Yea, Hakstol seems very worried about the PR nightmare. That really seems to come into his decision making when he has benched Gostisbehere or Konecny. You make the foolish comment of so don't act like there's not a double standard when I've repeatedly said that veterans are treated differently than young player are. It's always been that way. Fair or unfair.
- MJL

Yes, I think healthy scratching the #2 pick 17 games into his NHL career for one or two mistakes during a team wide failure of a 10 game losing streak would be a PR nightmare, and it also makes no sense. It's not like he hasn't generally played extra safe. He's not freewheeling out there. TK and Ghost are creative and disruptive and small and unreliable!

And when Hakstol scratched the other two they were still holding the wild card spot. When you're one of the worst teams in the league, it's a much more dangerous proposition to start scapegoating your star prospect 3C playing only 10 minutes. And Hakstol's leash is getting shorter than it was last year. I'd say give it another 30 games and maybe Patrick can have his "Super Informative Learned So Much Thank You May I Have Another Healthy Scratch," but Hakstol probably won't be around.

If you're up 2 goals in the 3rd, you aren't sending 2 men deep on the forecheck and if you're down 2, you aren't playing the trap. I think the word system is really just a fancy term for the way a coach wants his team to play. Staffs usually have a bag of tricks that work for them. They'll make game to game adjustments and game plan for specific players. The Flyers certainly were doing that in the home opener vs the Caps. They had a guy follow OV to the locker room.
- fls13

LOL, exactly. The game really isn't that complicated.

Yes, I think healthy scratching the #2 pick 17 games into his NHL career for one or two mistakes during a team wide failure of a 10 game losing streak would be a PR nightmare, and it also makes no sense. It's not like he hasn't generally played extra safe. He's not freewheeling out there. TK and Ghost are creative and disruptive and small and unreliable!

And when Hakstol scratched the other two they were still holding the wild card spot. When you're one of the worst teams in the league, it's a much more dangerous proposition to start scapegoating your star prospect 3C playing only 10 minutes. He did bench him for it. I'd say give it another 30 games and maybe Patrick can have his "Super Informative Learned So Much Thank You May I Have Another Healthy Scratch," but Hakstol probably won't be around.
- Mononoke

Hakstol wouldn't care about the PR nightmare and neither would the GM in my opinion. Players a lot better than Patrick have been scratched. Top young players have been scratched throughout NHL history. It's absurd to even bring up the PR aspect.
I fully support the coaching tool of limiting ice time by either an in game benching or by a healthy scratch if the coaching staff determines it is warranted. It's amazing how bent out of shape some fans get when that happens.

Exactly which is why systems are really overblown by a lot of fans. There's a lot of mixing and matching that goes on but it's all stuff that has been passed down from coach to coach throughout the years. It's like Hextall said when he was asked, all systems work. It's just a question of who can dictate. We saw it in the Sharks game. Once they got the lead, they sat back, choked up the neutral zone, and forced the Flyers to slog through without any speed and dump it in. They made the retrievals and easy breakouts because the Flyers had no speed to get in on the forecheck. They had the size advantage to control the puck battles when there was some. Vlasic was dominant.
- MJL

Well, DeBoer is a good NHL coach.

Do you think Hextall could demote Hak to assistant coach? That way Hextall can bring in a new coach and still save face on his varsity project. Hak works on the kids while a new coach rights the ship. Feel free to destroy this

https://twitter.com/broad...status/937854215631921153

edit: hak will be coach

Do you think Hextall could demote Hak to assistant coach? That way Hextall can bring in a new coach and still save face on his varsity project. Hak works on the kids while a new coach rights the ship. Feel free to destroy this
- SimmerDown17

Probably not likely because I can't think of a single instance where this has ever happened in pro sports.

https://twitter.com/broadstbull/status/937854215631921153
- feelingkettle

Fascinating.

https://twitter.com/broadstbull/status/937854215631921153

edit: hak will be coach
- feelingkettle

https://twitter.com/broadstbull/status/937854215631921153
- feelingkettle

Hextall putting all his eggs in Hak's basket might just seal his fate too. Everyone needs to be able to be held accountable right now.

Hextall putting all his eggs in Hak's basket might just seal his fate too. Everyone needs to be able to be held accountable right now.
- hereticpride

Who is sealing Hexy's fate? I mean, I do understand Hextall not being reactionary here. I'm not crazy about Hak's roster moves, but I'm also not crazy about the roster. I think as far as development goes, if Hak starts negatively impacting people's development, he'll be gone. Entertainment wise, as in now, it sucks.

Who is sealing Hexy's fate? I mean, I do understand Hextall not being reactionary here. I'm not crazy about Hak's roster moves, but I'm also not crazy about the roster. I think as far as development goes, if Hak starts negatively impacting people's development, he'll be gone. Entertainment wise, as in now, it sucks.
- feelingkettle

28 wins in their last 76 games. The gm saying Hak is here for the year and beyond is downright troubling.

28 wins in their last 76 games. The gm saying Hak is here for the year and beyond is downright troubling.
- hereticpride

Yeah, I know they suck. The future may not be for another couple of years in Hexy's mind.

Probably not likely because I can't think of a single instance where this has ever happened in pro sports.
- hereticpride

Wayne Cashman

Probably not likely because I can't think of a single instance where this has ever happened in pro sports.
- hereticpride

Sarcasm?

Wayne Cashman?

28 wins in their last 76 games. The gm saying Hak is here for the year and beyond is downright troubling.
- hereticpride

Many coaches have been given a vote of confidence only to be fired a short time later.

Sarcasm?

Wayne Cashman?
- MBFlyerfan

My bad. Sort of before my time. I was 10 that season.

Biggest game of the season
- YuenglingJagr

okay

Many coaches have been given a vote of confidence only to be fired a short time later.
- MJL

True. Seems like a fairly cut and dry quote from Hexy though. He's set himself up to take on some extra heat if he turns around and cans him before the season ends.

True. Seems like a fairly cut and dry quote from Hexy though. He's set himself up to take on some extra heat if he turns around and cans him before the season ends.
- hereticpride

Even when I have disagreed with him, I felt like I could mostly understand what Hextall was doing as GM. Furiously defending the coach of a team that has come out totally flat multiple times while racking up a 10 game losing streak, and talking about him coaching the team next year is incomprehensible.

True. Seems like a fairly cut and dry quote from Hexy though. He's set himself up to take on some extra heat if he turns around and cans him before the season ends.
- hereticpride

I don't think Hextall cares about that.

Even when I have disagreed with him, I felt like I could mostly understand what Hextall was doing as GM. Furiously defending the coach of a team that has come out flat totally flat multiple times while racking up a 10 game losing streak, and talking about him coaching the team next year is incomprehensible.
- Feanor

Same for me. I've been on board with nearly everything Hextall has done.

This, if taken at face value, is however deeply concerning. Like I said prior, 28 wins in their last 76 games. No one should be safe.

Even when I have disagreed with him, I felt like I could mostly understand what Hextall was doing as GM. Furiously defending the coach of a team that has come out flat totally flat multiple times while racking up a 10 game losing streak, and talking about him coaching the team next year is incomprehensible.
- Feanor

Hextall talked about how even with all the frustration the players were sticking together and weren't turning on each other. Hextall has decided along with the players to circle the wagons and to try and get out of it together as a team. To call out the coach and give the players permission to blame the coach would've been the wrong approach. There would've been zero benefit to not defending the coach. If he was going to do that he might as well fire him.

True. Seems like a fairly cut and dry quote from Hexy though. He's set himself up to take on some extra heat if he turns around and cans him before the season ends.
- hereticpride

To put together losing streaks like Hakstol has in each of his 3 years here takes some doing.

2015-16 2-7-4
2016-17 3-9-3
2017-18 3-8-7

Ryan Shazier from the Steelers carted off field not moving legs after tackling player with his head down. Scary.