That between the legs pass was awesome. The konecny cross ice was not good but there are times during the year that it happens. I see it all over the league, the way out of your zone is up the middle, crap will happen at times. You’ve got to try things I think or else you’ll be the low to high flyers of last year, which is great for puck possession metrics but rarely lights the lamp.
- Just5

Agree, Patrick’s pass was fine in my opinion. Giroux also made a few awful/risky passes last night. One of them ended up being a goal, so whatever.

Ghost had a great season and I was thrilled to see it, but Provorov is, hands down, their best all around Dman. He brings just as much, if not more, offense at ES while providing better D zone play, being their #1 guy on PK and the guy who is always on the ice in crucial situations. He leads the team in TOI by far and also plays the hardest minutes of any player on the team other than Couturier.

I love Ghost, but the Ashbee should have gone to Provorov.
- BiggE

I saw it as like a recognition that he is having a pretty good year so we will give this guy a chance to win one (before going on to give Provorov 8 straight)

I was ok starting Elliott last night, I thought it was the right decision. I can see allowing a softie due to rust, but he gave up 3 goals last night that are routine saves. You have to go with a goaltender who can make a routine save. I'd go with Mrazek or Lyon and hope they bring their A game. Mrazek was great in a pretty big game against the Bruins. Amazing game 82 and they are the only team in the league who doesn't know who the goaltender is during the playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

If they had just taken care of business against the Isles, it wouldn't matter who started in goal, because last night they would have clinched.

Not to sound, well, like you, but it would be typical if the Flyers start Elliott on Saturday and lose in regulation and Florida wins out and the Flyers miss the playoffs.

Sadly, they should have clinched a week ago if they take care of business against some of the weaker opponents they tend to sleep through. i.e., Isle, Coyotes etc.

I can't see Lyon in there. Too much for a kid. That 3rd goal Elliot let in, anyone of us on here could have stopped. I don't even know if I trust Mrazek to play big.

Hate to be Hakstol.
- Pelle31Forever

Except Michael Leighton. That goal looked awfully similar.

I saw it as like a recognition that he is having a pretty good year so we will give this guy a chance to win one (before going on to give Provorov 8 straight)
- YuenglingJagr

I can live with that!

I was ok starting Elliott last night, I thought it was the right decision. I can see allowing a softie due to rust, but he gave up 3 goals last night that are routine saves. You have to go with a goaltender who can make a routine save. I'd go with Mrazek or Lyon and hope they bring their A game. Mrazek was great in a pretty big game against the Bruins. Amazing game 82 and they are the only team in the league who doesn't know who the goaltender is during the playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

You sound like the media with moronic comments like this. Its not like they have had a healthy tandem of tenders all season.

You sound like the media with moronic comments like this. Its not like they have had a healthy tandem of tenders all season.
- corduroy

Yeah it's moronic that a team that hasn't had stability in goal for 3 decades finds themselves in that situation again. Or is that just a false narrative?

it worked out ok against Buffalo, against Boston not so much. Those playoffs lead to Bobrovsky being traded.
- PLindbergh31

Lava trusted the age old axiom of you cant trust young players or goaltenders in the playoffs. You can never have to much experience

Yeah it's moronic that a team that hasn't had stability in goal for 3 decades finds themselves in that situation again. Or is that just a false narrative?
- PLindbergh31

The comment you made that they aren't settled in goal at game 82 is a false narrative. You know it I know it they know it. The last 3 decades have nothing to do with this season or your initial comment. If Elliot doesn't get hurt I am pretty sure that the goaltenders are settled going into game 82. Also no injury, no Mzarek.

Lava trusted the age old axiom of you cant trust young players or goaltenders in the playoffs. You can never have to much experience
- corduroy

Coaches don't trade players. GM's do.
Since he's moved on Laviolette has got another Cup Final, and now a President's Trophy. I'd say he's doing ok.

He isn't scoring 40 goals dude
- YuenglingJagr

One game left. Be an optimist.

One game left. Be an optimist.
- feelingkettle

The St. Louis vs. Colorado game tomorrow night is essentially a playoff game.
Does St. Louis need to win the game in regulation?

I'm all for creativity, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a Flyers team as careless/flippant with the puck as this one. So many errant/dangerous passes, turnovers at the bluelines, shooting high and wide on oddman rushes, misplaced rebounds by goalies... from vets down to first years, from stars down to scrubs, it's been rampant.

Everybody saw the pass that got Konecny benched last night. And that mega-gaffe by AMac. But that between the legs/back to play dish by Patrick, while pretty, was dangerous as F, too.

Maybe you can get away with that stuff earlier in the season, but other teams are tightening up and fine-tuning puck management at this time of year. While the Flyers are still busy trying to backhand flip their way to victory.
- Tomahawk

I agree with your basic premise with two exceptions. Konecny didn't get benched because of that turnover. Secondly, I can safely speculate that Hakstol has zero issue with the pass that Patrick made there. It was a beauty and a skill play to wide open player for a good scoring chance. Nothing dangerous at all about that play.

The comment you made that they aren't settled in goal at game 82 is a false narrative. You know it I know it they know it. The last 3 decades have nothing to do with this season or your initial comment. If Elliot doesn't get hurt I am pretty sure that the goaltenders are settled going into game 82. Also no injury, no Mzarek.
- corduroy

Agreed. Though you do have to question Hextall's re-signing of Neuvirth to a 2 year deal when you factor in his extensive injury history. I was ok with bringing him back, mainly because I thought the team was probably not making the playoffs anyway, but I would have much preferred a one year deal.

Even if Giroux doesn't get to 100 points, I could not be prouder of how he's come back this year.

I'm trying to remember a Philadelphia athlete everyone left for dead and came back to an elite level the way G has.

Maybe Joel Embiid? Many wrote him off and continue to write him off, but when he's on the court, he's dominant.
- johndewar

Hamels, maybe? He was never "elite", but the beginning and end of his career were way superior to the middle part of it.

How about Voracek?

Ghost had a great season and I was thrilled to see it, but Provorov is, hands down, their best all around Dman. He brings just as much, if not more, offense at ES while providing better D zone play, being their #1 guy on PK and the guy who is always on the ice in crucial situations. He leads the team in TOI by far and also plays the hardest minutes of any player on the team other than Couturier.

I love Ghost, but the Ashbee should have gone to Provorov.
- BiggE

I would've had no problem if the award was given to Provorov because of how important he has been to the team. While still playing well, Provorov has slipped some overall from last year. Not by a ton but he still has. Gostisbehere overall has had the better season in my opinion and deserved the award.

Lava trusted the age old axiom of you cant trust young players or goaltenders in the playoffs. You can never have to much experience
- corduroy

Umm, Lavi had his faults and his handling of the goalies here was certainly one of them. You're completely wrong in the bold though. We didn't have a lot of young players here during his time, but he handled G and JVR well IMO. He also had the stones to match Cooter as a rookie vs Malkin in the 2012 series and it paid dividends. I'm pretty confident we would never see that from Hak.

The St. Louis vs. Colorado game tomorrow night is essentially a playoff game.
Does St. Louis need to win the game in regulation?
- PLindbergh31

They hold the tiebreaker, I believe, so no. If they win today the Avs need to win in regulation. If they win in a Shootout the Avs need to win in Regulation/OT.

*I briefly looked at this so I reserve the right to be not completely correct

The comment you made that they aren't settled in goal at game 82 is a false narrative. You know it I know it they know it. The last 3 decades have nothing to do with this season or your initial comment. If Elliot doesn't get hurt I am pretty sure that the goaltenders are settled going into game 82. Also no injury, no Mzarek.
- corduroy

Pretty obvious.

Mrazek is pretty frustrating, right? Talent is there but when it's bad it's real bad.

The St. Louis vs. Colorado game tomorrow night is essentially a playoff game.
Does St. Louis need to win the game in regulation?
- PLindbergh31

All depends on what the Blues do tonight at Chicago. Those teams hate each other's guts so you can pretty much throw their records out the window. If the Blues lose in regulation tonight, they are really up against the wall and would need to beat Colorado in regulation to get in. No matter what happens tonight though, if the Avs beat the Blues Saturday in regulation, the Blues are out.

As much as we are pissed about the Isles game, imagine how Blues fans are feeling after losing back to back in regulation to the Yotes and Hawks, LOL

Umm, Lavi had his faults and his handling of the goalies here was certainly one of them. You're completely wrong in the bold though. We didn't have a lot of young players here during his time, but he handled G and JVR well IMO. He also had the stones to match Cooter as a rookie vs Malkin in the 2012 series and it paid dividends. I'm pretty confident we would never see that from Hak.
- JFlyers00

Really? Maybe this is just convenient, but which player has led the Flyers in total ice time by a county mile the last two seasons and how old is/was that player in those seasons?

They hold the tiebreaker, I believe, so no. If they win today the Avs need to win in regulation. If they win in a Shootout the Avs need to win in Regulation/OT.

*I briefly looked at this so I reserve the right to be not completely correct
- YuenglingJagr

I didn't realize the Blues had a game in hand. They are going to make it.

Hamels, maybe? He was never "elite", but the beginning and end of his career were way superior to the middle part of it.

How about Voracek?
- jmatchett383

Kelce is probably the most recent comparable. They're both centers too