Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 3/27/18 @ DAL

The Flyers are 3-0-2 in their last five games.

Amazing that they've gotten points in the last 5, and they're still losing ground. Every other team in the race is white hot at the moment.

From what I remember in their first game I thought hitch’s stars really strangled the flyers offensive attack. Need a couple PP goals in this one

Amazing that they've gotten points in the last 5, and they're still losing ground. Every other team in the race is white hot at the moment.


- Tomahawk

Just have to hope that Florida is going to hit that wall. Their schedule really gets ridiculous starting tommorow and you’d think they’d start feeling the effects soon

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!!!

^^^ 👍👍

Must win

Amazing that they've gotten points in the last 5, and they're still losing ground. Every other team in the race is white hot at the moment.


- Tomahawk

Hopefully, the Flyers are feeling a little hungry after Sunday's loss.

No more Detroit-style letdowns.

Hello Bill, couple of questions for you:

1. Who do you think gets the start in goal tonight?

2. Any chance of Hagg getting back in the lineup?

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

Must win
- corduroy

Agreed. Lose this game and you are really looking at a tough follow up tomorrow in Colorado against an Avs team that is playing very well right now. To have any reasonable chance at making the playoffs, they need at least 2 points from this back to back set. Of course getting 3 or 4 would be even better.

Amazing that they've gotten points in the last 5, and they're still losing ground. Every other team in the race is white hot at the moment.


- Tomahawk

I was just saying this to a friend. Solid record of late and they can't make up any ground above or below. Tonight and tomorrow are must wins.

Hello Bill, couple of questions for you:

1. Who do you think gets the start in goal tonight?

2. Any chance of Hagg getting back in the lineup?
- BiggE

I'm very interested in the answer to the first question.

Agreed. Lose this game and you are really looking at a tough follow up tomorrow in Colorado against an Avs team that is playing very well right now. To have any reasonable chance at making the playoffs, they need at least 2 points from this back to back set. Of course getting 3 or 4 would be even better.
- BiggE

Generally of late, we've been getting enough offense. We've got to get some sort of tending though. We're not getting the important momentum saves other than Lyon in the game vs Detroit. Scoring 4 a game and losing and that's got to be enough to win.

Generally of late, we've been getting enough offense. We've got to get some sort of tending though. We're not getting the important momentum saves other than Lyon in the game vs Detroit. Scoring 4 a game and losing and that's got to be enough to win.
- Hextall271

It's been very frustrating. The combo of pedestrian goaltending and bad zone D/failed clears has been killing this team of late. Honestly, if Neuvirth has been medically cleared, I'd put him in tonight. I have no confidence in Mrazek or Lyon at this point. Mrazek takes himself out of position way too often and Lyon flops around like a fish out of water way too much.

Assuming Neuvirth can't go tonight, I guess you role the dice and go with the more experienced Mrazek.

Goaltending aside, I'm just as concerned with the Flyers inability to clear the puck and the constant loss of puck battles in the D zone. I'd make some changes on D as well and put Hagg in for Manning. However, I wouldn't just pair him with Gudas and role the 3 usual pairs, instead I'd mix and match Hagg and Gudas and at ES, I'd go with the following D rotation:

Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Gudas
Hagg-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Gudas
Hagg-Ghost

I think this type of ES rotation gives them a better chance to win than just rolling the 3 usual pairs. On special teams they can go with their usual combos.

Hello Bill, couple of questions for you:

1. Who do you think gets the start in goal tonight?

2. Any chance of Hagg getting back in the lineup?
- BiggE

Unfortunately, there was no practice yesterday. But if Neuvirth isn't available quite yet to return, my hunch is that they'd go back to Lyon. As for Hägg, I think he will sit out at least one more game.

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Gameday: 3/27/18 @ DAL
- bmeltzer

I feel like we've been playing the west all season.

Any good college free agents the flyers can look at Bill?

It's been very frustrating. The combo of pedestrian goaltending and bad zone D/failed clears has been killing this team of late. Honestly, if Neuvirth has been medically cleared, I'd put him in tonight. I have no confidence in Mrazek or Lyon at this point. Mrazek takes himself out of position way too often and Lyon flops around like a fish out of water way too much.

Assuming Neuvirth can't go tonight, I guess you role the dice and go with the more experienced Mrazek.

Goaltending aside, I'm just as concerned with the Flyers inability to clear the puck and the constant loss of puck battles in the D zone. I'd make some changes on D as well and put Hagg in for Manning. However, I wouldn't just pair him with Gudas and role the 3 usual pairs, instead I'd mix and match Hagg and Gudas and at ES, I'd go with the following D rotation:

Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Gudas
Hagg-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Ghost
Sanheim-AMac
Provy-Gudas
Hagg-Ghost

I think this type of ES rotation gives them a better chance to win than just rolling the 3 usual pairs. On special teams they can go with their usual combos.
- BiggE

I was gonna mention the same thing. Our best defensemen this season have easily been Provorov, MacDonald and Ghost. I'm still not sold on Ghost being Provorov's long term D partner. I'm starting to think you put Mac there down the stretch. I think Ghost could be good with Hagg in his return. Maybe go back to Sanheim and Gudas, now that Sanheim looks improved. Gudas looks hopeless though.

Any good college free agents the flyers can look at Bill?
- bird_dog_pa

no Brickley is now free to sign and I believe he will choose soon. Sikura and Gaudette already signed

I was just saying this to a friend. Solid record of late and they can't make up any ground above or below. Tonight and tomorrow are must wins.
- Hextall271

You can also look at it this way: Columbus rattled off 10 straight wins, lose one game and are only tied for 3rd in the Metro (albeit ahead by secondary tiebreaker). Florida had virtually a full month at home, have been red hot, and are still below the playoff cutoff. The Devils just won five of seven in just about the toughest seven game stretch the NHL schedule can present to a team, yet they are still three points (plus a ROW tiebreaker disadvantage) behind the Flyers.

Every team has its ups and downs and no one stays hot forever. The Flyers had the NHL's third-best record from mid-December until the end of Feb, which is why they are still in good position if they pick up some points in the games to come.

I was gonna mention the same thing. Our best defensemen this season have easily been Provorov, MacDonald and Ghost. I'm still not sold on Ghost being Provorov's long term D partner. I'm starting to think you put Mac there down the stretch. I think Ghost could be good with Hagg in his return. Maybe go back to Sanheim and Gudas, now that Sanheim looks improved. Gudas looks hopeless though.
- SuperSchennBros

Now that Sanheim is playing well and confidently, I don't want to separate him from AMac. Gudas has been bad, but overall, I still think Manning is worse. This is why I'd like to see them try more of a mix and match rotation rather than just rolling pairs.

Any good college free agents the flyers can look at Bill?
- bird_dog_pa

Not a great year for college FAs, and there are only so many ELCs to go around. That was a big part of the reason why the Flyers traded Marody's rights to Edmonton and got a third-round pick out of it. So, no, I'm not getting a vibe that the Flyers are the favorites to sign anyone this spring.

xx

You can also look at it this way: Columbus rattled off 10 straight wins, lose one game and are only tied for 3rd in the Metro (albeit ahead by secondary tiebreaker). Florida had virtually a full month at home, have been red hot, and are still below the playoff cutoff. The Devils just won five of seven in just about the toughest seven game stretch the NHL schedule can present to a team, yet they are still three points (plus a ROW tiebreaker disadvantage) behind the Flyers.

Every team has its ups and downs and no one stays hot forever. The Flyers had the NHL's third-best record from mid-December until the end of Feb, which is why they are still in good position if they pick up some points in the games to come.
- bmeltzer

Agreed. If they can step up and get 3 points out of the games vs Dallas, Colorado and Boston and then go on and win the last 3 against the Isles, Carolina and the Rags, they would finish with 98 points and would almost certainly make the playoffs.