Back in Gretzky's rookie season, Jimmy Watson was hurt and couldn't play in a game at Edmonton. A body was needed, so the Flyers called up a draft pick from Brandon/Western Hockey League named Don Gillen. Gretzky scored a goal midway in the game and gave Edmonton a lead, then Gillen followed that with a goal almost immediately to tie it. The Flyers won. It was the only game he ever played for the Flyers. That won't happen with Harry Z. Keep the faith!
I was a big fan of Don's and thought he had a great future ahead of him here. I still remember Propp congratulating him after his goal. I loved that WheatKings team. They had some kind of firepower and Don was a big strong dude. Then puff he was gone.........
Interloper here, just wondering what the chances of Couturier heading back to Junior are. Looking at your forward depth it seems like you have too many bodies for too few minutes. If Schenn / Couturier have to be on the 4th line it seems to me that one should be in the minors / junior to get more minutes. I realize he has been showing promise but would that justify 7 minutes a night?
Of course if Hartnell is traded...then that might solve the problem.
I think this is pretty solid right here. Only thing I would do is swap JvR and Simmonds. Simmonds-Briere-Hartnell could be a very interesting line. Good lord, this season is so exciting. Haha.
Which is exactly the lineup I posted two or three posts before Spongulum
the 2nd line could cycle really well, with either Hartnell or Simmonds getting to the front of the net. the 3rd line would have a lot of skill, and hopefully a lot of finish.
Just my thoughts.
I feel like people never read some posts sometimes.
I was a big fan of Don's and thought he had a great future ahead of him here. I still remember Propp congratulating him after his goal. I loved that WheatKings team. They had some kind of firepower and Don was a big strong dude. Then puff he was gone.........
He was sent to Hartford in the Rick MacLeish blockbuster. One of about nine or ten names/picks that got dealt. I don't know what happened to him after he got to the Whalers, played a few games as I recall.
Al Hill has the NHL record for best debut, 5 points vs. St. Louis. He is still on the Flyers' staff as a scout.
I maybe wrong on this but one of his goals was a tap in that cost MacLiesh 50 goals that season. Rick shot it and it was just about to go over the line when Al tapped in it. Rick ended up with 49.I maybe wrong but that does ring a bell.
Interloper here, just wondering what the chances of Couturier heading back to Junior are. Looking at your forward depth it seems like you have too many bodies for too few minutes. If Schenn / Couturier have to be on the 4th line it seems to me that one should be in the minors / junior to get more minutes. I realize he has been showing promise but would that justify 7 minutes a night?
Of course if Hartnell is traded...then that might solve the problem.
Not going to happen... It's been said by Laviolette and by Homer that Couturier will 100% not be sent back to Juniors.
Im trying to figure out how this is going to work. All i can say is that Simmonds has been playing way to well too be demoted a line and the same with Read.
Hartnell goes to the fourth line. The last time i was this excited to see a prospect was when Giroux came up. Make this count Schenn and stay with the big club
I loved G coming up and I have to admit he has by far exceeded my expectations.(He is my favorite player) But Jeff and Mike were the last ones I was really pumped to see play for us until now!! Looking forward to seeing him in action for us. Zac and Harry will be back in the future you can be sure of that.
I honestly think Danny B is terrible at faceoffs and is really struggling right now to find chemistry w/ his current linemates. I also think Danny is at his best sometimes coming off the wing and kind of sneaking down low. I think putting Schenn in the middle would solve the faceoff problem, and hopefully adding another skill player to his line will get him going.
On another note, our 2nd powerplay unit (Danny B, Voracek, JVR) has been nothing short of TERRIBLE. I think Schenn should get some looks on the 2nd PP unit for sure.
Interloper here, just wondering what the chances of Couturier heading back to Junior are. Looking at your forward depth it seems like you have too many bodies for too few minutes. If Schenn / Couturier have to be on the 4th line it seems to me that one should be in the minors / junior to get more minutes. I realize he has been showing promise but would that justify 7 minutes a night?
Of course if Hartnell is traded...then that might solve the problem.
So far our 4th line center has averaged 14.44 per game. If we continue to roll the lines like we do now (and take as many penalties), there's no trouble handing minutes to both Schenn and Couturier, even if one of them is on the 4th line.
Richards started at the second but he was so atrociously bad at times that he found himself on the fourth. Carter was always on the 3rd.
Your comment raised my curiosity, so I checked back through the GDT's from 2005-2006. The only thing that may be atrociously bad is your memory.
Richards was on the 4th line a couple of times that year. He was on the top line a couple of times during Forsberg absences. He was on the 2nd line for the majority of the first half of the year, until the Flyers traded for Nedved, at which time he moved to the 3rd line, behind centres Nedved and Forsberg.
Carter, however, spent a good deal of time on the 4th line behind a combination of Forsberg/Nedved/Handzus/Richards.
I maybe wrong on this but one of his goals was a tap in that cost MacLiesh 50 goals that season. Rick shot it and it was just about to go over the line when Al tapped in it. Rick ended up with 49.I maybe wrong but that does ring a bell.
That Brandon team had Brad McCrimmon, didn't it? Brian Propp, Ray Allison and Laurie Boschmann was the huge line.
I could be mistaken but I think JohnFlyersFan has a memory about that (49/50 goals) and he's told it on HF. Yes, MacLeish did get 49 one season, the last coming in the second to final game that season.
Last edited by MiamiScreamingEagles: 10-19-2011 at 01:38 PM.
Reason: memory not story
I honestly think Danny B is terrible at faceoffs and is really struggling right now to find chemistry w/ his current linemates. I also think Danny is at his best sometimes coming off the wing and kind of sneaking down low. I think putting Schenn in the middle would solve the faceoff problem, and hopefully adding another skill player to his line will get him going.
On another note, our 2nd powerplay unit (Danny B, Voracek, JVR) has been nothing short of TERRIBLE. I think Schenn should get some looks on the 2nd PP unit for sure.
Brière is at 56.5% at draws so far this season. Granted, he's not been close to that in the past, but still. Talbot and Couturier, however...
There are other aspects of being a center that is more troublesome with him though. He's quite simply not good enough defensively, and a bit too small, Hartnell took a huge load of the defensive work for the HBL line last year and Brière needs someone to do so for him again.
I think he's beginning to look better the past couple of games. Him and Voracek are beginning to find each other, but it can still be a lot better, that's for sure.
Since Couturier is a very good defensive forward, I would not move him to the wing. He has to play center. So the only option I see is him centering the 4th line, Talbot goes to the wing. Couturier and Talbot play very well together on the PK, they could do it too in the 4th line.
And I don't think we should send Hartnell to the 4th line, but to the 2nd line. Briere + Hartnell do wonders.
And seriously, having too many good players and not knowing what do to with them is a REALLY GREAT thing.
Brière is at 56.5% at draws so far this season. Granted, he's not been close to that in the past, but still. Talbot and Couturier, however...
There are other aspects of being a center that is more troublesome with him though. He's quite simply not good enough defensively, and a bit too small, Hartnell took a huge load of the defensive work for the HBL line last year and Brière needs someone to do so for him again.
I think he's beginning to look better the past couple of games. Him and Voracek are beginning to find each other, but it can still be a lot better, that's for sure.
Brière is at 56.5% at draws so far this season. Granted, he's not been close to that in the past, but still. Talbot and Couturier, however...
There are other aspects of being a center that is more troublesome with him though. He's quite simply not good enough defensively, and a bit too small, Hartnell took a huge load of the defensive work for the HBL line last year and Brière needs someone to do so for him again.
I think he's beginning to look better the past couple of games. Him and Voracek are beginning to find each other, but it can still be a lot better, that's for sure.
Well I got yelled at by a few people on here that told me Talbot will easily do well on faceoffs this season.
Since Couturier is a very good defensive forward, I would not move him to the wing. He has to play center. So the only option I see is him centering the 4th line, Talbot goes to the wing. Couturier and Talbot play very well together on the PK, they could do it too in the 4th line.
And I don't think we should send Hartnell to the 4th line, but to the 2nd line. Briere + Hartnell do wonders.
And seriously, having too many good players and not knowing what do to with them is a REALLY GREAT thing.
Agreed. There is some argument about whether Schenn or Couturier should be 3C or 4C, because the one who gets 4C will not have as much chance to develop.
I don't see it as a problem. The fact is, we've got our 4 centres set for the foreseeable future and it's Giroux, Briere, Schenn, Couturier.
At some point, Schenn and/or Couts is going to warrant the 2 slot and push Briere to the wing but for now, it is what it is, which is a very good lineup for the next several years.
We traded Carter and Richards and got two great centres and two great wingers in return, plus a couple picks, and cap room to sign Bryzgalov.
The off-season was a disaster for Holmgren. How are the Flyers going to score enough goals to win? How can they make the playoffs with this lineup???
Agreed. There is some argument about whether Schenn or Couturier should be 3C or 4C, because the one who gets 4C will not have as much chance to develop.
I don't see it as a problem. The fact is, we've got our 4 centres set for the foreseeable future and it's Giroux, Briere, Schenn, Couturier.
At some point, Schenn and/or Couts is going to warrant the 2 slot and push Briere to the wing but for now, it is what it is, which is a very good lineup for the next several years.
We traded Carter and Richards and got two great centres and two great wingers in return, plus a couple picks, and cap room to sign Bryzgalov.
The off-season was a disaster for Holmgren. How are the Flyers going to score enough goals to win? How can they make the playoffs with this lineup???
I was one of the cautious posters in regards to the offseason, I don't recall anyone saying it was a "disaster". IIRC, most people were just implying it was a big risk.
I've said it all offseason, we were, and still are, the definition of an unknown. I sure hope these first 5 games are indicative of the entire year though.
Back in Gretzky's rookie season, Jimmy Watson was hurt and couldn't play in a game at Edmonton. A body was needed, so the Flyers called up a draft pick from Brandon/Western Hockey League named Don Gillen. Gretzky scored a goal midway in the game and gave Edmonton a lead, then Gillen followed that with a goal almost immediately to tie it. The Flyers won. It was the only game he ever played for the Flyers. That won't happen with Harry Z. Keep the faith!
Gotta make most of the time you get and he did. Guarantee next time they're an injury he'll be a strong runner for it. Look at Nodl. Made the most of his time he was given because of one reason or another, and eventually found a spot on the roster.
