I actually thought it was going to be Torts, until the all star break when NY started going all NY. Trotz too, this guy needs to get his due one of these days.
- canadianpenfan

Trotz went from doing great with no names and always being the Mark Howe or Brad Park of the Adams to being a guy that should win because he has Weber and Suter and Rinne...

I've been critical of Laviolette this year, but his team has 92 points without Pronger, having a slew of key injuries and having the big name goalie struggle for most of the first half. Lot of coaches have done a great job this year

If they get this kind of goaltending, they can compete with anyone.
- PLindbergh31

As long as he gets the support from his team that he's been getting Bryz should play like this into june. That or we run into a wwall against the Pens. I think in a series the Flyers can beat the Rags or Bruins.

Well off to family function catch you guys tomorrow.

Especially concussions, it's been an unreal couple of years.
- canadianpenfan

You have to respect the tenacity Sid has shown the last two years. He certainly isn't playing a perimeter game.

Especially concussions, it's been an unreal couple of years.
- canadianpenfan

It is...combined, it's something like 14 or 15 concussions for the Pens and Flyers

Yep. I much preferred it when he was slugging along with his 8 something save %. I have become more worried over the last couple of weeks. I'm still hopeful that the Pens can just find enough weaknesses to exploit over the course of a series.
- canadianpenfan

I'm 99% certain that the Penguins are going to get the # 1 seed, so they won't face each other in the first round if at all.

There's a lot of great candidates for the Adams, but what Hitchcock has done is remarkable. If not for him there'd be a great three or four horse race between Paul MacLean, Bylsma and Glen Gulutzan of Dallas
- Jsaquella

Don't forget Kevin Dineen

As long as he gets the support from his team that he's been getting Bryz should play like this into june. That or we run into a wwall against the Pens. I think in a series the Flyers can beat the Rags or Bruins.

Well off to family function catch you guys tomorrow.
- JoeRussomanno

See ya Joe. I'm off to go hobble around.

It is...combined, it's something like 14 or 15 concussions for the Pens and Flyers
- Jsaquella

They could make an all-star team with the players that have had concussions between the two teams.

You have to respect the tenacity Sid has shown the last two years. He certainly isn't playing a perimeter game.
- ravishingone

I respect everything about Crosby. The guy is a hockey machine. The thing that drove me nuts when comparing Carter and Richards to him was seeing Crosby go out and work his ass off to fix his weaknesses. He was considered to be an average face-off guy at best, comes back the next year and he's a bear at the dot.

Gets criticized for not shoot enough, goes out and scores 50 goals. One of the things that makes me appreciate Giroux is that he does similar things. His faceoff work has markedly improved from the begining of the year and he's learning to be a little more selfish and shoot more.

They could make an all-star team with the players that have had concussions between the two teams.
- acdc1206

No question:

Crosby, Giroux, Pronger, Letang...and Bryzgalov sometimes talks like he has brain damage

You have to respect the tenacity Sid has shown the last two years. He certainly isn't playing a perimeter game.
- ravishingone

I'm not going to get into it in a Flyers thread but the reaction from a large amount of the hockey community amazes me. How any true fan of the game could wish Crosby get concussed for good boggles my mind. If Crosby was a Flyer I wouldn't want to see him forced to retire. I hated Gretzky but I loved to watch him play. I hate the Flyers but Giroux is my favorite hockey player outside my team. I just hope Crosby figures it out so Canada can start Giroux-Crosby-Stamkos in 2 years.

No question:

Crosby, Giroux, Pronger, Letang...and Bryzgalov sometimes talks like he has brain damage
- Jsaquella

As long as he stops the puck like he did today it's funny.

Don't forget Kevin Dineen
- ClutchFlyer

Dineen has done a good job, but I think that he's a shade behind the other 3 I mentioned. I personally thought that Ottawa was a lottery team, and that Dallas would be lucky to finish in the top 12 in the west.

And the turnaround under MacLean, from when the Flyers destroyed them 9-2 early in the season, has been amazing.

But Hitch has the award locked up. Comes in cold, no camp and he's got a 100 point team.

C'mon Jsaq I'm trying to get positive with him Now you nudged me back into debby downer mode with Briere
- JoeRussomanno

I agree, he is a liability most of his shifts. i would play him centering the 3rd or 4th line and give him PP time.

I respect everything about Crosby. The guy is a hockey machine. The thing that drove me nuts when comparing Carter and Richards to him was seeing Crosby go out and work his ass off to fix his weaknesses. He was considered to be an average face-off guy at best, comes back the next year and he's a bear at the dot.

Gets criticized for not shoot enough, goes out and scores 50 goals. One of the things that makes me appreciate Giroux is that he does similar things. His faceoff work has markedly improved from the begining of the year and he's learning to be a little more selfish and shoot more.
- Jsaquella

Very well said, I'm hoping Pronger can find his way back on the ice also (not hopeful). I hate to see players cut down by head injuries.

I'm 99% certain that the Penguins are going to get the # 1 seed, so they won't face each other in the first round if at all.
- PLindbergh31

I think it will be Pitt #1 and Philly #4, I would expect a match up in the ECF if at all.

I respect everything about Crosby. The guy is a hockey machine. The thing that drove me nuts when comparing Carter and Richards to him was seeing Crosby go out and work his ass off to fix his weaknesses. He was considered to be an average face-off guy at best, comes back the next year and he's a bear at the dot.

Gets criticized for not shoot enough, goes out and scores 50 goals. One of the things that makes me appreciate Giroux is that he does similar things. His faceoff work has markedly improved from the begining of the year and he's learning to be a little more selfish and shoot more.
- Jsaquella

Yeah, and he stopped the whining/blubbering to the refs after every play. I give the guy enormous credit.

Very well said, I'm hoping Pronger can find his way back on the ice also (not hopeful). I hate to see players cut down by head injuries.
- ravishingone

By the sounds of it I just hope Pronger gets back to living a normal life. Scary stuff.

Trotz went from doing great with no names and always being the Mark Howe or Brad Park of the Adams to being a guy that should win because he has Weber and Suter and Rinne...

I've been critical of Laviolette this year, but his team has 92 points without Pronger, having a slew of key injuries and having the big name goalie struggle for most of the first half. Lot of coaches have done a great job this year
- Jsaquella

homer deserves some credit as well. he acquired replacements for Pronger at a critical juncture and so far it has payed dividends. Ohhh, and the Carter/Richards trades have set us up for a couple of years as an aside.

As long as he stops the puck like he did today it's funny.
- canadianpenfan

He always cracked me up. I realized that he was as much a goofball when he was winning as when he struggled.

I think the key thing for him was meeting with the team leaders and realizing that he just needed to trust them and play his game. So often, during his rough times, he'd get caught cheating, expecting a bad defensive play or bad deflection and getting burned because of it.

Now he seems to be worrying about what he can control and making sure his fundamentals are good, and that if he gets beat, the team will have his back.

Very well said, I'm hoping Pronger can find his way back on the ice also (not hopeful). I hate to see players cut down by head injuries.
- ravishingone

At this point, I just hope he can have a normal life and have time with his family. A return seems like a longshot at best. He's got to worry about his life after the game more than anything else.

By the sounds of it I just hope Pronger gets back to living a normal life. Scary stuff.
- canadianpenfan

That in itself is a huge step. Keith Primeau is still feeling the effects of concussions. He couldn't even risk playing in the Old-Timers Winter Classic game. It is easy to see why you can fall into a depression dealing with concussion symptoms.

By the sounds of it I just hope Pronger gets back to living a normal life. Scary stuff.
- canadianpenfan

Amen. He's dealing with similar issues as those described by Keith Primeau-and Primeau still deals with symptoms all these years later.

These kind of games were the real test to see where Bryz really is, and he passed through the weekend with flying colors IMO. If he was just average, the Flyers may not have gotten any points these 2 games.
- eayost

agreed, i was looking at it as a test of if he could hold on to his elevated play

looking good

He always cracked me up. I realized that he was as much a goofball when he was winning as when he struggled.

I think the key thing for him was meeting with the team leaders and realizing that he just needed to trust them and play his game. So often, during his rough times, he'd get caught cheating, expecting a bad defensive play or bad deflection and getting burned because of it.

Now he seems to be worrying about what he can control and making sure his fundamentals are good, and that if he gets beat, the team will have his back.
- Jsaquella

i don't know if i am alone in this observation but it looks like he is competing harder. Really going after those second chances, tracking the puck better- especially on deflections, he just didn't look very interested to me earlier in the season now he looks like he is the hardest working player on the ice. just my 2 cents.