Well, it's that time of year again. Opening Night for the Philadelphia Flyers is tomorrow at 7PM vs the rivals up the NJ Turnpike - The NJ Devils.

This marks my 50th season as a Flyers fan. We went to a game as a family back in November of 1972, when I was 5 - and I was hooked. (We also went to a Jersey Knights WHA game in Cherry Hill, NJ with much less of an affect on my fandom).

John Tortorella comes in to coach the team this season. He will be outspoken and confrontational with his players and the media. He will probably keep this squad of has-beens, never-beens and underachievers from reaching their rightful place at the bottom of the standings. Maybe Kevin Hays, Cam Atkinson, Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov and Carter Hart can find it within themselves to play better and improve, but my guess is that the Flyers organization would be better served by "chuck-ing" (get it? GM Chuck Fletcher) it all and rebuilding.

Stay tuned for what appears to be a forgettable season.

Well that was an unexpected and spirited win by the Flyers over a decent Devils team. Color me surprised.
Konecny & Frost looked…good…and Provorov blocked 10 shots…I’m almost speechless.

Ok. 2-0 to start the season. Tortorella has this team unexpectedly overachieving. they are working hard, holding themselves accountable for bad mistakes and giveaways - yes, they are still here (like that bad behind the net giveaway on Saturday night that Hart somehow saved) and they are picking each other up. Konecny looks like the guy we were told we were getting when he was drafted back in 2015. Provorov looks rejuvenated and Hart looks...dare I say it...good.

Big test coming up with the Lightning in Tampa tomorrow night. I don't expect a win, but would like to see them be competitive. That would be a huge step.

That was a huuuuge step. Coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 on Tampa's home ice. Wow. Scott Laughton, JVR & Noah Cates score. As a team, they kept grinding and blocking shots. Carter Hart stood up and played very well in the 2nd and 3rd periods. First 3-0 Flyers start in a decade. Holy moly, they've sucked me right back in. Tortorella is pushing the right buttons. Laughton said after the game about the difference the coach is making this season - "He'd rather see an aggressive mistake than us sitting back on our heels." I like that philosophy.

Ok, first loss of the season last night in Florida. Team still looks remarkably better than last season. A defensive lapse/excellent pass by Matthew Tkachuk and later a puck that Sandstrom should have saved made were the difference in the 3rd period. Goals by Nick Seeler (who?), JVR and Konecny made it a close game.

They pulled the goalie for the final 4 minutes of the game down 4-2, but only managed Konecny's goal with 3 seconds left.

Hopefully they learn from this one and improve,

Well, after a dynamic start to the season, the Flyers are resorting back to the team that was expected this year. Losers of 3 straight, they are leaving their goaltenders out to dry and failing to capitalize on open looks at the opposing goal. Glad that all those tickets that I bought in my early season mania are coming up in the next few weeks. This could be as enjoyable as getting a root canal. Yay!

7-6-2, 5th in the Metropolitan Division.

Another night, another disheartening Flyers loss. After a strong first 2 periods keeping up with the best team in the league (Boston Bruins), they reverted to chasing the puck and took ticky-tack penalties. This allowed the Bruins to gain the upper hand and show what a dominant power-play that they have. 4-1 Bruins and it could have been 40-1 if they hadn't let their foot off the gas late in the 3rd period.

Well...as we slog towards the end of another depressing, disappointing season, here are a couple of observations:

1) I have a half season ticket plan, which I just renewed b/c I'm a half-insane masochist.
2) The top management needs to go. Scott, Fletcher, Bill Barber, Comcast, the whole lot of them. Put a new group in place that understands today's game - not 1974-1988. I don't trust this group to make a good trade or a meaningful draft pick.
3) Tortarella has not been bad (last night;'s game being a good example), though there are still too many nights that effort and want-to are not there from this group. I realize that talent is lacking, but the other stuff they actually have control of. That said, I'd keep him.
4) Can someone in the medical profession tell me if Sean Couturier or Ryan Ellis will ever play hockey again?

Fell free to rant back at me. This once-proud franchise is just an afterthought in the Philadelphia sports landscape.

Well...they fired Chuck Fletcher and replaced him with former Flyer Danny Briere. We shall see if this moves the needle in the offseason. This season is done.

Fletcher had to go. Even with the inflated points system, finishing a season with 70-something points is pretty non-competitive...although you guys look like a serious bunch compared to that clown show in Columbus.

I am still a season ticket holder (and have re-upped for next season). Tortorella is firmly entrenched as the director of this team going forward. He spent 2 games last week in the press box looking over the proceedings much like a GM. With Briere holding the interim tag, it looks like Torts will be setting things up for the future. I hope, I hope that he can find a path forward. There were 5 to 6 drafts that were just complete wastes over the last decade.

So I did go the the final home game of the Flyers 2022-23 season - a game in which they honored long-time broadcaster and former utility player Steve Coates who is retiring at the end of the season.
In a game against the also hapless Columbus Bluejackets, the Flyers inexplicably won 4-3 in the final seconds of overtime. They can't even get losing right.
They are, however, pretty much locked in to their # of ping-pong balls at 73 points with 1 game remaining. 30-38-13 with one game remaining. As the title of the thread says...UGH!!

Interesting article in yesterday's Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer regarding who stays and who goes for 2023/24 - Tortorella year 2.
https://www.inquirer.com/flyers/inq2/flyers-nhl-free-agency-trades-roster-moves-20230419.html
Here is their take.

Goalies:
Carter Hart - Stay, but long-term prognosis unclear due to sexual assault allegations against 2018 World Juniors Team Canada
Felix Sandstrom - Stay, only b/c his deal is cheap. Torts not a fan.
Samuel Ersson - Stay. Good year in AHL & decent when called up (6-3-0, .899 sv%)

Centers:
Sean Couturier (Coots) - Stay, hasn't played since 12/18/2021, 2 back surgeries, but is under contract for 7 more season. I'm personally praying for a miracle - either in the form of medical miracle (he's healed) or financial miracle (some team takes him off our hands).
Kevin Hayes - GONE. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
Scott Laughton - Stay. Wears the A. Great defensively. Career highs in goals and points.
Morgan Frost - Stay - seemed likely to be traded, but bought into Torts scheme. Got praise down the stretch for his "200' game"
Tanner Lyczynski - Stay. Probably will stay b/c he's on a cheap contract. Tort not a huge fan.
Noah Cates - Stay. Good defensively. could be the 2nd or 3rd line center next season.

Right Wingers:
Travis Konecny - Stay. Career high in goals. Torts loves him and uses him in every situation. SH, PP, PK, etc.
Cam Atkinson - Stay. Long in the tooth, but a Torts fav and valuable veteran presence.
Owen Tippett - Stay. Flyers breakout player this season. 30 pl goal potential. True Power forward.
Wade Allison - Stay (I disagree). Torts not a fan. Always seemingly injured.
Tyson Foerster - Stay. Kid can really play. Brought excitement to the ice during his limited call-up. Big shot.
Ollie Lycksell- Stay. In AHL all season, but played well. Could compete for bottom 6 role.

Left Wingers:
James van Riemsdyk - Goodbye. (see Kevin Hayes)
Joel Farabee - Stay. Looked lackluster in beginning of season, but was returning from disk replacement surgery. Played better last 1/3 of season
Nick Deslauriers - Gone. #2-years old and can only throw punches, not play hockey at the NHL level.
Kieffer Bellows - Gone. Never was mistaken for Brian Bellows.
Brendan Lemieux - Gone.
Elliot Desnoyers - Stay. Impressed Torts during 4-game call-up. Surprisingly good offensive numbers in AHL (23 G, 21A in 65 games)

Defensemen - so painful this season
Travis Sanheim - Stay
Ivan Provarov - Gone (Please!) Seemed completely disinterested.
Rasmus Ristolainen - Gone, but will be tough to move w/ a 5-year deal
Cam York - Stay. Torts likes him and he actually has potential.
Nick Seeler - Stay. Best bargin on team according the Inky.
Tony DeAngelo - Gone. Local boy, but overmatched defensively most of the season. Healthy scratch last 5 games.
Justin Braun - Retired.
Egor Zamula -Stay. Torts likes him
Ronnie Attard - Stay. Has size, big shot and puck-moving abilities. Need to improve defensively.

And with the 7th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers pick...whom? Not Connor Bedard and not Adam Fantilli.

It will probably be one of:

Matvei Michkov - if they think they can get him out of Russia and the KHL contract
Zach Benson - somewhat of a stretch at 7 out of Winnipeg in the WHL
Dalibor Dvorsky - playing professionally in Sweden and impressed at the U18 Worlds for Slovakia
Ryan Leonard - coming off the championship winner at the U18 worlds and playing on the top line for Team USA (He would be my choice)
David Reinbacher - Top blueliner in the draft. Steady, right-handed shooting d-man.
Oliver Moore - fastest skater in the draft. not crazy numbers over the last 2 seasons, but good. Depends on what Torts wants.
Gabe Perreault - little undersized and not the greatest skater, but you don't just put up 132 points in 63 games at the junior level by mistake. (2nd choice)