News Article: Raffl offers more than you think

[Tripod]

Had his best game as a Flyer. Dont know how much this will last but looks the most comfortable playing with Giroux than anyone else has (I would even say better than Voracek has been for most of this season)

yup. Keep the line together and run it as long as possible. Having a player who is sound defensively with Giroux helps too. Look at Bozak with Kessel and JVR. He allows them to focus on offense.

 

[tymed]

I particularly enjoyed the part where he replicated Hartnell's staple one-trick on the half boards one-timer feed from G. He didn't score the goal but it found a way in and was quite a beaut.

 

[GKJ]

Giroux is producing, which is the important thing. I don't know if it proves anything more than Raffl just got hot playing with him, but it does show that Giroux needs two people on his line that know how to skate.

 

[Funf]

I wonder if this top line is going to stick. Between Voracek and Giroux, our two best puck possession players, we really just need somebody there with them to be effective away from the puck, which Raffl has been doing pretty well..

What's baffling, is that Hartnell WAS that guy for a number of years. With Leino and Briere, and then Giroux and Jagr. I wonder if his all star season has got him thinking he's supposed to be a goal scorer now?

 

[Prongo]

Did Nodl ever have a three point game? I don't think so but I don't remember. Raffl is already better than him lol.

 

[Appleyard]

Did Nodl ever have a three point game? I don't think so but I don't remember. Raffl is already better than him lol.

Nope, 3 2 point games:

Nov 24th '10 vs Minny: 1 goal 1 assist
Feb 16th '11 vs Florida: 1 goal 1 assist
March 22nd '11 vs Washington: 1 goal 1 assist

Raffl has the same amount of points in his last 17 games as Nodl does in his last 59.
And the same amount of points in his last 6 games as Nodl in his last 51.

 

[Prongo]

Nope, 3 2 point games:

Nov 24th '10 vs Minny: 1 goal 1 assist
Feb 16th '11 vs Florida: 1 goal 1 assist
March 22nd '11 vs Washington: 1 goal 1 assist

Raffl has the same amount of points in his last 17 games as Nodl does in his last 59.
And the same amount of points in his last 6 games as Nodl in his last 51.

I always hoped Nodl would have his offense translate to the NHL when he was playing at St Cloud, but it was the one thing you heard people question all the time. Raffl didn't have that much questions surround him about that(he did have some though)and he has displayed his speed that the Flyers reportedly liked about him. He just seemed to not know where the net was when he was shooting, now he is hitting the net and the points are starting to accumulate. It's probably Giroux(and by probably I mean it clearly is Giroux) but he shows he can move up and down the lineup when needed. What is intriguing is if Laughton makes the team next year as a fourth liner, he would look good on the fourth line playing with him as well as giving us PK time hopefully. Raffl in the games he has played in the NHL has already showed he is a much more capable contributor than Nodl. I remember when people were mad we lost Nodl for nothing, man did he suck.

 

[MrRuin]

The only thing Nödl and Raffl have in common is that they are Austrian. Raffl is seizing this opportunity given to him with both hands and running with it. I hope he can sustain that play for a while. Just remember, he played all of 21 games of North American style hockey so far. Nödl had much more experience in that regard.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I don't think they're similar in a 1 on 1 comparison as actual players, but in what we can expect from them.

Decent defensively, able to keep up with the top line, but don't expect loads of upside. Raffl already has one big improvementon Nodl, which is his ability to shoot.

 

[PALE PWNR]

Another underrated, undrafted signing that Holmgren will never get enough credit for.

 

[Larry44]

Another underrated, undrafted signing that Holmgren will never get enough credit for.

Homer gets credit for hiring good scouts and trusting them. Raffl, Read and Gustafsson all played well tonight in big roles. Whether its college UFAs or CHL ones (Straka) there is talent out there, and we're lucky to find quite a few.

The draft is still the most important, and the Flyers do well.

In our top 12 forwards, incl. Vinnie, there are 7 first round picks.

 

[Harold Bingo]

Raffl's my new favorite player. I definitely didn't think he had this in him when I saw him in the preseason. Hope he keeps it up.

 

[CS]

Nope, 3 2 point games:

Nov 24th '10 vs Minny: 1 goal 1 assist
Feb 16th '11 vs Florida: 1 goal 1 assist
March 22nd '11 vs Washington: 1 goal 1 assist

Raffl has the same amount of points in his last 17 games as Nodl does in his last 59.
And the same amount of points in his last 6 games as Nodl in his last 51.

Sort of unfair. Granted, Nodl wasn't ever as good as Raffl is now, but Nodl never got to play alongside Claude Giroux; or really anything even close to resembling this current version of Claude Giroux.

 

[dats81]

Sort of unfair. Granted, Nodl wasn't ever as good as Raffl is now, but Nodl never got to play alongside Claude Giroux; or really anything even close to resembling this current version of Claude Giroux.

Nödl got a big chunk of games on M Richard's line - that's basically when he got all of his points. Couldn't convert and looked like a borderline Ahl/Nhl player when taken off that line. Raffl may find himself in a similiar situation once Vinny returns.

 

[TheKingPin]

I wonder if this top line is going to stick. Between Voracek and Giroux, our two best puck possession players, we really just need somebody there with them to be effective away from the puck, which Raffl has been doing pretty well..

What's baffling, is that Hartnell WAS that guy for a number of years. With Leino and Briere, and then Giroux and Jagr. I wonder if his all star season has got him thinking he's supposed to be a goal scorer now?

Two good points here...

Raffl looked great on G's two goals basically skating though the crease, away from G , allowing G to have no or one player checking him and opening a lane. Thats just good smarts which he has definitely showed.

Also, I think that Hartnell did get a little confused. He strikes me as the type that would look at his stat line and salary and think that he is a sniper. He is a support player that needs to go to the net and stay there and in the slot. You can tell he rediscovered this when he was moved to the second line.

 

[Curufinwe]

Sort of unfair. Granted, Nodl wasn't ever as good as Raffl is now, but Nodl never got to play alongside Claude Giroux; or really anything even close to resembling this current version of Claude Giroux.

My memories of Nodl are Hazy. Did he ever show the speed and puck possession skills that Raffl has?

 

[sa cyred]

So who woulda thought that putting an undrafted 25 yr old rookie Austrian on Giroux and Voraceks line would get those two moving? Not crediting on all Raffl obviously but them playing extremely well was around the exact time he was put on their line.

The biggest thing is that he can skate extremely well and with speed. This has allowed him to keep up with the other two. Hartnell's problem is he is a slow and horrible skater. Makes for problems when your other two line mates are on a whole different speed.

 

[Psuhockey]

So who woulda thought that putting an undrafted 25 yr old rookie Austrian on Giroux and Voraceks line would get those two moving? Not crediting on all Raffl obviously but them playing extremely well was around the exact time he was put on their line.

The biggest thing is that he can skate extremely well and with speed. This has allowed him to keep up with the other two. Hartnell's problem is he is a slow and horrible skater. Makes for problems when your other two line mates are on a whole different speed.

Hartnell did very well with Jagr on the other wing because Jagr was slow and had great puck control. The dynamic of the Giroux Hartnell Jagr line was very similar to the Briere Hartnell Leino line in that you had a quick center and a slow puck controlling wing. Both lines Hartnell fit very nicely on. But Voracek game is movement and speed. Things are done too quick for Hartnell to have the same level of success. I don't know if a Vinny Simmonds Hartnell line would work even though Simmonds has good puck possession, because Lecavalier is not as quick as Briere or Giroux. If anything, that line would need a quick winger and have Simmonds play the Hartnell role and Vinny play the Jagr role so I don't know if Hartnell fits there. He definitely doesn't belong on the checking line.

 

[Dirty but Good]

So who woulda thought that putting an undrafted 25 yr old rookie Austrian on Giroux and Voraceks line would get those two moving? Not crediting on all Raffl obviously but them playing extremely well was around the exact time he was put on their line.

The biggest thing is that he can skate extremely well and with speed. This has allowed him to keep up with the other two. Hartnell's problem is he is a slow and horrible skater. Makes for problems when your other two line mates are on a whole different speed.

I love the speed of the line. This line is so much fun to watch right now.

Whoever was the scout that found and signed Raffl deserves a big bonus!

 

[Embiid]

Hartnell did very well with Jagr on the other wing because Jagr was slow and had great puck control. The dynamic of the Giroux Hartnell Jagr line was very similar to the Briere Hartnell Leino line in that you had a quick center and a slow puck controlling wing. Both lines Hartnell fit very nicely on. But Voracek game is movement and speed. Things are done too quick for Hartnell to have the same level of success. I don't know if a Vinny Simmonds Hartnell line would work even though Simmonds has good puck possession, because Lecavalier is not as quick as Briere or Giroux. If anything, that line would need a quick winger and have Simmonds play the Hartnell role and Vinny play the Jagr role so I don't know if Hartnell fits there. He definitely doesn't belong on the checking line.

Yup..both Leino and Jagr would buy time by protecting the puck so well. With Giroux and Voracek they are both puck carriers that play on the fly. Hartnell couldn't keep up and his timing would be off. Also he is not a puck control type guy like Leino or Jagr.

 

[Jack Straw]

My memories of Nodl are Hazy. Did he ever show the speed and puck possession skills that Raffl has?

Speed, I'm pretty sure he did. I think he was one of the team's fastest skaters iirc. He was pretty good defensively but just never showed much offensively. Raffl seems to have a much higher hockey IQ. Guy is always around the puck. Nodl, not so much.

 

[Prongo]

I hope Raffle finishes the year with 36 points, or close to it. We will never have to compare him to Nodl again then.(Nodl's career point totals)

 

[Funf]

What's really impressed me with Raffl is how tenacious he is chasing the puck. He seems to create more turnovers than anyone on the team.

Edit: Just checked, he's 3rd for takeaways per 60 mins, behind Downie and Read. So I wasn't too far off!

 

[BillyShoe1721]

Raffl the key to Giroux and Voracek's offensive resurgence?

http://thehockeywriters.com/michael-raffl-key-girouxs-resurgence/

 

[Appleyard]

I would contend that the top 3-4 teams in the Allsvenskan are better than some AHL teams. (And yeh, some of the bottom teams absolutely suck!)

I imagine the top team could give the Calder cup champs a run for their money some years.

Guys like Timander, Gabriel Karlsson, Prestberg, Ryno, Johansson, Filip Forsberg and Moe (and Raffl ofc) were on the Leksands team last year, all are pretty damn good players who have been proven in the SHL, NHL or AHL. Probably closer to AHL standard (though not as good overall) than ECHL standard.

Nice article though and sorry for nitpicking on a tiny point based on a matter of opinion!