Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: 8 reasons why the Rangers swept season series

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: 8 reasons why the Rangers swept season series
- bmeltzer

great blog bill, if the playoffs started tomorrow who would you start in goal? I know the flyers gave Bryz all the money but BOB is so awesome when playing my pens

With all the injures Flyers need to play Florida first round

Is it me, or is it too much to ask for d-men to clear the porch in front of Bryz. I dont understand why guys are allowed to stand around and whack at the puck without paying a price.

Swept by the Rags but you work the Pens everytime....Ugh. Can you finish in 6th please!

great blog bill, if the playoffs started tomorrow who would you start in goal? I know the flyers gave Bryz all the money but BOB is so awesome when playing my pens
- gravyboy33

I really don't think there are many of us who are looking forward to any goalie roulette. If Bryz is good to go (and he seemed to work off the rust and get used to playing with the injury as the game wore on last night) he should be the guy.

I really don't think there are many of us who are looking forward to any goalie roulette. If Bryz is good to go (and he seemed to work off the rust and get used to playing with the injury as the game wore on last night) he should be the guy.
- bodiva88

I will not be too happy if we see musical chairs again. Just pick the best guy going right now and stick to him.

You can add a 9th reason, Rangers are just the better team this year as indicated by record(overall and 6-0 against Flyers)

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: 8 reasons why the Rangers swept season series
- bmeltzer

Didn't Simmonds score a goal in the first period of the fifth meeting? Not being a douche just could have sworn Simmonds redirected a point shot past Hank, in the first period of their fifth game.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: 8 reasons why the Rangers swept season series
- bmeltzer

the flyers haven't played very well against the rangers this season, obviously. the rangers seem to sit bit back, defend aggressively especially with their sticks, and score on turnovers or soft clears to the neutral zone. their special teams dominance is bizarre. their pp is lousy and the flyers are a middle of the pack pk team. flyers have had a great pp much of the year. it's all gone awry. they've also had the benefit of being healthy with the exception of a few guys, for the entire season, while the flyers have been a MASH unit from wire to wire, not to mention the general turnover in club personnel and many rookies they've used.

rangers fans can gloat all they want. should they meet in the playoffs, they and more importantly the rangers themselves should have every confidence in the world they can and would beat the flyers. the playoffs are a funny thing though. it doesn't always work out that way. everyone is at 0-0. for the first time in a million years the rangers will have pressure to actually win - lundqvist especially. the rangers beat the flyers in 83 and 86 when they were the inferior team. those two series were a best of five however.

if the flyers play pittsburgh, it doesn't matter where they start, and the road will probably benefit them more. should they fall to 6th and play florida - well, that wouldn't be such a terrible thing either, but i don't like them going into the playoffs on a 3 game skid.

IMO the Flyers failure versus the Rags has everything to do with their style of play. The aggressive style we play fits right into the Rags hands. They sit back and wait for us to turn it over in the neutral zone and bang, it's in our net. As a team, the Flyers turn the puck over frequently; again it is just the result of their style of play. While this aggressive system will work against most teams in the league, it does not seem to do well against teams like the Rags and the Bolts...these teams are just focused on defending and know they will get their chances to score when the other team turns the puck over...to me it is just that simple. When the Rags lose, they seem to be 1-0, 2-1 scores. Nobody ever seems to beat them 4-1, 5-1. If we play them in the playoffs, Lavy is going to have to change his style or the same results will continue.

Giroux with 92 points so far in his first year as our first line center, wow.

I really don't think there are many of us who are looking forward to any goalie roulette. If Bryz is good to go (and he seemed to work off the rust and get used to playing with the injury as the game wore on last night) he should be the guy.
- bodiva88

Can't do the merry go round that happened last year in net. Although, BOB is pretty amazing at the CEC.

You can add a 9th reason, Rangers are just the better team this year as indicated by record(overall and 6-0 against Flyers)
- leightons5hole

Not to sound sour grapes about it but:

1) The Rangers better record is largely a product of their head-to-head dominance of Philly. Turn around 2 of the h2h games this year in regulation and guess what, both teams would have 105 points even with the Rangers winning season series by a 4-2-0 mark.

2) Being "just a better team" isn't a reason in and of itself. There are things that go into that. In addition, every team, regardless of record, has certain clubs they struggle against for whatever reason. Were the cellar-dwelling Canadiens a "better team" than the Rangers when they spanked the Blueshirts by 4-0 and 4-1 scores this year, or did the Habs happen to catch the Rangers at the right time?

3) The playoffs are a whole different animal in terms of preparation and matchups. Obviously, the Rangers would have to be the favorite if they eventually meet the Flyers in the playoffs, but I have seen plenty of times where one team dominates the season series (maybe not to this extent) and then loses to that same club in the playoffs.

4) A secondary part of that reason is the fickleness of the regular schedule. The Rangers pretty consistently caught Philly at the worst possible times for the Flyers in terms of recent volume of games and/or amount of recent travel. That all evens out quickly in a playoff series against one another.

Didn't Simmonds score a goal in the first period of the fifth meeting? Not being a douche just could have sworn Simmonds redirected a point shot past Hank, in the first period of their fifth game.
- MidnightMarauder

I stand corrected. Yes. I will fix it in blog. Thank you!

Spot on as usual Bill! I wish someone could explain to me why Bourdon is playing and Gus is not. Gus is a plus 12, Bourdon a plus 3; they both have the same amount of points, only Gus has done it in 13 fewer games. I really don't buy the physicality factor either, because from what I see Bourdon doesn't do much of that and he isn't that much bigger than Gus, 2 inches and 20 pounds. I'm really not impressed with Kubina either...supposed to be a big dman with a blistering right hand shot and can move people from in front of the net. Haven't seen him do much of that since Homer acquired him. Him and Carle were both a minus 2 yesterday and had putrid games. If Carle could get a shot through from the point, it'd be a minor miracle!

You can add a 9th reason, Rangers are just the better team this year as indicated by record(overall and 6-0 against Flyers)
- leightons5hole

No worries. Lundqvist and the Rags will find a way to choke in the playoffs as they always do!

Not to sound sour grapes about it but:

1) The Rangers better record is largely a product of their head-to-head dominance of Philly. Turn around 2 of the h2h games this year in regulation and guess what, both teams would have 105 points even with the Rangers winning season series by a 4-2-0 mark.

2) Being "just a better team" isn't a reason in and of itself. There are things that go into that. In addition, every team, regardless of record, has certain clubs they struggle against for whatever reason. Were the cellar-dwelling Canadiens a "better team" than the Rangers when they spanked the Blueshirts by 4-0 and 4-1 scores this year, or did the Habs happen to catch the Rangers at the right time?

3) The playoffs are a whole different animal in terms of preparation and matchups. Obviously, the Rangers would have to be the favorite if they eventually meet the Flyers in the playoffs, but I have seen plenty of times where one team dominates the season series (maybe not to this extent) and then loses to that same club in the playoffs.

4) A secondary part of that reason is the fickleness of the regular schedule. The Rangers pretty consistently caught Philly at the worst possible times for the Flyers in terms of recent volume of games and/or amount of recent travel. That all evens out quickly in a playoff series against one another.
- bmeltzer

this is by no means to diminish what the Rangers accomplished this year but winning all head to head games but it always seemed as though the Flyers were never healthy, plus #4...you listed above.

the Flyers are in the playoffs, I am not saying to lose the next two but health has to be the higheest priority right now with this club. should you work on getting home ice? Where at times I see starting on the road as less pressure or should you still kick ass and go for it?
overall a healthy team can compete with any team in league.

there are no shootouts in playoffs....

this is by no means to diminish what the Rangers accomplished this year but winning all head to head games but it always seemed as though the Flyers were never healthy, plus #4...you listed above.

the Flyers are in the playoffs, I am not saying to lose the next two but health has to be the higheest priority right now with this club. should you work on getting home ice? Where at times I see starting on the road as less pressure or should you still kick ass and go for it?
overall a healthy team can compete with any team in league.

there are no shootouts in playoffs....
- phi1671

The issue I have witht us coming 6th is that I don't think NJ beats Detroit in Detroit. We can for sure lose our last two games, but I think it's all but set we play Pitt. I'd much rather play Florida though.

The issue I have witht us coming 6th is that I don't think NJ beats Detroit in Detroit. We can for sure lose our last two games, but I think it's all but set we play Pitt. I'd much rather play Florida though.
- Hextall271

Is there a team in the Eastern Conference that doesn't want that matchup?

Does anyone know when they flyers first round series will start?

Does anyone know when they flyers first round series will start?
- mace14

This past Sunday.

No worries. Lundqvist and the Rags will find a way to choke in the playoffs as they always do!
- Hextall271

How is it a choke if they were never the favorite in any of the previous five playoff appearances?

This year is the first time they will have home ice advantage in any playoff round since the 2005-06 season.

If they disappoint in these playoffs then you can label it a choke job.

This past Sunday.
- Gunner Staal

I stand corrected. Yes. I will fix it in blog. Thank you!
- bmeltzer

No worries, happy to help