GDT: #79 | Bruins 3 at FLYERS 4 (OT) | Sun., Apr. 1, 2018, 12:30 pm ET | NBC, TVAS

[Rebels57]

Bizarre that Boston plays twice before our game with them.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I remember Roger Neilson talking once about how he was a longtime baseball coach and manager in addition to coaching hockey. He said that baseball was much easier from a motivational standpoint because it was largely an individual sport and didn't require the same type of energy. Whereas, with hockey he said, "You hope your players show up."

I didn't particularly like the quote at the time, because I thought it undersold the responsibility of a coach to fire up a team. But he did have a point in that you can use every motivational trick in the book, but you can't be fully responsible 100% of the time for whether an individual plays hard. Maybe occasionally you can fire them up, but if you have to do it all the time the message loses effectiveness and players need to be largely responsible for their own effort and only occasionally need a kick in the pants. (And no, I'm not saying Hakstol is blameless for their often slow starts. He could be largely to blame for many of them. I don't know what goes on in the locker room.)

 

[deadhead]

I'm skeptical of a coach's ability to motivate a team over a longer run, I remember Ray "they're gonna rape your wife and mother" Rhodes.
In sports like hockey and basketball, teams are going to have off nights, it's hard with travel and the long season to get up for every game.
But teams that tend to consistently play at a high level have motivated self-starters who can fire up their teammates, mostly by example.
I think Giroux for example, is one of those guys, Lindblom never seems to take a shift off, etc.

And it's hard to play at a high level of intensity for 3 periods (or 4 quarters) which is why "flow" games often go back and forth, we've seen the Flyers come out slow then dominate for a period and a half. On the road, the home team often is fired up to begin games, but if you can withstand that assault, often go flat as the adrenalin wears off.

One reason rivalry games were so much fun was players had the adrenalin going all game when the teams hated each other.
But these days with the diluted schedules, it's hard to think of a team that the players consider their nemesis.
Whereas in the NFL, the Eagles feed off their fans' hatred of the Cowboys.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

There's a difference between "motivate" and "prepare"

 

[Rebels57]

There's a difference between "motivate" and "prepare"

Theres a similarity too..

Hakstol does neither.

 

[Cody Webster]

Correct. 2014 in the playoffs.

They played the Penguins in 2015 on Easter as well iirc

And perhaps the Bruins in 2013?

Was the Capitals in 2013. The Bruins were the day before. Remember having an early Easter watching the Bruins game

 

[PHILOUDELPHIA]

So part of my wish came true,

Sens got a win al though Fla got a pt they didn't get 2 pts, so thats huge.

in terms of points, the magic number is 6 pts for flyers

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

So part of my wish came true,

Sens got a win al though Fla got a pt they didn't get 2 pts, so thats huge.

in terms of points, the magic number is 6 pts for flyers

It's actually seven, as the Panthers could still get the first tiebreaker on the Flyers (regulation/overtime wins).

 

[baudib1]

I don't know what the reason for the slow starts is. It could be that Hakstol does a poor job in choosing early matchups, or that the coaching staff as a whole does a poor job in preparing the team on how to attack/defend certain teams. I'm not a huge fan of blaming the coach for not motivating teams, especially a team with a strong veteran core like the Flyers with very self-motivated players like Giroux, Provy, Simmonds, etc.

I tend to think in general that analyzing a coach's in-game decisions is overrated. Certainly there are hundreds of micro decisions made each game and if one guy is 2% better on them, that will result in better outcomes over the course of a season. There are also extreme examples of tangible spots where the coach actively costs his team 2 points, like the Nashville game early on.

That said, these parts of the game certainly aren't a strength for Hakstol. And he is really bad at personnel/deployment aspects of the job.

 

[marcsson68]

One point Panthers, one point Devils, two points Columbus.
.
Not much has changed but my feeling is Florida is running out of gas. Bruins with quite a workload. Expect the usual slow start and another OT.

 

[Alex91]

Hoping Boston kicks Florida ass Sat and rest some of their vets Sunday and we pick up a huge 4pts

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

Hoping Boston kicks Florida ass Sat and rest some of their vets Sunday and we pick up a huge 4pts

There is no reason for them to rest anyone against us, but I wholeheartedly agree with the first part of your statement.

 

[Curufinwe]

Boston will need to keep winning till they are guaranteed the top seed in the Atlantic.

The current NHL playoff system means either the 2nd or 3rd/4th best Eastern team will be eliminated after the first round. Which is terrible. The 1998 system of 1-8 with the division winners being the top two seeds was so much better.

1 Bos v 8 NJ
2 Was v 7 Phi
3 TB v 6 CBJ
4 Tor v 5 Pit

1 Nas v 8 Ana
2 VGK v 7 LA
3 Win v 6 StL
4 SJ v 5 Min

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

MSE, awesome song choice. I haven't heard that in a long time and I am surprised you put Static-X up there. Didn't know you listened to them.

 

[Rodu58]

any update on Neuvirth?

 

[Flyerfan4life]

any update on Neuvirth?

they are still looking fir some k

 

[PHILOUDELPHIA]

FLA has 6 games left 3 against bruins 1 vs NSH 1 vs CAR 1 vs BUF

Flyers magic number in terms of points is 7 which can be lowered by FLA not getting 2 pts in each of their remaining games or flyers by getting 1 or 2 pts each in 4 left games.

By time our game vs B's is over best case flyers magic number in terms of points will be 3

 

[PHILOUDELPHIA]

Also just noticed this

In addition to those having Comcast or Fios which should have Free NHL Center ice with MLB extra innings being free thru April 5. So Most of us can watch B's beat FLA Sat 1pm.

I noticed NHL.tv will also have that game as the Free game of the day. So for those on Directv you can watch as well.

 

[tucson83]

I don't know what the reason for the slow starts is. It could be that Hakstol does a poor job in choosing early matchups, or that the coaching staff as a whole does a poor job in preparing the team on how to attack/defend certain teams. I'm not a huge fan of blaming the coach for not motivating teams, especially a team with a strong veteran core like the Flyers with very self-motivated players like Giroux, Provy, Simmonds, etc.

I tend to think in general that analyzing a coach's in-game decisions is overrated. Certainly there are hundreds of micro decisions made each game and if one guy is 2% better on them, that will result in better outcomes over the course of a season. There are also extreme examples of tangible spots where the coach actively costs his team 2 points, like the Nashville game early on.

That said, these parts of the game certainly aren't a strength for Hakstol. And he is really bad at personnel/deployment aspects of the job.

it's because hakstol doesnt adapt, he doesnt put players in the best postion, he's always playing favorites over what's working, that causes inconsistency, you see it on the players, hakstol has no direction, no plan. he just does what he wants. that's not good coaching. it's the same way with phillies game yesterday, i mean the manager has no clue on what he's doing, that's why you need vet coaching.

 

[JXC]

But teams that tend to consistently play at a high level have motivated self-starters who can fire up their teammates, mostly by example.

But he did have a point in that you can use every motivational trick in the book, but you can't be fully responsible 100% of the time for whether an individual plays hard. Maybe occasionally you can fire them up, but if you have to do it all the time the message loses effectiveness and players need to be largely responsible for their own effort and only occasionally need a kick in the pants.

You’re both wrong; it can be done!

 

[JXC]

But seriously, like everything in sports, the simple answer doesn’t exist, because sports are played by humans, and human behavior defies simplistic analysis.

Hakstol and the players all know they have a problem, and all have probably taken [somewhat futile] steps to correct it.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Lets get the blood pumping.

 

[Stizzle]

It seems like Bruce Cassidy is what the Flyers claimed Dave Hakstol would be.

 

[gertbfrobe16]

Lets get the blood pumping.

holy spirograph batman

 

[tucson83]

It seems like Bruce Cassidy is what the Flyers claimed Dave Hakstol would be.

at least bruce cassidy doesnt play favorites, he always adjusts, hak doesnt, that's why they are great and we are not.