I didn't the the Wade Flaherty deal was all that bad.

From Wikipedia:

He traded away defensemen Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, Eric Brewer, Darius Kasparaitis, and Bryan McCabe; goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Tommy Salo; as well as forwards Olli Jokinen, Todd Bertuzzi, Tim Connolly, and Raffi Torres. Milbury has also come under fire for his poor draft-day decisions such as choosing Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000 over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik, as well as his decision to include the 2001 second overall draft pick (Jason Spezza) as part of the Alexei Yashin trade.

One of these is not like the others.
- jmatchett383

Didn't he give dipietro a 10 year 5mill per deal or something like that? Edit: i just googled that, 15 years 67.5 mill

I don't know, the mix of York/Afanesenkov/Eager/Potulny/Fedoruk is 06/07 was pretty abysmal.
- jmatchett383

I'm not sure how much time these guys saw together that season because of the turnover all season long. I think of names like Claude Lapointe, Kent Manderville, Paul Ranheim, Jimmy Dowd, Donald Brashear, Darrell Powe, Blair Betts, Sami Kapanen, Dan Carcillo, Arron Asham, Ian Laperriere, Bruno Rad-not going to attempt that last name. Even the goons of Sandy McCarthy, PJ Stock and Gino Odjick seemed more tolerable.

- PLindbergh31

Long time no see plind. How are things? Still bringing that ferocity to hb I hope.

Im starting to be impressed by Hak. I really like the breakouts and how their using the d more bringing the puck up the ice. I feel like they have options where berubes team was screwed if they couldn't get it up the boards.

Like Bill said. A top 5 team in GA in the league in evens this year. Impressive.

NHL is so weird though. Didn't the pens look great most of last year under Johnston and look what happened to them. As a coach I feel like once the players decide to tune you out you are toast, no matter what the reasons are or the previous success you've had
- Just5

I dont live in Pittsburgh anymore so I am much less plugged into the Pens, and I agree with your sentiment on players tuning out a coach. However I believe Johnston tried to change his own style and play a more defensive system, which had poor results and lead to his demise. At least to me, Hakstols ideas seem more fun to play and I have serious doubts his tenure will be as short lived as Johnstons.

There is also the possibility that Johnston switched places with Robert from Shark tank somewhere in the middle of his coaching stint

Long time no see plind. How are things? Still bringing that ferocity to hb I hope.
- flyer_nutter

Your boy Hakstol starting to grow on me Nutter.

I think he wants that line to play a certain style. Fair to say VDV fits haks description for the assignments Hak wants carried out under that line rather than a gagner, cousins, etc.
- Just5

I don't have an issue with the line construction/assignments so much as the amount of ES TOI given to them. I'm aware that the team construction overall is less than optimal, but a guy that couldn't crack Edmonton's roster should not be getting more ES TOI than guys like Laughton and, when in the lineup, Gagner and Umberger. For as bad as Umberger has been, I prefer him over VdV based purely on on-ice play.

Didn't he give dipietro a 10 year 5mill per deal or something like that?
- JoeRussomanno

15 years at $4.5M, I believe.

HUH? I was watching the game last night thinking the exact opposite. I like that we can put them out against any line the other team throws out there. They are always hemming the opposition in their own zone. Agree to disagree.
- MBFlyerfan

The point I'm making is, they should more than survive being on the ice without giving up a goal. I personally think Ryan White is fantastic.

NHL coaches have short shelf lives, no doubt. As a coach, you have to toe the line between making players accountable without suffocating their games while having the players realize their gains on the ice. A big part of that also falls on the locker room leadership.
- jmatchett383

I believe your point about locker room leadership to be true. I believe there are several long tenured coaches that are mostly hated by their players....hitchcock i think is the most openly hated. The whole hate/respect thing

Guys that was actually a 4 point game against the bruins

#NHLmath

The point I'm making is, they should more than survive being on the ice without giving up a goal. I personally think Ryan White is fantastic.
- SuperSchennBros

And the point I was making is that I don't think they are just surviving. They are generating chances and playing responsible defense. I have no problem with White or Pebbles. I think they are one of the stronger 4th lines we have had in years.

I'm not sure how much time these guys saw together that season because of the turnover all season long. I think of names like Claude Lapointe, Kent Manderville, Paul Ranheim, Jimmy Dowd, Donald Brashear, Darrell Powe, Blair Betts, Sami Kapanen, Dan Carcillo, Arron Asham, Ian Laperriere, Bruno Rad-not going to attempt that last name. Even the goons of Sandy McCarthy, PJ Stock and Gino Odjick seemed more tolerable.
- SuperSchennBros

It was a rotating door of players that season. The entire team was abysmal aside from Gagne/Knuble/Forsberg. I get what you're saying, but guys like Dowd/Manderville/Lapointe were "specialists" (plus I believe Manderville had the record for longest goalless drought in NHL history). The 4th line isn't great, but it's far from the worst in team history. Look at some of the early 90s teams for that.

Great comeback win last night!

In sadder news, RIP Alan Rickman
- BiggE

Wow, that's a bummer. RIP indeed.

I heard that. I bet the Bruins wish they still had Dougie Hamilton now. Milbury was saying how the Bruins should decrease Chara's ice time. Ok.... And give it to who? Kevan Miller? Milbury is such an asshat.
- PLindbergh31

Speaking of Miller. He was kind of running amoc without consequence last night. First goes after Schenn after a clean hit (although they both dropped the gloves, he should have received the instigator for challenging schenn) then he clocked Read with a high crosscheck after a save by Rask. I was hoping someone would at least take a good run at him..

15 years at $4.5M, I believe.
- jmatchett383

Milbury is like bizaro holmgren

And the point I was making is that I don't think they are just surviving. They are generating chances and playing responsible defense. I have no problem with White or Pebbles. I think they are one of the stronger 4th lines we have had in years.
- MBFlyerfan

Good for you. What I saw from Vandevelde seemed more of the same offensively.

I believe your point about locker room leadership to be true. I believe there are several long tenured coaches that are mostly hated by their players....hitchcock i think is the most openly hated. The whole hate/respect thing
- YuenglingJagr

You can be a real bumhole as a coach as long as 1) you have strong locker room leadership and 2) you are winning. Perfect examples: Mike Keenan in NYR (Messier) and Hitchcock in Dallas/Philly (Hatcher, Primeau, Hatcher again).

Guys that was actually a 4 point game against the bruins

#NHLmath
- YuenglingJagr

winning that in regulation was big (if true)

It was a rotating door of players that season. The entire team was abysmal aside from Gagne/Knuble/Forsberg. I get what you're saying, but guys like Dowd/Manderville/Lapointe were "specialists" (plus I believe Manderville had the record for longest goalless drought in NHL history). The 4th line isn't great, but it's far from the worst in team history. Look at some of the early 90s teams for that.
- jmatchett383

Fair enough. I'm just speaking from my time as a fan to the best of my memory. I think team could use a bottom 6 specialist right now.

I'm not sure how much time these guys saw together that season because of the turnover all season long. I think of names like Claude Lapointe, Kent Manderville, Paul Ranheim, Jimmy Dowd, Donald Brashear, Darrell Powe, Blair Betts, Sami Kapanen, Dan Carcillo, Arron Asham, Ian Laperriere, Bruno Rad-not going to attempt that last name. Even the goons of Sandy McCarthy, PJ Stock and Gino Odjick seemed more tolerable.
- SuperSchennBros

I would love to know what some of those guys did to warrant being considered better/more tolerable in your book

Good for you. What I saw from Vandevelde seemed more of the same offensively.
- SuperSchennBros

VdV is pretty inept offensively. PEB and White can generate some offense, they just aren't skilled enough to generate goals.

VdV is pretty inept offensively. PEB and White can generate some offense, they just aren't skilled enough to generate goals.
- jmatchett383

I don't think Bellemare is a very good offensive player either.

Wow, that's a bummer. RIP indeed.
- wolfhounds

My favorite scene with him,
"Why a spoon,cousin?"
"It's dull you twit it'll hurt more!"
I love to blurt that out every now and then.

Bill was there any mention as to what exactly happened on that Bruins first goal to tie the game at 1-1? I have seen some bad line changes but that one had to be up there as one of the worst. Bruins had the puck for quite awhile and even as millar took the shot that scored there still was no Flyer coming over the boards when you watch the replay, how did nobody on the Flyers bench know they were playing with 4 players? The player who comes off the bench on that line change might have had a chance to pick up Millar who was wide open.

Good for you. What I saw from Vandevelde seemed more of the same offensively.
- SuperSchennBros

Sorry, I know how much you lose your mind when people disagree with you. Agree to disagree.