Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Don't. Miss. Them. At. All.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Kaberle to the Habs for Spacek.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Are you in the other 1%?

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heres the whole Giroux malkin exchange:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAN3l...layer_embedded

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Thanks for posting as I did not see that portion of the game last night. I still stand by my earlier comment that Malkin tried a clear head shot.

While I think Giroux's shot was malicious as well I really don't think he was going for Malkin's head with that second elbow (the shot after Giroux two-hands at his stick). I think he knew the size/height difference and was trying to elbow him in the chest.

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of course he did, but giroux did as well. both missed. If i were malkin, id be pissed too at that elbow, especially after all the concussions that the pens have suffered this year. doesnt make it right, but both guys attempted cheap shots, and we're lucky that A. Malkin is tall, and B. Giroux has godlike reflexes.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I like to think I am. I want to believe that I've matured as a sports fan. I know you and I have had our differences in the Sox/Phils threads but if you really get to know me, I'm way more rational than you think.

I know my shit and I don't think like a fan in terms of making the team better any more. That being said, I got over seeing the Flyers trade my favorite player (Richards) very quick when seeing it made the team that much better in the long run.

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Florida will be in first place for the first time since 1997 if they beat the Sabres tonight.

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sooooo..that doesn't make it right. :lol:lol:lol ;)

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not saying it does, just saying theres a reason malkin did it.

to add, it could have been worse, he could have tried to punch him in the nuts like a certain teammate....

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Pronger out indefinitely. Apparently that "virus" he had was really a concussion.

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To the Malkin/Giroux thing: Meh. Happens all the time. They're hockey players.

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Does anyone here buy game worn jerseys?

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Yikes. Someone is a little sensitive to criticism to their home team. The reason why he is an idiot is because there was nothing about that goal that would warrant that type of celebration. Milestone goal? Nope. Was the goal the result of an incredible individual effort? Nope. Huge goal in a huge game? Nope.

Just ol' Artem Getting number 5 on the season.

Is this post a joke? If not, major lulz are being had right now.

Are you seriously measuring "success" by the flyers current standing in the second week of Dec? Did our buddy brohan hack into your account? I am concerned....

Around this point last year the flyers were first in the east and first in the whole NHL. Remember how last season ended? Who gives a shit who is leading the east in the middle of December? No one will remember last year's team for their success in oct, nov, and Dec. no one will remember this year's team success in oct, nov, and Dec.

After the Richards/Carter trades were made there should only be two questions for this season....

1). Do the flyers again stop playing passionate hockey when the mid-season doldrums arrive?

2). Will the flyers completely shit the bed in the playoffs as soon as they face a team that matches up with them evenly?

I expect a little more for someone who writes about the flyers

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I think you are getting a bit too worked up over this. I think he's just saying that the Flyers are performing a lot better than a lot of people thought they would, and that they don't really look any worse than last year's team. The season is already 1/3 over, so I think you can begin to form some opinions.

Personally, this Flyers team looks like the real deal. When the Hawks aren't playing I'm often looking for other games to watch. If the Flyers are playing, I will usually watch that game. They are an exciting team to watch and Giroux and Jagr are playing even better than expected. I think, without Pronger, they are going to have a bit tougher a road, but they've already dealt pretty well with him missing time this season.

I was pretty critical of the offseason moves at the time but it seems to have revitalized the Flyers team, just from the outside looking in. The Hawks had a huge let-down year last season and even a few players came out and said that they didn't necessarily play with that same desire and urgency. I think you see that with this year's Flyers.

Agree about Anisimov, though. Really, really cheesy move.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

You want a little more from someone who writes about the Flyers? Here you go.

The Flyers are coming into December playing 10-of-13 games on the road. That list includes

@ANA - W
@PHX - W
@BUF - W
PIT - W
TB
@WAS
@MON
BOS
@COL
@DAL
@NYR
@TB
@PIT

They're 4-0-0 to start this month.

Why is this so important? Because Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky have been playing less than stellar hockey in between the pipes. Both are barely in the top 30 in GAA and save %.

Part of that reason is due to a lack of their captain (Chris Pronger has played in only 11 games this season) along with not having any consistent health at the blue line (Andreas Lilja is out until the middle of January).

They have two rookies currently in the line up at defense as well as five rookie forwards in their line up. They've played a total of 10 rookies. TEN! What first place team has played that many rookies in the first week of December?

They are getting 70% of their offensive production from one line at the moment, mainly thanks to Claude Giroux's league leading 36 points and the Flyers getting 38 of their 96 goals from the Giroux/Hartnell/Jagr line.

They are playing their worst hockey at the moment and still managing to be first in the conference. Getting their best defenseman back as well as Lilja to go along with Bryz/Bob starting to play the good hockey the Flyers know they can, they will be in good shape heading into February/March.

This team is getting points while playing with the injuries, number of rookies and poor goaltending. I'd hate to play them once they turn it back on.

NOW, to address your two questions: what do April have to do with how this team has played through adversity in the first two months of the season?

But I'll answer them for you graciously.

1). Do the flyers again stop playing passionate hockey when the mid-season doldrums arrive?

You do realize those doldrums had to do with the lack of leadership, correct? When the lockerroom is split down the middle between the young players (your captain and alternate captain Richie and Carts), there will be problems.

You don't see that happening this season because the players stepping up as leaders are players who command the most respect from the team, young and old: Pronger (C), Briere, Timonen and Giroux (A).

2). Will the flyers completely shit the bed in the playoffs as soon as they face a team that matches up with them evenly?

Boston matching up with the Flyers evenly? They were the best team in hockey last season. They had a goaltender who stole games from opponents, something Philadelphia hasn't had in 10+ years. They also boasted one of the nastiest groups of defensemen the NHL had, to go along with the team they beat in the Cup Finals.

So, to answer this question right now, I'd be talking out of my ass. Am I confident the Flyers win the Cup this year? No. They're a great team but I don't expect them winning the Cup just yet. But they are making strides as far as maturing with a young corps and that makes me ever so happy. First place a third of the way into the season is a nice victory for a team that has faced a lot of early adversity.

So, yes, I am VERY happy at the standings right now. And don't ever compare me to Brohan. You're better off calling my mother a whore..

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Nah, I'm not too worked up. I just tend to be very blunt/terse with my replies.

Yikes. Why did you bother to write all that when you could have simply said "the Flyers have exceeded everyone's expectations thus far this season". I don't think anyone would disagree with that comment.

While writing a lengthy response to an argument that no one is making, you failed to consider my point to your original post:

To me, this post has two potential implications:

1). The Flyers are capable of having success this year without Richards and Carter

2). Carter/Richards caused a lot of problems on this team.

re pt.1: Success, for me, is not defined by the Flyers point total on Dec 9th. Far too early in the season to make this assertion

re pt. 2: The specific problems that are associated with Carter/Richards was the Flyers' poor play after Jan and the Flyers disappearing act against Boston. At this time last year, the Flyers were playing the best hockey I have ever seen a Flyers hockey team play (better than this year's team's play to date). We haven't gotten to the part of the season that has caused Carter/Richards teams problems in the past. As such, it is impossible to say whether Carter/Richards were or were not causing a majority of the problems on the team since we have yet to see this team in that situation.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

To the bolded: Wasn't much effort. I am a writer, remember :rolleyes

As for the rest: How can you say that you don't find success in having a high point total with games in hand while being through so many tests. This isn't the Boston Bruins, who are stacked with veterans. It's a young team that has seen rookie step up and play a mature role for this team to have success.

Winning with obstacles is telling, regardless if it's a third of the way through the season or in April.

Again, the team lacked leadership, which translated into a lack of inspired play. The reasons for this came out during the off season and yes, they are true. I see things in the lockerroom that many don't see. This team was not connected for the long run last season and it killed them.

Will we see it this season again? Who knows. But the problem guys are out of here and that's a good sign. Would a team that lacked cohesiveness make it through this alive? No.

One more example: After the 9-8 loss to Winnipeg and Bryzgalov got down on himself, Max Talbot and Kimmo Timonen refused to blame him for the struggles. Timonen is an established leader on the team and Talbot brings so many intangibles to this team, which made him such an attractive free agent to bring in for a team that lacked lockerroom guys.

These guys are picking each other up early and that is what I want to see. It's why I'm happy this team is winning right now.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I'm happy the Flyers are winning now too :thumbsup

I guess we are looking at this from different perspectives. Success now is great. The success last year we had at this point was great too. Last year, the wheels fell off the ol' wagon down the stretch. For me (and I know that everyone is different), the lack of success of last year's team during the moments that mattered the most out-weighed the early/mid-season success. For that reason, I am cautiously optimistic right now. I think I'll share more of your enthusiasm if (hopefully) we clear some of the hurdles that sunk last year's team.

The problem that I have with the way the team is constructed is that the Flyers signaled that they wanted to win "now" when they made the move for Pronger. Given Pronger's health, I figured the Flyers had a 3 year window to win the Cup. My concerns are that the Flyers are a little too young right now/the old players will be too old to contribute in a couple of years when the young players are ready to be counted on to make consistent contributions. Hopefully the young players continue their development at their current pace.

The only point that I flat out disagree with you is that the Flyers "lacked leadership" last year. Pronger, Briere, and Timonen were all on last year's team. Pronger and Briere were outspoken guys in the locker room last year and Timonen is "an established leader on the team".

Your example isn't a very good one because I can't recall a single time that any of the Flyers blamed their struggles last year on the goalie/a single player.

Lastly, and I'm amazed by this, when examining last year's playoff failure, people rarely acknowledged that Peter played a large role in this team's early playoff exit. Between the goalie carousel that he organized and that fact that he didn't have the team properly prepared to play the Bruins, he was a major factor in the early exit. I don't get too upset of his coaching because of the turn-around that he orchestrated the year before. I'm o.k. with people giving him a pass but they should at least acknowledge his role in last year's unsatisfying conclusion.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Let's go Whalers!!!!!

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Between monkeyman and I, there is a lot of reading to do hahaha.

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haha true

I'll say this though, I hope to Christ that Giroux is able to stay healthy this year. I don't want to even think about what will happen if he misses time due to a significant injury

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I'm really hoping the Flyers just stand there with the puck again tonight.

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So do I. Would be awesome on National TV

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What happens to the Flyers when there only line that's scoring becomes mediocre or shits the bed? And what happens to the Flyers if Pronger is out as much time as Sid?

I could see why you're happy as to why their in first, but right now this is not a situation you want to be in. Flyers can't go the rest of the year playing 10 rookies. They can't rely on 1 line to score. In the long run Flyers have a lot of question marks

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

I wouldn't say they have a lot of question marks, but they definitely don't have the depth they have had the previous 2 seasons, but we covered that when they traded Richards and Carter

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My point is they are getting as much points as they can at their lowest point. I'm sorry but I think any situation where the team is getting points at a time where they aren't playing their best hockey is a great situation, especially when the team can and will be so much better.

And the fact you just said what happens when Giroux and Jagr become mediocre is hysterical. Typical Brohan response. :lol

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

that's why i said i understand why you're happy. But on the flip side there are so many question marks for the Flyers team and so many uncertainties. The team is not as deep as the Pens of last year. I don't see the Flyers making it out of the first round w/o there best player. And when the midseason slide comes around for the Flyers how are they going to react with so many young players?

Just too many question marks for my liking

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

The possibility of Jagr getting hurt or wearing down a bit is certainly a possibility.

I certainly don't think their team is really lacking in depth, though. Briere seems to be seriously under the radar this year, and then guys like Voracek, JVR, Couturier are fantastic talents and, though young, seem to be playing very well. Though I'm not sure if getting rid of Richards and Carter was the best thing, it seems to have worked out reasonably well for them. Giroux is a more exciting and dynamic goal scorer than either of them and clearing a place for him on the top line seems to have been a very good move.

Re: NHL 2011/2012 Thread
 

Pronger is not the Flyers best player. He's not even their best defenseman (Timonen).