Flyers make easy work of Canes, 6-1
by Travis Hughes on Oct 31, 2009 5:54 PM EDT
in 09-10 Game Recaps
31 comments
When a team that's lost seven straight comes into your building, you have to step on their neck quickly and avoid giving them any hopes of breaking the skid. With three first period goals, the Flyers did just that on Saturday afternoon with a dominating 6-1 win to kick start what is probably the most exciting 72 hour period in the history of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
After Scott Hartnell scored on the power play, David Laliberte would pot the first goal of his NHL career, a rebound that fell right on his stick that he easily deposited into an empty net, to give the orange and black an early 2-0 lead on Halloween. Matt Carle made it 3-0 on a wrap-around goal late in the period, capping off a period that was absolutely dominated by the Flyers, a bit of foreshadowing toward the rest of the afternoon.
Some assorted thoughts...
- Laliberte now has more goals than seven different Flyers, and he has as many as Claude Giroux, Kimmo Timonen, Simon Gagne, and Ian Laperriere.
- Eleven different Flyers hit the score sheet: Braydon Coburn, Laliberte, Laperriere, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Hartnell, Chris Pronger, James van Riemsdyk, Carle, Timonen, and Ryan Parent. Carle, JVR, Coburn, Laliberte, and Hartnell all had multi-point afternoons.
- Coburn scored two third period goals in what he called a big "confidence booster." Hopefully it's a step in the right direction for his season.
- After several games of registering several scoring opportunities but not being able to bury them, the Flyers finally executed today.
- Ray Emery was great today, making 39 saves. It's atypical of this Flyers club to be out-shot the way they were today, but luckily their goaltender was up to the challenge. Unfortunately for the other club on the ice, Michael Leighton looked terrible. The Flyers got to him often.
- There was a bit of a lull in the second period, and that's when the Canes built that ridiculous shot advantage, outshooting Philadelphia 20-8 in the twenty minutes. Early in the period, Carolina came out with a furious pace to their step. They got a goal out of the fray, but 14 seconds later, James van Riemsdyk shut down the Canes glimmer of hope on a pretty individual effort that made it 4-1. The Flyers didn't look back.
- Mika Pyorala, Danny Syvret, and Arron Asham finished the day minus-1, the only Flyers in the minus on the day.
- There were three fights in the second period. Ian Laperriere, Arron Asham, and Dan Carcillo dropped the gloves for the Flyers. The consensus after the game among John Stevens and the players is that that kind of play can help bring a team together even more, something the Flyers need to do in order to make this season a success.
- Ryan Parent left the game early after possibly re-injuring himself. Stevens said that they didn't want him "pushing it" and that he thinks Parent will be fine. Just a precaution. Hopefully.
With revamped defense and rejuvenated offense, the Flyers did their job today. Nothing more, nothing less. With a team like Carolina coming in the way they're playing, a big win should be expected. Think that's harsh? That's what it takes to win a Cup. Coach Stevens agrees. When asked if the team has earned a day off with this loss, he quickly responded with a "No."
After the jump, questions with answers and comment of the (day).
Questions With Answers
- Can the Flyers kick the struggling Hurricanes while they are down? Yes. Without a doubt.
- How does Laliberte play in his first NHL game? He impressed Stevens enough to move him from the fourth line to the Carter/JVR line at the start of the second period. Two points in your first NHL game? Best Halloween ever.
- Do the changes on the blueline have any effect? Coburn seemed energized, but it's tough to get a full rad because of the injury to Parent. Nevertheless, one goal against is nothing to frown at.
- How do Betts and Parent look in their first games back? As mentioned, Parent left early. He should be fine. Betts was clearly testing his shoulder throughout the game, delivering several checks with that shoulder. He looked fine, finished a plus-1 in 15:23 of ice time. Betts also won 72% of his faceoffs.
- How does the threat of a SEPTA strike tonight, accompanied by city-wide Phillies phever, put a damper on the crowd today? The crowd was very much into the game, but with it out of hand in the third period, a resounding "Yankees Suck!" chant echoed through the Wachovia Center. We'll see how it goes on Monday with a 5 PM start.
Comment(s) of the Day
It’s only fitting for the Flyers to win on Halloween.
>> doubleh
It’s still New York. AL or not, everybody hates the Yankees.
>> Ben Rothenberg
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Emery left the crease! Emery left the crease!
Let’s talk about Danny Syvret’s horrendous performance today.
In the first period, at the 10 minute mark, Syvret takes a terrible line trying to retrieve a dump in which results in the Canes getting the puck, coming out front unimpeded and getting a great scoring chance.
At the 14 minute mark, he gets flustered by a forecheck and turns the puck over behind the net which leads to Carolina setting up in the zone
In the second he took that wrist shot into shinpads then took a horrendously stupid interference penalty on the guy who blocked his shot.
Then there’s the goal against which I’ll break down below, and more than 1/5 of his shifts he made horrendous plays that put the Flyers in danger.
8 of his 19 shifts were less than 30 seconds because there was a stoppage (one time for the goal against, another of the eight was his penalty) and the break in action allowed one of the other four to rest and be sent back out.
With Parent out entirely for the third, they had 40 minutes to spread amongst five Dmen in a blowout game. They took the opportunity to rest the big boys, and yet…
Coburn – 12 shifts for 10:16
Carle – 9 shifts for 9:52
Kimmo – 11 shifts for 8:08
Pronger – 8 shifts for 7:10
Syvret – 7 shifts for 4:34
That includes Syvret taking a shift for the last seven seconds of the game.
On the goal, Syvret might as well have been out there in his shower sandals. He does NOTHING. He had four possible hockey plays to make, and instead he just froze in the only place on ice where he was useless. It’s hard to demonstrate this in picture form, but I tried. Notice how Syvret just leans one way and then the other without ever accomplishing anything.
Also notice how much ground Coburn covers in the time elapsed. More than enough space that Syvret could’ve gotten into the passing lane or between the guy receiving the pass and the net.
by MarioD on Oct 31, 2009 6:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Well done. Now with Jones … let’s say unavailable … what would you suggest Homer and Stevens do? Does OKT defend well enough to overtake Syvret on the depth chart?
by Ben Feldman on Oct 31, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bitch. Moan. Fire Paul Holmgren.
OKT vs. Syvret is a moot point, because they’re both going to dress Monday since Parent still isn’t healthy. And they’ll get their 7 minutes of ice time to see who can fuck up less. In the very little each of them has played, I don’t recall OKT doing anything nearly as moronic as what I depicted above. His mistakes, if I recall, all seem to be of the dumb penalty variety. Maybe make him and Carcillo move in together?
I would say that, with Gagne on LTIR, they should make a trade. Pick up a defender, send syvret down, and deal with the mess when Gagne is healthy.
How to deal with the mess? I would get a guy who’s cap hit is under $1.6m, and when Gagne comes back send JVR down. Because
1) They need a sixth dman way more than they need a 7th scoring forward. It’s outrageous to play those four guys this much as it is, but the schedule just keeps getting more and more compact the rest of the season, then you get into the playoffs when overtime is limitless.
2) For the JVR = Blake Wheeler reasons I’ve listed before, simply that JVR will hit a wall around his 45th game and become a much less effective player. Im guessing thats around the same time Gagne is going to return from his injury.
3) Sending JVR to the AHL is not an irrevocable move. He can be shuttled up and down every day if they want to. (Unlike sending Randy Jones down, which was one of the major reasons that move was such a fuck up.)
4) This team is a three line team. The top two are some combination of Gags/Hartnel, Richards/Carter, Briere/Giroux. The third line is the extremely effective line of Betts/Laperriere/Carcillo. There’s no room amongst those nine players for JVR. When the Flyers are healthy, he’s always going to be on the hodgepodge fourth line combo of Pyoralla/Asham/JVR/Powe.
by MarioD on Oct 31, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also, let me temper that whole thing by saying: If JVR doesn’t learn soon that he’s not in the NCAA anymore, he’s gonna get his fucking neck broken long before Gagne returns. Stick handling behind his back in the slot? And the Alberts hit was entirely JVR’s fault for making himself vulnerable, just like his non-concusion concushion a couple weeks ago.
Which is, of course, why NCAA players should spend time in the AHL.
by MarioD on Oct 31, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
12th and South...
… the home of Harry’s Occult and Spiritual. Did we buy a crystal ball there?
Seriously though, every young player hits a wall sooner or later. JVR is playing well now; let’s enjoy it for what it is. If there comes a situation where they need to send him down, they will do so.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Nov 1, 2009 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great post!
I could be wrong but i remember watching that reply thinking why did Asham follow the guy with the puck around and not do anything then he got all the way back up to the point and asham goes behind him as he turns around right before he passes, as if he was going to skate out of the zone with the puck or something?
Where did you get the video from?
by Nolbs13 on Oct 31, 2009 7:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I noticed that and watched it several times, but wasn’t going to break it down.
What happened was Asham saw both Powe and Pyorala up at the blue line, and it seemed to me that Asham clearly steers the defender towards them thinking they would double team the guy with the puck. But both of those guys skated away to cover other men. Not sure who’s fault that is.
by MarioD on Oct 31, 2009 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not exactly.
I’m not sure how you get the video stills in here, so I can’t show you what I saw. But I think the goal was more of a credit to Sergei Samsonov than anything else.
In the events leading to your first still, Syvret tries to clear the puck but Harrison keeps it in. Powe goes to check Harrison because Harrison is his man to cover. Harrison beats the check and keeps the play alive to Sutter, who is shadowed by Syvret. Sutter passes the puck along the wall to Samsonov, who is then pursued by his man, Asham. Sutter goes from the wall to the left circle, and Syvret follows him. Asham follows Samsonov up the boards while Powe and Pyorala move out to clog up any potential shooting lanes from the defense.
Samsonov is out near center point and is still being shadowed by Asham, who has gone past Powe and Pyorala, who were sticking to their positions. Samsonov fakes a pass to Harrison, which throws everyone off. He stops on a dime and spins around, and Asham is stuck behind him. Powe and Pyorala, who were out near the defensemen they were covering, have to turn around and chase Samsonov as well. (I’m now at your second still, where the three forwards are behind Samsonov.)
Coburn is near enough to his man to thwart Samsonov’s potentially passing the puck his way. Syvret moves away from his man because he is in a tough spot. Samsonov and Sutter essentially have him in a two on one. If Syvret moves to take away the passing lane, he essentially affords Samsonov a mini-breakaway / free shot. If he moves to block the shooting lane, Sutter is still open for a one-timer. (See your fourth still, with the red lines and labels.)
Technically, I guess Syvret should have played the pass, since during a 2-on-1 the defender’s job is to play the pass. But what would we be saying if he had done that and Samsonov scored anyway? It’s not as simple an assignment as you made it out to be, I’m afraid.
I find that I agree more with what the Carolina announcers said during the replay: “Danny Syvret was caught in No Man’s Land due to the skill of Sergei Samsonov.” Samsonov had blown by three forwards and Syvret was in a “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” situation. If he plays the pass, Samsonov gets a high-quality scoring chance. If he plays the shot, Sutter gets the one-timer opportunity anyway.
The whole team played poorly during the first few minutes of the second period; Syvret was essentially on the ice at the wrong time.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Nov 1, 2009 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot to say:
Asham did not peel off Samsonov, nor did he try to guide Powe or Pyorala to assist in his pursuit. Everyone was in his proper position until Samsonov did that neat little fake pass / stop-on-a-dime maneuver.
The goal was not any one player’s fault; credit goes to Samsonov for making it happen.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Nov 1, 2009 1:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Upon Further Review...
You’re right, it looks like Asham tried to steer Samsonov towards Pyorala, who was thrown off by the play. Pyorala wasn’t ready for it at all. Still though, Samsonov made that goal happen.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Nov 1, 2009 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Syvret was caught in no man’s land, and it wasn’t necessarily his fault. That takes us up to the first cap I posted.
His job is then to do SOMETHING. In retrospect, he should’ve blocked the passing lane to his man because Coburn got over in time to cut off Samsonov from a clean breakaway, and Samsonov’s only option would’ve been a shot from the slot.
But, the major problem is that Syvret stayed in no man’s land rather than making even the wrong play.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Live and learn.
I agree that he should have made one decision and stuck to it. I’m guessing he played Samsonov instead of sticking to his man. He had a good chance of getting burned either way. As he develops, those will be the kinds of things he learns how to do more effectively.
Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?
by mikefive on Nov 1, 2009 3:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m guessing he played Samsonov instead of sticking to his man
Again, that’s the point: He did NEITHER of those things. He didn’t make a bad decision. He froze up and did nothing. It’s similar to what happened when he turned the puck over in the 1st period. He saw a forecheck, froze, and just threw the puck away.
He’s not making decisions in time to be competitive in the NHL.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, and pics are screen caps from the NHL.com highlights. That why I don’t have photos of the other plays I discussed with Syvret, no video on NHL.com
by MarioD on Oct 31, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My buddy Mario… You say we need a 6th D-man? Ole Tollefson is a plus-2 with two assists in six games. He is fine as the sixth defensive man. Syvret is young and has a learning curve, and I do agree he played bad yesterday. However, picking one play that he misplayed, and using that to say he sucks is unfair.
As for JVR, 10 points in 9 games. Just shut up. The kid is for real, and not going anywhere. IF, and that is a huge IF, he slows down, then you can say something about moving him down. He’s also the highest +/- forward on the team with a +4.
by orangeandblack20 on Nov 1, 2009 2:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Actually, I pointed out FOUR plays, out of 18 real shifts, in which Syvret fucked up.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I acknowledged he had a bad game. He is only a minus-1 on the year though.
by orangeandblack20 on Nov 1, 2009 2:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Can’t believe they win 6-1 and all we talk about is the poor play of one defenseman.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Nov 1, 2009 3:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs
Touche.
Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Travis Hughes on Nov 1, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Carolina isn’t even an NHL team right now.
Meanwhile, the poor play of that defenseman is clearly the biggest problem facing this team.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Then this team is awesome. If the biggest problem is the 6th defenseman – who is averaging 10:47 a game, is a minus-1 on the year, and has 2 assists – I’d say this team has Stanley Cup written all over it.
Broad Street Hockey -
Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 1, 2009 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
agreed. Thank you. This argument is silly. Almost as silly as saying we should send down our most (arguably) productive forward, and if not most productive, definitely our most economic.
by orangeandblack20 on Nov 1, 2009 4:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Don’t be ignorant. He’s awful and the biggest flaw on this team. No team can be considered a contender for anything without a full roster of NHL players.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 8:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
hahahahaha
Yes, I’m laughing at you. You are laughable.
Broad Street Hockey -
Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 1, 2009 8:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fine then, do be ignorant. Whatever. But it’d be nice if you didn’t interrupt the intelligent dialogue Ben and I were engaged in.
by MarioD on Nov 1, 2009 10:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
“Do be ignorant.” Nice. And “intelligent dialogue”, meaning him speaking once? You really do love hearing yourself talk if you consider that a “dialogue”. Plus, that’s pretty arrogant to consider that “dialogue” “intelligent.”
Broad Street Hockey -
Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Nov 1, 2009 10:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
breaking down Syvret’s awful game isn’t the point here though. The point is that if Stevens can only trust the guy to play a lot of minutes a game in a blowout win, he sure as hell isn’t playing him any in tough games, which in turn is going to mean tons of minutes for the big 4, which is going to absolutely kill these guys come April.
Carolina is just awful and even though I know they started slow last season, I don’t see them duplicating last year’s turnaround.
I think it’s safe to leave them out of playoff discussions.
Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com
by HockeyOutsiders on Nov 2, 2009 11:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
The point is that if Stevens can only trust the guy to play a lot of minutes a game in a blowout win
Not sure if this is a typo or a mistake, but you’re underselling your own point. Look again at the TOI logs for the third period, which I posted:
Coburn – 12 shifts for 10:16
Carle – 9 shifts for 9:52
Kimmo – 11 shifts for 8:08
Pronger – 8 shifts for 7:10
Syvret – 7 shifts for 4:34
Even in a blowout win, Stevens didn’t trust him to log minutes. The game was well out of reach, Pronger clearly got sat down, and still Syvret got held off the ice.
by MarioD on Nov 2, 2009 1:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Jersey
|
58 | 36 | 20 | 2 | 74 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
59 | 35 | 22 | 2 | 72 |
|
Philadelphia
|
57 | 29 | 25 | 3 | 61 |
|
New York Rangers
|
59 | 26 | 26 | 7 | 59 |
|
New York Islanders
|
58 | 23 | 27 | 8 | 54 |
(updated 2.9.2010 at 12:41 AM EST)
Flyers Schedule
Next 5 Games
|
@
New Jersey
|
Wed 02/10 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
Montreal
|
Fri 02/12 | 6:00 PM EST |
|
@
Montreal
|
Sat 02/13 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
@
Tampa Bay
|
Tue 03/02 | 7:30 PM EST |
|
@
Florida
|
Wed 03/03 | 7:30 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
|
New Jersey
|
Mon 02/08 | W 3 - 2 |
|
@
Minnesota
|
Sat 02/06 | L 1 - 2 |
|
@
Edmonton
|
Wed 02/03 | L 0 - 1 |
|
@
Calgary
|
Mon 02/01 | W 3 - 0 |
|
New York Islanders
|
Sat 01/30 | W 2 - 1 |
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