I really thought we had a chance to win yesterday but we just couldn't capitalize on many of the great chances we had. It would be great to have a pure sniper or player like Gaudreau on the team
- 2Real

We had on in B. Schenn, did you see his ot winner last night, that is what snipers do. Also Schenn now is leading his team in scoring and has 15 points in the last 7 games. Oh and if we need a goalie Bobrovsky comes to mind, haha How can anyone be happy with Hextall? Bringing back JVR is an option but I doubt management will admit being wrong the first time around, different management but part of the curse.

No that's not true either. As Bill pointed out your earlier statement just wasn't very well thought out.

Hextall would have zero issue with sending Weise down if he thought it needed to be done. He doesn't care how that reflects on him.
- MJL

Your wrong again MJL simply because how would you know that? Can you explain how you arrived at this statement or is it just your opinion? Did Ron actually call you up and tell you that?

We had on in B. Schenn, did you see his ot winner last night, that is what snipers do. Also Schenn now is leading his team in scoring and has 15 points in the last 7 games. Oh and if we need a goalie Bobrovsky comes to mind, haha How can anyone be happy with Hextall? Bringing back JVR is an option but I doubt management will admit being wrong the first time around, different management but part of the curse.
- joegreif17

Schenn is a good player and a player that was underrated and underappreciated by many Flyers fans but he hasn't been a pure sniper his entire NHL career including this season.

We had on in B. Schenn, did you see his ot winner last night, that is what snipers do. Also Schenn now is leading his team in scoring and has 15 points in the last 7 games. Oh and if we need a goalie Bobrovsky comes to mind, haha How can anyone be happy with Hextall? Bringing back JVR is an option but I doubt management will admit being wrong the first time around, different management but part of the curse.
- joegreif17

Schenn is not a sniper

die

Good write up Bill.
The truth of this team is that they do have the talent as a team to make the playoffs. However they are not a good team. They have these lapses that predate the current coaching staff. I was disappointed in Ghost yesterday but it's hardly a trend of this player losing his cool. A couple of issues that are more alarming to me are:

1) Vorecek's lack of effort on the defensive side of the puck. He continues to be a liability when the puck isnt on his stick. Hell, sometimes he becomes a liability when the puck is on his stick....to me he plays outside the structure. Yes I realize you don't want to take away creativity, but there is responsibilities that a player has on the ice that he has to adhere too. So what to do ? Hakstol needs this players offence ...so can't bench the teams top point getter? To me the other leaders on this team need to hold him accountable. I cringe watching him in OT when they don't have the puck. I will say this better coaches have benched better players in the past. I don't know what answer is.

2)Weise and his careless penalties at in opportune times...some two hundred feet from his own net...he's a vet....inexcusable... how this player sees any Pp time is rediculous. I guess that's why we saw a guy that hasn't scored in half a season on that second unit the other night. He was brought in to play a hard, physical tough game. He has been a major disappointment.

If you watch great teams and other average teams with great records, it's always about dedication, sacrifice and effort. Watch a team like TBay and focus on what their back check looks like this year and then watch some of the so called leaders on the Flyers. Look at Vegas !!!!! A bunch of guys willing to pay the price.

As far as analytics, each is its own way tells a story about an aspect of the game that in the past didn't have the same measurements but was still considered important. Teams view them and interpret them differently depending on a vast number of variables. I too read the article about Hagg and While he is a struggle in the numbers he is getting done what the Flyers are asking of him. They don't view the numbers the same way that the journalist does.
- landros 2

Well said and your point about discipline is paramount. A Toronto coached team would never allow an individual player to become bigger than the team and ALL players would be accountable. Konecny would have been sat down by Babcock long ago to get his bearing back. Nice write up.

Your wrong again MJL simply because how would you know that? Can you explain how you arrived at this statement or is it just your opinion? Did Ron actually call you up and tell you that?
- joegreif17

Well if I can't know for sure that he would, how could you know that I'm wrong about that? You've contradicted yourself.

It certainly involves speculation but Hextall's history supports that he will do what is best for the team and the players as opposed to what is best for his reputation. The best reputation for any GM comes from winning so I think he would put the overall picture ahead of any judgement against him for one individual player move.

Schenn is a good player and a player that was underrated and underappreciated by many Flyers fans but he hasn't been a pure sniper his entire NHL career including this season.
- MJL

He dominated the world juniors one year and he was a top 5 pick in his draft year. Those are all indicators that down the road this guy is going to be good. he hockey panel on CBC raved about Schenn last night and called him the best acquisition in the nhl this past season and they could not understand a guy with 17 pp goals on goal starved team to move him for a salary dump in Lehtara and a couple late first round picks. I mean Schenn is still a baby himself but he will haunt the Flyers brass much longer than JVR or Bobrovsky.

Well said and your point about discipline is paramount. A Toronto coached team would never allow an individual player to become bigger than the team and ALL players would be accountable. Konecny would have been sat down by Babcock long ago to get his bearing back. Nice write up.
- joegreif17

It seems as though you're ignoring the fact that Hakstol has benched both Konecny and Gostisbehere for multiple games in the past for puck management and defensive poor fundamentals in the past.

You told me in another post that I don't know what Hextall would do, so how can you hypocritically now claim to know what Babcock would do?

Well if I can't know for sure that he would, how could you know that I'm wrong about that? You've contradicted yourself.

It certainly involves speculation but Hextall's history supports that he will do what is best for the team and the players as opposed to what is best for his reputation. The best reputation for any GM comes from winning so I think he would put the overall picture ahead of any judgement against him for one individual player move.
- MJL

You have to be the most troublesome person I have ever encountered on here and most likely in real life. I will say you make sense on occasion but your argumentive personality and know it all attitude is beyond comprehensible.

You have to be the most troublesome person I have ever encountered on here and most likely in real life. I will say you make sense on occasion but your argumentive personality and know it all attitude is beyond comprehensible.
- joegreif17

Nothing to do with the conversation. Address the facts. Why were the matchups Hakstol used in the Calgary game bad coaching?

It seems as though you're ignoring the fact that Hakstol has benched both Konecny and Gostisbehere for multiple games in the past for puck management and defensive poor fundamentals in the past.

You told me in another post that I don't know what Hextall would do, so how can you hypocritically now claim to know what Babcock would do?
- MJL

Babcock knows how to win, his record speaks for itself, unlike Hakstol. Babcock made Morgan Rielly learn how to play defence last year and now that he mastered that he is letting him go offensively. He knows how to mould a complete player. Konecny and Gost were singled out last year when in fact Giroux should have sat in my opinion. That being said it is never bad to sit a young players when things are bad. It really depends on how it it done. Babcock talks to his players and explains why this is happening and players understand and come back better. I don not know what Hakstol does but he does not get results like Mike Babcock.

Nothing to do with the conversation. Address the facts. Why were the matchups Hakstol used in the Calgary game bad coaching?
- MJL

If I had the last change I would have absolutely put the Couturier line out against The Gaudreau line. That is a no brainer. It is not only a favorable defensive matchup, it is a favorable offensive matchup because that Gaudreau line is not exactly known for its defensive prowess.

Make them react to us, not the other way around.

Nothing to do with the conversation. Address the facts. Why were the matchups Hakstol used in the Calgary game bad coaching?
- MJL

My mother just told me not to talk to strangers, so don't talk to me anymore. I have learned that arguing with you is not in anyones best interests.

Schenn is not a sniper

die
- KINGKENZO

You must be related to MJL, die is not a nice thing to say but coming from you I suspect you are still in diapers.

Babcock knows how to win, his record speaks for itself, unlike Hakstol. Babcock made Morgan Rielly learn how to play defence last year and now that he mastered that he is letting him go offensively. He knows how to mould a complete player. Konecny and Gost were singled out last year when in fact Giroux should have sat in my opinion. That being said it is never bad to sit a young players when things are bad. It really depends on how it it done. Babcock talks to his players and explains why this is happening and players understand and come back better. I don not know what Hakstol does but he does not get results like Mike Babcock.
- joegreif17

So you're obviously wrong with your criticism that Hakstol will not discipline players because he has.

How do you know what Babcock does? That's what you give me!

My mother just told me not to talk to strangers, so don't talk to me anymore. I have learned that arguing with you is not in anyones best interests.
- joegreif17

You wanted to talk hockey with me one on one. Here it is. You even asked for my phone number to call me personally.

Answer the question on the Calgary game.

Some fans think there is some obvious magical line combination available to solve all of the Flyers issues that Hakstol is just blind to. That's shortsighted.

You criticized Hakstol's matchup against Calgary's top line last game. Why was that a mistake?
- MJL

Did you watch the game, the visitors top line outscored our number one line 4-2 and than god Elliot prevented it from being worse. Laughton's line would have probably shut them down and our number one line may have feasted on their checking line. We will never know but we do know that our top line got outscored 4-2
Lousy coaching, not many home teams match top lines.

You must be related to MJL, die is not a nice thing to say but coming from you I suspect you are still in diapers.
- joegreif17

does that turn you on?

You wanted to talk hockey with me one on one. Here it is. You even asked for my phone number to call me personally.

Answer the question on the Calgary game.
- MJL

I just did in my last post. When you and I disagree from day one I asked to call you to try and clear the air and maybe make a friend. I am a normal hard working honest person despite what you think. My offer was genuine and not to be rude and you refused. If you want to throw poop your throwing it at the wrong guy.

does that turn you on?
- KINGKENZO

Hell No, but now I am really suspicious about you too and guys never turn me on you muffin.

Did you watch the game, the visitors top line outscored our number one line 4-2 and than god Elliot prevented it from being worse. Laughton's line would have probably shut them down and our number one line may have feasted on their checking line. We will never know but we do know that our top line got outscored 4-2
Lousy coaching, not many home teams match top lines.
- joegreif17

That's on the players not the coach. Players need to execute the coaches game plan. One, the Laughton line has not shown to be a shut down line and secondly, you don't want your 4th line playing the amount of icetime it would take to play against the opposition top line. Stating that playing your best checking defensive center in Couturier, and your best defenseman in Provorov against the other teams top line is bad coaching is simply wrong.

Calgary scored 3 PP goals. NHL teams match top lines head to head all the time. You're also wrong about that.

does that turn you on?
- KINGKENZO

Well I hope I have made your day my short peckered friend, that is all I have today because I have some work to do. Thanks for checking in and there will be more entertainment coming soon to a blog near you. Have a great afternoon everyone, seriously, have fun guys and do not get to serious. Enjoy each day because you never know if you will wake up tomorrow. Be happy!

Instead of a possible six to eight points gained in the standings, the Flyers left the ice with two. That kind of thing often comes back to bite clubs down the stretch.
- bmeltzer

So far, the Flyers have blown more points than they've stolen. I still expect they'll be a much better second half team but they need to start putting more points in their pockets through any means necessary. If they can hang in and stay close in the playoff race, they should make a solid run at a spot but they can't fall too far back as the loser point makes it more difficult for a trailing team to catch up in the standings.

I’m grateful for only 7 redirects today as I powered through the article on my phone

So far, the Flyers have blown more points than they've stolen. I still expect they'll be a much better second half team but they need to start putting more points in their pockets through any means necessary. If they can hang in and stay close in the playoff race, they should make a solid run at a spot but they can't fall too far back as the loser point makes it more difficult for a trailing team to catch up in the standings.
- fls13

I hope you are right but I see the wheels falling off this buggy, I am a positive person but also a realist and there are too many negatives going on. I would be thrilled to wrong about this, honestly I want wins more than Hakstol.