Guys! Guys!
Flyers are going to buy out Bryzgalov’s contract! We’re saved! Just like when
we traded Richards, Carter, and Bobrovsky…Oh wait. Richards and Carter went on
to win the Stanley Cup with the Kings and Bobrovsky won Vezina with the
Jackets. But that’s okay, right? I mean, look at the media guy Randy J. Miller
commenting on how unprofessional Bryzgalov was in his completely misplaced
Twitter rant, saying things that were supposed to have been off the record.
Also read his stuff, it’s always saying how much Bryz sucks. I mean sure, it
doesn’t say why he sucks and why the Flyers defense is completely non-existent
and doesn’t say anything about what we need to improve on, but yeah, Bryz
sucks.
Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers, home of every hockey player that suddenly gets better when they leave. Or do they? Actually they don’t. They play exactly the way they did before, but now with a team that actually works for them and with a media that isn’t ripping them apart for breathing wrong. Not that the media’s to blame completely for the team not producing, but they certainly will make a player’s life hell if they aren’t Wayne Gretzky reincarnate. In fact, if you really want someone to blame – and I’m talking to you too, Randy J. Miller – look as far as your GM and owner. Hell, did the Flyers hire Milbury? Might as well have with their “let’s sign this guy to a ridiculously long and expensive contract, and if he doesn’t get us the Cup within 2-5 years let’s trade him” policy. Damn. I mean, really, just wow. Without consistency in your roster, you aren’t going to find any consistency in your team’s productivity. But yeah, let’s blame the goalie, or the captain, or that guy selling the hot dogs, because that’s our problem.
Here’s the truth Philly: Your goalie isn’t the problem. Your offense isn’t the problem. Your defense is the problem. Yes, you can re-read that. Your defense is the problem. The Flyers D looks like the Leafs in the last five minutes of Game 7 against the Bruins, just in every game, every shift, and with every player. And no, fighting doesn’t count as defense. Your guys fight a lot, but when you’re too busy trying to start something behind the play while you let the other team’s offense skip right through to your goalie who’s mind is a battlefield after being slaughtered by your media day after day…they’re probably going to score…a lot. And so the cycle repeats and repeats, and instead of realizing that maybe your defense should actually get to their spot on the blue line or on the goalie’s blind side, you decide to blame someone else and trade them. Actually Mr. Miller, if you’re still upset about Bryz hanging up on you, maybe you can ask one of the D-men to take you out to dinner because they’re obviously not busy with anything.
The defense problem is actually easy to address, if you know, you address it. Stop getting rid of your goalies, stop getting rid of your captains, and focus on fixing your D. They actually aren’t bad players, but for whatever reason they’re just not clicking. Maybe focus on coaching them differently, or add some new players to mix in with your best while trading the less desirable, just something until the problem’s fixed. Get your GM and owner to focus on that, and maybe, if you’re patient, the hockey gods will give you the D you’ve been dreaming of. (Yes, you can laugh at that last sentence.)
Philly, stop blaming everyone if you don’t get the Cup within three years with your new team, because then you’ll end up looking like the Oilers…and that might be more embarrassing than your media (still looking at you Randy). Be patient, address the real problems, and stop thinking a trade or buyout every year is going to save you, because it’s not. The players you got rid of have gone on to win great things, while you’re still sitting there wondering how many more players can you ruin before you start to look like the Rangers. It’s not working for them, it’s not working for you, and so maybe it’s about time to change that…And for hockey god’s sake, get that shit media out of the locker room.
Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers, home of every hockey player that suddenly gets better when they leave. Or do they? Actually they don’t. They play exactly the way they did before, but now with a team that actually works for them and with a media that isn’t ripping them apart for breathing wrong. Not that the media’s to blame completely for the team not producing, but they certainly will make a player’s life hell if they aren’t Wayne Gretzky reincarnate. In fact, if you really want someone to blame – and I’m talking to you too, Randy J. Miller – look as far as your GM and owner. Hell, did the Flyers hire Milbury? Might as well have with their “let’s sign this guy to a ridiculously long and expensive contract, and if he doesn’t get us the Cup within 2-5 years let’s trade him” policy. Damn. I mean, really, just wow. Without consistency in your roster, you aren’t going to find any consistency in your team’s productivity. But yeah, let’s blame the goalie, or the captain, or that guy selling the hot dogs, because that’s our problem.
Here’s the truth Philly: Your goalie isn’t the problem. Your offense isn’t the problem. Your defense is the problem. Yes, you can re-read that. Your defense is the problem. The Flyers D looks like the Leafs in the last five minutes of Game 7 against the Bruins, just in every game, every shift, and with every player. And no, fighting doesn’t count as defense. Your guys fight a lot, but when you’re too busy trying to start something behind the play while you let the other team’s offense skip right through to your goalie who’s mind is a battlefield after being slaughtered by your media day after day…they’re probably going to score…a lot. And so the cycle repeats and repeats, and instead of realizing that maybe your defense should actually get to their spot on the blue line or on the goalie’s blind side, you decide to blame someone else and trade them. Actually Mr. Miller, if you’re still upset about Bryz hanging up on you, maybe you can ask one of the D-men to take you out to dinner because they’re obviously not busy with anything.
The defense problem is actually easy to address, if you know, you address it. Stop getting rid of your goalies, stop getting rid of your captains, and focus on fixing your D. They actually aren’t bad players, but for whatever reason they’re just not clicking. Maybe focus on coaching them differently, or add some new players to mix in with your best while trading the less desirable, just something until the problem’s fixed. Get your GM and owner to focus on that, and maybe, if you’re patient, the hockey gods will give you the D you’ve been dreaming of. (Yes, you can laugh at that last sentence.)
Philly, stop blaming everyone if you don’t get the Cup within three years with your new team, because then you’ll end up looking like the Oilers…and that might be more embarrassing than your media (still looking at you Randy). Be patient, address the real problems, and stop thinking a trade or buyout every year is going to save you, because it’s not. The players you got rid of have gone on to win great things, while you’re still sitting there wondering how many more players can you ruin before you start to look like the Rangers. It’s not working for them, it’s not working for you, and so maybe it’s about time to change that…And for hockey god’s sake, get that shit media out of the locker room.
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