GDT: ECSF 1 | FLYERS (H) vs. Islanders (A) | Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 | 7:00 pm ET

[Chinatown88]

ARE YOU KIDDING I THOUGHT THIS WAS TONIGHT

Rekt

 

[Beef Invictus]

Rekt

I'm going to beat up the schedule

 

[FlyerNutter]

ARE YOU KIDDING I THOUGHT THIS WAS TONIGHT

Lol the worst feeling

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

ARE YOU KIDDING I THOUGHT THIS WAS TONIGHT

 

[Rebels57]

Weber ragdolled Couturier. This is a thing we've never seen before. Weber played a f***ing amazing series.

Yeah he really did. Best he has played since the early 2010s. Coots is probably thrilled to not have to do with him anymore.

 

[Rebels57]

McAvoy is overrated as f***. Because pretending so helps our player look better. Yawn.



What?! The same Giordano who won the Norris trophy last season and put up another stellar campaign, lapping his team in relxGF%, at age 36?

My dislike of McAvoy has nothing to do with our players. Just watching him play and I dont see it. Always come away confused as to why he's so highly regarded. Hes fine. Good even. Top 10-15 in the league though? Dont see it.

 

[FlyerNutter]

I took a look earlier and looked at zone starts for our centers in the Mtl series. Believe it or not, it's Couts who pretty much was not taking DZ faceoffs while Thompson was the opposite. SO if that is to continue, here is the lines I would go with knowing they won't play Frost:

JVR - Couturier - Voracek
Giroux- Laughton - Konecny
Farabee - Hayes - NAK
Raffl - Grant - Pitlick

Provorov - Niskanen
Sanheim - Myers
Ghost - Braun

Couts can make JVR dangerous...and Jake is playing great. If they are starting Couts in the OZ all the time, great place for JVR to start.

Oh...bear with me on the 2nd line. Laughton...just tell him to play good defense and find a winger when breaking out....and shoot when passed to in the OZ. And when coming back into our zone, you have Laughton and G switch off where the 1st guy back, becomes the C in the DZ.

3rd line is the defensive line. Focus on that 1st while still chipping in some offense

4th line is the "grind" line that coaches want but can still add some offense.

Not a bad thought. I don’t want to just accept that 3rd line being a throw away. Without more true star power up front it’s very much a team that has to score by committee and overcome other clubs with its depth.

The only switch Id maybe suggest is JVR and Raffl. Raffl has played quite well, and is giving you those goal. As long as he’s doing that, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping him on the top line.

I’m not the biggest JVR fan, but I do see the benefits in trying to get him going. He seems to be in the doghouse somewhat.

Regarding that 3rd line... it would have been a nice idea to give Frost time in (Playoff) pre-season to try and grab that line. It’s a hole and weakness now.

 

[Beef Invictus]

McAvoy is overrated as f***. Because pretending so helps our player look better. Yawn.



What?! The same Giordano who won the Norris trophy last season and put up another stellar campaign, lapping his team in relxGF%, at age 36?

He plays for Calgary.

He's a trash heap.

 

[FlyerNutter]

The other option, as I do think 3C needs to be addressed is Raffl in that spot. It’s not the ideal but he quietly impressed me in the middle on the fourth line. I hope it’s something that has crossed their minds at least.

Grant is a fourth liner if they really want to keep playing him in my eyes.

 

[Tripod]

Not a bad thought. I don’t want to just accept that 3rd line being a throw away. Without more true star power up front it’s very much a team that has to score by committee and overcome other clubs with its depth.

The only switch Id maybe suggest is JVR and Raffl. Raffl has played quite well, and is giving you those goal. As long as he’s doing that, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping him on the top line.

I’m not the biggest JVR fan, but I do see the benefits in trying to get him going. He seems to be in the doghouse somewhat.

Regarding that 3rd line... it would have been a nice idea to give Frost time in (Playoff) pre-season to try and grab that line. It’s a hole and weakness now.

100% agree on Frost.

As for JVR, he has the ability to get real hot and go on a run and playing with Couts and a "playing well" Jake can get him there. JVR had 15 points in 14 games from mid Jan-mid Feb. And had 14 points in 13 games from near the end of Nov-near end of Dec. And had 9 points in 9 games from Oct 24th-Nov 9th.

He is streaky as hell...and has no points in 5 games this playoffs. If all the sudden you start getting PPG JVR going for a 9-15 game stretch...all the sudden who to stop becomes a real issue.

And Raffl can still pot some goals from the 4th line...JVR won't. The upside of getting JVR going is larger than most realize.

 

[FlyerNutter]

100% agree on Frost.

As for JVR, he has the ability to get real hot and go on a run and playing with Couts and a "playing well" Jake can get him there. JVR had 15 points in 14 games from mid Jan-mid Feb. And had 14 points in 13 games from near the end of Nov-near end of Dec. And had 9 points in 9 games from Oct 24th-Nov 9th.

He is streaky as hell...and has no points in 5 games this playoffs. If all the sudden you start getting PPG JVR going for a 9-15 game stretch...all the sudden who to stop becomes a real issue.

And Raffl can still pot some goals from the 4th line...JVR won't. The upside of getting JVR going is larger than most realize.

It’s a tough call for me. The upside of getting him going is a valid point.

You knew he would re enter the lineup at some point but a part of me wondered if the coaching staff accepted him being a lost cause - so to speak, and just prefer having a guy out there that gives more... let’s call it “effort” in their eyes.

I do have some hesitation giving him first line minutes when I want that first line to have consistent offensive output. Id be okay with putting him with NAK and Raffl on the 3rd but feeding him #1 PP time at every chance. It’s the PP time that he needs.

The juice will be worth the squeeze.

That PP should have all the tools it needs with Ghost showing them yet again he needs to play. Even if they are convinced Prov needs to be on the one point, I’ve long wanted to see Ghost in that “Jake” spot on the other side. Opens up another one timer threat and his creativity would be more than welcome.

 

[Curufinwe]

I took a look earlier and looked at zone starts for our centers in the Mtl series. Believe it or not, it's Couts who pretty much was not taking DZ faceoffs while Thompson was the opposite. SO if that is to continue, here is the lines I would go with knowing they won't play Frost:

JVR - Couturier - Voracek
Giroux- Laughton - Konecny
Farabee - Hayes - NAK
Raffl - Grant - Pitlick

Provorov - Niskanen
Sanheim - Myers
Ghost - Braun

Couts can make JVR dangerous...and Jake is playing great. If they are starting Couts in the OZ all the time, great place for JVR to start.

Oh...bear with me on the 2nd line. Laughton...just tell him to play good defense and find a winger when breaking out....and shoot when passed to in the OZ. And when coming back into our zone, you have Laughton and G switch off where the 1st guy back, becomes the C in the DZ.

3rd line is the defensive line. Focus on that 1st while still chipping in some offense

4th line is the "grind" line that coaches want but can still add some offense.

Maybe swap Laughtsy and Hayesy, but otherwise it looks good.

 

[FLYguy3911]

They won't play JVR on the top line because they don't trust him defensively.

 

[Tripod]

Maybe swap Laughtsy and Hayesy, but otherwise it looks good.

Nope...don't ways Hayes with offensive wingers. Let his puck hogging ways lead the defensive line

 

[Tripod]

They won't play JVR on the top line because they don't trust him defensively.

Well they were starting that line in the OZ against Mtl...not in the Dzone like Hayes and Thompson

 

[Adtar02]

I don’t understand why Hayes and jvr are a bad fit. They both do similar things with puck. Abiet jvr tends to move it faster. But they both play to spots more than reading it. Hayes sometimes looks like h is but that’s just him holding the puck till it works.

Really shocked those two haven’t found chemistry

 

[Jettany]

100% agree on Frost.

As for JVR, he has the ability to get real hot and go on a run and playing with Couts and a "playing well" Jake can get him there. JVR had 15 points in 14 games from mid Jan-mid Feb. And had 14 points in 13 games from near the end of Nov-near end of Dec. And had 9 points in 9 games from Oct 24th-Nov 9th.

He is streaky as hell...and has no points in 5 games this playoffs. If all the sudden you start getting PPG JVR going for a 9-15 game stretch...all the sudden who to stop becomes a real issue.

And Raffl can still pot some goals from the 4th line...JVR won't. The upside of getting JVR going is larger than most realize.

If any of our top players go on a run like that our chances do improve.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Well they were starting that line in the OZ against Mtl...not in the Dzone like Hayes and Thompson

Well there are a couple factors with that. More OZ starts ≠ less defensive responsibility. On the fly shift starts still exist.

1. They were matching him up with Danualt, who is also really good defensively and also really good at faceoffs so it made sense for Montreal to use him more in the defensive zone (69%).

2. Coots' line is still the most dangerous offensive line so you have to let them eat in the OZ when you get a chance.

 

[Tripod]

Well there are a couple factors with that. More OZ starts ≠ less defensive responsibility. On the fly shift starts still exist.

1. They were matching him up with Danualt, who is also really good defensively and also really good at faceoffs so it made sense for Montreal to use him more in the defensive zone (69%).

2. Coots' line is still the most dangerous offensive line so you have to let them eat in the OZ when you get a chance.

agreed. But I do think with Couts...just being Couts and Jake playing well, they can be in the OZ way more than DZ.

And, it frees up Giroux and TK to play together to get a 2nd line hopefully scoring.

And keeps the puck hog away from them all.

 

[FlyerNutter]

I don’t understand why Hayes and jvr are a bad fit. They both do similar things with puck. Abiet jvr tends to move it faster. But they both play to spots more than reading it. Hayes sometimes looks like h is but that’s just him holding the puck till it works.

Really shocked those two haven’t found chemistry

The top 9 has issues, but I think they can figure it out - and at this point I think I’m counting Raffl in that top 9.

They just need to stop anchoring guys down with dead weight, and that especially includes the PP when they decided to put Grant there.

The forward core isn’t spectacular, I think the defense of this team with Ghost playing is it’s strength but it would really improve things to sit both 44 and Grant. They are dragging the forward ranks, and PK down imo.

I like a PK that has a SH threat, and guys who for the most part can be counted on to win races to the puck. Neither of the two mentioned really help in either regard, and neither have Couturier level hockey IQ to make up for it.

I’m not a stats guy, but the PK was a strong point before their arrival and they seem to have been given tenure on the PK, when I’m not totally sure their performance has indicated it be done. Maybe the stats prove me wrong.

 

[Flyotes]

ARE YOU KIDDING I THOUGHT THIS WAS TONIGHT

No worries. Initially it looked like it would be today.

My sister thought the same thing and posted Instagram photos in a Flyers jersey talking about "tonight." I didn't have the heart.

 

[Jettany]

I kind of wonder if he’s hurt. He’s usually a guy that takes a beating out there, partly because he’s a target as a skilled player but also because he enjoys the agitator role.

I kind of want him away from Hayes who is all about slowing the game down, where I feel TK is at his best when he has line mates that can match his speed.

Sometimes I feel they are pairing a Mustang with a Grand Caravan with those two.

If tk had his stick on the ice and drove the net he would have had 3 goals off Hayes passes and I believe 2 others both from sanheim.

 

[Grittys Grit]

I want to see a lot more from Konecny, in particular, than in the Montreal series. I just rewatched the elimination game and he was a negative in all 3 zones.

Konecny needs to be noticed.

 

[flyerslducks]

i hate laughton with tk, voracek, hayes, couts, or giroux. Get him tf away from them. I only am ok with laughton with hayes if they are both on the 3rd line. Other than that..ya no

 

[flyerslducks]

Weber is still great. Easily still a top 10 defenseman in the league, imo.

He has 6 more years on his contract, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's still a top 4 defenseman at 40.

hes definitely not a top 10 defensemen in the league what. He was great after that long break..