Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Five-of-Six from Three-in-Four

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Five-of-Six from Three-in-Four
- bmeltzer

"Once the hockey portion of the game ended in a tie"



Brilliant way to put it.

(repost from other thread, and off for the night hooligans)

Pay 80$ for nosebleed seats for this game. A lot of Flyer fans in the crowd, hope it was visible on the telecast.

Few notes.

Goaltending:
-Flyers may have truly found a keeper in Mason. Kept them in the game all night long.

Offense:
-I would say that things are starting to look better, the passing in particular I think is much better than earlier in the season.

Defense:
-Overall as a group I thought they did well, but that bottom pairing killed them. Any time Schenn-Guss were on the ice, it gave momentum to the jets. Guss has a long way to go if he wants to be an NHL regular, he gets outworked down low far too easily, and is slow with his reads.

Luke Schenn. Sigh. I thought from watching it live he had a bad game along with Guss. The lack of speed is really clear and the other teams feasts when he is on the ice.

Coaching:
What lost the game to a big degree imo. Its a moronic move to have Timonen, who has done nothing all season as your "must score" shooter. I understand playing solid defensively, but this team under Berube continues to try and sit back consistently. Its a joke of a way to play, and we all knew it would cost them. There needs to be more balance, not just so focused on sitting back, when is a growing trend I attribute to coaching.

Lastly, and this goes along with coaching, I dont know for sure what the minutes were tonight, but it seemed like the line of Coots was out there continously. Now I understand Berube is trying to match up, but we all know that line isnt going to be great in terms of offensive production. Focusing so much on "shutting down" the other team is foolish imo.

At the end of it, they played not to lose imo, and in this league, thats exactly how you often do end up on the wrong side of the win chart.

Write your own blog peanut!

Have to say Bill, I usually agree with you, but from a live standpoint Luke Schenn had a poor game.

Any time him and Guss were on the ice together the Jets were feasting. That pairing scared me all night.

Once the hockey portion of the game ended in a tie, a pair of Winnipeg shooters (Setoguchi and Blake Wheeler) converted their chances by shooting high to Mason's blocker side.
- bmeltzer

No complaints whatsoever about this week. None. You take five of six points...each of the three opponents presenting different challenges, and one of them a back to back...

No one has heard me moaning about this team all week, and as a matter of fact, I'm as excited about the next few weeks as I could possibly be.

I want Paul Holmgren to save his job, and I want this team to play well. I want them to make the playoffs, even if its as the eighth seed.

hated ending a good road trip with a shoot out loss ... mostly because, well ... it was a shoot out.


but, 5 of 6 points ... we're playing better ... and we have some winnable games coming up this week. These are good things.

Good nite all and go Flyers.

Was hoping for a win, but I am happy with the five out of six points. Go Flyers Go!

No complaints whatsoever about this week. None. You take five of six points...each of the three opponents presenting different challenges, and one of them a back to back...

No one has heard me moaning about this team all week, and as a matter of fact, I'm as excited about the next few weeks as I could possibly be.

I want Paul Holmgren to save his job, and I want this team to play well. I want them to make the playoffs, even if its as the eighth seed.
- AllInForFlyers

Yep, the end result tonight is a bummer, but overall, it was a good road trip with a load of positives.

(repost from other thread, and off for the night hooligans)

Pay 80$ for nosebleed seats for this game. A lot of Flyer fans in the crowd, hope it was visible on the telecast.

Few notes.

Goaltending:
-Flyers may have truly found a keeper in Mason. Kept them in the game all night long.

Offense:
-I would say that things are starting to look better, the passing in particular I think is much better than earlier in the season.

Defense:
-Overall as a group I thought they did well, but that bottom pairing killed them. Any time Schenn-Guss were on the ice, it gave momentum to the jets. Guss has a long way to go if he wants to be an NHL regular, he gets outworked down low far too easily, and is slow with his reads.

Luke Schenn. Sigh. I thought from watching it live he had a bad game along with Guss. The lack of speed is really clear and the other teams feasts when he is on the ice.

Coaching:
What lost the game to a big degree imo. Its a moronic move to have Timonen, who has done nothing all season as your "must score" shooter. I understand playing solid defensively, but this team under Berube continues to try and sit back consistently. Its a joke of a way to play, and we all knew it would cost them. There needs to be more balance, not just so focused on sitting back, when is a growing trend I attribute to coaching.

Lastly, and this goes along with coaching, I dont know for sure what the minutes were tonight, but it seemed like the line of Coots was out there continously. Now I understand Berube is trying to match up, but we all know that line isnt going to be great in terms of offensive production. Focusing so much on "shutting down" the other team is foolish imo.

At the end of it, they played not to lose imo, and in this league, thats exactly how you often do end up on the wrong side of the win chart.
- flyer_nutter

Timo has done well in the past on those shots.....he's better than harts!

Yep, the end result tonight is a bummer, but overall, it was a good road trip with a load of positives.
- Jsaquella

yup good news for the team going forward

ah damn i missed a good old fashioned merits/problems of shootouts arguments.

ah damn i missed a good old fashioned merits/problems of shootouts arguments.
- stayinthefnnet

Yeah be jealous!

Yeah be jealous!
- Giroux_Is_God

i am actually! i am personally so torn on the matter

i am actually! i am personally so torn on the matter
- stayinthefnnet

I can see why some people are. I'm pretty stubborn when it comes to shootouts- I want them OUT

Gimme 4v4 OT and ties back and I won't complain. That's just me though. I'm as tall as Gary Bettman, but that doesn't mean I am Gary Bettman

I can see why some people are. I'm pretty stubborn when it comes to shootouts- I want them OUT

Gimme 4v4 OT and ties back and I won't complain. That's just me though. I'm as tall as Gary Bettman, but that doesn't mean I am Gary Bettman
- Giroux_Is_God

well on one hand, i hate the concept of a tie. for basically the reasons mentioned already. so nothing ending in a tie would get my vote.

as far as the actual shootout goes, on one hand, i think calling it a gimmick is a little harsh, but at the same time, something does feel a tad off being able to end a game with something that the league itself doesnt feel is official enough to end a playoff game.

but then again, regardless of the purism arguments, they are (frank)ing exciting as hell. (when timonen isnt involved that is)

well on one hand, i hate the concept of a tie. for basically the reasons mentioned already. so nothing ending in a tie would get my vote.

as far as the actual shootout goes, on one hand, i think calling it a gimmick is a little harsh, but at the same time, something does feel a tad off being able to end a game with something that the league itself doesnt feel is official enough to end a playoff game.

but then again, regardless of the purism arguments, they are (frank)ing exciting as hell. (when timonen isnt involved that is)
- stayinthefnnet

They're not exciting. They're stupid.

They're not exciting. They're stupid.
- Jsaquella

i wont disagree, because it largely is an issue of personal preference. but for me, i am unsure of just how deserving they are to decide a victory, but i find it hard to imagine not viewing it as exciting, especially in a league starving for flash as it is for the average fan

Seriously. I really don't understand this collective fixation on the shootout. I would suggest not losing sleep over it fellas.

Seriously. I really don't understand this collective fixation on the shootout. I would suggest not losing sleep over it fellas.
- Schenn2shine

No sleep is lost here.

The only thing I lose sleep over is pharmacy school. Aka I get no sleep at all

No sleep is lost here.

The only thing I lose sleep over is pharmacy school. Aka I get no sleep at all
- Giroux_Is_God

For those who hate it, chances are you're still watching it and considering it a victory if we're successful. I have yet to hear about or even see a legitimate boycott. For some the shootout is stupid but to me complaining about it is equally stupid because you can't change it.

Yep, the end result tonight is a bummer, but overall, it was a good road trip with a load of positives.
- Jsaquella

They do look different than they did a month ago -- thankfully -- and while the physical limitations are going to show up every once in a while, they really do appear to be focusing on what they're doing out there and not making as many low-percentage plays, losing plays, as they had been.

It was a good trip. If they can just put together a strong week next week...

They're not exciting. They're stupid.
- Jsaquella

Amen brother!!!

5 of 6 points on the road is very solid. Hate the way the trip ended with a late blown lead courtesy of a penalty from a block head.

Looks like another streak of 2 goals or less is starting again. On the season what is it now a ridiculous 15 out of 19 with 2 goals or less? Insane.

Win a (frank)ing shootout for Christ sake.