Prove that his linemates are bailing his slow ass out. Provide some facts. Which linemates specifically?
- MJL

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season. Considering the Flyers lack of depth at C I believe Torts is trying to motivate him like he did last year (which I don’t think worked)….he is one of their keys that’s going to have to be good, if this team is going to be a better version then last year.
Coots game has never been predicated on speed. He gets to where he needs to be and has an abundance of Hockey IQ. I was a little surprised he chose to go at Coots this early, but if you want to send the entire team a message that’s the guy that will get everyone’s attention.
Like the rest of the team, or much of it, they need to get it going.

And now the goal post moving begins to suit your agenda. Yes, I ripped Torts on here yesterday cause I'm tired of him changing the lines around all the time. Stick with the same lineup for awhile and whichever line is playing the best in a given game, give them the most ice time. You folks crack me up! You were complaining last year cause Torts was playing Coots too much and now folks are complaining that he isn't being played enough. I rest my case as far as Coots is concerned. His game has declined dramatically in the past year and a big part of that is his ability to keep up with the pace of play. He is/was the type of player that couldn't afford to lose a step or two and he has for various reasons.
- Phillywhiteout

How can you justify the criticism of what Tortorella has been doing with the lines? He has been behind the bench for 20 years and knows what he is seeing.

There is no moving of goal posts. I have not in any way denied that Couturier has declined as a player.

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season. Considering the Flyers lack of depth at C I believe Torts is trying to motivate him like he did last year (which I don’t think worked)….he is one of their keys that’s going to have to be good, if this team is going to be a better version then last year.
Coots game has never been predicated on speed. He gets to where he needs to be and has an abundance of Hockey IQ. I was a little surprised he chose to go at Coots this early, but if you want to send the entire team a message that’s the guy that will get everyone’s attention.
Like the rest of the team, or much of it, they need to get it going.
- landros 2

Not much more going to get in my opinion.

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season. Considering the Flyers lack of depth at C I believe Torts is trying to motivate him like he did last year (which I don’t think worked)….he is one of their keys that’s going to have to be good, if this team is going to be a better version then last year.
Coots game has never been predicated on speed. He gets to where he needs to be and has an abundance of Hockey IQ. I was a little surprised he chose to go at Coots this early, but if you want to send the entire team a message that’s the guy that will get everyone’s attention.
Like the rest of the team, or much of it, they need to get it going.
- landros 2

Walker and Seeler were their best defense pairing last year, and they had Hart for a good part of the season. Those two defenders are not here (Is Seeler still alive?) and Hart is gone. I still think they will put the puck in the net, but their defense and tending could be brutal, and that's why I picked them to bring up the rear of the Metro division. Kolosov is probably their best option as backup although he isn't exactly lighting things up in the AHL and I have no idea why they aren't playing Andrae over Johnson.

https://phillyhockeynow.c...sing-streak-reaches-four/

Looks like the natives are starting to get restless. Torts/DB really need a win soon (and just as importantly Fedotov needs to show he wasn't a DB mistake). Glad to see we aren't the only ones who noticed that Andrae got called up just to sit in the press box.
- Flyers_01

I was confident from what I had seen Fedotov do when playing for the Russian national team a few years ago…now I see a guy that isn’t playing with a lot of confidence and as others have suggested, somehow seems small in the net. I’m not going to write a guy off with such a small sample size, but the NHL is not a forgiving league if you are struggling. He might be better served finding his game in the AHL.

Why do you do this to yourself. Do you think this is going to help you? You and I have had many interactions and discussions on what happens during the game. That history shows that you don't know what you're looking at and that I do. Simple as that. Then we can look at the history of discussing the team outside of actual game events. That history also shows that you don't have a clue and that I do. There is nothing you can do about that. With that reality, this is the tact that you're going to take? It's what idiots do.
- MJL

See, here you are resorting to personal attacks. When do I ever do that to you? My point here is your argument that you can present statistical evidence that shows Couts is not behind the play is complete nonsense. Anyone watching the games with even a half-witted sense of how hockey is played can see Couts is struggling. I don't need stats to tell me this or reaffirm it.

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season.
- landros 2

The only player doing better in possession in shot attempts is Cates, and he only played one game. There are 7 forwards without an ES point, and Couturier isn't one of them.

https://www.naturalstattr...ines=single&draftteam=ALL

See, here you are resorting to personal attacks. When do I ever do that to you? My point here is your argument that you can present statistical evidence that shows Couts is not behind the play is complete nonsense. Anyone watching the games with even a half-witted sense of how hockey is played can see Couts is struggling. I don't need stats to tell me this or reaffirm it.
- jd250

He's struggling less than about 10 other forwards. You eye test is the same eye test that told you Risto was the Flyers best dman. On Saturday he got less ice time than Johnson.

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season. Considering the Flyers lack of depth at C I believe Torts is trying to motivate him like he did last year (which I don’t think worked)….he is one of their keys that’s going to have to be good, if this team is going to be a better version then last year.
Coots game has never been predicated on speed. He gets to where he needs to be and has an abundance of Hockey IQ. I was a little surprised he chose to go at Coots this early, but if you want to send the entire team a message that’s the guy that will get everyone’s attention.
Like the rest of the team, or much of it, they need to get it going.
- landros 2

Maybe we are making too much of this? Last season Couts played about 20 minutes a night the first half of the season and it cost him dearly in the second half. Perhaps Torts and his staff are just limiting Cout's minutes right now to let him ease into the season and have more juice in the second half? Just a thought.

His linemates are bailing his slow ass out. These are all things that needs to be considered when watching Coots have serious issues keeping up with the pace of play on a regular basis.
- Phillywhiteout

How are his linemates bailing him out when none of his linemates are doing as well as him in shot attempts? He hasn't played with Cates.

18 year old Luchanko is the forward who is getting absolutely crushed out there.

Walker and Seeler were their best defense pairing last year, and they had Hart for a good part of the season. Those two defenders are not here (Is Seeler still alive?) and Hart is gone. I still think they will put the puck in the net, but their defense and tending could be brutal, and that's why I picked them to bring up the rear of the Metro division.
- Phillywhiteout

I still actually think they have a chance to be better than last year….if not then I think it’s fair to point the finger at the coaching staff. Not because they got stupid over the summer or forgot how to coach, but rather the message is getting stale.
Hart is a good goalie, but was never what I would call great. The loss of a guy like Walker hurts for sure, but I also think York has really improved since the mid point of last season.
I still go back to a below average team down the middle. Throw in some shoddy, AHL level goaltending and you get what we have right now.

The only player doing better in possession in shot attempts is Cates, and he only played one game. There are 7 forwards without an ES point, and Couturier isn't one of them.

https://www.naturalstattr...ines=single&draftteam=ALL
- Feanor

But making an example of him gets everyone’s attention. That’s Torts 101.

I don’t know if Coots is playing any slower. I don’t think he’s had a great start to his season. Considering the Flyers lack of depth at C I believe Torts is trying to motivate him like he did last year (which I don’t think worked)….he is one of their keys that’s going to have to be good, if this team is going to be a better version then last year.
Coots game has never been predicated on speed. He gets to where he needs to be and has an abundance of Hockey IQ. I was a little surprised he chose to go at Coots this early, but if you want to send the entire team a message that’s the guy that will get everyone’s attention.
Like the rest of the team, or much of it, they need to get it going.
- landros 2

I don't see Couturier as a player that needs to be motivated. To this point of the season, Couturier is not providing the offensive production needed. He may not be capable of it anymore. He is however playing well defensively. As others have suggested, his path moving forward may be that of a 3C again and contributing in other ways. So far this season, he has shown that he is capable of that still.

See, here you are resorting to personal attacks. When do I ever do that to you? My point here is your argument that you can present statistical evidence that shows Couts is not behind the play is complete nonsense. Anyone watching the games with even a half-witted sense of how hockey is played can see Couts is struggling. I don't need stats to tell me this or reaffirm it.
- jd250

Your post is empty nonsense. It lacks any semblance of intelligence. Your earlier replies were insulting and you deserve what you get. Again, my premise is not saying that Couturier hasn't declined as a player. Apparently, you're struggling to understand that.

I don't see Couturier as a player that needs to be motivated. To this point of the season, Couturier is not providing the offensive production needed. He may not be capable of it anymore. He is however playing well defensively. As others have suggested, his path moving forward may be that of a 3C again and contributing in other ways. So far this season, he has shown that he is capable of that still.
- MJL

I agree with all of this…crazy.

I still actually think they have a chance to be better than last year….if not then I think it’s fair to point the finger at the coaching staff. Not because they got stupid over the summer or forgot how to coach, but rather the message is getting stale.
Hart is a good goalie, but was never what I would call great. The loss of a guy like Walker hurts for sure, but I also think York has really improved since the mid point of last season.
I still go back to a below average team down the middle. Throw in some shoddy, AHL level goaltending and you get what we have right now.
- landros 2

I hope you're right, but I would be surprised if that's the case. Hart was a good established NHL goalie and a good tandem with Ersson. Now you have Ersson and Fedotov (AHL goalie in my opinion). You have lost Walker and Seeler (for the time being) and Erik Johnson is playing. Woof!! The other thing that made me pick the Flyers last in the Metro was the fact that all the other teams got better with the exception of the Jackets.

Not much more going to get in my opinion.
- mickel25

15 former 1st rd picks on the roster........

And now the goal post moving begins to suit your agenda. Yes, I ripped Torts on here yesterday cause I'm tired of him changing the lines around all the time. Stick with the same lineup for awhile and whichever line is playing the best in a given game, give them the most ice time. You folks crack me up! You were complaining last year cause Torts was playing Coots too much and now folks are complaining that he isn't being played enough. I rest my case as far as Coots is concerned. His game has declined dramatically in the past year and a big part of that is his ability to keep up with the pace of play. He is/was the type of player that couldn't afford to lose a step or two and he has for various reasons.
- Phillywhiteout

https://edge.nhl.com/en/s.../20232024-regular-8476461

https://edge.nhl.com/en/s.../20242025-regular-8476461

Maybe we are making too much of this? Last season Couts played about 20 minutes a night the first half of the season and it cost him dearly in the second half. Perhaps Torts and his staff are just limiting Cout's minutes right now to let him ease into the season and have more juice in the second half? Just a thought.
- jd250

I’m not making much of it all to be honest….now if he healthy scratched him or keeps wanting to run Poehling out ahead of him I might start to have a stronger opinion.

I hope you're right, but I would be surprised if that's the case. Hart was a good established NHL goalie and a good tandem with Ersson. Now you have Ersson and Fedotov (AHL goalie in my opinion). You have lost Walker and Seeler (for the time being) and Erik Johnson is playing. Woof!! The other thing that made me pick the Flyers last in the Metro was the fact that all the other teams got better with the exception of the Jackets.
- Phillywhiteout

Hart was a mediocre NHL goalie and losing him was a blessing in disguise. It saved the Flyers from the inevitable extension they were going to offer him.

Hart was a mediocre NHL goalie and losing him was a blessing in disguise. It saved the Flyers from the inevitable extension they were going to offer him.
- MJL

He was what he was. So would you rather have Fedotov or Hart?

https://edge.nhl.com/en/skater/20232024-regular-8476461

https://edge.nhl.com/en/s.../20242025-regular-8476461
- Peter Richards

And there we are.

I hope you're right, but I would be surprised if that's the case. Hart was a good established NHL goalie and a good tandem with Ersson. Now you have Ersson and Fedotov (AHL goalie in my opinion). You have lost Walker and Seeler (for the time being) and Erik Johnson is playing. Woof!! The other thing that made me pick the Flyers last in the Metro was the fact that all the other teams got better with the exception of the Jackets.
- Phillywhiteout

I do see some decent talent on the wings….like a lot of the pundits suggested at the start of the year, a guy like Drysdale will need to take a major step….and yes the goaltending will have to be solid. I really think it’s still early…but they have sputtered a bit to start.
To be fair that’s a brutal way to have to start a season on the west coast and turn around and play after a full day of travel across three time zones the next night. I’m still wondering what this year will bring…I’m watching the same games as you.

the pedestal that Seeler is now put upon is simply amazing. with or without seeler this defense is not very good.

they ran the same team back less a few players. this is what was the more likely result. maybe not this bad but not good enough.

since they are too dumb to put themselves in a spot to get a top pick, you have to hope the backdoor into it by their incompetence. otherwise, another middle of the road at best year and another year further away from "contending"

I don't see Couturier as a player that needs to be motivated. To this point of the season, Couturier is not providing the offensive production needed. He may not be capable of it anymore. He is however playing well defensively. As others have suggested, his path moving forward may be that of a 3C again and contributing in other ways. So far this season, he has shown that he is capable of that still.
- MJL

Agree.

There was no reason he should have been moved to 4th line wing, especially in game 800. I thought it was kind of bush league and from what I read was not relayed to him until prior to the game.

I am not saying this isn't a "what have you done for me lately" league. I would like to see more offense from him. But I can also see he is your captain, a respected vet, and this team is not a Stanley Cup contender. There was no need to put him in that role. At minimum he can be your 3C and if the offense increases move up if needed.