Bill Meltzer: May 22nd Quick Hits: Worlds, Memorial Cup,

Chief!

Ratcliffe has been impressive. He really does have pro hands and shot already. I saw a bunch of his games this year and I always wondered if he had the foot speed? I think he has really shown that he can really get it going when he has too when it comes to staying in the pace of the game....in fact there are a lot of shifts he dictates it. I think he will take a bit of time in the AHL next year, but after he gets his feet wet and figures out the speed of the league he's going to fill the net. Then hopefully its on to Philly. The kid is winning me over.

Chief!
- omaplata

it's really great to see him succeed.

Seeing Chief coach the Blues to the SCF should give some of the Flyers pause and some reflection on their acceptance of coaching.
I understand that Chief most likely learned a few things from his time in Philly but he also is no dummy.
It’s up to Chuck to make sure the players buy in to AV.
The coaching turnstile has to stop.

Congrats to the Blues I will be rooting for them BIE (Boston is evil).

Very happy for Chief and that I can have an actual team to root for in the finals instead of rooting against the Bruins.

I also love that this is really tweaking the sensibilities of certain purveyors of misery on this site.

Coach Facepunch is in the SCF.

Size, snot and balls once again rules the roost. Fancy that

I think the 1970 Canucks are now at 49 years and counting, but thank you for omitting them

Bill Meltzer: May 22nd Quick Hits: Worlds, Memorial Cup,
- bmeltzer

What kind of a world do we live in where Berube as a interm head coach takes a team from the bottom half way through the season and straight to the Stanley Cup Final convincingly! I can’t stand Berube but you have to admit the structure of the team. A player loses the puck for the Blues and they just take it right back. Beautiful puck support. O’Riley and Schenn aren’t lighting the world on fire as the top two centers but they are strictly playing well within the system.

Also, what kind of a world do we live in where the Blues want Schenn at center and the Flyers want Giroux at Wing. The big knock on Schenn was how horrible he was at even strength, no? Or was it coaching? Or was it a single minded dream of how Hextall wanted his team to play.

Sharks and Stars were no easy task. On paper they’re probably a better team than the Blues. Ben Bishop played as well as a goalie can play in a best of seven series but it wasn’t enough.

Blues are gonna be interesting to watch the Stanley Cup Final.

Love the asterisks surrounding Pittsburgh's cups. Let it be known.

Omission of the Canucks has been covered. KC moved to Col, then to NJ. Oak became Cal moved to Cle then merged with Min. The Gunds wanted to move Min to Northern Cal but were blocked. Min was split into Min and SJ and there was an expansion process.

you sound very bitter towards pittsburgh Bill.

Seeing Chief coach the Blues to the SCF should give some of the Flyers pause and some reflection on their acceptance of coaching.
I understand that Chief most likely learned a few things from his time in Philly but he also is no dummy.
It’s up to Chuck to make sure the players buy in to AV.
The coaching turnstile has to stop.

Congrats to the Blues I will be rooting for them BIE (Boston is evil).
- bird_dog_pa

Berube has always been very highly though of around the nhl. Bill I am sure can attest to that

Seeing Chief coach the Blues to the SCF should give some of the Flyers pause and some reflection on their acceptance of coaching.
I understand that Chief most likely learned a few things from his time in Philly but he also is no dummy.
It’s up to Chuck to make sure the players buy in to AV.
The coaching turnstile has to stop.

Congrats to the Blues I will be rooting for them BIE (Boston is evil).
- bird_dog_pa

Agreed on all points but especially regarding BIE

Berube has always been very highly though of around the nhl. Bill I am sure can attest to that
- daryl stanley

Pretty sure I was speaking about the flyers players and the coaching carousel. Lavy, chief, Hak, Gordon have all seen a flyers team that is very inconsistent. Some of that I’m sure is due to being a weak team overall. On the other hand in the NHL routinely has teams with lesser talent be a much harder team to play against than the flyers have been.
The point was that Chief isn’t some meat head former goon turned coach that is incapable of being an NHL coach.
I’m not so sure the flyers players on whole had given Chief a total vote of confidence.

Grammar edit

Go Blues, I guess.

Waiting for the inevitable, "Flyers would be in the Finals if they hadn't traded Schenn for Lehtera" posts to roll in.

Yeah, Ratcliffe can put the puck in the net. 51 regular season goals is impressive. If he continues to pick up first step speed, fills out some, and learns to use his size he can turn into a nice asset for the Flyers. I know his consistency has been a small issue but when he scores it is in buckets.

Yeah, Ratcliffe can put the puck in the net. 51 regular season goals is impressive. If he continues to pick up first step speed, fills out some, and learns to use his size he can turn into a nice asset for the Flyers. I know his consistency has been a small issue but when he scores it is in buckets.
- peesinwind

Ratciffe's toe drag is at about 28 second mark....tasty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjeHMKaFQgs

Waiting for the inevitable, "Flyers would be in the Finals if they hadn't traded Schenn for Lehtera" posts to roll in.
- jmatchett383

sounds good

Pretty sure I was speaking about the flyers players and the coaching carousel. Lavy, chief, Hak, Gordon have all seen a flyers team that is very inconsistent. Some of that I’m sure is due to being a weak team overall. On the other hand in the NHL routinely has teams with lesser talent be a much harder team to play against than the flyers have been.
The point was that Chief isn’t some meat head former goon turned coach that is incapable of being an NHL coach.
I’m not so sure the flyers players on whole had given Chief a total vote of confidence.

Grammar edit
- bird_dog_pa

berube got a bad rap when he was here. Hextall wanted his own coach which was fine as well.

Ratciffe's toe drag is at about 28 second mark....tasty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjeHMKaFQgs
- juiced

No big shot on that one. Just directed it right through the 5 hole. The good thing about this playoff run is that his point production is staying strong even against elite (same age) competition. I will say his line mate is pretty skilled and strong on the puck. I think a guy like Ratcliffe benefits from having a skilled linemate to open up more lanes for him (I guess that is the case for most players but I guess my point is he is not that guy who creates a bunch but is a high end finisher.)

Fire Laviolette, replace with Berube. Laviolette goes to SCF
Fire Berube, replace with Hakstol. Berube goes to SCF.

The only constant is the Flyers are still a dumpster fire.

Waiting for the inevitable, "Flyers would be in the Finals if they hadn't traded Schenn for Lehtera" posts to roll in.
- jmatchett383

I think the Flyers product on the ice would look a lot better if the Flyers could just leave things alone.

With this said, I’m hoping Frost and Farabee are everything is fans have hyped them up to be.

Pretty sure I was speaking about the flyers players and the coaching carousel. Lavy, chief, Hak, Gordon have all seen a flyers team that is very inconsistent. Some of that I’m sure is due to being a weak team overall. On the other hand in the NHL routinely has teams with lesser talent be a much harder team to play against than the flyers have been.
The point was that Chief isn’t some meat head former goon turned coach that is incapable of being an NHL coach.
I’m not so sure the flyers players on whole had given Chief a total vote of confidence.

Grammar edit
- bird_dog_pa

In my opinion, the last time we looked half decent was under Laviolette. Laviolette was confident in his system and even though he may have refused to adjust it, Laviolette adjusted to whatever losses came with being a Flyers coach. The Pronger injury, the JvR trade, losing Jagr to free agency.

I thought Berube started with a pretty stacked. Didn’t like Scott Hartnell and telling by the return we got for Hartnell, Hextall was willing to accept any deal that made Berube’s wish come true, instead of working to their strengths.

We all know Vinny was a flawed skater and probably didn’t have the defensive awareness to be a long term solution at center but I felt like Berube alienated his older player for just being older.