We shouldn't be surprised at the PK unit struggling compared to last season. Kimmo and Coburn were the mainstays of last year's unit.
- Feanor

I wonder who sits when Coburn returns? Will it be whipping boy L. Schenn or journeyman DelZotto?

Fire Berube in the offseason, pay Babcock 24 million a year to coach until he dies.
- flyersbuzz

LOL! I wonder if that would even be enough money to entice Babcock to come to Philly and coach

I wonder who sits when Coburn returns? Will it be whipping boy L. Schenn or journeyman DelZotto?
- aantny88

Probably Carlo

LOL! I wonder if that would even be enough money to entice Babcock to come to Philly and coach
- aantny88

True. 24 million and a gift card to Geno's.

I wonder who sits when Coburn returns? Will it be whipping boy L. Schenn or journeyman DelZotto?
- aantny88

MDZ is averaging the most ice time over the last few games. I doubt he sits. Carlo will sit when Coburn returns. Who knows who will sit when Amac returns.

I wonder who sits when Coburn returns? Will it be whipping boy L. Schenn or journeyman DelZotto?
- aantny88

One puck mover and one bigger, defensive guy on each pairing.

MDZ-Coburn
Grossmann-Streit
Schultz/CC-Schenn

The second unit is brutal to watch...not a fan of Berube and when I see the top unit leave the ice 45 seconds to 1 minute in the power play to bring on an inept second unit I cringe. I'll watch other teams leave their top unit on for a minute and a half of the power play and I wonder why Chief doesn't do the same
- aantny88

The first unit has had plenty of extended PP shifts. But when the first unit is out there and can't even get the puck set up, time to get them off. There have even been times when the first unit came off in a shortened PP shift. The 2nd unit came out for 30 seconds or so. And Berube comes right back with the first unit again.

I wonder who sits when Coburn returns? Will it be whipping boy L. Schenn or journeyman DelZotto?
- aantny88

No chance of Del Zotto sitting. I'd personally go with Schenn, when everyone is back.

I was listening to a Ken Hitchcock press conference yesterday on NHL Network Radio on Sirius. Most of it was routine updates on the Blues but Hitch said something quite interesting about special teams play.

He said that he benchmarks outstanding special teams play in today's NHL as a score of 105 (combined power play and penalty killing success percentages, in any combination).

Here's a look at the Flyers' special teams scores in recent years:

2011-12: 101.5 (19.7% PP, 81.1% PK)
2012-13: 107.5 -- tops in the NHL (21.6% PP, 85.9% PK)
2013-14: 104.5 (19.7% PP, 84.8% PK)
2014-15 to date: 95.3 (19.5 on power play, 75.8 on PK)
- bmeltzer

that 105 Combined has been used for years....I mean if you can hit 85% on the PK and 20-21% on the PP your doing pretty good.....One thing I will say for the PK this year....they are not on it as much!!!! you tend to be better at something that you do more!!! Im fine if they finish at 83 or 84% if the are in the top five this year for staying out of the box....But I will also say they seem miss the physical part of the game that they have always had, by focusing on staying out of the box....and I for one have missed it.

Del Zotto has quietly been the best d-man on the team outside of the NJ game.

Its not stiff competition but he has been a bright spot.

No chance of Del Zotto sitting. I'd personally go with Schenn, when everyone is back.
- MJL

Del Zotto has been arguably our best all situations d-man... as his TOI would indicate. There is no chance he sits.

I would like to agree with you on Schenn, but sitting him long term is not ideal. Trade him or use him. I think CC will actually be the one to sit.

No chance of Del Zotto sitting. I'd personally go with Schenn, when everyone is back.
- MJL

I think Schenn stays in....and it's Schultz...be that fair or not...a lot of hockey to be played before that decision has to be made...plus what are the odd's the rest of them stay healthy???

No chance of Del Zotto sitting. I'd personally go with Schenn, when everyone is back.
- MJL

I would try and trade Schenn. If he becomes a " healthy scratch" does his trade value decrease? I think he would have to be a part of a package to get any value

LET'S GO MCEichel!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO MCEichel!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!!



LET'S GO MCEichel!!! CLAP! ~ CLAP! ~ CLAP!CLAP!CLAP!!

I would try and trade Schenn. If he becomes a " healthy scratch" does his trade value decrease? I think he would have to be a part of a package to get any value
- 3flyerkids

If CC plays even remotely well, I think Schenn goes on the block. Even if CC gets hurt they have some depth in the AHL to bring up in case that happens.

I honestly think we may see a Schenn(s) package.

We shouldn't be surprised at the PK unit struggling compared to last season. Kimmo and Coburn were the mainstays of last year's unit.
- Feanor

Not really a personnel issue, IMO. Flyers were 9-for-10 to start season and didn't have those players (except Coburn in opener). With that said, having lost Timonen and the injuries to Coburn and MacDonald certainly haven't helped either.

We shouldn't be surprised at the PK unit struggling compared to last season. Kimmo and Coburn were the mainstays of last year's unit.
- Feanor

love a good mainstay

6-5 win
No one plays d
40+ shots per side
Carlo gets the game winner
Trips climbing onto the bench. High ankle sprain. Out 4 to 6 weeks

Agreed, then again why should Giroux, Streit, Simmonds be responsible for getting a team full of men wanting to win a hockey game??? Its ridiculous.
- GOA88

This is exactly why I think "leadership" is overblown. The fact that the Flyers are just not that great of a team has waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more to do with their struggles than Grioux et al not "getting everyone going"

One puck mover and one bigger, defensive guy on each pairing.

MDZ-Coburn
Grossmann-Streit
Schultz/CC-Schenn
- Feanor

and then mac goes in for schultz eventually

If CC plays even remotely well, I think Schenn goes on the block. Even if CC gets hurt they have some depth in the AHL to bring up in case that happens.

I honestly think we may see a Schenn(s) package.
- MBFlyerfan

If they package them together, that will make my friggin day

Not really a personnel issue, IMO. Flyers were 9-for-10 to start season and didn't have those players (except Coburn in opener). With that said, having lost Timonen and the injuries to Coburn and MacDonald certainly haven't helped either.
- bmeltzer

thoughts on why it has been so stinky then?

It's on the coach and the players. It's also tied to execution. Poor execution can lead to a team getting outplayed and seemingly outworked. A bad outlet pass gets picked off, a bad clear is kept in, a guy misses a pass and it leads to icing...all that leads to defensive zone time and expended energy chasing the puck.

The Flyers penchant for playing dump and chase is also an energy killer. Energy is expended chasing the dump in down and if the race is not won, it's easy for the the opposing team to turn around and move the puck up ice against you.

Are there games where a team gets outworked? Sure. These players are humans. I just hate when the struggles of a middle of the road team get labeled simply as getting outworked. There's other factors that lead to that happening.

Is it an accountability issue? Is it a lack of ability to execute leading to the team not being as aggressive as it needs to be? Is it poor cohesion caused by line juggling? I think they need to look at why they seem to be outworked and whether it's a leadership issue or something else.

I say this because we have seen this leadership group, or at least the bulk of it, lead this team to a huge turnaround and the playoffs.
- Jsaquella

+10641065461

"Lack of leadership," "getting outworked," "poor chemistry" and all the other intangible excuses that are used for a team that executes poorly and has a less-than-stellar compliment of players is people simplifying a complex issue.

No chance of Del Zotto sitting. I'd personally go with Schenn, when everyone is back.
- MJL

As would I, but we all know Berube's inclination toward bigger bodies being given a longer rope to hang themselves with than the smaller, more skilled ones

The first unit has had plenty of extended PP shifts. But when the first unit is out there and can't even get the puck set up, time to get them off. There have even been times when the first unit came off in a shortened PP shift. The 2nd unit came out for 30 seconds or so. And Berube comes right back with the first unit again.
- MJL

This doesn't happen with the first unit very often...more times than not, they are generating good chances and then the 2nd unit comes on and it looks like a Chinese fire drill.