They've had bad games with Couturier in the line up. He's an important guy, but he's one guy in the roster.

Things like this happen. Again, look at Montreal. They key is limiting the bad games to one or two, and not allowing it to become 5 or 10 or more. Part of that is leadership, part of it is being able to execute and part of it is everyone stepping up and doing their job. You shouldn't need Mark Messier on the roster to play with a good effort & produce on a regular basis
- Jsaquella

I have to really question the on ice leadership of this group. I think Giroux is ok as captain, but I see a real lack of leadership elsewhere, especially on D. The loss of Pronger and now Timonen has never been replaced. Sure, Mark Streit seems like a class guy, as does Nick Schultz, but I'm not sure you really get the kind of leadership you need from a pp specialist and a journeyman. Also, I'd like to see more from the forwards. Jake is obviously pressing, and when you own game is struggling, it's hard to worry about others. Simmonds is basically in the same boat.

As much as they miss the leadership of Pronger and Timonen, they could also use a guy or 2 like Lappy, Danny Briere or Hartnell up front. All in all, a lot of leadership has been lost over the past few seasons and it has not been replaced.

What really ticks me off is it almost seems every player has a pass first mentality. Yeah just don't shoot the puck just to shoot it, but my god we are so predictable with our passing when we are in the O zone. We fiddle with the puck trying to create these big or fancy chances. It's bad when there is 45 secs left down 2 goals and we are just passing it around the outside of ozone Giroux to Streit back and forth like its a PP instead of trying to shoot and generate a scoring chance. It was like playing keep away despite being down 2
- arichardson22

For sure, this team could badly use a shoot first sniper.

I wonder if the overpassing is tied to confidence. When a team has guys that aren't producing, sometimes that team starts trying to create an ideal shot or opportunity, rather than just take the open shot and then crash for the rebound/garbage goal.

At the same time, there's not really a shoot first guy on the team, or at least not one who has regularly been a sniper as a pro player. Guys like Giroux, Voracek & even Schenn can shoot, but they're not out there like Brett Hull or Ovechkin, where the mindset is grip and rip.
- Jsaquella

Agreed. And this is when the both the coaches and leadership on this team need to step up and tell the boys to simplify things. Enter the zone, take a shot and crash the net. It's not pretty, but it is how you start to generate some offense. Gary Dornhofer always said it best, "there is nothing wrong with taking a shot on goal"

They've had bad games with Couturier in the line up. He's an important guy, but he's one guy in the roster.

Things like this happen. Again, look at Montreal. They key is limiting the bad games to one or two, and not allowing it to become 5 or 10 or more. Part of that is leadership, part of it is being able to execute and part of it is everyone stepping up and doing their job. You shouldn't need Mark Messier on the roster to play with a good effort & produce on a regular basis
- Jsaquella

The general problem with this team really isn't the defense. Take away the Florida game, and they're top 10 in goals against. The issue with our Defensemen is more around puck movement and contributing In the offensive zone. Couturier isn't going to change that.

The general problem with this team continues to be the lack of offense, and IMO it's still related to the mix of forwards. I'm still not sure that Couturier is the playmaker that will change the team's fortunes drastically. He is a big step up from Gagner at Center, but the net effect is really just moving RJ to the 4th Line and Vinnie to his office in the press box.

Is that really going to make a significant difference?

This team has a scoring problem. They probably should have been shutout last night except for that fluky Schenn goal. And they aren't drawing penalties. And when they do draw a penalty, they aren't converting. And they just don't have the warm bodies to make up for Couts and Bellemare being out. Good times.

It looked like everybody was a little out of sorts last night. Raffl and Jake are clearly frustrated and feeling the pressure to score. Hakstol shuffled lines more last night than any other game this year. I just don't see the point. This team is what it is, and the goals should start to come...or it's going to be a very long year.

Some things I thought:
Defense kills this team in trying to transfer out of the zone.
I thought Luke played well
Simmonds hasn't impressed me. I know he is loved on here.
Read has looked bettwr
Top line needs to change. I let b schenn get up there.
Vinny still looks slow.
Couturier is missed.
Leaders are playing small right now.
- J35Bacher

The only positive I've taken from last night is that Schenn replaced Raffl on the first PP unit. I think the PP moving forward will continue to be our bread and butter.

For me Vinny did exactly as expected. I often wondered if he really had blades under his skates but all we can do is hope he doesn't hurt the team while he's on the ice. Although he didn't get an assist and I still haven't seen the play on anything other than a 5 inch cell phone screen, it was hard for me not to hope that he got an assist after helping Brayden Schenn keep the play going downlow, leading to Luke Schenn's goal. I think many accuse me of thinking Vinny is still a star but if conversations are going to always come back to Vinny, what are the real expectations for an offensive player who is limited and gaining limited ice time, while playing on the 4th line?

Based on what I saw last night, Luke Schenn shouldn't be scratched again moving forward. He's only had one bad game this season, he's better than Manning and at worst as good as Gudas, if not better.

We had a decent October fellas but we're inconsistent and it's along season. It's funny but Couturier, B.Schenn and Read after having down seasons have shown up. It's Giroux, Voracek and Simmonds we need more from.

The general problem with this team really isn't the defense. Take away the Florida game, and they're top 10 in goals against. The issue with our Defensemen is more around puck movement and contributing In the offensive zone. Couturier isn't going to change that.

The general problem with this team continues to be the lack of offense, and IMO it's still related to the mix of forwards. I'm still not sure that Couturier is the playmaker that will change the team's fortunes drastically. He is a big step up from Gagner at Center, but the net effect is really just moving RJ to the 4th Line and Vinnie to his office in the press box.

Is that really going to make a significant difference?
- TheGreat28

You are correct, they need a better balance in their forward mix. Too many checkers, not enough quality playmakers and no true snipers is not a good mix. Now add to that a mediocre group of D men that struggles to consistently move the puck and generate offense and a usually reliable pp that is badly struggling and you just aren't going to get that many goals.

Schenn-Giroux-Voracek
Raffl-Gagner-Simmonds
Read-Laughton-Umberger
Vandevelde-White-Lecavalier

You're welcome

Schenn-Giroux-Voracek
Raffl-Gagner-Simmonds
Read-Laughton-Umberger
Lecavalier-White-Vandevelde

You're welcome
- SuperSchennBros

Why not, they certainly have nothing to lose.

Why not, they certainly have nothing to lose.
- BiggE

Honestly, I think Brayden Schenn has far and away been our best forward, it's not even close.

Also the team needs to stop solely trying to set Jake up. It's getting too predictable and deliberate that teams can see it.his first goal will come and it seems this set Jake up has brought even more pressure for him. So many times we tried to feed
It to Jake and Larsson or Green were there just waiting for it to happen. I wouldn't mind trying Gagner or Laughton on top line. I stil would like to give Schenn a look there too tho

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

Looking for another bounce-back game from the Flyers tonight!

- Streit2ThePoint

Tell me, what have you been doing busy... little... bee?

Last night was the first time a 4th liner had to be benched towards he end of the game from what I remember. Tells me what I need to know about vinny out there

Tell me, what have you been doing busy... little... bee?
- aightwebang17

Shadows and dust...

Tell me, what have you been doing busy... little... bee?
- aightwebang17

I don't know, uncle aightwebang17

The thing that bothered me the most last night was the same thing that has bothered me going on 4 years.

After the Devils tied the game, I am hard pressed to remember a moment where the Flyers won a race to a loose puck.....and most of the time they weren't even in the same zip code.....or won a puck battle where the outcome was in doubt...which wasn't often.


They only began winning races and battles after they pulled the goalie, and even then it was mostly because they were going 6 on 5.

But you could see they cranked up the effort level for that final 2 minutes. Where was that effort for the previous 35 minutes?

Maybe it is lack of talent, but I think they DO have talent on this team. This team is sorely lacking in leadership.

Also the team needs to stop solely trying to set Jake up. It's getting too predictable and deliberate that teams can see it.his first goal will come and it seems this set Jake up has brought even more pressure for him. So many times we tried to feed
It to Jake and Larsson or Green were there just waiting for it to happen. I wouldn't mind trying Gagner or Laughton on top line. I stil would like to give Schenn a look there too tho
- arichardson22

I remember more than one play where the Devils just knew beforehand what the Flyers were going to do. One especially egregious play was when the dman threw the puck behind the net like he always does and there were not one, but two Devils waiting there for the puck.

Another play where Schenn ( i think) just reversed the puck back behind the net to no one. The closest dman was Medvedev, who had to scramble in to the corner to retrieve.

Sloppy and predictable.

I want to see Gudas back in there too

Couturier was invisible on offense and did nothing to help on the PK, either. I don't think the team can even be mediocre with him contributing so little.

Schenn-Giroux-Voracek
Raffl-Gagner-Simmonds
Read-Laughton-Umberger
Vandevelde-White-Lecavalier

You're welcome
- SuperSchennBros

Prefer:

Schenn-Giroux-Simmonds
Read-Gagner-Voracek
Raffl-Laughton-Umberger
Lecavalier-White-VDV

Split up the struggling stars

I want to see either Schenn, Laughton or Read on the top line LW for a game or two

Based on what I saw last night, Luke Schenn shouldn't be scratched again moving forward. He's only had one bad game this season, he's better than Manning and at worst as good as Gudas, if not better.
- SuperSchennBros

I don't really think of it as they're being scratched. I think Hak's rotating all three in to more or less keep them fresh. He may view them as interchangeable, and having a rotation allows for a smoother transition if there is a trade or injury.

This was his first real groan worthy game, and he still led the team in shots (MDZ was second with 3. Jake had 6) and had his chances and was slicing through the NZ when just about no Flyer could. It's so obvious he is not confident in his decision making right now. I'm still of the belief that if he sticks to what he's been doing most of the season so far, he will get bushels full of points.
- Mononoke

He was about to get his first goal with 10 seconds left but Greene tipped the puck away. So we didn't even get a poopty consolation goal. I would be more pissed off but I DVR skipped thru the game in less than an hour, so I didn't waste my whole evening.

I recommend it until the team shows it's worthy of being watched live.