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Forums :: Blog World :: Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Missed opportunity at the Rock
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BulliesPhan87
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: the lone wolf of hockeybuzz
Joined: 07.31.2009

May 4 @ 2:15 PM ET
Why does this bother you?
- KINGKENZO

Because our fans are very poor at timing this chant. During our penalty kill, during stoppages of play, but not so much while the Flyers are on the attack.

Then again, the Flyers haven't spent much time in the offensive zone
Flyskippy
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Ignoreland, GA
Joined: 11.04.2005

May 4 @ 2:16 PM ET


vintage vejism

- Crimsoninja

Giroux_Is_God
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: CLASS DISMISSED
Joined: 12.15.2011

May 4 @ 2:17 PM ET
I see people throwing the terms "energy" and "effort" around, seemingly interchangeably....

I want to say this:

*steps up onto soap box*

Energy and effort, though related, are 2 completely different entities. I don't think the Flyers' subpar (and at times, poor) play is coming from a lack of effort. I think it's more than that. It's a lack of energy. They're not moving their feet, they're not winning battles anywhere on the ice, they're not cycling...they're just 2 steps behind NJ in every facet of the game. There's zero jump...zero jam.

This stems from a lack of energy. Effort, in my opinion, is a direct RESULT of energy. If you exhibit energy, like these boys did against the Pens, the effort is there. You win the battles. You cycle. You work. None of this is happening right now, for whatever reason. There's no energy with this club.

How do we solve this? Put Rinaldo in? Start scrums in front of Marty? If I knew, I'd be fistpumping behind the Flyers bench...hopefully Lavy can find the switch. We need to get mean. We were mean against Pittsburgh, and we played the best hockey of the year....something needs to happen to get the energy level up. Once we see that level rise, I'm completely confident that we'll be the ones smiling in the handshake line.

One easy fix, I think is this- DUMP THE PUCK TO THE OPPOSITE CORNER. In game one, we did this- rendering Marty's stickhandling a nonfactor- and "grind(ed) the piss outta these guys". We were absolutely flying out there. Buzzing so loud that you could hear it even above the crowd noise. I don't think it's a coincidence that we can't establish sustained offensive zone pressure or forechecking, because since game 2 we've been wheeling it along the boards, and Marty's been picking it up and clearing it or making an outlet pass.

I don't have a bad feeling about this series yet. I don't know if that's good or bad. We can beat this team. Do they suck, like some idiots are saying around here? Absolutely not. They're a great team that finished 1 point behind us in the best division in the NHL. But top to bottom, we're better than this team and I'm confident we can beat them.

If, and only if, we play with jam.

*steps down from soap box*
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:18 PM ET
anyone still pissed as me about yesterday's game?
- 2Real


I am still pissed about game 1, and I havent been able to come on and vent about it... This whole series is one big pain in the arse.... Sure wish it was Florida or Ottawa or even the Caps...
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:22 PM ET
Because our fans are very poor at timing this chant. During our penalty kill, during stoppages of play, but not so much while the Flyers are on the attack.

Then again, the Flyers haven't spent much time in the offensive zone

- BulliesPhan87


Now it's the fan's fault? This series isnt over until the fat man dances... Oh wait NVM.
canadianpenfan
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Calgary
Joined: 05.13.2010

May 4 @ 2:22 PM ET
Bah. Unless it ends with "before turning the gun on himself" you're not that pissed.
- Flyskippy





Amish reverse psychology.
LJF
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Jersey Baby Jersey
Joined: 04.17.2009

May 4 @ 2:25 PM ET
Is my new avatar too small to tell what it is?
- RooNosHockey


That's what she said
deligirl83
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: changed my sn -used to be kida, NJ
Joined: 04.18.2012

May 4 @ 2:25 PM ET
I think the Flyers may be guilty of the same thing i am.

I truly HONESTLY feel that the Flyers are a better team than the Devils, and not by a little bit, by A LOT. Then they give a mediocre effort in game one and somehow still manage to win. Even after game two, where they gave a HORRIBLE effort and lost. I still wasn't concerned.

But after a third poor outing in a row. I AM SERIOUSLY concerned!
77rams
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: There's a kind of freedom in being completely screwed...
Joined: 09.12.2006

May 4 @ 2:25 PM ET
I see people throwing the terms "energy" and "effort" around, seemingly interchangeably....

I want to say this:

*steps up onto soap box*

Energy and effort, though related, are 2 completely different entities. I don't think the Flyers' subpar (and at times, poor) play is coming from a lack of effort. I think it's more than that. It's a lack of energy. They're not moving their feet, they're not winning battles anywhere on the ice, they're not cycling...they're just 2 steps behind NJ in every facet of the game. There's zero jump...zero jam.

This stems from a lack of energy. Effort, in my opinion, is a direct RESULT of energy. If you exhibit energy, like these boys did against the Pens, the effort is there. You win the battles. You cycle. You work. None of this is happening right now, for whatever reason. There's no energy with this club.

How do we solve this?

- Giroux_Is_God





More buzzing around Marty?
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:26 PM ET
That's what she said
- LJF


OMG that was soo Clever.


Borat pause.... NOT....
rockychocbill
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: The Off Season
Joined: 07.04.2008

May 4 @ 2:26 PM ET
Why does this bother you?
- KINGKENZO


It's fine in the last 3 minutes of the last game of the series when you're up by 3 goals.

Otherwise you haven't won jack squat and you're giving the other team a reason to get pissed and motivated.

That's why.

Win first. Gloat later.
vejim
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: FL
Joined: 07.08.2007

May 4 @ 2:26 PM ET
I wonder how many Phillies fans will be at Nationals Park this weekend? I say at least half the stadium
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:28 PM ET
I wonder how many Phillies fans will be at Nationals Park this weekend? I say at least half the stadium
- vejim


I know of 40 going down on a bus.
LJF
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Jersey Baby Jersey
Joined: 04.17.2009

May 4 @ 2:28 PM ET
OMG that was soo Clever.
- RooNosHockey


For whatever reason I just can't resist that saying. It always makes me laugh.
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:29 PM ET
For whatever reason I just can't resist that saying. It always makes me laugh.
- LJF


That's what she said...
rockychocbill
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: The Off Season
Joined: 07.04.2008

May 4 @ 2:30 PM ET
For whatever reason I just can't resist that saying. It always makes me laugh.
- LJF


Actually it was pretty funny right there.
Flyers_01
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 10.03.2006

May 4 @ 2:31 PM ET
So what is the deal with the Flyers? They look terrible. Did the series with the Pens just take everything out of them? They score then they stop moving. To me Marty isn't looking that great. They need to move their feet, shoot more and create traffic in front of Marty.

I know Bryz has let in a lot of goals, but he is playing well. If he wasn't playing well last night would have been really bad.

They can beat the devils they just need to show up and play.

- LJF


2012 Playoffs
Mike Smith, 342 shots against, 20 goals, .942sv%
Bryz, 254 shots against, 31 goals, .878

I know this was discussed earlier in the thread but pardon me for not backreading all the posts. Virtually the same Coyotes team that stunk int he playoffs last year but with a new goalie. Many people argued at the beginning of the playoffs that Bryz's bad playoff numbers in recent years were because the coyotes ran up against the "power house" Red Wings. The same Wings who the Coyotes beat in the first round this year with Smith perforing better than Bryz ever did.

That's as close as you will ever get to a goalie playing with the same players, same system and against the same opponent. It's not that Smith isn't facing fewer shots either, he's faced 90 more shots than Bryz.

The 5 hole goal needed to be stopped last night and 3 from game 1 should've been stopped as well. Good goalies do not routinely (and yes, show me another top end goalie who get's beat routinely through the 5 hole?) get beaten through the 5 hole. The one that snuck between his blocker and body was a weak goal as well.

People are to sensitive to Bryz criticism around here. For the most part, any major criticism is dismissed as bashing or over the top or there are extenuating circumstances that don't make it his fault.

Is Bryz the worst goalie in the world? No, but neither is he the all-world goalie that he's built up to be. Other teams in the playoffs have had defensive breakdowns, etc. How does Mike Smith stop nearly 100 more shots than Bryz if it's all because of the defense that his numbers are so much better?

The Coyotes can win 1-0 or 2-1. The Flyers have needed at least 4 goals to win every game but 1 (including last night). Bryz did not carry the Coyotes. He was a cog in their system, nothing more.

Bryz has had some good stretched but rarely a complete game. In Game 2 he was the best player on the ice through 2 periods but 40 minutes does not constitute a great game. The difference between a great goalie stealing a game and an average goalie having 2 good periods are the 3 goals he gave up in the 3rd.

Bryz is not the only problem but he is a problem. After round 1 everyone was saying, would you rather have a goaltender with great sv% and lose or a goaltender with a bad sv% and win? Nobody wanted to talk about Bryz's poor numbers while winning because even though the other team was scoring 4 a game the flyers were scoring 5 a game. Now the Flyers are scoring fewer goals but still allowing 3 a game and it's still taboo to talk about Bryz letting in soft goals.

He makes plenty of highlight saves but still misses his share of easy shots. He wouldn't have needed to make the saves "to keep the flyers in the game" or to "keep the score close" if he made the saves on the far easier shots.

Bryz may still turn it around but the Flyers aren't paying Bryz Brodeur in his prime money for his quotes to the media.
wilsonecho91
Season Ticket Holder
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: A dream to some...a nightmare to others, AK
Joined: 11.13.2007

May 4 @ 2:33 PM ET
I think the Flyers may be guilty of the same thing i am.

I truly HONESTLY feel that the Flyers are a better team than the Devils, and not by a little bit, by A LOT. Then they give a mediocre effort in game one and somehow still manage to win. Even after game two, where they gave a HORRIBLE effort and lost. I still wasn't concerned.

But after a third poor outing in a row. I AM SERIOUSLY concerned!

- deligirl83


Hartnell's statement that he personally didn't expect this from the Devils exemplifies this to an extent. They'll be fine though.
Tomahawk
Location: Driver's Seat: Mitch Marner bandwagon. Grab 'em by the Corsi.
Joined: 02.04.2009

May 4 @ 2:36 PM ET
Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Missed opportunity at the Rock
- bmeltzer



The problem with the PP is that the Devils are able to swarm Giroux the instant he gets the puck because there's not much of a weak-side presence on the Flyers 1st-unit to really worry about and they're shading to his side of the ice. Having Jagr or JvR or Meszaros on the right side as a one-time threat might force the Devils to defend a bit more honestly.
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:38 PM ET
Hartnell's statement that he personally didn't expect this from the Devils exemplifies this to an extent. They'll be fine though.
- wilsonecho91


How many playoff goals does Hartnell have? He has been horrible this series. Just a flat out turnover machine. Take him off Giroux's line, and off the top PP. Let JVR get a sniff up there...

PP1:

JVR-Giroux-Read
Carle-Voracek

PP2

Hartnell-Briere-Jagr
Timonen-Schenn
77rams
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: There's a kind of freedom in being completely screwed...
Joined: 09.12.2006

May 4 @ 2:39 PM ET
Hartnell's statement that he personally didn't expect this from the Devils exemplifies this to an extent. They'll be fine though.
- wilsonecho91


It took him three games to realize that the Debs came to play?

The first hint should have been the very first period of the very first game.
OrangeBlack27
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: i do, mike, PA
Joined: 06.29.2006

May 4 @ 2:39 PM ET
How many playoff goals does Hartnell have? He has been horrible this series. Just a flat out turnover machine. Take him off Giroux's line, and off the top PP. Let JVR get a sniff up there...

PP1:

JVR-Giroux-Read
Carle-Voracek

PP2

Hartnell-Briere-Jagr
Timonen-Schenn

- RooNosHockey


stop it
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:41 PM ET
The problem with the PP is that the Devils are able to swarm Giroux the instant he gets the puck because there's not much of a weak-side presence on the Flyers 1st-unit to really worry about and they're shading to his side of the ice. Having Jagr or JvR or Meszaros on the right side as a one-time threat might force the Devils to defend a bit more honestly.
- Tomahawk


What about playing Briere on Giroux's right? Have both play makers on the ice, so they can't overload on just one guy. But your right, that is why I said Read on Giroux wing, beause when Giroux gets overloaded he is just as capable of making the passes.
RooNosHockey
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Bear, DE
Joined: 10.25.2011

May 4 @ 2:44 PM ET
stop it
- OrangeBlack27


The PP is hot and cold... Has been all year. We cant afford to have it go cold right now... Devils know exactly what to do on our PK. Swarm Giroux on the first unit, and Briere on the second unit. The 2nd unit has had more sucess... Why? Because there are more guys that can handle the puck, and arent reliant on Giourx/Birere.... So IMO thats what you need on the top unit... 2 guys in front is not helping in this spot...
rockychocbill
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: The Off Season
Joined: 07.04.2008

May 4 @ 2:44 PM ET
-snip- He makes plenty of highlight saves but still misses his share of easy shots. He wouldn't have needed to make the saves "to keep the flyers in the game" or to "keep the score close" if he made the saves on the far easier shots. -snip-
- Flyers_01


Ferraro said pretty much the same this morning. He's not horrible, but he's not lights out either. And lights out is what's getting most of the other teams in the other series their wins.
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