Post-Game Talk: #78: Flyers at Penguins, Sunday, April 3, 2016; MacDonald injury updated
- Thread starter MiamiScreamingEagles
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46zone
Pass me the soft pretzels
Yes, but screaming "Hak line" has become a popular buzz term here, so this will be ignored.
Exactly. Don't worry though. We will hear from a few that will say "we need to get tougher!" Anyone what watched the game knows the Flyers need to get FASTER! Even on WIP they said the Pens are skating circles around the Flyers. Guys like Sam Car blame it on "being tired" but the main reason is we have a bunch of average speed/skating players on the team, that do everything "averagely". It's why we win some games...and lose others.
This Penguins team reminds me of the TBL teams of the last couple years that gave us fits every year because we are just too slow (especially on the back end).
With the prospects we have coming up, I'm sure we're all optimistic that we will be a faster team which is exactly what we need. Today's NHL is all about speed and hockey awareness/IQ.
With the prospects we have coming up, I'm sure we're all optimistic that we will be a faster team which is exactly what we need. Today's NHL is all about speed and hockey awareness/IQ.
Beef Invictus
Revolutionary Positivity
The team made themselves look slower than they are with the constant attempts to pass east-west instead of going up ice. Nothing moves faster than the puck, and they were sending it sideways in transition. Especially since those passes were constantly picked off. Voracek in particular stood out in this regard. But, I think that might have involved some game planning. In the first two periods, Flyers would take the puck to the perimeter on purpose, then pass to a guy skating into the slot. They clearly had spotted a gap in coverage they planned on exploiting. The problem is that they also tried it in the neutral zone a lot, which was too early and didn't work. And by the 3rd period Pitt adjusted and we didn't have open guys skating free to the slot.
Edit: Additionally, several dmen were victimized by an aggressive forecheck, which destroys transition really quickly.
deadhead
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- Feb 26, 2014
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I think some people are getting carried away because we're competing for the last playoff spot. We knew this was going to be a mediocre team going into the season, that 90 points would be a good outcome, now they've exceeded those expectations, but that doesn't mean the talent is better, only that the same talent is playing better.
Penguins are a more talented team, on a roll, and with the intensity meter turned up - any betting man would have picked them yesterday, especially with the Flyers on the second of a back to back. Flyers with tired legs never had a chance.
There is no magic line combo or other move Hakstol can make which will change this reality - you didn't see Hextall make any moves at the trade deadline to improve this team, did you? They know what they have, and are just happy to see them playing so well. Whether or not they make the playoffs, this season has been a success, the new scheme is in place, the players have bought in, and they're in a good place to integrate the talented youngsters that will join them the next two seasons.
Penguins are a more talented team, on a roll, and with the intensity meter turned up - any betting man would have picked them yesterday, especially with the Flyers on the second of a back to back. Flyers with tired legs never had a chance.
There is no magic line combo or other move Hakstol can make which will change this reality - you didn't see Hextall make any moves at the trade deadline to improve this team, did you? They know what they have, and are just happy to see them playing so well. Whether or not they make the playoffs, this season has been a success, the new scheme is in place, the players have bought in, and they're in a good place to integrate the talented youngsters that will join them the next two seasons.
Curufinwe
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- Feb 28, 2013
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I agree for the most part, but I do think Hakstol is a bit timid about making game by game adjustments. Laughton has a lot more speed than VdV, and is fresh. Why not put him in against the Pens when the team played the previous day? I don't think "because you don't change a winning team" is a good enough reason.
CSKA1974
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TCTC
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- Mar 25, 2013
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It's a shame we lost 2 of the 3 games Vandevelde wasn't in the lineup. Otherwise Hakstol might have kept Laughton on that line.
Larry44
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I didn't get to see the Pitts game, but even if they did get outskated, it's not like the Flyers have been getting killed by 'fast' teams lately. There may be something to the tired thing. They have been playing on adrenaline for weeks and the Pens seem to have their number lately.
Look at the teams they beat in March. Are the Caps slow? Jets? Avs? Blackhawks? Lightning (x2)? Wings? Not really.
I agree that they need more speed, but they also need some more size on the wings at the same time too, esp. if they have aspirations of being able to slug it out in series with big and fast teams like the Caps, Kings, Ducks, etc.
A lot of this will take care of itself, esp. on D, as the new blood comes in. Provorov isn't tall but is strong and can skate. Sanheim, Morin and Myers are big and can skate, etc. In the shorter term potentially, Alt and/or Hagg are both solid and mobile.
At forward, replacing Read with Leier or Konecny will be an increase in speed. Replacing Raffl on the 2nd line with the 2016 First Pick will likely accomplish the same if they go LW. Lindblom and Aube-Kubel are solidly built and can skate.
Right now, the team is what it is and they are holding their own.
I'm impressed with their refusal to quit when a shot at the playoffs seemed impossible not long ago. I don't expect them to give up now, occasional blips aside. They are still 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, same as Washington and better than everyone else in the East except the Pitts, who may or may not have their concussed goalie back for the playoffs.
LegionOfDoom91
Registered User
Manning's just another bozo in the mix who holds this team back. He's not the problem but he's part of it. He probably takes 3-4 or so shifts a night away from Giroux's line & typically bad things happen during them. Of course his possession numbers are going to look decent when paired with Gudas & having Giroux's line mostly as forwards. These are guys who win more possession battles on a game basis than they lose so of course his numbers aren't going to look bad.
It's the same **** with Gostisbehere mostly playing with our bottom 6 & MacDonald. Our top players are deployed mostly to protect our junk in the lineup & don't get nearly as many shifts with each other.
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The only guy coming out for Laughton is Gagner. No way he plays him over anyone else at this point.
deadhead
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Meh, Laughton unfortunately is Gagner (a month ago) with weaker offensive skills. He shows flashes, but has only had a half dozen consistent games (where he brings it every shift) all season.
The raw skills are there, and he's still young, but he might never be worthy of a 1st rd pick, at some point you have to pick it up. This is where depth makes a difference, on a deeper team, he'd get the same treatment as Cousins, and have to work his way up to the big team.
The raw skills are there, and he's still young, but he might never be worthy of a 1st rd pick, at some point you have to pick it up. This is where depth makes a difference, on a deeper team, he'd get the same treatment as Cousins, and have to work his way up to the big team.
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