Hallelujah!!

There are quite a few forwards who can be sat to make room for Martel and lord knows, no one is going to miss Mark Alt.

As much as we complain about Lehtera, I thought Weal was worse last night. If you are going to keep Simmonds in the lineup, I'd sit Weal and go with:

The Usual First Line
Filppula-Patrick-Martel
TK-Lehtera-Simmonds
Leier-Laughton-Raffl

Time to shake things up in the middle six and I want Filppula on the wing because at some point, Vecchione needs to come up too.
- BiggE

Seriously though...how can you actually think Lehtera should be playing center over Giroux?

It is mind boggling to me how people are cool with this just because the top line is scoring. Do people not know the Flyers keep losing games?

No coach is going to call a player up from the AHL just to change things up. I assume this means that the GM deems both players are now NHL ready and should be expected as permanent lineup fixtures.

Don't you guys know anything about the inner workings of professional sports teams and how the individual minds of Ron Hextall and Dave Hakstol operate?
- jmatchett383

Coaches don't call up players, GM's do. If they didn't think Martel was capable or couldn't help them, they wouldn't be calling him up. How come they haven't called up Lindblom? Everyone said he's NHL ready.

I can't read Hakstol's mind because my mind reading device cannot get past his helmet hair tbqh
- johndewar

You need to find another way inside Hakstol

Seriously though...how can you actually think Lehtera should be playing center over Giroux?

It is mind boggling to me how people are cool with this just because the top line is scoring. Do people not know the Flyers keep losing games?
- YuenglingJagr

I think it is time to seriously consider breaking up the top line. Reluctantly.

I have no problem with how Alt competed. He played to his ability, limited as it is.
- MJL

I agree. I like Alt as a 7 but I guess the problem is you can't have Alt and Manning in the lineup. Both are 6/7 types in my opinion

Coaches don't call up players, GM's do. If they didn't think Martel was capable or couldn't help them, they wouldn't be calling him up. How come they haven't called up Lindblom? Everyone said he's NHL ready.
- MJL

I ask myself that each time I watch them play

If I was Hextall I would not let the current state of the team change my process and philosophy on developing younger players. I would not bring up a young player based on what do we have to lose, you never know, or it can't be worse and place them on a team that is dysfunctional right now. That would be a mistake. If I thought a young player was NHL ready or real close, and that they might be able to help then I would do so.

If this team doesn't come out tonight with a burr under their saddles then there is a real problem.
- MJL

So only time we should bring up players is when we are doing well? So teams who struggle for a few years and get solid picks from the draft should only bring them up once the team is performing at a solid level of play? So then how do they get to the point of being solid and consistent in your eyes? keep signing free agents and trades until then?

I actually haven't minded Weise or what he usually brings. If I made the lineups he would usually be on the 4th line and could move up as needed due to injury. He can disappear and I wouldn't mind one bit...but I don't think he has been bad. He isn't going to help out our top 2 lines with how they are currently set up.
- YuenglingJagr

I like Weise's A game. It just rarely shows up.

I have no problem with how Alt competed. He played to his ability, limited as it is.
- MJL

I actually thought Alt did a nice job. He's a 6 or a 7 all day long but I thought he made a nice account of himself.

Seriously though...how can you actually think Lehtera should be playing center over Giroux?

It is mind boggling to me how people are cool with this just because the top line is scoring. Do people not know the Flyers keep losing games?
- YuenglingJagr

I was against G moving to LW in preseason, but I don't mind him staying there playing 16 ES minutes a game with Coots and Jake if Patrick can quickly become a solid 2C with Filppula as 3C.

I like Weise's A game. It just rarely shows up.
- MJL

2013 just called....they have the Weise A game your searching for.

I have no problem with how Alt competed. He played to his ability, limited as it is.
- MJL

agreed, he was not an issue at all. could easily see him as the 7th guy next year when manning moves on.

I was against G moving to LW in preseason, but I don't mind him staying there playing 16 ES minutes a game with Coots and Jake if Patrick can quickly become a solid 2C with Filppula as 3C.
- Feanor

Giroux is a better producer on the wing. I don't want him back at center.

Seriously though...how can you actually think Lehtera should be playing center over Giroux?

It is mind boggling to me how people are cool with this just because the top line is scoring. Do people not know the Flyers keep losing games?
- YuenglingJagr

I'm actually fine leaving Giroux at 1LW. I'd like to see Voracek play next to Patrick though.

Giroux is a better producer on the wing. I don't want him back at center.
- mickel25

The day after , arguably , the worst game I have watched in a few seasons.
The Flyers got destroyed on home ice after having lost 4 games in a row.
Their is no excuse for that at this point but the good thing is they are right back at it tonight.

Im still on board with the long term plan for this team but sometimes you just need to rip the band aid off and deal with the quick pain.

Glad to see Morin and Martel called up. Shows at least Hexy is trying to do something.

So only time we should bring up players is when we are doing well? So teams who struggle for a few years and get solid picks from the draft should only bring them up once the team is performing at a solid level of play? So then how do they get to the point of being solid and consistent in your eyes? keep signing free agents and trades until then?
- Buzzo

I think you have to be real careful with placing a young player into the NHL on a team that is struggling as badly as this team is. You can interrupt a young players momentum like that and set him back. I'd much rather bring up a young player onto a team where there is more support in play than currently. There's a difference between promoting a player temporarily to fill a hole versus a player who is ready to make the jump full time and has earned the promotion and is deemed NHL ready. Hextall obviously thinks Martel can handle it so we'll see.

You need to find another way inside Hakstol
- YuenglingJagr

You gotta pay the troll toll.

I'm actually fine leaving Giroux at 1LW. I'd like to see Voracek play next to Patrick though.
- JFlyers00

Eventually that seems like a good fit, but it's hard to put guys getting 16 ES minutes with guys getting 12-13.

You need to find another way inside Hakstol
- YuenglingJagr

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Blind passes. Passes through traffic (which are not passes, then, are they?). The passes that are right to a Flyer, who fumbles them away. The attempts to bull through carrying the puck the result in turnovers. (And let's face it, other than G, Ivan, and Jake, who is a puckhandler? Not Gost right now.)

There were an embarrassing number of situations last night when there were odd man rushes against. And no one who could close on the few odd man rushes we had. What ever happened to shooting the puck and hoping for a rebound for the trailer rather than wildly passing to the trailer and missing the mark?

It was the worst game from a watching perspective they've played at home this year. Just awful.

I was against G moving to LW in preseason, but I don't mind him staying there playing 16 ES minutes a game with Coots and Jake if Patrick can quickly become a solid 2C with Filppula as 3C.
- Feanor

well there, as I have said the entire time, is the problem

Eventually that seems like a good fit, but it's hard to put guys getting 16 ES minutes with guys getting 12-13.
- Feanor

and again...nothing is preventing Hakstol from double shifting someone to get that line back together if they need a goal or near the end of a power play

I think it is time to seriously consider breaking up the top line. Reluctantly.
- MJL

I am kind of there too.

One thing i am starting to notice is when Giroux and Voracek are together there seems to be a lack of shooting as both make that extra pass to often.

They're veterans...so there is nothing for them to learn in the press box...only young players can learn something by sitting
- YuenglingJagr

Unless your Vinny Lecavalier or Jody Shelley, those were good times