Bill Meltzer: Wrap: Flyers End Winless Streak with 5-2 Win in Calgary

Bill your thoughts on Sanheim benched in third when we are up 3 goals and we kleep plugging Manning out there?

Mission accomplished!!!

the bad news is we probably didnt deserve to win that game

I'm also wondering how Nolan and TK handle their third period. I know coach is coaching for a win but that's just worrying

Bill your thoughts on Sanheim benched in third when we are up 3 goals and we kleep plugging Manning out there?
- Buzzo

Sanheim isn't trusted much yet, and made a couple mistakes tonight where he was trying to do a little too much. I get it. Don't love it but I was expecting it with a 10-game losing streak and the tendency to rely on vets. Pretty clear that when Gudas is back that Sanheim sits some games. Also don't love that.

But for tonight, under the circumstances, I get that Hakstol didn't want to risk a mistake by a young player (Sanheim, Konecny or Patrick) ending up in the Philly net and turning it back into a two-goal game.

the bad news is we probably didnt deserve to win that game
- bulet13

Because of the shot differential? I didn't think there was nearly that big of a disparity in quality of chances. Elliott was great after the bad rebound goal on the first one. They got players to the net, skated well tonight. Yes, there were some lucky breaks with the penalty calls that were made and some bounces (like the Simmonds PPG that went off Couturier's skate right to him), but it was a deserved win.

People being hard on Patrick need to relax. All I will say is look at Coots.

lets see how they respond next game

lets see how they respond next game
- 2Real

tell me how they will

tell me how they will
- Nucker101

i'm predicting some edmonton puck luck

For all the Hakstol haters Lavy with time out magic again tonight. He called one when Boston closed to within 1. Forsberg scored shortly after

Shazier with a spinal contusion, per reports. So that's good.

Read a tweet that Tommy Maddox had the same exact injury and only missed one game back in the early 2000s.

Man watching that live was scary. Spent the last 5 hours refreshing the internet for updates.

Get the man some dexamethasone.

Shazier with a spinal contusion, per reports. So that's good.

Read a tweet that Tommy Maddox had the same exact injury and only missed one game back in the early 2000s.

Man watching that live was scary. Spent the last 5 hours refreshing the internet for updates.

Get the man some dexamethasone.
- Giroux_Is_God

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a positive outlook.

Thank you Brian Elliot who stole this game. He was just thanking Calgary for not resigning him, lol

Have to disagree Bill, happy for the win but if Smith shows up it would have been different. Let's give Elliot credit he stopped 43 of 45 shots. Elliot beat Smith is the real story plus of course the winless streak stopped at 10.

Shazier with a spinal contusion, per reports. So that's good.

Read a tweet that Tommy Maddox had the same exact injury and only missed one game back in the early 2000s.

Man watching that live was scary. Spent the last 5 hours refreshing the internet for updates.

Get the man some dexamethasone.
- Giroux_Is_God

ACP-C

Konecny 7:56
Sanheim 9:24
Patrick 8:22

Sigh

While I want to see the kids play, I also want to see the team win.

This was not just a win they needed, it was waaaaaayyy past time for the Flyers get a (frank)ING break on something. The PK was good for the second game.

Just a point that came to mind. The Flyers scored less then a minute into to the Sharks game and were shut out for almost 7 full periods between goals.

I liked the new lines and they seemed faster tonight than in a long time.

Patrick yet another Ill advised pass that winds up in the net. I don't think the third period ice time is punishment so much as trust in who to play to close out the game. TK continues to make that really nice pass off the defensive boards right to the open man from the other team. Pretty sure he has been told about that before. It seems to anchor his ass to the bench when he does it.

I keep hearing that Hak doesn't adjust during the game, yet his adjustments are not met with approval when he makes them. TBH, I have been surprised that he hasn't shortened the bench sooner. This team has coughed up a bunch of leads and needs to do whatever it takes to win.

Flames had a lot of shots but most where from bad angles or from distance. I think the good scoring chances were pretty even.

Good work as always Bill. Thanks for your efforts.

Glad to see the boys win one last night and actually show a pulse! The key though will be, can they follow this up with wins vs Edmonton and/or Vancouver.

Also, if what Bill alludes is true, and Sanheim takes a seat when Gudas returns, Im not going to be happy. The kid needs to play. The last thing this team needs are kids like Sanheim, Konecny and Patrick playing scared that any mistake will have them glued to the bench or scratched. Unless they keep making the same mistakes over and over again, you need to let them play through it and learn from their miscues.

Glad the Flyers got a win. Nice job by the top two an 4th lines.

IMHO Hakstol did a decent job of “feel” coaching. There have been nights where he has gone by the numbers. This was and wasn’t. Moving Jake and keeping G on wing, mixing the five d he was most comfortable with and the same with the three lines he leaned on.

I would have kept Jake with Cooter and moved G down with Patrick, but this worked really well.

Bring on the Oilers

Shazier with a spinal contusion, per reports. So that's good.

Read a tweet that Tommy Maddox had the same exact injury and only missed one game back in the early 2000s.

Man watching that live was scary. Spent the last 5 hours refreshing the internet for updates.

Get the man some dexamethasone.
- Giroux_Is_God

I read that he'll need surgery, so not sure if his season is over.

Just glad to hear that this won't stop him from leading a normal life. I was almost positive his career was over. Probably up there with the David Booth and Petr Svoboda hits as the scariest injury I've ever seen.

Sanheim isn't trusted much yet, and made a couple mistakes tonight where he was trying to do a little too much. I get it. Don't love it but I was expecting it with a 10-game losing streak and the tendency to rely on vets. Pretty clear that when Gudas is back that Sanheim sits some games. Also don't love that.

But for tonight, under the circumstances, I get that Hakstol didn't want to risk a mistake by a young player (Sanheim, Konecny or Patrick) ending up in the Philly net and turning it back into a two-goal game.
- bmeltzer

This makes no sense to me at all. If you want to sit Sanheim every now and again for a reset, then fine. But if one of the goals this year was getting guys like Sanheim, Hagg, and Morin acclimated to the NHL level, I don't get why a 7D like Manning should get preferred playing time over any of them. I love how Manning stepped up when the injuries hit, but given the makeup of this team, he should not be slotted in as a top-6 over Sanheim and, to me, Morin.

Just tired of "safe" players getting preferential treatment.

Obersvations:

- Glad to finally see a win. String together a couple more on this trip and now you have some momentum and can gain some ground.

- People need to relax a little with the whole mantra "PLAY THE KIDS". they do play...but there will be times they don't. Any coach would do that. This team needed a win and the coach trusted his vets to nail it down. These kids are 19, 20 and 21 and learning on the job.

- Liked the Voracek - Filppula - Raffl line. Showed good chemistry. Not so much a fan of Simmonds on that line with Couturier and Giroux. Prefer a more skilled guy there with the puck.

- Elliott was good.

- Also this won't be popular but I like Hextall coming out and defending his coach in the way he did. He put it on the players to get it done or they would be the one going somewhere else. I actually thought that was good.

- Is Provorov starting to hit more? He seems to be a sneaky good hitter. This is the 2nd game he caught someone good on the rush.

- Loved Hagg not backing down in scrums. This team needs to show that attitude to be effective i feel.

- Not sure I want Gudas back in. I know he provides a physical presence , but I just feel like the skills on the back end better right now.