Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: A Dose of Perspective, Practice Day and Injury Updates

Yep, lets all jump off a bridge together on game 10. Until then, please Hexy, don't trade any youth or rush anyone- walk the talk buddy.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: A Dose of Perspective, Practice Day and Injury Updates
- bmeltzer

I hate being negative, but I had worries before the season started. They've come home to roost in the first three games. All the concerns I had have almost literally come to pass.

Weak defense corps get exposed, forwards don't do a good enough job in terms of playing a 200 foot game. Poor gap control makes it hard for them to move up ice and leaves them susceptible to counter attacking teams with strong forechecks. Five on five play again is a weakness.

We all want them to be better as a team, and Outside of simply playing better and skating hard for sixty minutes, I don't know what the fix is. I'm not a big fan of Berube, but I find it hard to blame him for much, if any of this mess.

The only real complaint I have about Berube is not giving Schenn more time on the first line, but Schenn was skating with all the enthusiasm of a guy heading in for a colonoscopy. That's not a good sign.

Hopefully there is some good news on Coburn later today.

Tough injury for Morin, at least he did not look concussed skating off the ice.
Hopefully he has no lingering symptoms after his jaw mends.

Goaltending has been more then decent.
Simmer has been red hot.
Even VLC looks better so far this year.

They can turn this around. It won't be easy with all the tough games coming up.

The easiest thing to do is to keep positive. As a Flyer fan I am so numb to this situation because it's expected year after year. Same problems, same excuses. Flyers will end up winning some games then revert back and repeat cycle.

Different GM, different coach, different players...same mistakes. On one positive Hextall still has time to fix the glaring issues. Find an identity and stick with it.

I hate being negative, but I had worries before the season started. They've come home to roost in the first three games. All the concerns I had have almost literally come to pass.

Weak defense corps get exposed, forwards don't do a good enough job in terms of playing a 200 foot game. Poor gap control makes it hard for them to move up ice and leaves them susceptible to counter attacking teams with strong forechecks. Five on five play again is a weakness.

We all want them to be better as a team, and Outside of simply playing better and skating hard for sixty minutes, I don't know what the fix is. I'm not a big fan of Berube, but I find it hard to blame him for much, if any of this mess.

The only real complaint I have about Berube is not giving Schenn more time on the first line, but Schenn was skating with all the enthusiasm of a guy heading in for a colonoscopy. That's not a good sign.
- Jsaquella

I kind of think that. like Vinny, Schenn really only wants to play centre. If he was giving it his all on the wing and it still wasn't working out, I'd be better with it. I agree that he's not looked motivated on the top line..

I wonder if there is anything to this Myers talk? If so, not sure what we'd give up or if it would be worth it as he's struggled mightily the last few years..

how nice it would be if our top line was jvr-g-jake

Hopefully there is some good news on Coburn later today.

Tough injury for Morin, at least he did not look concussed skating off the ice.
Hopefully he has no lingering symptoms after his jaw mends.

Goaltending has been more then decent.
Simmer has been red hot.
Even VLC looks better so far this year.

They can turn this around. It won't be easy with all the tough games coming up.
- Marc D

They had a superior Montreal team on the ropes after 40 mins Saturday..that's encouraging and it shows that they can do it when they play with a purpose.

I hate being negative, but I had worries before the season started. They've come home to roost in the first three games. All the concerns I had have almost literally come to pass.

Weak defense corps get exposed, forwards don't do a good enough job in terms of playing a 200 foot game. Poor gap control makes it hard for them to move up ice and leaves them susceptible to counter attacking teams with strong forechecks. Five on five play again is a weakness.

We all want them to be better as a team, and Outside of simply playing better and skating hard for sixty minutes, I don't know what the fix is. I'm not a big fan of Berube, but I find it hard to blame him for much, if any of this mess.

The only real complaint I have about Berube is not giving Schenn more time on the first line, but Schenn was skating with all the enthusiasm of a guy heading in for a colonoscopy. That's not a good sign.
- Jsaquella

As our good friend in Hespeler pointed out the other day, Berube put Lecavalier on the ice for the 4-on-3 in OT instead of the more creative and much more mobile Voracek. The shootout choices he made also were head-scratch-worthy. While I agree that Berube is not at root for the team's troubles (that would be poor trades, poor (re-)signings, & injuries up to three years ago to defensemen counted on being here this year), but he's not helping. A team that cannot hold a three-goal third-period lead is an ill-prepared team.

I kind of think that. like Vinny, Schenn really only wants to play centre. If he was giving it his all on the wing and it still wasn't working out, I'd be better with it. I agree that he's not looked motivated on the top line..

I wonder if there is anything to this Myers talk? If so, not sure what we'd give up or if it would be worth it as he's struggled mightily the last few years..
- Hextall271

Myers has been very up and down over the last few years. Ton of potential, but he's got a big contract and doesn't always live up to it.

how nice it would be if our top line was jvr-g-jake
- mydoglicks

I like JVR, but would that allow us to win games 6-5? It still wouldn't fix the problems on D.

Hell, the Flyers even quit defending. They didn't even try to skate. Mostly, they stood around helplessly as the Habs attacked and attacked and attacked. No one in an orange jersey even seemed to want to puck. The disc was handled like a hot potato, and the parade of turnover (both forced and unforced) was dizzying.

When the whole team panics and looks lost, even the best players, you have to wonder about the coaching.

how nice it would be if our top line was jvr-g-jake
- mydoglicks

How nice it would have been to win the draft and get Kane.

How nice it would have been to not have pronger not get hurt.

Can't live in woulda, coulda, shoulda's.


How would JVR fix our defensive problems? The problems is the team needs to keep their feet moving and all 5 players need to play team d. They stopped doing that in the third period.

Myers has been very up and down over the last few years. Ton of potential, but he's got a big contract and doesn't always live up to it.
- Jsaquella

The problem I'd have with him being here is that he'd be a top two guy with loads of pressure. Seems he might need to go to a team and be slotted lower on D. Having said that, he could be a piece that would help rebuild the D, and he's young so it's not a geezer stop gap. If the price is right, I'd be interested.

As our good friend in Hespeler pointed out the other day, Berube put Lecavalier on the ice for the 4-on-3 in OT instead of the more creative and much more mobile Voracek. The shootout choices he made also were head-scratch-worthy. While I agree that Berube is not at root for the team's troubles (that would be poor trades, poor (re-)signings, & injuries up to three years ago to defensemen counted on being here this year), but he's not helping. A team that cannot hold a three-goal third-period lead is an ill-prepared team.
- Flyskippy

That's valid on some levels, and I agree with the shoot out choices being less than stellar and not using Voracek on the 4 on 3 situation.

That said, I worry about the compete level and the intelligence level. They'd make a dumb play, and then double down by not aggressively working to correct the mistake. Then they'd repeat the mistake.

Part of it is that I doubt changing coaches would have any kind of impact.

As our good friend in Hespeler pointed out the other day, Berube put Lecavalier on the ice for the 4-on-3 in OT instead of the more creative and much more mobile Voracek. The shootout choices he made also were head-scratch-worthy.
- Flyskippy

Aside from Giroux, there are no good shootout choices on our team.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/sh...hootoutSkaterCareerTotals

Read is still at 37.5%, but has one SO goal in his last seven attempts.

Myers has been very up and down over the last few years. Ton of potential, but he's got a big contract and doesn't always live up to it.
- Jsaquella

I agree. But he is young enough to still turn it around and also that deal doesn't look bad when the cap goes up. I prefer a trade for someone like that over a vet if we are giving up assets.

The problem I'd have with him being here is that he'd be a top two guy with loads of pressure. Seems he might need to go to a team and be slotted lower on D. Having said that, he could be a piece that would help rebuild the D, and he's young so it's not a geezer stop gap. If the price is right, I'd be interested.
- Hextall271

I'd like myers in Philly but I wouldn't give up a whole lot for him to make that happen

The problem I'd have with him being here is that he'd be a top two guy with loads of pressure. Seems he might need to go to a team and be slotted lower on D. Having said that, he could be a piece that would help rebuild the D, and he's young so it's not a geezer stop gap. If the price is right, I'd be interested.
- Hextall271

Yup.

"Hey guy who struggled after a great first few seasons, we're going to trade a big stack of assets for you and hand you a ton of responsibility which adds to the pressure you'll feel from a rabid fanbase and clueless media"

I kind of think that. like Vinny, Schenn really only wants to play centre. If he was giving it his all on the wing and it still wasn't working out, I'd be better with it. I agree that he's not looked motivated on the top line..

I wonder if there is anything to this Myers talk? If so, not sure what we'd give up or if it would be worth it as he's struggled mightily the last few years..
- Hextall271

Myers has a $5.5 million cap hit through 2018-19. I'd stay far away from that. The Flyers would have to give up a roster player or two to make room for Myers' contract plus Buffalo would probably want a pick or a prospect. If so, that would be too much to give up for such an inconsistent player.

How nice it would have been to win the draft and get Kane.

How nice it would have been to not have pronger not get hurt.

Can't live in woulda, coulda, shoulda's.


How would JVR fix our defensive problems? The problems is the team needs to keep their feet moving and all 5 players need to play team d. They stopped doing that in the third period.
- J35Bacher

never said it would fix our d problems, just said it would be nice to have jvr as our top lw, because that is what he turned out to be

I agree. But he is young enough to still turn it around and also that deal doesn't look bad when the cap goes up. I prefer a trade for someone like that over a vet if we are giving up assets.
- J35Bacher

Certainly. But considering all factors, I'm not sure I'd be happy with it. He'd come in under a ton of pressure and have to assume a top pair role. With what they'd have to give up to get him, the team and fans would be expecting the moon and stars, and I'm not sure he can deliver.

That's valid on some levels, and I agree with the shoot out choices being less than stellar and not using Voracek on the 4 on 3 situation.

That said, I worry about the compete level and the intelligence level. They'd make a dumb play, and then double down by not aggressively working to correct the mistake. Then they'd repeat the mistake.

Part of it is that I doubt changing coaches would have any kind of impact.
- Jsaquella

Oddly, I think this is where a listless team needs a Laviolette or Hitchcock to come in and squeeze the best results out of what the roster has to offer. That said, replacing Berube now only helps this team down the road when they will have a better D corps and are ready to contend for a playoff spot. It doesn't really do anything for a team that just has to take its lumps this season & wait for bad contracts to expire.

Myers has been very up and down over the last few years. Ton of potential, but he's got a big contract and doesn't always live up to it.
- Jsaquella

Not sure he is what the team needs. There is the potential that he becomes that though. If his price tag was Mantha from DET, what does that equate to in Flyers personnel?

How did he look with Coburn in the worlds when they played together? I think that would need to be a consideration.