2019-20 Quest for the cup(The Carter Hart era begins)

[Chris p Bacon]

Hart was a beast tonight,good to see him play with confidence. Also I would say if AV is holding players accountable, then JVR needs a reduction in ice time, his defensive play is just plain laziness.

 

[Sparhawk]

Hart was a beast tonight,good to see him play with confidence. Also I would say if AV is holding players accountable, then JVR needs a reduction in ice time, his defensive play is just plain laziness.

The point streak stays alive.
Hart was clutch against a top team.
Really cannot ask for anything more.

Just keep the point train moving along...

 

[lasgop8]

This team is showing a ton of progress. I know we lost in the skills contest, but we still got a huge point. Hart was awesome again. Not many teams will beat the Caps in the shootout.

This team played a great game and showed the world in the last 4 games we can play with anyone.

 

[lasgop8]

Hart was a beast tonight,good to see him play with confidence. Also I would say if AV is holding players accountable, then JVR needs a reduction in ice time, his defensive play is just plain laziness.

Good point .Not only his defense his offensive game is just stand in front. That qualifies as lazy as well

 

[lasgop8]

The point streak stays alive.
Hart was clutch against a top team.
Really cannot ask for anything more.

Just keep the point train moving along...

Hart was a giant stud last night and the Hart i saw last night could carry us for a while if needed.

 

[lasgop8]

I to give credit where its due. Justin Braun was our best defender last night and Ghost a close second.

Sanheim and Myers got exposed last night early but came back to play half decent.

 

[lasgop8]

Twarinski only 7 minutes of ice was quite odd.

 

[lasgop8]

NHL Power Rankings: 1-31 poll, plus players who need to step up for every team

 

[lasgop8]

Gee goal in the shootout was sick.

 

[Sparhawk]

From The Athletic :
Since righting the ship against the Devils on Nov. 1, Hart has stopped 139 of 148 shots (0.939 save percentage)

 

[JBM73]

I thought it was time to do an honest evaluation of the new players that Fletcher acquired in the offseason to see how they're fairing in an unbiased, "not trying to prove myself right and you wrong" manner like has so pervaded this board anymore.

Matt Niskanen: A+

Matt "Don't call me Matty" Niskanen has been a godsend for the Flyers, showing he still has the ability to play a top pairing role and contribute on both the PP and PK as well. Gudas is an above-average 3rd pairing d-man who was routinely exposed when asked to play higher in the lineup. Would I make this trade again? Absolutely, 10 out of 10 times. I still LOL at the Washington sportswriters who suggested Gudas was better than Niskanen. Time to find a new line of work, guys.

Kevin Hayes: C+

Hayes also can play in all situations, and has been particularly effective on the PK. The PP continues to struggle, but that's more on holdover players than on Hayes. His 5-on-5 play has been disappointing, but a big part of that has been the fact that with Patrick's migraine issues and moving G back to center he been relegated to the 3rd line with a lower quality supporting cast. I expect we'll see more from him before the season ends, but there is legit cause for some concern given the dollars involved. Sign again? Yes, even more so since Patrick's issues surfaced.

Chris Stewart: C

Brings some toughness and veteran leadership in a 13th forward role. No harm, no foul here. Sign again? Yes.

Justin Braun: C-

Ah, the most divisive of the acquisitions. Let's start with the good. While the Flyers PK struggled in the early going (expectedly, with all of the player and coaching changes), it is now riding a 29 for 31 (93.5%) streak over the last 10 games. Braun has played a huge role in that, leading the team in ice time on the PK. Now the bad. His 5 on 5 play has been...ugh. We knew going into this that his speed could be an issue, and it has been. However, he's also been saddled with the ghost of Ghost and Travis "Scott Hartnell is my idol" Sanheim (who has been skating better of late, fortunately) as partners. Would I make this trade again? No. They brought him in primarily to help fix the PK which he has, but his 5-on-5 play has been worse than expected. 2nd and 3rd round picks were too much to give up for what they've gotten, and while he might start playing better I don't think we can expect a significant improvement.

Tyler Pitlick: D

Early season struggles coming back from injury aside, even now that he's playing a little better it's clear that he should not be playing above the 4th line. He plays a hard, fast game which is welcome but has a terrible shot and hands of stone. He gets a "D" because he was expected to be a legit option for the 3RW role and contribute on the PK. He's showing neither. Make this trade again? No. I would have traded Hartman for a draft pick(s) if possible.

 

[lasgop8]

Farabee's face is a magnet for sticks. Whats up with that?

 

[lasgop8]

From The Athletic :
Since righting the ship against the Devils on Nov. 1, Hart has stopped 139 of 148 shots (0.939 save percentage)

Dont forget his outstanding play in shoot outs since Nov 1st

 

[lasgop8]

I thought it was time to do an honest evaluation of the new players that Fletcher acquired in the offseason to see how they're fairing in an unbiased, "not trying to prove myself right and you wrong" manner like has so pervaded this board anymore.

Matt Niskanen: A+

Matt "Don't call me Matty" Niskanen has been a godsend for the Flyers, showing he still has the ability to play a top pairing role and contribute on both the PP and PK as well. Gudas is an above-average 3rd pairing d-man who was routinely exposed when asked to play higher in the lineup. Would I make this trade again? Absolutely, 10 out of 10 times. I still LOL at the Washington sportswriters who suggested Gudas was better than Niskanen. Time to find a new line of work, guys.

Kevin Hayes: C+

Hayes also can play in all situations, and has been particularly effective on the PK. The PP continues to struggle, but that's more on holdover players than on Hayes. His 5-on-5 play has been disappointing, but a big part of that has been the fact that with Patrick's migraine issues and moving G back to center he been relegated to the 3rd line with a lower quality supporting cast. I expect we'll see more from him before the season ends, but there is legit cause for some concern given the dollars involved. Sign again? Yes, even more so since Patrick's issues surfaced.

Chris Stewart: C

Brings some toughness and veteran leadership in a 13th forward role. No harm, no foul here. Sign again? Yes.

Justin Braun: C-

Ah, the most divisive of the acquisitions. Let's start with the good. While the Flyers PK struggled in the early going (expectedly, with all of the player and coaching changes), it is now riding a 29 for 31 (93.5%) streak over the last 10 games. Braun has played a huge role in that, leading the team in ice time on the PK. Now the bad. His 5 on 5 play has been...ugh. We knew going into this that his speed could be an issue, and it has been. However, he's also been saddled with the ghost of Ghost and Travis "Scott Hartnell is my idol" Sanheim (who has been skating better of late, fortunately) as partners. Would I make this trade again? No. They brought him in primarily to help fix the PK which he has, but his 5-on-5 play has been worse than expected. 2nd and 3rd round picks were too much to give up for what they've gotten, and while he might start playing better I don't think we can expect a significant improvement.

Tyler Pitlick: D

Early season struggles coming back from injury aside, even now that he's playing a little better it's clear that he should not be playing above the 4th line. He plays a hard, fast game which is welcome but has a terrible shot and hands of stone. He gets a "D" because he was expected to be a legit option for the 3RW role and contribute on the PK. He's showing neither. Make this trade again? No. I would have traded Hartman for a draft pick(s) if possible.

I have to disagree on your assessment of Gudas. He has 5 assists is plus 9 and has taken over the 3/4 defense pairing in Washington and has looked great for them. Nisky should be doing what he's doing as we are paying him 6 million of his salary and another 1 million of Gudas salary. With that said i would still do the trade as Nisky brings a different set of skills.

Braun should get a D-

Pitlick's grade will get higher as he is playing much better the last three

 

[Chris p Bacon]

Twarinski only 7 minutes of ice was quite odd.

Not really his lack of coverage led to the Caps goal so it was probably due to that. JVR takes a penalty cause he's lazy and can't skate and he's right back out there.

 

[EVille3]

Not really his lack of coverage led to the Caps goal so it was probably due to that. JVR takes a penalty cause he's lazy and can't skate and he's right back out there.

That was a weak call on JVR. You guys can shit on him for a lot of things, but let's call a spade a spade here...

 

[Chris p Bacon]

That was a weak call on JVR. You guys can shit on him for a lot of things, but let's call a spade a spade here...

It wouldn't have even been a call had he asserted some checking from anything but his stick. He got used there happens to him all the time.
Sorry.

 

[awaz]

Watched the 1st and most of the 2nd last night. 1st was the Hart show, he was about the only guy playing for the Flyers. 2nd was much better, Coots line started generating stuff. Missed the 3rd, but was happy to see Voracek do something useful on the goal. Hopefully that helps get him going.

I thought that was a great test for the Flyers and a decent blueprint for how they're going to have to play in March-April (and hopefully beyond). The Caps are loaded, IMO they're the team to beat in the east. To beat them, playoffs or otherwise, the Flyers are going to need Hart to be a beast. And he was last night.

After a string of really good games against high quality opponents, let's hope they keep the pedal to the metal tomorrow and crush a bad Ottawa team.

 

[purdue81]

I thought it was time to do an honest evaluation of the new players that Fletcher acquired in the offseason to see how they're fairing in an unbiased, "not trying to prove myself right and you wrong" manner like has so pervaded this board anymore.

Matt Niskanen: A+

Matt "Don't call me Matty" Niskanen has been a godsend for the Flyers, showing he still has the ability to play a top pairing role and contribute on both the PP and PK as well. Gudas is an above-average 3rd pairing d-man who was routinely exposed when asked to play higher in the lineup. Would I make this trade again? Absolutely, 10 out of 10 times. I still LOL at the Washington sportswriters who suggested Gudas was better than Niskanen. Time to find a new line of work, guys.

Kevin Hayes: C+

Hayes also can play in all situations, and has been particularly effective on the PK. The PP continues to struggle, but that's more on holdover players than on Hayes. His 5-on-5 play has been disappointing, but a big part of that has been the fact that with Patrick's migraine issues and moving G back to center he been relegated to the 3rd line with a lower quality supporting cast. I expect we'll see more from him before the season ends, but there is legit cause for some concern given the dollars involved. Sign again? Yes, even more so since Patrick's issues surfaced.

Chris Stewart: C

Brings some toughness and veteran leadership in a 13th forward role. No harm, no foul here. Sign again? Yes.

Justin Braun: C-

Ah, the most divisive of the acquisitions. Let's start with the good. While the Flyers PK struggled in the early going (expectedly, with all of the player and coaching changes), it is now riding a 29 for 31 (93.5%) streak over the last 10 games. Braun has played a huge role in that, leading the team in ice time on the PK. Now the bad. His 5 on 5 play has been...ugh. We knew going into this that his speed could be an issue, and it has been. However, he's also been saddled with the ghost of Ghost and Travis "Scott Hartnell is my idol" Sanheim (who has been skating better of late, fortunately) as partners. Would I make this trade again? No. They brought him in primarily to help fix the PK which he has, but his 5-on-5 play has been worse than expected. 2nd and 3rd round picks were too much to give up for what they've gotten, and while he might start playing better I don't think we can expect a significant improvement.

Tyler Pitlick: D

Early season struggles coming back from injury aside, even now that he's playing a little better it's clear that he should not be playing above the 4th line. He plays a hard, fast game which is welcome but has a terrible shot and hands of stone. He gets a "D" because he was expected to be a legit option for the 3RW role and contribute on the PK. He's showing neither. Make this trade again? No. I would have traded Hartman for a draft pick(s) if possible.

I’d push Hayes’ grade up quite a bit. On paper he looks like a bust, but imho he has shown this team “what good looks like” as far as a 200 ft game: puck control, hockey sense, hustle - many many intangibles.

between him and the coaching, our existing players’ games have been elevated.

 

[awaz]

I thought it was time to do an honest evaluation of the new players that Fletcher acquired in the offseason to see how they're fairing in an unbiased, "not trying to prove myself right and you wrong" manner like has so pervaded this board anymore.

Matt Niskanen: A+

Matt "Don't call me Matty" Niskanen has been a godsend for the Flyers, showing he still has the ability to play a top pairing role and contribute on both the PP and PK as well. Gudas is an above-average 3rd pairing d-man who was routinely exposed when asked to play higher in the lineup. Would I make this trade again? Absolutely, 10 out of 10 times. I still LOL at the Washington sportswriters who suggested Gudas was better than Niskanen. Time to find a new line of work, guys.

Kevin Hayes: C+

Hayes also can play in all situations, and has been particularly effective on the PK. The PP continues to struggle, but that's more on holdover players than on Hayes. His 5-on-5 play has been disappointing, but a big part of that has been the fact that with Patrick's migraine issues and moving G back to center he been relegated to the 3rd line with a lower quality supporting cast. I expect we'll see more from him before the season ends, but there is legit cause for some concern given the dollars involved. Sign again? Yes, even more so since Patrick's issues surfaced.

Chris Stewart: C

Brings some toughness and veteran leadership in a 13th forward role. No harm, no foul here. Sign again? Yes.

Justin Braun: C-

Ah, the most divisive of the acquisitions. Let's start with the good. While the Flyers PK struggled in the early going (expectedly, with all of the player and coaching changes), it is now riding a 29 for 31 (93.5%) streak over the last 10 games. Braun has played a huge role in that, leading the team in ice time on the PK. Now the bad. His 5 on 5 play has been...ugh. We knew going into this that his speed could be an issue, and it has been. However, he's also been saddled with the ghost of Ghost and Travis "Scott Hartnell is my idol" Sanheim (who has been skating better of late, fortunately) as partners. Would I make this trade again? No. They brought him in primarily to help fix the PK which he has, but his 5-on-5 play has been worse than expected. 2nd and 3rd round picks were too much to give up for what they've gotten, and while he might start playing better I don't think we can expect a significant improvement.

Tyler Pitlick: D

Early season struggles coming back from injury aside, even now that he's playing a little better it's clear that he should not be playing above the 4th line. He plays a hard, fast game which is welcome but has a terrible shot and hands of stone. He gets a "D" because he was expected to be a legit option for the 3RW role and contribute on the PK. He's showing neither. Make this trade again? No. I would have traded Hartman for a draft pick(s) if possible.

With you on Niskanen. I think that has been huge for the D, Provorov in particular. He's also a good voice to have in the room. I like Gudas, but he has short comings. Voracek exposed them last night on the goal. I'd definitely do the trade again, contract situations included, in a heartbeat. (though keeping money on Gudas still irks me a bit)

Hayes, agree with that one too. I'd maybe give him a B-. I think he's been their best PK-er this year and even makes the Flyers look dangerous SH for the first time in a long time.

Stewart, seems like a waste of money to me. But he's hardly playing, so I guess I'm not mad about it, but I think the cap space would've been more useful.

Braun, pretty accurate by me as well. I don't feel like the Flyers are screwed when he's out there, I think he does his part. I like having him, particularly for the PK, but I wish it was for a 2nd OR a 3rd, instead of both.

Pitlick i'd give a incomplete to. He's only played 153 minutes so far and missed training camp. I'm willing to give him a month or so more before giving him a grade. He has looked better the past couple games.