Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Real Reason Why The Flyers Can Not Win a Shootout.

Being a real pure and thorough Flyers fan at heart, I beg you all to understand and hear out what I am about to say. Peter Laviolette. Period. Why you ask? Because when you think about the obvious distress your 50 million dollar goaltender is under, why the hell would you put him in games that matter? Or games that could end up close at the end? I have already seen enough of his mask in the net in games that are close. Sitting on the couch tonight with my wife watching the game I said to her, "Hun, if this game goes to a shootout we lose no questions asked." She proceeded to ask why. My answer was Bryz. Now I am not at all saying I'm not a fan of his, quite the opposite actually. I have coveted him for many years while he played in Phoenix. But you have a tremendous young talent like Sergei Bobrovsky behind Bryzgalov who has tremendously outplayed his counterpart. Bobs is more athletic from a starting point against Bryz and so far this season has just been more sound position wise and recovery wise. Now obviously if you are Peter Laviolette, you don't bench Bryzgalov upon his early struggles, but we are past the mid point of the season and we need to catch the Rangers. Bryzgalov comes out of a hockey market the size of Dunder Mifflin and moved to Philadelphia, Staples. The pressure is on like never before for him. That was a reference to The Office guys. Yeah I did it. But anyway, Bryzgalov will be a 40 game winner in years to come in this hellhole of a media storm and fan based area, but Bobs grew up in this environment. He knows that we love winners and loathe losers so he can deal with it here. But as you have heard, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Bryzgalov, the coaches, and management need to put pride aside and do what is necessary for this team to win. And when the playoffs come and me and my wife are sitting on the couch watching again and Ilya Bryzgalov folds under pressure and re-enacts the Michael Leighton debacle in the Stanley Cup Final, I will officially be off the Peter Laviolette train of success. Get your shit together guys this is our year!

1 comment:

  1. I still stand that Leighton did a hell of a job for his first playoff series and one, while epic I know, screw up does not a bad player make! However, Bryzgalov (hope I spelled that right) does need to be made to take a back seat so we don't repeat what's happened in the recent past! Fingers crossed for a great playoff season & a Stanley Cup win! GO FLYERS!

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