Well said. Only a coach with "half a brain" would have made the switch for Game 2. Switch was made when it should have been.
- bmeltzer

Yes

Goalie situation aside, I'm interested in seeing what Hexy does at the draft.

We have extra picks this year as well as the next, plus an abundance of prospects. And I'm excited to see them develop. But the current team NEEDS help.

I am still disappointed he did nothing at the trade deadline, either way (trading pieces away or acquiring them). And I agree a more conservative approach was greatly needed after our long history of trading picks away for aging vets well past their prime... But I think a balanced approach is best.

I'd like to see Hexy move some picks and/or a prospect to help the team for next season. Drouin would have been great, but seeing him playing for Tampa in the playoffs leads me to believe there's no way he's moved now.

But with the cap space we'll have, I really am hoping he has something going on behind the scenes that will improve the team next year, beyond the potential promotions of Provorov and Konecny. Expecting those young guys to have a similar impact as Ghost is unrealistic and unfair to them. Ghost was 22 this year, those two will be 19 to start the season.

Insightful look into the DOPS and how they operate. Very interesting, Bill.
Department of Appeasement (DOA, ha!) would be a better name for them.

We are so lucky to have two excellent goalies. What a rare and excellent thing this is, especially with our D lacking a true 25+ minute all situation franchise guy. Goaltending a strength for the Flyers, huh.

Between the two goalies and some scrappy D and Couts, they can make up for it to a certain extent. But to be really contending they need that guy. Really to go far in the playoffs you need 4-5 D that can play in all situations and not kill you. Hopefully Provy and the rest pan out.

Neuvirth is the better goalie, and if you had a coach with half a brain, he should have been put in for the 2nd game, and maybe the series would different today.
- newwave

Should've consulted Joey Buttafuoco.

the DOPS is a complete and utter joke. its so much of a pick and choose decision process often based on results rather than the action itself. Chimera clearly drives Voracek's head into the boards in an very unnecessary and danger hit and doesn't even get a fine let alone a suspension. I have no issue with the Schenn decision but I do have a problem with the inconsistency.

between the way they hand out suspension coupled with the playoff format, the NHL is a joke. its a shame. go back to 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. re-seed after each round. if Nashville happens to win tonight we will have based on points 1 vs 2 and6 vs 7 and even if Ana wins its 4 vs 6. same situation in the east....1 vs 2 and 5 vs 6. that is just stupid. hey in the name of "rivalries" lets have the best teams knock each other out early. I hate this format with a passion. a team shouldn't be rewarded for winning a weaker division and it should always be re-seeded. DUMB
- nastyflyergirl

All of this.

Insightful look into the DOPS and how they operate. Very interesting, Bill.
Department of Appeasement (DOA, ha!) would be a better name for them.

We are so lucky to have two excellent goalies. What a rare and excellent thing this is, especially with our D lacking a true 25+ minute all situation franchise guy. Goaltending a strength for the Flyers, huh.

Between the two goalies and some scrappy D and Couts, they can make up for it to a certain extent. But to be really contending they need that guy. Really to go far in the playoffs you need 4-5 D that can play in all situations and not kill you. Hopefully Provy and the rest pan out.
- Marc D

They also need more scoring. Near the bottom of the league in scoring past two years

the DOPS is a complete and utter joke. its so much of a pick and choose decision process often based on results rather than the action itself. Chimera clearly drives Voracek's head into the boards in an very unnecessary and danger hit and doesn't even get a fine let alone a suspension. I have no issue with the Schenn decision but I do have a problem with the inconsistency.

between the way they hand out suspension coupled with the playoff format, the NHL is a joke. its a shame. go back to 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. re-seed after each round. if Nashville happens to win tonight we will have based on points 1 vs 2 and6 vs 7 and even if Ana wins its 4 vs 6. same situation in the east....1 vs 2 and 5 vs 6. that is just stupid. hey in the name of "rivalries" lets have the best teams knock each other out early. I hate this format with a passion. a team shouldn't be rewarded for winning a weaker division and it should always be re-seeded. DUMB
- nastyflyergirl

I do not like the current playoff format.

For one it leads to teams doing what the Isles did (and I do not blame them, it was a smart move) to get out of the metropolitan bracket.

Having CHI/StL as a first rd matchup and now Caps /Pens before the EC finals is wrong.

They also need more scoring. Near the bottom of the league in scoring past two years
- Streit2ThePoint

no doubt.

I think having capable two way defenseman will help a lot, but they need more of everything (skill, sniping, speed, size) in the top nine forward group too.

the DOPS is a complete and utter joke. its so much of a pick and choose decision process often based on results rather than the action itself. Chimera clearly drives Voracek's head into the boards in an very unnecessary and danger hit and doesn't even get a fine let alone a suspension. I have no issue with the Schenn decision but I do have a problem with the inconsistency.

between the way they hand out suspension coupled with the playoff format, the NHL is a joke. its a shame. go back to 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. re-seed after each round. if Nashville happens to win tonight we will have based on points 1 vs 2 and6 vs 7 and even if Ana wins its 4 vs 6. same situation in the east....1 vs 2 and 5 vs 6. that is just stupid. hey in the name of "rivalries" lets have the best teams knock each other out early. I hate this format with a passion. a team shouldn't be rewarded for winning a weaker division and it should always be re-seeded. DUMB
- nastyflyergirl

Excellent blog

Agreed with almost all of it, and while I don't want the Flyers to ignore the option of moving one of the goalies if a good deal presents itself, I doubt something like that will happen. There are enough goalies right now in the league where the teams that have needs can look at some other options

no doubt.

I think having capable two way defenseman will help a lot, but they need more of everything (skill, sniping, speed, size) in the top nine forward group too.
- Marc D

yeah. I think someone had a good idea yesterday about going after Ladd if they can get him for a good deal.

the DOPS is a complete and utter joke. its so much of a pick and choose decision process often based on results rather than the action itself. Chimera clearly drives Voracek's head into the boards in an very unnecessary and danger hit and doesn't even get a fine let alone a suspension. I have no issue with the Schenn decision but I do have a problem with the inconsistency.

between the way they hand out suspension coupled with the playoff format, the NHL is a joke. its a shame. go back to 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. re-seed after each round. if Nashville happens to win tonight we will have based on points 1 vs 2 and6 vs 7 and even if Ana wins its 4 vs 6. same situation in the east....1 vs 2 and 5 vs 6. that is just stupid. hey in the name of "rivalries" lets have the best teams knock each other out early. I hate this format with a passion. a team shouldn't be rewarded for winning a weaker division and it should always be re-seeded. DUMB
- nastyflyergirl

It's almost like they created this bogus playoff format just to market their stupid bracket challenge. The least they could do is assign draft picks the same as they seed in playoffs. Why did Detroit get to face a much weaker round 1 opponent/seed and also get assigned better draft picks?

yeah. I think someone had a good idea yesterday about going after Ladd if they can get him for a good deal.
- Streit2ThePoint

Would like to have Ladd or Backes, they both have size and skill and leadership but the length of deal scares me. Both are on the downside of their careers. Would not go over 3 years and I do think they will get offered longer deals elsewhere.

Anyone see Medvedev arrested last night? Suspicion of DUI

I don't understand how all these Flyers fans can defend Schenn's actions. He tried to break Kuznetsov's knee (no way to argue this is not intent to injure).. very obvious, and the league did nothing about it. No problem Kuznetsov wasn't hurt and they let hockey (Oshie) deal with the situation. Schenn spent the entire series jumping at hits. The video on this hit makes it very obvious, with full contact to the head.

Chimera's hit was vicious for sure, yet there is a bit of fault from Vorachek. A penalty was definetly the right call in that situation, borders on a suspension.

The hit on Orlov, should have never been a suspension, that was all Orlov's fault, with the Flyer player putting pressure on him.

Ovie's hit on Ghost.. Ghost tried to move out of the way and ran into his knee. No ovie did not get out of the way, he was commited to the check, then once ghost moved, he had to worry about himself hitting the boards, therefore he didnt move his knee to avoid ghosts. he braced himself for hitting the boards, the same way he would for hitting the player.

All in all it was a physical series with Schenn running around doing his best to be a pest. I have no problem with his play other than jumping at hits and the intent to injure stuff. I'll admit, this was Wilson in the past for sure. I think hes now gotten the message.

sensed sarcasm but then you said honestly...both goalies are great but each of them are playing in front of better teams than the Flyers. are you seriously suggesting they are going to regret drafting Stolarz before he even plays an NHL game?
- YuenglingJagr

I wasn't being honest, just laughing at people and the poop they whine about.

All local media members know. Steve asked for it to be kept private, and we have honored that request.
- bmeltzer

Big kudos to you and your media brothers and sisters! I am shocked that it hasn't leaked by now.

I loved every single hit Schenn laid, the only problem i had was was the knee thing. Other than that he was the only Flyer who went at the Caps like they were going at us. The hit on Backstrom was my personal favorite.

Neuvirth is the better goalie, and if you had a coach with half a brain, he should have been put in for the 2nd game, and maybe the series would different today.
- newwave

I doubt it would have ended differently. The Flyers were nowhere close to being the better team. Their two wins were of the "got the break they needed and then hung on for dear life" variety. That is not a sustainable formula for winning a series.

Big kudos to you and your media brothers and sisters! I am shocked that it hasn't leaked by now.
- Scoob

I am impressed the kept silent too. Good on them.

I didn't see anyone talking poorly about Mason but I also wasn't on many boards. Either you're stretching the truth or those people are delusional. I've been watching hockey/the Flyers since '93 and this is the best goalie situation I can remember. These two goalies, as they stand now, are good enough to win a Cup. They're both great goaltenders and I couldn't be happier with them. I'd be pissed off seeing a Flyers fan trash Mase. Best case scenario would be to sign the 2 of them long-term and they keep their current level of play up. I'm beyond the grass being greener. I love our goalie situation today and want it to stay AS-IS!

between the way they hand out suspension coupled with the playoff format, the NHL is a joke. its a shame. go back to 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. re-seed after each round. if Nashville happens to win tonight we will have based on points 1 vs 2 and6 vs 7 and even if Ana wins its 4 vs 6. same situation in the east....1 vs 2 and 5 vs 6. that is just stupid. hey in the name of "rivalries" lets have the best teams knock each other out early. I hate this format with a passion. a team shouldn't be rewarded for winning a weaker division and it should always be re-seeded. DUMB
- nastyflyergirl

I seriously wonder if the NHL team in charge of designing the playoff format was drunk when they did it. It is an absolutely format.

We are so lucky to have two excellent goalies. What a rare and excellent thing this is, especially with our D lacking a true 25+ minute all situation franchise guy. Goaltending a strength for the Flyers, huh
- Marc D

It's great, right? That's why I think it is funny when the staunch supporters of one of them just can't admit that the other one is also very good. It's a great "problem" to have again next season.

I do not like the current playoff format.

For one it leads to teams doing what the Isles did (and I do not blame them, it was a smart move) to get out of the metropolitan bracket.

Having CHI/StL as a first rd matchup and now Caps /Pens before the EC finals is wrong.
- Marc D

if you went by points only the first round would have been Wash vs Det, Pitts vs Flyers, Fla vs TB, NYR vs NYI. Dal vs Minn, Stl vs Nsh, Chi vs SJ and Ana vs LA.

I am impressed the kept silent too. Good on them.
- Marc D

I would have told panotch and carchidi a false reason and see if it leaked