What's Wrong With the Philadelphia Flyers?
Posted 10:51 AM ET | Comments 4
Short Answer: Nothing.
I guess you'll be wanting more than a short answer, though. Especially when someone asks such a common question and responds with such an uncommon, illogical answer. I mean there has to be something wrong with the Flyers, right? There just has to be.
Last night the Flyers opened their season on home ice at the Wells Fargo Center against the Maple Leafs. The matchup was a good one, as the Leafs were playing their second game in as many days and had just traveled from Montreal. The first period went according to plan as the Flyers left the ice with a one-goal lead thanks to a beautiful powerplay goal from Brayden Schenn. Schenn was a benefactor of two great hockey plays from two Flyers making their debut in the orange and black; Mark Streit and Vinny Lecavalier.
For the first ten minutes of the second period the play was, once again, dominated by the Flyers. The forechecking pressure was up and transition from the defensive zone was on point. Then the momentum shifted slightly for the second half of the middle period. The Leafs battled back and eventually evened the tilt at 1-1 thanks to a juicy rebound that found its way onto the stick of Phil Kessel who was waiting in the slot unattended. It was the first lapse of defense the Flyers made, and it proved to be costly.
From that point on the play was pretty even. Wayne Simmonds failed to convert a penalty shot into a goal with seconds left in the second period that could have been a complete game changer. However, Bernier made a timely save - as he had been doing all night - and kept the momentum with the Leafs. From the start of the third period the Leafs entered shutdown mode and would not let the Flyers get through the neutral zone unscathed. The disruption led to frustration, and the frustration led to an inability to convert on plays that seemed forced.
For the first thirty minutes of the game all was well in Flyers' Country. However, we all know how quickly the fan base can turn against its team, and this time around was no exception. Upon the completion of the game on hockey forums all across the internet, fans were voicing their displeasure with the team and coaches, while making remarks that nothing had changed from last year.
First of all, it was the first game of a long, 82-game season. Relax for a second and try to look at the bigger picture of the game. Last year the biggest knock against the Flyers was their inability to transition the puck out of their own end. This game told a different story. While the third period wasn't as pretty as the first two, as a healthy Meszaros and Flyers newbie Mark Streit provided a much-needed breath of fresh air. The transition game was leaps and bounds beyond better than it was at any point last year. Even in the third period, with the exception of a few errant passes, the transition out of the zone was fine. It was the neutral zone play that really got the best of the Flyers towards the end of the game, not the transition out of their own end.
Another knock against the Flyers last season was the development (well, lack thereof) of Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. Vinny Lecavalier was by far the best player for Philadelphia last night, but Brayden Schenn followed him closely. He played a physical brand of hockey, scored a goal, and did not make any turnovers that were detrimental to the Flyers. While it was only one game into the season, it is encouraging to see him produce and play well early in the season. As for Couturier, he did what he was supposed to do. When he and Kessel were on the ice together, Kessel was rendered pretty useless. I really don't know what people expect from him offensively, and don't understand why he gets such a bad wrap for not having developed into the next Jonathan Toews. He plays on the third line and is usually up against the opponent’s top scoring line. He is playing the role of a shutdown forward. His job is to shutdown the opposition first (which he does very, very well), and then try and score if the opportunity presents itself. Remember, Couts is 20 years of age and still developing his game at this level. I couldn't be happier with him up to this point.
All in all the Flyers played a great game last night. They just happened to run into a goalie who dominated the crease. The Flyers attempted 73 shots - 32 of which ended up on net - and out-chanced the Leafs by a large margin. Aside from hits and faceoffs Won the Flyers were better in every statistical category, including giveaways and takeaways, which was much the opposite last season.
If you really want to know what's wrong with the Philadelphia Flyers the answer is simple: NOTHING. The biggest issue the Flyers faced last year was injuries during a lockout-shortened season. Also, impatience is playing a big part in the woes of Flyers faithful everywhere. Waiting is the toughest thing to do in any sport, and right now we are waiting for this young core to develop into its potential. Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Scott Laughton, Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek. Each forward listed is 25 years of age or younger. While Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds seem to be entering their prime, the rest are still developing their NHL skills and overall play.
The waiting game is the toughest opposition the Flyers are facing right now, and it shows. Remember, the return for established players like Jeff Carter and Mike Richards was players who were still years off from realizing their potential, with the exception of Wayne Simmonds (although he was still developing slightly). If last night was a glimpse into the future of Brayden Schenn's upcoming season and development thus far, I'm ecstatic. Not to mention that coming up the pipeline are Couturier and Laughton. As the roster sits they are both outside of the top-6, but will eventually be top-6 forwards in this league for years to come. Laughton is essentially Mike Richards 2.0 and will eventually be a franchise player and fan favorite.
Despite a 3-1 loss last night there is a lot to like about what we saw from the Flyers last night. Most notably the transition from our own end, Mark Streit's ability to sustain offense from the blueline, Vinny Lecavalier's dominance, and Brayden Schenn's strong play early in the season. The only issue with last night's performance was the powerplay. While the Flyers did score a powerplay goal, they went 0-for-6 on the remainder of their chances. That can be partly attributed to Bernier's outstanding play in net, but regardless, that will have to get worked out sooner rather than later. That's no reason to worry, though. Sometimes it can take special team's units 10-15 games before they start clicking, and with the offensive talent and depth the Flyers have - and more notably the additions of Lecavalier and Streit to that powerplay - there is no reason to think it won't eventually be one of the top powerplays in the league.
Don't fret just yet! Look forward to some games this weekend in which the Flyers can pot goals in bunches. Carey Price is a wildcard in net and the Hurricanes defense is brutal. There is the potential for the Flyers to put up huge goal numbers this weekend, so be ready! Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen.
I guess you'll be wanting more than a short answer, though. Especially when someone asks such a common question and responds with such an uncommon, illogical answer. I mean there has to be something wrong with the Flyers, right? There just has to be.
Last night the Flyers opened their season on home ice at the Wells Fargo Center against the Maple Leafs. The matchup was a good one, as the Leafs were playing their second game in as many days and had just traveled from Montreal. The first period went according to plan as the Flyers left the ice with a one-goal lead thanks to a beautiful powerplay goal from Brayden Schenn. Schenn was a benefactor of two great hockey plays from two Flyers making their debut in the orange and black; Mark Streit and Vinny Lecavalier.
For the first ten minutes of the second period the play was, once again, dominated by the Flyers. The forechecking pressure was up and transition from the defensive zone was on point. Then the momentum shifted slightly for the second half of the middle period. The Leafs battled back and eventually evened the tilt at 1-1 thanks to a juicy rebound that found its way onto the stick of Phil Kessel who was waiting in the slot unattended. It was the first lapse of defense the Flyers made, and it proved to be costly.
From that point on the play was pretty even. Wayne Simmonds failed to convert a penalty shot into a goal with seconds left in the second period that could have been a complete game changer. However, Bernier made a timely save - as he had been doing all night - and kept the momentum with the Leafs. From the start of the third period the Leafs entered shutdown mode and would not let the Flyers get through the neutral zone unscathed. The disruption led to frustration, and the frustration led to an inability to convert on plays that seemed forced.
For the first thirty minutes of the game all was well in Flyers' Country. However, we all know how quickly the fan base can turn against its team, and this time around was no exception. Upon the completion of the game on hockey forums all across the internet, fans were voicing their displeasure with the team and coaches, while making remarks that nothing had changed from last year.
First of all, it was the first game of a long, 82-game season. Relax for a second and try to look at the bigger picture of the game. Last year the biggest knock against the Flyers was their inability to transition the puck out of their own end. This game told a different story. While the third period wasn't as pretty as the first two, as a healthy Meszaros and Flyers newbie Mark Streit provided a much-needed breath of fresh air. The transition game was leaps and bounds beyond better than it was at any point last year. Even in the third period, with the exception of a few errant passes, the transition out of the zone was fine. It was the neutral zone play that really got the best of the Flyers towards the end of the game, not the transition out of their own end.
Another knock against the Flyers last season was the development (well, lack thereof) of Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn. Vinny Lecavalier was by far the best player for Philadelphia last night, but Brayden Schenn followed him closely. He played a physical brand of hockey, scored a goal, and did not make any turnovers that were detrimental to the Flyers. While it was only one game into the season, it is encouraging to see him produce and play well early in the season. As for Couturier, he did what he was supposed to do. When he and Kessel were on the ice together, Kessel was rendered pretty useless. I really don't know what people expect from him offensively, and don't understand why he gets such a bad wrap for not having developed into the next Jonathan Toews. He plays on the third line and is usually up against the opponent’s top scoring line. He is playing the role of a shutdown forward. His job is to shutdown the opposition first (which he does very, very well), and then try and score if the opportunity presents itself. Remember, Couts is 20 years of age and still developing his game at this level. I couldn't be happier with him up to this point.
All in all the Flyers played a great game last night. They just happened to run into a goalie who dominated the crease. The Flyers attempted 73 shots - 32 of which ended up on net - and out-chanced the Leafs by a large margin. Aside from hits and faceoffs Won the Flyers were better in every statistical category, including giveaways and takeaways, which was much the opposite last season.
If you really want to know what's wrong with the Philadelphia Flyers the answer is simple: NOTHING. The biggest issue the Flyers faced last year was injuries during a lockout-shortened season. Also, impatience is playing a big part in the woes of Flyers faithful everywhere. Waiting is the toughest thing to do in any sport, and right now we are waiting for this young core to develop into its potential. Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn, Scott Laughton, Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek. Each forward listed is 25 years of age or younger. While Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds seem to be entering their prime, the rest are still developing their NHL skills and overall play.
The waiting game is the toughest opposition the Flyers are facing right now, and it shows. Remember, the return for established players like Jeff Carter and Mike Richards was players who were still years off from realizing their potential, with the exception of Wayne Simmonds (although he was still developing slightly). If last night was a glimpse into the future of Brayden Schenn's upcoming season and development thus far, I'm ecstatic. Not to mention that coming up the pipeline are Couturier and Laughton. As the roster sits they are both outside of the top-6, but will eventually be top-6 forwards in this league for years to come. Laughton is essentially Mike Richards 2.0 and will eventually be a franchise player and fan favorite.
Despite a 3-1 loss last night there is a lot to like about what we saw from the Flyers last night. Most notably the transition from our own end, Mark Streit's ability to sustain offense from the blueline, Vinny Lecavalier's dominance, and Brayden Schenn's strong play early in the season. The only issue with last night's performance was the powerplay. While the Flyers did score a powerplay goal, they went 0-for-6 on the remainder of their chances. That can be partly attributed to Bernier's outstanding play in net, but regardless, that will have to get worked out sooner rather than later. That's no reason to worry, though. Sometimes it can take special team's units 10-15 games before they start clicking, and with the offensive talent and depth the Flyers have - and more notably the additions of Lecavalier and Streit to that powerplay - there is no reason to think it won't eventually be one of the top powerplays in the league.
Don't fret just yet! Look forward to some games this weekend in which the Flyers can pot goals in bunches. Carey Price is a wildcard in net and the Hurricanes defense is brutal. There is the potential for the Flyers to put up huge goal numbers this weekend, so be ready! Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen.
Honestly I think the Flyers problems stem a lot from just always having a revolving door. They have not been patient at all with players. Draft well, but end up shuffling the deck after every season and the rotating door of new faces definitly hurts chemistry. Just look at Sather and his Rangers teams for an example of why you simply cannot just throw guys all together.Flyers have looked good and bad at times. I think they STILL need to get it together on the goaltending front. Use that drafting and bring along some top end goalie prospects to take over but that is going to take time.Biggest thing is going to be weathering rocky seasons with high expectations and letting the guys grow, develop, and evolve into a team on the ice. I think that is the biggest problem they have right now.That said dropping the game to the Canes is NOT gonna help where the fans are concerned and if there is too many especially early I think Holmgren and more likely Laviolette are going to be worrying about the axe falling on them.
its simple. they, just like all of philly, suck
No patience to build for the long-term.
Well I do not know if the firing is going to help them or not. I liked Lavi really as a coach. That said they needed a wake up clearly so guessing it is easier to fire him than 23 on the roster... yet again! Have to see now how they go and respond.