I cant believe this series is 1-2. The way Broduer is playing is pedestrian at best. The only reason the Devils are in it, is because thier defense doesn't allow the Flyers to get pucks on Broduer.

I thought the Flyers got bigger wingers so they wouldn't get worn down by a bigger teams fore-check. This team is getting beat in every apsect of the game so far. They need to make changes in the line-up for next game, whether Couturier can play or not.. Put in Rinaldo and Kubina... Maybe Zulnerczyk too... Need to start playing with some emotion.

followed my brother's GPS and holy sh!t, I quickly broke the law and made a right turn ON red.
- phi1671

NJ is ridiculous with the no right on red thing. Another way to make revenue if you ask me.

Why has Smith been better with Phoenix than Bryzgalov was?
- PLindbergh31

Smiths numbers this year were slightly better than Bryzgalov's best year in Phoenix. Also the team there has matured more and retooled.

Why has Smith been better with Phoenix than Bryzgalov was?
- PLindbergh31

Lets be completely honest. Bryz has been the least of our issues in this series.. Im tired of hearing "He is being paid 51 million dollars to steal games". Im tired of hearing how he sucks, or how there are 18 other goalies doing better than him. I hate hearing ppl talk about him compared to goalies who played for us in the past.

Bryz has done a fine job. He isnt Lundqvist. I would welcome Mike Smith here.. and I would be prepared for him to have a drop in his game.. Our team defense is terrible right now. Our defense has been pretty weak (aside from maybe 2 games in the entire playoffs). Watch the Rags game.. and tell me that those guys dont play much better defense. Same can go about any other team in the playoffs.

The Flyers simply lack excellent team defense.. but have shown capable of playing with good team defense. Bryz has been basically left to fend for himself in a lot of situations. I refuse to blame him for a single game.

I cant believe this series is 1-2. The way Broduer is playing is pedestrian at best. The only reason the Devils are in it, is because thier defense doesn't allow the Flyers to get pucks on Broduer.

I thought the Flyers got bigger wingers so they wouldn't get worn down by a bigger teams fore-check. This team is getting beat in every apsect of the game so far. They need to make changes in the line-up for next game, whether Couturier can play or not.. Put in Rinaldo and Kubina... Maybe Zulnerczyk too... Need to start playing with some emotion.
- RooNosHockey

Who would you suggest removing in order to add Z, Kubina and Rinaldo?

I cant believe this series is 1-2. The way Broduer is playing is pedestrian at best. The only reason the Devils are in it, is because thier defense doesn't allow the Flyers to get pucks on Broduer.

I thought the Flyers got bigger wingers so they wouldn't get worn down by a bigger teams fore-check. This team is getting beat in every apsect of the game so far. They need to make changes in the line-up for next game, whether Couturier can play or not.. Put in Rinaldo and Kubina... Maybe Zulnerczyk too... Need to start playing with some emotion.
- RooNosHockey

If Kubina isn't healed up that could compound the problem. The players have to play better fundamentally. I like the idea of maybe putting Rinaldo in for a game and light a spark. However if they just play a little smarter, like not make line changes whent he devils are coming back up the ice from their blue line, then the Flyers can beat this team.

Yup. Everyone looks ..off. Where is Hartnell's fire? Jagr's determination? Roo's creativity?

No complaints about Briere, Coburn or Talbot though.
- PT21

Hartnell has been absolutely horrible out there the last 3 games. He is a turn over machine, and defensive liability out there. If your going to shuffle lines, you need to get him away from Giroux. Talbot is at lest playing well defensively, but he needs to step up his offensive game like he was playing the Penguins again.

Smiths numbers this year were slightly better than Bryzgalov's best year in Phoenix. Also the team there has matured more and retooled.
- JoeRussomanno

And Smith is a career journeyman who Tampa of all teams threw out to the street with last nights garbage.

shut up, you. this is NOT happening.
- hammarby31

can you guarantee me this hammar bro?

Lets be completely honest. Bryz has been the least of our issues in this series.. Im tired of hearing "He is being paid 51 million dollars to steal games". Im tired of hearing how he sucks, or how there are 18 other goalies doing better than him. I hate hearing ppl talk about him compared to goalies who played for us in the past.

Bryz has done a fine job. He isnt Lundqvist. I would welcome Mike Smith here.. and I would be prepared for him to have a drop in his game.. Our team defense is terrible right now. Our defense has been pretty weak (aside from maybe 2 games in the entire playoffs). Watch the Rags game.. and tell me that those guys dont play much better defense. Same can go about any other team in the playoffs.

The Flyers simply lack excellent team defense.. but have shown capable of playing with good team defense. Bryz has been basically left to fend for himself in a lot of situations. I refuse to blame him for a single game.
- jak521

Well if the goaltending is "fine" I guess they better rebuild the defense core.

I saw a stat late in the game yesterday that said the only two Flyers defensemen with hits were Coburn and Grossmann. Thats terrible.

The Devils have 5 guys with atleast 30 hits... and another 5 with atleast 20.

The Flyers have one player with 30 hits and 5 with atleast 20.

We need to pick up the physical play. We need to throw the body. We need to wear down NJ. Its not happening right now. We are not playing with the same degree of meanness, the same tenacity, that we did against Pitt. We are sitting back and letting them beat the poop out of us in the physical game. Enough!

And Smith is a career journeyman who Tampa of all teams threw out to the street with last nights garbage.
- PLindbergh31

and like I keep telling you, if you play better in front of your goalie, i.e back checking, beating the other team to rebounds in your own crease etc, then your goalie looks better. He wasn't terrible with Dallas, and looked bad at times behind tampa then goes back out west and bam.

I saw a stat late in the game yesterday that said the only two Flyers defensemen with hits were Coburn and Grossmann. Thats terrible.

The Devils have 5 guys with atleast 30 hits... and another 5 with atleast 20.

The Flyers have one player with 30 hits and 5 with atleast 20.

We need to pick up the physical play. We need to throw the body. We need to wear down NJ. Its not happening right now. We are not playing with the same degree of meanness, the same tenacity, that we did against Pitt. We are sitting back and letting them beat the poop out of us in the physical game. Enough!
- jak521

Preach~!

I saw a stat late in the game yesterday that said the only two Flyers defensemen with hits were Coburn and Grossmann. Thats terrible.

The Devils have 5 guys with atleast 30 hits... and another 5 with atleast 20.

The Flyers have one player with 30 hits and 5 with atleast 20.

We need to pick up the physical play. We need to throw the body. We need to wear down NJ. Its not happening right now. We are not playing with the same degree of meanness, the same tenacity, that we did against Pitt. We are sitting back and letting them beat the poop out of us in the physical game. Enough!
- jak521

next game rinaldo and or shelley should be in just to bang bodies

hell send shelley after brodeur to get into his head

and like I keep telling you, if you play better in front of your goalie, i.e back checking, beating the other team to rebounds in your own crease etc, then your goalie looks better. He wasn't terrible with Dallas, and looked bad at times behind tampa then goes back out west and bam.
- JoeRussomanno

Smith has faced the most shots of any goaltender in the playoffs. He's routinely standing on his head. Phoenix gives up a ton of chances every game.

next game rinaldo and or shelley should be in just to bang bodies

hell send shelley after brodeur to get into his head
- 2Real

And it'll be a happy parade to the penalty box all game.

NJ is ridiculous with the no right on red thing. Another way to make revenue if you ask me.
- JoeRussomanno

?
I rarely see where you can't make a right on red.

I dont know why anyone is so shocked to be down. The devils are a good team and finished just 1 point behind us. When they beat Pittsburgh it seemed everyone forgot we had to play 3 more rounds, including the flyers. The devils are beatable, but they will not lay over for the flyers.

They can't get too frustrated. Perfect time for a 3 day break. Cool off the Devils and the flyers can screw their heads in.

Well if the goaltending is "fine" I guess they better rebuild the defense core.
- PLindbergh31

Weak goals are killer in the playoffs.

Even if it is one or two a game it will bite you in the ass. So imho the goaltending has definately not been good enough. To be more specific, it shouldnt just be average. If thats what the team was looking for they could have kept Boucher.

Thats not the point however, and as for this series I am placing more blame on the skaters themselves.

They are down a game. If they cant win a "must win" scenerio then they dont deserve the cup to begin with. Bring on Sunday.

Well if the goaltending is "fine" I guess they better rebuild the defense core.
- PLindbergh31

They need to work on team defense.

Look at the goals last night.
Elias scores on the PP after Carle squats down and lets him use the screen.

Kovalchuk scores after Hartnell commits and missed on a hit in the offensive zone and a 3-2 is created.. Grossmann misreads the play, over commits and hits Coburn. Kovalchuk has all day to pick his spot.

Parise scores after Carle fails to get the puck down deep, the Devil dumps the puck into the corner where Parise forces Carle to make a bad pass to a covered Lilja, who loses a battle to Elias. Elias feeds a wide open Parise at the goal mouth after Carle doesnt get back in time.

OT goal is scored after the team makes one of the worst line changes in the history of Hockey. Its a virtual 4-1 with dominant 2-1 positioning. Lilja takes the pass.. Pony winds up a wrister which is saved, but buries the rebound.


The PP goal aside.. each of those plays could have been prevented the team defense done its job. Kovalchuks goal was started because of a mistake by a forward... and compounded when forwards failed to get back. Parise's goal was started by Carle, however there was zero forward support on that play.

I dont even need to talk about the OT winner.

Who would you suggest removing in order to add Z, Kubina and Rinaldo?
- jak521

If Couturier is hurt that is one. And the other would be Wellwood if Couturier is healthy. He is a good player, but his size isnt helping matters. They are being out battled...

And for Kubina, I would take out Gus. Kubina's lack of speed hurt us in the Pittsburgh series, but its lack of strenght along the boards that's hurting us now, and Kubina is strong. He would definately help out this time.

Smith has faced the most shots of any goaltender in the playoffs. He's routinely standing on his head. Phoenix gives up a ton of chances every game.
- PLindbergh31

I don't think you can decipher between the two. Scoring chance and shots. I've watched Phoenix and they blanket the other team. Smith has made big saves but so has Bryzgalov. I don't know i listened to two former players one of which coached for a time, and they both agreed the Flyers aren't playing the level of defensive hockey they need to. Defensive hockey isn't just about the defensemen, in fact I hate calling them that, because it makes people all of sudden pull up how many shots the actual defensemen block. NO it's a collective team effort. IMO the Flyers don't have enough forwards commited to it. I've brought up names and people jumped down my throat i'll let the team handle it and when players aren't here in the near future I won't even say I told you so.

You want another example? How does Biron go from a plus 2.5 gaa average with the Flyers to below that with the Rangers? explain that one.

Weak goals are killer in the playoffs.

Even if it is one or two a game it will bite you in the ass. So imho the goaltending has definately not been good enough. To be more specific, it shouldnt just be average. If thats what the team was looking for they could have kept Boucher.

Thats not the point however, and as for this series I am placing more blame on the skaters themselves.

They a down a game. If they cant win a "must win" scenerio then they dont deserve the cup to begin with. Bring on Sunday.
- flyer_nutter

Which goals were weak last night? Parise, probably the best guy in hockey when he gets a puck down low around the net, slamming home a pass from behind the net off of a turnover? What about Kovalchuk.. one of the best shooters in the game getting all day to pick his spot. Yea.. Elias' would have been nice.. but Carle squats down.. allows him to pump 1-2 times and then a hard shot the beat bryz off the waffle.

OHHH.. it was the OT winner. The one where 4 Flyers decided to change during a stretch blue line to blue line pass. He should have never given up that rebound.

?
I rarely see where you can't make a right on red.
- Scoob

i saw a big old sign off at the light on south street near the Rock...
some dude wanted to ask my a question and i turned...

got home at 2:30...mind you i had to drop my brother off at home in delaware and then drive to my home in Philly...
working off of 4 hours of sleep and two cups of coffee...yeah me...

If Couturier is hurt that is one. And the other would be Wellwood if Couturier is healthy. He is a good player, but his size isnt helping matters. They are being out battled...

And for Kubina, I would take out Gus. Kubina's lack of speed hurt us in the Pittsburgh series, but its lack of strenght along the boards that's hurting us now, and Kubina is strong. He would definately help out this time.
- RooNosHockey

Not that my opinion truly matters.. but Wellwood has been our best forward in this series by far.

Also.. aside from last game, Gus has played very well. His speed against a tough forchecking team is much more important than a guy who is painfully slow.. and not too great with the puck anymore.