Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Missed opportunity at the Rock

Power Play failed them. Trying to be too cute. Need to shoot more.

The Parise goal should've been stopped...

Not understanding the goalie interference calls and non calls but oh well, that's nothing new.

The Devils capitilized on one more mistake then the Flyers. Bad line change.

Side notes
the beverage selection at the rock is excellent
the food selection.... MEH!!!

Still a lot of empty seats for a playoff game. Sad really!!!

Side note part 2
I always love people that NOW talk sh!t and our other opposing winning the series fan. I have a guy at work that is not boisterious about his team now when you didn't hear sh!t all year long.

Too many passengers. I think that's what most of the struggles in this series so far boils down to. Yes, there are specific things (missed opportunities on the powerplay, etc.) but it all boils down to too many players not putting forth enough effort.

In the Pens series, EVERY Flyer was full of energy. To a man, every player was firing on all cylinders. Hell, even Andreas Lilja, the team's non-goalie whipping boy for most of the year, was working his butt off. The Flyers beat the Pens by outworking them.

In this series, it's not like that at all. There are MANY Flyers who you wouldn't even know played in the game if their name wasn't on the scoresheet. As a matter of fact, it would be a shorter list to mention who WAS noticeable out there.

Jersey story...
A fellow Flyers fan was amazed someone had a Barts jersey. He came over to shake my hand and asked how in g green earth why i got a Barts jersey. Explained that i won it...
Pretty cool to say the least...

The Flyers fans were proudly represented to say the least.

The morning after bitter pill.

It tastes terrible knowing we blew a chance to take the lead on this series.

The Devils are not giving the Flyers anything to get "pissed off" about. No scrums, no dirty plays and when there is something, they just skate away. I feel the Flyers are at their best when they have that "edge" in their game. It's a pretty much emotionless series to this point. That being said, they just need to come out and make their own momentum. Jagr is really showing his age in this series. He just looks so slow and exhausted. Bill summed it up pretty well saying Grossmann is "foggy" a few plays last night he just looked aweful. This team needs to pull it together Sunday night if they want a chance to win this series.

Words can't express how much I hate the "SHOOOOOT!!" idiots at games, but holy hell.. put the (frank)ing puck on net. 3 games later and you're still going for the highlight reel, cross ice pass through 4 Devils?

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Missed opportunity at the Rock
- bmeltzer

On the Brodeur flop....Schenn hit Brodeurs right arm, it might have been minimal but the shot by the following Flyer went to his right side so he had to almost jump at the puck so it wouldn't go past him. Nevertheless, there was no reason for Schenn to even touch Brodeur especially since goalie interference will be a hot topic on Marty.

Power Play failed them. Trying to be too cute. Need to shoot more.

The Parise goal should've been stopped...

Not understanding the goalie interference calls and non calls but oh well, that's nothing new.

The Devils capitilized on one more mistake then the Flyers. Bad line change.

Side notes
the beverage selection at the rock is excellent
the food selection.... MEH!!!

Still a lot of empty seats for a playoff game. Sad really!!!

Side note part 2
I always love people that NOW talk sh!t and our other opposing winning the series fan. I have a guy at work that is not boisterious about his team now when you didn't hear sh!t all year long.
- phi1671

It was a sellout they have a restaurant with a ledge that was packed which seats at least 200 people plus the black seats have a bar behind them which people stay in.

The Devils are not giving the Flyers anything to get "pissed off" about. No scrums, no dirty plays and when there is something, they just skate away. I feel the Flyers are at their best when they have that "edge" in their game. It's a pretty much emotionless series to this point. That being said, they just need to come out and make their own momentum.
- Jimmygrazz

I agree with this. But the Flyers aren't doing anything to goad the Devils into scrums. They're not hitting - big hits are usually what ramp up that emotional intensity on both sides.

Not understanding the goalie interference calls and non calls but oh well, that's nothing new.

Still a lot of empty seats for a playoff game. Sad really!!!


- phi1671

Game was a sellout, empty seats are probably the corporate ones.
Bad calls all around in this game, aside from the Marty flop (yeah i'll admit it), the Kovy delay of game was a bad one as the puck clearly went off a Flyers stick, and the Zubrus call in OT was absolutley ridiculous.
Thought both goalies let up some soft goals; the game tying third goal by the Flyers and Parise's goal most notably.

This is shaping up to be some series and i still think it's going 7.
Both teams IMO are evenly matched and i think it will just come down to who wants it more.

The Devils are not giving the Flyers anything to get "pissed off" about. No scrums, no dirty plays and when there is something, they just skate away. I feel the Flyers are at their best when they have that "edge" in their game. It's a pretty much emotionless series to this point. That being said, they just need to come out and make their own momentum. Jagr is really showing his age in this series. He just looks so slow and exhausted. Bill summed it up pretty well saying Grossmann is "foggy" a few plays last night he just looked aweful. This team needs to pull it together Sunday night if they want a chance to win this series.
- Jimmygrazz

A friend of mine (Sens fan) said last night that this series was 'tame'. You and he are both correct...Flyers need a little 'mean' in their game.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Missed opportunity at the Rock
- bmeltzer

The Flyers let the Devils get their cycle working and got ground down. Lot of bad decisions with the puck, too.

You can't waste two overtime PPs and expect to win a playoff game. You can't play the other team's game for long stretches and expect to win.

This team is better than they showed the last two games. They have to get back to playing their game. Hard work, puck possession and getting under the other team's skin.

I agree with this. But the Flyers aren't doing anything to goad the Devils into scrums. They're not hitting - big hits are usually what ramp up that emotional intensity on both sides.
- lifexkills

There's also that thing they're playing for that should ramp up the intensity. Little trophy called the Stanley Cup. If that's not enough to get you pumped up for a game, good luck.

The Flyers let the Devils get their cycle working and got ground down. Lot of bad decisions with the puck, too.

You can't waste two overtime PPs and expect to win a playoff game. You can't play the other team's game for long stretches and expect to win.

This team is better than they showed the last two games. They have to get back to playing their game. Hard work, puck possession and getting under the other team's skin.
- Jsaquella

The Devils have been better at puck possesion than the Flyers this series and I think thats what you guys are struggling with most. Similar to what Nashville did to Detriot.

There's also that thing they're playing for that should ramp up the intensity. Little trophy called the Stanley Cup. If that's not enough to get you pumped up for a game, good luck.
- jd342

That's what I meant by make their own momentum.

the flyers consistently failed to get pucks deep behind the devils d...lack of attention to details on this team is catching up to them and destroying their flow. that's one reason why it looks like the effort is less than what it actually is.

They still got to figure out the Devils, on both ends of the ice. Props to them, they are competing hard and their PK is way better than the Pens one.

Hopefully Couturier will be fine.

I would sit Jagr next game, I rather play Rinaldo, thats how good Jagr is looking to me out there.

The Devils have been better at puck possesion than the Flyers this series and I think thats what you guys are struggling with most. Similar to what Nashville did to Detriot.
- Rally_Shots

The Devils are killing them with puck possession. They're also winning more races to loose pucks. Too often we see a Devils player skating to the puck and 3 Flyers standing still.

Too many passengers. I think that's what most of the struggles in this series so far boils down to. Yes, there are specific things (missed opportunities on the powerplay, etc.) but it all boils down to too many players not putting forth enough effort.

In the Pens series, EVERY Flyer was full of energy. To a man, every player was firing on all cylinders. Hell, even Andreas Lilja, the team's non-goalie whipping boy for most of the year, was working his butt off. The Flyers beat the Pens by outworking them.

In this series, it's not like that at all. There are MANY Flyers who you wouldn't even know played in the game if their name wasn't on the scoresheet. As a matter of fact, it would be a shorter list to mention who WAS noticeable out there.
- lifexkills

I disagree. The effort is there. The Flyers have to figure out a way to beat their forecheck, and be the better team in the neutral zone.

the flyers consistently failed to get pucks deep behind the devils d...lack of attention to details on this team is catching up to them and destroying their flow. that's one reason why it looks like the effort is less than what it actually is.
- isaiah520

I think a major reason they are not putting pucks in deep is because of Brodeur. He is so dam good with the puck, he can outlet an odd man rush on almost any dump in.

Game was a sellout, empty seats are probably the corporate ones.
Bad calls all around in this game, aside from the Marty flop (yeah i'll admit it), the Kovy delay of game was a bad one as the puck clearly went off a Flyers stick, and the Zubrus call in OT was absolutley ridiculous.
Thought both goalies let up some soft goals; the game tying third goal by the Flyers and Parise's goal most notably.

This is shaping up to be some series and i still think it's going 7.
Both teams IMO are evenly matched and i think it will just come down to who wants it more.
- FAZOOL

The goalie interference calls and non calls were in reference to both teams.

At the game we are not privy to replay or one that I could see, so I would differ to Kovy's penalty.

Two OT powerplays and nothing.
Come on. I know NJ has a great pk but really, nothing?
And that last change was just horrible.

It was a sellout they have a restaurant with a ledge that was packed which seats at least 200 people plus the black seats have a bar behind them which people stay in.
- _Zippy_

i know it could've been a sellout and missing seats but there was over 200 seats that were empty.
it was a fun experience, I might make another road trip next year. A lot of Devils fans stated it mostly empty during the year. They even called thier own fan base "frontrunners"

Two OT powerplays and nothing.
Come on. I know NJ has a great pk but really, nothing?
And that last change was just horrible.

- Scoob

As soon as I saw them going for the change I yelled at the TV loud enough to wake up both kids.