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.
- MJL

Which is on coach coverage or puck management?
Which is on players coverage or puck management?

After what, 20-years of constant GM/team overhauls?
- Tomahawk

Appears to be fixed now?

I would really like to see the media ask Hextall why he hasn't moved on from Lappy. And when he inevitably says it's not Lappy that's the problem, it's the players then I'd like to see them follow up by asking why he has been unable to give Lappy competent PK'ers to work with year in and year out.

They've run out of excuses for the PK and something needs to be done.
- hereticpride

Do you think Sean Couturier is a competent Pker?

Anyone who thinks a trade or a firing is a panic move....that’s just ridiculous. That’s just sports. If Hextall trades a high end prospect, it will not be for a short term fix. If he Fires the coach...I’m sure the replacement will have the long term in mind. I trust Hextall that way.
- landros 2

People get too attached to players and to a lesser extent coaches. If you have a chance to make the franchise better for now and the future you do it.

There's some people who read this and will immediately go to the extreme of Homer trading away picks for old guys and rentals. That's not what I'm suggesting. Yzerman was very active in the trade market and made some real good moves for his team for example.

I wasn’t referring to your comment as rediculous....but some delusional fans are trying to rationalize why Hextall hasn’t made a move., which is rediculous....poorly worded on my part.
- landros 2

Do you think Sean Couturier is a competent Pker?
- MJL

I'm not interested in singling out one player to argue over. The PK percentage speaks for itself year after year.

People get too attached to players and to a lesser extent coaches. If you have a chance to make the franchise better for now and the future you do it.

There's some people who read this and will immediately go to the extreme of Homer trading away picks for old guys and rentals. That's not what I'm suggesting. Yzerman was very active in the trade market and made some real good moves for his team for example.
- hereticpride

Give me one example.

I'm not interested in singling out one player to argue over. The PK percentage speaks for itself year after year.
- hereticpride

That's a cop out and you know why you don't want to answer it.

Give me one example.
- MJL

Drouin for Sergachev

That's a cop out and you know why you don't want to answer it.
- MJL

If you want to defend Lappy in 2018 that's a hell of a hill to die on.

Coots is a good PKer but as evidenced by the PK percentage he alone is clearly not enough.

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

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

Ha! Not so much doom and gloom...I see this as a solvable problem, you know?

I mean, FFS. The PK has been bad for quite some time now. But that doesn't mean it has to be bad and/or can't be fixed.

For example -- and for all I know, the Flyers may have done something like this already -- but just say for whatever reason, you don't want to fire the PK coach. Just say you just don't want to do that.

Then be creative and give somebody like a Ken Hitchcock a call. See if the hockey lifer would consult for a few weeks. Have him do some eye-in-the-sky, look at some film, sit down with Hakstol and Laperriere and tell them what he is seeing, offer some suggestions.

Again, I'm not saying the Flyers haven't already done something like that.

What I am saying is if they haven't...the bottom line is that for whatever reason, what they have been doing simply isn't working. It just hasn't worked. This PK has been leaking goals for years.

If you don't want to fire the coach or trade the players, then you gotta be creative.

What is doom and gloom is that if they just do nothing, they really could piss away this season where they might be sneaky good at ES because of a PK who professional competence had to tell them could be a problem and has shown itself to be an existential threat to their playoff hopes

Which is on coach coverage or puck management?
Which is on players coverage or puck management?
- Konalover

It's on both. If the players aren't in the right spots or making the right decisions, it's on the coaches to correct it. What's frustrating to me is, I think they got enough talent to improve. Some people on this board disagree.

People get too attached to players and to a lesser extent coaches. If you have a chance to make the franchise better for now and the future you do it.

There's some people who read this and will immediately go to the extreme of Homer trading away picks for old guys and rentals. That's not what I'm suggesting. Yzerman was very active in the trade market and made some real good moves for his team for example.
- hereticpride

Exactly.....like Coburn trade....

I’m fine with having a stable full of prospects....but sorry to disappoint some, they are not all going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. I watched Cooper Marody play last night for Edmonton....good young player, but Hextall didn’t see him fitting in here . So he moved him. I’m fine with stuff like that....you can only sign 50 guys at once.

Drouin for Sergachev
- hereticpride

That's a trade of a highly regarded young player. Do you think Hextall should be looking to trade one one Patrick, Konecny or Sanheim due to the current state of the team through 20 games?

That's a trade of a highly regarded young player. Do you think Hextall should be looking to trade one one Patrick, Konecny or Sanheim due to the current state of the team through 20 games?
- MJL

No, my post was clearly not calling for a trade of anyone this instant, let alone a kid.

But sure, if they a better kid around the same age is available and the scouting department beleives it will improve the team for now and the future, yeah, I'd get behind that.

Appears to be fixed now?
- landros 2

If they stick with the Shanaplan, yeah. Knowing their history tho...

If you want to defend Lappy in 2018 that's a hell of a hill to die on.

Coots is a good PKer but as evidenced by the PK percentage he alone is clearly not enough.
- hereticpride

Since it's obvious that maybe I'm not making my point or that you're not even aware, Couturier, the Flyers Selke level forward is one of the players making repeated mistakes on the PK. Just as he did yesterday on the Johnson goal. But hey, lets blame Lappy for that! That's the point. Players who are supposed to be good PK players are not playing like it.

If you want to defend Lappy in 2018 that's a hell of a hill to die on.

Coots is a good PKer but as evidenced by the PK percentage he alone is clearly not enough.
- hereticpride

I don’t think coots has done a good job this year on the PK.....last year he had a hell of a year, but he’s only one man on the unit.

If they stick with the Shanaplan, yeah. Knowing their history tho...
- Tomahawk

My dads already planning the Leafs parade route.

No, my post was clearly not calling for a trade of anyone this instant, let alone a kid.

But sure, if they a better kid around the same age is available and the scouting department beleives it will improve the team for now and the future, yeah, I'd get behind that.
- hereticpride

Okay then, so why give the example you did to back up how Yzerman made trades and use that to criticize Hextall for inaction? Two different teams, two different situations. Hextall has often said if there is a trade available to make the team better now without giving up the future, he will do so. That trade has to be available.

Exactly.....like Coburn trade....

I’m fine with having a stable full of prospects....but sorry to disappoint some, they are not all going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. I watched Cooper Marody play last night for Edmonton....good young player, but Hextall didn’t see him fitting in here . So he moved him. I’m fine with stuff like that....you can only sign 50 guys at once.
- landros 2

Marody looks like he'll be a low-end 3C/high-end 4C for a few years. Really good motor. Glad Hextall gave him a shot in an organization that needed it, because while I think he's got an NHL future, I haven't seen anything out of him yet that makes me think he could move the needle for the Flyers

He has a long leash....5th year as GM....no playoff success.
- landros 2

Do you remember what the team looked like in those 5 years? We were luckily to even be in the playoffs most those years. I know some we didnt.

You cant sit there and say nothing has happened in those 5 years. In those 5 years we were a skilless, depthless team with nothing to look forward to. In those 5 years Hextall cleared us of almost all bad contracts Holmgren gave out. Grossman, L.Schenn, Lecavalier, Pronger, Hartnell. I am sure I am missing some. He added a poop ton of young prospects to our prospect pool. We know have one of the best D prospect pools in the league. These players are slowly starting to make their way to the team. Now they have to learn how to be professional hockey players in the NHL.

The team we had in 2013 was not a quick fix. What have seen flashed of what these young players can do, now they need to learn how to be consistent. We have one of the best offenses in the league. The next step for this team is to get rid of AMac, Gudas, Simmonds, get a goalie and let the youngsters develop. You can add Weise if you want personally his existence on the team is irrelevant.

Giroux is 30. He is in his prime right now but that doesnt mean our window is small. Joe Thornton is still playing high level hockey at 39. Giroux should be able to as well.

What proof do you have that there are business issues with the team? I think you're ignoring that the team under Hextall has put a plan in place and they're following. It's really an element of the fans who are quite frankly acting like drama queens and overreacting to the growing pains of the team. The PK is a real issue but calling a statement that the PK is a player issue semantics, is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard you say. I don't care how good the plan is, if the player don't execute it, it's not going to matter. You also ignore the part where I stated that coaching is results oriented and I have no issue with anyone calling for a coaching change. Convenient on your part.
- MJL

I don't think calling out Hextall for failure to upgrade them in goal or to replace Lappy constitutes anyone being a "drama queen". Also, you have to ask yourself why aren't the players executing the PK properly as I can see only 2 reasons. They are incapable of doing so, which, if true, means the coach needs to figure out a system that they are capable of handling. Or, they simply aren't listening to the coaches directives. Either way, I would think changing coaches would be a normal response in this case. Especially when you look at the overall performance of the PK for the last few seasons.

To answer your other, passive/aggressive query of course I don't have PROOF that the owners have issues with the team's performance just as you don't have PROOF that they do not have issues with the team's performance. For someone who likes to call out others for making ridiculous statements, well, all I can say is pot, kettle, black. Quite frankly, unless you are part of Ron Hextall's inner circle, you cannot KNOW what the plan is or if it is proceeding along the lines that the GM expected it to. You can guess, but it's just a guess. For all any of us know, Hextall may be furious with the current team, both players and coaches and he may be kicking himself for going into the season counting on Neuvirth to be one of his goalies.

I've been a loyal fan of this team from nearly day one and my family had season tix from 1970 to the 04-05 lockout. FYI, giving them up had little to do with the lockout, they just got too expensive. I went to nearly every game during the early 90s stretch where they missed the playoffs 5 straight years. I was there when they came up woefully short in first round exits in 1998, 99, 01, and 02. I watch every game unless work or gigs make it impossible. I think I'm about as far from a front runner or drama queen as anyone on this (frank)ing board. But I will call out anyone, GM, coach or player if I feel they screwed up.

I refuse to blindly accept that Ron Hextall's plan is some magical can't fail masterpiece that will soon have us challenging for a Cup for years to come. So far Hextall has shown a very good ability to build an excellent scouting staff and draft well and he's shown solid skill at cap management. However, the final proof will be the results and the jury is still out. IF you are going to refer to posters as drama queens, then I think it's just as fair to refer to you as a homer.

Ha! Not so much doom and gloom...I see this as a solvable problem, you know?

I mean, FFS. The PK has been bad for quite some time now. But that doesn't mean it has to be bad and/or can't be fixed.

For example -- and for all I know, the Flyers may have done something like this already -- but just say for whatever reason, you don't want to fire the PK coach. Just say you just don't want to do that.

Then be creative and give somebody like a Ken Hitchcock a call. See if the hockey lifer would consult for a few weeks. Have him do some eye-in-the-sky, look at some film, sit down with Hakstol and Laperriere and tell them what he is seeing, offer some suggestions.

Again, I'm not saying the Flyers haven't already done something like that.

What I am saying is if they haven't...the bottom line is that for whatever reason, what they have been doing simply isn't working. It just hasn't worked. This PK has been leaking goals for years.

If you don't want to fire the coach or trade the players, then you gotta be creative.

What is doom and gloom is that if they just do nothing, they really could piss away this season where they might be sneaky good at ES because of a PK who professional competence had to tell them could be a problem and has shown itself to be an existential threat to their playoff hopes
- AllInForFlyers

I understand your point but they already know what someone like Hitchcock would tell them. Hell I know what he would tell them. There is no system tweak that will fix this. This is a player issue and a lot of it is mental. Think about how as a fan you feel when the Flyers have to kill a penalty? I think well here comes a goal! Players are human also. Success brings success. You could see it on the PP. How they're thinking about it rather than just reacting and playing. Forcing plays that aren't there.

Anyone who thinks a trade or a firing is a panic move....that’s just ridiculous. That’s just sports. If Hextall trades a high end prospect, it will not be for a short term fix. If he Fires the coach...I’m sure the replacement will have the long term in mind. I trust Hextall that way.
- landros 2