Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Chase Game and Series to the Cliff

Meh...

Rangers will take this if they can just stay out of the box enough. Flyers need a chopped up whistlefest to get this to game 7

Come Game Six, I would not be surprised if Gustafsson gets the nod and the Flyers shuffle their defense pairings to have Andrew MacDonald work with Streit and Gustafsson paired with Gill.
- bmeltzer

Gus paired with Gill? I'm assuming a typo, and that Gus would replace Gill?

They have to drop Vinny back to the 4th line. You can't have two guys who can't skate (simmonds and vl) on the same line vs the Rags. Every time the 2nd line is on the ice, they are constantly pinned in their own zone, or they are dumping the puck but no one is fast enough to get it. Where is the physicality with Flyers? Rinaldo has disappeared.

Hart - G - Vor
Akeson - Schenn - Simmonds
Raffl - couts - read
Zac - VL - hall

Rangers will take this if they can just stay out of the box enough. Flyers need a chopped up whistlefest to get this to game 7
- Just5

I think I said after game 3 I thought they'd trade wins until game 7, so I'll stick with that and assume they win game 6. We'll need to see something from the Flyers we've yet to see though if they want to win the possible game 7 on the road.

I think I said after game 3 I thought they'd trade wins until game 7, so I'll stick with that and assume they win game 6. We'll need to see something from the Flyers we've yet to see though if they want to win the possible game 7 on the road.
- eayost

I think they can win game 6 too, they are actually holding up better against the rangers than I thought they would. But this whole series feels like being terminally Ill while having good and bad days

They have to drop Vinny back to the 4th line. You can't have two guys who can't skate (simmonds and vl) on the same line vs the Rags. Every time the 2nd line is on the ice, they are constantly pinned in their own zone, or they are dumping the puck but no one is fast enough to get it. Where is the physicality with Flyers? Rinaldo has disappeared.

Hart - G - Vor
Akeson - Schenn - Simmonds
Raffl - couts - read
Zac - VL - hall
- CACannon18

I'd be on board with this. Especially line 2

They have to drop Vinny back to the 4th line. You can't have two guys who can't skate (simmonds and vl) on the same line vs the Rags. Every time the 2nd line is on the ice, they are constantly pinned in their own zone, or they are dumping the puck but no one is fast enough to get it. Where is the physicality with Flyers? Rinaldo has disappeared.

Hart - G - Vor
Akeson - Schenn - Simmonds
Raffl - couts - read
Zac - VL - hall
- CACannon18

I'd like to see

Raffl-Giroux-Voracek
Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds
Read-Couts-Akeson
Zac-VL-Hall

I think they can win game 6 too, they are actually holding up better against the rangers than I thought they would. But this whole series feels like being terminally Ill while having good and bad days
- Just5

I'm actually disappointed in the way the flyers have played this series. Not good enough. I feel like we are treating the Rangers as some power house. Not the case. Lundqvist has been average and we cant get any decent scoring chances because our puck control has been horrible throughout the lineup and we miss golden opportunities.

I'm actually disappointed in the way the flyers have played this series. Not good enough. I feel like we are treating the Rangers as some power house. Not the case. Lundqvist has been average and we cant get any decent scoring chances because our puck control has been horrible throughout the lineup and we miss golden opportunities.
- GOA88

They've played far below their potential. Being way to fancy and not playing hard nose hockey. Can't beat the Rangers like this.

I think I said after game 3 I thought they'd trade wins until game 7, so I'll stick with that and assume they win game 6. We'll need to see something from the Flyers we've yet to see though if they want to win the possible game 7 on the road.
- eayost

Exactly. So they win game 6..... Then what? Only way they win is by playing like they are 3 goals down the whole game. We cant sit back and play defensive hockey with the Rangers. We have been sucked into their game the whole series and I blame Berube for that since the 1st puck drop in game 1. Wrong approach against this team.

They've played far below their potential. Being way to fancy and not playing hard nose hockey. Can't beat the Rangers like this.
- Flyersgod

Playing sooooo soft. Choke?? Maybe things change now that they are officially desperate for the next, hopefully 2 games.

Gus paired with Gill? I'm assuming a typo, and that Gus would replace Gill?
- eayost

Yes.... Gus would work with Luke Schenn.

I'm actually disappointed in the way the flyers have played this series. Not good enough. I feel like we are treating the Rangers as some power house. Not the case. Lundqvist has been average and we cant get any decent scoring chances because our puck control has been horrible throughout the lineup and we miss golden opportunities.
- GOA88

I rarely post on another teams board but a save pct of .926 and a 1.81 GAA compared to a combined 2.8 GAA for Philly. Be fair when you assess the opposition, in fact if it wasn't for the Rangers unraveling in game 2 this series is over but give Philly credit for showing desperation in that moment.

I rarely post on another teams board but a save pct of .926 and a 1.81 GAA compared to a combined 2.8 GAA for Philly. Be fair when you assess the opposition, in fact if it wasn't for the Rangers unraveling in game 2 this series is over but give Philly credit for showing desperation in that moment.
- Blueshirts4ever

Lundqvist has barely been tested. I give credit to the Rangers defense. They have played well. As expected. But the Flyers have only played well in short stretches in this series. Not consistant. Dont even compare goaltending stats either. Emery played 3 games and we are still in it.

Playing sooooo soft. Choke?? Maybe things change now that they are officially desperate for the next, hopefully 2 games.
- GOA88

I can't believe how soft they are playing. The rangers have no fear of getting hit.

I would like to see:

Raffl - G - Voracek
Hartnell - Schenn - Simmonds
Akeson - Coots - Read
Laughton - Vinny - Hall

Reasoning:

Raffl had some chemistry with G and jake and hartnell has been slowing that line down lately. Hartnell, Simmonds and scheen were a good crash and bang line when they played together and made some good chanes. I would rather see laughton as the fourth line is losing its battle to the rangers fourth line. I want more skill as rinaldo has been kept in check by his own doing of not playing on the edge and also limit ice time,.

I would like to see:

Raffl - G - Voracek
Hartnell - Schenn - Simmonds
Akeson - Coots - Read
Laughton - Vinny - Hall

Reasoning:

Raffl had some chemistry with G and jake and hartnell has been slowing that line down lately. Hartnell, Simmonds and scheen were a good crash and bang line when they played together and made some good chanes. I would rather see laughton as the fourth line is losing its battle to the rangers fourth line. I want more skill as rinaldo has been kept in check by his own doing of not playing on the edge and also limit ice time,.
- J35Bacher

Ronaldo's been worthless. I have no idea why you wouldn't get Laughton some playoff action

what bothers me the most is they are not playing like a team..... grossman fell awkwardly but was helped by the rags player Giroux has been run at more than once in the series...why is no 1 sticking up for their players....the rangers are taking liberties with our stars with no threat of retaliation .....we are losing the physical battle at both ends of the ice both in hits and board play.... areas were this team is usually strongest....i don't see any heart right now from the flyers...hopefully with "G" finally getting a goal yesterday he will have a break out in game 6...... another thing how many bad passes has Hartnell made this series constantly trying to pass thru the middle of the ice and constantly turning the puck over...these passes need to be tape to tape....how hard is it for the flyers to figure out that the rangers are going to get into the shooting lanes and intercept poor passes it is their strong point....right now the flyers should be shooting from every where in the offensive zone and stop with trying to set up the perfect pass.....nothing ever is wrong with a shot that hits the net

I'd be on board with this. Especially line 2
- Just5

Still say Rinaldo should be removed

g should have slam dunked that 2 on 1 rush into the open net in the beginning of the game, perfect pass from jv...after the 2 useless pp tries I just knew ny would score a garbage goal...same $hit for years now, I do think we win Tuesday, but lose game 7 in ny

Also in game 6 if I am Berube i would try to sneak Giroux out there with Cooter and Read every so often since Cooters line ha probably been the most consistent line. Also might get him some time with out the Rangers top d out there.

Lundqvist has barely been tested. I give credit to the Rangers defense. They have played well. As expected. But the Flyers have only played well in short stretches in this series. Not consistant. Dont even compare goaltending stats either. Emery played 3 games and we are still in it.
- GOA88

Thats why I said combined but my purpose was to illustrate that Lundqvist has been better than average which was the way you characterized it. Yes the Rangers play great team defense, but so does Boston yet people heap praise on Rask but when Lundqvist puts up the numbers that he puts up its because of the guys in front of him. I'm not saying the Flyers can't win this series either, they very well can, all I am saying is Lundqvist has been above average. I didn't come her to start a fight and will eave the board, I just wanted to make my point. Good luck tomorrow night.

Lundqvist has barely been tested. I give credit to the Rangers defense. They have played well. As expected. But the Flyers have only played well in short stretches in this series. Not consistant. Dont even compare goaltending stats either. Emery played 3 games and we are still in it.
- GOA88

Lundqvist had his best game in game 3, he stopped 4-5 really good chances.
Other then that he hasn't had to steal any games mainly due to the team D in front of him. But he also hasn't let in any soft goals that I remember.