Bill Meltzer: ECQF Game 1 Wrap: Flyers Win Tense Series Opener, 2-1

Not gonna be an easy series by any means but they got the first one

Hope the Habs fans come out again today.

Good job Flyers...lots of upper seeds choke in Game 1...but you kept it together and closed out the game.

No one should take for granted any win in the playoffs.

Good start...lots to work on...keep it rolling.

LET’S GO FLYERS !! !!!

HABS IN 5

JVR i know it's beating a dead horse. But just 11:40 in icetime. 7mill doesn't fit his contributions.

JVR i know it's beating a dead horse. But just 11:40 in icetime. 7mill doesn't fit his contributions.
- Landsbergfan

This isn’t JvR’s fault. It falls square on how the coach chooses to use him. JvR had two more points than Hayes prior to getting hurt, we played on and Covid happened. I don’t know what JvR did to be placed in the dog house but he ended the season hurt and only played one game before getting scratched when we returned to hockey.

HABS IN 5
- Not_Yan

Or not.

Probably not.

Definitely not.

Yikes, there's some pretty special goaltending going on in these playoffs.

JVR i know it's beating a dead horse. But just 11:40 in icetime. 7mill doesn't fit his contributions.
- Landsbergfan

You think he’s low on the LW depth chart now...wait till lindblom comes back into the lineup sometime...hopefully...in the next round.

AV is correct...the play of each player will dictate who plays. I remember back in 2011...boston vs vancouver...vancouver had picked Keith ballard at about a 4,5m AAV at the trade deadline yet he was dressing Aaron Rome in his place by the second round on. Rome...who had a cup of coffee with the Flyers earlier...was a journeyman defensive defenseman making close to league minimum.

JVR will not get minutes due to his salary...means NOTHING to AV.

Right now...JVR is NOT helping us win games. Looks lost on the 4th line...which is meant to be a defensive line...used for forechecking, hitting, grinding down other team’s D. He’s too slow to do any of that. I’d put bunnerman back in...also get a few PK shifts from him.

We can look in the offseason to trade jvr...going to have to eat probably 2 of the 7 mill though...may be even 3. But we got to find spots for frost snd allison...these 2 make league minimum.

jvr will have a hard time cracking this lineup in December. He’ll have to come in the best shape of his life. Right now he looks SO SLOW!!!

Milbury was saying the other night how something like 9 of his seasons with the Bruins ended with losses to Montreal in the playoffs. Yet he's licking their boots. Geez that guy needs to go.

You think he’s low on the LW depth chart now...wait till lindblom comes back into the lineup sometime...hopefully...in the next round.

AV is correct...the play of each player will dictate who plays. I remember back in 2011...boston vs vancouver...vancouver had picked Keith ballard at about a 4,5m AAV at the trade deadline yet he was dressing Aaron Rome in his place by the second round on. Rome...who had a cup of coffee with the Flyers earlier...was a journeyman defensive defenseman making close to league minimum.

JVR will not get minutes due to his salary...means NOTHING to AV.

Right now...JVR is NOT helping us win games. Looks lost on the 4th line...which is meant to be a defensive line...used for forechecking, hitting, grinding down other team’s D. He’s too slow to do any of that. I’d put bunnerman back in...also get a few PK shifts from him.

We can look in the offseason to trade jvr...going to have to eat probably 2 of the 7 mill though...may be even 3. But we got to find spots for frost snd allison...these 2 make league minimum.

jvr will have a hard time cracking this lineup in December. He’ll have to come in the best shape of his life. Right now he looks SO SLOW!!!
- bruceflyers

Oh boy...

JvR’s strength is power specialist, crease crasher. He’s not being used this way. So if he’s not able to work to his strength, what are we expecting? He’s not a 4th kind player, so these are the results we’re going to get.

He’s not playing with Claude Giroux, he’s playing with freakin Nate Thompson or Derek Grant.

HABS IN 5
- Not_Yan

Oh boy...

JvR’s strength is power specialist, crease crasher. He’s not being used this way. So if he’s not able to work to his strength, what are we expecting? He’s not a 4th kind player, so these are the results we’re going to get.

He’s not playing with Claude Giroux, he’s playing with freakin Nate Thompson or Derek Grant.
- SuperSchennBros

It's a bit of a Catch 22 with JvR. He played his way into AV's doghouse, no doubt. But now, the only way he'll be to able succeed is to be given a chance to succeed...but because of his play early on, he's not being given the chance.

I agree he should be out on the PP, at least PP2. But the thing is, he had 15 5v5 goals this year, which is middle-6 winger territory, especially given his usage. He was used pretty heavily on the PP earlier in the year (6th amongst forwards in PP TOI).

The thing with AV is that he doesn't care what players salaries are or what best suits them, he's constructing what he thinks is the best roster available. He'd rather the team win with JvR on the 4th line than the team lose with him on the 1st/2nd line. So far, AV has done a pretty good job, so I'm going to trust his judgement for now.

- obie

Was Price able to get his autograph from Hart after the game?

Was Price able to get his autograph from Hart after the game?
- jmatchett383

HABS IN 5
- Not_Yan

Oh boy...

JvR’s strength is power specialist, crease crasher. He’s not being used this way. So if he’s not able to work to his strength, what are we expecting? He’s not a 4th kind player, so these are the results we’re going to get.

He’s not playing with Claude Giroux, he’s playing with freakin Nate Thompson or Derek Grant.
- SuperSchennBros

I thought the 4th line actually generated two of the best chances on the night. Thompson couldn't finish either them. So I see your point there.

I like Farabee on the Coots line. I like the Hayes line as is. You could go JVR-Grant-Voracek on the third if you want. I think AV wants to see JVR earn that third line spot. Right now NAK is doing more than JVR to be in that spot.

For the jvr debate. If we are basing it on play I thought NAK really struggled game 1. How about switching those lines. Even if its for a period jvr with grant and jake would give him a chance to work his way out the dog house. Devils advocate is I think he played uninspired hockey last night. He got beat in puck battles it felt like every time. I think he's as likely to be scratched as to move up in the lineup.

For the jvr debate. If we are basing it on play I thought NAK really struggled game 1. How about switching those lines. Even if its for a period jvr with grant and jake would give him a chance to work his way out the dog house. Devils advocate is I think he played uninspired hockey last night. He got beat in puck battles it felt like every time. I think he's as likely to be scratched as to move up in the lineup.
- Tfaehner

I agree. I'm not a JvR basher, trying to be objective. But I don't think he played well last night. Granted, he was playing with Thompson and Pitlick and they seemed to spend most of their shifts chasing the puck in the defensive zone. Putting him on the Grant line would be worth a look, at least for a period or so.

But I will say, he should be on the PP2 unit over NAK. He had 8 PPG last year, and given that our PP is now (I believe) 1-for-14, I don't see a reason not to try him there.

I thought the 4th line actually generated two of the best chances on the night. Thompson couldn't finish either them. So I see your point there.

I like Farabee on the Coots line. I like the Hayes line as is. You could go JVR-Grant-Voracek on the third if you want. I think AV wants to see JVR earn that third line spot. Right now NAK is doing more than JVR to be in that spot.
- mickel25

Yes. I actually thought the fourth line played very well. Not perfect but definitely noticeable in a positive way.

It's a bit of a Catch 22 with JvR. He played his way into AV's doghouse, no doubt. But now, the only way he'll be to able succeed is to be given a chance to succeed...but because of his play early on, he's not being given the chance.

I agree he should be out on the PP, at least PP2. But the thing is, he had 15 5v5 goals this year, which is middle-6 winger territory, especially given his usage. He was used pretty heavily on the PP earlier in the year (6th amongst forwards in PP TOI).

The thing with AV is that he doesn't care what players salaries are or what best suits them, he's constructing what he thinks is the best roster available. He'd rather the team win with JvR on the 4th line than the team lose with him on the 1st/2nd line. So far, AV has done a pretty good job, so I'm going to trust his judgement for now.
- jmatchett383

Agreed completely. I’m loving Vigneault but my question is, how did JvR get into his doghouse? He ended the season injured. When we returned to play, it took one game on the third line before more ice time was taken away.

HABS IN 5
- Not_Yan

Oh yeah? Well, the Flyers are going to win in Three!. So there! Take that!

Agreed completely. I’m loving Vigneault but my question is, how did JvR get into his doghouse? He ended the season injured. When we returned to play, it took one game on the third line before more ice time was taken away.
- SuperSchennBros

I'm guessing he wants to see more compete out of JvR. His knock has always been that he has stretches where he uses his size to establish position in front of the net and is a handful, followed by stretches where he's strictly a perimeter player. AV seems to value consistency very much, so if he can't count of you to be consistent every game, he's going to use your lowest value and your usage will reflect that.

Again, not bashing JvR or saying he's a bad player, I'm just trying to provide what I think happened based on what I've seen and the player's past history. But I still think he should be seeing more PP time in these playoffs.

This isn’t JvR’s fault. It falls square on how the coach chooses to use him. JvR had two more points than Hayes prior to getting hurt, we played on and Covid happened. I don’t know what JvR did to be placed in the dog house but he ended the season hurt and only played one game before getting scratched when we returned to hockey.
- SuperSchennBros

JVR takes some time to get going. He showed flashes last night, but still looked to be pressing (he passed up a wide open shot in slot for a pass literally to no one.) Once he gets going he will move up the lineup.