GDT: #36 | Flyers at Ducks | Saturday, December 28, 2024 | 4:00 PM | NBCSP, 97.5 FM

[deadhead]

They got outplayed by Anaheim and got bailed by their goalie (the good version of Ersson still exists in there somewhere! Huzzah!). If seeing the team have serious success beyond meaningless regular season wins is your goal, then that's ominous. It's ok to face facts.

Any West Coast win is a good win.
And beating Anaheim helps our draft position.'

 

[BernieParent]

Any West Coast win is a good win.
And beating Anaheim helps our draft position.'

Propping up a 2nd round pick at the expense of your own 1st isn't helping your draft position, dead. Come on.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Well, depending on who you are your ice time will decline

This to a T, how many Tippett plays were completely ridiculous trying to undress 3 guys alone and losing posession instantly, bone headed passes, yet he gets double shifted. It's garbage and there's no accountability for the select few that Torts is obsessed with, if you're gonna bench Michkov and look like an ass, at least be consistent.

Like, in general. He's really good at coming out of a crowd with the puck. He's getting better at holding the puck and patiently looking for a teammate. But his strongest attribute is winning puck battles with good stick work, while stronger, he's not going to knock people over.

To give Frost credit where credit is due, he's playing a more aggressive game, there just seems to be no real chemistry between him and linemates right now, whether that's Frost or Michkov being in a funk . . . it's a problem on both top six lines.

He's nowhere near close to top 5 on the team in "hands" or ability with the puck, he's good at getting loose pucks, that's it. Comments like that make me think you have an IV with grain alcohol pumping into you bro. Come on.

 

[sbhnur]

Love how some people still find ways to back a shitty team going no where. So those people

It's not about winning a game or two or losing a game or two. It's about building a team. There is no progress in any important area and this team is just so terrible to watch. You can clearly see they are going nowhere.
Torts is an egomaniac stubborn coach and he always choses players he gives fairer chances than others.
He can push the low base of a team but he can't develop the ceiling, like with every other team he coached. For getting a real good team which is fun to watch product you need top talent and structure, both is essential, torts can only coach his structure, he lacks the other part. Or you can say "his structure" don't fits with high end talent.

If you want to watch safety first grinding and play outside the playoffs but close to the wild card spots forever, he is your perfect choice. Maybe you get a first round playoff series to watch at some point, but nothing else.

 

[freakydallas13]

Like, in general. He's really good at coming out of a crowd with the puck. He's getting better at holding the puck and patiently looking for a teammate. But his strongest attribute is winning puck battles with good stick work, while stronger, he's not going to knock people over.

To give Frost credit where credit is due, he's playing a more aggressive game, there just seems to be no real chemistry between him and linemates right now, whether that's Frost or Michkov being in a funk . . . it's a problem on both top six lines.

Gonna have to say I hard disagree with that Cates take, and leave it at that.

 

[Devonator]

Love the way how some people still find ways to complain after a win. So Philly.

Yep...it is pretty bad here.....I am sure if we won the Cup, most of the group here would still find something to complain about.....

 

[mr figgles]

Yep...it is pretty bad here.....I am sure if we won the Cup, most of the group here would still find something to complain about.....

A cup with this talent and these coaches?

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Yep...it is pretty bad here.....I am sure if we won the Cup, most of the group here would still find something to complain about.....

This team as its constructed and with management, a cup? really?

 

[Fight4yourRight]

I’m glad someone can be happy with barely hanging on against the Ducks.

 

[deadhead]

This to a T, how many Tippett plays were completely ridiculous trying to undress 3 guys alone and losing posession instantly, bone headed passes, yet he gets double shifted. It's garbage and there's no accountability for the select few that Torts is obsessed with, if you're gonna bench Michkov and look like an ass, at least be consistent.



He's nowhere near close to top 5 on the team in "hands" or ability with the puck, he's good at getting loose pucks, that's it. Comments like that make me think you have an IV with grain alcohol pumping into you bro. Come on.

What do you call 'hands?" Coming out of a crowd with a loose puck and maintaining possession along the board is mostly "hands." Combination of eye to hand coordination and wrist, forearm strength.

Did I say he had great vision or was a great passer? That's a different skill set.
Frost has a much better skill set in terms of playmaking, but is much easier to strip the puck from.
Yet they're pretty much the same size.

Propping up a 2nd round pick at the expense of your own 1st isn't helping your draft position, dead. Come on.

We're not going to lose every game, at least win the games against the teams that can help us, Anaheim, CBJ, Colorado and Edmonton.

 

[VladDrag]

What do you call 'hands?" Coming out of a crowd with a loose puck and maintaining possession along the board is mostly "hands." Combination of eye to hand coordination and wrist, forearm strength.

Typically, that’s not how the term “hands” are perceived, which is why you’re getting pushback. Hands is typically viewed as puck handling and deception. That’s not what Cates is good at, and I think if you asked Cates if he had the best hands on the team, he would laugh.

He’s good puck protection, very good in fact. But he doesn’t have the soft touch that’s indicative of ‘hands’.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

I am not watching this shit anymore. This organization hates skill. You drafted a elite talent and now you have a kid who is afraid to make a mistake because the dinosaur coach will bench him if he does. I have had it.

 

[VladDrag]

It probably doesn’t surprise anyone here, but The Flyers YouTube page didn’t post this interview to their page, but they posted everyone else’s (Cates, Sanheim, Ersson, Brink).

 

[deadhead]

Typically, that’s not how the term “hands” are perceived, which is why you’re getting pushback. Hands is typically viewed as puck handling and deception. That’s not what Cates is good at, and I think if you asked Cates if he had the best hands on the team, he would laugh.

He’s good puck protection, very good in fact. But he doesn’t have the soft touch that’s indicative of ‘hands’.

I see deception and vision as different skills than "hands." More "playmaking."

Michkov has great hands, see how hard it is to separate him from the puck, what makes him exceptional is he combines those hands with the other skills.

Hands to me is "puck control", whether handling the puck in a crowd or skating with the puck under control (see how many Flyers flub the puck when they try to accelerate down the ice) or smoothly catching a pass without it bouncing off your stick.

Cates has really good hands (by my definition), his problem was he was coached to be defense first in college and lacked confidence in his offense skills, as Torts says, he'd dump the puck rather than hold it and wait for something to open up - and good hands buys you that extra second. Since he returned to center he's playing with a lot more confidence offensively.

As far as Torts as the defense obsessed HC, he's been pushing Cates to be more aggressive on offense. He's said part of development is players learning to do things they're not comfortable doing.

 

[GKJ]

If Michkov needs a night off, then let him have it. No use in running him out there if he’s gassed.

 

[deadhead]

It probably doesn’t surprise anyone here, but The Flyers YouTube page didn’t post this interview to their page, but they posted everyone else’s (Cates, Sanheim, Ersson, Brink).

Torts is right on target.

If you watch Michkov, he's not playing at the same level he was earlier, doesn't matter if he's with Couts or Frost or Tippett or TK. Last year he played a total of 47 KHL games spread over a season, so far 38 games against better competition in half the time. His legs look dead.

It's not just physical, the mental grind (# of games, travel) wears a player down and they lose focus.

There's no reason to wear him into the ice, that's when young players get injured.

At some point he'll get his second wind.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

I boxscore watch nine times out of ten anymore. I don't give a shit if they win or lose, I only care if Mich scores points. So it's not surprising to see that Fred Flintstone already has him in the Dino house.

 

[renberg]

MM will figure this out too, if you're making plays on defense, you're flipping the ice and creating opportunities to make plays on offense. If you half-ass your off puck play, your ice time will decline.

Tortorella has nothing to offer this kid. MM can do things on the ice that Tortorella never dreamed of doing. Instead of taking advantage of MM’s skills Tortorella looks to find ways to diminish them. The fact that Tortorella can’t find any way to elevate the play of MM other than to bench him really shows his ineptitude as a coach. His entire schtick of trying to teach MM to “play the right way” is nothing more than a poorly managed head game. Tortorella has nothing to offer idea of how to work with a talent such as Michkov.
Briere needs to intervene and stop this nonsense. It’s gone on long enough. There are reasons why Tortorella was not included when the Lightning celebrated the anniversary of their winning the cup or that the Sedins wanted him gone in Vancouver. The guy is toxic to talented players; especially young ones.

 

[VladDrag]

I see deception and vision as different skills than "hands." More "playmaking."

Michkov has great hands, see how hard it is to separate him from the puck, what makes him exceptional is he combines those hands with the other skills.

Hands to me is "puck control", whether handling the puck in a crowd or skating with the puck under control (see how many Flyers flub the puck when they try to accelerate down the ice) or smoothly catching a pass without it bouncing off your stick.

Cates has really good hands (by my definition), his problem was he was coached to be defense first in college and lacked confidence in his offense skills, as Torts says, he'd dump the puck rather than hold it and wait for something to open up - and good hands buys you that extra second. Since he returned to center he's playing with a lot more confidence offensively.

As far as Torts as the defense obsessed HC, he's been pushing Cates to be more aggressive on offense. He's said part of development is players learning to do things they're not comfortable doing.

you can view Cates however you want. I wouldn’t disagree with most of it. I’m just telling you most people don’t view hands the what you’re describing it.

 

[Danko]

Mich did seem gassed every time he came back to the bench and they showed him on camera after a shift

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Michkov is a rookie, like all rookies, they go through stretches where they forget how to play. Right now he's in a funk, no he's not going anywhere and neither is Torts. MM has to learn what TK learned, just b/c you're in a scoring slump, keep your head in the game and help your team win. Turning moleholes into mountains around here. One play that might have got him in trouble was a soft cross ice pass that was almost an odd man breakaway - if you're going to make cross ice passes, fire it, don't leave it out there to be picked off.

Oh Konecny, yes, the genius that is Dave Hakstol that scratched after a four point night in St Louis that the Flyers won and then would play him with Chris VandeVelde and Jori Lehtera because he needed to learn board play from board play all stars. No, let's not focus on what he does well, but let's abandon that and use him in a checking role because "two-way" play.

And then let's not forget that Vigneault did a number on him as well. But yes, let's take our best offensive players, neuter their offensive game because of checking.

We can't ever have anything nice in Philadelphia because everyone in management and coaching tries to fundamentally change how a player plays. And then we sit here and wonder why none of the guys ever develop offensively. Heaven forbid that they'd ever want a top offensive player in the league.......

 

[MJL66]

I see deception and vision as different skills than "hands." More "playmaking."

Michkov has great hands, see how hard it is to separate him from the puck, what makes him exceptional is he combines those hands with the other skills.

Hands to me is "puck control", whether handling the puck in a crowd or skating with the puck under control (see how many Flyers flub the puck when they try to accelerate down the ice) or smoothly catching a pass without it bouncing off your stick.

Cates has really good hands (by my definition), his problem was he was coached to be defense first in college and lacked confidence in his offense skills, as Torts says, he'd dump the puck rather than hold it and wait for something to open up - and good hands buys you that extra second. Since he returned to center he's playing with a lot more confidence offensively.

As far as Torts as the defense obsessed HC, he's been pushing Cates to be more aggressive on offense. He's said part of development is players learning to do things they're not comfortable doing.

Despite his recent scoring spree, Cates does not have really good hands. His hands and his offensive skill level are well below average. Which is why he will never be a scorer at the NHL level. His strengths as a player are his defensive hockey sense. His ability to win puck battles and puck retrievals. His strength on the forecheck as F1. His streak is not going to last. He's simply doing a good job of getting into soft spots and having a lot of puck luck.

 

[MJL66]

Torts is right on target.

If you watch Michkov, he's not playing at the same level he was earlier, doesn't matter if he's with Couts or Frost or Tippett or TK. Last year he played a total of 47 KHL games spread over a season, so far 38 games against better competition in half the time. His legs look dead.

It's not just physical, the mental grind (# of games, travel) wears a player down and they lose focus.

There's no reason to wear him into the ice, that's when young players get injured.

At some point he'll get his second wind.

You're buying into the Tortorella propaganda. He's 20 years old. He's not tired. He is lacking confidence and is playing timidly because Tortorella is stifling him as a player. He's playing tentatively because he is afraid of making a mistake. Tortorella is trying to get him to play the Tortorella way. Which is the safe way. A player like Michkov has to play aggressively on the edge. Tortorella is coaching him away from that.

Mich did seem gassed every time he came back to the bench and they showed him on camera after a shift

Don't confuse frustration with lack of physical energy.

 

[bennysflyers16]

Such a bad way to run a team

Brink gets it. I mean look he’s molded him into a 30 pt grinder.

 

[GKJ]

Mich did seem gassed every time he came back to the bench and they showed him on camera after a shift

Yeah, I’m not seeing this as him getting punished. The schedule has taken its toll on him and that’s ok. It’s an 82-game season and he’s never played more than like 57 or something in a whole season. If he’s hitting a wall, then that’s what it is. He’s also doing appearances because it’s in my feed.