Was just an example saying that two guys (whoever it may be) gets comfortable with only playing with 1 other guy. We say it when Z went down Martin was horrible because he wasn't use to playing with someone else.
- kgrpitt

I understand. The guy who should have been effected the most, Carle, has been quietly putting up an excellent season. But the point is taken about how all of the other player have to slide up a notch on the depth chart, and are not quite ready for the added responsibility.

So there are no other factors?

Like the fact that for some reason G cant hit an open net. Schenn double clutching with an open net. Flyers forgetting they have to play defense. He did let in bad goals. I cant defend that, and I wouldnt anyway. But I have had enough of this team defense the team pretends to play.
- jak521

Simple question, was Bryz brought in to play like Boosh or to be the answer for the issues Boosh and the guys before him struggled from?

I want Bryz to make the stops he is suppose to make.

I hear you about all of the other things, defensive breakdowns, missed open nets, but Bryz was brought in for the lone purpose of solidifying the goalie position.

He isn't doing it.

Ok but here's the problem with that. He's never A shown he can save a team that is completely and utterly irresponsible in front of him and B he's been known to lay a stinker of a game every now and then i.e his consistency was an issue before he got here. With that said he's been stellar in wins and subpar in losses. Even in most losses he's been good enough for them to have a shot hence not all his wins are 2 goals or less. However this team would not be where it was if he is that bad I'm sorry they aren't good enough to overcome terrible goaltending.
- JoeRussomanno

2 soft goals against.

I hear you about everything else, but 2 soft goals against.

He was brought in to stop the soft goals issue.

I would much rather see them with legit 5-6 dmen.

Gussy and Bourdon are not even close to cutting it.

This to me is a no brainer.

Carle-Meszy
Timonen-Coburn
Gill- another cheaper Vet

is WORLDS better than

Carle-Bourdon
Timonen- Coby
Meszy- Gussy

(while mixing and matching the d-pairings through out the game to cover up the weaknesses)
- jak521

To be honest I don't like any of those pairings against a teams top forward line. They need a legit number one. I'll agree with you tho that a vet like Gill would be a big help too. The D needs a major re-tooling in my mind. They have one top line guy, 3 guys that can play 3-4 and two guys that shouldn't even really be 5-6 just yet.

Simple question, was Bryz brought in to play like Boosh or to be the answer for the issues Boosh and the guys before him struggled from?

I want Bryz to make the stops he is suppose to make.

I hear you about all of the other things, defensive breakdowns, missed open nets, but Bryz was brought in for the lone purpose of solidifying the goalie position.

He isn't doing it.
- ggunky

No he isn't. But he isn't playing in a vacuum. And this team is markedly worse defensively than they were last season. And still right in the thick of things despite it.

The backbreaking goals need to stop.

A fair point that even I overlook sometimes because of how well the rookies have played as a group. I sometimes forget they are rookies.

And that goes to the point that maybe they need to stand pat and let these kids grow as a team. They have been pretty successful this year from a record and standing perspective. Imagine how good they can be when they get the experience and mature (physically and mentally) as a group.

You have assuaged some of my apprehension by reminding me I have to remember there are 8 rookies getting major chunks of ice time every night for this team.

Thank you sir!
- MBFlyerfan

I'm with you. Keep the kids, keep the picks, and continue the building process. There isn't a player out there that can be acquired that will put this group over the top this year. Overpaying for a player who won't be a difference maker would be short sighted. Stay the course.

To be honest I don't like any of those pairings against a teams top forward line. They need a legit number one. I'll agree with you tho that a vet like Gill would be a big help too. The D needs a major re-tooling in my mind. They have one top line guy, 3 guys that can play 3-4 and two guys that shouldn't even really be 5-6 just yet.
- hereticpride

And this is why they should stand pat and let them grow.

Del Zotto, McDonagh, Staal and Girardi are all very good defensemen, you could throw in Sauer too but he is currently still out due to a concussion.

Yes Lundqvvist makes a lot of things easier for any team's defense but you can't discredit the Rangers blueline completely. It is a very underrated defense if you ask me.
- MidnightMarauder

Timonen, Coburn, Carle and Meszaros are all good defensemen, too, or at least have all shown at times that they can be. A lot of the things that get blamed on "the defense" are really team defense issues where forwards have to do a much better job assisting with puck support, getting the puck out of the D-zone, etc.

That's why even adding Shea Weber would not magically improve the Flyers as a defensive team. I think the Flyers forward corps, on the whole, is below-average defensively. That doesn't excuse the six defensemen, either, but this team has not had a true defensive shutdown forward line since the days of Joel Otto and Shjon Podein anchoring the third line.

2 soft goals against.

I hear you about everything else, but 2 soft goals against.

He was brought in to stop the soft goals issue.
- ggunky

I think one of those soft goals really came from him being uncomfortable with the team in front of him. The one right before the end of the second. He tried to stop that cross ice pass which has been a killer all season. To me that was more of a misread than a inability to stop the puck. By the time the other goals were scored this game was over. Furthermore, what was the problem saturday? 11 goals scored in two days and I hear people female doging too much about those two goals. IF it was just soft goals then the Flyers come away with three points this weekend.

Simple question, was Bryz brought in to play like Boosh or to be the answer for the issues Boosh and the guys before him struggled from?

I want Bryz to make the stops he is suppose to make.

I hear you about all of the other things, defensive breakdowns, missed open nets, but Bryz was brought in for the lone purpose of solidifying the goalie position.

He isn't doing it.
- ggunky

He hasnt been a top end goalie overall this season, and I have (IMO) been a fair critic. When he plays well I will say it. Same with when he plays bad.

With that being said, yesterday for the first 38 minutes... he was the ONLY reason the Flyers were still in that game. They lost just about every god damn board battle. They couldnt back check to save their lives. They had 15 shots through 2 periods (thanks in part to 10 in the 2nd) where as the Rags had 28.

I think it was a team wide collapse. They Flyers didnt deserve to win that game... and even if they had Lundqvist in net for them, they shouldnt have deserved to win.. and still probably wouldnt have won.

At the end of the day Bryz is being paid to play like the best goalie in the world.. but thats not his fault. The org gave him the money. I would love to see him step his game up (and prior to the final 5 seconds of the 2nd) he had been over his past 6 game or so.

This weekend the team looked like poop. Plain and simple.

And this is why they should stand pat and let them grow.
- MBFlyerfan

Well I'm not saying cut them loose or trade them or anything. Look, Pronger has likely reached the end of the road. Kimmo has one more year on his deal. No one we have is projected as ever being a 1-2 guy. This angle that we don't need to target the best of the best in these next two offseasons is absurd. Even if we draft a D guy first round this year(which we should) he's not going to be playing 1-2 NHL hockey in the next two years. The D needs a major, major overhaul. Gus and MAB getting more chances isn't going to change that.

And this is why they should stand pat and let them grow.
- MBFlyerfan

Sorry.. as surprising as Bourdon has been.. I dont think he is a true career top 6 d-man.

i havent seen enough of Gussy..


If we had true defensive prospects I would agree.. but I dont think we do.

He hasnt been a top end goalie overall this season, and I have (IMO) been a fair critic. When he plays well I will say it. Same with when he plays bad.

With that being said, yesterday for the first 38 minutes... he was the ONLY reason the Flyers were still in that game. They lost just about every god damn board battle. They couldnt back check to save their lives. They had 15 shots through 2 periods (thanks in part to 10 in the 2nd) where as the Rags had 28.

I think it was a team wide collapse. They Flyers didnt deserve to win that game... and even if they had Lundqvist in net for them, they shouldnt have deserved to win.. and still probably wouldnt have won.

At the end of the day Bryz is being paid to play like the best goalie in the world.. but thats not his fault. The org gave him the money. I would love to see him step his game up (and prior to the final 5 seconds of the 2nd) he had been over his past 6 game or so.

This weekend the team looked like poop. Plain and simple.
- jak521

Well said.

I think one of those soft goals really came from him being uncomfortable with the team in front of him. The one right before the end of the second. He tried to stop that cross ice pass which has been a killer all season. To me that was more of a misread than a inability to stop the puck. By the time the other goals were scored this game was over. Furthermore, what was the problem saturday? 11 goals scored in two days and I hear people female doging too much about those two goals. IF it was just soft goals then the Flyers come away with three points this weekend.
- JoeRussomanno

Hell if it was only soft goals, and the Flyers were able to bury open netters we would have walked away with 4 points.

Sorry.. as surprising as Bourdon has been.. I dont think he is a true career top 6 d-man.

i havent seen enough of Gussy..


If we had true defensive prospects I would agree.. but I dont think we do.
- jak521

But does that mean we completely retool the thing as he suggested?

Well said.
- MBFlyerfan

It is so (frank)ing frustrating.

Sorry.. as surprising as Bourdon has been.. I dont think he is a true career top 6 d-man.

i havent seen enough of Gussy..


If we had true defensive prospects I would agree.. but I dont think we do.
- jak521

He might not be. But what does replacing him with a marginal guy who might require and overpayment do, other than remove future assets? Adding someone like Gill, or Souray, or Allen, isn't going to change what the Flyers do in the playoffs.

Hell if it was only soft goals, and the Flyers were able to bury open netters we would have walked away with 4 points.
- jak521

Sooner or later the goalie's finger in the dyke won't stop the flood. I don't get why people can't understand that.

It is so (frank)ing frustrating.
- jak521

Just like the giants winning the superbowl....LOL at EAGLES..

But does that mean we completely retool the thing as he suggested?
- MBFlyerfan

Hell no. I think if we can land a Gill for a reasonable price.. we do so.

Other than that.. I would suggest possibly moving up in the draft to get a d-man (its gonna be a hell of a year for them).. and I would try to pick a d-man who has the physical tools. Yesterday I watched Gaborik and Anismov skate around the boards in the offensive zone with out being touched.. Steppan (I think) had a chance 12 minutes into the 1st where he skated down the right side and Carle had a golden chance to take the body and end the play.. instead he tried to contain him, lost body position and Bryz had to make a goal mouth save.

That poop is INFURIATING to me.

Stay pat unless the deal is right.

Until that 2nd goal went in I was thrilled with the play of Bryz, I thought he had actually finally turned the corner, hopefully he has/will this week.

The biggest thing I took from this weekend is a 3rd pairing dman or whatever they may trade for wouldn't have made one difference in either outcome. The Flyers lost from horrible efforts, subpar goaltending, dreadful turnovers and so on.

I hope management doesn't think trading some really good young forwards (JVR,Schenn,Cooter) for a potential bump on defense is going to fix things because it won't.

This is for the most part a very young team still finding the way and figuring things out. I hope they get the time to do just that.

Still lots of hockey to be played.

Simple question, was Bryz brought in to play like Boosh or to be the answer for the issues Boosh and the guys before him struggled from?

I want Bryz to make the stops he is suppose to make.

I hear you about all of the other things, defensive breakdowns, missed open nets, but Bryz was brought in for the lone purpose of solidifying the goalie position.

He isn't doing it.
- ggunky

He's not boucher. If he was we don't get a point in a game like the last one against Boston.

He hasnt been a top end goalie overall this season, and I have (IMO) been a fair critic. When he plays well I will say it. Same with when he plays bad.

With that being said, yesterday for the first 38 minutes... he was the ONLY reason the Flyers were still in that game. They lost just about every god damn board battle. They couldnt back check to save their lives. They had 15 shots through 2 periods (thanks in part to 10 in the 2nd) where as the Rags had 28.

I think it was a team wide collapse. They Flyers didnt deserve to win that game... and even if they had Lundqvist in net for them, they shouldnt have deserved to win.. and still probably wouldnt have won.

At the end of the day Bryz is being paid to play like the best goalie in the world.. but thats not his fault. The org gave him the money. I would love to see him step his game up (and prior to the final 5 seconds of the 2nd) he had been over his past 6 game or so.

This weekend the team looked like poop. Plain and simple.
- jak521

I echo this

He might not be. But what does replacing him with a marginal guy who might require and overpayment do, other than remove future assets? Adding someone like Gill, or Souray, or Allen, isn't going to change what the Flyers do in the playoffs.
- PLindbergh31

ill tell you right now that all 3 of those players are a HUGE improvement on Bourdon. My opinion of course, but I am not enamored by MAB at all.

Just like the giants winning the superbowl....LOL at EAGLES..
- Philly1980

Apparently the NFL is the WWE and is fixed according to yesterdays thread.