Ultimately the Coach normally pays the price. But it's really not on the Coach, if the players don't respond. It's on the players who don't respond. The ones who actually have the opportunity to go on the ice and play.
- MJL

I'm not saying Lavi is a bad coach, he is just being out coached. Just as much as the players are being out played. How ever you want to spin it... When an entire team can't respond, it can't be just the players. The Devils team isn't better then the Flyers... If anything they are evenly matched. But the Devils are Mushroom Stamping them into the ground. Too me it's no a matter of effort from the players. They either aren't excuting, or don't have the right game plan to execute. Either way, the coach has to do something to make this happen. Change the game plan so it either works, or is something your team can handle. I'm not saying Lavi suck, or he should be fired, but he is being out coached.

Ultimately the Coach normally pays the price. But it's really not on the Coach, if the players don't respond. It's on the players who don't respond. The ones who actually have the opportunity to go on the ice and play.
- MJL

Im not going to blame the coach on this series, but Lavy's system can be taxing. I think what were seeing is them completely breaking down in exhaustion at this point. Next year i would emphasize a much more defensive system. The name of the game to win the cup is conserving energy and not risking injury during the regular season. This balls to the wall approach for every regular season game i believe has to wear on a team sooner or later and is evident by the amount of injuries that happened.

In my opinion this has been their MO when facing adversity in any game. They tend to try to get cute and do too much when they should be going back to basics. And they are at their best when they play basic hockey. Youth and lack of experience.


They were coming back all season and getting on the Pens BECAUSE they simplified everything. I thought they had finally gotten it. But the Devils have played almost perfect hockey.
- MBFlyerfan

Last night, the Flyers had a 3 on 1, with a Devil defender getting back late. The two guys without the puck were going to the net. The puck carrier passed it off, after the second Devil got back....that's a perfect example of the cute killing them.

If I have the puck and guys going to the net, I'm winding up and shooting hard and low.

You're looking for a scapegoat. It's not as easy as saying that Laviolette is to blame. He shares in the blame, but it's on everybody.
- Jsaquella

I dont blame the man i blame his system. Its not sustainable for the course of the season. Hes gotta change it up next year. This is the second year they looked gased by the second round.

Last night, the Flyers had a 3 on 1, with a Devil defender getting back late. The two guys without the puck were going to the net. The puck carrier passed it off, after the second Devil got back....that's a perfect example of the cute killing them.

If I have the puck and guys going to the net, I'm winding up and shooting hard and low.
- Jsaquella

Exactly. Its maddening! And it has to be just as maddening for the coaching staff.

Im not going to blame the coach on this series, but Lavy's system can be taxing. I think what were seeing is them completely breaking down in exhaustion at this point. Next year i would emphasize a much more defensive system. The name of the game to win the cup is conserving energy and not risking injury during the regular season. This balls to the wall approach for every regular season game i believe has to wear on a team sooner or later and is evident by the amount of injuries that happened.
- Philly1980

2 the



hmm looking at the second pick i could see how injuries may occur, yes

You're looking for a scapegoat. It's not as easy as saying that Laviolette is to blame. He shares in the blame, but it's on everybody.
- Jsaquella

+1

I dont blame the man i blame his system. Its not sustainable for the course of the season. Hes gotta change it up next year. This is the second year they looked gased by the second round.
- Philly1980

They are gassed because they are paying the price for their dumb puck decisions. If they execute the system the way it is supposed to be played, IE, good puck support, simple aggressive play in the offensive zone, they aren't nearly so tired.

I will state this simply as I can.

They are not gassed because of the system they play, they are gassed because they are NOT executing the system they play.

They are gassed because they are paying the price for their dumb puck decisions. If they execute the system the way it is supposed to be played, IE, good puck support, simple aggressive play in the offensive zone, they aren't nearly so tired.

I will state this simply as I can.

They are not gassed because of the system they play, they are gassed because they are NOT executing the system they play.
- MBFlyerfan

Same exact thing happened last year with Boston series, but with different players.

2 the



hmm looking at the second pick i could see how injuries may occur, yes
- JoeRussomanno

Nice! those guys look like they have more energy than the flyers.

Look at two players on the Devils. Parise and Zubrus. They refuse to be knocked off the puck. They refuse to lose the puck. They are more determined then the Flyers are. And it's not just those two. It's their entire team. Who on the Flyers is showing that same resolve? The Devils are legit.
- MJL

I'm not questioning whether the Devils are legit what Im questioning is why the Flyers are being schooled in the series right now. As great as NJ forchecking has been its unacceptable for the Flyers to be getting handled like this. The Flyers are being outclassed in every aspect of the game and that shouldnt happen imo.

Nice! those guys look like they have more energy than the flyers.
- Philly1980

I suppose it could contribute to all the groin injuries we've had this year

especially if you lose energy in those positions

They are gassed because they are paying the price for their dumb puck decisions. If they execute the system the way it is supposed to be played, IE, good puck support, simple aggressive play in the offensive zone, they aren't nearly so tired.

I will state this simply as I can.

They are not gassed because of the system they play, they are gassed because they are NOT executing the system they play.
- MBFlyerfan

They stopped playing the system because they are gassed. It takes a lot of energy to forcheck all night long.

I suppose it could contribute to all the groin injuries we've had this year
- JoeRussomanno

Concussions for sure.

The first step is to ratchet up the intensity. No amount of adjustments is going to fix intensity. My issue with the line juggling was in the scale it was done after just one loss.

Also, FWIW, as badly as they have been outplayed, they're about 6 inches from being tied 2-2. Had Schenn's redirection in game two found twine...
- Jsaquella

The compete level is baffling right now. The Devils look like their in stride and playing great hockey while the Flyers look like they havent played hockey in an entire year.

The series is 3-1 so its not over. If the Devils can win three straight so can the Flyers but they have to figure out a way to turn it up another level and start winning some battles out there.

I dont blame the man i blame his system. Its not sustainable for the course of the season. Hes gotta change it up next year. This is the second year they looked gased by the second round.
- Philly1980

They executed the system just fine against the Pens. I also think that they're working hard in this series.

What I see happening is, mistakes causing a lot of needless work, and frustration causing a lot of needless work. The Flyers fail to clear a puck, then they waste a ton of energy and effort running around trying to stop the Devils from cycling. They get too cute in the offensive zone, and have to chase down the Devils on the counter attack. That stuff isn't part of the system.

Losing a series is one thing, getting totally dominated, outworked, and showing a disinterested lack of compete is unacceptable.

Down 2-1 in the series, in a must win game, it speaks volumes that Laviolette had to use a timeout in the first 5 minutes of the game. The team hasn't shown up in 4 out of 10 playoff games thus far. The failure to protect leads for any significant amount of time is just astounding.

If Giroux is suspended for game 5, it could be the spark the team needs. Just look at Pittsburgh playing without Neal in game 4, Radulov and Kostitsyn not playing game 3 for Nashville vs. Phoenix, and in this series the Devils played without Kovalchuk in game 2 and dominated the entire game. I'm sure Giroux's teammates wouldn't want his season to end with him wearing a suit in the pressbox.

Same exact thing happened last year with Boston series, but with different players.
- Philly1980

And the same thing happened, they did not execute. Plus the Bruins were clearly better. That was evident before the series started.

Be that as it may. You have to admit that most of the energy this team exerts, especially in the defensive zone, is failure to execute when they get the puck on their sticks. They get running around because someone makes a mistake and it costs them. I count three or four on every shift when the Devils get them hemmed in. How many failed clears, how many lost battles?

That isn't system, that is execution.

They stopped playing the system because they are gassed. It takes a lot of energy to forcheck all night long.
- Philly1980

They're not forechecking all night long. They're getting killed by the Devils forecheck.

The Flyers are causing themselves so much extra work with their inability to execute and by making really stupid mistakes with the puck.

The compete level is baffling right now. The Devils look like their in stride and playing great hockey while the Flyers look like they havent played hockey in an entire year.

The series is 3-1 so its not over. If the Devils can win three straight so can the Flyers but they have to figure out a way to turn it up another level and start winning some battles out there.
- stveshdy

The big difference is that the Devils are forcing mistakes a lot better than the Flyers are.

They stopped playing the system because they are gassed. It takes a lot of energy to forcheck all night long.
- Philly1980

But they aren't forechecking at all. Not a lick. And haven't the entire series. They had 6 days off. There is no way they would be gassed if that is what it was. They are gassed because they are constantly trying to cover up for mistakes in their own zone.

Losing a series is one thing, getting totally dominated, outworked, and showing a disinterested lack of compete is unacceptable.

Down 2-1 in the series, in a must win game, it speaks volumes that Laviolette had to use a timeout in the first 5 minutes of the game. The team hasn't showed up in 4 out of 10 playoff games thus far. The failure to protect leads for any significant amount of time is just astounding.

If Giroux is suspended for game 5, it could be the spark the team needs. Just look at Pittsburgh playing without Neal in game 4, Radulov and Kostitsyn not playing game 3 for Nashville vs. Phoenix, and in this series the Devils played without Kovalchuk in game 2 and dominated the entire game. I'm sure Giroux's teammates wouldn't want his season to end with him wearing a suit in the pressbox.
- PLindbergh31

The Devils may very well be the better team but theres noway the Flyers should be getting dominated like this. The Flyers cant get the puck out of their own end and there creating minimum scoring chances (hell struggling to even get shots on net).

The big difference is that the Devils are forcing mistakes a lot better than the Flyers are.
- Jsaquella

Composure is a key factor out there. The Flyers are playing hot potato in their own end with the puck. Its like a grenade thats ready to go off any second and nobody has confidence to handle it.

The Devils may very well be the better team but theres noway the Flyers should be getting dominated like this. The Flyers cant get the puck out of their own end and there creating minimum scoring chances (hell struggling to even get shots on net).
- stveshdy

They certainly aren't the better team, or the more talented team. They are by far the hungrier and more well prepared team, as well as being the smarter team. Those elements are enough to counteract talent.

Same exact thing happened last year with Boston series, but with different players.
- Philly1980

I think a lot of people are also overlooking the fact we are missing Pronger and Mezaros. This isn't the roster the Flyers thought they'd have for the playoffs.

No way in hell did they think Lilja and Gustafson were gonna be out there in these situations. Injuries are a big factor in this series too.