He was a Flyer in the Lindros heydays one of the best D centers of all time?
- Landsbergfan

Yea Couts get a run for his money

Number 1 option with pressure deep in your zone with little time left in the period is to flip it into the NZ. Second/third would be wrap/chip off the boards. Fourth is skate the puck and tie it up. I'm not sure where, "Pass into the middle of your own zone to a player who's covered," falls, but it's not at the top.

I'm not saying he was directly or solely at fault. But it wasn't a very smart play.
- jmatchett383

It's a dumb play, I know that. But his forwards need to give him better options in the first place. He's under pressure so any of those plays you mentioned could lead to equally bad turn overs. He doesn't have time or support to do anything with precision.

I'm just glad that the cause that led to the third goal of a 4-1 loss has become a 5 page argument over who's most at fault.
- jmatchett383

I tried to make it a 5 page discussion about BiggE's penis, but didn't get much help

I tried to make it a 5 page discussion about BiggE's penis, but didn't get much help
- YuenglingJagr

Do you have any samples of it

how does an NHL player make that play?
- hammarby31

Seriously that was just dreadful. very unstreitlike

holy hell that was dreadful.
- nastyflyergirl

I wonder how much of the next day's thread was about that DZ turnover.

Well, you seem to like to propose trades. I'm not against any move to improve the team. What I'm against is making a reactionary trade.
- MJL

Could not be any worse than Boy and Weise

I wonder how much of the next day's thread was about that DZ turnover.
- Feanor

Does people talking about trading him for 2 years count?

It's a dumb play, I know that. But his forwards need to give him better options in the first place. He's under pressure so any of those plays you mentioned could lead to equally bad turn overs. He doesn't have time or support to do anything with precision.
- Baxter27

See I don't agree with that. he made a bad pass. This isn't a beer league, pro players make that pass to Giroux all the time. it was there for the making and he missed him. Time and place tho. with so little time left just get it the (frank) out. Don't worry about possession. Don't worry about a rush. get it out. a turnover was the one thing you can't have.

It's a dumb play, I know that. But his forwards need to give him better options in the first place. He's under pressure so any of those plays you mentioned could lead to equally bad turn overs. He doesn't have time or support to do anything with precision.
- Baxter27

And when you don't have time or support, you make the safe play. It may not be the perfect play, but it's a hell of a lot better than rushing a pass into the middle of your own zone to a player who has a guy bearing down on him. None of the ones I mentioned probably lead to a goal for the Flyers, but they're all much better options that the choice he made.

My biggest issue with AMac is his usage. You say he didn't have time and support to do anything with precision. That is my issue. I understand that this team isn't the 1976 Canadiens or even the 2010 Flyers, so choices are limited. But a guy playing top pair, even second pair, has to be proficient at making quick reads with pressure. He doesn't, which is what leads to a lot of safe plays at times where he DOES have better options than the safe play.

Again, I'm not blaming him directly or solely for that goal, just stating my issues with him.

I wonder how much of the next day's thread was about that DZ turnover.
- Feanor

Pretty sure he was ripped, however, Streit has been a much more consistent player over his career here than AMAC. He may be done now but mistakes like that were fewer and far in between

Does people talking about trading him for 2 years count?
- YuenglingJagr

More like 3 and a half.

At one point he was seen as a worse signing than Vinny.

i think he sucked, but i didn't watch the 3rd period. i'm glad you like the caps. i save them up to use them all in one post.
- hammarby31

Pretty sad when the third period against the Sabres is garbage time.

Could not be any worse than Boy and Weise
- Landsbergfan

Only 3 more years of the WOS

Only 3 more years of the WOS
- PLindbergh31

WOW i thought it was a short deal,what a waste of a roster spot that could be used on something young and fast.

He also has penchant for simply dumping the puck into the neutral zone. Those types of plays are never recognized as an error, but, if done on a consistent basis, they lead to chances against and less opportunities offensively.

To be honest, his goals against numbers aren't terrible. They're average by team standards over his Flyers career. It's the teams' inability to generate offense when he's on the ice that really crushes him.

Ultimately, the game isn't about denying goals or creating goals; it's about scoring more than the opposition. MacDonald's average defensive ability is offset by the fact that the team has trouble scoring when he's on the ice.
- PhillySportsGuy

It's true and a fair assessment. As has often been said about MacDonald, even by someone who dislikes him, he isn't "bad" in coverage. He's not. He's bad in most every other facet. So he can keep his goals down, but he's still always playing in his own zone hanging on by a thread. He may be more skilled than Schultz, but his net effect is mostly the same. That's not good or productive hockey.

And this trouble creating goals.....the last 2 years his most common partners are: Gostisbehere and Provorov. He drags down everyone he plays with, but most importantly, our two most talented blue liners are his main partners to drag them down, the two we can least afford to be shackled offensively. The stats with/without, as you well know, are night and day.

It's true and a fair assessment. As has often been said about MacDonald, even by someone who dislikes him, he isn't "bad" in coverage. He's not. He's bad in most every other facet. So he can keep his goals down, but he's still always playing in his own zone hanging on by a thread. He may be more skilled than Schultz, but his net effect is mostly the same. That's not good or productive hockey.

And this trouble creating goals.....the last 2 years his most common partners are: Gostisbehere and Provorov. He drags down everyone he plays with, but most importantly, our two most talented blue liners are his main partners to drag them down, the 2 we can least afford to be nerfed.
- Mononoke

I think he's a good in-zone defender and is competent in the offensive zone. He's not bad with the puck when he's given time and space. Other than that, I don't think he brings much.

- hockeylover

I never watched much of Fringe, so I don't get this reference.

WOW i thought it was a short deal,what a waste of a roster spot that could be used on something young and fast.
- Landsbergfan

Not to mention his cap hit is 2.4 million. That is a fair amount for dead wood.

Pretty sad when the third period against the Sabres is garbage time.
- PLindbergh31

it's a disgrace. happy 50th anniversary. i love flyers anniversaries.

it's a disgrace. happy 50th anniversary. i love flyers anniversaries.
- hammarby31

Those gold jersey are dogpoop. I guess something else to be sold to the saps. Seems like they lose almost every time they wear those.

it's a disgrace. happy 50th anniversary. i love flyers anniversaries.
- hammarby31

Could be worse, it could be their 40th anniversary. That season was the pits.

I actually believe statistically he is the worst Flyer at getting the puck out with possession fwiw.

But this play is basically MacDonald in a nutshell. When he's playing at a typical level, he, at least no more than any other d man, won't make the egregious turnover that leads directly to the goal; he won't completely botch some coverage. Hence this idea he is "reliable" or "structured," as he goes around in his shot block stance and whatnot. But his entire game operates around indirectly causing breakdowns or d-zone time by little mistakes all over the ice. A questionable pinch or a questionable not pinch; constantly poor gap control to allow the opposition to set up in their zone; failed clears and missed passes; hesitating and missing openings; and just a general passivity in a defenseman with NHL skills and an AHL mind.

So many of these things are preventable. And when they happen consistently, they allow opportunities for bad bounces or for other mistakes. Yes, he'll have his egregious plays, but so does every d man. His fatal flaw is his propensity for subtle errors, like a constant theme, that open up for things to get compounded.
- Mononoke

Could be worse, it could be their 40th anniversary. That season was the pits.
- hockeylover

So you are saying let's pray for a lockout for the 60th?