Last time I checked, back in January, the PHYLERS were doing well...They are now headed for a Record 12th loss in a row...WHAT HAPPENED ?
William Zee...Phamily Phlyer Phenom, Esquire, Husband of Seana, Father of Liam and Maeve, Son-in-Law of Maureen, and all-around-good-Guy will now explain to us what Ails the Phylers...
8 comments:
yo pea...get with it. Can't you remember all the babies being born!! Bill and Seana also are the parentals of Maeve (aka Mikey).
Just trying to keep you up to date...
oops...thank you anonymous, I stand corrected
You asked for it. I could talk Flyers all day....
There is a lot of parity in the NHL now. It has been a strange streaky year for the whole league (the Rangers looked dead and went on a huge win streak to blow by the Flyers). The Flyers are about where I thought they would be right now. The big win streak a few weeks back is a glimpse of where this team will be in a year or so, but they still have some things to work out. before they are a powerhouse. I also think they got a little too caught up with the idea of Forsberg coming back and saving the day. Hopefully now they can focus in on getting into the playoffs.
Even though they are slumping, I love this Flyers team Holmgren has put together in a short amount of time. They are worlds better than last year and have a lot of good young players that are only going to get better. As long as they do not panic and look for a quick fix by trading away their youth, I think they will be in good shape. They remind me a lot of the Flyers from the mid to late 80s ( Zezel, Tocchet, Sutter, etc.).
Here are what I see as the top 5 problems that have caused the recent plunge:
1. Injuries- This team cannot lose Gagne, Richards, Hatcher, Lupul... for extended periods and expect to keep wining games.
2. They still do not have a number 1 goaltender. I think both Nittymaki and Biron are good but not spectacular. Neither of them is going to carry the team for an extended period when they are having trouble scoring goals. Also, I think the coach has done a lousy job solidifying who is the number 1 and creating a good defensive system in front of them. If one of the goalies gets hot the Flyers could make it interesting.
3. Inability all year to score consistently at even strength. When they were really hot, they were lighting it up on the power play at a ridiculous rate. At some point (like now) that cools off. To be a great team in the NHL you have to be able to score consistently at even strength.
4. Horrible year for our $52 million man Danny Briere (due in large part to Gagne and other skilled forwards being in and out of the lineup with injuries). This guy needs to score to earn his keep because, unlike Richards, he is not a good two-way player. He has some goals on the power play but has been a ghost at even strength and has not developed any real chemistry with any of his linemates. Picking up Prospal last night in a trade may help Briere get on track. The nice thing about that trade was they gave up very little.
5. They need at least one more top 4 d-man while the younger guys continue to develop. I think the rookie Ryan Parent is going to be a perennial All-Star, but he is 19 and was just recently brought up from the Phantoms. They need another stud d-man for Parent, Colburn, Jones, etc. to learn from.
3 PM today is the trade deadline. I guess we will see how much of a magician Holmgren really is. I just hope he can make them a bit better without giving up on the future.
Let's Go Flyers!
Glad I asked
Bill is making Liam a little fan as well. Word on the street is that they attended the Flyers Fan Fest on Sunday...
For someone who reminds me on a daily basis that he has to work a bizillion hours a week... He NEVER misses a game... Hmmm. Does anyone pity me??
The Wanna-Be Comcast Analyst's Wife
Did Bill and Liam make a Donation?
Bill Zee should forget that Lawyer Crap and write for the Daily News!
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