Post-Game Talk: #37 | Wednesday, Dec. 28 | Flyers 3 at Blues 6

[Hiesenberg]

i said that at the start of the season..

for what Vora's being paid he NEEDS to be able to anchor a line now...

hes to expensive to be on Roo's line now...

He can, Voracek was moved on Line 1 because, Mr. Schenn was dragging Giroux down so bad, it hurt the overall line. Now that Schenn's moved off, he kept it there because of injuries and for a while the team was winning game after game.

But the chickens have come home to roost. Gotta go back to the beginning, split up the big guys and go back to sheltering Schenn

 

[Curufinwe]

With Read and Raffl out, and Streit out, and Couts working his way back into game shape, you just saw why Hextall is being patient, this team is just not talented enough top to bottom to be a cup contender. They should end up with 95-100 points (90 is a .500 team so they're a little above average).

.500 would be 82 points. Last year Montreal and Colorado were .500.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?aggre...52016&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=pointPctg

 

[BillDineen]

If Schenn sticks at center, I wouldn't mind center-rw pairs. (I really want to see Konency on the right side). Schenn's line would continue with primarily ozone starts.

Raffl-Giroux-Voracek
XXX-Schenn-Simmonds
Read-Couturier-Konecny
VdV-PEB-Weise/Lyubimov

 

[Lindberg]

I don't get this Voracek should be able to anchor his line with what he is being paid. Plenty of teams have two quality high paid players on the same line. Anaheim with Getzlaf/Perry, Vancouver with the Sedin twins, Tampa a few years ago with Stamkos/St Louis, and etc. You need both of them on the same line if you want to stick a Raffl like talent on the 1st line and get it to click.

 

[TCTC]

I'd like to see something like this for a game or two:

Raffl - Giroux - Simmonds
Read - Schenn - Voracek
Konecny - Couturier - Weise

It's too bad Weise isn't a LW, because I'd rather switch him and Read.

 

[deadhead]

.500 would be 82 points. Last year Montreal and Colorado were .500.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?aggre...52016&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=pointPctg

No, "real" .500 is 41 wins, which is usually coupled with 32 losses and 9 "ties" (an average of 9 losses in OT, but if wins in OT are wins, then losses in OT are losses). And that's 91 points.

The one point for ties confuses people, but 41 wins is the median, and the median points is about 91, not 82.

 

[Curufinwe]

Points% is what the NHL has used to rank teams for many years, and .500 = 82 points. Look at the official standings rather than making up your own reality.

91 points is .555.

 

[deadhead]

In that setup, Read could cover for some of Schenn's deficiencies in the defensive zone. I'd also like to see them try a fourth line of Lyubimov, Cousins, and Bellemare, but a scratched VandeVelde seems incredibly unlikely.

No. Cousins can't play on a checking line.
Leier instead of VdV when Raffl returns is more credible.

As far as Ghost, some ignore that he's a defenseman, and as such, he's not supposed to turn the puck over in the D-zone on a regular basis.

Yes, he makes great offensive plays, but that's like a basketball player who has ESPN dunks but can't defend his shadow. Ghost needs to be more consistent with his primary responsibility. That seems to be primarily a matter of focus, knowing when to take chances and when to play it safe.

 

[Hiesenberg]

Cousins can play that line, if you don't call it a ****ing checking line.

This old school mentality that you need a line to grind it out is stupid. I'm tired of it, put the 12 best forwards on the ice, if all 12 can skate and score, I would bet good god damn money they win a **** load more games than a team that puts 2 scoring lines and 2 checking lines.

 

[Striiker]

No. Cousins can't play on a checking line.
Leier instead of VdV when Raffl returns is more credible.

As far as Ghost, some ignore that he's a defenseman, and as such, he's not supposed to turn the puck over in the D-zone on a regular basis.

Yes, he makes great offensive plays, but that's like a basketball player who has ESPN dunks but can't defend his shadow. Ghost needs to be more consistent with his primary responsibility. That seems to be primarily a matter of focus, knowing when to take chances and when to play it safe.

No, you're the one ignoring that he does play defense. Solid defense. Actually, surprisingly solid defense that's been improving every year.

Feel free to find me a defensemen who doesn't make mistakes or turn over the puck. Difference is, most defensemen don't make up for their mistakes with as many great plays (in transition and offensively) as Ghost does. He's a net positive on this team when you consider his overall impact, and that's not even debatable.

But yeah, we get it, Ghost can't play D, Simmonds isn't a good skater, Hakstols system is as complicated as neuroscience, and blah blah blah whatever else you pull out of your ass.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Ghost is a subpar defender when he's in the defensive zone and the opposition has control of offensive possession. He's not strong around the net or against the wall.

But he also gets to loose pucks, breaks up rushes, and makes very effective zone exits once possession is gained. So his defensive play isn't all bad by any means. You just don't want to use him on the PK and want to limit his defensive zone starts. No problem.

As for turnovers, no defenseman has had more bad turnovers than Provorov this season. That doesn't make him a bad defenseman, but he's the golden child rookie (and rightly so) so he gets a little more leeway. For all of Ghost's great zone exits and for how much he handles the puck, I think his turnovers have been a bit overblown, relatively speaking.

 

[dingbathero]

One thing I noticed is we play weak. No in your face style... way too *** soft. We also looked small ( I know we aren't a small team) against the Blues. It was a joke how no one wanted to compete and get in their face.

Hitch played us well, taking Hutton out with less than 2 seconds and a great big FU to the Flyers. No response from us at all..... we were the *****.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

No shame in losing to St. Louis. they are a better team than the Flyers and in their barn i didnt expect a win. didnt expect to give up 6 goals, but yeah my expectations were pretty low.
They better be ready to skate from the getgo against the Sharks or the results will be similar. hopefully the special teams get it together.

 

[Rebels57]

No shame in losing to St. Louis. they are a better team than the Flyers and in their barn i didnt expect a win. didnt expect to give up 6 goals, but yeah my expectations were pretty low.
They better be ready to skate from the getgo against the Sharks or the results will be similar. hopefully the special teams get it together.

We have absolutely no shot at winning that game unless we win the special teams matchup, and that doesn't seem likely based on the way they are playing in the past 6 games.

 

[deadhead]

As for turnovers, no defenseman has had more bad turnovers than Provorov this season. That doesn't make him a bad defenseman, but he's the golden child rookie (and rightly so) so he gets a little more leeway. For all of Ghost's great zone exits and for how much he handles the puck, I think his turnovers have been a bit overblown, relatively speaking.

Provorov has cut back on his turnovers since the first month, and he along with Gudas plays the toughest defensive minutes.

The problem with Ghost is he has some egregious turnovers that lead directly to good scoring chances, and some come from overconfidence, trying to make plays when there's nothing there.

There's a balance, most of our defensemen tend to just throw it up the boards and good teams pinch and jump on that, Ghost tries to make passes up the center of the ice and sometimes misjudges whether it's a makeable pass.

It is easy to forget how inexperienced Provorov and Ghost are, heck even Gudas (230 games, or less than 3 full seasons), since they're our best three defensemen, sad commentary on our veterans.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

We have absolutely no shot at winning that game unless we win the special teams matchup, and that doesn't seem likely based on the way they are playing in the past 6 games.

San Jose has the 7th best PP on home ice, and the Ducks have the best PP in the NHL on home ice.
probably would be ideal to not get into a special teams battle with either club the next 2 games.

EDIT: yes the Flyers are 8th in the NHL in road PP%. but it has struggled of late obviously

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

As far as Ghost, some ignore that he's a defenseman, and as such, he's not supposed to turn the puck over in the D-zone on a regular basis.

Yes, he makes great offensive plays, but that's like a basketball player who has ESPN dunks but can't defend his shadow. Ghost needs to be more consistent with his primary responsibility. That seems to be primarily a matter of focus, knowing when to take chances and when to play it safe.

 

[BillDineen]

I don't get this random and irrational criticism of Ghost. He is an excellent defender off the rush and while he takes chances and coughs it up sometimes, it is no more than any other defender. Gudas in particular has had some questionable giveaways of late and no one is constantly berating him.

We want Ghost playing with confidence. In a year or two he will be paired with a defender who complements his style rather his recent defensive partners.

 

[WIP CALLER]

Ghost is a subpar defender when he's in the defensive zone and the opposition has control of offensive possession. He's not strong around the net or against the wall.

But he also gets to loose pucks, breaks up rushes, and makes very effective zone exits once possession is gained. So his defensive play isn't all bad by any means. You just don't want to use him on the PK and want to limit his defensive zone starts. No problem.

As for turnovers, no defenseman has had more bad turnovers than Provorov this season. That doesn't make him a bad defenseman, but he's the golden child rookie (and rightly so) so he gets a little more leeway. For all of Ghost's great zone exits and for how much he handles the puck, I think his turnovers have been a bit overblown, relatively speaking.

Macdonald has made more brutal turnovers in the last 10 games than provy has made all season. He's by far the worst defenseman handling the puck.

 

[WIP CALLER]

Ghost has had to play most of the year with manning and macdonald as his partners. No **** he isn't going to look as good defensively having to carry those ahl bums.