Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: RTP, Alumni 12 Days of Christmas, TIFH and More

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: RTP, Alumni 12 Days of Christmas, TIFH and More
- bmeltzer

Thanks Bill

Canada sucks

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: RTP, Alumni 12 Days of Christmas, TIFH and More
- bmeltzer

Rick St. Croix was my favorite Maine Mariner as a Kid

that Carter Hart debut feels like a lifetime ago

it was a GM and a coach ago, though

how different things feel now

that Carter Hart debut feels like a lifetime ago

it was a GM and a coach ago, though

how different things feel now
- Coburns_Nose

Yeah. I wasn’t sure he was ready but the season was lost by that point. Boy was I wrong about hart. He keeps impressing me although I am sure we’ll eventually see some hiccups

Hey Bill, you mentioned Recchi's milestone. I'd be curious to know your thoughts and others' on him. I feel like I must have watched a million games he played in. I admit he had a decent scorer's touch, but I was never a fan. I felt like game after game after game he kept doing his predictable entrance to the zone where he tried to hop over the defender by pivoting off the boards, and nine times out of 10 he was pinned, and the defender would safely retrieve the dumped puck and go the other way. (Especially in the Hitchcock era.) He certainly had great line mates setting him up for his points. I felt he was, unlike Renberg, someone who didn't make the difference between winning and losing, and so often let down the transition. So for me, he was a point maker, but not a difference maker. I would have happily had a different first line right winger for those many years.

Yeah. I wasn’t sure he was ready but the season was lost by that point. Boy was I wrong about hart. He keeps impressing me although I am sure we’ll eventually see some hiccups
- Hextall271

He just seems unflappable. I know the NHL is a different animal, but he has already played in such high pressure situations under a glaring spotlight.

And before people chime in about there being no comparison between the WJC and Memorial Cups etc to the NHL, remember he was just a teenager when he was playing in those games. So yes, at the time, from a maturity standpoint, you better believe the pressure was just as high if not more so.

He just seems so calm and mature all the time. Even if by many accounts he is a goofball with a great sense of humor off the ice.

Hey Bill, you mentioned Recchi's milestone. I'd be curious to know your thoughts and others' on him. I feel like I must have watched a million games he played in. I admit he had a decent scorer's touch, but I was never a fan. I felt like game after game after game he kept doing his predictable entrance to the zone where he tried to hop over the defender by pivoting off the boards, and nine times out of 10 he was pinned, and the defender would safely retrieve the dumped puck and go the other way. (Especially in the Hitchcock era.) He certainly had great line mates setting him up for his points. I felt he was, unlike Renberg, someone who didn't make the difference between winning and losing, and so often let down the transition. So for me, he was a point maker, but not a difference maker. I would have happily had a different first line right winger for those many years.
- therabbi

Are you a fan of WIP?

Hey Bill, you mentioned Recchi's milestone. I'd be curious to know your thoughts and others' on him. I feel like I must have watched a million games he played in. I admit he had a decent scorer's touch, but I was never a fan. I felt like game after game after game he kept doing his predictable entrance to the zone where he tried to hop over the defender by pivoting off the boards, and nine times out of 10 he was pinned, and the defender would safely retrieve the dumped puck and go the other way. (Especially in the Hitchcock era.) He certainly had great line mates setting him up for his points. I felt he was, unlike Renberg, someone who didn't make the difference between winning and losing, and so often let down the transition. So for me, he was a point maker, but not a difference maker. I would have happily had a different first line right winger for those many years.
- therabbi

Not sure how you can be a potential HHOF level point producer and not be a difference maker. You win by scoring more than the other team.

He just seems unflappable. I know the NHL is a different animal, but he has already played in such high pressure situations under a glaring spotlight.

And before people chime in about there being no comparison between the WJC and Memorial Cups etc to the NHL, remember he was just a teenager when he was playing in those games. So yes, at the time, from a maturity standpoint, you better believe the pressure was just as high if not more so.

He just seems so calm and mature all the time. Even if by many accounts he is a goofball with a great sense of humor off the ice.
- MBFlyerfan

Haha I’m glad to hear he’s a goofball off the ice. All great goalies are a little crazy in some way.

Agree with all yoUr points. The wjc is a huge tourney here in Canada with tons of pressure. He got through that and excelled.

Playoffs this year he was also fantastic. I keep saying he’ll have his struggles like price but who knows. Maybe it’s just a consistent upward trajectory with him. I hope so

Are you a fan of WIP?
- MJL

I'll hang up and listen.

Are you a fan of WIP?
- MJL

Hey Bill, you mentioned Recchi's milestone. I'd be curious to know your thoughts and others' on him. I feel like I must have watched a million games he played in. I admit he had a decent scorer's touch, but I was never a fan. I felt like game after game after game he kept doing his predictable entrance to the zone where he tried to hop over the defender by pivoting off the boards, and nine times out of 10 he was pinned, and the defender would safely retrieve the dumped puck and go the other way. (Especially in the Hitchcock era.) He certainly had great line mates setting him up for his points. I felt he was, unlike Renberg, someone who didn't make the difference between winning and losing, and so often let down the transition. So for me, he was a point maker, but not a difference maker. I would have happily had a different first line right winger for those many years.
- therabbi

Yikes.

The sheer number of GWG and Stanley Cups would seem to suggest otherwise, but hey... you're entitled to your opinion, I guess.

Does anybody feel like the NHL overslept and they can’t find the car keys ? I mean shouldn’t the league and union been in some kind of negotiation, what if’s, etc the second they handed the trophy to Tampa ? NBA, NFL are up and running.

Does anybody feel like the NHL overslept and they can’t find the car keys ? I mean shouldn’t the league and union been in some kind of negotiation, what if’s, etc the second they handed the trophy to Tampa ? NBA, NFL are up and running.
- Angus4444

The NFL had all year to plan since this was their first game action since COVID started and the NBA only has one team in Canada. I suspect that’s why they were able to figure it out faster than the NHL.

The NFL had all year to plan since this was their first game action since COVID started and the NBA only has one team in Canada. I suspect that’s why they were able to figure it out faster than the NHL.
- funmaster18

Tell Canada to figure it the F out

Does anybody feel like the NHL overslept and they can’t find the car keys ? I mean shouldn’t the league and union been in some kind of negotiation, what if’s, etc the second they handed the trophy to Tampa ? NBA, NFL are up and running.
- Angus4444

100% the nhl and nhlpa dragged their feet, it’s embarrassing . They knew the hurdles that they were going to face.

Does anybody feel like the NHL overslept and they can’t find the car keys ? I mean shouldn’t the league and union been in some kind of negotiation, what if’s, etc the second they handed the trophy to Tampa ? NBA, NFL are up and running.
- Angus4444

Surprising, considering Bettman’s lawyerly grip on the NHL side of things.

Jjj

Canada sucks
- ClaudeFather

F.....u....

100% the nhl and nhlpa dragged their feet, it’s embarrassing . They knew the hurdles that they were going to face.
- ClaudeFather

I think that anyone who thinks it's a simple process or that there aren't difficult and significant hurdles to overcome is underselling it.

I think that anyone who thinks it's a simple process or that there aren't difficult and significant hurdles to overcome is underselling it.
- MJL

It certainly is not simple but the disagreement that dragged on was a hurdle that should have ended much sooner than it did. Maybe blame the NHL for that.

Hey Bill, you mentioned Recchi's milestone. I'd be curious to know your thoughts and others' on him. I feel like I must have watched a million games he played in. I admit he had a decent scorer's touch, but I was never a fan. I felt like game after game after game he kept doing his predictable entrance to the zone where he tried to hop over the defender by pivoting off the boards, and nine times out of 10 he was pinned, and the defender would safely retrieve the dumped puck and go the other way. (Especially in the Hitchcock era.) He certainly had great line mates setting him up for his points. I felt he was, unlike Renberg, someone who didn't make the difference between winning and losing, and so often let down the transition. So for me, he was a point maker, but not a difference maker. I would have happily had a different first line right winger for those many years.
- therabbi

Wow you mentioned exactly my beef with the guy. To be fair though, I only remember Recchi's 2nd stint with us. That energizer bunny ineffectuality in offensive zone entrances is seared in my brain. He would do this sudden predictable acceleration, and get sealed off on the boards. It was like clockwork.


His was the fairly typical story of 95% of Flyers forwards in the past 20 years. For the last 10-12 years of his long career, he was a decent player, with a tremendous work ethic and drive, who on merit should have been a 2nd or 3rd line player on a good club or played with all star caliber forwards on 1st line if he played there (same is true for almost all our current forwards). But in our scheme, he played 1RW and was expected to be a star. He wasn't a star. He would scare nobody. Consequently, when he faced meaningful competition, his stats plummeted (0.5 ppg or so in post-season with us in 2nd stint).

In Carolina, he played 2nd line and 2nd and 3rd, iirc in Boston. In such a complEmentary role, he did fine, a la Richards, Carter,Justin Williams (technically on 1st in 2012, but with Kopitar at his prime then and Brown creating havoc).

Canada sucks
- ClaudeFather

Why?