Game Thread: Game 15 - Colorado Avalanche at Philadelphia Flyers(11-10-15): 7:00pm EST

[wbon22]

I think I broke my remote....threw it across the room with that one.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooof

 

[wbon22]

Out hussled, out worked, out skated, out shot and out scored.

 

[4thstreet]

Out hussled, out worked, out skated, out shot and out scored.

They played like they were in a outhouse!

 

[mall3013]

 

[flyersfan4706]

What happened to the energy of the first few games? Injuries? Vinny?

 

[Maverick426h]

The trends continue with this group. We lose to another bad team. One goal or less scored and again two penalties drawn or fewer. Goals given up right at the beginning of periods. It's absolutely unreal.

If this continues, we'll win on Thursday night out of nowhere against a much better team.

I hate to blame Neuvirth here as he's been very good as of late, but he gives up an extremely soft goal 57 seconds into the game and that may have changed everything for us. Scoring the first goal has really mattered a lot this season and he just handed it to them like it was nothing. For the rest of the game, we were absolutely terrible.

 

[JBM73]

Was out at the bar last night and unfortunately the game was on a couple of the TVs, despite my lack of desire to watch this slop anymore. I can only sum it up as

 

[wbon22]

The first goal was a 1 in a 100 based on how Neuv plays the post. Those goals happen. That is not what cost them the game.

I do think that that Vinny situation is causing issues. He did everything that they were told to do to come to camp and compete. He had a good camp and looked effective playing with Gagner. They made a very effective second PP unit. He was rewarded with being scratched. Don't think even with his diminished skills that Vinny is not respected in the locker room by the players. Seeing him get that kind of a shaft from the team will erode any good will/buy in.

I have said it before in other places, but this team is reminding me of the the team just before Hitch was fired. There is talent but there are HUGE holes.

 

[awaz]

4 points out of a playoff spot.

 

[Retroram52]

I just work instead of watching this team.

 

[JBM73]

4 points out of a playoff spot.

Valid point. For me though, it's not about the wins and losses. It's about the absolutely terrible performance on the ice regardless of the record. I wouldn't even watch them right now from a neutral fan perspective just looking to see some hockey. It's just an awful product.

 

[lasgop8]

I don't even have fun watching this team anymore and I thought id never say that.

 

[awaz]

don't get me wrong, it's not pretty. but I think we knew it wasn't going to be pretty. my hope has always been that they sneak in to the playoffs to give us some excitement in april. They're not truly competitive, and it's because they don't have the talent. A lack of talent can look like a lack of motivation, energy, grit, etc.

realistically they have 2 top 6 forwards and 1 top 4 dman. there's just no way to compete each and every night with that. the flyers try to play mistake free hockey, and try to capitalize on other team's mistakes. they have a chance against good teams because they have the talent to take risks. sometimes those risks don't pan out and the flyers can capitalize on them. when they play bad teams, they play the same way the flyers do. limit mistakes, take advantage of other team's mistakes. problem is, they make less mistakes than the flyers do. obviously 'getting up' for the game plays in to it too, but I don't think that's the only reason.

if the other team doesn't make mistakes, and has very few defensive zone or neutral zone turnovers, the flyers don't score. and they can't compete if they don't score. it's the same reason they've had so many issues with the rangers, devils, and panthers. those teams just don't make many mistakes. the flyers don't have the horses up front to generate offense on their own. IMO, G and Jake included. that's why they struggle so much at 5 on 5. all due respect to raffl, but G and Jake need a more offensively dynamic player on their line to generate at 5 on 5. the problem is, that player doesn't exist on the flyers roster.

 

[Cobiemonster]

don't get me wrong, it's not pretty. but I think we knew it wasn't going to be pretty. my hope has always been that they sneak in to the playoffs to give us some excitement in april. They're not truly competitive, and it's because they don't have the talent. A lack of talent can look like a lack of motivation, energy, grit, etc.

realistically they have 2 top 6 forwards and 1 top 4 dman. there's just no way to compete each and every night with that. the flyers try to play mistake free hockey, and try to capitalize on other team's mistakes. they have a chance against good teams because they have the talent to take risks. sometimes those risks don't pan out and the flyers can capitalize on them. when they play bad teams, they play the same way the flyers do. limit mistakes, take advantage of other team's mistakes. problem is, they make less mistakes than the flyers do. obviously 'getting up' for the game plays in to it too, but I don't think that's the only reason.

if the other team doesn't make mistakes, and has very few defensive zone or neutral zone turnovers, the flyers don't score. and they can't compete if they don't score. it's the same reason they've had so many issues with the rangers, devils, and panthers. those teams just don't make many mistakes. the flyers don't have the horses up front to generate offense on their own. IMO, G and Jake included. that's why they struggle so much at 5 on 5. all due respect to raffl, but G and Jake need a more offensively dynamic player on their line to generate at 5 on 5. the problem is, that player doesn't exist on the flyers roster.

Yep I agree with this totally - the Flyers need the other team to make mistakes in order for them to capitalize - like a lot of teams, the Flyers are really good at taking advantage of other teams mistakes but if the Flyers have to win a game on their own, it's few and far between right now

It's great when the power play is working and special teams is real important in this league, but with game management being relevant in this league and referees being absolutely inconsistent on a night to night basis plus the fact that some teams do not beat theirselves with dumb penalties, the Flyers aren't going to get a lot of power plays every game - you can't expect them to take advantage of only one or two power play chances every night, those just aren't enough opportunities whatsoever

This is also why the Flyers struggle against mediocre teams like Carolina and so on because those teams get up for the Flyers because they know they have a chance to win and realize that if they play mistake-free hockey that they can win - those teams don't take lots of chances either because they know they can't in order to win

Maybe once they get Evgeny Medvedev and Pebbles back, it might help them somewhat, but as we've all known for a while, this is the team they have and they have to make do - some nights they will look great and some nights they won't - yes, they're only a few points out of a playoff spot and one really good run can help them get into contention but sometimes it's deceiving - it's a long season and the really good teams are able to sustain it for the long run - the Flyers aren't a team that is built for the long run right now

I wonder if at some point they would consider Brayden Schenn with G and Jake and move Michael Raffl to third line center once Pebbles comes back - it gives the third line a more defensive presence and even though it might affect the second line somewhat, you see what happened when the Avs put all three of their young studs together on the first line last night, they created havoc - with what might be a lack of depth on this team right now, what's the risk of loading up on the top line? It's not like they're scoring very often anyways right now and if it does work, then G and Jake gain lots of confidence and it might win them a few more games

 

[lasgop8]

don't get me wrong, it's not pretty. but I think we knew it wasn't going to be pretty. my hope has always been that they sneak in to the playoffs to give us some excitement in april. They're not truly competitive, and it's because they don't have the talent. A lack of talent can look like a lack of motivation, energy, grit, etc.

realistically they have 2 top 6 forwards and 1 top 4 dman. there's just no way to compete each and every night with that. the flyers try to play mistake free hockey, and try to capitalize on other team's mistakes. they have a chance against good teams because they have the talent to take risks. sometimes those risks don't pan out and the flyers can capitalize on them. when they play bad teams, they play the same way the flyers do. limit mistakes, take advantage of other team's mistakes. problem is, they make less mistakes than the flyers do. obviously 'getting up' for the game plays in to it too, but I don't think that's the only reason.

if the other team doesn't make mistakes, and has very few defensive zone or neutral zone turnovers, the flyers don't score. and they can't compete if they don't score. it's the same reason they've had so many issues with the rangers, devils, and panthers. those teams just don't make many mistakes. the flyers don't have the horses up front to generate offense on their own. IMO, G and Jake included. that's why they struggle so much at 5 on 5. all due respect to raffl, but G and Jake need a more offensively dynamic player on their line to generate at 5 on 5. the problem is, that player doesn't exist on the flyers roster.

Yes it is a lack of talent we knew that coming in but in no way is that disguising the lack of people hustling after every puck. We don't move our feet which we do almost every game now we get beat. We move our feet and cut off time and space we win which we do against all playoff teams. Lack of hustle is not lack of talent and we have both.

 

[JBM73]

I agree that we knew this team wasn't going to be very good, and we have no reason to give up on the long term plan that Hextall is trying to implement. However, wanting to remain a long term fan is different from wanting to watch whatever it is they're doing on the ice right now.

 

[4thstreet]

At their current rate-they'll be lucky to get between 60-65 points.

 

[lasgop8]

At their current rate-they'll be lucky to get between 60-65 points.

With these players we have on this team we are not a 60-65 point team we as fans deserve better play from these gays.Hopefully we go on a little run.