Random thoughts on Flyers, Newsroom, etc
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Random thoughts on Flyers, Newsroom, etc
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
While on vacation, here are a handful of observations, most of which are Flyers-related:
- The Flyers had 103 points last season, one in which their lineup included Jaromir Jagr, Matt Carle, James van Riemsdyk and Andrej Meszaros (for a while). If the season started today, they have the look of a team that would collect, say, 93 points.
- Barring the signing of Shane Doan or a trade for Bobby Ryan or Keith Yandle, the Flyers will need continued improvement from their talented sophomores if they are going to be considered a serious contender.
- The good news: The Flyers will have LOTS of cap room when Meszaros and/or Chris Pronger go on LTIR, so they will be able to make a major move during the season.
- More good news: The regular season means little. Just get hot at the right time (see the Flyers in 2010 and the Kings last season) and you can go far in the playoffs. Yes, the Kings had Jonathan Quick, but I have a hunch Ilya Bryzgalov is going to have a bounce-back season.
- If I’m setting the odds, the Rangers are the Stanley Cup favorites.
- Off hockey for a second, The Newsroom has charged past Breaking Bad as TV’s best show.
- Saw “The Watch” last week. It may not be the worst movie ever made, but it is a strong contender. It almost makes “Jack & Jill” look good. Almost.
- I thought the Flyers should have gotten more in the JVR trade, but with Meszaros expected to miss a good part of the season and the Flyers failing to sign either Ryan Suter or Shea Weber, Luke Schenn is suddenly more valuable than van Riemsdyk would have been.
- I’m in the minority, but I think the NHL season will start on time. Quite simply, there’s too much to be lost by a lockout.
- Unlike last year, I’d be shocked if a rookie earned a spot on the Flyers during training camp. Defenseman Brandon Manning will try to prove that theory wrong.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Comments (44)
Really Sam? A show that doesn't even have 10 episodes yet is better than a multiple Emmy winning drama that is the critical darling of cable TV to a show (that I do like btw) that has had no where near the sparkling reviews and has largely been up and down since a very strong pilot. Stick to hockey, sport.— jpolin- LOL— jqberlin
- Yeah agreed. To even consider The Newsroom a good show on its own is a stretch. To compare the two and say it's "charged" past Breaking Bad is ludicrous! Did you just throw that in there to rile some feathers? Haha. I agree about Bryz this season too, his hot streak at the end of the season was too sustained to be a fluke. He's got the talent!— jma46
- Sammy, do you really think that headcase goalie we have will have a better year knowing that the defense has gotten worst?— farley
- Pronger and Mez missed most of last year anyway. Carle out, Schenn in, Grossmann for a full year, Gus and MAB with more experience under their belts, although Timmo is a year older. I would call it a wash with last year at the very least. — Sidewinder7
- Matt Carle is going to be severely missed. The ratio of scoring chances created, versus those faced, was great for Carle. Far and away, the worst defenseman in that aspect was Grossmann.
Carle skates the puck out of his own zone. The Flyers forwards are constantly flying the zone to cheat on offense. Having a lumbering giant like Grossmann responsible for getting the puck to them is going to be an issue. Luke Schenn is not an offensive player at the NHL level (nor has he been at any other level).
The defense is nowhere even close to a "wash"
Coburn will have to step up and become the best D man on the team. He has the ability to take over a game when given a chance.— Hexy4GM - You are pretty awful Sam.— Favorthabold
- For those on Yahoo, is this the Chris Chase of Philly?— neddyflanders
- sorry Breaking Bad is best series bar none,— bigtom blew3
- Just get hot at the right time. Yep. Sounds like a plan: One that has never led to The Stanley Cup for the Flyers.
I'd rather see some upgrades--otherwise this season's forecast should be disappointing with a slight chance of amazing (if players somehow rise to the occasion). 
Mostly bad reviews for The Newsroom around the country, due to the lack of realism. I watched the first 2 episodes, and I agee with the critics. The character played by Emily Mortimer is particularly unbelievable.— 1980- The Newsroom is a fine piece of political litmus paper: those who like it have their politics instantly revealed.
§
- Is "Breaking Bad" some kind of code for what we should expect from the flyers this season???— bigdaddyG
- Point 4 is the only point of relevance. You need to get into the playoffs and go from there. Obviously, having the best(or one of the best)regular season records is meaningless. You need a hot goaltender and a team committed to shut down defense in the playoffs to hoist the Cup in June. Can Bryz do that? Didn't look like it. Can the Flyers defense commit to shutting down the opposition? Didn't see that either. This team's ability to score goals is there; this team's ability to shut down the opposition isn't. Unless Bryzgalov steps it up and Holmgren somehow brings in a top level defenseman, this team will again make an early exit from the playoffs.— syddan26
- I'll wait until October 11 to start my criticism of this team. Sure, when you look at the disappointment of missing out on Weber and Suter, it makes this offseason appear much worse than it is. It's not awful. Not great, but not awful. Sam's right in saying the regular season means little. The Flyers aren't going to miss the playoffs so most of you can start complaining in april, not now. On a side note, haven't seen The Newsroom but I'm hard pressed to believe it's better than Breaking Bad.— The Oneness
- 20010? Anyone spell check?— michaeldhockeyguy
- Last I checked you don't spell with numbers. :) — brad79
- "The Newsroom has charged past Breaking Bad as TV’s best show"
It is glaringly obvious Sam should stick to hockey— astroqueen0 
Now I like the Newsroom, but get real the two are not even in the same league, hell it's not even the same sport. I think someone has had a little too much of the blue.- Sidewinder7: You don't know hockey. Defense is worse than last year. You just subtracted Mezaros and Carle (plus 55). You added Schenn. Yawn.— MichaelZoe
- Breaking Bad has so many elements to the show. The Newsroom is a very liberal show that is very one sided about how awful news is. (And I'm a registered democrat.)— trungy
- What happened to all the stiffs calling for Carle's head ALL YEAR last year. Now he's the greatest, right? And who give a damn about the TV shows. Come on guys.— djlen
- 20010 was a great year!— PresidentSpock
- pointless article, no wonder no one spell checked it!— sgamble077
- Your wrong again and you make a habit of this; Pittsburgh is a 7 to 1 favorite in Vegas to win the cup, and it's 2 to 1 they don't start on time. Maybe you should follow another sport, like soccer.— Joe Vegas
- Does any one really care right now? Obviously a slow day in sports. Sam, take the day off before writing something like this again when nobody really cares.— bob brotzman
- Who knows how it will go. We should not panic, wait to see how things go. Last years' rookies should continue to play well and improve, Schenn will be good, and Bryz can't be any worse. It will all work out fine. On a different point, do we really have to look at that 3-1 score at the top of the page all off season? We know how it went, we don't need to be reminded of it over and over.— Mozes37
- Carle, is looking good right about
now, after the injury to Mez.— olneyboy - The Bin Laden episode of The Newsroom was as good as TV gets, but better than Breaking Bad as a series? I think not... On another note, if the NHLPA and Bettman et al can't begin the season on time, they all need to be involuntarily committed.— JoeyMax
- Does anyone think 93 points make the playoffs?— Hexy4GM
- A handful of teams in the east have gotten in with 93 point or less over the past few years, and the Flyers did reach the Cup finals with 88 points. But I get your point. Let's say we can agree that 93 points gets you in if there is any type of lockout shortened season.
- 20010 is next time the Flyers win the Cup.— BobbyD
- Sam, how did you ever get a professional writing job when you know so little about that which you write about? First, proof read. Very important. Second, the only thing I agree with you on is the cap room with Prongs and Mez on LTIR and the season starting on time. Everything else- go watch some Flyers hockey a little longer before reporting on it. No wonder Richards thought you media jokers were all full of sh*t.— Fly Guy
- I hope I'm still around to see the Flyers in 20010. Nice article, Sam. *facepalm*— Fly Guy
Point # 2 might just be the MOST IMPORTANT, yet little discussed, issue of the season. There's a whole lot of assuming going on when it comes to last year's star rookies!
The "sophomore jinx" isn't some superstition, it's real. It's a simple matter of the other teams saying "OK, so this guy is pretty good. This year we're going to focus on him more". banking on Read, Couturier and Schenn is a HUGE roll-of-the-dice!- William White makes Tony Soprano look like a boy scout.— sklandog
- All I can say is on paper this team is weaker on the blue line.....but we will get more cap space with Pronger and Mez on long term injury list. Still I do like the kids and if they can step their game the blue line won't be so bad. But BRYZ that is a concern... I do hope that he will be more of the goalie who set the shut record than the guy we had in the playoff and the begining of the season last year.— srcdaddy1216
- Sam took a loose puck to the head on the newsroom, like the show, but the boys who make crystal meth might be the best show ever !— marcards
- Sopranos 1, Breaking Bad 2. Matt Carle’s skating will be missed but I won’t miss the other teams forward skating past him while giggling. A nice tight D that gets the puck out would be enough for me, but I know that’s easy to say and hard to do, especially with a Kamikaze coach!— NYPHILLYPHAN
You are out of your tree if you think the Newsroom is better than Breaking Bad.- hell if Bryz's month of March play was in May and June we'd be saying something totally different. i truly think he will be better this year, just as long as he doesnt play the puck!!!!— GVA
- Totally agree about Newsroom passing Breaking Bad. But I don't think either is the best show on TV.— mbrown3
- sklandog, who is William White? Do you mean Walter White?— John Klink
- Here's the net in my view: They have lost offense (Jagr, JVR), they have lost defense (Carle, Meszaros), they have the same #1 goalie (Bryz), and a diminished #2 (Leighton instead of Bobrovsky). On paper they are a weaker team than last year. I'm not expecting great things unless guys like Couts, Schenn, MAB, Voracek etc. elevate their games and Bryz stays on his meds.— Phillykidinboston
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Broad Street Bull is the Inquirer's blog covering the Philadelphia Flyers and the National Hockey League.
Reach Sam at scarchidi@phillynews.com.
Sam Carchidi
Inquirer Staff Writer
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