I feel better than having MAB, Gus, and Lilja as the rotating 5th and 6th defensemen
- funmaster18

No doubt.

Ok, Dan-Aykroyd-as-Bob-Dole
- Flyskippy

interesting connection. not what i had in mind, but ok.

Not John but I am seriously looking forward to a big right handed shot on the point.
So sick of seeing the puck moved around the boards only to have the D man with no option but to flip a weak backhander into the corner.

Also he will improve the size in the back.

Downside, well speedy wingers will probably fly right past him.
- Marc D

I like that he is a big guy and good point about a Right-handed shot.

Atleast they have 1 right hander on the backend now.

The 2005-06 playoffs, where he had a .944 save % and 1.46 GAA was pedestrian? The next year when it was 2.25 and .922 was pedestrian?
- Jsaquella

I was looking at the 70 regular season games.

I like that he is a big guy and good point about a Right-handed shot.

Atleast they have 1 right hander on the backend now.
- ggunky

I think Homer is just looking for D-men who block enough shots so the goalies only face 15-20 a game.

They need to keep playing against tough opponents if they want to get better. Winnipeg has killed us this year, time to turn it around.
- funmaster18

It's a good challenge.
Also I do agree with you that it's a very good time for a road trip for the team.

All the games are meaningful now, teams trying to get in or stay in the playoffs.

Great time of year for hockey fans.

I really hope Lavi goes back to Bryz and he settles in now.
That is the best case scenario.[/img]

Anaheim wasn't a trapping, defense first system, and he played well there.
- Jsaquella

32 Year old Chris Pronger
33 Year old Scott Neidermeyer
26 year old Francois Beauchemin
35 year old Sean O'Donnell

2 Number 1, All-Star defensemen in front of him, in their prime didn't hurt I'm sure. Also, while they weren't a trapping team, I don't believe they were taking as many high-risk chances as the Flyers. Even if they were, they had 2 of the best erasers in the game to erase mistakes.

No doubt.


- ggunky

Seconded

I like that he is a big guy and good point about a Right-handed shot.

Atleast they have 1 right hander on the backend now.
- ggunky

I'm just ready top see somebody different taking a shot from the point on the powerplay.

interesting connection. not what i had in mind, but ok.
- hammarby31

Even I cannot predict my brain.

Change of subject a bit, but I'm thinking Grossman and Gusty might make a pretty fine D pairing next season.
Let Gusty develop his offensive side too.

32 Year old Chris Pronger
33 Year old Scott Neidermeyer
26 year old Francois Beauchemin
35 year old Sean O'Donnell

2 Number 1, All-Star defensemen in front of him, in their prime didn't hurt I'm sure. Also, while they weren't a trapping team, I don't believe they were taking as many high-risk chances as the Flyers. Even if they were, they had 2 of the best erasers in the game to erase mistakes.
- Flyers_01

Having a healthy Pronger & Niedermeyer both made that a great D!!

I'm just ready top see somebody different taking a shot from the point on the powerplay.
- BulliesPhan87

Thank "Coby" hitting the safety net?

I'm just ready top see somebody different taking a shot from the point on the powerplay.
- BulliesPhan87

agrEEd.

It has been ugly lately.

The best part is when they get the shots through, on the power play, they Flyers tend to score. Wayne and Scott making a mess of things out in front and cleaning up the garbage!

I'm just ready top see somebody different taking a shot from the point on the powerplay.
- BulliesPhan87

Seriously.
Lavi has been using a forward there for lack of viable options.
Also he had Carle with Bourdon for a bit on the 2nd PP unit.

why do people here insist on making the straw man argument that fans are saying its all the goalies fault? you're arguing in fantasy land. what most are saying is that the majority of the issue with the team is the goaltending. how that is apportioned is a matter of opinion...informed or otherwise.

of course it's a team game, but a bad goal by the goalie is going to stand out like a blown save by a closer or the unforced interception by a QB...the spotlight is inherent because of the position of the player. they all have the subsequent deflating effects on their respective teams and repeated incidents of a similar nature create a syndrome that effects a team as long as it keeps reoccurring. these are tough positions, but that's why they make the big bucks and they ALL know this when they sign these contracts...it comes with the territory.

bottom line, bryz has to break thru and I'm rooting for him. if you're one of those rooting against him, I'm with jsaq, at least in this respect - you are an idiot. i always root for my team.

Seriously.
Lavi has been using a forward there for lack of viable options.
Also he had Carle with Bourdon for a bit on the 2nd PP unit.
- Marc D

amen

It's a good challenge.
Also I do agree with you that it's a very good time for a road trip for the team.

All the games are meaningful now, teams trying to get in or stay in the playoffs.

Great time of year for hockey fans.

I really hope Lavi goes back to Bryz and he settles in now.
That is the best case scenario.
- Marc D[/img]

Agreed

This is such bull. What research didn't they do?

Do you miss Boosh's soft goals? He wasn't Patrick Seravalling Roy.
- Flyskippy

There was a lot of bad mouthing from his former teamates. He's an odd guy and has been accused of folding under pressure in the past. I'm just saying that maybe the Flyers were just as guilty as Bryz in overlooking signs that he wouldn't be the best fit in this town.

I never said Boosh was a good goalie. I just like the guy. He wasn't a goofball or sideshow. He took things seriously. He was competitive and didn't make excuses. He wasn't a drama queen. He had some fight in him. I'm glad to see Bryz stand up for himself a little bit. I'd rather he wasn't so melodramatic about it tho. Just tell the media to F themselves, like Pronger does (did). Have some balls. He needs to realize he's an elite goalie worth what he's being paid. If he can't believe that how am I, as a fan, supposed to believe it? He needs to be the tiger!

I know everyone hates WIP, but Morganti brought up a good example this morning. He pointed out how rough the fans treated Chris Therien, when he was a player, and that Therien couldn't have cared less about it. He went out there and played his game and didn't let it bother him. He knew he was a good player and so did the team.

I think that Bryzgalov has had difficulty separating a host of peripheral issues from his own performance on the ice this season.

Apart from mechanics, goaltending is very much psychological, and a successful goalie needs a) to filter the "noise" out of his head (which is much easier to do in lower-pressure markets) and b) have a very short memory when it comes to dwelling on the last game or the last shot.

Right now, Bryz has no confidence, nor does the team have confidence in him. I don't care about the quotes that get uttered. You can see it in the body language.

Change of subject a bit, but I'm thinking Grossman and Gusty might make a pretty fine D pairing next season.
Let Gusty develop his offensive side too.
- Marc D

Grossman impressed me the other night. He reminds me of a much bigger and stronger Lasse Kukonen

Having a 3rd pair of him and Gusty for a few years would be very nice. Gusty looks like he will eventually be a solid puck moving 3rd pair guy.

I think that Bryzgalov has had difficulty separating a host of peripheral issues from his own performance on the ice this season.

Apart from mechanics, goaltending is very much psychological, and a successful goalie needs a) to filter the "noise" out of his head (which is much easier to do in lower-pressure markets) and b) have a very short memory when it comes to dwelling on the last game or the last shot.

Right now, Bryz has no confidence, nor does the team have confidence in him. I don't care about the quotes that get uttered. You can see it in the body language.
- bmeltzer

His body language looked bad on the 3 goals against as well (saturday), the pressure of a big hockey market & a team that's expected to go further than Phoenix is what makes you wonder if he can adjust mentally, and psychologically. Something that statistics do not show for sure.

People who rely on scapegoats and brutally boo a guy, no matter what he does, are idiots.

Guy gets a shutout, loses in the shootout and gets booed. The people who booed him are idiots. Philly fans who take pride in booing a guy because he hasn't yet lived up to their expectations are idiots. People who rely on WIP and the Flyers beat writers to form their opinions are idiots.

Here's my question, does booing help? No. It further sends the player a message that no matter what he does, he's not going to be appreciated. I've ripped the national media for years about their attacks on Philadelphia fans. But they were not all wrong.

I'm not saying Bryzgalov has played well. In fact very few people would say they have been happy with his play. Guess what, he's the first one to tell you he has to be better. It's not as if he's made excuses all year. The guy gets blamed for every goal like it's a slow roller through his 5 hole, and it's ridiculous.
- Jsaquella

Disagree with your idiot characterization. I was never one to boo the home team but a paying customer is certainly entitled to boo without being considered an idiot. One can make a better argument that once you pay $100 for a ticket and $9.00 dollars for crab fries the idiot ship has already sailed whether you boo or not. I have no ax to gind with Bryz. I wasn't "jealous" over the contract; I was glad he signed because I thought he was the answer. What concerns me about Bryz is his apparent emotional immaturity. While his candor was originally refreshing, especially after watching semi-catatonic interviews from the likes Richards and Carter over the years, he's almost scary to listen to. Now he considers himself the scapegoat? Does the booing help? No. But he really needs to tune it out because the booing is the least of this problems. He needs to get his game back. Making some solid American League saves will go a long way to hushing the boos and if he ever starts to play like the elite goalie he's getting paid to be he'll be loved.

I think that Bryzgalov has had difficulty separating a host of peripheral issues from his own performance on the ice this season.

Apart from mechanics, goaltending is very much psychological, and a successful goalie needs a) to filter the "noise" out of his head (which is much easier to do in lower-pressure markets) and b) have a very short memory when it comes to dwelling on the last game or the last shot.

Right now, Bryz has no confidence, nor does the team have confidence in him. I don't care about the quotes that get uttered. You can see it in the body language.
- bmeltzer

So what should the Flyers do? Not play him? Play Bob? Does the team have any confidence in Bob? I don't.

FWIW, here's the full quote. Only Adam Kimelman of nhl.com bothered to publish the entire quote

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=617679

"It's an easy life when you can blame one guy," Bryzgalov said. "It's a bad goalie, the goalie's mistake. It's easy to find scapegoat when you point to one guy and say we always losing because we have a bad goalie. But I think it's the wrong philosophy. … I was frustrated with my game today. I know I've got to be better. I will continue to work on this … I'll try to find peace in my soul to play in this city."

He's obviously frustrated. He wants to be playing better, and I think he wants to stay. But being ridden by the media and the idiots in the fanbase is taking it's toll.
- Jsaquella

Bryz needs to just play hockey and not worry about the fanbase and media. When you start letting in basic shots that should be automatic then I start to have a problem. There are plenty of times this year where the defense (forwards included) have left him out to dry and those ones are excuseable. The three goals from the other day against Pittsburgh were flat out terrible and for that he should be looked at. None of those goals should have been scored. I still have confidence that he can be a good goalie and help this team. Im not asking him to steal games anymore but to make the basic saves and keep your team in the game. Just play hockey Bryz and relax.