Better Safe Than Soaring

[Captain Dave Poulin]

DISCLAIMER: I KNOW WE HAVE WON 6 IN A ROW
​

So, the talking points that led to this point:

* Prevent Defense - playing not to lose
* Ice Time for PEB (21:05!!!!) and VdV
* Wonder Twins out on the ice right after they let in a goal against, and PEB to start OT
* Why don't the local media question Hakstok about his usage? (rhetorical question)

I realize that there is a thread for Coach Hakstok and it serves as a fine place
for us to ***** and moan. So let's see what we can do differently in here
(in addition to the *****ing and moaning, which is both justified and unpreventable):

Sarcasm aside, what are the positives to Hakstok's system overall?

What are alternatives to playing Prevent D? Besides the obvious, what do we specifically do instead (tactics, lines, etc.)?

We are hampered by injury, but what choices do we have with the current roster/AHL call-ups
to change things so the Wonder Twins can get some deserved rest?

What realistic trades can we make so we don't hamper our future, but can limit scrub minutes?

What can we do in 2017? How will it look then? In 2018?

Click to read more...

 

[Beef Invictus]

I realize that there is a thread for Coach Hakstok

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I know but I like it now. Sorry

 

[BillDineen]

Great pic and I love them called the "Wonder Twins".

VdV has boobs in that pic as well.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Great pic and I love them called the "Wonder Twins".

VdV has boobs in that pic as well.

I wasn't trying to emasculate him, it's just that there is a limit to my patience with my track pad in Photoshop.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I know but I like it now. Sorry

Yeah, that was my way of saying "I see what you're doing."


There's a reason I never fixed that thread title.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Yeah, that was my way of saying "I see what you're doing."


There's a reason I never fixed that thread title.

It's like found poetry - I love it.

 

[Magua]

VdV has boobs in that pic as well.

The look on Hak's face says, "Damn right he does!"

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

The look on Hak's face says, "Damn right he does!"

Coach is like "Got milk?"

 

[Juicy Pop]

The look on Hak's face says, "Damn right he does!"

Look at Bellemare's eyes.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Look at Bellemare's eyes.

Why doesn't anyone take my thread seriously?

That is hilarious haha

 

[Magua]

I think the team has actually done a really good job of playing with leads late and not going full turtle like last year. But if you are using PEB and VDV in essentially the Couturier/Read role for an entire game....holy ****. That's not prevent defense. That's prevent death because they were hanging on for dear life.

I actually want to see them go head to head against McDavid. It'd bring a smile to my face.

 

[Magua]

Look at Bellemare's eyes.

They're all in the locker room. They know. Maybe we just never considered that VandeVelde stays with the team and in the lineup for his hot bod.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I think the team has actually done a really good job of playing with leads late and not going full turtle like last year. But if you are using PEB and VDV in essentially the Couturier/Read role for an entire game....holy ****. That's not prevent defense. That's prevent death because they were hanging on for dear life.

I actually want to see them go head to head against McDavid. It'd bring a smile to my face.

The thing that will be interesting to see is if Haks is doing this because these are his best options (he thinks) with the current roster, and if he continues to play them like this, or play them plentiful minutes, when he has better options (we think) in the near future. In other words: does he really believe they are worth putting out there for heavy/medium-to-heavy usage, or is he making the best of a bad situation? That's what I want to find out.

 

[Magua]

The role they are in now is due to injuries and whatnot. I think Hakstol, even in his blind love, isn't stupid enough to use them like he is now with a fuller roster. But I also don't doubt he'd give them a sizable role no matter what. He can't help himself.

Our offseason was geared towards upgrading the bottom 6 because it was a disaster last year, spearheaded by using VDV-PEB-White as our 3rd line for half the year. And Hexy got Lyubimov, Weise, Gordon, then Konecny made the team bumping Schenn/Raffl down, then Leier is looking NHL ready for a role, Laughton is lurking somewhere.....and here we still are with PEB as 3C with 3 points in over 1/3 the season and the un-scratchable VDV as 4LW being promoted to 3LW with Meat Read's injury. And they are our top PKers despite two years of mediocrity there.

The **** did we upgrade? The same as it ever was. The same as it ever was.

 

[Magua]

Honestly, at this point my hope is just that their matching extensions aren't for more than 2 years.

 

[BillDineen]

Honestly, at this point my hope is just that their matching extensions aren't for more than 2 years.

This. Any line-up for next season should realistically include both.

 

[bbcelite]

DISCLAIMER: I KNOW WE HAVE WON 6 IN A ROW
​

So, the talking points that led to this point:

* Prevent Defense - playing not to lose
* Ice Time for PEB (21:05!!!!) and VdV
* Wonder Twins out on the ice right after they let in a goal against, and PEB to start OT
* Why don't the local media question Hakstok about his usage? (rhetorical question)

I realize that there is a thread for Coach Hakstok and it serves as a fine place
for us to ***** and moan. So let's see what we can do differently in here
(in addition to the *****ing and moaning, which is both justified and unpreventable):

Sarcasm aside, what are the positives to Hakstok's system overall?

What are alternatives to playing Prevent D? Besides the obvious, what do we specifically do instead (tactics, lines, etc.)?

We are hampered by injury, but what choices do we have with the current roster/AHL call-ups
to change things so the Wonder Twins can get some deserved rest?

What realistic trades can we make so we don't hamper our future, but can limit scrub minutes?

What can we do in 2017? How will it look then? In 2018?

Unfortunately I can´t catch many flyers games, just watching the highlights and reading the posts here. So i can´t give you answers to system tacticts etc.
But what i know, we are clearly lacking Center depth. Cousins and laughton failed to develop in this spots. At this time i would say its safe to say they failed . The question is if hexy is willing to trade for a (good) C, knowing the expansion draft is coming and he can´t protect em all.

In my perfect world:
Cousins steps up
hexy trades some UFA, especially D, for picks + calls up Sanheim Morin
we are making the playoffs
Trades Morin/Sanheim for a #1/2 C in Offseason


Schenn - Roux - Simmer
Neck- #2 - Voracek
Lindblom- Couts - Raffl

 

[Curufinwe]

Even after last night, PEB is only 9th in ES TOI/GP and VdV is 14th.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?agg...lter=gamesPlayed,gte,&sort=evTimeOnIcePerGame

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Unfortunately I can´t catch many flyers games, just watching the highlights and reading the posts here. So i can´t give you answers to system tacticts etc.
But what i know, we are clearly lacking Center depth. Cousins and laughton failed to develop in this spots. At this time i would say its safe to say they failed . The question is if hexy is willing to trade for a (good) C, knowing the expansion draft is coming and he can´t protect em all.

In my perfect world:
Cousins steps up
hexy trades some UFA, especially D, for picks + calls up Sanheim Morin
we are making the playoffs
Trades Morin/Sanheim for a #1/2 C in Offseason


Schenn - Roux - Simmer
Neck- #2 - Voracek
Lindblom- Couts - Raffl

I really don't want to lose Sanheim, Morin or Myers in trade. I might feel differently if Bernhardt and Hogberg pan out, but I doubt it. I'd rather keep drafting, and drafting well, and use some of those pieces in trade - picks or players we pick. That would make it harder to get a 1C or even 2C, but like someone was saying in that horrible thread on the main board, the Flyers have previous when it comes to snatching 1C's in the 20's of the first round. I don't know, I just want at least a period of time when all of these prospects on D are together for the Flyers. We have been waiting a very, very long time to have a D corps who top to bottom can compete with the very best. And that's even without mentioning Rube and Voro, who could do the job for us eventually.

 

[Appleyard]

I think expansion can be a real opportunity for them to get a good young 3C for fair value... which is usually impossible for such players.

Karlsson, Namestnikov, Girgensons, Lowry, Tierney, Copp...

all of them could be left exposed... and all are either established 3C's already or have the obvious potential to be.

Raffl -- Giroux -- Voracek
Konecny -- Couturier -- Simmonds
Schenn -- Karlsson/Namestnikov/Lowry/Girgensons/Tierney -- Lindblom

Would be a pretty legit top 9 next year and going forward. Though Girgensons would probably be bottom of my list. Not convinced on Tierney either... maybe he is a great 4C, not 3C.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I think expansion can be a real opportunity for them to get a good young 3C for fair value... which is usually impossible for such players.

Karlsson, Namestnikov, Girgensons, Lowry, Tierney, Copp...

all of them could be left exposed... and all are either established 3C's already or have the obvious potential to be.

I love this idea, but would one of our typical HF bargain offers - i.e., Laughton, Hagg and a 2nd (for example) - be enough to get Karlsson or Namestnikov?

 

[Appleyard]

I love this idea, but would one of our typical HF bargain offers - i.e., Laughton, Hagg and a 2nd (for example) - be enough to get Karlsson or Namestnikov?

I dunno what it would take tbh... the expansion matter throws kind of a spanner into usual valuations. I just don't know how much value they lose, even though usually such players would not be available.

Namestnikov might not lose much value even if available... simply as they may just bank on Killorn being taken and not worry too much about losing him. But it does seem Tampa are not in love with him atm... and prefer Paquette. So maybe he could be had on the cheap.

Karlsson and Lowry though seem very likely to be exposed and be a primary target for Vegas. So maybe they lose more value/can be had easier.

Tierney will be exposed too. But while I do like him I am not as certain he can be a good 3C... and not just a good 4C capable of stepping up.

I think they would all want an exempt player/prospect + pick as starting point. Laughton is probably no-go... as they would not protect him so may lose him straight away...

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I'm just waiting for both of them to be extended at this point.

 

[Psuhockey]

Honestly, at this point my hope is just that their matching extensions aren't for more than 2 years.

If they are extended, the blame shifts from Hakstol to Hextall.

The Flyers are grinding out victories like they did last year. I think (hope) is because there is still a ton of garbage on the roster. We will have to see how much of it returns next season.