Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Lose in 0-0 Tie, Quick Hits
- bmeltzer

very nice effort last night against an outstanding team. could have easily won with some elevated pucks. great point on the road.

giroux sucked. wasn't great against boston either. i want to see more from him against these top teams.

the shoot out sucks. the shoot out sucks. oh, yeah, the shootout sucks. i'm so sick of the clowns that run this league.

emery was fantastic. well deserved shutout and he got a lot of puck support around the crease to clean up rebounds. he did a good job of at least having them fall only a few feet from him in safe areas rather than booting them to open areas where blues players may have been.

i hope timonen is ok, but i'm glad he didn't play in that game last night. it was brutal. i thought gusty did pretty well and didn't look out of place, especially for having been out of game action for such a long time.

i wouldn't mind jagr on this team right about now. just sayin'.

I fully expect the Flyers to make some kind of move this Summer. Only thing that would prevent that is a deal not being available that they're willing to do.
- MJL

Bye bye Schenn

I guess thats it. He's reliable because you said he's reliable.
- PhillySportsGuy

Most defenseman who aren't top pair defenseman have to be used properly. When the Flyers signed Striet, they weren't getting Keith or Doughty. Using a player in the correct role and in the best matchups for the player to succeed doesn't mean he hasn't played reliably defensively.
- MJL

You're contradicting yourself. If he was reliable defensively, they would use him in all situations. They try getting him out against lesser opponents in non-defensive zone face-offs.

Its like saying Grossmann is reliable on offense, but they just choose to use him on defense in defensive situations.

Although, keeping in mind...MacDonald still hasn't signed an extension. That...there's plenty of time, but if that gets tricky...I don't know. Maybe Gus shouldn't be looking to pack up his apartment just yet, because who knows what MacDonald's gonna do if he gets to July 1.

You're contradicting yourself. If he was reliable defensively, they would use him in all situations. They try getting him out against lesser opponents in non-defensive zone face-offs.

Its like saying Grossmann is reliable on offense, but they just choose to use him on defense in defensive situations.
- PhillySportsGuy

So B. Schenn isn't a reliable forward since they shelter him as well?

I don't really mind the 1st-unit composition that much... that 2nd-unit is really ugly, though... good thing they only see the ice for 30 seconds at a time.
- Tomahawk

and neither of them rotate players and move very much. they're pretty stationary, and somehow they've been pretty effective over the course of the season. i'd like to see quicker puck movement and decision making. a lot fo passing between the half-wall and point and faking of shots and passing back to the wall and again and again.

that last pp was ugly. g lost the first draw and they just never got their poop together.

You're contradicting yourself. If he was reliable defensively, they would use him in all situations. They try getting him out against lesser opponents in non-defensive zone face-offs.

Its like saying Grossmann is reliable on offense, but they just choose to use him on defense in defensive situations.
- PhillySportsGuy

IMO, he's managed to tread water his first season. Started out badly, recovered nicely.

But the inherent trade-offs to deploying him in the top-4 are still there -- I'm not sure Streit/Grossmann can hold up in a 7-game series against a team with a really good 2nd line.

At least they have AMac who can stand in for him in defensive situations now... but if Kimmo retires, and both AMac and Streit are in the top-4? I'd be sweating bullets over that.
- Tomahawk

I'm more or less looking at the skill set he brings to the line-up. It hasn't always translated into goals/assists/wins, but he's added an extra dimension to an otherwise unimpressive (offensively) group.

I believe that being paired with Grossmann has been to his detriment, and he's not been able to rack up as many points because he can't crack the top PP unit.

You're contradicting yourself. If he was reliable defensively, they would use him in all situations. They try getting him out against lesser opponents in non-defensive zone face-offs.

Its like saying Grossmann is reliable on offense, but they just choose to use him on defense in defensive situations.
- PhillySportsGuy

No it is not a contradiction. There is a huge difference between being an offensive defenseman who is reliable defensively, and a top pair defenseman who is a good matchup against other teams top lines, and is an all situation defenseman.
And the analogy doesn't make any sense.
Take Andy MacDonald. Is he reliable defensively? Isles were overplaying him and usng him against top lines night in and night out. What happened. He's overmatched. Comes to the Flyers and is used in the right role and situations that are better suited for him, and he's a better player.
With the exception of true top pair defenseman, all other defenseman are role players who need to be used properly. And whenever possible, put in the best matchups.

So B. Schenn isn't a reliable forward since they shelter him as well?
- Flyersgod

Correct. He's not reliable defensively. He's made strides in that area though.

Correct. He's not reliable defensively. He's made strides in that area though.
- PhillySportsGuy

He's also 22-years-old... and not on the first year of a $21M deal... at least not yet.

No it is not a contradiction. There is a huge difference between being an offensive defenseman who is reliable defensively, and a top pair defenseman who is a good matchup against other teams top lines, and is an all situation defenseman.
And the analogy doesn't make any sense.
Take Andy MacDonald. Is he reliable defensively? Isles were overplaying him and usng him against top lines night in and night out. What happened. He's overmatched. Comes to the Flyers and is used in the right role and situations that are better suited for him, and he's a better player.
With the exception of true top pair defenseman, all other defenseman are role players who need to be used properly. And whenever possible, put in the best matchups.
- MJL

I guess reliable means something different to you than me.

He's also 22-years-old... and not on the first year of a $21M deal... at least not yet.
- Tomahawk

At least I can admit it. I like Schenn, but I wouldn't list him as a reliable defensive player.

I'm more or less looking at the skill set he brings to the line-up. It hasn't always translated into goals/assists/wins, but he's added an extra dimension to an otherwise unimpressive (offensively) group.

I believe that being paired with Grossmann has been to his detriment, and he's not been able to rack up as many points because he can't crack the top PP unit.
- bradleyc4

Yeah, just not a big fan of top-4 dmen that have narrow/limited ranges of usage... that goes for Grossmann, too.

To me, production is a bonus from D... I'd rather have a bunch of rock-solid but unspectacular guys like Coburn/Andy Greene in my top-4 and feel confident that I can put them out there against anybody and not potentially get burned.

- mayorofangrytown

nope never dives

nope never dives
- 2Real

I see now that it was posted a couple times already but WTH. Still makes me angry that we have soccer players excelling in our sport.

The Flyers had all of two power plays last night. They had good puck movement on the first one, just couldn't generate a goal. The second one, late in the third period, was a mess that could have proved very costly. But that had nothing to do with Streit specifically.
- bmeltzer

disagree. he led the breakout on those plays and was soft, slow and unsure of what to do at all.

nope never dives
- 2Real

Hes a great leader though.

I guess reliable means something different to you than me.
- PhillySportsGuy

Maybe it does, so I'll explain what reliable means to me. I wouldn't say it's a glowing endorsement of a players defensive ability. In fact if I had to rank the Flyers top 6 defensively, Streit would be 6th.
Reliable to me means that he won't be a liablity out there and will play reasonably well defensively, in the right matchups. You're not going to play him against top lines or on the PK. But he can hold his own out there.

Maybe it does, so I'll explain what reliable means to me. I wouldn't say it's a glowing endorsement of a players defensive ability. In fact if I had to rank the Flyers top 6 defensively, Streit would be 6th.
Reliable to me means that he won't be a liablity out there and will play reasonably well defensively, in the right matchups. You're not going to play him against top lines or on the PK. But he can hold his own out there.
- MJL

So every Flyers defenseman is a top 4 defenseman? If Streit is #6 and he's top 4…

So every Flyers defenseman is a top 4 defenseman? If Streit is #6 and he's top 4…
- PhillySportsGuy

How a defenseman is defensively, is not the only measure of a defenseman. And yes, every defenseman in the Flyers lineup has been a top 4 defenseman at some point in their careers.

Hes a great leader though.
- twotoekenn

First in the shower, last one out!

How a defenseman is defensively, is not the only measure of a defenseman. And yes, every defenseman in the Flyers lineup has been a top 4 defenseman at some point in their careers.
- MJL

You said Streit is a top 4 defenseman, but the 6th best defenseman on the team. That would mean EVERY other defenseman is, at least, a top 4 defenseman. I'm just using your reasoning.