Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Brisk Practice, Hartnell, Mason, Carnival Magic

First

This team needs reminders on what made them successful in November and December? We are not talking about a young team with players still finding their way. We are talking about veteran players with playoff and stanley cup experience. And their winning streaks they had in November and late December, I would consider them to be more luck than success. Their west coast trip they had to come from behind to win every game they won except for Calgary. This team has yet to put together a stretch where they played dominate hockey and took control of games and never look back. They either fall behind early and try to play catch up or they get a jump on a team and then go into cruise control. This team is what it is and is a long ways away from being a playoff team.

Bill,
This the 2nd article you mentioned the 6-0-1 streak as being something special. The reality is that streak was against Edmonton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, and the Islanders. So that's only one playoff team and 3 last place teams during that streak (was 4 before Winnipeg won last night). I don't see anything great in that especially when you couple it with the fact that the flyers are 0-7 against the top 3 three playoffs teams in every other division except the metro getting outscored 31-12 in those games.

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!!!

Bill,
This the 2nd article you mentioned the 6-0-1 streak as being something special. The reality is that streak was against Edmonton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, and the Islanders. So that's only one playoff team and 3 last place teams during that streak (was 4 before Winnipeg won last night). I don't see anything great in that especially when you couple it with the fact that the flyers are 0-7 against the top 3 three playoffs teams in every other division except the metro getting outscored 31-12 in those games.
- psuhockey

Valid points, but they've got to have something to hang their hat on, and that was literally the only stretch of the season where they looked like they were pulling on the same rope.

This team needs reminders on what made them successful in November and December? We are not talking about a young team with players still finding their way. We are talking about veteran players with playoff and stanley cup experience.
- Daveflyers36

Absolutely they do. All teams do from time to time. Do you know what the Bruins - veteran Cup contenders with a ring and nearly another - did just this month when they hit a losing skid with a lot of GA? Part of what they did was similar to what Flyers did yesterday. Another part was to watch video of what they were doing well when winning.

Bill,
This the 2nd article you mentioned the 6-0-1 streak as being something special. The reality is that streak was against Edmonton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, and the Islanders. So that's only one playoff team and 3 last place teams during that streak (was 4 before Winnipeg won last night). I don't see anything great in that especially when you couple it with the fact that the flyers are 0-7 against the top 3 three playoffs teams in every other division except the metro getting outscored 31-12 in those games.
- psuhockey

Thats because the Flyers are a middle of the pack team. Their record reflects how good the team is. They aren't good but they aren't terrible. They're the classic 'C' student.

All we need to do is make sure we get Connor McDavid in 2015 and we're good to go right?

Trade every player on the roster for a 7th round pick.
Finish next year 2-80 (they'll still beat the Islanders twice!)
Trade our next 50 first rounders starting in 2016 to whomever has the second, third and 4thworst records in the league for their firsts in 2015 and that should just about lock McDavid up!

Stanley Cup in 2016!

Sadly, the above is still not as stupid as some of the crap I've seen on here the last couple of days!

Bill,
This the 2nd article you mentioned the 6-0-1 streak as being something special. The reality is that streak was against Edmonton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, and the Islanders. So that's only one playoff team and 3 last place teams during that streak (was 4 before Winnipeg won last night). I don't see anything great in that especially when you couple it with the fact that the flyers are 0-7 against the top 3 three playoffs teams in every other division except the metro getting outscored 31-12 in those games.
- psuhockey

You are looking at the opponents (and underrating the trap games among them). I am looking at how the Flyers were playing.

Ottawa had won three in a row and had been playing very good hockey of late when the Flyers came in and smoked them 5-0 in what I think was the best 60 mins of hockey the Flyers have played since Game 6 of the 2012 playoffs against Pittsburgh.

Next night, Flyers beat the Penguins 2-1 in regulation.

Again, the other thing about that entire stretch of play is the WAY the team was playing. They were getting ahead early and not giving up any even strength goals -- stretch of five-plus games with zero ESGAs and no more than two goals against in regulation of any of them.

The way the Flyers were playing right then, it did not even really matter who they were playing. Once they got over the scoring hump in that Edmonton game, they were firing on all cylinders without sacrificing defense.

Thats because the Flyers are a middle of the pack team. Their record reflects how good the team is. They aren't good but they aren't terrible. They're the classic 'C' student.
- PhillySportsGuy

This team possesses talent, but not the right kind of talent or the kind of talent in the stage of development that suggests consistent success is possible.

I don't know what to do with this team. I'm out of ideas outside of "get better players".

Absolutely they do. All teams do from time to time. Do you know what the Bruins - veteran Cup contenders with a ring and nearly another - did just this month when they hit a losing skid with a lot of GA? Part of what they did was similar to what Flyers did yesterday. Another part was to watch video of what they were doing well when winning.
- bmeltzer

All teams hit losing skids I agree but the Bruins are atop the conference have been for the past couple of years. The blackhawks also hit a skid even with 2 cups but you are comparing apples and oranges. Both of those teams play consistant winning hockey and this current Flyers team is not capable of doing that. They started the year off horrible, played a nice little stretch of comeback and luck hockey with a couple good games mixed in. But for the most part against the good teams they are completely out classed. It is time that we accept this team for what it is. Most likely a team that is on the bubble but they end up on the outside looking in come April.

All we need to do is make sure we get Connor McDavid in 2015 and we're good to go right?

Trade every player on the roster for a 7th round pick.
Finish next year 2-80 (they'll still beat the Islanders twice!)
Trade our next 50 first rounders starting in 2016 to whomever has the second, third and 4thworst records in the league for their firsts in 2015 and that should just about lock McDavid up!

Stanley Cup in 2016!

Sadly, the above is still not as stupid as some of the crap I've seen on here the last couple of days!

- BiggE

But that ALL worked in NHL14!!!



/EA SPORTZ!!
//ITZ IN TEH GAME!

Great Blob.

I never think I'm going to be star struck until I come face to face with the player. I remember meeting Lindros as a kid. I spoke to him like Elmer Fudd. There are so many questions you want to ask, but at that moment, you can't remember any of them!

I guess being around the players all the time, makes it easier to gather your thoughts before asking.

Re: Mason. I feel the team needs to do a better job in front of him. No matter how confident a goalie is, he can still lose his confidence after allowing 3 goals. Even if the 3 goals aren't his fault.

It's easy to let one bad game go, but allowing so many goals in succession over a 3 week period is just a killer to any player's confidence.

All we need to do is make sure we get Connor McDavid in 2015 and we're good to go right?

Trade every player on the roster for a 7th round pick.
Finish next year 2-80 (they'll still beat the Islanders twice!)
Trade our next 50 first rounders starting in 2016 to whomever has the second, third and 4thworst records in the league for their firsts in 2015 and that should just about lock McDavid up!

Stanley Cup in 2016!

Sadly, the above is still not as stupid as some of the crap I've seen on here the last couple of days!

- BiggE

The level of discourse has indeed taken a right turn at Albuquerque. But, it is only a few persistent people.

Bill, regarding Mason: Do you think he's fatigued? There were games the first half of the season where the defense was letting up chances left and right, and he was able to bail them out. He was seeing (and has seen) a big work load and has had to play some pretty dazzling hockey for the Flyers to be where they are right now. I think he's just a bit run down, and if the Flyers can stay in contention, I think the Olympic break will do him wonders and he should be ready for a late-season push.

I'm not too worried about Mason.

This team has sucked defensively, out loud, for the past few games (and even in some games they were winning).

Bill,
This the 2nd article you mentioned the 6-0-1 streak as being something special. The reality is that streak was against Edmonton, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Buffalo, and the Islanders. So that's only one playoff team and 3 last place teams during that streak (was 4 before Winnipeg won last night). I don't see anything great in that especially when you couple it with the fact that the flyers are 0-7 against the top 3 three playoffs teams in every other division except the metro getting outscored 31-12 in those games.
- psuhockey

Agreed and seconded. When it comes to the top teams in the league this team is non competitive on most nights. It needs a lot of work.

I was listening to the Carnival coverage on the radio yesterday during a long drive to Wilkes Barre. The fans were calling in and really hammering the current team. Of course they wanted everyone traded and the ensuing question was "Are you as a fan ready to sit through a rebuild?"

Well we've already sat through a rebuild in 2007. That rebuild resulted in a Stanley Cup final appearance. The problem was the coach mismanaged the team to the point where the front office was put in a position where it had to make changes to support the coach or fire the guy who had just taken them to a Cup final.

So in comes the goalie savior and out goes the two forwards we had rebuilt around and eventually the first year goalie who had shown so much promise as a rookie. The hall of fame defender we acquired goes down permanently through a fluke stick to the eye and bang... we have this flacid looking team they ice three times a week.

There have been good moves in there that can easily be defended and there have been several bad moves that I wouldn't try to defend on my most forgiving day.

It's funny that Boston and the Flyers were in virtually the same place a few years ago. Their goaltending was stronger and our goal scoring was superior. They've held on to their core players and been to the finals twice since. We have Hartnell Giroux, Coburn and Timmonen left.

All teams hit losing skids I agree but the Bruins are atop the conference have been for the past couple of years. The blackhawks also hit a skid even with 2 cups but you are comparing apples and oranges. Both of those teams play consistant winning hockey and this current Flyers team is not capable of doing that. They started the year off horrible, played a nice little stretch of comeback and luck hockey with a couple good games mixed in. But for the most part against the good teams they are completely out classed. It is time that we accept this team for what it is. Most likely a team that is on the bubble but they end up on the outside looking in come April.
- Daveflyers36

I think we've accepted this. I think we all knew this team wasn't going to be a lock for the playoffs this year. They're still in it. I wouldn't say this team is worse then several of the other mid-level teams.

All we need to do is make sure we get Connor McDavid in 2015 and we're good to go right?

Trade every player on the roster for a 7th round pick.
Finish next year 2-80 (they'll still beat the Islanders twice!)
Trade our next 50 first rounders starting in 2016 to whomever has the second, third and 4thworst records in the league for their firsts in 2015 and that should just about lock McDavid up!

Stanley Cup in 2016!
- BiggE

Stop it with your making of sense. We all know that we'll never win unless we trade our entire roster for Shea Weber.

Agreed and seconded. When it comes to the top teams in the league this team is non competitive on most nights. It needs a lot of work.

I was listening to the Carnival coverage on the radio yesterday during a long drive to Wilkes Barre. The fans were calling in and really hammering the current team. Of course they wanted everyone traded and the ensuing question was "Are you as a fan ready to sit through a rebuild?"

Well we've already sat through a rebuild in 2007. That rebuild resulted in a Stanley Cup final appearance. The problem was the coach mismanaged the team to the point where the front office was put in a position where it had to make changes to support the coach or fire the guy who had just taken them to a Cup final.

So in comes the goalie savior and out goes the two forwards we had rebuilt around and eventually the first year goalie who had shown so much promise as a rookie. The hall of fame defender we acquired goes down permanently through a fluke stick to the eye and bang... we have this flacid looking team they ice three times a week.

There have been good moves in there that can easily be defended and there have been several bad moves that I wouldn't try to defend on my most forgiving day.

It's funny that Boston and the Flyers were in virtually the same place a few years ago. Their goaltending was stronger and our goal scoring was superior. They've held on to their core players and been to the finals twice since. We have Hartnell Giroux, Coburn and Timmonen left.
- mayorofangrytown

Now let's say Boston lost Chara to a career ending concussion and the Flyers never lost Pronger. Where would the teams be?

Stop it with your making of sense. We all know that we'll never win unless we trade our entire roster for Shea Weber.
- jmatchett383

Look, we don't need Weber. We need Buff, Rundblad and Yakupov. After we get them, it's all gravy.

Look, we don't need Weber. We need Buff, Rundblad and Yakupov. After we get them, it's all gravy.
- PhillySportsGuy

Well Rundblad is a surefire lock for the HOF. He's torn it up in the AHL.
Yakupov's a proven entity who will surely win 8 or 9 Rocket Richard Trophies.
Buff is the next Bobby Orr, but better.

Look, we don't need Weber. We need Buff, Rundblad and Yakupov. After we get them, it's all gravy.
- PhillySportsGuy

1.) Get Buff, Rundblad, and Yakupov.
2.) ????
3.) Stanley Cup parade!

Now let's say Boston lost Chara to a career ending concussion and the Flyers never lost Pronger. Where would the teams be?
- PhillySportsGuy

Oh no he did Int!