Game Thread: Montreal Canadiens at Philadelphia Flyers 12/12/13 | 7:00pm

[Cobiemonster]

Five minute power play - make them pay Flyers

 

[Cobiemonster]

1:15 remaining on the Flyers power play to start the third period - they need to score on this and not give the Habs ANY chance of coming back in this one

 

[Cobiemonster]

Habs get a goal with 55 seconds left, 2-1 game - finish this out strong Flyers!

 

[Cobiemonster]

Nice win for the Flyers tonight! Steve Mason was stellar and made big saves when they needed it - loved Michael Raffl with Claude Giroux tonight

 

[awaz]

i want to see a shakeup of giroux/voracek/hartnell at 5 on 5

Solid game from the flyers. Habs never really looked dangerous imo.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Solid game from the flyers. Habs never really looked dangerous imo.

I thought Danny Briere would be more dangerous but he really wasn't

 

[FlyerFinFan]

Yep all around solid win great defensive effort especially after playing last night. Raffl looked good which is a pleasant surprise.

 

[Maverick426h]

The end score doesn't really show it, but this was a dominant win pretty much start to finish. I'm annoyed that Mason didn't get the shutout and we didn't tack on more goals as we easily should have, but a win is a win. We skated circles around Montreal in the first and then they got their legs going in the second as it was more back and forth. I thought we did a fine job of locking it down in the third and the Habs were pretty much one and done all game long.

Berube comes out looking like a genius after this one as Raffl looked right at home on that top line and even the second line had their fair share of chances with Scotty, some of them top notch. This may have been a night in which we paid our respects to Briere, but Raffl reminded me a lot of another ex-Flyer sniper as he potted that first goal while wearing that familiar #12.

 

[lasgop8]

The end score doesn't really show it, but this was a dominant win pretty much start to finish. I'm annoyed that Mason didn't get the shutout and we didn't tack on more goals as we easily should have, but a win is a win. We skated circles around Montreal in the first and then they got their legs going in the second as it was more back and forth. I thought we did a fine job of locking it down in the third and the Habs were pretty much one and done all game long.

Berube comes out looking like a genius after this one as Raffl looked right at home on that top line and even the second line had their fair share of chances with Scotty, some of them top notch. This may have been a night in which we paid our respects to Briere, but Raffl reminded me a lot of another ex-Flyer sniper as he potted that first goal while wearing that familiar #12.

That elusive third goal its incredible how hard it is for us to score. When we do score the third goal we sail from there. The first two come somewhat easy but its that third one that we never can get so we can get the blowout from there.

 

[Maverick426h]

That elusive third goal its incredible how hard it is for us to score. When we do score the third goal we sail from there. The first two come somewhat easy but its that third one that we never can get so we can get the blowout from there.

We may set an unofficial record for posts hit in one season of play. That said, some of these are going to start deflecting in eventually.

 

[lasgop8]

We may set an unofficial record for posts hit in one season of play. That said, some of these are going to start deflecting in eventually.

I think we may have set the record already for disallowed goals in our own net.

 

[Maverick426h]

I think we may have set the record already for disallowed goals in our own net.

Well, that's a good sign though...lol If our rivals are swatting at and kicking pucks into our net, that means they haven't been able to get their sticks on those pucks instead because they're tied up.

 

[JBM73]

If Raffl stays with Giroux and Voracek, and the Couturier-Downie-Read line stays together (neither a guarantee), who becomes the odd man out of the top 9 when LeCavalier returns? Hartnell? Schenn? Simmonds? Hard to put any of those guys on the 4th line for a variety of reasons. Is that when the Flyers look harder at making a move? Then again, back injuries are a crap shoot. No guarantee Vinny can be 100% at all this year.

 

[awaz]

If Raffl stays with Giroux and Voracek, and the Couturier-Downie-Read line stays together (neither a guarantee), who becomes the odd man out of the top 9 when LeCavalier returns? Hartnell? Schenn? Simmonds? Hard to put any of those guys on the 4th line for a variety of reasons. Is that when the Flyers look harder at making a move? Then again, back injuries are a crap shoot. No guarantee Vinny can be 100% at all this year.

hartnell would go to the 4th line if i were in charge.. 5 on 5 he's never really been a stellar player.. in '08 i guess he had 23 even strength goals which is solid.. but go back to his 37 goal year a few years ago and 16 of those were on the PP.. that's where he seems to do most of his damage.. if the flyers luck out and have all top 9 healthy, hartnell would be my choice for 4th line duty.. keep him on the 1st pp though.. you can still run him out there more often than a typical 4th liner if someone needs a shift off in your top 9

and we may be getting ahead of ourselves.. raffl may not be a long term solution, could have been beginners luck

 

[Cobiemonster]

If Raffl stays with Giroux and Voracek, and the Couturier-Downie-Read line stays together (neither a guarantee), who becomes the odd man out of the top 9 when LeCavalier returns? Hartnell? Schenn? Simmonds? Hard to put any of those guys on the 4th line for a variety of reasons. Is that when the Flyers look harder at making a move? Then again, back injuries are a crap shoot. No guarantee Vinny can be 100% at all this year.

I think they would move Wayne Simmonds in a deal to get a defenseman, that's what I'd do if those things shake out - but I think to an extent, the more I think about it, Scott Hartnell should have been bought out before Danny Briere, Danny had a shorter length left on his deal and Hartsy's contract looks even worse now - but I know people love Hartsy so they'd be pissed, but oh well

 

[Cobiemonster]

hartnell would go to the 4th line if i were in charge.. 5 on 5 he's never really been a stellar player.. in '08 i guess he had 23 even strength goals which is solid.. but go back to his 37 goal year a few years ago and 16 of those were on the PP.. that's where he seems to do most of his damage.. if the flyers luck out and have all top 9 healthy, hartnell would be my choice for 4th line duty.. keep him on the 1st pp though.. you can still run him out there more often than a typical 4th liner if someone needs a shift off in your top 9

and we may be getting ahead of ourselves.. raffl may not be a long term solution, could have been beginners luck

Michael Raffl did play with Thomas Vanek on the first line for Austria, so you have to give him a legit shot - remember when everyone said that once he scores his first goal, he can start to really get it going? His speed is what I think will help him get better, he'll get into the right places with his speed and he'll be able to play well with G and make G better - we'll see

 

[awaz]

I think they would move Wayne Simmonds in a deal to get a defenseman, that's what I'd do if those things shake out - but I think to an extent, the more I think about it, Scott Hartnell should have been bought out before Danny Briere, Danny had a shorter length left on his deal and Hartsy's contract looks even worse now - but I know people love Hartsy so they'd be pissed, but oh well

kind of an obvious one here, but i'd much rather move hartnell than simmonds.. if simmonds develops hands that are even a softer kind of stone, he could easily replace everything hartnell does.. and a smaller cost and significantly younger

obviously that makes him more valuable in a trade too though..

 

[awaz]

Michael Raffl did play with Thomas Vanek on the first line for Austria, so you have to give him a legit shot - remember when everyone said that once he scores his first goal, he can start to really get it going? His speed is what I think will help him get better, he'll get into the right places with his speed and he'll be able to play well with G and make G better - we'll see

oh ya, not saying he couldn't be the solution.. just before we get too excited with what the flyers are gunna do w/ 10, top 9 forwards, in 3 weeks lets see it go more than one game

i'd love to see raffl put a lock on that spot and he's certainly shown enough to be given a shot.. until a few days ago the only thing missing from his game was finishing.. like you said, now that he's finishing things could really snow ball in the right direction

 

[Cobiemonster]

kind of an obvious one here, but i'd much rather move hartnell than simmonds.. if simmonds develops hands that are even a softer kind of stone, he could easily replace everything hartnell does.. and a smaller cost and significantly younger

obviously that makes him more valuable in a trade too though..

Oh yeah I agree I'd rather get rid of Scott Hartnell but Wayne Simmonds is more valuable in a trade and if you can get a good top four defenseman for him I'd do it

 

[JBM73]

Hartnell has a full NMC. Simmonds has a modified NTC. Anyone know the details on it?