All players are capable of playing well defensively. And improving their defensive play. I do not want a strict defensive style, nor do I want an overaggressive offensive style. Find a middle ground. And be able to play a wider range of ways for game situations.
- MJL

I'd agree that while all are, its really evident in the history of the league that not all do. Many do not.

Something in the middle would be great. Partly why even though I have heard of rumblings that Nashville may want to move away from Trotz finally, I wouldnt be all over getting him. Too one dimensional.

According to one of the beat writers (I won't name names), I'm "just a blogger and not a professional hockey writer" although I've been credentialed in NHL press boxes since 2000 (and in the AHL since 1996) and hockey writing has encompassed 90 percent of my income since 2009, between HB, NHL.com, the Flyers official site, IIHF.com and the daily blog I did for two seasons at the now-defunct Versus official site before the NBC merger. The lockout was a severe financial blow to me, but hockey writing is still my job.

Anyway, apart from that one person who has always been nice to my face and then talked behind my back in order to deny me entry into the PHWA, I get along great with and have the utmost respect for the other beat guys in the city as well as the CSN folks.
- bmeltzer

Given the amount of pettiness in their writings about the team, the lack of hockey knowledge they possess in general and their desire to focus on the TMZ aspect of things, rather than the actual happenings on the ice it's not suprising.

The Flyers season basically ended last night. They lost a game because the skaters showed a total lack of heart and got outworked for 55 of the 60 minutes of the game.

The big story today? The (frank)ing goalie fell asleep in a meeting. There's a lot of the MSM that literally are not worth the effort to click on the link.

I'd say a lack of long term planning. Going after Pronger is one thing but knowing that you will soon have to replace him and Timonen without trying to fix the issue is another.

Flyers had a window to bring in young d-men with potential, to start and bridge the gap or help fix the issue in the draft. They didnt, and waited too long.

That whole "best player available" thing in the draft I hate personally. I hope all those talented forwards can play as d-men as well.
- flyer_nutter

The point of taking the best player available is that if you suddenly find yourself with an abundance of riches at, say, center, you have a valuable chip that can be turned over for whatever you may need when the time comes.

As of right now, this team isnt built to properly play any kind of style. No amount of attention to detail, will fix that imo. Thats the bigger issue to me.

I agree they need to improve that back end, but I think it will need to be done mainly through the draft. Timonen will not be here for much longer, and neither will a stopgap like Streit.

You can trade for a guy like Yandle, but will need to find another top d-man in time anyway imo.
- flyer_nutter

I can't agree there. This team has the talent to be a solid team. Not a true contender, still need some pieces for that. But they have the players to be a good team as is. If healthy.

The only thing more sad than the Philly media are the idiots in the thread discussing when the owner dies, almost as if they've marked it on their calendar with smiley faces and exclamation points. The owner is responsible for Flyers hockey being as important and impactful as it is today. Forget the fact that they've already won a few cups in the 70's and are contenders in 9 out of every 10 years. Ignore the fact that the owner is a lightning rod for foundations and charities. Let's just cry because we haven't won a cup recently It's as if fans feel entitled to their team winning the cup every year because they're fans and spend money on the team every year. Try to acknowledge the fact that there are 29 other teams that have fan-bases and finances to support their team.

This whole thread is like some sort of giant pity party. It's one bad (and short) season. It happens. Get over yourselves for crying out loud.

This is one of the most successful hockey franchises ever. We've won more playoff games in the past 10 years than all but one team. We're perennial playoff contenders, with very few exceptions. Our overall winning percentage is second in the league behind only Montreal. And we still hold the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the NHL. It's not like we're the Panthers or some poop and we just suck ad nauseum.

Yes, we haven't won a Cup in a while. And that can certainly be frustrating. I want a Cup just as much as the next guy. But please stop with all the BS about how screwed up the organization is, and how we need wholesale organizational changes, have no identity, etc., etc. Is it perfect? No, but even including this season, this is still one of the best franchises in all of sports. There may be some changes this summer. It wouldn't surprise me at all since it's been a down year this year for sure. But we'll be back. We always are.

So cowboy the (frank) up for crying out loud. It's one bad year. And a short one at that. Some of you folks are worse than the frigging Courier-Post with your BS.
- BringBack25

You see it as one bad year, cool. I see it as a trend, especially in recent years of the things that have been talked about. Let's hope your outlook of staying the course is the right one, with how management builds and upkeeps this team. I have my doubts.

Forget those days of glory, because they do not matter now.

Who is it?
- Just5

Any way he would have answered it, it would have been couched in a way that created some kind of controversy.

You don't answer and you're labeled aloof, surly. If you're candid, then you're outspoken and a malcontent. You give a cliched response and you're distant and disinterested.
- 77rams

It has to do with one thing, and one thing only. How the team and the player is doing. They have to get the dirt from somewhere. The same crap went on a few years ago about a couple of players who shall remain nameless. And if the Flyers continue to struggle, Giroux is up next. Only a matter of time, unless the team starts contending.

Given the amount of pettiness in their writings about the team, the lack of hockey knowledge they possess in general and their desire to focus on the TMZ aspect of things, rather than the actual happenings on the ice it's not suprising.

The Flyers season basically ended last night. They lost a game because the skaters showed a total lack of heart and got outworked for 55 of the 60 minutes of the game.

The big story today? The (frank)ing goalie fell asleep in a meeting. There's a lot of the MSM that literally are not worth the effort to click on the link.
- Jsaquella

I didn't see a lack of heart or compete. I saw a better team beat a worse team. Mainly based on talent and cohesiveness.

If you watch the Pens, Dan Bylsma seems to have no problem doing this very thing.
- johndewar

do you ever visit the Pens blogs?
for the last 2-3 years many routinely call for his firing

The only thing more sad than the Philly media are the idiots in the thread discussing when the owner dies, almost as if they've marked it on their calendar with smiley faces and exclamation points. The owner is responsible for Flyers hockey being as important and impactful as it is today. Forget the fact that they've already won a few cups in the 70's and are contenders in 9 out of every 10 years. Ignore the fact that the owner is a lightning rod for foundations and charities. Let's just cry because we haven't won a cup recently It's as if fans feel entitled to their team winning the cup every year because they're fans and spend money on the team every year. Try to acknowledge the fact that there are 29 other teams that have fan-bases and finances to support their team.
- steelydan

I agree and on that note, I'm out for the day.....

Other cities' fans would love to have Ed Snider as their hockey team's owner.

The point of taking the best player available is that if you suddenly find yourself with an abundance of riches at, say, center, you have a valuable chip that can be turned over for whatever you may need when the time comes.
- 77rams

Its a flawed plan to me because good d-men have to be overpaid for in trades anyway.

Its much harder to find a quality d-man than a quality forward.

This whole thread is like some sort of giant pity party. It's one bad (and short) season. It happens. Get over yourselves for crying out loud.

This is one of the most successful hockey franchises ever. We've won more playoff games in the past 10 years than all but one team. We're perennial playoff contenders, with very few exceptions. Our overall winning percentage is second in the league behind only Montreal. And we still hold the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the NHL. It's not like we're the Panthers or some poop and we just suck ad nauseum.

Yes, we haven't won a Cup in a while. And that can certainly be frustrating. I want a Cup just as much as the next guy. But please stop with all the BS about how screwed up the organization is, and how we need wholesale organizational changes, have no identity, etc., etc. Is it perfect? No, but even including this season, this is still one of the best franchises in all of sports. There may be some changes this summer. It wouldn't surprise me at all since it's been a down year this year for sure. But we'll be back. We always are.

So cowboy the (frank) up for crying out loud. It's one bad year. And a short one at that. Some of you folks are worse than the frigging Courier-Post with your BS.
- BringBack25

alright alright i'll cowboy the eff up

See the Flyers management for a while should have known they will need a replacement for Timonen and Pronger.

Did they find one? Or try and bring one in via trade before? Hell no. They had chances to try and address the issue in the draft but chose not to. I think its pretty (frank)ing clear that good d-men have to be overpaid for anyway if you cant develop any.
- flyer_nutter

How do we know what they tired to do? It's not automatic that you find a replacement for those two players. Not easy to get. And drafting defenseman doesn't guarantee anything.

Who is it?
- Just5

It doesn't matter.

do you ever visit the Pens blogs?
for the last 2-3 years many routinely call for his firing
- Crimsoninja

Nah, what do Penguin fans know other than that the NHL only began operations very recently?

The guy won a Cup and ran off an impressive winning streak in addition to winning the Atlantic this year. If those stupid mouth breathing yinzers want him fired, they're dumber than even I thought.

alright alright i'll cowboy the eff up
- Don'tForgetTocchet

ty, i knew i could count on you.

I can't agree there. This team has the talent to be a solid team. Not a true contender, still need some pieces for that. But they have the players to be a good team as is. If healthy.
- MJL

I dont think they have enough quality pieces to be a consistently elite team, not even close. No matter how they play. They will need the drafting to come through, and do it well for a few years imo.

My issue with the current group isn't talent. It takes more than talent, statistical production and flare to win games.

Its a flawed plan to me because good d-men have to be overpaid for in trades anyway.

Its much harder to find a quality d-man than a quality forward.
- flyer_nutter

exactly why spending 1st rounds picks on a dman is risky as hell

This whole thread is like some sort of giant pity party. It's one bad (and short) season. It happens. Get over yourselves for crying out loud.

This is one of the most successful hockey franchises ever. We've won more playoff games in the past 10 years than all but one team. We're perennial playoff contenders, with very few exceptions. Our overall winning percentage is second in the league behind only Montreal. And we still hold the record for the longest unbeaten streak in the NHL. It's not like we're the Panthers or some poop and we just suck ad nauseum.

Yes, we haven't won a Cup in a while. And that can certainly be frustrating. I want a Cup just as much as the next guy. But please stop with all the BS about how screwed up the organization is, and how we need wholesale organizational changes, have no identity, etc., etc. Is it perfect? No, but even including this season, this is still one of the best franchises in all of sports. There may be some changes this summer. It wouldn't surprise me at all since it's been a down year this year for sure. But we'll be back. We always are.

So cowboy the (frank) up for crying out loud. It's one bad year. And a short one at that. Some of you folks are worse than the frigging Courier-Post with your BS.
- BringBack25

Your outlook is a negative one Sir, try these on to cut down on the glare.


- PLindbergh31

thanks, but oakley's not my brand. if you can find those by "smith", i'm all over it.

My point is that it is nothing to us, and probably a lot of people.

Yet its already a story on TSN, and you know his team will have to answer for it.

He could have easily said " I want to remain a Flyer and help this city win a championship". Or another cliche response.
- flyer_nutter

Bottom line, in my opinion, you're making far too much out of this. No offense. All that really matters is the results.

How do we know what they tired to do? It's not automatic that you find a replacement for those two players. Not easy to get. And drafting defenseman doesn't guarantee anything.
- MJL

We do not know if they tried to find replacements in trades, but the last real young d-man the Flyers brought in via a trade was Coburn. Perhaps Meszaros.

The Flyers had a choice to take Hamilton, but decided on Coots. Laughton is another example. I dont like the best player approach, especially when you have such glaring needs. Needs that cannot be easily fixed via a trade as we have seen.

Bottom line, in my opinion, you're making far too much out of this. No offense. All that really matters is the results.
- MJL

Its cool no worries, its not that big of a deal but I do think some of the off ice stuff would have part in the considerations whether to buy out Bryzgalov or not.

If he play was amazing consistently, none of this would matter.

If you watch the Pens, Dan Bylsma seems to have no problem doing this very thing.
- johndewar

I see a lot of teams that can do that. Laviolette is a one trick pony. From the day he was hired, I talked about the double edged sword that his style of play brings. When everyone was saying they love his system.