Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: No Letdown This Time

Bill, what are the chances that Hartnell gets traded? He is at best a 2and line winger but a great locker room guy. Personally i am on edge about him... He wont ever score 30 goals and to me a locker room guy doesnt seem worth 4.7.

how many games for Wilson?

Great bounce back win. Hopefully, Schenn is alright

Good win and an entertaining game. I don't remember such a nasty sentiment between us and the Caps in years past and this looks to be a burgeoning rivalry now that we're in same division. Of all the points Bill made, my favorite is that they competed hard throughout and made themselves unpleasant to play against. We need that energy more consistently!

how many games for Wilson?
- Jurco_28

2. He could of let up a bit but other then that Schenn shouldn't have turned last second when he seen him. That Wilson kid is going to be the next Lucic unless he can't figure it out point wise. Man that kid can fight and hit.

Washington is an interesting match up for the Flyers. They have a lot of talent, yet they aren't particularly disciplined and can both score and give up goals in bunches.

Last night's game would have been a lot more entertaining for me minus the cheap shot Fehr put on Giroux, and minus the cheapie Wilson delivered to B. Schenn.

It was good to see the Flyers keep their cool, and we had a hockey game last night where we could easily have had something resembling a gathering of the Highland clans.

2. He could of let up a bit but other then that Schenn shouldn't have turned last second when he seen him. That Wilson kid is going to be the next Lucic unless he can't figure it out point wise. Man that kid can fight and hit.
- blizzzard

ridiculous hit, he gets 2 or 3 games & it will not deter him or anyone else from doing that again & again.

Thornton assaulted Orpik after the whistle, Wilson assaulted Schenn before it, in both cases each guy was trying to purposely injure the other.

Washington is an interesting match up for the Flyers. They have a lot of talent, yet they aren't particularly disciplined and can both score and give up goals in bunches.

Last night's game would have been a lot more entertaining for me minus the cheap shot Fehr put on Giroux, and minus the cheapie Wilson delivered to B. Schenn.

It was good to see the Flyers keep their cool, and we had a hockey game last night where we could easily have had something resembling a gathering of the Highland clans.
- Doc_Sarcasm

we dodged a bullet on that one, he was completely unaware it was coming, such a late hit, he could have been out on that cheap shot as well.

ridiculous hit, he gets 2 or 3 games & it will not deter him or anyone else from doing that again & again.

Thornton assaulted Orpik after the whistle, Wilson assaulted Schenn before it, in both cases each guy was trying to purposely injure the other.
- puckhead17

I am not trying to start anything but you don't ever recall your teams players being on the giving end of hits like these ? I didn't think it was that dirty other then he didn't glide into the hit. I can think of a few times where Rinaldo has taken runs like that on Volchenkov.

ridiculous hit, he gets 2 or 3 games & it will not deter him or anyone else from doing that again & again.

Thornton assaulted Orpik after the whistle, Wilson assaulted Schenn before it, in both cases each guy was trying to purposely injure the other.
- puckhead17

Also What Thornton did was by no means a hockey play at all. Wilson tried to level Schenn and did. He should of let up knowing how far away Schenn was from the boards but I find it very hard to believe Schenn didn't see him coming last second and the hit wasn't directly on the numbers. He got a 5 minute major as he should of and will likely get 2 games.

I am not trying to start anything but you don't ever recall your teams players being on the giving end of hits like these ? I didn't think it was that dirty other then he didn't glide into the hit. I can think of a few times where Rinaldo has taken runs like that on Volchenkov.
- blizzzard

Yes, does that mean that we can't talk about it when it happens to our team?

Most of the time, the regular posters on this board recognize when a Flyer does something dumb and point it out themselves.

I can think of a few runs Volchenkov has taken at people, so does that mean that the Rinaldo hits are irrelevant? No. Just means that you can put aside rooting interest and call out a reckless play that ends up in an injury.

RIP B. Schenn...

I am not trying to start anything but you don't ever recall your teams players being on the giving end of hits like these ? I didn't think it was that dirty other then he didn't glide into the hit. I can think of a few times where Rinaldo has taken runs like that on Volchenkov.
- blizzzard

Sing it Kovalchuk, tell it to mother Russia

Aside from Grossman going after Wilson...is anyone else concerned with the lack of "stick up for your guys" from this team?

Giroux got hit way late by Fehr and then also got hit up high down below their net on a play and of course Schenn got leveled. I didn't really see anyone taking it physically to the Caps and I was a little surprised by it.

Obviously I'm nitpicking because the effort last night was great, but I feel like I've seen this before from this team. And of course, I"m not arguing for taking stupid penalties, making them pay on the scoreboard is the ultimate revenge, it just didn't feel right last night.

On the flipside, how great is Couterier going to be? I think the biggest thing he's doing for us right now is taking pressure off of Giroux who disappoints me as a captain with his lackadaisical defensive coverage (see Washington's second goal). Courterier stepping up make G not have to be THE MAN on every single shift, like it appeared he had to be during the first 8 games while this team sat back waiting for someone to be that guy.

Also What Thornton did was by no means a hockey play at all.
- blizzzard

Neither was Wilson's. Wilson was coming with such speed and force that he took himself out of the play. He wasn't there to remove the man from the puck to steal it or create offense since the force of the check put him on the ground. He was there to hurt, nothing more. This wasn't a check to stop a rush, close off the middle of the ice, or wear down a defenseman. This was a check to hurt Schenn and he accomplished it.

Eric Fehr restored the lead for Washington at the 5:31 mark. Mason had no chance on this one, which was a direct result of some poor defensive coverage by Erik Gustafsson.

I thought that was Giroux who lost track of Fehr and fell over as he scored.

I thought that was Giroux who lost track of Fehr and fell over as he scored.
- Feanor

It was. "Fraud" was all the way back at the goal line and lost the angle of Fehr. Gustafsson was coming back into the picture when the puck was in the net.

I thought that was Giroux who lost track of Fehr and fell over as he scored.
- Feanor

It was Gustafsson's guy. He went to the same side of the net Schenn did, but his responsibility was to go to the other side & prevent a pass from behind or a wrap around. Giroux is closest, because Gus didn't go where he was supposed to.

I am not trying to start anything but you don't ever recall your teams players being on the giving end of hits like these ? I didn't think it was that dirty other then he didn't glide into the hit. I can think of a few times where Rinaldo has taken runs like that on Volchenkov.
- blizzzard

Absolutely they were. Last preseason, both Shelley and Sestitov got 10-game suspensions for hits like that. Boulerice got 20 (not enough) games when he cross-checked Kesler in the mouth. I had no problem with any of those suspensions, and the Flyers, based on the 1970's, are always the "Broad Street Bullies" and are often associated with all dirty plays in hockey in many people's minds. That being said, it was a full-on charge launching a player with his back turned a few feet through the air into the boards.

It was. "Fraud" was all the way back at the goal line and lost the angle of Fehr. Gustafsson was coming back into the picture when the puck was in the net.
- jmatchett383

Gustafsson was late coming to the play because he blew his read. He went to the same side Schenn did, and failed to go to the far post. He didn't & Giroux's mistake was not recognizing the blown assignment sooner than he did.

But that's primarily Gus's fault. He goes where he's supposed to & nothing happens.

Gustafsson was late coming to the play because he blew his read. He went to the same side Schenn did, and failed to go to the far post. He didn't & Giroux's mistake was not recognizing the blown assignment sooner than he did.

But that's primarily Gus's fault. He goes where he's supposed to & nothing happens.
- Jsaquella

Dude, come on. You know all that "Fruad" does it glide around and never backcheck at all. It's completely his fault because he's lazy and a terrible captain.

I like Tom Wilson, and don't like Schenn, but that hit was garbage... Wilson came from the next county, and drilling someone that far from the boards is a recipe for disaster.

Schenn turned, but that's beside the point. He's getting launched into the boards either way... And it's hard to fault a guy for turning or ducking when you see a freight train coming. I saw some idiots on twitter last night saying that Schenn should learn how to take a hit. You stand there and have a 200 lb guy skating 30 mph coming right at you and just stand there and "take it".

Wilson should get 5+ for it... These 2-3 game suspensions aren't teaching anyone anything. Three more bad hits last night. Start hanging big numbers on these guys.

Nice bounce back.

I really don't see Wilson getting more than 2 if he gets anything at all. The major was justified, but that might be the only reprocussion he sees. It was a bad hit. I just don't think you're looking at 3+.

By the way, Fraud doesn't rhyme with Claude. I know it's a joke. Just saying is all.

Yes, does that mean that we can't talk about it when it happens to our team?

Most of the time, the regular posters on this board recognize when a Flyer does something dumb and point it out themselves.

I can think of a few runs Volchenkov has taken at people, so does that mean that the Rinaldo hits are irrelevant? No. Just means that you can put aside rooting interest and call out a reckless play that ends up in an injury.
- Jsaquella

No you are right two wrongs don't make a right. I was just saying that when you play that way you can likely expect someone to play that way against you ( not saying it is right ). It's unfortunate that Schenn is injured and even though I believe he saw Wilson at the last second it was still Wilson's responsibility to let up or turn away from the hit all together. But to say it was even close to the mugging of Thornton is just inaccurate ( this is for the other poster. Instead of commenting twice). Not every chance you get to hit someone will you be in a position to hit them as hard as you but that doesn't mean you still don't finish your check regardless but when you do get a chance to hurt someone with a clean hit ( I am not saying this was a clean hit at all ) you hit them as hard as you possibly can you don't say I am going to hit him with 75% power. So yea Wilson should of let up by all means or just gave up on the check all together but he is the type of player that is going to finish his check every time and will hit you 100% every time he can.