Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Just Enough for 2nd Win

2 pts is 2 pts. On to the next and see If they can get 2 more

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Just Enough for 2nd Win
- bmeltzer

A win's a win.

It was great to see Read get on the board. He's been working his tail off all season long, and finally got rewarded.

Still have concerns. They keep trying to be too fancy. Keep things simple and drive the net, make the easy pass, don't force things and when it doubt blast it at the net.

Mason with another solid game. Really like how he is not letting a fluky goal turn into two or three goals.

A win's a win.

It was great to see Read get on the board. He's been working his tail off all season long, and finally got rewarded.

Still have concerns. They keep trying to be too fancy. Keep things simple and drive the net, make the easy pass, don't force things and when it doubt blast it at the net.

Mason with another solid game. Really like how he is not letting a fluky goal turn into two or three goals.
- Jsaquella

there is enough to like in this win to feel some improvements are being made, but the biggest missing for me is the lack of attack around the net. still way too much perimeter play and shots from distance (despite coburn's goal). for a team that's starved for goals, it's not enough. if they played a better team tonight, they probably lose.

What the hell is wrong with Claude Giroux???

there is enough to like in this win to feel some improvements are being made, but the biggest missing for me is the lack of attack around the net. still way too much perimeter play and shots from distance (despite coburn's goal). for a team that's starved for goals, it's not enough. if they played a better team tonight, they probably lose.
- hammarby31

Yep. The changes are evident, but they're still slow in coming. The improvement needs to start picking up more quickly.

I will give it a bit of a pass because they've been off for 6 days, and it can be hard to jump back into game conditions after that kind of break. Of course, the Rangers were banged up, starting a kid goalie and have had just as hard a time finding the twine as the Flyers have been...so it's take the two points and hope that the change starts happening faster

What the hell is wrong with Claude Giroux???
- LeftCoaster

He was named Captain too young

What the hell is wrong with Claude Giroux???
- LeftCoaster

The weight of the C

The weight of the C
- aightwebang17

Too much for the G

He was named Captain too young
- wilsonecho91

At first, I thought that was a pretty lame excuse for the team in general and Giroux in particular. But, more and more, I am coming to think that it might be the best explanation (closest to the truth). It does not look anything like the Giroux we saw before the lock out.

But, I also read reports about how Jagr had taken so much of the dressing room pressure off of the young guys and the absence of his leadership hurt everyone last year, especially Giroux. When LaCavellier was signed I thought he might help by taking on some of that leadership role.

Confidence can be a seductive lover. Sometimes it is the only difference between a 10 and 30 goal scorer. I know Giroux needs help. No idea exactly what that help might be.

a win is a win......................if not for Mason, they are still winless, imagine last night with Lundqvist, Callahan & Nash in the Ranger lineup.

It's time for Hextall to take over & begin the retooling, this team is terrible

again, living in the past, Giroux given the "C" is killing his game, (oh, our new Clarke?)
he was fine until they started that "our new Clarkie" philosophy again.
Richards didn't want it & he's gone

What the hell is wrong with Claude Giroux???
- LeftCoaster

No freaking clue. He is terrible right now

Couple posts last night. But now 9 straight without getting to 3 goals. I know with 8 straight it was bad as any team since '64?

Good stuff. Thank god for mase.

a win is a win......................if not for Mason, they are still winless, imagine last night with Lundqvist, Callahan & Nash in the Ranger lineup.

It's time for Hextall to take over & begin the retooling, this team is terrible
- puckhead17

That was a bad game to watch. Both teams suck their chipping and chasing back and forth all game. Flipping to Bos/sj game it was like another league

That was a bad game to watch. Both teams suck their chipping and chasing back and forth all game. Flipping to Bos/sj game it was like another league
- Just5

Painful to watch, they are going nowhere, they should have grabbed that game last night, but it appears they are incapable of doing so, that Ranger team without 1/2 the talent, was like a first year expansion team, & again Mason wins it for them.
This is ugly & painful

Watching Timonen is just painful right now, he's clearly lost a step and whats worse is that he's making bad decisions with the puck way too often.

If he's injured, get him out of the lineup asap. If he's healthy, perhaps its time for Holmgren to have a chat with him about retirement. I'm a huge fan of Kimmo and I have the utmost respect for him but something needs to be done.

Watching Timonen is just painful right now, he's clearly lost a step and whats worse is that he's making bad decisions with the puck way too often.

If he's injured, get him out of the lineup asap. If he's healthy, perhaps its time for Holmgren to have a chat with him about retirement. I'm a huge fan of Kimmo and I have the utmost respect for him but something needs to be done.
- BiggE

you mean him & Holmgren both chatting about retirement together

they should play the tape at games of Snider blasting that reporter (at the Berube press conf.) about a culture change over & over

you mean him & Holmgren both chatting about retirement together
- puckhead17

I know its been discussed, but does anyone else here think they would have been better/better off letting Giroux recover more from his freak hand injury and Voracek from his back injury. 2 of the top 6 forwards or 2/3 of the first line are not physically right on top of all the systematic issues and the lack of a training camp. I mean it couldnt have been much worse record wise, young players would have had time earlier and the players at least physically would have been better.
Throwing Hartnell into the mix means the first line of 2011-12 and part of 12-13 is/was out.

They still look like cement heads and stone hands with the passing and positionally play

I can't believe that Talbot was not seriously help. Glad to see he was ok and came back to play.
The game was so exciting that the World Series was a better alternative. Even that game was slow and boring.

That 5 minute major power play was pretty inept as well. The only good thing last night (other than the win) was that Toronto overturned that goal against the Flyers.

I know its been discussed, but does anyone else here think they would have been better/better off letting Giroux recover more from his freak hand injury and Voracek from his back injury. 2 of the top 6 forwards or 2/3 of the first line are not physically right on top of all the systematic issues and the lack of a training camp. I mean it couldnt have been much worse record wise, young players would have had time earlier and the players at least physically would have been better.
Throwing Hartnell into the mix means the first line of 2011-12 and part of 12-13 is/was out.

They still look like cement heads and stone hands with the passing and positionally play
- Steelmanpa

in bold, yeah, it will come, sure, an AHL goalie last night & no first line & again Mason was one save away from a tie & skill contest err i mean shootout, I couldn't watch it at home, I can't imagine all you season ticket holders doing so

On one hand I feel like if Giroux would just have a good game for points, like a couple goals or a goal and couple assists, that things would turn around not just for him but for the team.

On the other hand I feel that the weight of the C might be crushing him. He's taking stupid penalties, doing stupid things (like cross checking Brassard into the net) and not getting caught, being lazy and immature. At first I thought being surrounded by all these former captains (Pronger, Timonen, Streit, Lecavalier) would be a good thing but as things get worse for Giroux, players are going to start leaving him alone, not seeking his input on how to do this or how to handle that just because they want to give him room to breathe. This might or may have already backfired because he'll see them going to these other guys and then trust issues develop from both sides. It seems a mess. Of course this is hypothetical on my part but something isn't working.

I hope my first hand is correct and my second hand is just some kind of idiot.

I can't believe that Talbot was not seriously help. Glad to see he was ok and came back to play.
The game was so exciting that the World Series was a better alternative. Even that game was slow and boring.
- bird_dog

I was very happy to see talbot not hurt. I'll take the 2 PTs but we have lots of work to do. They should have put the rangers away. The 2 on 1 with jake and Schenn was played well. Great pass and good shot. Just got robbed. The 3 on 1 however after it was horribly executed. Timonen and giroux were over passing and getting too cute. Keep it simple one pass shoot.

i think the flyers are trying to be to fancy at times they just need to shoot... there were a couple of plays last night were that extra pass cost them a shot on net.... if Richards goal proved anything last night ... shooting the puck at the net is never a bad idea....

That was a bad game to watch. Both teams suck their chipping and chasing back and forth all game. Flipping to Bos/sj game it was like another league
- Just5

yes, i was watching the kings/coyotes game and seeing richie and carter out there on the pk (richards with the great sweep check at the blue line sends carter in on a sh semi-break) made me wonder all over again. it does look like a different game