I can't imagine Snider/Lukko and the rest of the organization would put up with this! Bryz is a very nice man, I've met him on several occasions since he's been with the Flyers, and I can say that he is his own worst critic.
I could see Bryz deciding to return to Europe permanently. He is very proud of Russia, and he is tired of living in a media fish bowl like the Philadelphia sports media has created.
It would be best if he returned to Russia, and called it a day.
Maybe then he could continue his wishes to be a cosmonault.
Also, don't the Flyers lead the league in blocked shots this season?
The reason for so many blocked shots? The defense has no confidence that the goalie will make saves.
That is another reason to pursue an alternative to the Bryzgalov trouble.
His two back up goalies would be put on waivers by every other team in the league, that is why Holmgren needs to get off his arse and trade for a true starting goalie, because Bryz knows he'll be starting every game. If he had a decent goalie to give him some concentration, and make a competition for who the starting goalie is.
Not just Bryz or nault!
Also, don't the Flyers lead the league in blocked shots this season?
The reason for so many blocked shots? The defense has no confidence that the goalie will make saves.
That is another reason to pursue an alternative to the Bryzgalov trouble.
His two back up goalies would be put on waivers by every other team in the league, that is why Holmgren needs to get off his arse and trade for a true starting goalie, because Bryz knows he'll be starting every game. If he had a decent goalie to give him some concentration, and make a competition for who the starting goalie is.
Not just Bryz or nault!
I don't know. I see blocked shots as the defense being a strong defense and doing everything it takes to win regardless of who is between the pipes.
Bryzgalov has let this team down. He helped us stay competitive early when we were attacked with injuries, but now he is running on fumes.
We definitely need a PMD and a healthy roster, but a consistent goaltender would go a long way.
In the old thread someone mentioned seeing Bryz as having more upside than Niklas Backstrom. Holy smokes man. If we're talking just upside, as in their A-games, I don't think it's really a hard choice . . . at all.
When he's healthy and on his game Backstrom's flexible like Bob, but with the patience and picture perfect stance like Belfour used to have, and he plays his angles almost as well as Lundqvist only a little more agressive. Nik Backstrom on his game is a friggin wall. Granted, he's not always on his game and his team hasn't always been good, but we're talking upside here.
found it hilarious that some people find the Bryzgalov contract fine, but want to throw Briere under the bus.
both players underperforming, but its only acceptable with one of em to be average at best.
unreal.
Edit: I love it how the Bryzgalov supporters whine when they complain about posters and say "its easy to blame the goaltending and use that as the scapegoat" All the while they are hammering home how much Briere sucks and they want Lavy fired.
too funny.
everything would be fine in goal, if only we had Smith or Quick
35 Mike Smith PHX .897
37 Jonathan Quick LAK .895
ooops
It's funny, I've asked you to rank Bryzgalov among the other goalies in the NHL about 5 times now and you've refused to do so every time, saying you were only concerned with how Bryz played for us game to game and then you go and post some garbage like this.
Meltzer today in his blog post gives a pretty honest assessment of Bryz IMO..
Quote:
GOALTENDING -- Not meeting expectations
I was on the fence with this one. Despite a poor early won-loss record, Ilya Bryzgalov was the Flyers most consistently good player for the first three or four weeks of the season. Ever since then, he has been a very ordinary goaltender who has not been part of the solution. Ultimately, his .899 save percentage on the season is unacceptable, regardless of defensive breakdowns in front of him.
There haven't been a lot of games this season where Bryzgalov has truly been awful. There has not been an inordinate number of outright soft goals allowed, but the number of potentially stoppable shots that have gotten through (with Bryzgalov looking bad on the play) have increased. But over the last six weeks or so, there haven't been very many where he's been all that good, either.
I cover the Dallas Stars as well as the Flyers, and I can most assuredly tell you that the Dallas team defense is every bit as prone to horrific breakdowns as the Flyers, arguably even more so. Yet somehow Kari Lehtonen has still managed to be one of the top goaltenders in the NHL over the last few years, including a 2.23 GAA and .929 save percentage this year.
By comparison, Dallas backup goalies Richard Bachman (3.92 GAA, .848 save percentage in six appearances) and Cristopher Nilstorp (3.03 GAA, .897 SV% in five appearances) have been unable to make clutch saves and Bachman especially has compounded the problem with untimely soft goals. When one of those guys has been in net, it has become painfully clear just how vulnerable the Stars are defensively.
On many nights, Lehtonen singlehandedly lifts the Stars to a higher level of competitiveness. It CAN be done if a goalie is locked in. If Lehtonen can do it, Bryzgalov can as well. That is what the Flyers expect -- and need -- of Bryzgalov, and he doesn't even have to do it as frequently as Lehtonen does in Dallas.
I will say though, I have a really horrible, horrible feeling that IF we do amnesty Bryz, he will go to a team we usually play and he will dominate us. It's something I just can't shake.
I will say though, I have a really horrible, horrible feeling that IF we do amnesty Bryz, he will go to a team we usually play and he will dominate us. It's something I just can't shake.
