Bill Meltzer: Flyers Playoff Gameday: Game 2 @ PIT

Let’s try again!!

Our 1st line was atrocious. Don’t know what could be done about that. Hmmmmmmmnnmnnnn

Still don't understand why Hagg isn't in the lineup. IMO more defensively sound that Manning or Gudas. I know he is not a game breaker, but thought he had a better season than both of those guys

Mrazek should be starting.

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!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!

Mrazek should be starting.
- Feds91Stammer

Nah, Elliott looked great in November.

Nah, Elliott looked great in November.
- Just5

Yeah but it is April.

They need to show some pride tonight....right on down from the star player to whom ever is between the pipes. I'll say it again....they can beat this team. They just need to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Hi Bill, would love your opinions on the following:

1. Is Brian Elliott fully at 100% and ready for playoff action? It seems to me at least that in all 3 games he's played since returning (even in the shutout), that he's just not quite himself or fully comfortable in the net yet. I'm at least somewhat surprised they aren't going with Mrazek tonight.

2. How bad does this team's D need to play before someone sits and Hagg gets a shot? I'm not even going to single out any one Dman or the group as a whole as the whole team crapped the bed in game one, but man, you'd think they'd want to shake things up a bit.

3. Would it also not make sense to get Weal back in the lineup? Yeah, I know that overall he did not have a good season, but he was one of the few players on this team that had any success against the Pens this season.

and lastly,
4. I know you can't comment on specifics, but are Simmonds and Couturier playing with some type of injury? Neither one looked like they were playing at 100% Wednesday night.

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!!!



LET'S GO FLYERS!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!
- ggunky

Hi Bill, would love your opinions on the following:

1. Is Brian Elliott fully at 100% and ready for playoff action? It seems to me at least that in all 3 games he's played since returning (even in the shutout), that he's just not quite himself or fully comfortable in the net yet. I'm at least somewhat surprised they aren't going with Mrazek tonight.

2. How bad does this team's D need to play before someone sits and Hagg gets a shot? I'm not even going to single out any one Dman or the group as a whole as the whole team crapped the bed in game one, but man, you'd think they'd want to shake things up a bit.

3. Would it also not make sense to get Weal back in the lineup? Yeah, I know that overall he did not have a good season, but he was one of the few players on this team that had any success against the Pens this season.

and lastly,
4. I know you can't comment on specifics, but are Simmonds and Couturier playing with some type of injury? Neither one looked like they were playing at 100% Wednesday night.
- BiggE

Why does there have to be an injury? Call to what it is they didn’t play all that well

Bill Meltzer: Flyers Playoff Gameday: Game 2 @ PIT
- bmeltzer

OTL

Hi Bill, would love your opinions on the following:

1. Is Brian Elliott fully at 100% and ready for playoff action? It seems to me at least that in all 3 games he's played since returning (even in the shutout), that he's just not quite himself or fully comfortable in the net yet. I'm at least somewhat surprised they aren't going with Mrazek tonight.

2. How bad does this team's D need to play before someone sits and Hagg gets a shot? I'm not even going to single out any one Dman or the group as a whole as the whole team crapped the bed in game one, but man, you'd think they'd want to shake things up a bit.

3. Would it also not make sense to get Weal back in the lineup? Yeah, I know that overall he did not have a good season, but he was one of the few players on this team that had any success against the Pens this season.

and lastly,
4. I know you can't comment on specifics, but are Simmonds and Couturier playing with some type of injury? Neither one looked like they were playing at 100% Wednesday night.
- BiggE

1. I'm not surprised because we don't have a smart coach.

2. Hagg is deserving to be in as much as anyone. Tops in plus/minus on the team for most of the season and probably our most physical defender all season. We got pushed around a little last game and our third pair is that bad.

3. Yes Weal should play. We need scoring. He has some scoring in him.

4. Simmonds has taken a lot of punishment this season. In the case of Couturier, I see the Crosby game winner in the last regular season game against the Pens. I know you blame Mrazek but Coots slipped off Crosby like he was covered in butter. Crosby shouldn't have got a clear shot on net. Not from a possible Selke candidate. I think Coots just had a bad game.

Hope we can turn this around tonight.
My son and I are taking a cross state road trip to the belly of the beast. Itd be great to steal one!

Hi Bill, would love your opinions on the following:

1. Is Brian Elliott fully at 100% and ready for playoff action? It seems to me at least that in all 3 games he's played since returning (even in the shutout), that he's just not quite himself or fully comfortable in the net yet. I'm at least somewhat surprised they aren't going with Mrazek tonight.

2. How bad does this team's D need to play before someone sits and Hagg gets a shot? I'm not even going to single out any one Dman or the group as a whole as the whole team crapped the bed in game one, but man, you'd think they'd want to shake things up a bit.

3. Would it also not make sense to get Weal back in the lineup? Yeah, I know that overall he did not have a good season, but he was one of the few players on this team that had any success against the Pens this season.

and lastly,
4. I know you can't comment on specifics, but are Simmonds and Couturier playing with some type of injury? Neither one looked like they were playing at 100% Wednesday night.
- BiggE

1). I doubt he is, but also not surprised he is playing.

2) I understand Hakstol's reasoning for the D pairs the way they are, but I'm not a big fan of it. That said, I don't think Hägg being in will, in and of itself, have much impact on a game or a series. The foot soliders have to do their part, yes, but the top end of the lineup has to drive the bus. They didn't in Game 1, at all.

3) I'd be fine with Weal back in the lineup but, three-point game against the Penguins aside, he has been ineffective this season.

4) No idea. Couturier has looked worn down at times during the stretch drive and into Game 1. Other times, he's seemed fine. Simmonds insists he is fine physically but, apart from his torrid start in the first 8 games, this has been his least effective season as a Flyer.

Why does there have to be an injury? Call to what it is they didn’t play all that well
- rinaldo

I think you can chalk it up to one bad game for Coots, in a game where just about everyone sucked.

Simmonds has been poop for a good while now tbh.

Flyers need to somehow dig deep tonight and come home tied up 1-1. However, with the same lineup as game 1, I'm not feeling so confident they will do any better than game 1's beat down.

Hello bill

Last time I was out at a bar during the playoffs the Flyers beat the Leafs in OT when Kapanen got crushed by Tucker. My record when I'm boozing it up is I believe 2-0 in the playoffs.

Tonight I'm boozing it up. You're welcome boys. Series 1-1. Stone cold mortal lock!!


Sincerely,

The King




**Legal disclaimer, I am not actually the King**

Holy frank, your team got embarrassed in your first game.

Must really suck to be so excited, only to have your team come out and poop the bed.

I'm just glad my Toronto Maple Leafs...

...wait...

What?

Really?

Damn.

xx

What a punk Kadri is. That hit was a disgrace last night. If he's not suspended at least 3 playoff games for that this is a chickenpoop league.

Holy frank, your team got embarrassed in your first game.

Must really suck to be so excited, only to have your team come out and poop the bed.

I'm just glad my Toronto Maple Leafs...

...wait...

What?

Really?

Damn.
- Atomic Wedgie

As I'm reading this I'm thinking WTF their team lost too, and then I realized what you were doing there....

Holy frank, your team got embarrassed in your first game.

Must really suck to be so excited, only to have your team come out and poop the bed.

I'm just glad my Toronto Maple Leafs...

...wait...

What?

Really?

Damn.
- Atomic Wedgie

Come join us in drinking our sorrows away.

1). I doubt he is, but also not surprised he is playing.

2) I understand Hakstol's reasoning for the D pairs the way they are, but I'm not a big fan of it. That said, I don't think Hägg being in will, in and of itself, have much impact on a game or a series. The foot soliders have to do their part, yes, but the top end of the lineup has to drive the bus. They didn't in Game 1, at all.

3) I'd be fine with Weal back in the lineup but, three-point game against the Penguins aside, he has been ineffective this season.

4) No idea. Couturier has looked worn down at times during the stretch drive and into Game 1. Other times, he's seemed fine. Simmonds insists he is fine physically but, apart from his torrid start in the first 8 games, this has been his least effective season as a Flyer.
- bmeltzer

3. To me the season as a whole doesn’t matter. If you got a guy whose had good games against a certain team you play him. Id put him in for laughton. Not necessarily on the 4th line. I’d put TK on the first, Prob have a line of weal/filpulla/Simmonds, and drop Raffl to line 4