2018-19 Regular Season Thread

[Ruck Over]

I've been working on a new advanced statistic which measures "softness":

Hits +/- = Hits Given - Hits Taken​

Hagg: +9 Hits (team best)
Sanheim: -5 Hits (team worst)

Sanheim does have one less giveaway than Hagg though. Something to keep an eye on.

I'm not sure that's a good metric all unto itself, too simple.

What if player A delivers few, but very hard hits. And as a result becomes targeted by the opponent, whom can hit player A, but it's after the whistle, puck already gone, etc. type stuff. The hits are not all equal. I'd rather a player deliver 3 had hits a game, knocking out an opposing player from the game from a lose of courage and gumption, than a player lay 12 hits a game that are in effect poor bumper-car ice dance interpretations.

Also, if a player can be repeatedly hit, but it does not diminish the other aspects of their game (HDC, Sh%, F/O, zone exits, takeaway/giveaway, etc.) can that player be called soft? Soft should include being hit a lot, without delivering hits, and seeing drop offs in those other important categories.

And how does fighting play into this softness measurement? What if a player is only seeing very limited ice time, and does not have the opportunity to hit opponents with body checks, but maximizes not being on the bench by dropping the gloves? Of course, wins and losses factor into it, but fighting isn't a soft activity.

Lastly, for this imperfect first attempt, what's the scale? A figure skater could hypothetically never get hit, and never hit someone, scoring a 0. Is that soft? At what quantitative points do players go from soft, medium(?), hard?

Food for thought. #ObviousHeelTurn

Edit: Sawft or Soft?

 

[Curufinwe]

This is feeling a lot like Hak's 2nd season.

First 20 games: 9-8-3; GF 63, GA 66

Mason: 12 starts, .895
Neuvirth: 8 starts, .856

NHL.com - Stats

 

[Curufinwe]

We could have signed Lehner this past offseason. He is looking good under a real coach.

2-1 .935 SV% 2.09 GAA signed for 1.5 million.

Oh wait....we could have signed that real coach too!

That coach has gotten 4 goals + 2 assists in 6 games out of Filppula. I wonder what he could get out of our guys?

Oh well, who cares. Time to sit for a few years and see if Hart is a saviour or not.

Should of kept Filppula.

 

[Breeze 44]

Nah, who would want Barry Trotz, his teams play a good defensive system, a balanced if not prolific offense and makes the play-offs..... and he usually has teams that play with an edge also.

Why would we like that, oh that's right, we're going another way.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Filppula has a 57.1% personal shooting percentage right now & an on-ice team of 24%. He’s still getting gashed in possession.

 

[Curufinwe]

Filppula has a 57.1% personal shooting percentage right now & an on-ice team of 24%. He’s still getting gashed in possession.

With his possession issues being the exact reason we all wanted Hextall to move on from him.

 

[hatcher]

Nah, who would want Barry Trotz, his teams play a good defensive system, a balanced if not prolific offense and makes the play-offs..... and he usually has teams that play with an edge also.

Why would we like that, oh that's right, we're going another way.

HAHAHAHAHA. Cap teams is what all flyers fans want. hard to play and great skilled two way players. Once ovi bought in cup was there.

 

[Curufinwe]

So it looks like every Saturday home game this season is at 1pm, except for 2/23/19 (the outdoor game) which is at 8pm, and game 82 on 4/6/19 which is at 7pm.

Philadelphia Flyers Schedule

 

[Psuhockey]

This is feeling a lot like Hak's 2nd season.

First 20 games: 9-8-3; GF 63, GA 66

Mason: 12 starts, .895
Neuvirth: 8 starts, .856

NHL.com - Stats

The one they missed the playoffs?

 

[deadhead]

That's the difference between last year's TK and this year's TK.
Last year he only looked good with G & Couts, i.e. he was linemate dependent (shades of B Schenn).
This year he's a leader, like Couts, he makes his linemates better rather than have them carry him.

A big step up in his development, and a big plus for the team, the more guys who lead lines, the easier it is to construct lines.

 

[deadhead]

It's hilarious that you try to blame MacDonald, when the fault here very obviously lies with Hakstol for somehow not seeing that MacDonald is atrocious, and then playing him heavily to boot.

It's standard MO for any coach to live through a veteran player with a track record working his way into shape, you just can't get into game shape in practice.
But the presumption is the player is close to 100% and has just a little rust to knock off, not that he's a few weeks away.
And a veteran player is supposed to be honest about his physical condition (kids tend to lie out of fear or wanting to seem tough).

Fourth straight scratch for MacDonald, if Folin keeps playing well, this may become the norm.

 

[Beef Invictus]

It's standard MO for any coach to live through a veteran player with a track record working his way into shape, you just can't get into game shape in practice.
But the presumption is the player is close to 100% and has just a little rust to knock off, not that he's a few weeks away.
And a veteran player is supposed to be honest about his physical condition (kids tend to lie out of fear or wanting to seem tough).

Fourth straight scratch for MacDonald, if Folin keeps playing well, this may become the norm.

But here's the thing: His track record is total garbage. He has nothing to work back up to to begin with. He was already grotesquely misused.

 

[deadhead]

I'm not sure that's a good metric all unto itself, too simple.

What if player A delivers few, but very hard hits. And as a result becomes targeted by the opponent, whom can hit player A, but it's after the whistle, puck already gone, etc. type stuff. The hits are not all equal. I'd rather a player deliver 3 had hits a game, knocking out an opposing player from the game from a lose of courage and gumption, than a player lay 12 hits a game that are in effect poor bumper-car ice dance interpretations.

Also, if a player can be repeatedly hit, but it does not diminish the other aspects of their game (HDC, Sh%, F/O, zone exits, takeaway/giveaway, etc.) can that player be called soft? Soft should include being hit a lot, without delivering hits, and seeing drop offs in those other important categories.

Some of this evens out.

Some of this isn't measured - for example, taking a hit to maintain possession v getting hit and losing possession v shying away from contesting for a puck in anticipation of getting hit. Willingness to get hit to make plays should count as much as hitting players. Whereas losing the puck to avoid being hit should be considered an especially egregious type of turnover.

Two types of hits should be given extra weight, slobberknockers that put the fear of God (or Gudas) into opposing players and hits that force turnovers.

 

[Beef Invictus]

He is underutilized.

 

[Curufinwe]

The one they missed the playoffs?

Yes, under Hak they make the playoffs in odd-numbered seasons, and miss the playoffs in even-numbered seasons.

 

[Ruck Over]

Some of this evens out.

Some of this isn't measured - for example, taking a hit to maintain possession v getting hit and losing possession v shying away from contesting for a puck in anticipation of getting hit. Willingness to get hit to make plays should count as much as hitting players. Whereas losing the puck to avoid being hit should be considered an especially egregious type of turnover.

Two types of hits should be given extra weight, slobberknockers that put the fear of God (or Gudas) into opposing players and hits that force turnovers.

Adding layers and nuance to the softness scale are totally encouraged. But you do know you responded to a joke post, yes?

 

[deadhead]

Yes, but there is a serious side to toughness, a lot of people here poo poo it (mostly b/c they hate Hagg, but find a way to applaud it in Gudas), but this team not only lacks speed, they've been Mr Softee too often.
One reason Raffl is a great bottom six guy is he plays without fear, and TK is starting to emulate him.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Nah, who would want Barry Trotz, his teams play a good defensive system, a balanced if not prolific offense and makes the play-offs..... and he usually has teams that play with an edge also.

Why would we like that, oh that's right, we're going another way.

Honest question. Other than last season obviously, would Flyer fans be screaming for his head with the prior playoff futility he has had? I think the guy is a really good coach. But I wonder around here how he would be viewed getting ko’d in round 1 or 2 every season.
Not that we area patient fanbase or anything

 

[deadhead]

I'm sure Trotz was considered a dunce when he was canned by Nashville after missing the playoffs two years running, and wasn't the story in Washington how they underperformed under him for years?

 

[Beef Invictus]

I'm sure Trotz was considered a dunce when he was canned by Nashville after missing the playoffs two years running, and wasn't the story in Washington how they underperformed under him for years?

No, not at all on all counts.

 

[Lindberg]

He is underutilized.

How so? Typically he's just below Giroux, Couturier and Voracek in ice time.

I suppose you could reduce Laughton, Raffl, Simmonds and etc. even strength time but his ice time is far from criminal.

 

[Beef Invictus]

How so? Typically he's just below Giroux, Couturier and Voracek in ice time.

I suppose you could reduce Laughton, Raffl, Simmonds and etc. even strength time but his ice time is far from criminal.

He shouldn't be getting 11 and 13 minutes.

 

[Rebels57]

How so? Typically he's just below Giroux, Couturier and Voracek in ice time.

I suppose you could reduce Laughton, Raffl, Simmonds and etc. even strength time but his ice time is far from criminal.

Konecny should be getting the same amount of 5v5 TOI as Giroux, because he should be our 1st line RW like he was the last 40 games of last season when he produced like a top 10-15 winger in the NHL.

Instead, he's playing nearly 3 minutes less.

 

[Tripod]

Konecny should be getting the same amount of 5v5 TOI as Giroux, because he should be our 1st line RW like he was the last 40 games of last season when he produced like a top 10-15 winger in the NHL.

Instead, he's playing nearly 3 minutes less.

All part of Hextall's master plan. Get them signed long term for cheap AND THEN unleash them.

 

[Lindberg]

Konecny should be getting the same amount of 5v5 TOI as Giroux, because he should be our 1st line RW like he was the last 40 games of last season when he produced like a top 10-15 winger in the NHL.

Instead, he's playing nearly 3 minutes less.

I really don't see how this is much of a problem. Konecny is a guy who can produce on his own and the #1 RW seems like the best place for Simmonds at the moment if they are going to extract value from him. Voracek playing over Konecny isn't a concern of mine either.

If Dale Weise was playing over Konecny I'd say this argument has merit, but it doesn't.