frustrated. thats all.

im out. giroux sucks cause he didnt backcheck, Hextall is praised for not trying to help him.
one way street
- puckhead17

We are all pissed off at the product in the last 14 games. Funny thing is 10 games before that it was wine and roses. Welcome to the NHL.

No Hextall is praised for not overreacting and sticking to a plan. You make moves to help him out when you think your team has a legitimate shot at it, if you can make a few moves. This team is not at that point. Their top defenseman is 19 years old! MacDonald is playing 20+ minutes a game! Their goaltending is currently crap. They need to substantially upgrade their depth. They're not a move or two away!
- MJL

No Hextall is praised for not overreacting and sticking to a plan. You make moves to help him out when you think your team has a legitimate shot at it, if you can make a few moves. This team is not at that point. Their top defenseman is 19 years old! MacDonald is playing 20+ minutes a game! Their goaltending is currently crap. They need to substantially upgrade their depth. They're not a move or two away!
- MJL

but...anger! rage! torches! pitchforks!

but...anger! rage! torches! pitchforks!
- Scoob

Or, as we call around here in Flyersbuzz....Monday.

but...anger! rage! torches! pitchforks!
- Scoob

not any of those, but I do think they could've made better signings in the offseason

but...anger! rage! torches! pitchforks!
- Scoob

You forgot...

Exactly! A bubble playoff team.
- MJL

Even during the win streak, I knew that this team was going to find a way to make it difficult to make the playoffs. It's just what they do. I don't know why, but they are incapable of building a lead in the standings and sticking with it. They really only play their best when they absolutely need to, I guess.

Listen, I've poured 30+ hours into the gm mode in NHL 15, 16, and 17 over the past few years.

Let me fix this team Hexy.

Even during the win streak, I knew that this team was going to find a way to make it difficult to make the playoffs. It's just what they do. I don't know why, but they are incapable of building a lead in the standings and sticking with it. They really only play their best when they absolutely need to, I guess.
- feelingkettle

I made that point recently to a certain poster, and his reply was what it didn't happen? They weren't a dominant team during that 10 game win streak. They were squeaking out wins. By a thread on some occasions.

Lobbing up a discussion topic...

Home vs. Road record

The easy blame is to look at the coach, captain, organization when the results have been the same over the last few years. The Flyers play better at home than on the road. The simple answer is that they can't get motivated enough. We don't see them dominate games or control play. They have a history of playing poorly against bad teams. We see plays like this weekend where guys don't commit to defense.

Here is another theory though...one that when I get a chance I plan on looking into more. What if they just aren't good enough? This is my theory. I don't mean like they suck and need to tank or anything like that. Just use more...wait for it...skill! Yes, I am using it as a way to lobby for a more skilled lineup again! It is what I see though. At home the Flyers have the ability to take advantage of matchups that let certain lines play better and control the game and on the road those same guys disappear.

It has happened when they put their best guys on 1 line (i.e. 1 line team from years past) or when they try to spread it across the lineup (current lines). They are stuck in limbo in a way. Do you load up lines to play at even strength and then get killed with the other lines? They've used that with success (10 game win streak) and without success (berube's last year). Either option requires a lot of luck to win consistently, and when the shots aren't going in and the saves aren't coming (both losing streaks this year) the results are messy.

Outside of blatantly calling out and/or scratching every single player on this team at some point, they only thing they haven't tried is icing the most skilled lineup in the hopes that it allows the team to have the most non-luck based success over a period of time. Do the Flyers have the skill depth to go toe to toe with some of the top shelf teams? Evidence would suggest otherwise, but currently having the top 2 lines be not as good as they could be, while also keeping the 4th line as a poop show has had disastrous results. I recommend either playing most skilled lineup, or letting bellemare's line get teed up on again and hoping they stay out of the net.

I made that point recently to a certain poster, and his reply was what it didn't happen? They weren't a dominant team during that 10 game win streak. They were squeaking out wins. By a thread on some occasions.
- MJL

True. It was an exciting run, but any fan that knows this team would expect them to screw themselves after the streak in some way, and have to push for another playoff berth. I don't think I thought the games would be this bad, though.

Anyone who doesn't see that the organ-I-zation is much better than it was a couple years ago is either ignorant, a troll, or idiotic.
- YuenglingJagr

There is proof to this in that the Phantoms are not content with just playing in pro league anymore.
Hexy has put together a mix player that would start to win games and compete in the playoffs fostering a winning mentality, not one of just being content,
kinda how the big club is playing now, cash check show up give the bare minimum effort go home to a mansion and repeat...

Exactly! A bubble playoff team.
- MJL

Sitting precariously on a bed of nails....

[quote=Mordecai]

Finally someone who is qualified on drunk/hungover Monday GM day!

Lobbing up a discussion topic...

Home vs. Road record

The easy blame is to look at the coach, captain, organization when the results have been the same over the last few years. The Flyers play better at home than on the road. The simple answer is that they can't get motivated enough. We don't see them dominate games or control play. They have a history of playing poorly against bad teams. We see plays like this weekend where guys don't commit to defense.

Here is another theory though...one that when I get a chance I plan on looking into more. What if they just aren't good enough? This is my theory. I don't mean like they suck and need to tank or anything like that. Just use more...wait for it...skill! Yes, I am using it as a way to lobby for a more skilled lineup again! It is what I see though. At home the Flyers have the ability to take advantage of matchups that let certain lines play better and control the game and on the road those same guys disappear.

It has happened when they put their best guys on 1 line (i.e. 1 line team from years past) or when they try to spread it across the lineup (current lines). They are stuck in limbo in a way. Do you load up lines to play at even strength and then get killed with the other lines? They've used that with success (10 game win streak) and without success (berube's last year). Either option requires a lot of luck to win consistently, and when the shots aren't going in and the saves aren't coming (both losing streaks this year) the results are messy.

Outside of blatantly calling out and/or scratching every single player on this team at some point, they only thing they haven't tried is icing the most skilled lineup in the hopes that it allows the team to have the most non-luck based success over a period of time. Do the Flyers have the skill depth to go toe to toe with some of the top shelf teams? Evidence would suggest otherwise, but currently having the top 2 lines be not as good as they could be, while also keeping the 4th line as a poop show has had disastrous results. I recommend either playing most skilled lineup, or letting bellemare's line get teed up on again and hoping they stay out of the net.
- YuenglingJagr

I think one would have to lay out the parameters of what is meant by skill. Is it the most talented players? Better hands and offensive ability? I think I know what you're getting at. I just think the possibility exists that doing so, could make it worse.

Some will say, "Why not sell off some older players and call up prospects?" That will only happen if a) the Flyers continue to lose after the bye week, and b) Hextall and the Flyers hockey ops decision makers deem players like Samuel Morin and Travis Sanheim sufficiently advanced in their development to be ready for the rigors of an NHL stretch drive. They set that bar pretty high, though, and prefer to err on the side of caution. That's the mindset, like it or not.

There's also the fact that the trade market has been almost dead this entire season with no big names moving since opening night. Expecting Hextall to make major moves this far ahead of the trade deadline when there's so much caution among GMs regarding the cap and the expansion draft is unrealistic.

Sitting precariously on a bed of nails....
- Konalover

Sink or swim!

I think the plug was pulled too quickly on Laviolette. He's a proven NHL coach. 145-98-29 with the Flyers. Firing him an favor of a guy like Berube was questionable at best.
- PLindbergh31

I think it was pulled too late. He should've been fired in April 2013, giving the Flyers a chance to look at every coach available that offseason.

There's also the fact that the trade market has been almost dead this entire season with no big names moving since opening night. Expecting Hextall to make major moves this far ahead of the trade deadline when there's so much caution among GMs regarding the cap and the expansion draft is unrealistic.
- Feanor

Of course none of those issues need to be considered when he's not helping G.

I don't want to overuse the word but EXACTLY!
- MJL

Being sincere, I don't mean to act like it's out of line to be frustrated. They've been, to put it charitably, flat since the win streak ended. I know I've been mostly checked out on them since the Columbus game. They're not fun to watch, and they're not showing signs of putting it back together right now.

When I take the long view on the season and what they're doing in general, and this is where everybody thought they'd be right about now. I think most have seen 2017-18 as the tipping point season for at least a couple seasons now. I don't think this is the time to panic and despair the failure of Hextall "sticking to the plan". If he thinks something is really wrong, he won't sit on his hands.

I don't expect to get some sort of sounding of the trumpets when he brings in the cavalry. He's stunned everybody more than once in clearing out contracts. I expect it'll be the same if he shakes up the roster.

At any rate, the bye week couldn't have come at a more convenient time.

At any rate, the bye week couldn't have come at a more convenient time.
- BulliesPhan87

5 days of Torches and Pitchforks!


Now to be serious.

Starting Saturday NJ, NYI, NYR, TOR, and CAR left this month. I think they need 7 of 10 points. Preferably 2 each against TOR, CAR and NJ.

Finally someone who is qualified on drunk/hungover Monday GM day!
- Konalover

My first order of business will be to walk straight into Hexy's office and rock him square in the jaw for ruining this team.

I will win all the trades and sign only good players.

We'll be winning so much you'll all say "wow thank you Mordecai for all of the winning, you're so handsome and talented."

Nobody saw this coming. This season has taken a completely unexpected turn.
- BulliesPhan87

Honestly, they should be lower than 18th in the league with the sub .900 goaltending their veterans have provided. It's not the only problem with the team, but it's the main one. Yes, the defense makes a lot of mistakes, but they did last year, too. And Toronto's D is also gaffe-prone. The difference is they have a ~.920 starter.

Honestly, they should be lower than 18th in the league with the sub .900 goaltending their veterans have provided. It's not the only problem with the team, but it's the main one. Yes, the defense makes a lot of mistakes, but they did last year, too. And Toronto's D is also gaffe-prone. The difference is they have a ~.920 starter.
- Feanor

My personal opinion is that the team defense and the number of grade A chances they give up, has a lot to do with where the goaltending is right now. I think more than any position in the sport, goaltending is mental. I think knowing that you have to be the savior and the last line of defense bailing out the team every night, wears on a player. It's a tough place to be, and tough to maintain that level of play. I agree completely with Bill that the two are symbiotic. When and if both improve, we'll see Mason in particular, back to where he needs to be.

My first order of business will be to walk straight into Hexy's office and rock him square in the jaw for ruining this team.

I will win all the trades and sign only good players.

We'll be winning so much you'll all say "wow thank you Mordecai for all of the winning, you're so handsome and talented."
- Mordecai

If I got to be drunk GM, the hardest decision would be choosing who gets punched in the face first