If that is what we are hoping for then that's limited.

Read played well last night.

Ideally I would love to scratch Vandevelde but I have stopped trying so didn't even go there.
- J35Bacher

As I have said all year, there is no point not to. Falling in love with players like that is what is going to get a guy claimed on waivers over the next year or two

Flip is one of our top 3 forwards now. Lightning scrap heap

Abundantly clear who the 2C is between him and coots when you watch them on the ice. At least coots can be properly slotted
- Just5

Coots really hasn't been impressive at all. He looks more and more like a lower scoring Handzus game after game.

I hate trying to correct spelling on the iPhone. It's like a full time job.

Amen.
However, this would require talking Hextall into firing Hak, so don't hold your breath
- BiggE

Or have someone from IT remove the VDV micro chip from coach Mr Roboto's head.
That way they don't have to fire him and VDV will be erased forever!

Like I said, it will take the combo of Mason standing on his head and some luck to beat the Caps tomorrow. They are my pick to go all the way this year. They have no weaknesses that I can see.
- BiggE

The playoffs are going to be a bear to navigate. Its possible the Caps may have to play the Rags/Jackets/Pens to get to the SCF. That would be a hell of a road to get through. I think the Hawks will have a walk in the park through the West.

Who wins the Vezina? Dubynk, Holtby, or Bobrovsky?

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...-left-table-deadline-day/

18. One reason Ron Hextall was willing to take a chance on Valtteri Filppula? Five-on-five. All seven of Filppula’s goals and 27 of his 34 points are at even strength. Only Nikita Kucherov (39 points) and Victor Hedman (29) were higher among Tampa Bay players. Filppula’s total would put him two behind Jakub Voracek for the Philadelphia lead. The Flyers have 89 goals at five-on-five this season, third worst in the NHL. Opponents have 126, which is fifth most. More than half of Claude Giroux’s and Brayden Schenn’s numbers have come on the power play.

19. Toronto was not on Filppula’s list of approved teams to be moved to. He could block 13. So Tampa would have needed extra permission to send him there. Veterans see Colin Greening, Brooks Laich and Milan Michalek in the AHL, so they believe it could happen to them too. Going into the last year of his contract, Filppula had to be aware of that. Toronto was linked to another Tampa player — Jason Garrison — and Buffalo’s Cody Franson, but there was nothing at the end.

I would normally think that but with Couturier being more a 3rd line role now I think I prefer Read over Cousins.

Weal - Giroux - Simmonds
Schenn - Filppula - Voracek
Read - Couturier - Konecny
Lyubimov - Belleamre - Vandevelde

I wouldn't totally be against putting Weise in for Read though.
- J35Bacher

I'd be down with this set up. Swap Read/Weise when neeeded.

The playoffs are going to be a bear to navigate. Its possible the Caps may have to play the Rags/Jackets/Pens to get to the SCF. That would be a hell of a road to get through. I think the Hawks will have a walk in the park through the West.

Who wins the Vezina? Dubynk, Holtby, or Bobrovsky?
- PLindbergh31

Holtby with Dubynk close second

Thought that was a fantastic game from Ghost. Had one bad turnover in the 3rd, trying to carry the puck backwards, that led to a chance, but was flying out there and making plays. The move where Schenn got hooked with the wide open net was possibly his best sequence of the year. If he, Giroux, and the goalies can all step up, they can make the playoffs. I still think they're a longshot, but they could.

The Flyers looked pretty dangerous all night.. Its was great to watch.

The Shlipacek line killed it last night. They had immediate chemistry.

Mason had an amazing game yet again. Oddly enough it was tweeted out last night that Mason said that the Flyers never approached him with contract negotiations. Not sure I understand that one.

Cousins had one of his worst games as a Flyer IMO. He turned the puck over a handful of times, was constantly getting pushed around and put on the ground. Didnt look good last night.

When healthy I wanna see the lines like this..

Weal-Giroux-Simmer
Shlipacek
TK-Couts-Cousins
Luby-VDV-Read
- jak521

Did Mason or his agent tweet that, or was it second hand?

Yes Giroux had a bad turnover and got walked lol but he did not play as bad as people are saying on here. I thought he had a good game overall, battled hard all night, scrummed it up a bit.

Always liked Filpula, poor man's Datsyuk (in a good way)

The playoffs are going to be a bear to navigate. Its possible the Caps may have to play the Rags/Jackets/Pens to get to the SCF. That would be a hell of a road to get through. I think the Hawks will have a walk in the park through the West.

Who wins the Vezina? Dubynk, Holtby, or Bobrovsky?
- PLindbergh31

I never thought I would say this a couple years ago but I think Dubynk wins Vezina

The playoffs are going to be a bear to navigate. Its possible the Caps may have to play the Rags/Jackets/Pens to get to the SCF. That would be a hell of a road to get through. I think the Hawks will have a walk in the park through the West.

Who wins the Vezina? Dubynk, Holtby, or Bobrovsky?
- PLindbergh31

Probably Holtby

Like I said, it will take the combo of Mason standing on his head and some luck to beat the Caps tomorrow. They are my pick to go all the way this year. They have no weaknesses that I can see.
- BiggE

They have one big weakness, and that is their mindset. They've been very good at beating Pittsburgh in the regular season for the better part of a decade, but Pittsburgh is in their heads for the playoffs. If those 2 teams meet, fully healthy, I'm picking Pittsburgh unless Murray poops the bed.

Also, they seem more than content winning the Presidents Trophy.

I would normally think that but with Couturier being more a 3rd line role now I think I prefer Read over Cousins.

Weal - Giroux - Simmonds
Schenn - Filppula - Voracek
Read - Couturier - Konecny
Lyubimov - Belleamre - Vandevelde

I wouldn't totally be against putting Weise in for Read though.
- J35Bacher

If Konecny can come back and play well, he will be a key to this lineup. With the addition of Filppula, and adding Konecny back, that should help the Flyers improve at 5 on 5. Hopefully both can be added to the 2nd PP unit also.

Holtby with Dubynk close second
- Streit2ThePoint

Dubnyk let in a softie last night, but I agree. Holtby is locked in right now though

Quick almost made an insane stop in the shootout on Nylander

I never thought I would say this a couple years ago but I think Dubynk wins Vezina
- 3flyerkids

It is really close between those 3 guys. Still close to 20 games left. I wouldn't be surprised if any of them won it.

Thought that was a fantastic game from Ghost. Had one bad turnover in the 3rd, trying to carry the puck backwards, that led to a chance, but was flying out there and making plays. The move where Schenn got hooked with the wide open net was possibly his best sequence of the year. If he, Giroux, and the goalies can all step up, they can make the playoffs. I still think they're a longshot, but they could.
- jmatchett383

If Schenn could handle a puck like it's not a grenade most of the time, it would really help. Also he was awful in the D zone last night.

When it comes to effectiveness:
Schenn in the D zone = Vandevelde in the O zone

They have one big weakness, and that is their mindset. They've been very good at beating Pittsburgh in the regular season for the better part of a decade, but Pittsburgh is in their heads for the playoffs. If those 2 teams meet, fully healthy, I'm picking Pittsburgh unless Murray poops the bed.

Also, they seem more than content winning the Presidents Trophy.
- jmatchett383

Maybe, but I think, after last year, this team is flat out on a mission to win the Cup this season.

Sad to see Filppula's decline into scoring a lot more points than he did last season continue last night.

The playoffs are going to be a bear to navigate. Its possible the Caps may have to play the Rags/Jackets/Pens to get to the SCF. That would be a hell of a road to get through. I think the Hawks will have a walk in the park through the West.

Who wins the Vezina? Dubynk, Holtby, or Bobrovsky?
- PLindbergh31

theyll have to play each other so I am not sure how that is possible

Sad to see Filppula's decline into scoring a lot more points than he did last season continue last night.
- Feanor

Ryan White scored in his debut too, and the game after

Maybe, but I think, after last year, this team is flat out on a mission to win the Cup this season.
- BiggE

They're definitely the on-paper favorite, but come playoff time, I'm taking the team led by Crosby over the team led by Ovechkin.

I never thought I'd say that 5 years ago.

Thought that was a fantastic game from Ghost. Had one bad turnover in the 3rd, trying to carry the puck backwards, that led to a chance, but was flying out there and making plays. The move where Schenn got hooked with the wide open net was possibly his best sequence of the year. If he, Giroux, and the goalies can all step up, they can make the playoffs. I still think they're a longshot, but they could.
- jmatchett383

He was good offensively, but he struggled in his own end so I can't give him a rating of fantastic.

theyll have to play each other so I am not sure how that is possible
- YuenglingJagr

Not after the Flyers grab the 3 seed and the Rags/Blue Jackets earn the 2 wild cards.

Ryan White scored in his debut too, and the game after
- YuenglingJagr

If you take yesterday out of it, Filppula had 34 points in 59 games for Tampa this season, after scoring 31 in 76 last season. And yet we get this from Carchidi:

The Flyers added center Valtteri Filppula - a veteran player whose production has dipped in recent seasons