I think we can all agree that the officiating left a lot to be desire yesterday. Don't forget how Giroux "sold" that slash at the end of the second period by Michalek yesterday. Michalek was stupid for letting himself get sucked in like that, but Giroux should get an Oscar for that performance...Jackson is going to feel foolish when he sees the tape.
- Emperor Filonius

Yeah, that was a weird call/play. And no doubt, more gets let go than called.

I know they probably let a Briere hook go while we were on the PP... He's such a moron that way. Don't f'n take a lazy penalty while on a PP seems such a simple rule.

hartnell getting the OT winner was the ultimate vengeance. can you imagine how much that infuriated pens fans? i wanted to puke when malkin scored at the end of the second. can only imagine how they felt about hartnell scoring the winner just .9 seconds away from a guaranteed two points via shootout.

I have no problem with Mez being out right now. He has been some-what inconsistent this year. He's only missed two games in the past two seasons, so a break for him is more than likely going to be beneficial.

That in conjunction with how well Gus is playing (or, at least, compared to what were use to seeing from Gus), is why I think Mez should take his time. He can sit the next 5-7 games or whatever and just get healthy and refreshed.

I also really like Brandon Manning. He's performing admirably in his first cup of joe' in the big league. If Lava can keep his ice-time in that 10-15 minute range, I have no problem having him up for the next few games. He hasn't done anything to really blow anyone away, but I think he's been pretty sturdy thus far.

There was one play yesterday where he angled off either Kunitz or Dupuis (I believe) coming into the zone, and completely nullified any moment Pittsburgh had coming in. He hadn't been out long, and looked to the bench as if he was going to get off so Lava could throw out a different pairing for a more appropriate match-up. I couldn't really see, but it almost seemed like he was given a signal to stay out for a few additional seconds, given the nice play he just made.

hartnell getting the OT winner was the ultimate vengeance. can you imagine how much that infuriated pens fans? i wanted to puke when malkin scored at the end of the second. can only imagine how they felt about hartnell scoring the winner just .9 seconds away from a guaranteed two points via shootout.
- OrangeBlack27

it was actually about 1.9 seconds left. just sayin'

I think we can all agree that the officiating left a lot to be desire yesterday. Don't forget how Giroux "sold" that slash at the end of the second period by Michalek yesterday. Michalek was stupid for letting himself get sucked in like that, but Giroux should get an Oscar for that performance...Jackson is going to feel foolish when he sees the tape.
- Emperor Filonius

ha HA... the joke is on you. NHL referees don't ever go back and look at the tape of their previous games, for they don't believe in quality control. And since he will never know that it was acting, it never truly happened....

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Comeback Kids
- bmeltzer

Bill (or anyone that would like to chime in, really),

What are your thoughts thus far on Brandon Manning? What do you see his ceiling being?

I watched very little of him at the Junior level and have only seen him in two Phantoms games thus far. So outside of his few games with the big club, I haven't really gotten a good read on him as a player yet.

You probably have answered this a few times already since he was first called up, but I think he's looked better in each game he's played so far. I'm aware he'll be sent back down to the A, and will likely jump back and forth again next year, but do you like what you see thus far?

I certainly do. Definitely good to see we have some kind of talent developing in Adirondack that can (hopefully) contribute full-time at some point.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Comeback Kids
- bmeltzer

great writeup



love when bill pulls out the "yeoman"

The Flyers were pretty good at the dot yesterday, on a different note.

So let me get this right... The only regulars that we have that havent missed a game are Simmonds, Carle, and Hartnell? And we are still battling for 1st. This team has heart....

What do you guys think is harder to overcome.. Losing your number 1 D-man and Captain all season, and having a different line-up every night because the injury bug hits just about everyone on the team...?

Or

Missing your Captain and best player in the league for 3/4's of a season, and losing your best defenseman and 3rd line center for smaller streches?

To a degree, yes.

I heard Jack Edwards doing games on ESPN2 before I ever heard him doing Bruins games. On the national broadcasts, I thought he was quite good and also impartial. I was shocked at what I heard when I started hearing his Bruins work -- in which he's a lunatic-fringe Bruins homer. To this day, I wonder if that's even the same person.

Bottom line: There's a lot of "performance" and pre-determined banter that goes on during the broadcasts, apart from simply calling the games. It's the nature of the beast, especially nowadays.
- bmeltzer

Wow, thats kind of a shame if you have to take yourself from a knowledgeable hockey announcer to a sideshow freak to stay in the business.

Bill, one of the reasons I value your opinion above everyone else is because of your non bias... there have been countless times when I have screamed at the tv and then read a tweet or something you have written and realized that I really had no reason to scream. Also when reading your blogs your ability to keep your bias for the flyers (minus when you blog about Mark Howe or pelly ) is one of the reasons you have THE best flyers blog on the net.

Bill (or anyone that would like to chime in, really),

What are your thoughts thus far on Brandon Manning? What do you see his ceiling being?

I watched very little of him at the Junior level and have only seen him in two Phantoms games thus far. So outside of his few games with the big club, I haven't really gotten a good read on him as a player yet.

You probably have answered this a few times already since he was first called up, but I think he's looked better in each game he's played so far. I'm aware he'll be sent back down to the A, and will likely jump back and forth again next year, but do you like what you see thus far?

I certainly do. Definitely good to see we have some kind of talent developing in Adirondack that can (hopefully) contribute full-time at some point.
- mochoson

He has looked good so far, but so did Bourdon at first... I think the more he plays, and the more Lavi trusts him to play in tighter spots, the more he will show his rookie mistakes. Give him time, but I dont see him developing into more then a servicable call-up or 5-6 guy.

The Flyers were pretty good at the dot yesterday, on a different note.
- BulliesPhan87

Woah, we're talking game stats now?

Nice chatting guys. Enjoy your morning gents, I have to start focusing on work and trying to be a productive member of society

Bryz named NHL's first star for second straight week

Bill (or anyone that would like to chime in, really),

What are your thoughts thus far on Brandon Manning? What do you see his ceiling being?

I watched very little of him at the Junior level and have only seen him in two Phantoms games thus far. So outside of his few games with the big club, I haven't really gotten a good read on him as a player yet.

You probably have answered this a few times already since he was first called up, but I think he's looked better in each game he's played so far. I'm aware he'll be sent back down to the A, and will likely jump back and forth again next year, but do you like what you see thus far?

I certainly do. Definitely good to see we have some kind of talent developing in Adirondack that can (hopefully) contribute full-time at some point.
- mochoson

Good puck mover, good skater and can get feisty. He's kept his game simple so far -- which is often the case with rookie defensemen early in their callups -- and has not been a liability. We'll have to see how he holds up when the expectations get a little higher and other teams start to have scouting reports on him from their advance scouts.

In junior hockey, he had the rep for being a defensive liability, which is how he became a never-drafted overager. He had a knack for low-percentage plays and positional mistakes but was also a very good point producer and a scrapper.

This is his first pro year, and he missed a lot of time early with injuries. So far so good. I still view him a project, but sometimes projects work out and the early results have been promising.

Bryz named NHL's first star for second straight week
- Jsaquella

That's a humungous achievment.

Does anyone know where to find man games lost stats?

Bryz named NHL's first star for second straight week
- Jsaquella

That's a humungous achievment.

Does anyone know where to find man games lost stats?
- canadianpenfan

http://www.theglobeandmai...to-injury/article2342449/

Bryz named NHL's first star for second straight week
- Jsaquella

well deserved. yet somehow wasn't a star yesterday. curious indeed.

He has looked good so far, but so did Bourdon at first... I think the more he plays, and the more Lavi trusts him to play in tighter spots, the more he will show his rookie mistakes. Give him time, but I dont see him developing into more then a servicable call-up or 5-6 guy.
- RooNosHockey

Well that's any rookie dman, that doesn't mean he's going to just be a bottom pairing dman.

I look at the fact that Bourdon didn't get a call-up until his third year of pro-hockey, while Manning has been recalled in his first pro-season.

But then again, I think MAB sucks. I don't think he'll ever be a full-time NHLer with how he skates. I dont know how he survived in the AHL with how he skates.

well deserved. yet somehow wasn't a star yesterday. curious indeed.



- hammarby31

Wayne Fish made the three star selections yesterday.

Woah, we're talking game stats now?
- funmaster18

By all means, it's better than complaining, let alone complaining about what people are complaining about. Perhaps the great hockey minds incumbent to this thread could help draw conversation towards the desired topic?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/pens-habs-lead-nhl-in-man-games-lost-to-injury/article2342449/
- Jsaquella

Thanks Jsaq.

So let me get this right... The only regulars that we have that havent missed a game are Simmonds, Carle, and Hartnell? And we are still battling for 1st. This team has heart....

What do you guys think is harder to overcome.. Losing your number 1 D-man and Captain all season, and having a different line-up every night because the injury bug hits just about everyone on the team...?

Or

Missing your Captain and best player in the league for 3/4's of a season, and losing your best defenseman and 3rd line center for smaller streches?
- RooNosHockey

http://www.theglobeandmai...to-injury/article2342449/

Actually, putting on the Orange glasses, the one thing that really bugged me yesterday was a play where Malkin tried to stickhandle past Coburn, but got denied. Either Edzo or Pierre gave credit to Malkin for "even trying to make that move" yet didn't even mention Coburn, who stood his ground and played it perfectly.

Maybe it's because I've become immune to broadcasters "blowing" whichever annointed one is out there. But to praise a guy who got stopped because an opposing player made a better play...just irks me
- Jsaquella

Christ, this one almost sent me over the edge. The guy actually said Malkin was "Brave for even attempting a move like that." How in the hell does a guy skate into coverage and get called brave for turning the puck over? And right, he didn't even comment on Coburn's positioning/handling of the situation. It's absolutely pathetic.

By all means, it's better than complaining, let alone complaining about what people are complaining about. Perhaps the great hockey minds incumbent to this thread could help draw conversation towards the desired topic?
- BulliesPhan87

Let's talk about the Rangers collapse?