Solution to Flyers' woes
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Solution to Flyers' woes
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
BOSTON _ This is what we learned from the Flyers’ humiliating four-game sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins: It turns out, you CANNOT turn the switch on after playing mediocre hockey in the last six weeks of the regular season.
The Flyers blew the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed by wining just seven of their last 21 regular-season games (7-8-6) after Feb. 26. They regrouped and barely beat Buffalo in seven first-round playoff games, then were outplayed from Beantown to Broomall as they were outscored by the Bruins, 20-7, in the conference semifinals.
Boston concluded the series with a misleading 5-1 win Friday night. The game was actually tied at 1-1 early in the third period, and the Bruins scored a pair of empty-net goals toward the end.
Seven goals in four games. That’s an indictment on an offense that struggled toward the end of the regular season and carried it into the playoffs.
Including the end of the regular season and the playoffs, here are the gruesome numbers:
- Claude Giroux, whose playmaking was excellent in the playoffs, had two goals in his last 21 games.
- Mike Richards, who had one goal in 11 post-season games, had three goals in his last 20 games.
- Ville Leino had five goals in his last 25 games.
- Jeff Carter had three goals in his last 14 games. Give Carter a pass for having just one playoff goal in six games because he was bothered by a painful knee injury.
- Kris Versteeg and Scott Hartnell each had one goal in 11 playoff games.
In addition to the lack of offense, the Flyers’ goaltending struggled mightily in the post-season. Some of it had to do with the way coach Peter Laviolette shuffled the goalies like a deck of cards. Some of it had to do with poor play.
It says here that 22-year-old rookie Sergei Bobrovsky is a keeper, but he needs to be eased into the situation. Signing Phoenix’s Ilya Bryzgalov, a soon-to-be free agent, would be the perfect complement to “Bob.” Bryzgalov is also Russian, and he would help Bobrovsky’s development, on and off the ice.
The Flyers will need to be creative to sign Bryzgalov, and it may mean they can’t resign Leino, and that they have to move one of the high-priced defensemen to clear cap space.
Do it. End the goalie madness. Play Bryzgalov, say, 55 games and Bobrovsky the other 27.
If it's too difficult to get Bryzgalov under the cap, then deal for Los Angeles' Jonathan Bernier or Vancouver's Cory Schneider, second-stringers with their respective teams only because they are behind first-rate goalkeepers.
The Flyers skaters wouldn’t say it, but there had to be a feeling of uncertainty, a feeling of being outmatched, created by the seven in-game goalie switches during the 11 playoff games.
That’s not fair to the team. It deserves better.
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Bryz should be first choice. Hell of a regular season. Maybe best in league. Carter for future draft choices (2013?). Salary for Bryz. Keep Richards but not as captain. This will be the best time ever to move JVR. Bernier or Schneider and draft choices for Carter or JVR or both. Didn't take Pronger very long to figure this out. A first for Versteeg. I love the plus/minus OUT OF CONTROL/lack of discipline. Keep Coburn and BRIERE and BOB AND LEINO and Kimmo. I hate the frat pack and the nightlife with this team. Go Gags.— LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron- "The Flyers skaters wouldn’t say it, but there had to be a feeling of uncertainty, a feeling of being outmatched, created by the seven in-game goalie switches during the 11 playoff games.
That’s not fair to the team. It deserves better."
It is not fair to the fans! Ticket prices continue to rise and another year goes by without a championship.
— flyersphan77 - yes, flyersphan, all decisions and action are done for the fans, NOT. And comments like yours are evidence why they aren't done for the fans. Mr. Comcast, I mean Snyder, does not need you to buy a ticket, or any concession, to pay his players.— bsbullie
- Sam, I want some of whatever you are on, if you think the Flyers have any shot at Bernier, Schneider, or Bryzgalov.
- Schneider will be a restricted FA...Bryzgalov will be unrestricted...Why exactly do they have "no shot" at either of them?— brebechi98
- A right-handed defenseman who can shoot the puck on the power play for once would be nice. Having everyone a lefty just isn't working out too well. What on earth did Versteeg do to this team? Get rid of him and maybe look at moving Coburn & Carter for a goalie, one that doesn't put us in a hole the first ten minutes of each game. I turned off every one of those playoff games. Get a RIGHT-handed defenseman!— the Guffaw
- When was the las time the Flyers had a good goalie? Ron Hextal? Why don't they put more of a priority on goaltending?— 76er
- Lavy is not the issue. The core of the team is. The Flyers need to break up part of it to send a message to the others. I suggest a Carter trade for a real goalie. I hear Flyers West, err the Kings, have 2 decent goalies and one may be on the trading block. The Flyers need to get a set and do something that will improve the real issues of the team. Goaltending and Leadership.— Hobbes1121
- oh dear god lacroix, nolet, gendron... you are INSANE to say get rid of JVR. thats the most assanine thing i've read from anyone since last night. and to everyone saying 'get rid of carter' 35 goals this season, over 40 the two before.. who scores that if you get rid of him? i love boosh but i think we should try and work with bob and bring in someone else like some of the goalies previously mentioned. boosh played good allll season but he just doesnt have 'great' in him i fear :( i could neverrrr be a gm cause i LOVEEE too many of these guys to see them go. but my choices are zherdev and versteeg for sureee.— breeleighjo
I also think we are gonna find out here soon that something was wrong with Richards, he was and never is going to be a top 5 player in this league but even Recchi looked better than he did this post season. Leino has had one good post season run and everyone wants him to stay, there is a reason why the Red wings placed him on waivers. Carter is too soft for playoff hockey and needs to be shipped off. This team is a goalie and a true offensive defensemen away from being pretty good. Another thing that will haunt them though is the definitely overpaid for Pronger. That will hurt our system for a few years.- .The Flyers traded Norwegian defencemen
Ole Kristian Tollefsen and a 5th round pick in 2011 for Ville Leino
Febuary 6th 2010,the Wings may have put Leino on waivers
prior to the trade with the Flyers,but the Flyers traded for him. :) Cheers— mean mean pride,mean mean pride. - Yeah dude, anytime you put someone on waivers a team can claim the person and the team losing the person can get some type of compensation. Thats how it works. Oh yea and Ole Kristian Tollefsen has YET to see the NHL.
- I'd love to see Carter traded for a no 1 goalie, but Carter is on a long time contract is probably not going anywhere. What's left is trading great guys like Leino, Pronger or Timonen. Which would hurt.— Ruffles
- I agree with Hexy...we have multiple deficiencies needing correction, but we're not far off either with a creative off-season.
My thoughts:
1. Obviously address goalie and find true #1. Try to develop Bob as #2 like Chicago did with Crawford/Turco. Turco was the guy, but Crawford was better and beat him out by mid-year. But, it must be clearly defined, no more goalie by committee.
2. Fix power play with inside presence and face off man.
3. Evaluate coaching staff: Berube and Reese first, then Lavy if necessary. Need a power play guru and better team defense philosophy.
4. Need more help from 4th liners. PK guys must be able to play and have impact during 5on5...sorry betts and powe, but we can do better.
5. Give young guys a legit shot: Gustaffsson, Testwuide, Wellwood.
6. Trade Carter for more grit and help address #1-5. Get Handzus and Bernier from Kings...or something like that.
Our scoring is good...but we became easy to play against b/c we have no real inside threat....none. Timmy Kerr, where art thou?— dave1walsh - Everyone is talking about Bryzgalov, which I dont like. Another overpaid playoff flopper. However, dont forget....the guy I think they may go for is Nabakov. He almost came here last year, and he would be cheaper than Bryzgalov. I could see this happen...but I dont like that either cuz he is a playoff choke artist too. Personally, Id try Bernier or Schneider if I could, (or Quick if LA would do that for Carter) So guys Id consider moving in trades are Carter, Carle(he looks great with Pronger cuz Pronger hid his deficiencies) Timonen(though his 7 mil salary will prevent it from happening Im sure) Versteeg (he sucks defensively...a careless turnover machine with the puck) they are stuck with Hartnell. Ill say what I have said for three years....they miss Mike Knuble big time, and the trade of big time playoff guy R. J. Umberger was a mistake. O Donnell is gone. Remember for our goalies--- Leights has a 1.5 mil guarantee next year so maybe they let Bob in the minors for a year so his 1.8 mil doesnt count on the cap...Leights backs up (yuck) and they get a goalie?? They do need a right handed D man who can do the PP, play in front of the net and along the boards. Who knows what Homer has in mind. Im a bit concerned as long as Snider has his boys are running the show....36 years and counting are NOT a coincidence!!!— Big D phillies fan
