and I don't feel as if the top line is getting enough ice time
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

So... Let me get this straight... Crosby plays with poopty linemates but still doninates the league... Where here i hear constantly giroux needs a scoring winger, which he has btw, and will therefore not get clowned like he does in series like this one here. Sorry but i stand by my point, he doesnt make his line better and hes playing down and not up as he should. Im done commiserating over this loss and i sure aint drinking the #28 is great coolaid... Nice player very talented but not elite.

So... Let me get this straight... Crosby plays with poopty linemates but still doninates the league... Where here i hear constantly giroux needs a scoring winger, which he has btw, and will therefore not get clowned like he does in series like this one here. Sorry but i stand by my point, he doesnt make his line better and hes playing down and not up as he should. Im done commiserating over this loss and i sure aint drinking the #28 is great coolaid... Nice player very talented but not elite.
- JoeRussomanno

Even Crosby gets shutdown by a good defense too dude. Relax. Giroux leads league in pts over last 4 seasons. NUFF SAID

The Flyers have made adjustments. They skated, broke out of the D zone, forechecked and cycled better in Game 3 than they did in Game 2; Game 2 was better than Game 1. Last night, they spent long segments of time in the New York end of the ice. But they do need to do a better job in getting shots off faster and on net. Easier said than done.
- bmeltzer

Being in the zone don't mean much if there is no threat to score. If there going to continue to try shots from the point they need to get forwards in front of the D and make it harder for them to block the shot. May work or may not. I think they should move Akeson up with Giroux and Voracek create more speed and better puck control on that line.

Mason at least gives you a chance to win. Soft goals change the whole dynamic of a game. The only goal that was not soft was the St.Louis tip-in. Even the analyst will say that Emery needs to make that stop on the Girardi one-timer. The effort was just not good enough. The Flyers PP on the other hand was also a reason for the loss. Way too stationary, needs more movement.
- GOA88

I would agree that Emery did not play a great game. But that Girardi shot had eyes. Right over the shoulder into a small open part of the net. Perfectly placed. Can't blame Emery on that one.

So... Let me get this straight... Crosby plays with poopty linemates but still doninates the league... Where here i hear constantly giroux needs a scoring winger, which he has btw, and will therefore not get clowned like he does in series like this one here. Sorry but i stand by my point, he doesnt make his line better and hes playing down and not up as he should. Im done commiserating over this loss and i sure aint drinking the #28 is great coolaid... Nice player very talented but not elite.
- JoeRussomanno

Leading scorer in the NHL over past 4 years. Nah, not elite. Obviously sucks.

You were more fun when you were rational and not just trashing everything

Being in the zone don't mean much if there is no threat to score. If there going to continue to try shots from the point they need to get forwards in front of the D and make it harder for them to block the shot. May work or may not. I think they should move Akeson up with Giroux and Voracek create more speed and better puck control on that line.
- RobFlyers#1

Akeson is not a fast player.

So... Let me get this straight... Crosby plays with poopty linemates but still doninates the league... Where here i hear constantly giroux needs a scoring winger, which he has btw, and will therefore not get clowned like he does in series like this one here. Sorry but i stand by my point, he doesnt make his line better and hes playing down and not up as he should. Im done commiserating over this loss and i sure aint drinking the #28 is great coolaid... Nice player very talented but not elite.
- JoeRussomanno

So no credit goes to the best shutdown tandem in the league or the all-world goalie behind them for stifling G?

Even Crosby gets shutdown by a good defense too dude. Relax. Giroux leads league in pts over last 4 seasons. NUFF SAID
- GOA88

Pitt fans the other night were ragging a bit on Crosby not doing much in the playoffs so far. 4A, but wasn't instrumental in the comeback win against Columbus. Crosby played alright, but other guys were more noticeable. This isn't comparing Crosby vs. Giroux (which is overplayed and pointless), but pointing out that even the best have some stretches where they don't dominate, even Crosby. It's ok. It happens

Being in the zone don't mean much if there is no threat to score. If there going to continue to try shots from the point they need to get forwards in front of the D and make it harder for them to block the shot. May work or may not. I think they should move Akeson up with Giroux and Voracek create more speed and better puck control on that line.
- RobFlyers#1

I agree... but it's a start.

Personally, if a change were to be made on the top line, I would move Raffl back to the spot (he played effectively there for awhile this season) over Akeson. Raffl has speed but also a bit of grit.

Akeson is not a fast player.
- MJL

I guarentee he is faster than Hartnell not to mention a better passer and better at skating the puck through the neutral zone.

So no credit goes to the best shutdown tandem in the league or the all-world goalie behind them for stifling G?
- Tomahawk

I don't know that I would call them the best shutdown tandem in the League, but they are certainly very good. And Lundqvist is a top goalie. But Giroux is not getting it done in this series. He's not even been a factor in getting quality chances. And the Flyers are not going to go far in any series, with Giroux not playing well. He is the Flyers offensive catalyst. And he's not getting it done. Either at ES or on the PP. He needs to be much better. I'm not going to say he's not a top player, because he obviously is. But he's just having a bad series. And if the Rangers go on, we'll see top players and top lines score against Girardi and McDonagh. And we'll see that they're not invincible.

I guarentee he is faster than Hartnell not to mention a better passer and better at skating the puck through the neutral zone.
- RobFlyers#1

Probably better as a puck handler, but I doubt he is faster. And Hartnell does other things better. Akeson is doing just fine where he is.

I agree... but it's a start.

Personally, if a change were to be made on the top line, I would move Raffl back to the spot (he played effectively there for awhile this season) over Akeson. Raffl has speed but also a bit of grit.
- bmeltzer

Yeah Raffl is not a bad idea either but just think Akeson is a little better passer and can play a better east/west game instead of north/south which may create a little more room for Giroux and possibly a few more quality scoring chances for Voracek.

Bill this was a pretty Rosey write up. I did not see 4 quality chances in the 2nd period

Let's talk about
- how akeson got more ice time than voracek who is clearly our strongest looking forward and played less than 14 minutes
- how Brian Boyle has outplayed couturier on the shutdown units
- our PP can look so ineffective. And how kimmo has absolute nothin left in the tank and got flattened by Marty st Louis of all people en route to a goal
- how our 4th liners got so much ice time after being in a hole

I agree... but it's a start.

Personally, if a change were to be made on the top line, I would move Raffl back to the spot (he played effectively there for awhile this season) over Akeson. Raffl has speed but also a bit of grit.
- bmeltzer

They could also use help getting the "second" line going. I'd like to see them try one of these combos:

19-28-93
42-40-17
10-14-24
36-12-18

or even

10-28-93
19-40-17
42-14-24
36-12-18

The "second" line is giving them some energy, but they're getting killed by spotty decision making and bounces. Brayden Schenn was all over the place, but trying to do too much and making over aggressive mistakes.

With the Rangers basically going the "Beat the living poop out of Giroux" route, the Flyers need other lines to pick up the slack.

I really do believe that Mason is going to tip this series a bit in our favor from this point on. The PP will make adjustments and that Giroux line will eventually break thru.

They could also use help getting the "second" line going. I'd like to see them try one of these combos:

19-28-93
42-40-17
10-14-24
36-12-18

or even

10-28-93
19-40-17
42-14-24
36-12-18

The "second" line is giving them some energy, but they're getting killed by spotty decision making and bounces. Brayden Schenn was all over the place, but trying to do too much and making over aggressive mistakes.

With the Rangers basically going the "Beat the living poop out of Giroux" route, the Flyers need other lines to pick up the slack.
- Jsaquella

If McDonough and Girardi are busy shutting down Giroux, fine, it means they aren't playing against everyone else. Someone else can step up too

I would agree that Emery did not play a great game. But that Girardi shot had eyes. Right over the shoulder into a small open part of the net. Perfectly placed. Can't blame Emery on that one.
- MJL

I understand that nobody wants to blame Emery, the point is that a good goalie may stop that shot. May have kept the Flyers in that game. In a defensive series like this one. You need better than average goaltending and IMO the Flyers havent recieved that to this point. We are lucky to be only down 1 game because of that fact.

If McDonough and Girardi are busy shutting down Giroux, fine, it means they aren't playing against everyone else. Someone else can step up too
- eayost

Exactly. Trouble is, Staal & Stralman are a damned good pairing, too.

If McDonough and Girardi are busy shutting down Giroux, fine, it means they aren't playing against everyone else. Someone else can step up too
- eayost

That is hurting us. Rangers are so focused on Giroux that Voracek and Hartnell need to make them pay. Vinny,Schenn,Simmonds,Read. They havent done a whole lot either......

Probably better as a puck handler, but I doubt he is faster. And Hartnell does other things better. Akeson is doing just fine where he is.
- MJL

Hartnell is good when about 5 to 10 feet in front of the net but a playmaker he is not. So if you get a better puck handler on the top line it may create better scoring chances because the puck is not getting to hartnell where can can be effictive. Putting Hatnell on the Coutz line may create a stronger forecheck than it does with the smaller Akeson.