Pavelski's disallowed goal last night was the worst call in NHL history since the last Flyers disallowed goal. Pretty sad when the 1% can control 99% of the goals
- 2Real

1% is elite
99% not elite.

Thanks Obama!
- johndewar

Can we take a moment and remember how poorly Ghost was handled last year by Berube during his brief stint up?

There isn't a doubt in my mind that if Berube was still the coach, Ghost would not be where he is right today.

I can't say I followed Konecny too much, but I do know of the injury concerns. Have any of his injuries been of the type that can linger, such as knee or back?
- EducatedOpinion

Head and shoulder I believe.

Didn't Hak inherit basically the same lineup, minus Coburn?
- Tomahawk

Yeah lol. Gudas <-> Coburn pretty much. On top of the injuries to Jake, Coots, MDZ.

Head and shoulder I believe.
- dragonoffrost

Knees and toes?






Sorry, that was a sad attempt at humor.

Knees and toes?






Sorry, that was a sad attempt at humor.
- EducatedOpinion

And yes the Head can be lingering due to it being the dreaded concussions.

I was actually listening to a Nate Duncan podcast the other day (he covers the NBA) and he was talking about why a certain player wasn't playing. He complained for weeks on his podcast about the lack of playing time for Troy Daniels and finally had an opportunity to ask the coach. The coach basically said that he didn't work hard in practice and that others simply deserved to play over him. Now, if the Hornets were a championship contender, it would be pretty stupid to play the worse player, but Daniels is a FA and they're not a contending team so, in his mind, it made sense to play someone else who "earned" the minutes. The head coach of the Hornets is Steve Clifford and he's a very forward thinking coach who pays close attention to analytics. He's one of the top 10 coaches in the NBA IMO.

Basically, what I'm saying is that even the smartest coaches who know the analytics and know the team is better with them on the court/ice still place a premium on hard work in practice because it does matter. It matters in creating a culture and developing a team. I have to believe Medvedev was doing something - not practicing hard, not listening or not understanding the scheme - for Hak to keep benching him. In Hak's mind, he may look at the benchings as something that makes them worse now, but better later.
- PhillySportsGuy

You're probably right. But he absolutely fit the scheme though: poised controlled exits, entries, tight gaps...that one I don't buy. D men like AMac and Schultz fit the scheme a whole hell of a lot worse. Maybe they just struggled to coach him.

Personally, I still view it was "Big Mistake Theory." His mistakes were glaring, even if he actually outweighed them with way more positives. Rather than 1000 small mistakes and no positives. Hakstol did not treat Ghost this way, so he gives me confidence. But Medvedev was always an easy scape goat. He isn't our 22 y.o. top prospect. He was a non English speaking 33 y.o. on a 1 yr deal.

Didn't Hak inherit basically the same lineup, minus Coburn?
- Tomahawk

For the most part yes, although the impact of Gostisbehere to the lineup, can't be overlooked. He was a big factor in the Flyers making the playoffs. Having Neuvirth as the backup was also a key in helping to deal with situation with Mason. Gudas and Manning were also new to the lineup, full time. . Hakstol did a great job dealing with some key injuries to Streit and to Voracek. If we remember, when Berube took over for LAviolette, he turned the team around and guided them to a good record and improved play in some areas. Berube is a knowledgeable coachwith a sound grasp of systems play. Despite the completely false statements recently that his system was conservative. Not the case. In Berube's 2nd year, things didn't go as well, and it was the right move to make a change. Buy in with a coach is a big deal, and it seems like the buy in with the players for Hakstol this past season, was pretty strong.

I was actually listening to a Nate Duncan podcast the other day (he covers the NBA) and he was talking about why a certain player wasn't playing. He complained for weeks on his podcast about the lack of playing time for Troy Daniels and finally had an opportunity to ask the coach. The coach basically said that he didn't work hard in practice and that others simply deserved to play over him. Now, if the Hornets were a championship contender, it would be pretty stupid to play the worse player, but Daniels is a FA and they're not a contending team so, in his mind, it made sense to play someone else who "earned" the minutes. The head coach of the Hornets is Steve Clifford and he's a very forward thinking coach who pays close attention to analytics. He's one of the top 10 coaches in the NBA IMO.

Basically, what I'm saying is that even the smartest coaches who know the analytics and know the team is better with them on the court/ice still place a premium on hard work in practice because it does matter. It matters in creating a culture and developing a team. I have to believe Medvedev was doing something - not practicing hard, not listening or not understanding the scheme - for Hak to keep benching him. In Hak's mind, he may look at the benchings as something that makes them worse now, but better later.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yes well said. The dui that was mentioned earlier is also worrisome. When your 33 and getting a dui, you have an alcohol problem period.

Way Leight to the coach discussion but I don't care. lol

My thoughts: Yes, they were both hampered by some sub-par rosters, and sure, they got fairly similar results but how they went about it seemed very different to me. Whereas Berube seemed to be very reactive and seemed to scramble lines to "find the chemistry," Hakstol seems to be proactive and seems to have a methodical plan for doing things. Berube seemed to fly by the seat of his pants whereas Hakstol seems to have things thought out more and allowed more time for things to happen. Panic vs. calm. I think if Berube stayed it would have been another season or seasons of treading water and hoping for the best. I think with Hakstol the team is moving forward and will make steady improvement.

But what do I know?

Can we take a moment and remember how poorly Ghost was handled last year by Berube during his brief stint up?

There isn't a doubt in my mind that if Berube was still the coach, Ghost would not be where he is right today.
- JFlyers00

To be fair, it was an emergency call up so I wouldn't judge him based solely on that. Now, based on how he handled all the other young guys at times, I totally believe Ghost would've been treated with kid gloves and urged to not play as aggressive. Hakstol put him in the best situations possible...well, until the last month and a half or so. I don't want to see that pairing again as long as I live.

Berube Vs Hakstol

Did either coach have the players they want for their system? Did they have to make due with what they had?

Those are the two biggest questions that have to be addressed for the team to succeed in my opinion and what the Flyers haven't had in many years.


- Glak18

we've watched a locker room scene? Link pls
- Giroux_Is_God

it's at the end of the scene where Hartnell calls Jody Shelly a meatball and is eating a meatball sub. Then Hartnell calls the meatball sub the Berube. Berube comes in and says to Hartnell, "did you watch how you played last night?"

just some tension there, really no big deal. Hartnell was being a clown, Berube seemed annoyed at him.

You forgot the Illuminati
- EducatedOpinion

Oh man, you're in trouble now...

I for one welcome our new overlords.

Pavelski's disallowed goal last night was the worst call in NHL history since the last Flyers disallowed goal. Pretty sad when the 1% can control 99% of the goals
- 2Real

I u man

Actually.. probably a worse group..

He played half of a season without Del Zotto (the teams top d-man) and then a month with out Streit.

We lost Jake for a considerable amount of time, Couts as well.

We relied heavily on a few rookies, and had to stomach terrible year by Jake.

I am not liking how this has become a Berube vs Hakstoll debate.

Berube wasnt terrible, but he did have his downfalls. Hak had a heck of a year considering what he had to work with and the amount of injuries we had. Young guys seemed to really take off under him as well.
- jak521

Yeah. But Hak had Ghost.

To be fair, it was an emergency call up so I wouldn't judge him based solely on that. Now, based on how he handled all the other young guys at times, I totally believe Ghost would've been treated with kid gloves and urged to not play as aggressive. Hakstol put him in the best situations possible...well, until the last month and a half or so. I don't want to see that pairing again as long as I live.
- Mononoke

"Hey kid, since you're benched for the rest of the game, you might as well keep your eyes on AMac... now there's a guy that plays the game the right way... you could learn a thing or two."

I'd love to know the totals of each coach with how many times they mixed up the lineup or switched the goalies mid game to "energize" the team...especially the latter. Remember when Rob Zepp was pulled after 2 goals? That was a funny one.

You're probably right. But he absolutely fit the scheme though: poised controlled exits, entries, tight gaps...that one I don't buy. D men like AMac and Schultz fit the scheme a whole hell of a lot worse. Maybe they just struggled to coach him.

Personally, I still view it was "Big Mistake Theory." His mistakes were glaring, even if he actually outweighed them with way more positives. Rather than 1000 small mistakes and no positives. Hakstol did not treat Ghost this way, so he gives me confidence. But Medvedev was always an easy scape goat. He isn't our 22 y.o. top prospect. He was a non English speaking 33 y.o. on a 1 yr deal.
- Mononoke

I guess we'll never really know the complete truth about Medvedev, but I always got the feeling his lack of playing time had more to do with off ice issues rather than on ice issues. Being a top player in Russia for so long is probably quite different than being a guy who fights everyday for his minutes. He seemed to take the scratchings well and even said he wanted to return next season while being scratched. Maybe he just had an IDGAF attitude that rubbed the coaches the wrong way.

Yes well said. The dui that was mentioned earlier is also worrisome. When your 33 and getting a dui, you have an alcohol problem period.
- Just5

Was he ever charged?

Maybe he just had an IDGAF attitude that rubbed the coaches the wrong way.
- PhillySportsGuy

Hak found out mid-season that Med's Gatorade bottle had actually been full of Russian Standard the whole time. Nostrovia!

I guess we'll never really know the complete truth about Medvedev, but I always got the feeling his lack of playing time had more to do with off ice issues rather than on ice issues. Being a top player in Russia for so long is probably quite different than being a guy who fights everyday for his minutes. He seemed to take the scratchings well and even said he wanted to return next season while being scratched. Maybe he just had an IDGAF attitude that rubbed the coaches the wrong way.
- PhillySportsGuy

Maybe. But the guy came over here months early to acclimate to the language and culture, brought his family over, busted his butt in preseason, never complained to the (Russian) media....he didn't strike me as DGAF. But I didn't know the man personally. He could've been a Kremlin spy. We will never know.

Was he ever charged?
- missingmike

It can take months from the arrest to actually deliver the charges.

Yes well said. The dui that was mentioned earlier is also worrisome. When your 33 and getting a dui, you have an alcohol problem period.
- Just5

Then a great many adult Americans have alcohol problems because a boatload of DUIs could be handed out every single night of the year. If cops wanted to arrest a lot of people every single night, all they would need to do is sit outside expensive restaurants.