Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 12/2/14 @ SJ

Looks like McGinn's playing basically the same role he had here. Healthy scratch, spot start on the top line. Still pleasantly surprised Hextall managed to grab a third rounder for him. It'll look even better if the Sharks continue to go in the wrong direction.

Hi Bill, great stuff as usual.

I was wondering what is your take on Laughton ? I've been really impressed with his speed and hockey IQ.

Thanks Bill. I would bench Coby for Carlo. Coby seems to have lost all confidence, and I would be looking to trade him.
The only knock on Chief is his line changes. Quit juggling the lines, and trying to find out what works. Sometimes, players just have to play through their problems. Patience is the key here.
I would also consider benching, and trading Read. He had one good season, and is now playing like dead weight. All he does is dump the puck into the O zone, and go for a line change.
I think that we are stuck with VL. If we can, I would buy him out. Nothing personal, but I just don't think that we need another center. Thanks Homer.
I am counting on next season already. If the forwards have given up, then there is not much else the team or coaching can do. I don't know what happened over that five day break, but this just doesn't look like the same team. I wonder if they had a team meeting, and everyone decided to go on a permanent vacation.
Good luck with the rest of the season players. If you don't play for pride, and dignity, then why should we bother watching you guys. Just take your money, and go. I wouldn't be surprised if Hexy has a fire sale at the trade deadline. Heart, and soul guys are now hard to find in this league. So, if a team has such a person, then they should keep them as long as possible.
Thanks for listening.

When do you sleep Bill ? Great work as always.

As I discussed with Jsaquella the other night, my fear is the toxic environment of the losing locker room and it affecting current mature players, young players on calls ups and other free agents they wont be able to over pay to get in cap hell. I also think the coach has overtinkered with the lines/ dpairings and spoiled the stew.

Nobody in their right mind is going to want the two albatrosses on the team, Vinny is not happy with his ice time and Umberger is a dead man skating ( Corpseburger references here) A 9 million dollar bag of waste. They need to man up and retire from the NHL and go play in the Euro leagues.

Like I said the other night, if these players have any pride, millions of dollars cant make up for the workplace environment. There has to be some really awkward stuff going on in the locker room.

At some point Berube has to go as well as the guys skating in cement with stone hands.

Bill,
What did you think of the Hartnell-Umb trade when it happened?

Thanks Bill. I would bench Coby for Carlo. Coby seems to have lost all confidence, and I would be looking to trade him.
The only knock on Chief is his line changes. Quit juggling the lines, and trying to find out what works. Sometimes, players just have to play through their problems. Patience is the key here.
I would also consider benching, and trading Read. He had one good season, and is now playing like dead weight. All he does is dump the puck into the O zone, and go for a line change.
I think that we are stuck with VL. If we can, I would buy him out. Nothing personal, but I just don't think that we need another center. Thanks Homer.
I am counting on next season already. If the forwards have given up, then there is not much else the team or coaching can do. I don't know what happened over that five day break, but this just doesn't look like the same team. I wonder if they had a team meeting, and everyone decided to go on a permanent vacation.
Good luck with the rest of the season players. If you don't play for pride, and dignity, then why should we bother watching you guys. Just take your money, and go. I wouldn't be surprised if Hexy has a fire sale at the trade deadline. Heart, and soul guys are now hard to find in this league. So, if a team has such a person, then they should keep them as long as possible.
Thanks for listening.
- OrangeAndBlack1

Read has had two 20 plus goal seasons and was on pace for 20 during the lockout(11). Hardly "one good season".

The only knock on Chief is his line changes
- OrangeAndBlack1

What about how much time he plays Umberger and Vinnie? Those guys shouldn't even be suiting up, let alone getting the ice time they do.

I would also consider benching, and trading Read.

Read keeps getting moved from line to line, and wing to wing. It's hard to get any sort of momentum going when that's happening. As MB said, he has two 20 goal seasons in the books.. even in the lockout season he was on pace for 20+ again... I know people are frustrated with him, but I think it's way to early to be giving up on him. If the trade package involving him would be an awesome deal, do it... but I wouldn't be just trying to unload him, just to unload him. Especially when we have bigger problems with Vinnie and Umberger.

[quote=WarriorHockey21]What about how much time he plays Umberger and Vinnie? Those guys shouldn't even be suiting up, let alone getting the ice time they do.




Vinny played less then 7 minutes last game. I think 9 shifts.

What about how much time he plays Umberger and Vinnie? Those guys shouldn't even be suiting up, let alone getting the ice time they do.

Read keeps getting moved from line to line, and wing to wing. It's hard to get any sort of momentum going when that's happening. As MB said, he has two 20 goal seasons in the books.. even in the lockout season he was on pace for 20+ again... I know people are frustrated with him, but I think it's way to early to be giving up on him. If the trade package involving him would be an awesome deal, do it... but I wouldn't be just trying to unload him, just to unload him. Especially when we have bigger problems with Vinnie and Umberger.
- WarriorHockey21

Maybe Read's problem is the center he's playing with.

[quote=WarriorHockey21]What about how much time he plays Umberger and Vinnie? Those guys shouldn't even be suiting up, let alone getting the ice time they do.




Vinny played less then 7 minutes last game. I think 9 shifts.
- J35Bacher

True, but that's the exception at this point, not the rule. Umberger should have been benched/scratched long ago.

so, west coast trip.
perfect time to make a trade with a west coast team, or to trade a popular player so you don't have to answer to the local media much.

True, but that's the exception at this point, not the rule. Umberger should have been benched/scratched long ago.
- Flyskippy

But how to you have any chance of trading either of them is they don't play themselves out of this funk?
I know, the likelihood of trading them is low to begin with, but it has to be zero if they are sitting in the press box.

[quote=WarriorHockey21]What about how much time he plays Umberger and Vinnie? Those guys shouldn't even be suiting up, let alone getting the ice time they do.




Vinny played less then 7 minutes last game. I think 9 shifts.
- J35Bacher

Which is less than he was getting, but it's still too much imo. That's the first game they were under 10 mins TOI... they were around 11 before that, and they were at 14 mins a piece vs the Islanders, and the games before that...

Maybe Read's problem is the center he's playing with.
- TheGreat28

Or maybe it's the absence of Adam Hall causing their line to take so many defensive zone starts along with getting the toughest minutes of the Flyers lineup this season?

Maybe Read's problem is the center he's playing with.
- TheGreat28

I know it's not the popular opinion, but I tend to agree that's part of it...

But how to you have any chance of trading either of them is they don't play themselves out of this funk?
I know, the likelihood of trading them is low to begin with, but it has to be zero if they are sitting in the press box.
- nails

You can't preach accountability (AccountaBerubelity!) on one hand and not do it on the other unless you want a locker room full of angst and resentment and... oh.

so, west coast trip.
perfect time to make a trade with a west coast team, or to trade a popular player so you don't have to answer to the local media much.
- nails

Or best a team on its home ice, causing them to fire their coach and then your team fires its coach to hire their coach...

[/dream]

You can't preach accountability (AccountaBerubelity!) on one hand and not do it on the other unless you want a locker room full of angst and resentment and... oh.
- Flyskippy

It's all part of the plan skip.
I don't know what that plan is.
I don't think anyone knows what that plan is.
BUT IT IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN!

so, west coast trip.
perfect time to make a trade with a west coast team, or to trade a popular player so you don't have to answer to the local media much.
- nails

Perfect time for several of our freeloaders to catch the mumps, too.

Or best a team on its home ice, causing them to fire their coach and then your team fires its coach to hire their coach...


- Flyskippy[/dream]

As long as they don't play the oilers for that scenario

Perfect time for several of our freeloaders to catch the mumps, too.
- Tomahawk

permanently.
medical LTIR is our only hope I think

Quit juggling the lines, and trying to find out what works. Sometimes, players just have to play through their problems. Patience is the key here.
- OrangeAndBlack1

Chief seems to be falling into the novice trap of over-coaching. Juggling lines incessantly, line-matching religiously with no regard to rhythm of the game, pulling goalies too often and too soon, etc.

IMO.

Couts in a nutshell.

1 step forward...... 3 steps back. Is he even developing??? He was better as a rookie IMO.

Chief seems to be falling into the novice trap of over-coaching. Juggling lines incessantly, line-matching religiously with no regard to rhythm of the game, pulling goalies too often and too soon, etc.

IMO.
- Tomahawk

Cheif is acting quite desperate. Trigger happy.