My Game 1 thoughts (Flyers)...

[maddogmark25]

Watched this at a Hooters relatively drunk, so here's a probably garbage list of what I came up with...

1. I was very suprised at basically how the whole game went. Instead of struggling with shutting down the 1st line speed and having to win with good positioning, the Flyers shut down (for the most part) the first line of Chicago but played a very poor defensive game. There were too many gaps in the defense and they did not clog up the middle like they have been doing against the other teams they play.

2. Flyers backcheck =
Players like JVR and Leino were out of position on goals, and the weakside Blackhawks d-man (usually Campbell) was able to cheat in and get into the zone because he was never picked up by the Flyers wingers. Many times did he cheat up and wind up with good scoring chances because he was left alone just outside the slot.

3. What use are Parent and Krajicek again? Parent logged exactly :41 of ice time (when him losing his stick led to a goal) and Krajicek, while only having a -1, was badly out of position for 3 of the first 4 goals. We can't win this series if our 3rd defenseman won't even bother to show up and at least give Leighton (or Boosh) a chance.

4. Giroux was non-existent. After how well he has played these playoffs, he seemed like he tried to do too much with the puck, and wound up turning the puck over more often than not.

5. I wanted to punch Coburn for his turnover that led to one of the goals. A game he would like to forget.

What I liked:

1. Flyers I thought did an excellent job of cycling the puck in the zone, and getting plenty of chances from the slot. A good forecheck, combined with a soft and rather flat (for the first 2 periods) Chicago defense led to the pointmen getting plenty of scoring chances. However, the first line needs to do a better job of not being one-and-done in the offensive zone. Props to the Briere line for doing a fantastic job of getting pressure on Niemi and creating second chances.

2. Pronger pretty much shut down the first line of Chicago. Byfuglien barely had his name called all night, the only chances Kane had were ones where he had to dance around the endboards (with an exception in the third), and Toews did not get his chances in the slot that he did against San Jose.

3. Flyers played a very discipline game penalty-wise, although there were a few instances where a penalty couldve been called (aka the Richards high-stick.)

Overall, because of how chaotic and poorly played this game was on both sides, I really wouldn't take anything out of this game. One of those games that you don't mull over, and you just simply work defensively on what you did wrong. Problem for the most part were defensive issues that can be rectified, IMO.

 

[pixburgher66]

i think it's a game Philly could've, and in respects to the future of the series, should've won. it may be a game that will haunt them. it was a great opportunity to 'steal' one in chicago. i feel like Chicago will only grow from this. I mean...they scored 5 ES and 1 SH goal with getting NO production from their biggest players. that's scary. that said i stand by my prediction of philly winning game 2, and hope for a long and entertaining series...but watch out, because if that top line gets going, they may ROLL.

 

[pixburgher66]

oh, and thanks for being honest about the penalties. it was a little ridiculous. the high stick being one (though richie was on the ground so i suppose it could be missed) and the blatant hold on a semi-break away in the back end of the third. it is funny though that for the first time since the 50's (i believe) a team went w/o a penalty in the SCF, and it's the FLYERS who break it.

 

[GagneFire12]

While there may have been some missed calls against the Flyers, the one big non-call went in the Hawks favor. When the puck hits a player on the bench the play should be blown dead. Period.

But, it was a wild game, and the Hawks proved opportunistic enough to deserve the win.

 

[elocomotive]

There were too many gaps in the defense and they did not clog up the middle like they have been doing against the other teams they play.

Good analysis overall by the OP, but isn't the quote above partly because the Flyers haven't seen a really good offense yet this postseason. Montreal, Boston, and New Jersey were all ranked in the bottom 12 teams in the NHL in goals scored this year. And note, none of the other 9 teams in the bottom 12 made the playoffs. They aren't facing a low end offense anymore, they are facing one of the 3 best in the league.

This does not make Philly's run any less impressive, but you can't expect their D to play as well against this offense.

In short - Philly gave a strong and scrappy effort, but despite a 4-0 PP advantage, they lost b/c the other team was better.

 

[Comeds]

While there may have been some missed calls against the Flyers, the one big non-call went in the Hawks favor. When the puck hits a player on the bench the play should be blown dead. Period.

But, it was a wild game, and the Hawks proved opportunistic enough to deserve the win.

Thats true, and it should have been blown dead. However the Flyers did have numerous chances to clear the puck after that and Chicago out worked them to hold it in.

A missed call there doesnt mean the refs should allow everything the Flyers wanted to do in the 3rd. They grabbed, held, and hooked at least three times in the third with no calls. I am not talking marginal stuff either.

I dont care who wins just want to see good even games, and luckily it didnt cost the Blackhawks, just like I dont think the puck hitting the player on the bench cost the Flyers.

I agree with Elo, the better team won.

 

[quoipourquoi]

This does not make Philly's run any less impressive, but you can't expect their D to play as well against this offense.

The Flyers pretty much made Toews-Kane-Byfuglien their bitches (-3 each). The problem was that the Blackhawks won just about every other matchup (Coburn blew last night), but I don't think we're seeing any such effect of a revered offense like Chicago's. Game was a total anomaly, and if it's not, then the Blackhawks better hope their depth holds up, because the Flyers' two best players (Briere and Pronger) are scoring and they can turn to Boucher for the rest of the series.

 

[elocomotive]

Why are all you haters on here crying about penalties, Fuck the hawks won, what more do you want to cry about? Geez, so the refs missed a few, maybe they thought the Flyer's were the Pens, get over it!

It's funny how many of you don't know shit about hockey! Especially you elocomotive, REALLY , the Hawks outplayed the Flyer's? What fucking game were you watching? Oh yeah let me edit it, you said the Hawks were the better team, go away ass clown hating fag and go post in the homo's thread! Oh yeah, thats right it sure wasn't your team was it.

Fuckin Tards!

Wow, what a nice little homophobic, hate-filled rant from somebody who's pissy his team lost yesterday. I wasn't aware my team had to be involved for me to comment. And no, my team choked long ago.

For starters, I didn't complain about the refs, just pointed out the Flyers lost despite a sizeable PP advantage.

And yeah, I thought the Hawks played better. That's my opinion. Last I checked, that is the purpose of a message board. If you have a counterpoint to argue, by all means, put it out there. But you didn't do that, you went for blanket statements, nasty comments, and used language most people left behind when they finished middle school.

I don't deserve a bunch of personal attacks for that and this is the kind of post that belongs back in the kiddie pool. Maybe you belong there as well. Cool your jets.

 

[awaz]

I was going to respond to these posts, but I'm watching Barry Melrose's analysis on sportscenter and I gotta respond to that first.. wtf is he talkin about.. "chicago can overcome kane, toews, and buff not scoring, but the flyers can't overcome richards, carter, and gagne not scoring".. are you serious? first off it was 6-5, its not like the hawks outscored them by alot.. 2nd and most importantly 37.3% of the hawks playoff goals have come from the top line.. and only 28.8% of flyers goals have come from the top line (both teams have 59 goals for).. so he's full of crap.. i wonder if he remembers that gagne and carter haven't even been playing all playoffs and they still got this far.. the flyers have better depth up front, these analysts are idiots.. they flat out forget that danny briere is an all-star forward, who averages over a point per game in the playoffs, and i haven't heard anyone of these so-called experts talk about him as a depth guy for the flyers.. its such a joke..

 

[awaz]

now i can do my own analysis, sorry i had to lash out at barry 'i cant coach for shit' melrose..

nobody played defense well in that game.. 0 players, either team.. and i know he got hung out to dry a lot, but i don't think leighton should start game 2, and here's my reasoning.. he is a positional goaltender, he's looked like a formidable goalie this season because the flyers have shut down their opponents and forced the shots from the outside, and given up very few 2nd chance opportunities.. i dont think the flyers can do that nearly as well against the hawks.. obviously they could do a little better than they did and cover the slot a time or 2 instead of never.. but i think they'll need boosh's athleticism more than leighton's positioning.. leighton has very little highlight reel saves because he's not as athletic or acrobatic as other goalies in the league.. i think boosh can rob a few and keep the flyers in the game more than leighton can

also, if the flyers want to slow down the hawks, they gotta dump the puck in deep.. in the 3rd period (which the flyers were thoroughly destroyed in) they stopped dumping the puck in and tried to score more off the rush.. for a team like the flyers that doesn't have the fancy finesse moves like other teams, that creates tons of turnovers at the blueline which hangs your d-men out to dry in an odd-man rush.. for the flyers to win they need to get the puck in deep, and force the hawks to come the full length of the ice against 5 flyers, not 2/3rds of the ice against 2 flyers..

final point, i thought the flyers powerplay looked really good last night.. especially the top unit

 

[SuperFlyer13]

Wow, what a nice little homophobic, hate-filled rant from somebody who's pissy his team lost yesterday. I wasn't aware my team had to be involved for me to comment. And no, my team choked long ago.

For starters, I didn't complain about the refs, just pointed out the Flyers lost despite a sizeable PP advantage.

And yeah, I thought the Hawks played better. That's my opinion. Last I checked, that is the purpose of a message board. If you have a counterpoint to argue, by all means, put it out there. But you didn't do that, you went for blanket statements, nasty comments, and used language most people left behind when they finished middle school.

I don't deserve a bunch of personal attacks for that and this is the kind of post that belongs back in the kiddie pool. Maybe you belong there as well. Cool your jets.

Dude you haven't missed ONE chance to take a shot at the Flyer's so yea, you do deserve the attack, and as far as your personnel feelings go, well I wont go there. Let's just say it's not very high on my priority list!

As far as the Kiddie pool goes, little hate mongers who post maddog like comments when their teams are no where around also deserve to be there, if you think you have the power to banish me there than by all means do so, until then I suggest you Fuck off!

 

[buffhockey]

I can't see the Flyers playing much better, except maybe in goalie. While the Hawks can play much better. Campbell almost seemed like a winger out there, you know taking the puck into the corner.

It was a very entertaining game and hopefully the rest of the series follows.


But that's why they play the games.

 

[Maverick426h]

I can't see the Flyers playing much better, except maybe in goalie. While the Hawks can play much better. Campbell almost seemed like a winger out there, you know taking the puck into the corner.

It was a very entertaining game and hopefully the rest of the series follows.


But that's why they play the games.

I've watched all 100 games the Flyers have played this season and you're simply dead wrong, sorry. Although it hurts to lose a close one, I was encouraged to see them nearly steal game one on the road without their best game. I normally agree with Laviolette, but Leighton should never have been pulled and that may have changed the whole outcome.

Regardless, the Flyers can play much better and will play much better.

 

[dash]

I think the long layoff for both teams prior to game 1 had a lot to do with the lack of focus, especially on the defensive aspects of the game. I expect to see a much more determined effort and close checking affair in game 2 from both teams.

The big question is, who gets the start for Philly, Leighton or Boosh?

 

[SuperFlyer13]

I've watched all 100 games the Flyers have played this season and you're simply dead wrong, sorry.

The Flyers can play much better and will play much better.

Mav, there is no sense in even posting, these people aren't going to give the Flyer's any props and are only going to see things through hater glasses. Even if they win it will be the same!

 

[Maverick426h]

Mav, there is no sense in even posting, these people aren't going to give the Flyer's any props and are only going to see things through hater glasses. Even if they win it will be the same!

I won't sit here and argue back and forth with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. I don't mind taking the time to tell it like it is and then be on my way though.

 

[Maverick426h]

I think the long layoff for both teams prior to game 1 had a lot to do with the lack of focus, especially on the defensive aspects of the game. I expect to see a much more determined effort and close checking affair in game 2 from both teams.

The big question is, who gets the start for Philly, Leighton or Boosh?

Leighton, without a doubt.

 

[dash]

Leighton, without a doubt.

I think so too, although he has to be on a pretty short leash. I thought Boosh looked pretty good in relief last night.

 

[elocomotive]

Dude you haven't missed ONE chance to take a shot at the Flyer's so yea, you do deserve the attack, and as far as your personnel feelings go, well I wont go there. Let's just say it's not very high on my priority list!

As far as the Kiddie pool goes, little hate mongers who post maddog like comments when their teams are no where around also deserve to be there, if you think you have the power to banish me there than by all means do so, until then I suggest you Fuck off!

Wow, that is the worst apology I've ever heard.

Haven't missed one chance? WTF are you talking about? I've made like 5 posts on the Flyers all playoffs long. I even said I was rooting for them to come back against the Bruins b/c I wanted to see history made. None of my comments have been nasty, demeaning, or way off base. If anything, they are fairly benign and objective, and Comeds (a solid and knowledgeable poster) agreed with me (see above)..

I don't think the Flyers will beat the Hawks. That's what I'm guilty of here in your eyes - following conventional wisdom. I complimented them on their effort above, so I fail to see where I'm way off base except that you're pissed your team lost and are acting like a child because of it.

People came to these boards for a higher standard of conversation. But you are right about the kiddie pool, even the worst posters there never called me a "fag" or went off on a hate-filled rant that attacked me personally. Most of the Flyers posters on here are fantastic, so I have no idea what your problem is.

If you want to be a grown up and comment on something I said, by all means, I'm game. But these personal attacks are unnecessary and don't belong here. I'm not gonna drop to that level.

 

[elocomotive]

As to the thread, Awaz, post #10 was EXCELLENT stuff. A la the Soup Nazi - Rep. point for you!