Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 1/8/14 vs. Montreal

Thanks for the great blog, Bill.

Man, it was nice to see the Flyers skate off with a win last night. I don't care how ugly a game it is, any victory over the Devils is sweet to me.


(The two Devils goals were the result of some ugly, ugly play by the Flyers)

Pretty interesting that the Simmonds-Schenn-Hartnell line that many of us hated, on paper, has been doing pretty well since put together.

Brayden Schenn's play of late is very encouraging.

Glad for the win, but their passing in the neutral zone is horrendous

Pretty interesting that the Simmonds-Schenn-Hartnell line that many of us hated, on paper, has been doing pretty well since put together.

Brayden Schenn's play of late is very encouraging.
- johndewar

Also interesting that you're no longer hearing the armchair GM's here talk about how awful Hartnell is and how he has to be moved.

Also interesting that you're no longer hearing the armchair GM's here talk about how awful Hartnell is and how he has to be moved.
- Doc_Sarcasm

You still have to think about it. If he can fetch a young mobile dman with upside.

Good game by the boys. Cooter and vinny look completely ineffective with each other. Cooter needs read back in a big way

LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!

You still have to think about it. If he can fetch a young mobile dman with upside.

Good game by the boys. Cooter and vinny look completely ineffective with each other. Cooter needs read back in a big way
- Just5

Newflash... this just in.... Hartnell STILL has a full NMC.

Being in second place right now is why there is a full season and you don't give up in your team after 15 games.

To all those who packed it in and wanted to gut half the roster:

LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!
- ggunky

LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!
- ggunky

+1

Pretty interesting that the Simmonds-Schenn-Hartnell line that many of us hated, on paper, has been doing pretty well since put together.

Brayden Schenn's play of late is very encouraging.
- johndewar

He's been great lately. Maybe his best stretch of hockey since making it to the NHL.

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 1/8/14 vs. Montreal
- bmeltzer

Was hoping to hear your analysis as to why Giroux was left off the Canada roster.

Being in second place right now is why there is a full season and you don't give up in your team after 15 games.

To all those who packed it in and wanted to gut half the roster:
- funmaster18

I was thinking about this yesterday, with all of the Olympic hoopla and a couple of national writers giving their mid-season NHL reports.

With all of the talk of the Flyers' slow start and (HORROR!) Craig Berube taking over as coach, I'm still a bit surprised the turnaround hasn't been at least mentioned by national writers. It's like the Flyers are a non-entity, nationally, unless discussing the early season mediocrity of the Metro division or Claude Giroux's Olympic snub or Bryz signing with another team.

Was hoping to hear your analysis as to why Giroux was left off the Canada roster.
- PhillySportsGuy

Seconded.

He's been great lately. Maybe his best stretch of hockey since making it to the NHL.
- PhillySportsGuy

And oddly enough... he is doing it as a center! (gasp)

He set a career high for points in a season last night... and we are only 43 games in. Its been refreshing to see the offensive depth clicking over the past month or two.

Glad B. Schenn is ok. That was scary... Could have potentially been really bad.

Was hoping to hear your analysis as to why Giroux was left off the Canada roster.
- PhillySportsGuy

One more day.

Coming tomorrow: A look at the Flyers' Olympians and Olympic omissions.
- bmeltzer

And oddly enough... he is doing it as a center! (gasp)

He set a career high for points in a season last night... and we are only 43 games in. Its been refreshing to see the offensive depth clicking over the past month or two.
- jak521

I know. I was hoping they'd play him at center this season before they signed Vinny. Once they did, I knew he'd be a winger. I wanted them to keep him at wing so he could get accustomed to it, but that didn't happen either. I hate the idea of moving him all around. I'm sure he'll be at wing soon enough

One more day.
- tangent_man

Serves me right for skimming at the end.

And oddly enough... he is doing it as a center! (gasp)

He set a career high for points in a season last night... and we are only 43 games in. Its been refreshing to see the offensive depth clicking over the past month or two.
- jak521

should have traded it all for gaborik, big buff and yakupov

You still have to think about it. If he can fetch a young mobile dman with upside.

Good game by the boys. Cooter and vinny look completely ineffective with each other. Cooter needs read back in a big way
- Just5

There is a huge correlation between B Schenn suddenly looking very good and Couturier's line looking very bad.

One common denominator.

Pretty interesting that the Simmonds-Schenn-Hartnell line that many of us hated, on paper, has been doing pretty well since put together.

Brayden Schenn's play of late is very encouraging.
- johndewar

Brayden has been great lately. Very hard on him sometimes, but also forget he's still just 22. I just wish they would bump Vinny in the lineup. I know Raffl has been good on the top line, but I think he'd work with Coots. I'd prefer to get Vinny going somehow.

Grossmann pass was a beauty, and his only his second multi-point game ever? Odd because he only played 15 min last night. Luke got more minutes the past few games and I think he's earned them.

You still have to think about it. If he can fetch a young mobile dman with upside.

Good game by the boys. Cooter and vinny look completely ineffective with each other. Cooter needs read back in a big way
- Just5

I suggested last night that the flyers may think about going with these line combos when read gets back.

Voracek-G-Raffl
Simmer_Schenn-Harts
Read-Vinny-Downie
Hall-Coots-Rinaldo

I know coots was awesome on the 3rd line but we really need to get Vinny firing. Plus that makes a good shutdown 4th line. I am not saying that Coots belongs on 4th line but I think it makes more sense then anyone else on 4th line

Serves me right for skimming at the end.
- PhillySportsGuy

It's early. I nearly did the same thing.