MacDonald hasn't been the problem the first two games. If the Flyers start getting strafed at even-strength to the tune of what we saw Thursday, there will be plenty of questions to be asked about afew players, not just him
- AllInForFlyers

I'm not saying that MacDonald has been the problem, just that he's not the guy you want to rely on to be your #1 or even a top pair guy. However, any time that is said on this thread, someone, not you, gets all bent out of shape.

I was hoping he'd have a solid start so we could package him and B Schenn for Doughty..
- Hextall271

Don't want to predict tonight's game -- there are a few things the Habs do that will be problematic, but the Flyers have a few things they do well that can offset

Really, it's individual and team defense. They're going to give shots and chances. The quality of those shots and chances...they just have to try to find a way to be as sound as possible and give themselves a chance to get points.

You can't give up five even-strength goals. You just can't. So hopefully they start from there and build toward something better.

half full, half empty....apparently the team is in the best condition physically then they have been for years

theres all this crap on here about if they do this and if they did that they would would have won.

good hockey players make good plays, seee the ice, anticipate play and make good decisions, cant be coached they either know how to execute or they dont, i feel we have a team full of hockey players that are not real hockey smart and consistently make poor decisions with the puck all over the ice.
- mydoglicks

It will be a bumpy ride no doubt about it.

I'm not saying that MacDonald has been the problem, just that he's not the guy you want to rely on to be your #1 or even a top pair guy. However, any time that is said on this thread, someone, not you, gets all bent out of shape.
- BiggE

I understood -- I agree with you. The guy is here, and he hasn't been crippling this team. There are bigger problems than him and have been since he arrived

half full, half empty....apparently the team is in the best condition physically then they have been for years

theres all this crap on here about if they do this and if they did that they would would have won.

good hockey players make good plays, seee the ice, anticipate play and make good decisions, cant be coached they either know how to execute or they dont, i feel we have a team full of hockey players that are not real hockey smart and consistently make poor decisions with the puck all over the ice.
- mydoglicks

The part we miss the most about Timonen is the smarts he had out there... he's lost several steps but hockey IQ is way up there.

Don't want to predict tonight's game -- there are a few things the Habs do that will be problematic, but the Flyers have a few things they do well that can offset

Really, it's individual and team defense. They're going to give shots and chances. The quality of those shots and chances...they just have to try to find a way to be as sound as possible and give themselves a chance to get points.

You can't give up five even-strength goals. You just can't. So hopefully they start from there and build toward something better.
- AllInForFlyers

Well you can if you are the 85-86 Edmonton Oilers, but yeah, it's usually not a real good idea!

Some of those longstanding problems are average-at-best passing -- giving or receiving them --, inconsistent backchecking, failure to move their feet in all three zones, poor decisions with the puck (drop passes and cross-ice passes that have little chance of success), as well as failure to recognize when to shoot or when to pass.

When you guys are talking about hockey sense, a lot of it stems from that -- sometimes, the Flyers need to be smarter with and without the puck. And maybe you can't pass like Peter Forsberg, but a few more guys could stand to move their feet like Zac Rinaldo, because nobody is telling them to not skate

The part we miss the most about Timonen is the smarts he had out there... he's lost several steps but hockey IQ is way up there.
- Hextall271

Exactly -- most underrated part of any game is how well you process what you should be doing

They saw something to want to extend him
- ob18

He works really hard, remember?

Well you can if you are the 85-86 Edmonton Oilers, but yeah, it's usually not a real good idea!

- BiggE

Exactly -- most underrated part of any game is how well you process what you should be doing
- AllInForFlyers

You're yelling me these guys are supposed to be thinking about what they are going to do on the ice? Interesting

You're yelling me these guys are supposed to be thinking about what they are going to do on the ice? Interesting
- funmaster18

Ha! Yeah -- we see it far too often with them on the odd-man breaks; i watch a ton of hockey and the Flyers are among the worst at actually getting shots on net of all the teams i watch.

There are good defenders and goalies in the league, and lots of teams don't convert on them. But many teams get shots on net in those scenarios more consistently than the Flyers, and part of that is hockey sense

Berube seems to have gone back to the old lines.

Raffl-G-Voracek
Read-Couturier-Umberger
BSchenn-Viny-Simmonds

So he basically wasted the preseason. The Raffl move I can understand, but why break up Read-Coots-Simmonds when they looked so dangerous together?

Berube seems to have gone back to the old lines.

Raffl-G-Voracek
Read-Couturier-Umberger
BSchenn-Viny-Simmonds

So he basically wasted the preseason. The Raffl move I can understand, but why break up Read-Coots-Simmonds when they looked so dangerous together?
- Feanor

I don't get it either. I don't understand how much of that schenn VL Simmonds line he needs to see before he realizes it doesn't work

I don't get it either. I don't understand how much of that schenn VL Simmonds line he needs to see before he realizes it doesn't work
- PhillySportsGuy

If they get lit up like they did at ES last year...only a blind man doesn't recognize that line is a nightmare defensively

The problem is L1 has been getting torched at ES, so I don't even know WTF you do if that continues

Berube seems to have gone back to the old lines.

Raffl-G-Voracek
Read-Couturier-Umberger
BSchenn-Viny-Simmonds

So he basically wasted the preseason. The Raffl move I can understand, but why break up Read-Coots-Simmonds when they looked so dangerous together?
- Feanor

I guess maybe he saw the success we had during last year's second half and wants to replicate it.. Otherwise I am confused.

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 10/11/14 vs MTL
- bmeltzer

See now I believe Mason should be in net. The Habs are a fast team and our defense lacks with speed. This is a game where I believe we'll need our goaltender to bail our D out at times. With New Jersey, Mason didn't have much of a chance on the deflections and bad coverage by the D but New Jersey isn't as fast. I believe Emery should have played in that game.

AMac-Shultz
Grossman-Streit
MDZ-Schenn

Berube seems to have gone back to the old lines.

Raffl-G-Voracek
Read-Couturier-Umberger
BSchenn-Viny-Simmonds

So he basically wasted the preseason. The Raffl move I can understand, but why break up Read-Coots-Simmonds when they looked so dangerous together?
- Feanor

I think preseason should be a time for experimenting. Instead Berube decided to force one thing during that time and do another two games in. The team needs to make better decisions on the ice but so does the coach or all this getting in shape talk all summer will be for nothing.

[quote=xShoot4WarAmpsx]

It's October. Halloween month.
The Flyers have a 5th and 7th dman masquerading as a top pairing.

The problem is L1 has been getting torched at ES, so I don't even know WTF you do if that continues
- AllInForFlyers

That's why Raffl got promoted, I think.

I think I said this before, but I won't be surprised if the first line is Bellemare-Giroux-Voracek by the end of the season.

See now I believe Mason should be in net. The Habs are a fast team and our defense lacks with speed. This is a game where I believe we'll need our goaltender to bail our D out at times. With New Jersey, Mason didn't have much of a chance on the deflections and bad coverage by the D but New Jersey isn't as fast. I believe Emery should have played in that game.
- SuperSchennBros

I was thinking the same thing about Emery playing but they probably wanted Mase to get that first win out of the way.

Edit: wow, so Emery is now confirmed to play? I don't really like that decision. I think it should be Mase because of the speed of Mtl and the Mase has superior lateral movement. I like Ray but this is throwing him to the wolves and it might get ugly..hope Im wrong but yikes.

Looks like they are wearing their 3rd jerseys tonight.. They'll look good as the Habs cream them...hahah

I was thinking the same thing about Emery playing but they probably wanted Mase to get that first win out of the way.

Edit: wow, so Emery is now confirmed to play? I don't really like that decision. I think it should be Mase because of the speed of Mtl and the Mase has superior lateral movement. I like Ray but this is throwing him to the wolves and it might get ugly..hope Im wrong but yikes.
- Hextall271

Yeah, I think this decision could really be questioned. Despite injuries I'm not liking the decision making so far.