Post-Game Talk: #55 | Flyers at Maple Leafs | February 15, 2024 | Loss 3-4 (OT) | York and Couturier injury updates (Friday)

[Philly Fanatik]

Lost.
Win.

A very disheartening,discouraging,
depressing,daunting
,dispiriting and a crushing loss for me!

 

[Magua]

Charlie has said on the PHLY podcast that it's likely Drysdale is still fighting through the injury that kept him out for a good portion of the season.

I also think Drysdale just looks lost in the d-zone - not necessarily as in "bad", but definitely not on the same page as the rest of the team.

It’s possible for sure. Like I said, he has talent, no question. I don’t even care if he is lost transitioning to a better defensive structure than whatever Anaheim was running with man to man. I just want him aggressive with pucks. It was there early. I’m by no means overly concerned.

 

[bennysflyers16]

York gets ran over all while the leagues best enforcer was on the ice ???
Hmmm

 

[FanForLife]

I'll give Torts credit for getting this team to play better hockey...but it seems there's a ceiling. He either can't see or is is unwilling to acknowledge the problem areas/personnel and adapt. Glaringly, Deslaurier and Staal aren't NHLers...but here they are. Frustrating.

 

[Cody Webster]

Before seeing the York and Coots news, I was going to say, they got a point...there's no chance in hell this organization gives up on a chance to make the playoffs. There's no chance this team sells at the deadline.

 

[Random Forest]

It’s possible for sure. Like I said, he has talent, no question. I don’t even care if he is lost transitioning to a better defensive structure than whatever Anaheim was running with man to man. I just want him aggressive with pucks. It was there early. I’m by no means overly concerned.

He’s missing that instinct a player like Gostisbehere has where you don’t even think about making the aggressive play, you just do it. Drysdale has the talent to do those things, and you can almost see him thinking about trying them sometimes, but if you’re thinking about it, you’ve already lost the opportunity. It needs to be instinctual. He’ll often have the puck at the blue line with a defender lurching or something, and I’m just dying for him to do a little stop and start to shake him like Ghost would. Instead, he’ll usually settle for a solid but less threatening pass.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s a trait many players develop over time, but he is just 21. I do wonder what he could have gotten from an extra year in juniors where he would have dominated and perhaps become more comfortable being a type-A attacker.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

He showed some seriously crisp passing early on. I remember some awesome 4v4 and 3v3 shifts; he and Sanheim did dirty things on the cycle together. His game has trended down. The 7D shit is wearing thin too. But it is curious that the more Tortorella hypes him up as a rover, the more passive he's gotten. Maybe he's banged up, who knows?

I do think he looks like the best PP QB of the bunch they have -- certainly, I prefer him to York, who is more limited. But I agree, I don't see high end shake and bake. It's good. His skating is good too, but even then, I don't think it's elite. We get to watch Sanheim be a f***ing monster off the rush every game -- I don't see that. Drysdale's burst is a bit better in the cycle.

I've said that if he's a top 4 guy, that's a win. We just always go through this song and dance (shoutout Ducks fans) where guys have to be 70 point Norris #1s or else.

Yeah, I think what you said is all pretty fair.

I wouldn't be shocked if a significant part of his value comes transitionally rather than the offensive zone(5v5, He's obviously a solid PP QB).

It would also be a huge help if I thought he could score from further than 15 away from the net, not the most gifted shooter by any stretch.

 

[bennysflyers16]

Remove 18 and 44 and add Olle and Allison and we are so much better

 

[Embiid]

Yeah, I think what you said is all pretty fair.

I wouldn't be shocked if a significant part of his value comes transitionally rather than the offensive zone(5v5, He's obviously a solid PP QB).

It would also be a huge help if I thought he could score from further than 15 away from the net, not the most gifted shooter by any stretch.

Compared him to Matt Carle....

 

[OzFlyers]

Strip the C!!

 

[Larry44]

Yeah, I think what you said is all pretty fair.

I wouldn't be shocked if a significant part of his value comes transitionally rather than the offensive zone(5v5, He's obviously a solid PP QB).

It would also be a huge help if I thought he could score from further than 15 away from the net, not the most gifted shooter by any stretch.

Giving Drysdale a set partner would help. 7D is just silly.

 

[BillDineen]

Nice comeback. Not sure about 21 and 74 starting OT

 

[mr4tno]

York gets ran over all while the leagues best enforcer was on the ice ???
Hmmm

....and he got a whopping 4+ minutes in an 11 (and then 10) F format

Nice comeback. Not sure about 21 and 74 starting OT

Starting 21 basically set the table for the loss

 

[mr4tno]

Remove 18 and 44 and add Olle and Allison and we are so much better

You wonder why they have a development issue. Lycksell called up to basically ride the bench. If you need a warm body, there are plenty of them in LHV. He needs to play, somewhere. Oh, that right he will get it by osmosis just from being around the amazing 'leaders'.

 

[mr4tno]

Yeah, I think what you said is all pretty fair.

I wouldn't be shocked if a significant part of his value comes transitionally rather than the offensive zone(5v5, He's obviously a solid PP QB).

It would also be a huge help if I thought he could score from further than 15 away from the net, not the most gifted shooter by any stretch.

I'm not saying he is a bad player. I'm just don't believe we got sufficient value for what was given up. Just another disappointment for us Flyers phans. Different GM, same hosing. When was the last trade a Flyers' GM won?

 

[mr4tno]

I'll give Torts credit for getting this team to play better hockey...but it seems there's a ceiling. He either can't see or is is unwilling to acknowledge the problem areas/personnel and adapt. Glaringly, Deslaurier and Staal aren't NHLers...but here they are. Frustrating.

The Flyers are king of the "mediocres". Truth is they cannot hang with a team that has elite talent, but that is something everyone here knows. So why can't management see this?

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I'll take coming back from a 3-1 deficit late in the 3rd to salvage a point on the road against a Cup-contender Toronto team.

Especially the way Matthews was playing: Best game by a player I've watched this season.

Flyers played a very solid game except for the second half of the 2nd period. All started with a bad line change that left Matthews alone for his first goal.

Then another bad line change cost them in OT. Plus Ersson probably should have stopped the OT goal.

Nevertheless, it's a road point I didn't expect, and I'll take it.

I'm a little worried about injuries catching up to them. York looks to be concussed. Couturier took a brutal slash to the knee that kept him out for all but one shift afterward. Foerster and Risto are already out. Tippett got banged up again, though he at least was able to play after limping off.

Drysdale I think is less than 100%. After the trade, someone asked him about finally being healthy, and the immediate, unconscious expression on his face followed by a roundabout answer told me, "Damn, he's still hurt."

 

[CerpinTaxt]

The Flyers are king of the "mediocres". Truth is they cannot hang with a team that has elite talent, but that is something everyone here knows. So why can't management see this?

Management abhors elite talent. They are all about lunch pail, strap on your boots, and get to work types. The Flyers had elite talent when they first came into the league to go along with their do anything attitude, and even into the 80s some very good players. Somewhere in the 90s they forgot about talent and just wanted grit. Yea they went after Lindros but he still embodied that workmans attitude. His elite skill just happened to come along in a 6'4" 220lbs body.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Management abhors elite talent. They are all about lunch pail, strap on your boots, and get to work types. The Flyers had elite talent when they first came into the league to go along with their do anything attitude, and even into the 80s some very good players. Somewhere in the 90s they forgot about talent and just wanted grit. Yea they went after Lindros but he still embodied that workmans attitude. His elite skill just happened to come along in a 6'4" 220lbs body.

Which is exactly why Fletcher, Briere, and Jones repeatedly talked about the need for high-end talent. And why they drafted Michkov over Leonard.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Which is exactly why Fletcher, Briere, and Jones repeatedly talked about the need for high-end talent. And why they drafted Michkov over Leonard.

Don't forget they've talked about not having too much high end talent. They think one or two guys is enough. Back when they thought the Gauthier thing could still be salvaged they were talking about how they are in Year 2 of a 3 Year Rebuild, meaning they're pretty much done.

I'm sure they are right though, I would never question professionals. They are paid so they must know best!

 

[dragonoffrost]

Which is exactly why Fletcher, Briere, and Jones repeatedly talked about the need for high-end talent. And why they drafted Michkov over Leonard.

First round picks should be slam dunks like that. Other moves show the true feelings about players.

 

[Beef Invictus]

If the Flyers think you only need one elite talent surrounded by "hard workers" I'm sure they're right. Please be optimistic everyone

 

[Embiid]

If the Flyers think you only need one elite talent surrounded by "hard workers" I'm sure they're right. Please be optimistic everyone

It's been their MO......I mean on D alone they ran Mark Howe, Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timmonen into the ground like that pretty much. Desardins was so shot his 5 year old kid shattered his forearm while playing catch...lol

 

[dragonoffrost]

It's been their MO......I mean on D alone they ran Mark Howe, Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timmonen into the ground like that pretty much. Desardins was so shot his 5 year old kid shattered his forearm while playing catch...lol

You speak of that situation with Rico and ....

 

[orangey]

Pretty nice effort coming back after that 2nd period. Many teams would have packed it in but they did not. That shows me a lot.

I have to say I'm mildly impressed and the team is plucky, hard skating and actually semi-enjoyable to watch. Yes, they lack elite talent, but this is still a pretty successful year getting things back on track and forming an identity, at least to this skeptic.

They should sell Laughton and maybe some other things though. They should know this is still a rebuild despite them overachieving a bit.