Can we just go back to the “Zack MacEwen is dragging the fourth line down” debate. If MacEwen was dragging the fourth line down this season, who was dragging it down all of the seasons prior?

Can we just go back to the “Zack MacEwen is dragging the fourth line down” debate. If MacEwen was dragging the fourth line down this season, who was dragging it down all of the seasons prior?
- SuperSchennBros

Hagg, Thompson, AMAC and the other thousand that seem to hold the Flyers back from winning.

Can we just go back to the “Zack MacEwen is dragging the fourth line down” debate. If MacEwen was dragging the fourth line down this season, who was dragging it down all of the seasons prior?
- SuperSchennBros

Call me crazy but I’d start w the guys playing 20 to 25 mins a night when “retooling”

Safe to say Yeo will be coach next year?
- HockeyLifer

You have a better chance of playing pickup sticks w your butcheeks

I’ll say it again another way, I think the reason the bottom-six gets talked about so much is not because folks think the top-six is peachy, but rather because with a change in philosophy at this juncture, the bottom-six can be improved internally. Not that the improvement by itself is enough to make the team a playoff team either.

You have a better chance of playing pickup sticks w your butcheeks
- Joe Nardone

That is a bad image to start off the week.

Call me crazy but I’d start w the guys playing 20 to 25 mins a night when “retooling”
- Joe Nardone

No, no, no...we need a 4th line that can score, defend and play 19-20 mins a game to help the other lines.

I’ll say it again another way, I think the reason the bottom-six gets talked about so much is not because folks think the top-six is peachy, but rather because with a change in philosophy at this juncture, the bottom-six can be improved internally. Not that the improvement by itself is enough to make the team a playoff team either.
- NC Flyers Fan

I agree, everyone thinks the 4th line should be complete homegrown prospects. Sadly that still fixes nothing.

That is a bad image to start off the week.
- iamscore2day

Sorry about that

I know it's a big market, but I don't see Philly as top tier any more. Maybe it's just frustration, but I really don't believe it.
- Glak18

my feeling as well, but what do I know?

I agree, everyone thinks the 4th line should be complete homegrown prospects. Sadly that still fixes nothing.
- Glak18

From the last blog:
I just believe that the discussion is no longer about just one player on the 4th line. Rather it’s about the entire bottom-six and how best to utilize the strengths that the organization has with middle-six ceilings level prospects. One point, that doesn’t get brought up often is that the kids the Flyers keep down on the Phantoms if they are not claimed off waivers, are not building trade value at all.

No one wants to just waste prospects to lose them for nothing. If we are indeed terrible, at least there is a chance of trade value increasing when played at the NHL level. Who knows who might also surprise us.

Sorry about that
- Joe Nardone

Between that image and watching Gostisbehere play a great game against Nville to resume his pre-AV form (and season stats), I am hating our organization top to bottom.

From the last blog:
I just believe that the discussion is no longer about just one player on the 4th line. Rather it’s about the entire bottom-six and how best to utilize the strengths that the organization has with middle-six ceilings level prospects. One point, that doesn’t get brought up often is that the kids the Flyers keep down on the Phantoms if they are not claimed off waivers, are not building trade value at all.

No one wants to just waste prospects to lose them for nothing. If we are indeed terrible, at least there is a chance of trade value increasing when played at the NHL level. Who knows who might also surprise us.
- NC Flyers Fan

The 2 biggest issues this team has right now is acquiring and developing talent. The developing part is definitely the worst of the 2 IMO.

Can we just go back to the “Zack MacEwen is dragging the fourth line down” debate. If MacEwen was dragging the fourth line down this season, who was dragging it down all of the seasons prior?
- SuperSchennBros

MacEwen was outscored 35 to 20 at ES for a GF% of 36. The only forward with a minimum of 200 minutes played who was significantly worse than that was Thompson who was outscored 23 to 8 for a GF% of 26.

MacEwen scored 0.76 P/60 at ES. The only other forwards who struggled that much to score were Willman at 0.77 and Thompson at 0.56.

Last season the only forward scoring in that range was the soon to be shipped out Nolan Patrick, who only managed 0.62 P/60 at ES. Raffl scored at 1.24 P/60 and NAK scored at 1.32 P/60 in 2021, but Fletcher got rid of both of them.

And of course the 4th line was very good if we go back even further to 19-20. In the last three seasons the 21-22 4th line was particularly bad, and MacEwen got the most minutes of any player on it.

Can we just go back to the “Zack MacEwen is dragging the fourth line down” debate. If MacEwen was dragging the fourth line down this season, who was dragging it down all of the seasons prior?
- SuperSchennBros

Seven layers of separation to lets say
Chris Vandevelde

The press conference I’m waiting for is Clarke and Holmgren….you know the real guys behind this mess. Then we’ll get the answers.

MacEwen was outscored 35 to 20 at ES for a GF% of 36. The only forward with a minimum of 200 minutes played who was significantly worse than that was Thompson who was outscored 23 to 8 for a GF% of 26.

MacEwen scored 0.76 P/60 at ES. The only other forwards who struggled that much to score were Willman at 0.77 and Thompson at 0.56.

Last season the only forward scoring in that range was the soon to be shipped out Nolan Patrick, who only managed 0.62 P/60 at ES. Raffl scored at 1.24 P/60 and NAK scored at 1.32 P/60 in 2021, but Fletcher got rid of both of them.

And of course the 4th line was very good if we go back even further to 19-20. In the last three seasons the 21-22 4th line was particularly bad, and MacEwen got the most minutes of any player on it.
- Feanor

With all due respect, that's all true, but who cares? It doesn't matter. On the list of Flyers' issues, the fourth line is pretty far down the list.

A big theme of that podcast was accountability in the player ranks.

Wonder why the media always runs away from speaking about accountability in the Flyers front office, or development team.

It’s not as if such topics are considered blasphemy in other markets.

I’ll say it again another way, I think the reason the bottom-six gets talked about so much is not because folks think the top-six is peachy, but rather because with a change in philosophy at this juncture, the bottom-six can be improved internally. Not that the improvement by itself is enough to make the team a playoff team either.
- NC Flyers Fan

The 4th line should be cates-laughton-brown. Cates and laughton have a penchant for some offense while brown brings versatility/faceoff ability and some decent skating.

This is what a respectable NHL 4th line should look like

With all due respect, that's all true, but who cares? It doesn't matter. On the list of Flyers' issues, the fourth line is pretty far down the list.
- Scoob

Let's talk about Frosty's upcoming season.
Will he score 10 goals and 25 points?
Will he continue to have some good shifts then disappear?
I know next year we can say he missed a year
2 years ago, so that will still be a reasonable excuse, right?

With all due respect, that's all true, but who cares? It doesn't matter. On the list of Flyers' issues, the fourth line is pretty far down the list.
- Scoob

Give me the top 6 and top 2 D from any playoff team with the bottom of the Flyers and I would probably be happy.

With all due respect, that's all true, but who cares? It doesn't matter. On the list of Flyers' issues, the fourth line is pretty far down the list.
- Scoob

Because it's easily fixable and all the details matter. A competent NHL team can address all the issues.

Because it's easily fixable and all the details matter. A competent NHL team can address all the issues.
- StepfordSam

A competent NHL team they are not.

The press conference tomorrow has Fletcher, and Yeo both speaking. Both will be back in some capacity if that’s the case, and that’s all one needs to know about this franchise.

A competent NHL team they are not.

The press conference tomorrow has Fletcher, and Yeo both speaking. Both will be back in some capacity if that’s the case, and that’s all one needs to know about this franchise.
- FlyerFan3260

Maybe the media is saving its podcast on management accountability after tomorrow's presser.

A competent NHL team they are not.

The press conference tomorrow has Fletcher, and Yeo both speaking. Both will be back in some capacity if that’s the case, and that’s all one needs to know about this franchise.
- FlyerFan3260

Good... then I'm sure they can lead this team to another bottom 5 finish without any of my dollars. I'd wish them luck, but they really don't need it. This organization has cornered the market for incompetent management teams.