Bill,

Any idea as to why this team doesn’t seem to be able to start playing at puck drop? Crapping the bed in the 1st followed by good 2nd and 3rd periods has been a maddening trend this team has followed for years. It has continued even with coaching and upper management changes.

Thanks
- corduroy

It's strange. We are 2nd worst in league for allowed 1st period goals. But best in the NHL in the 3rd period for scoring goals

Disappointing loss to say the least.

I know he is still learning/adjusting to the NHL game, but Myers looks like he is pinching in the wrong situations. We were up 3-1 the other night and he got caught. Didn't result in a goal though. In the first period last night, it looked like it happened again. I think the commentator misidentified the player though. Pretty sure it was Myers.

I have noticed that our d are pretty aggressive. I just think Phil will learn to get a sense of when to go. And if he goes, he has to win the battle.

I've liked what I've seen minus the road record and the loses to bad teams. We clean that up for next season and we are easily in playoff position regardless of how good the Metro is...

Bad loss but not nearly as bad as the Devils game. Why the difference between the first period and the next two periods? Why weren't they prepared to play? Why were they flat in the first period?
- MJL

After having some morning coffee and thinking about it, I agree that the Devils loss is still worse.

Disappointing loss to say the least.

I know he is still learning/adjusting to the NHL game, but Myers looks like he is pinching in the wrong situations. We were up 3-1 the other night and he got caught. Didn't result in a goal though. In the first period last night, it looked like it happened again. I think the commentator misidentified the player though. Pretty sure it was Myers.

I have noticed that our d are pretty aggressive. I just think Phil will learn to get a sense of when to go. And if he goes, he has to win the battle.

I've liked what I've seen minus the road record and the loses to bad teams. We clean that up for next season and we are easily in playoff position regardless of how good the Metro is...
- cdearth23

Myers had the puck and took a bad wide angle shot from deep in the zone missing the net. Sanheim tried to pinch on the opposite wall and the puck got past him leaving a 2 on 1 with only Laughton back defending.

Twice now fleeced by the Isles this season with games the Flyers should have won. That’s the difference between a playoff team and a bubble team. Can’t have that hemmed in shift like that after the equalizer. Unacceptable.

Thing is, they had to spend the next 39 minutes digging out from that first period. They had to over-use the top line and 9-15, which meant that once they finally did get it tied, the Barzal line got out against 25-13-18-6-5.

The first period was what put the Flyers behind the 8-ball, and left them with no margin for error the rest of the night. As much as the late goal by Pulock stung, the amount of work that it took to finally get the Couturier goal set things up to where they couldn't get the personnel they'd have otherwise wanted against Barzal's line.
- bmeltzer

BarZal put the flyers behind the 🎱 ball.

Rough loss. Needed to get out of that game with at least a point. At the end there, Myers got caught focusing on a player, Lee I think, instead of containing and clearing the puck. Not that it's his fault, but he didn't help the situation either. Acted like a rookie.

On this day last year the Flyers were 26-24-7

Take solace in the improvement that is 31-19-7

Rough loss. Needed to get out of that game with at least a point. At the end there, Myers got caught focusing on a player, Lee I think, instead of containing and clearing the puck. Not that it's his fault, but he didn't help the situation either. Acted like a rookie.
- wolfhounds

I don't think Myers was at fault on the GWG against. The issue was that Pitlick lost his man, Eberle off of the wall and went to the front of the net puck watching. That caused JVR to have to play half way between his point man and Eberle on the back door. That left a wide open passing lane to Pulock at the point.

how did our top 6 forwards grade out? i know we had 2 goals for but not sure we outplayed their top 6. power play looked like crap w terrible passing, esp back to point on numerous occasions.

On this day last year the Flyers were 26-24-7

Take solace in the improvement that is 31-19-7
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Still a playoff bubble team. Here's the question, what do they do next year to go from bubble team, to contending to win the division?

I turned it off at 3-0. On the third goal, Barzal basically skated through the whole team in about a 6 foot radius. Lots of stick reaching with no one thinking of actually putting a body on him.

I mean, good on them for coming back and fighting hard, but the first 10 minutes were terrible.

I turned it off at 3-0. On the third goal, Barzal basically skated through the whole team in about a 6 foot radius. Lots of stick reaching with no one thinking of actually putting a body on him.

I mean, good on them for coming back and fighting hard, but the first 10 minutes were terrible.
- jmatchett383

Believe me, I was so close to turning it off thinking it was going to be a repeat of the Devils game. I continued to watch and they carried play for the rest of the game. So frustrating as to why they came out so flat.

Still a playoff bubble team. Here's the question, what do they do next year to go from bubble team, to contending to win the division?
- PLindbergh31

Nothing. You let your young players continue to grow. Farabee, Frost, Konecny Sanheim, Myers, Hart will all continue to improve their games. Healthy NoPa will also improve the team.

Still a playoff bubble team. Here's the question, what do they do next year to go from bubble team, to contending to win the division?
- PLindbergh31

While we may literally look like playoff bubble team when looking at standings, our division is just absurd this year. If only we were in the Pacific, then we'd be a division contender

But when/if you make the playoffs you don't need to be a division contender.

Believe me, I was so close to turning it off thinking it was going to be a repeat of the Devils game. I continued to watch and they carried play for the rest of the game. So frustrating as to why they came out so flat.
- MJL

If my call of duty wasn't having a 10 hour update I would have turned it off after 3-0. Glad I stuck around, sort of.

Bad loss but not nearly as bad as the Devils game. Why the difference between the first period and the next two periods? Why weren't they prepared to play? Why were they flat in the first period?
- MJL

This has been an issue with this core spanning half a decade and multiple coaches. I'm not sure why it's an issue or if it can even be fixed

If my call of duty wasn't having a 10 hour update I would have turned it off after 3-0. Glad I stuck around, sort of.
- arichardson22

I'd keep it on at 3-0. 4-0 is where I'd start considering it. I didnt turn off the NJ game until 5-0. I know the team is capable of erasing a 3 goal hole.

I'd keep it on at 3-0. 4-0 is where I'd start considering it. I didnt turn off the NJ game until 5-0. I know the team is capable of erasing a 3 goal hole.
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

I typically watch full games, but after sitting through the full Devils game I told myself not again.

Bill,

Any idea as to why this team doesn’t seem to be able to start playing at puck drop? Crapping the bed in the 1st followed by good 2nd and 3rd periods has been a maddening trend this team has followed for years. It has continued even with coaching and upper management changes.

Thanks
- corduroy

It's not a new issue, as you say. I don't know what the cause of it is. It's not so much at puck drop, but in things spiraling downward once the first adversity hits.

I don't think Myers was at fault on the GWG against. The issue was that Pitlick lost his man, Eberle off of the wall and went to the front of the net puck watching. That caused JVR to have to play half way between his point man and Eberle on the back door. That left a wide open passing lane to Pulock at the point.
- MJL

Plenty of blame to go around. I just noted, while watching, about 20-30 seconds or so before the Barzal pass from behind the net, Myers got suckered into a shoving match along the boards instead of containing and helping to dig the puck out. It screamed rookie, not focusing on what matters most - the puck.

Pitlick didn't really lose Eberle, he blocked a centering pass, recovered well enough, and limited Eberle's passing options to the boards, to Barzal. Then Myers over-played and got turned around by Barzal just before the pass out to the point was made. Just a bad sequence of events for #5.

Plenty of blame to go around. I just noted, while watching, about 20-30 seconds or so before the Barzal pass from behind the net, Myers got suckered into a shoving match along the boards instead of containing and helping to dig the puck out. It screamed rookie, not focusing on what matters most - the puck.

Pitlick didn't really lose Eberle, he blocked a centering pass, recovered well enough, and limited Eberle's passing options to the boards, to Barzal. Then Myers over-played and got turned around by Barzal just before the pass out to the point was made. Just a bad sequence of events for #5.
- wolfhounds

Pitlick absolutely lost Eberle. He turned his back to him and skated to the puck side of the front of the net leaving Eberle wide open at the far side post leaving JVR to have to account for Eberle instead of being in the passing lane and closer to Pulock. Blaming the wrong guy in my opinion. Myers did fine on that sequence to contain Barzal to the outside.

I don't think Myers was at fault on the GWG against. The issue was that Pitlick lost his man, Eberle off of the wall and went to the front of the net puck watching. That caused JVR to have to play half way between his point man and Eberle on the back door. That left a wide open passing lane to Pulock at the point.
- MJL

Regarding Pitlick - unless you're talking about before the blocked pass that went to the boards. I don't remember that specifically and can't find a replay that goes back further.

Pitlick absolutely lost Eberle. He turned his back to him and skated to the puck side of the front of the net leaving Eberle wide open at the far side post leaving JVR to have to account for Eberle instead of being in the passing lane and closer to Pulock. Blaming the wrong guy in my opinion. Myers did fine on that sequence to contain Barzal to the outside.
- MJL

Yeah, not sure what Pitlick was doing prior to the blocked pass, why he had to come diving back into the play.

Myers got turnstiled by Barzal.

This has been an issue with this core spanning half a decade and multiple coaches. I'm not sure why it's an issue or if it can even be fixed
- bulet13

Who is currently this "core" that I keep hearing about?
The Flyers are one on the youngest teams with mostly home grown talent.
How many players have been here for more than 5 years. G, Jake and Coots. Three players. What do you want to do with the core? Coots is your best player, G has an NMC. That leaves Jake. Just say get rid of Jake and that fixes it. This myth of the endless CORE is just that. 90% of the team is new.