- OrangeBlack27

If Kubina was healthy enough to play and be effective, he would be in there.
- MJL

Bill,

If the Courier-Post ever offers you to fully cover the Flyers and/or replace Randy Miller, PLEASE SAY YES.

Nice work on two articles and today's blog.

Here's hoping the Flyers execute better in all three zones tonight!

Skip

- RooNosHockey

Sometimes, the truth hurts. And sometimes people are wrong. And sometimes one of those people is you.

Sometimes, the truth hurts. And sometimes people are wrong. And sometimes one of those people is you.
- Flyskippy

Drop it like its hot Skip.

Hey Skip,

heading down to the game tonight?

Going to the game tonight.

Hope to see some desperation. The best teams are the desperate ones. And without G, I can't understand how they can't be desperate tonight.

The place is gonna be rockin....

...I won't be able to talk....

Let's (frank)in win tonight.

Going to the game tonight.

Hope to see some desperation. The best teams are the desperate ones. And without G, I can't understand how they can't be desperate tonight.

The place is gonna be rockin....

...I won't be able to talk....

Let's (frank)in win tonight.
- Giroux_Is_God

All I care about tonight.

Forgot your lunch again?
- BringBack25

No, he walked to school.

- Deasr1

or scores a lap dance from the dancing guy

Root for Flyers West - Justin Williams (hated that trade), Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter.
- Daman

I only root for the Flyers.
All other games I watch as an unattached hockey fan. I truly do not care who wins if the Flyers aren't playing.

I want the Flyers to lose so that I can watch 24/7 without feeling guilty!

Root for Flyers West - Justin Williams (hated that trade), Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter.
- Daman

Amazing how good that team became after they unloaded Jack Johnson.

Totally agree. Idk why he hasn't got more icetime. Id like to see him with a lot o ficetime tonight. He seems to be 1 player that has used his speed this entire series.
- Sabreshark

he's fast and shifty but he losses the puck a lot!

I only root for the Flyers.
All other games I watch as an unattached hockey fan. I truly do not care who wins if the Flyers aren't playing.
- Scoob

When your top player who is considered one of the best players in the League, is 23. And you have a player like Couturier who is already a very good player, who is 19. And hasn't come close to the top of his potential. Same thing for Schenn who is 20. And JVR and Voracek, who are what 23, and still developing into players. Not to mention a young guy in Simmonds who took a lot of steps forward who is also in his early 20's. I can see why their best chance is in the next couple of years. Hey if they don't win the Cup in the next two years, I'd break it up and start over.
- MJL

I will gently disagree with this logic, MJL. Imo Teams win not just because they have good players but because some players outperform their contracts. In other words, its not the performance alone - its something like the difference between performance and pay. The greater the difference across players (assuming it is positive), the greater the team's chances. Typically, this happens because some rookies play great on their first contracts or players who were average elsewhere do great in that team or some guys have career years an so on.

Two years from now, Giroux will be getting probably double if not more. Couturier will get a huge raise. If Simmer continues to score 20+ goals, so will he. And so on. This means there will be less money elsewhere to spend.

And in that sense, yes, I am afraid there is a window, for if these guys all blossom, then we won't be able to afford them all after 2 years.

I only root for the Flyers.
All other games I watch as an unattached hockey fan. I truly do not care who wins if the Flyers aren't playing.
- Scoob

I won't watch, but I would not want Richards and Carter to win -- I'd root for NJ or NY before them.

No
- Flyskippy

Amazing how good that team became after they unloaded Jack Johnson.
- bradleyc4

If the Devils can maintain the intensity of their all-out level of play, they will be hard to beat. Even with that, the Flyers, in spite of being outplayed and out-worked, still have kept the games close and could have snuck out with a victory or two.

One thing that may take that intensity out of the Devils’ game would be the ability of the Flyers to re-establish their fore-check. You can’t do normal dump-ins on Brodeur. If the far-wing is ahead of the play and the pass is not available then you use a HARD wrap with the expectation that Brodeur cannot/will not handle it and the far-winger will be able to pressure/beat the defenseman to the puck as it comes back up around the dot to the top of the circle. Otherwise, if the puck carrier is not given the line, he gives a soft dump or chip into the near corner, outside of the trapezoid, for either him or the center to establish the fore-check. If the puck is coming up the middle, then use the soft dump into the corner that will provide the best puck pursuit.

On the opposite end, the Flyers need to be positioned on dump-ins to allow the puck to continue moving in the direction it is going, with force, even if it means icing the puck. The Flyers like to reverse the puck defensively to settle the puck and establish the break-out. Unfortunately, the Devils have been all over this and it has led to a lot of turnovers and several goals.

I really think the Flyers are the better team but the Devils have been playing virtually perfect hockey other than the last 50+ minutes of game 1. I do not see them as being to maintain that level of intensity indefinitely. If the Flyers keep their legs moving, their sticks on the ice and can make some adjustments to improve their own and diminish the Devils’ fore-check, they can come back.

To the person who posted Wellwood’s picture earlier in the thread: Unfortunately, his puck possession skills are poor. If you could do a “The Fly” type of experiment with him and Jagr, that would be awesome. Unless he is behind the D or more than a stick length away from an opponent, he should not be carrying the puck, he should be dishing it off.

I would love to see Simmonds get his groove back. His great hockey sense has just been off since early in the Penguins series. In particular, on the fore-check, his pursuit angles are off just enough so that a majority of the time he has been on the wrong side of the direction of the puck (coming in to the left of a Devil when that player is already positioned to move the puck to the right).

I think I’m rambling. I’ll stop now.

Amazing how good that team became after they unloaded Jack Johnson.
- bradleyc4

*salutes our captain*

I will gently disagree with this logic, MJL. Imo Teams win not just because they have good players but because some players outperform their contracts. In other words, its not the performance alone - its something like the difference between performance and pay. The greater the difference across players (assuming it is positive), the greater the team's chances. Typically, this happens because some rookies play great on their first contracts or players who were average elsewhere do great in that team or some guys have career years an so on.

Two years from now, Giroux will be getting probably double if not more. Couturier will get a huge raise. If Simmer continues to score 20+ goals, so will he. And so on. This means there will be less money elsewhere to spend.

And in that sense, yes, I am afraid there is a window, for if these guys all blossom, then we won't be able to afford them all after 2 years.
- PT21

Amazing how good that team became after they unloaded Jack Johnson.
- bradleyc4

hmm, didn't think of it that way, but you may be onto something

hmm, didn't think of it that way, but you may be onto something
- Marc D

he absolutely is. jack johnson is DREADFUL.

he absolutely is. jack johnson is DREADFUL.
- OrangeBlack27

I wonder what the GAA is with him and without him since the trade. The Kings were still playing good defense when he was there they had trouble scoring goals.

I dunno.