Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Blowout Loss in DC,

Surprised Noah is on the fence. Especially since his brother signed.

These blowout non competitive losses are becoming the norm, not the exception.
There isn't another team in the League that gets destroyed routinely like this team.

There is zero accountability. Why has no one taken responsibility for this dumpster fire? After getting embarrassed by the Sabres on Sunday, where Giroux melted down with a lazy icing, then proceeded to lose a defensive zone faceoff, then get beaten to the net by Jeff Skinner for the game tying goal. How does he respond last night? -3 simply going through the motions.

Players, coaches and management have become accepting of this garbage. Vigneault offers the excuse of the schedule in his post game last night. The Caps played their 8th game in 13 days last night.

These blowout non competitive losses are becoming the norm, not the exception.
There isn't another team in the League that gets destroyed routinely like this team.

There is zero accountability. Why has no one taken responsibility for this dumpster fire? After getting embarrassed by the Sabres on Sunday, where Giroux melted down with a lazy icing, where he proceeded to lose a defensive zone faceoff, then get beaten to the net by Jeff Skinner for the game tying goal. How does he respond last night? -3 simply going through the motions.

Players, coaches and management have become accepting of this garbage. Vigneault offers the excuse of the schedule in his post game last night. The Caps played their 8th game in 13 days last night.
- PLindbergh31

This is easily the saddest most pathetic flyers team I’ve watched in my lifetime and I don’t think it’s close

These blowout non competitive losses are becoming the norm, not the exception.
There isn't another team in the League that gets destroyed routinely like this team.

There is zero accountability. Why has no one taken responsibility for this dumpster fire? After getting embarrassed by the Sabres on Sunday, where Giroux melted down with a lazy icing, where he proceeded to lose a defensive zone faceoff, then get beaten to the net by Jeff Skinner for the game tying goal. How does he respond last night? -3 simply going through the motions.

Players, coaches and management have become accepting of this garbage. Vigneault offers the excuse of the schedule in his post game last night. The Caps played their 8th game in 13 days last night.
- PLindbergh31

I put it on and then stopped at 2-1. If they can’t put in an effort why should I? This team is soft mentally and physically. Sick of watching.

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Blowout Loss in DC,
- bmeltzer

Someone in your position could do us all a favour and call out what's become an absolute embarrassment to a once proud franchise. A management/ownership group that is an insult to what Snider's passion meant for us who have followed them.

No Bill. It's not just the players, or the fans that the media crew loves to blame. Its far above that.

The beat writers of this franchise are just as culpable in the accepted failure that has allowed to fester. To continue to stand pat, and not even attempt hold those in charge accountable is disgusting.

If you really are a fan of this team, then help them. Sitting by, in your position is unacceptable.

Someone in your position could do us all a favour and call out what's become an absolute embarrassment to a once proud franchise. A management/ownership group that is an insult to what Snider's passion meant for us who have followed them.

No Bill. It's not just the players, or the fans that the media crew loves to blame. Its far above that.

The beat writers of this franchise are just as culpable in the accepted failure that has allowed to fester. To continue to stand pat, and not even attempt hold those in charge accountable is disgusting.

If you really are a fan of this team, then help them. Sitting by, in your position is unacceptable.
- FlyerFan3260

Haha let this man collect his paycheck geez

Someone in your position could do us all a favour and call out what's become an absolute embarrassment to a once proud franchise. A management/ownership group that is an insult to what Snider's passion meant for us who have followed them.

No Bill. It's not just the players, or the fans that the media crew loves to blame. Its far above that.

The beat writers of this franchise are just as culpable in the accepted failure that has allowed to fester. To continue to stand pat, and not even attempt hold those in charge accountable is disgusting.

If you really are a fan of this team, then help them. Sitting by, in your position is unacceptable.
- FlyerFan3260

Please provide examples of what he can do. A march down Broad Street holding a banner? Resign his position? Write an angry column?

Then please explain how any of this will make an iota of difference to anything.

This team , they are a gutless bunch! Yet, I keep watching.

Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Blowout Loss in DC,
- bmeltzer

Bill, everyone under 25 has taken a step back, except perhaps for Bee, and he has plateaued considerably in the last 15 odd games in both stats and the eye test.

In light of this, it is going to be at least another 2 years before we even know for instance, whether TK can be a reliable 1st line winger, or whether Provorov can be your #1D for a contending club, and whether Hart is a stud or at best an average starting goalie and so on.

At this point, we simply do not know what we have, and rationally speaking, if you were a betting man, it seems there are significant chances that the answer to all of the questions above are the ones we don't like.

Would you agree?

no phil meyers to blame this fiasco on.
with these regular beatdowns it appears cultural change required bill. how can one do that without changing the coach or the core?

no phil meyers to blame this fiasco on.
with these regular beatdowns it appears cultural change required bill. how can one do that without changing the coach or the core?
- biggbear77

Management doesn't have the gumption for a culture change. That was clear when they fired Hextall after the bean counter grew impatient.

In a way, I am happy this is blowing up in Dave Scott's face. Just hope he doesn't somehow make it worse.

These blowout non competitive losses are becoming the norm, not the exception.
There isn't another team in the League that gets destroyed routinely like this team.

There is zero accountability. Why has no one taken responsibility for this dumpster fire? After getting embarrassed by the Sabres on Sunday, where Giroux melted down with a lazy icing, then proceeded to lose a defensive zone faceoff, then get beaten to the net by Jeff Skinner for the game tying goal. How does he respond last night? -3 simply going through the motions.

Players, coaches and management have become accepting of this garbage. Vigneault offers the excuse of the schedule in his post game last night. The Caps played their 8th game in 13 days last night.
- PLindbergh31

The schedule only seems to affect the Flyers for some odd reason

Management doesn't have the gumption for a culture change. That was clear when they fired Hextall after the bean counter grew impatient.

In a way, I am happy this is blowing up in Dave Scott's face. Just hope he doesn't somehow make it worse.
- StepfordSam

How is this Dave Scotts fault?

Someone in your position could do us all a favour and call out what's become an absolute embarrassment to a once proud franchise. A management/ownership group that is an insult to what Snider's passion meant for us who have followed them.

No Bill. It's not just the players, or the fans that the media crew loves to blame. Its far above that.

The beat writers of this franchise are just as culpable in the accepted failure that has allowed to fester. To continue to stand pat, and not even attempt hold those in charge accountable is disgusting.

If you really are a fan of this team, then help them. Sitting by, in your position is unacceptable.
- FlyerFan3260

Really you're going to put Bill on blast mode? You have to be kidding me. Bill does his job and does it well. Calm yourself grasshopper.

Someone in your position could do us all a favour and call out what's become an absolute embarrassment to a once proud franchise. A management/ownership group that is an insult to what Snider's passion meant for us who have followed them.

No Bill. It's not just the players, or the fans that the media crew loves to blame. Its far above that.

The beat writers of this franchise are just as culpable in the accepted failure that has allowed to fester. To continue to stand pat, and not even attempt hold those in charge accountable is disgusting.

If you really are a fan of this team, then help them. Sitting by, in your position is unacceptable.
- FlyerFan3260

The writers at CSN are basically team employees. I think it would be hard to be objective when writing about your employer.

I put it on and then stopped at 2-1. If they can’t put in an effort why should I? This team is soft mentally and physically. Sick of watching.
- mickel25

I said I wasn't going to watch another Flyer game this year if they lost to Buffalo to break the streak and haven't since.

Reading a 30 second recap of the game is disappointing enough, no need to waste 2-3 hours too.

How is this Dave Scotts fault?
- bradster

There is no evidence for it whatsoever as far as I can see. Based on what Bill said yesterday, the hockey part of the organization (Hexy/Holmgren) believed in 2014 that they could do a partial rebuild to contender status in 3-4 years while "staying competitive."

Unless we hear evidence that Dave Scott was responsible for the staying competitive part, it seems this is truly what the hockey guys thought.

And that's pretty stupid and shows that the absence of talent extends into the heart of the organization and has nothing to do with bean counters.

This is really mind-boggling. Seven months ago, both the Eagles' and Flyers' fortunes seemed to be looking up. Especially the Flyers, with all of their young talent, and having been one of the best teams in the NHL just before the Covid pause. But now? Not only have these teams not met expectations, not only have they regressed... but can you really say either of these teams will be in the top half of their respective leagues any time soon... let alone be a championship contender? As a fan, it just feels like we're out in the wilderness, lost, with no idea when (if?) we'll make it back to civilization.

I want to get up about the 76ers... I mean, they're really good this year, and they have a chance to go all the way. But with what's going on with these other teams, I find myself quite sheepish about that. Because maybe the Sixers will be next, following the Eagles in Flyers into the dumpster fire.

Management doesn't have the gumption for a culture change. That was clear when they fired Hextall after the bean counter grew impatient.

In a way, I am happy this is blowing up in Dave Scott's face. Just hope he doesn't somehow make it worse.
- StepfordSam

I have to think big change is coming this offseason, but I hope it's done smartly. If they desperately jettison a large amount of young players and replace them with high priced vets, it would not be good IMO. A hockey trade to shake up the core vets, acquisition of a top 2 dman even if you have to overpay, and supplement with some other vets we lost this last summer. Make the kids earn their spot.

I said I wasn't going to watch another Flyer game this year if they lost to Buffalo to break the streak and haven't since.

Reading a 30 second recap of the game is disappointing enough, no need to waste 2-3 hours too.
- Glak18

So true. If they were losing with effort I would watch. Still wouldn’t like losing but at least they are trying.

This is not what I grew up watching. This team is unwatchable.

They have given up.

Well, at least the lost like gentlemen.



This has got to be the softest, easiest team to play against in the league. They do not resemble the franchise I grew up loving and did everything I could to not miss a second of a game.

At this point they could trade everyone and I wouldn't care. I have no attachment to a single player.

This team flat out sucks!! The Cleveland Browns of the NHL.

How is this Dave Scotts fault?
- bradster

Hextall was given the reigns as GM to turn around a team that had been run like there was no salary cap. This doesn't happen overnight and management knew what they were getting when they hired him. They also knew it was going to take time. A lot of time. Time to get bad contracts off the books. Time to draft and develop players properly. Time to change the culture of a team maximizing resources every year to go for it every year.

Hextall was given four to five years before management's balls shriveled up into themselves amid falling profits. Opting to sign a GM with an "action bias". Now we see that despite this action bias and maximizing of resources the team is still in the exact same spot its been in. Only now its worse due to the flat cap environment and resources maximized.

To Fletcher's credit, he has held off the barbarians at the gate for the most part so far but the way this season is playing out I am not at all optimistic about what happens this summer.

This is really mind-boggling. Seven months ago, both the Eagles' and Flyers' fortunes seemed to be looking up. Especially the Flyers, with all of their young talent, and having been one of the best teams in the NHL just before the Covid pause. But now? Not only have these teams not met expectations, not only have they regressed... but can you really say either of these teams will be in the top half of their respective leagues any time soon... let alone be a championship contender? As a fan, it just feels like we're out in the wilderness, lost, with no idea when (if?) we'll make it back to civilization.

I want to get up about the 76ers... I mean, they're really good this year, and they have a chance to go all the way. But with what's going on with these other teams, I find myself quite sheepish about that. Because maybe the Sixers will be next, following the Eagles in Flyers into the dumpster fire.
- copelal

I was worried we'd see some regression this year with the loss of a top 2 dman, but I didn't foresee this gong show. The young players clearly weren't ready to take on the burden. A lot of work to be done this offseason. -31 goal differential.. dear God.