John Boruk, the hockey expert writes this in an article about Carter Hart.


"Compounding the myriad of changes is that Hart is now cashing big paychecks in the first year of his entry-level deal that pays him roughly $750,000 bi-weekly over the course of a six-month season after receiving a mere monthly allowance at the junior level."
- MJL

I wouldnt count 750k a big paycheck. Guy probably takes home 32% of that.

$240k may still seem like a lot but at the same time you are being paid to basically kill yourself. In this sport your career could end at any moment. Its also possible you wouldnt be able to walk again and then what? He has nothing.

Some vets are making mistakes but guys like Amac and Simmonds wont be around past this season.

In this game I can name several young players mistakes just on the goals alone.

Goal #1 - Hagg loses position of his man on a give and go

Goal #2 - There is a lot of blame to go around but at the end of the day Erne skates right through AMac and Konecny then passes to a guy Ghost left wide open. Its a shot Pickard should have had.

Goal #3 Provorov blows his coverage on Point

Goal #4 - Not much anyone can do on 5-3 but first Penalty was on Konecny for a late hit that was thrown in retaliation to a slash.

Goal #5 Another PPG on a Giroux slash. Still dont feel the call was legit. Goal was on several players. Some might say Amac should have had point but a TB player was in the slot just walking in, AMac had to step up on the guy. Hagg didnt get back to cover him and there was a Flyer player that I couldnt see up by the blue line jerking himself off by himself.

As you can see there is plenty of young players making mistakes. Not all the mistakes but a lot of em
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

You're right about Haag. I consider Provorov a veteran player. Not nullifying the stick there is unacceptable. Couturier with poor stick position allows the cross ice pass on the Johnson goal. The Giroux call was a legit call. He slashed him not once but three times finally knocking the stick out of a players hands. A non call would've given the Flyers an odd man rush. It was the right call. Goal #5 is on Laughton. MacDonald on the Paquette goal takes a bad angle and tries to reach around the back side for a poke check and is beating off the wall by Erne. That causes Gostisbehere to hesitate between two guys. The veteran players on this team are making far too many mistakes. Both is coverage and puck management.

I wouldnt count 750k a big paycheck. Guy probably takes home 32% of that.

$240k may still seem like a lot but at the same time you are being paid to basically kill yourself. In this sport your career could end at any moment. Its also possible you wouldnt be able to walk again and then what? He has nothing.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Missing the point. Hart is on an EL deal. All EL deals are two way. Hart's salary in the AHL is 70K. Not 750K. That would be his NHL salary.

John Boruk, the hockey expert writes this in an article about Carter Hart.


"Compounding the myriad of changes is that Hart is now cashing big paychecks in the first year of his entry-level deal that pays him roughly $750,000 bi-weekly over the course of a six-month season after receiving a mere monthly allowance at the junior level."
- MJL

Boruk is only employed for his fashion sense, not his hockey knowledge.

Simmonds was beaten defensively by Anthony Cirelli

That is way to kind of a statement!!!

Didn’t watch a second of it.

Feel good.
- flyer_nutter

You are a horrible person and sholdn't be a fan of this team!!!

Go die or something

68.6%

Wow! And that is with a 20 game sample size.

Sigh
- ggunky

There’s a team that’s worse right? Who is this team?

Guys, it's okay.

We just need the players to execute better. That's all.
- jmatchett383

Thank you.

They shouldn’t be feared. They’re trash. Hopefully missing the playoffs wakes them up. They need some embarrassment top to bottom.
- stayinthefnnet

Cmon they do this every year starting slow. They’ll be fine

another day another loss

another day another loss
- 2Real

All part of the master plan

Missing the point. Hart is on an EL deal. All EL deals are two way. Hart's salary in the AHL is 70K. Not 750K. That would be his NHL salary.
- MJL

I noticed that too. $9,000,000 is good dough for his first year in the AHL. ha ha. Obviously a mistake. Other than that I enjoyed the article. It was interesting hearing Lyon’s perspective on Hart.

The PK is now at 68.6%. That’s beyond pathetic, it’s a (frank)ing embarrassment. If Lappy was the classy guy all the writers and players claim, he’d (frank)ing resign. He has to go, I don’t care who the PKers are, or the goalie or whatever, there is no excuse for this. None.
- BiggE

I want to be careful, because you really shouldn't just compare seasons and numbers without context. I think we all know that -- different players and what-not.

But when you look at this year, and just look at pure outcomes from previous seasons, what we are witnessing is basically incompetence at the professional level.

I am not trying to be mean or hyperbolic. These guys are all human beings, not robots.

But when you loop back to a few things, it's hard not to concede that the Philadelphia Flyers have some type of lingering, systemic issue with the PK at the NHL level.

Whether it is players, coaches, organizational philosophy or some toxic brew of some or all of the preceding factors, something is broken at the NHL level with the penalty kill.

The 2014-15 Flyers missed the playoffs under Chief, and he was fired after the season. It is impossible to say what the breaking point was, but it is fair to say that the PK did not help Chief in his bid to make the playoffs. I remember guesstimating the Flyers left between 6-11 points on the table that year due to the kill -- not a guarantee they would have made it had they collected those points with the aid of a better kill, but definitely enough to nail the coffin on their season because they didn't.

The PK that year was 77 percent. And that was a bad kill for pretty much 82 games.

It can be argued that the Flyers last year under Dave Hakstol outscored their problems, using an MVP-caliber season from its captain, a Selke-caliber season from its 1C, and elite seasons from two defensemen and a winger to make the playoffs despite injuries to their goaltenders almost all of the middle to late portion of the season. That doesn't mean they didn't deserve to make it. They did. They were good enough.

Had they missed the playoffs, however, the PK would have been a huge factor -- it was an abomination last season, as well, costing them multiple wins and points.

The PK last year should have been deemed completely unacceptable, and it was at 75 percent.

This year's Flyers team, 20 games into the season which means there is some level of statistical significance -- I could maybe try to model something basic, but anyone who has taken stats knows it would be a pretty soft model for the effort required -- is somehow 6.5 percent or so BELOW what should be deemed completely unacceptable.

I mean, I don't even know how to wrap my mind around how horrific this PK has been this season. I truly don't. Twenty games deep into a season might not be enough of a cut to be entirely certain what is real vs. anomaly, but man, it's gotta be close -- at some point, normalization and sample size kick in and you are what you are.

They have to be getting close to that tipping point, if they're not there already.

I feel comfortable projecting this: They will not make the playoffs after 82 games killing penalties like this. They just won't be able to string together enough wins over the course of the season because of the points they leave on the table due to regulation losses they shouldn't sustain -- basically what did Chief in during 2014-15.

Again, I don't have a statistical model worked up. I am just eyeballing and guessing, based on what I see around the league. I think, repeat THINK, that if they even kill at the rate of a very bad kill, 76-77 percent, for the rest of the season starting today, they could outscore that and make it -- again, that's just me eyeballing and guessing. No guarantee.

You're basically hoping that pretty much everything goes right the rest of the way -- no significant injuries to key players and those key players operate at close to peak performance. No bad individual seasons, bad puck luck, the rest of the way, due to the fact that it is entirely possible the Metro only gets three teams in this season.

The reason I wrote all these words is that I have seen basically nothing to indicate they will be able to do that. There are games even when the Flyers kill penalties and it looks like a miracle.

To me, they have to do something about this kill in-season. They do. If they want to make the playoffs.

Just my opinion

There’s a team that’s worse right? Who is this team?
- Just5

Nobody, now -- Ottawa slid over them last night

We are dead last in the league on the PK

Cmon they do this every year starting slow. They’ll be fine
- Just5

This year's different, I think. Closer to Chicago the year their slide began, when Nashville speed-bagged them in the playoffs but the Blackhawks didn't truly realize it was over

I want to be careful, because you really shouldn't just compare seasons and numbers without context. I think we all know that -- different players and what-not.

But when you look at this year, and just look at pure outcomes from previous seasons, what we are witnessing is basically incompetence at the professional level.

I am not trying to be mean or hyperbolic. These guys are all human beings, not robots.

But when you loop back to a few things, it's hard not to concede that the Philadelphia Flyers have some type of lingering, systemic issue with the PK at the NHL level.

Whether it is players, coaches, organizational philosophy or some toxic brew of some or all of the preceding factors, something is broken at the NHL level with the penalty kill.

The 2014-15 Flyers missed the playoffs under Chief, and he was fired after the season. It is impossible to say what the breaking point was, but it is fair to say that the PK did not help Chief in his bid to make the playoffs. I remember guesstimating the Flyers left between 6-11 points on the table that year due to the kill -- not a guarantee they would have made it had they collected those points with the aid of a better kill, but definitely enough to nail the coffin on their season because they didn't.

The PK that year was 77 percent. And that was a bad kill for pretty much 82 games.

It can be argued that the Flyers last year under Dave Hakstol outscored their problems, using an MVP-caliber season from its captain, a Selke-caliber season from its 1C, and elite seasons from two defensemen and a winger to make the playoffs despite injuries to their goaltenders almost all of the middle to late portion of the season. That doesn't mean they didn't deserve to make it. They did. They were good enough.

Had they missed the playoffs, however, the PK would have been a huge factor -- it was an abomination last season, as well, costing them multiple wins and points.

The PK last year should have been deemed completely unacceptable, and it was at 75 percent.

This year's Flyers team, 20 games into the season which means there is some level of statistical significance -- I could maybe try to model something basic, but anyone who has taken stats knows it would be a pretty soft model for the effort required -- is somehow 6.5 percent or so BELOW what should be deemed completely unacceptable.

I mean, I don't even know how to wrap my mind around how horrific this PK has been this season. I truly don't. Twenty games deep into a season might not be enough of a cut to be entirely certain what is real vs. anomaly, but man, it's gotta be close -- at some point, normalization and sample size kick in and you are what you are.

They have to be getting close to that tipping point, if they're not there already.

I feel comfortable projecting this: They will not make the playoffs after 82 games killing penalties like this. They just won't be able to string together enough wins over the course of the season because of the points they leave on the table due to regulation losses they shouldn't sustain -- basically what did Chief in during 2014-15.

Again, I don't have a statistical model worked up. I am just eyeballing and guessing, based on what I see around the league. I think, repeat THINK, that if they even kill at the rate of a very bad kill, 76-77 percent, for the rest of the season starting today, they could outscore that and make it -- again, that's just me eyeballing and guessing. No guarantee.

You're basically hoping that pretty much everything goes right the rest of the way -- no significant injuries to key players and those key players operate at close to peak performance. No bad individual seasons, bad puck luck, the rest of the way, due to the fact that it is entirely possible the Metro only gets three teams in this season.

The reason I wrote all these words is that I have seen basically nothing to indicate they will be able to do that. There are games even when the Flyers kill penalties and it looks like a miracle.

To me, they have to do something about this kill in-season. They do. If they want to make the playoffs.

Just my opinion
- AllInForFlyers

To me, it’s pretty simple, in order to make the playoffs the following must happen:

1. Brian Elliott needs to come back in 2 weeks healthy and stay healthy the rest of the season or a deal needs to be to acquire a legit, capable NHL goalie.

2. The PK needs to improve by at least 10 percentage points

3. Ivan Provorov needs to play the way we know he can play on a consistent basis

i'm sure Hextall is checking out the mediocre goalie waiver wire. Guy has done next to nothing to improve the club, made some bad trades and signings, but yet isnt called on it enough

Simply put, this team treads water at best.

Some of you will point to a win streak or a losing streak to make your case but unfortunately/fortunately the seasons aren't decided in those windows. Big picture this team just gets by, and that's how it's been for a good long while now. Aspire to be better. When you see Lappy kept on and Hextall going into a season where he didn't address a faulty goaltending tandem you just have to scratch your head and ask why aren't they holding themselves to a higher standard?

This team can put together some wins, and I hope they can get into the playoffs. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm more jaded towards this franchise than ever.

Simply put, this team treads water at best.

Some of you will point to a win streak or a losing streak to make your case but unfortunately/fortunately the seasons aren't decided in those windows. Big picture this team just gets by, and that's how it's been for a good long while now. Aspire to be better. When you see Lappy kept on and Hextall going into a season where he didn't address a faulty goaltending tandem you just have to scratch your head and ask why aren't they holding themselves to a higher standard?

This team can put together some wins, and I hope they can get into the playoffs. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm more jaded towards this franchise than ever.
- hereticpride

This, sadly, this.

i'm sure Hextall is checking out the mediocre goalie waiver wire. Guy has done next to nothing to improve the club, made some bad trades and signings, but yet isnt called on it enough
- twpguy

You're right, drafting Provorov, Sanheim, Konecny, Patrick as well as numerous other top prospects has done nothing to improve the future of the team. Signing JVR was obviously a bust also. I mean the guy got hurt.

You're right, drafting Provorov, Sanheim, Konecny, Patrick as well as numerous other top prospects has done nothing to improve the future of the team. Signing JVR was obviously a bust also. I mean the guy got hurt.
- MJL

Overall, I like the job Hextall has done, but you cannot deny that he's made some questionable decisions. Re-signing Neuvirth at all was his first mistake and going into this season with the injury prone Neuvirth and Brian Elliott at age 33 coming off major surgery was a risky plan to say the least. I also have to question his retention of Lappy as PK coach after multiple seasons of poor performance.

Again, I'm not calling for Hextall's head and overall, I think he's done a solid job, but lets hold off before we anoint him as the next coming of Keith Allen. He's been on the job long enough that now is the time we should start seeing results. I think how he handles Hak going into his lame duck season after this and how the team performs during the next couple seasons will make or break him as GM of this team. If at the end of 2021, this team is still looking for their first playoff round victory since 2012, I think that will be the end of the Hextall era. The clock is ticking.

All doom and gloom, but Claude is the silver lining.

Guy looks like he's gonna put up another 90-100 pts.

i'm sure Hextall is checking out the mediocre goalie waiver wire. Guy has done next to nothing to improve the club, made some bad trades and signings, but yet isnt called on it enough
- twpguy

I don't think any of his trades or signings has led this club to where they are today. I think his lack of doing things can be questioned. The three concerns going into this year were 3C, PK and the health of the goalies, nothing was done about any of it. It's a fair criticism. When he was hired as GM he made it clear he was going to be patient. He's been patient to a fault.

However, I am not ready to give up on him yet. Flyers have a good pipeline to be good for a number of years.

Overall, I like the job Hextall has done, but you cannot deny that he's made some questionable decisions. Re-signing Neuvirth at all was his first mistake and going into this season with the injury prone Neuvirth and Brian Elliott at age 33 coming off major surgery was a risky plan to say the least. I also have to question his retention of Lappy as PK coach after multiple seasons of poor performance.

Again, I'm not calling for Hextall's head and overall, I think he's done a solid job, but lets hold off before we anoint him as the next coming of Keith Allen. He's been on the job long enough that now is the time we should start seeing results. I think how he handles Hak going into his lame duck season after this and how the team performs during the next couple seasons will make or break him as GM of this team. If at the end of 2021, this team is still looking for their first playoff round victory since 2012, I think that will be the end of the Hextall era. The clock is ticking.
- BiggE

I look at the big picture and in the context of what the plan is. The plan is to develop a true contending team with as wide a window as possible. To create a flow of drafted players to continue to supply the team with young players. I think your time line is a little early. I don't question the retention of Lappariere because I know what Hextall knows. It's not a coaching issue per se, it's a player issue. With that being said, coaching is a results oriented business and coaches pay the price for players not performing. I have no issue with anyone suggesting a coaching change for the PK. If players aren't correcting mistakes then they either aren't capable of it or their not listening to their coaches.

What I can't stress enough is that it is November with a lot of season left. Even with the struggles, the team is 2 points out of the 3rd spot in the Metro.

Simply put, this team treads water at best.

Some of you will point to a win streak or a losing streak to make your case but unfortunately/fortunately the seasons aren't decided in those windows. Big picture this team just gets by, and that's how it's been for a good long while now. Aspire to be better. When you see Lappy kept on and Hextall going into a season where he didn't address a faulty goaltending tandem you just have to scratch your head and ask why aren't they holding themselves to a higher standard?

This team can put together some wins, and I hope they can get into the playoffs. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm more jaded towards this franchise than ever.
- hereticpride

A capable goalie would have gone a long way to changing the narrative for this season for sure ...( capable meaning actually being able to stay healthy for more then 10 games). The PK ran out excuses and Hextall has none left to play. For what ever reason the players aren’t responding to what they are being asked to do. Where’s the fault in that ? Considering the time that this PK has sucked I think anyone who thinks it gets fixed in house is delusional. It may indeed be better as time goes on but it will always be this teams Achilles heal waiting to again let them down when it matters most.

Hextall really needs to do his job and worked to get this fixed.....a trade? A firing ? Something, to at least show they just aren’t willing to accept failure.
The best news I heard was how the building is starting to have empty seats....yes tickets are sold for the most part but empty seats mean less sales and less concessions.....$ might not get Hextalls attention but it will get ownerships.

Everyone bought into Hextalls patient plan.....but even that has its limits. The JVR signing ...for that type of $...signalled to the fan base they were ready to take that next step...Hextall said as much....it’s not happening unless other changes are made. Clock is starting to tick.