GDT: Pre-Season #1: Mon., Sept. 16, 2019: Islanders at FLYERS, 7:00 pm ET

[Ghosts Beer]

It’s the speed of the game. Which is where I think his biggest issue lies. Not that he can’t keep up physically, but I often see his head and body turning toward the puck way after the play is made.

He’s a work I progress. The potential is there, but I’m not sure he’s ever going to get enough playing time with this organization to develop properly.

You want to root for him.

Agree completely—he’s never seemed adept at handling tempo. He just doesn’t process the ice well & his decisionmaking is slow. And it has been a problem since the first time I watched him really closely at the WJC-18s.

Zamula has a much quicker mind & softer hands. A better feel for the game by far.

But I do root for Morin. To quote Dewey Cox’s wife: “I do believe in you! I just know you’re gonna fail!”

 

[eramosat]

2nd period
Hayes is a big upgrade. He has a lot going for him, including a similar puck-protecting style to Couts which may help with line chemistry.
Oskar L. is a clear hard worker, on O and on PK.
Zemula has flashes of smarts, on O mostly and D too
Stewart....touch call, if younger players accept him as a source of advice, that's one thing. otherwise...he'll need to find his level soon

3rd
I wonder what the players were told...to try and win the game...or to try and showcase temselves
Farabee is swooping but ineffective, Ratcliffe more ineffective
Meyers is trying way too hard, and making mistakes
Lindblom is calm and effective
If, and only if, Stewarts communication skills are seen as a plus...then it's a plus for him, he's obviously trying to talk about whats going on, and that's fine at this level
Morin. Please billet him with Chiara somehow so he can learn the ins and outs of a 6'7" reach in the NHL...it could be so much more useful than he's demonstrating
sad...my bigest feeeling. just sad that. only 1 game though

 

[Tripod]

We can't underestimate the rust that Morin has on him from the last 2 years. Keep playing him in pre-season and see how he reacts/looks.

And with us starting overseas, we could still be taking 8 Dmen with us to start the season.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

This will be a longer post. If you want to read, awesome! If not, just skip it.

MY THOUGHTS:

- Well... I was expecting more, however, Barry Trotz's defensive-minded system was just too much for the Flyers to handle. Sadly, the Flyers were much more skilled than this Islander's preseason team, but didn't really play like it. Too many mistakes and not enough structure in the Ozone.

- That wasn't to say the Flyers played poorly. There were definitely some bright spots to this game. Our new key additions played quite well. I was pleasantly surprised.

- I wanted to see more pressure in the Ozone, specifically on the forecheck, however it seemed to be more of a support-style system... this is the first 'real' game experience we got to see, so obviously things will change. Just what I thought for my first impression.

- What a big **** you by AV on playing ****ing Cal O'Rielly, or whatever the scrubs name is, with Farbee and Ratcliffe. I would feel disrespected.

- The PP stunk. There was only one moment where I was like "Damn, ok" and that was the East-West-East passing where Lindblom set up JVR, but the Islander's goalie made a great save.

-----Player Observations-----

- Kevin Hayes: Maybe I was wrong (referring to all the **** I have posted about him). He was the best Flyer in this game... by far and that's not to degrade Myers who played a fantastic game. He was soooo strong with the puck and was amazing on the boards. It was refreshing to see his play. He thought the game so quickly so short summer ending. He looked like he was in mid-season form. After this game I am definitely warming up to him. We'll have to see how he continues to perform going in to the season.

- Phil Myers: I can't say enough good things about him. He is so slick with the puck continuously performing effective dekes which open up good shooting lanes. One thing that really stood out this game was his ability to close on a skater. Once he got his legs moving and got his stick in lanes, players couldn't do much with the puck. It doesn't look like he is competing for a spot in the T6... it looks like he's trying to compete for a spot in the T4.

- Joel Farabee: I was super high on him coming in and apparently so are the coaches. I didn't see much in this game... although having Cal O'Rielly as your C must suck. Farabee was decent on the forecheck, however, nothing really ever came of it. He needs to make his play a little more efficient: better skating angles to get to pucks, leading players with passes, and taking away skating lanes from opposing players in the Dzone. Once he does that, I think his game will break out. He just seems slightly sloppy to me in these past 2 games.
***Yes, I'm being hypercritical because he has the greatest opportunity to make the 3RW and I don't want to be all gooey talking about him like he's a lock***

- Issac Ratcliffe: Another solid game. Played with a lot of energy. Right after Stewart got decked, Ratcliffe went right after their defender throwing some crosschecks and a glove. Besides that, he was very effective below the red line and played well as the F1. Once he got the defender on the boards, he did well to slow the game down which allowed the F2 and S1 players to get set up in their positions. I really liked his game. Hopefully we get to see a lot more of him.

- Egor Zamula: He really shined early game. Such a fluid skater with a quick mind. His shots were placed well, his recoveries were quick (not as good as Myers was, but still damn good), and looked comfortable out there- no nerves. Zamula did have some mental lapses late game- specifically with a poorly timed and placed shot which resulted in NYI blocking it and going down the ice eventually scoring... I think.

- Sam Morin: He injured Bellows.. that's really the only thing I noticed from him. His game was poor and he looked stiff and scared to make a mistake. You can tell the pressure might be getting to him. It truly is his do or die (fly or die) moment to have a spot in the NHL... at least with this team. Hopefully be loses the nerves and plays his game next time.

- Justin Braun: Solid solid game. I didn't realize he has such a good defensive stick. He used it multiple times to take away grade A opportunities. His skating isn't there, but he's able to make up for it with his D IQ. Nothing to pick apart from his performance tonight.

- Mikhail Vorobyev: Some shifts he stood out and most he didn't. It's not like he did anything bad, however, it was just an unnoticeable performance. That'll happen when your linemates are Maxim Sushko and Kyle Criscuolo (I don't know how to spell their names).

- German Rubtsov: I don't know. Something about me is starting to love his play. You'll never be on the edge of your seat watching him, but you just appreciate the way he approaches and thinks the game. He isn't scared to go into the corner and get sent to the ground then head to the front of the net to take more heat. Ruby is definitely a player I think should get a chance in the NHL pretty soon... especially if there are all of these injuries.

- Oskar Lindblom: Damn, that's all I can say. His skating has improved yet again and his first step is much better than last year. He's just an under-the-radar type player that you love. He's certainly becoming one of my favorites.

- Chris Stewart: Not gonna lie.... he is much much faster than I thought. He beat one of the better Islander skaters in a full sprint down the ice; Anthony Beauvillier. His game sucks and he wont be in the NHL. Stewart got his **** rocked on a hit when he tried to dangle and then got up and beat the **** out of the Islander defender, lol. Must be degrading throwing a nice hit then getting beat up.


----Player Ratings----
Players That I Thought Played A Good Game:
Myers, Zamula, Braun, Voracek, JVR, Hayes, Ratlciffe, Farabee (Yes, I know I was tough on him up there), Lindblom, Rubtsov

Players That I Thought Were Average/Unnoticeable:
Gostisbehere, Vorobyev, Elliot, Lyon, Sushko

Players That I Thought Were Bad:
Morin (It just wasn't his game, in my opinion), Welinski, Stewart, Criscuolo, O'Rielly


----My Stars Of The Game----
1st Star: Both Islander Goalies
2nd Star: Kevin Hayes
3rd Star: Phil Myers

HM: Luca Sbisa, Thomas Hickey, Egor Zamula, and Lindblom

----Highlights----
The only highlight that matters:



If you decided to read, you deserve a prize. Thank you and I look forward to our next game TOMORROW... WOOOO!

Mostly agree, except for the knock on Braun’s skating. He’s a good skater.

 

[Starat327]

This will be a longer post. If you want to read, awesome! If not, just skip it.

MY THOUGHTS:

- Well... I was expecting more, however, Barry Trotz's defensive-minded system was just too much for the Flyers to handle. Sadly, the Flyers were much more skilled than this Islander's preseason team, but didn't really play like it. Too many mistakes and not enough structure in the Ozone.

- That wasn't to say the Flyers played poorly. There were definitely some bright spots to this game. Our new key additions played quite well. I was pleasantly surprised.

- I wanted to see more pressure in the Ozone, specifically on the forecheck, however it seemed to be more of a support-style system... this is the first 'real' game experience we got to see, so obviously things will change. Just what I thought for my first impression.

- What a big **** you by AV on playing ****ing Cal O'Rielly, or whatever the scrubs name is, with Farbee and Ratcliffe. I would feel disrespected.

- The PP stunk. There was only one moment where I was like "Damn, ok" and that was the East-West-East passing where Lindblom set up JVR, but the Islander's goalie made a great save.

-----Player Observations-----

- Kevin Hayes: Maybe I was wrong (referring to all the **** I have posted about him). He was the best Flyer in this game... by far and that's not to degrade Myers who played a fantastic game. He was soooo strong with the puck and was amazing on the boards. It was refreshing to see his play. He thought the game so quickly so short summer ending. He looked like he was in mid-season form. After this game I am definitely warming up to him. We'll have to see how he continues to perform going in to the season.

- Phil Myers: I can't say enough good things about him. He is so slick with the puck continuously performing effective dekes which open up good shooting lanes. One thing that really stood out this game was his ability to close on a skater. Once he got his legs moving and got his stick in lanes, players couldn't do much with the puck. It doesn't look like he is competing for a spot in the T6... it looks like he's trying to compete for a spot in the T4.

- Joel Farabee: I was super high on him coming in and apparently so are the coaches. I didn't see much in this game... although having Cal O'Rielly as your C must suck. Farabee was decent on the forecheck, however, nothing really ever came of it. He needs to make his play a little more efficient: better skating angles to get to pucks, leading players with passes, and taking away skating lanes from opposing players in the Dzone. Once he does that, I think his game will break out. He just seems slightly sloppy to me in these past 2 games.
***Yes, I'm being hypercritical because he has the greatest opportunity to make the 3RW and I don't want to be all gooey talking about him like he's a lock***

- Issac Ratcliffe: Another solid game. Played with a lot of energy. Right after Stewart got decked, Ratcliffe went right after their defender throwing some crosschecks and a glove. Besides that, he was very effective below the red line and played well as the F1. Once he got the defender on the boards, he did well to slow the game down which allowed the F2 and S1 players to get set up in their positions. I really liked his game. Hopefully we get to see a lot more of him.

- Egor Zamula: He really shined early game. Such a fluid skater with a quick mind. His shots were placed well, his recoveries were quick (not as good as Myers was, but still damn good), and looked comfortable out there- no nerves. Zamula did have some mental lapses late game- specifically with a poorly timed and placed shot which resulted in NYI blocking it and going down the ice eventually scoring... I think.

- Sam Morin: He injured Bellows.. that's really the only thing I noticed from him. His game was poor and he looked stiff and scared to make a mistake. You can tell the pressure might be getting to him. It truly is his do or die (fly or die) moment to have a spot in the NHL... at least with this team. Hopefully be loses the nerves and plays his game next time.

- Justin Braun: Solid solid game. I didn't realize he has such a good defensive stick. He used it multiple times to take away grade A opportunities. His skating isn't there, but he's able to make up for it with his D IQ. Nothing to pick apart from his performance tonight.

- Mikhail Vorobyev: Some shifts he stood out and most he didn't. It's not like he did anything bad, however, it was just an unnoticeable performance. That'll happen when your linemates are Maxim Sushko and Kyle Criscuolo (I don't know how to spell their names).

- German Rubtsov: I don't know. Something about me is starting to love his play. You'll never be on the edge of your seat watching him, but you just appreciate the way he approaches and thinks the game. He isn't scared to go into the corner and get sent to the ground then head to the front of the net to take more heat. Ruby is definitely a player I think should get a chance in the NHL pretty soon... especially if there are all of these injuries.

- Oskar Lindblom: Damn, that's all I can say. His skating has improved yet again and his first step is much better than last year. He's just an under-the-radar type player that you love. He's certainly becoming one of my favorites.

- Chris Stewart: Not gonna lie.... he is much much faster than I thought. He beat one of the better Islander skaters in a full sprint down the ice; Anthony Beauvillier. His game sucks and he wont be in the NHL. Stewart got his **** rocked on a hit when he tried to dangle and then got up and beat the **** out of the Islander defender, lol. Must be degrading throwing a nice hit then getting beat up.


----Player Ratings----
Players That I Thought Played A Good Game:
Myers, Zamula, Braun, Voracek, JVR, Hayes, Ratlciffe, Farabee (Yes, I know I was tough on him up there), Lindblom, Rubtsov

Players That I Thought Were Average/Unnoticeable:
Gostisbehere, Vorobyev, Elliot, Lyon, Sushko

Players That I Thought Were Bad:
Morin (It just wasn't his game, in my opinion), Welinski, Stewart, Criscuolo, O'Rielly


----My Stars Of The Game----
1st Star: Both Islander Goalies
2nd Star: Kevin Hayes
3rd Star: Phil Myers

HM: Luca Sbisa, Thomas Hickey, Egor Zamula, and Lindblom

----Highlights----
The only highlight that matters:



If you decided to read, you deserve a prize. Thank you and I look forward to our next game TOMORROW... WOOOO!

Christ, Even his punches were slow.

 

[Jettany]

PK looked great
Morin looked good
Myers was awesome

Ratcliffe struggled

Stewart brought nothing.

Z was great. Braun very solid.

 

[CapnZin]

Mostly agree, except for the knock on Braun’s skating. He’s a good skater.

I didn't mean he was a poor skater. He just seems a little slow.

 

[Rebels57]

This will be a longer post. If you want to read, awesome! If not, just skip it.

MY THOUGHTS:

- Well... I was expecting more, however, Barry Trotz's defensive-minded system was just too much for the Flyers to handle. Sadly, the Flyers were much more skilled than this Islander's preseason team, but didn't really play like it. Too many mistakes and not enough structure in the Ozone.

- That wasn't to say the Flyers played poorly. There were definitely some bright spots to this game. Our new key additions played quite well. I was pleasantly surprised.

- I wanted to see more pressure in the Ozone, specifically on the forecheck, however it seemed to be more of a support-style system... this is the first 'real' game experience we got to see, so obviously things will change. Just what I thought for my first impression.

- What a big **** you by AV on playing ****ing Cal O'Rielly, or whatever the scrubs name is, with Farbee and Ratcliffe. I would feel disrespected.

- The PP stunk. There was only one moment where I was like "Damn, ok" and that was the East-West-East passing where Lindblom set up JVR, but the Islander's goalie made a great save.

-----Player Observations-----

- Kevin Hayes: Maybe I was wrong (referring to all the **** I have posted about him). He was the best Flyer in this game... by far and that's not to degrade Myers who played a fantastic game. He was soooo strong with the puck and was amazing on the boards. It was refreshing to see his play. He thought the game so quickly so short summer ending. He looked like he was in mid-season form. After this game I am definitely warming up to him. We'll have to see how he continues to perform going in to the season.

- Phil Myers: I can't say enough good things about him. He is so slick with the puck continuously performing effective dekes which open up good shooting lanes. One thing that really stood out this game was his ability to close on a skater. Once he got his legs moving and got his stick in lanes, players couldn't do much with the puck. It doesn't look like he is competing for a spot in the T6... it looks like he's trying to compete for a spot in the T4.

- Joel Farabee: I was super high on him coming in and apparently so are the coaches. I didn't see much in this game... although having Cal O'Rielly as your C must suck. Farabee was decent on the forecheck, however, nothing really ever came of it. He needs to make his play a little more efficient: better skating angles to get to pucks, leading players with passes, and taking away skating lanes from opposing players in the Dzone. Once he does that, I think his game will break out. He just seems slightly sloppy to me in these past 2 games.
***Yes, I'm being hypercritical because he has the greatest opportunity to make the 3RW and I don't want to be all gooey talking about him like he's a lock***

- Issac Ratcliffe: Another solid game. Played with a lot of energy. Right after Stewart got decked, Ratcliffe went right after their defender throwing some crosschecks and a glove. Besides that, he was very effective below the red line and played well as the F1. Once he got the defender on the boards, he did well to slow the game down which allowed the F2 and S1 players to get set up in their positions. I really liked his game. Hopefully we get to see a lot more of him.

- Egor Zamula: He really shined early game. Such a fluid skater with a quick mind. His shots were placed well, his recoveries were quick (not as good as Myers was, but still damn good), and looked comfortable out there- no nerves. Zamula did have some mental lapses late game- specifically with a poorly timed and placed shot which resulted in NYI blocking it and going down the ice eventually scoring... I think.

- Sam Morin: He injured Bellows.. that's really the only thing I noticed from him. His game was poor and he looked stiff and scared to make a mistake. You can tell the pressure might be getting to him. It truly is his do or die (fly or die) moment to have a spot in the NHL... at least with this team. Hopefully be loses the nerves and plays his game next time.

- Justin Braun: Solid solid game. I didn't realize he has such a good defensive stick. He used it multiple times to take away grade A opportunities. His skating isn't there, but he's able to make up for it with his D IQ. Nothing to pick apart from his performance tonight.

- Mikhail Vorobyev: Some shifts he stood out and most he didn't. It's not like he did anything bad, however, it was just an unnoticeable performance. That'll happen when your linemates are Maxim Sushko and Kyle Criscuolo (I don't know how to spell their names).

- German Rubtsov: I don't know. Something about me is starting to love his play. You'll never be on the edge of your seat watching him, but you just appreciate the way he approaches and thinks the game. He isn't scared to go into the corner and get sent to the ground then head to the front of the net to take more heat. Ruby is definitely a player I think should get a chance in the NHL pretty soon... especially if there are all of these injuries.

- Oskar Lindblom: Damn, that's all I can say. His skating has improved yet again and his first step is much better than last year. He's just an under-the-radar type player that you love. He's certainly becoming one of my favorites.

- Chris Stewart: Not gonna lie.... he is much much faster than I thought. He beat one of the better Islander skaters in a full sprint down the ice; Anthony Beauvillier. His game sucks and he wont be in the NHL. Stewart got his **** rocked on a hit when he tried to dangle and then got up and beat the **** out of the Islander defender, lol. Must be degrading throwing a nice hit then getting beat up.


----Player Ratings----
Players That I Thought Played A Good Game:
Myers, Zamula, Braun, Voracek, JVR, Hayes, Ratlciffe, Farabee (Yes, I know I was tough on him up there), Lindblom, Rubtsov

Players That I Thought Were Average/Unnoticeable:
Gostisbehere, Vorobyev, Elliot, Lyon, Sushko

Players That I Thought Were Bad:
Morin (It just wasn't his game, in my opinion), Welinski, Stewart, Criscuolo, O'Rielly


----My Stars Of The Game----
1st Star: Both Islander Goalies
2nd Star: Kevin Hayes
3rd Star: Phil Myers

HM: Luca Sbisa, Thomas Hickey, Egor Zamula, and Lindblom

----Highlights----
The only highlight that matters:



If you decided to read, you deserve a prize. Thank you and I look forward to our next game TOMORROW... WOOOO!

I agree with much of this but I feel like you only paid attention to Morins 1st period and then missed a bunch of solid plays in the 2nd and 3rd by him. He use his stick to break up a cycles and deny entries. He PKed well. He was physical but didnt cross the line. Made good first passes. Thought he really settled in nicely.

 

[eramosat]

I'm surprised they had time to wash all of Hakstok's **** off it in time to give it to Ike. Or maybe they didn't and he wants to smell like seafood.

Ding ding ding! Your last warranted crap Hakstol ever! Welcome to the new world, where you have to think of something instead.

 

[CapnZin]

I agree with much of this but I feel like you only paid attention to Morins 1st period and then missed a bunch of solid plays in the 2nd and 3rd by him. He use his stick to break up a cycles and deny entries. He PKed well. He was physical but didnt cross the line. Made good first passes. Thought he really settled in nicely.

Could be. I feel like I didn't see much to say... "Hmmm good game". Just my opinion though. I guess simple is better for a player like Morin, but personally, I was expecting a little more to make himself stand out.

I'm always tougher on my favorite prospects as it is

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Ding ding ding! Your last warranted crap Hakstol ever! Welcome to the new world, where you have to think of something instead.

Says who?

 

[eramosat]

Only caught the second, but man did Hayes look good. His ability to shield the puck with his body is almost at Voracek levels, and V is insane in that regard.

just playing catch-up

My thought was Coots-level body shielding, which is way more effective than Jake, and so useful to establishing style among st the top 6. Me likeee

 

[sa cyred]

Glad to see Stewart’s fight really turned tables for a Flyers win.... oh wait

 

[eramosat]

Says who?

C'mon. It's gonna happen someday soon, anyway. this place can use the break from such worthless talk. Embrace the future and the possibility, not the past and the failure.

 

[Tripod]

I agree with much of this but I feel like you only paid attention to Morins 1st period and then missed a bunch of solid plays in the 2nd and 3rd by him. He use his stick to break up a cycles and deny entries. He PKed well. He was physical but didnt cross the line. Made good first passes. Thought he really settled in nicely.

yeah even at one point pushed the puck up ice then made a nice bank pass using teh board to get it to his winger and avoid it getting intercepted.

 

[eramosat]

how was rubstov? kinda hoping we see him on the 4th line with raff-laughts-rubstov

He didn't lose any ground tonight

 

[BiggE]

It’s game one of the preseason, y’all are reading WAY too much into it. What I got from the game was:

Hayes is pretty good
Myers is legit
Zamula is a real prospect with a ton of potential
Farabee is always in position in all 3 zones. Can’t wait to see what he can do on a line with actual NHL players
Morin is understandably rusty, give the kid a f***ing break
Lindblom is a total pro
Ghost and Braun make a nice pairing
Rubtsov looks like an NHL player

Goodnight

 

[eramosat]

JVR-Hayes-Voracek

For 1 preseason game, Hayes definitely looked the part of a big, smart puck possession center who just settles play down. It will be nice to have multiple of those. Good PK work.....1 game down, 600 to go. Voracek and JVR were going half-gear for the most part, but the line cycled well. Voracek was a strong compliment through the NZ, which I'd worry about with Lindblom in his place (all 3 aren't NZ threats). Can Hayes carry those two defensively against non-AHL competition?​

Lindblom-Rubtsov-Stewart

Stewart can fight and lay some late hits all he wants, but man did he look slow and did nothing with the puck. Lindblom and Rubtsov had some subtle plays. Not a whole lot stood out, but those two are tenacious forecheckers. Rubtsov certainly didn't stand out as overmatched. Give them a better RW. Lindblom can do more offensively though.​

Ratcliffe-O'Reilly-Farabee

Farabee was sort of like Lindblom/Rubtsov. Subtle plays, meat on the bone, was on the puck a fair amount (probably 10x more than his linemates), but he wasn't overmatched. Usual self attacking off-puck. The players he was with did absolute squat though. O'Reilly is whatever as an AHLer in place for Frost. But Ratcliffe needs to be phased out of the roster competition sooner rather than later. Continuing his preseason, he was a black hole -- not sure he made more than 1 play with the puck tonight. He did nothing to create space, got knocked off too easily, was late on most plays, failed on a bunch of passes, and in tight spaces he lost feel for the puck anytime someone was near. Why I'm more down on him than most is because he did this stuff in the OHL too, and I've regularly discussed it. I just worry about him at ES under tight checking/pace of play. Even his skating strength gets nullified.​

Sushko-Vorobyev-Crisculo

Sushko actually didn't look bad if they're grooming him for the Hextall anointed 4th line role in a couple years. Simple, nothing standout, but he wasn't lost. Vorobyev looked pretty dang good with the players he was with. Too bad he couldn't play with better players though. He deserves a better shot to showcase. Solid work on the PK will endear him, I'm sure, when it comes to bottom 6/4th line competition.​

Ghost-Braun

Ghost was pretty stellar all night, not much more to say. Braun was very strong defensively tonight and complimented him well (like I said a few weeks ago, his ideal partner might be an elite transition guy in Ghost). His ability to pressure at the blue line was super important too for Ghost. Guys like Hagg/AMac can't even do that, and Ghost relies on stopping rushes. Whether he can keep up with the puck under NHL forecheck, I don't know. But he did look good defensively tonight and allowed that pair to get up ice fast with possession shifts.​

Zamula-Myers

Zamula was a beaut tonight, and his poise on breakouts and passes in general is something else. He has the makings for a great rush defender too. Even in the cycle, he used his body and massive reach well to take/shield the puck. Myers was the usual. But Zamula -- despite draft pedigree and horrific lack of pro experience! -- has a chance to be here sooner than expected at LD if he keeps it up. Dude just balls out against pros.​

Morin-Welinski

Morin was legitimately a disaster the first half with and without the puck. He turned the page the second half and was much better in timing/execution. If his mission was to make the brass forget about Hagg as the #7, I can't say he did. But he did get better.​

Big agree on Hayes

Big agree on Zemula...can he amount to something? Yes, as the flyer D situation crumbles, as soon as next season he could be reasonable #8 and more.

Sorry but not much else to be happy about.

 

[eramosat]

It’s game one of the preseason, y’all are reading WAY too much into it. What I got from the game was:

Hayes is pretty good
Myers is legit
Zamula is a real prospect with a ton of potential
Farabee is always in position in all 3 zones. Can’t wait to see what he can do on a line with actual NHL players
Morin is understandably rusty, give the kid a ****ing break
Lindblom is a total pro
Ghost and Braun make a nice pairing
Rubtsov looks like an NHL player

Goodnight

Hayes is pretty good - Yes
Myers is legit - not based on tonight's performance. calm down man.
Zamula is a real prospect with a ton of potential _ yes
Farabee is always in position in all 3 zones. Can’t wait to see what he can do on a line with actual NHL players - much more to being effective than what he showed tonight
Morin is understandably rusty, give the kid a ****ing break - he might be unable to compete, already...that was crazy
Lindblom is a total pro - correct. if more propspects would follow his lead, all Flyer fans would be happy
Ghost and Braun make a nice pairing - hm
Rubtsov looks like an NHL player- absolutely yes, and before thepretty boys take up their spots, they should just play him in whatever HHL role is available on th e4th line

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I didn't mean he was a poor skater. He just seems a little slow.

I know what you’re referring to, but I actually think he did great work in those two instances. Didn’t give a huge cushion, then pivoted quickly & did a great job with his reach & stick to keep his man to the outside. I think he’s agile & light-footed. Not Myers in gobbling up ice, but pretty good feet.

 

[CapnZin]

I know what you’re referring to, but I actually think he did great work in those two instances. Didn’t give a huge cushion, then pivoted quickly & did a great job with his reach & stick to keep his man to the outside. I think he’s agile & light-footed. Not Myers in gobbling up ice, but pretty good feet.

Gotcha! He doesn’t need to be a good skater, though. His smarts make up for any lack of skating it seems.

 

[lancer247]

Myers looked really good.
Hayes, JVR, looked good together. They really seem to hem teams in their zone. I wouldn’t mind seeing Farabee get a shot as a finisher in that line.
Morin looked good. I like that he isn’t in a rush to chip the puck up the boards just to exit the zone. He moved laterally very nicely on the early PK.

 

[SilkyMitts]

Farabee is brutal

 

[deadhead]

Now I have to be contrary, of course.

Not much to add to Hayes, Myers, etc.

Zamula was interesting, even more poised than last summer, seems to have added about 10 lbs, but needs another 20 or so. He has to get stronger b/c he's not going to be a dynamic offensive player in the NHL, maybe in the CHL, but not at this level. Very smooth, good hands good passes, good positioning, but he doesn't seem to have a second gear, just compare him to Myers and Sanheim. Nor does he show a great shot. To me, if he can fill out, he can be that poised, professional defenseman who is always in the right place, makes crisp outlet passes, can maintain the cycle, but will be best paired with someone more dynamic. A guy coaches will like more than fans and the media. And once he fills out, will go directly to the NHL - like Provorov, he was born at center ice and doesn't need seasoning.

Ratcliffe will be fine, he needs a year or two in the AHL and another 15-20 lbs, because with his really high center of gravity, he needs the mass to handle NHL physicality - just compare him to JVR, who is hard to move. And the extra mass and strength, along with skating coaching and experience, should improve his burst and balance. He skates well, needs work on lateral agility, but speed will not be an issue. Not as awkward as last year, but still more Giraffe than Elephant.

Rubtsov could learn on the job at 4C, it's going to be an interesting battle with Vorobyev, who has more experience, a little more size but less talent.

 

[Rich Nixon]

assorted thoughts...

Hayes, as mentioned, looked pretty terrific. I'm sure he felt he had something to prove tonight, and he did. Good mindset to have, and if he keeps up that play he'll be an excellent addition.

Braun was very solid. I forget who said they didn't realize he had such a good stick...I mean, yeah, that's always been his thing. He's a very strong defensive defenseman who skates pretty well. Had a couple sloppy passes. That's what you're gonna get. He's very solid. He's no amazing, but he's a sure thing back there.

Ghost was Ghost.

Farabee had a rough go, but he didn't exactly have great opportunity there. I want to see him with some talent next to him

Rubtsov looked very smart and smooth and willing to get dirty when needed. Nothing spectacular, but encouraging.

Myers is the f***ing man. I've said it a million times: in three years, he might be the best of the whole bunch. He is the real damn deal. His only hangups were in his decision-making: Sometimes he has too many options and ends up just skating into something. Knock that habit out and oh boy.

Zamula is intriguing and is an excellent defensive prospect. Man, if one or him of Myers really hits...

Vorobyev had a bad one. Invisible most of the time, but was downright atrocious on the one PK, I think it was the third of the Islanders' five straight, just falling all over himself. I think he has a mental block. He was an ace last preseason.

The scheme, although it didn't result in a win, was much more fun to watch. More men on the rush, stronger pressure on the halfwalls. The PK was excellent. We'll see how all this comes along, but this team will be far more pleasant on the eye than anything else we've watched recently.