Speculation: Do the Flyers Make the Playoffs

[kudymen]

Yes!

For example, the poll question (as opposed to the thread title) asks "Do the the Flyers 'mkae' the playoffs?" Do not understand, but Google tells me the most likely translation is from Swahili, asking "Do the Flyers 'get married' the playoffs?".

In which case, I'll still say yes...either simply make the playoffs, or outright get married to them and have a long, happy relationship for many years to come...the team could be at the beginning of a long run. While the Penguin (and Capitals?) hopefully begin their descent to mediocrity....

Speaking of which, I would love to change the "Ignore list" feature to "Make his posts Swahili" - that would be fun

 

[eramosat]

Speaking of which, I would love to change the "Ignore list" feature to "Make his posts Swahili" - that would be fun

I mean, how hard would it be? Send a request to Google Translate in certain situations? Stupid HFBoards!



I can't bring myself to use "Ignore"...defeats the whole purpose of checking into the threads.

 

[Magua]

The only way Sanheim will get scratched is if he has his head up his butt, in which case he has little value to the team.

Is sticking your head up your butt good coaching?!

Answer the question!

 

[deadhead]

I think Hakstol is too old to bend that far, but Knob might be that flexible.

 

[Magua]

I think Hakstol is too old to bend that far, but Knob might be that flexible.

Think again, pal. Hakstol goes through a rigorous physical regimen so he can stick his head up his butt for 82 games + playoffs. It requires sacrifice, dedication, and a whole lot of snot and lion piss as lubricants.

 

[Ruck Over]

It really shouldn't matter, but just because, it looks like Hakstol is working out at a Curves gym. This is not the entertainment I want from the Flyers. #wingames; #moarGritty; #Stanley Cup

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Think again, pal. Hakstol goes through a rigorous physical regimen so he can stick his head up his butt for 82 games + playoffs. It requires sacrifice, dedication, and a whole lot of snot and lion piss as lubricants.

Did Dave drive a mini-van there?

 

[FLYguy3911]

If they make it to the playoffs, it's on the backs of offense, not defense. This may be the Islanders of last year. Lots of goals for, but I think they will give up a ton as well. So, I think they barely make the playoffs, and if they don't, it's because of the mediocre (at best) goaltending and and awful bottom half of D-men. I voted no because I'm being a bit skeptical. Also, Lehtera is still up so that means play time for Hak and on the PK with Lappy still running it. Time to give up tons of PP and SH goals.

I'm not comfortable predicting a lot of things with this team, but one thing I'm pretty confident is that they will not give up a lot of goals (ES anyway/PK will still be a disaster). Dave is obsessed with preventing goals and will do everything in his power to try and stop the other team from scoring, even if it means sacrificing [a lot of] offense.

 

[deadhead]

I think Hakstol (and Hextall, remember, he was a goalie, he doesn't like his goalies left high and dry, probably still has nightmares about forwards who don't back check ) believe offense should come out of defense, that is, stop the other team from entering your D-zone, get the puck back, then quickly turn the ice. That's why back checking and board play are stressed, best way to get the puck is to match numbers and take the puck away.

 

[GapToothedWonder]

I'm not comfortable predicting a lot of things with this team, but one thing I'm pretty confident is that they will not give up a lot of goals (ES anyway/PK will still be a disaster). Dave is obsessed with preventing goals and will do everything in his power to try and stop the other team from scoring, even if it means sacrificing [a lot of] offense.

Yeah but some of his goal prevention ideas probably actually allow more.

Like collapsing into your own end to allow as many shot attempts as possible while you have one of the worst goalie tandems in the league.

Logic would dictate you want to keep play as far away from your net as possible. But instead we welcome play in our end, we try to block shots and defend shooting lanes, but some shots will get through. Likely more shots will get through then if we continued to forecheck and pressure into the opponents ends of the ice. Some of those shots that get through are likely going to be from high danger areas, get deflected, create rebounds and will generally maximize the testing of our bad goalies.

I predict we sacrifice offense to attempt to prevent goals but end up giving up lots of goals anyways. I would not be surprised if we end up in the top 3rd of the league in goals against.

 

[deadhead]

It's great to forecheck, only problem is you have to have good forecheckers.
That requires speed and heart, you have to chase the puck and then fight to gain possession of the puck.
How many Flyers last year qualified as good forecheckers? Laughton, Raffl, and who else?

And you will still lose possession consistently (even a team with great Corsi, say 52-53%, still allows plenty of offensive opportunities), so you also have to be able to play good defense in your D-zone (looking at you Laughton) and regain the puck (looking at you Sanheim) - you can't exit the D-zone if you don't possess the puck.

Hakstol going to the less aggressive 1-2-2 was a concession to the lack of talent on the roster.

I doubt we give up a lot of goals, we were 7th in GA/60, we just have to play better on the PK (especially goalies).

 

[BigToe]

Think again, pal. Hakstol goes through a rigorous physical regimen so he can stick his head up his butt for 82 games + playoffs. It requires sacrifice, dedication, and a whole lot of snot and lion piss as lubricants.

Lmao are you spying on Hak? How’d you get these pictures?

 

[wuf]

I think people don't appreciate how much deeper the Flyers are this year than last year.

Last season we started with one line G - Couts - Voracek, Filppula was the 2C, Simmonds was hobbled, Patrick was a 4C until February, TK was in a funk the first half and couldn't buy a goal, and so on - zero offensive depth. The 4th line had great possession stats but bad GF% b/c they couldn't score to save their lives. Sanheim was over his head, MacDonald was hurt, Gudas suspended, we were recalling players like Alt and O'Neill after Morin went down. Despite solid goaltending, Elliott at .915%, we were well out of the playoff race.

Gudas comes back, MacDonald gets healthy, Ghost gets moved up with Provorov, defense solved.
Patrick finds his legs, is paired with Voracek, and eventually Lindblom comes up, we now have two lines.
This was enough for a great playoff run (108 points pace from January 1) despite the goalies in the second half posting an .899 S%.

Now we've build a 3rd line, and the 4th line should be at least passable with Laughton and Raffl.
If Sanheim takes a step up the 2nd pair should be as good or better.
And it's not like Hagg - MacDonald/Manning was a good 3rd pair the second half of last season.

I don't expect the goalies to post a .899 S% for the season. That would be the league's worst.
So I don't think this is a bubble playoff team, they should get > 100 points, which is a shoo-in every year.
Now if a top player goes down, they'll become a bubble team, but even without Giroux, move Raffl or Lindblom up there and call up Twarynski and they'll still have a solid offense spread over three lines.

The only scrub forward is the 4C and the backups, the only scrub defensemen will be MacDonald, Hagg/Folin if Gudas has any sort of bounce back. And LHV is much deeper than last season with Rubtsov, Twarynski, NAK, Myers, Friedman, Hart, Stolarz.

Note: despite atrocious goaltending and shaky defensemen, they were 7th in the league in GA/60 last season, Hakstol can scheme defense.

I completely agree with everything you said here Dead. Our powerplay depth is also better this year, we should have 2 really solid units.

 

[Magua]

Lmao are you spying on Hak? How’d you get these pictures?

(They’re from the Inquirer article about his summer adventures.)

 

[Ruck Over]

(They’re from the Inquirer article about his summer adventures.)

TEMPLE'S OWN! Tim Heidecker!

Moar important question - do you pay for the Inky subscription? And if yes, why?

 

[Magua]

Moar important question - do you pay for the Inky subscription? And if yes, why?

Uhhhh.....no. The article was on their site for anyone to read.

 

[Ruck Over]

Uhhhh.....no. The article was on their site for anyone to read.

Not the actual paper, but the digital subscription. I mean, unless you're a fishmonger, have pet birds, or are some kinda conspiracy theorist using the newspaper in your windows, what use is there for the meat space version?

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Wrong thread.

 

[Lindberg]

nvm.

 

[Sawdalite]

Barring Injury that would put Moose out of commission... and poor subsequent moves to address it... the Flyers should make the PostSeason this Season... and for the foreseeable future.

Caveat: Hart has to be the real deal for the future part... or else Hexy has to bring in a quality Goalie.

As usual, the Flyers future lies Between the Pipes.

 

[achdumeingute]

I completely agree with everything you said here Dead. Our powerplay depth is also better this year, we should have 2 really solid units.

One thing i guess i don't really get is why we really even put out a second unit. Watching washington last year, they pretty much rolled the first unit all the time....our first unit has historically been really good (and second has been so bad) so just double down and hope they score way more than they give up.

 

[FLYguy3911]

I wouldn't double shift the whole unit, but I would double shift Giroux if I could.