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BLITZ 07 TEAM REVIEW - PHILADELPHIA - A LEAGUE


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At Carse's request, here is my review of the Flyers.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS - BLITZ 07 A LEAGUE

COACH: CARSE

TEAM LINK: http://www.blitz94.com/draftab/rosterinfo.asp?team=PHI

TEAM OVERVIEW

The Blitz 06 A league runners-up have made some significant trades these past couple of weeks that on the face of it look to have not so much strengthened or weakened, but rather freshened things up and given the team a new look. A deeper analysis though suggests that these changes are definitely for the better, both on offence and defence. They'll be hoping it can help them take the extra step to claim their 3rd Blitz title, and in the hands of a master, who's going to bet against them?

As far as the team goes there are probably some areas that you'd think could be targeted as weaknesses if you were dealing with almost any other coach. Against us mere mortals this team probably has far too much firepower to keep quiet regardless of some defensive frailties, but against another elite player will the team's lack of defensive bite be exposed?

We know they'll be going for the championship this season because they're 2 time champs with 3 elite forwards. The main question here is will the changes made push them over the top in Blitz 07?

TEAM MAKE-UP

First of all it's worth pointing out that much remains the same with the Flyers. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Returning to the roster for Blitz 07 are Sergei Makarov for his 6th consecutive season, Brian Bradley, Mike McPhee for his 4th season, and Bob Errey. Makarov's playmaking skills are well known and his 4 shot accuracy makes him a cert to chip in a few goals too. Bradley's 5 shot accuracy makes him a nice backup to bring off the bench if a goal's needed and Mike McPhee is the team's enforcer. Not many skills, but he's not there to play. He'll be the one to stomp a few heads so the team's stars can make the plays! Errey's 4/4 skating make him a useful outlet, but that aside he has limited talents.

So far it's pretty clear that group aren't exactly championship quality. Who's going to make the difference here? Well first of all Luc Robitaille was brought in from Dallas (Seriously, Robitaille had about 5 different teams in this draft didn't he?!), but in a really shrewd move he was passed on to Hartford in return for Mark Recchi. What a move. Lighter than Robitaille, which is going to make him much easier to knock down, but this guy finds space infront of the net for the onetimer like few others. With over 100 points in 3 of the last 4 seasons (and 96 points in the 4th) he's guaranteed to get goals, and Makarov will feed him all day long.

The other big addition is that of Dino Ciccarelli, who was brought in from Dcicon's LA in return for Theory Fluery. Phily's 100 point talisman from Blitz 06 has gone but in his place is possibly a new Blitz Phily legend in the making. Ciccarelli's 5/5 shooting can't be argued with and with his 4 passing he'll set up his fair share too. In 6 Blitz seasons he's scored over 100 points in 3 of them, and 97 & 96 in 2 of the other 3 seasons. This is an elite player, either hitting 1timers at C or booming in slapshots from the wing. A Makarov, Recchi, Dino line looks formidable for sure. How many other teams can compete with that?!

It's not just the forward line that has a new look though. The D has lots of new additions and would appear to be improved from Blitz 06. The poorly skilled, big hitting thug that is Uwe Krupp has been replaced by the brilliantly skilled big hitting thug that is Al Iafrate. One of those 94 rarities - The Dman who can dominate at both ends of the ice and can contribute goals and assists like a 4th forward. He adds a totally new dimension to this team for sure. Igor Kravchuk is not the biggest hitter but he also adds a bit more muscle than Philly had last season, and Niklas Lidstrom adds that bit of classy lightweight finesse if the Flyers feel they need more help on offence :blink: Puny lightweight J.J. Daigneault isn't going to do much on D, but his 4 shooting makes him a threat inside the opposition zone............because we don't have any other Dmen who can do that right?! :P All in all the D looks much improved on last season..........but with lightweights Lidstrom & Daigneault do they have the strength in depth to deal with an important penalty kill?

John Blue completes the lineup in goal. He's not a bad goalie but he's not great either. Certainly a major downgrade on Tommy Soderstrom. Will Carse's manual goaltending be up to handling this sometimes erratic goaltender?

STARS

Man what an offesive lineup. Take your pick between Recchi or Ciccarelli. Two 100 point a season forwards joined together and ably supported by Makarov's 5 passing. They're gonna get goals. At D Iafrate is the standout and will be expected to carry his less illustrious team mates back there, as well as giving valuable protection to Blue. As we know, he'll play his part on offence too if they're struggling to create anything :P

WEAKNESSES

Weaknesses on offence? Clutching at straws a bit here, but with Fluery gone there's no one with more than 4 speed on this roster. No one to take advantage of the breakaway like Fluery would have. Recchi's lightweight gives him that acceleration, but it's not quite the same as a genuine speedster. You also have to acknowledge the weight of these forwards. Recchi, Ciccarelli, Bradley, Makarov and Errey are all total pansies, which may not suit Carse's run-and-gun style. A slicker passing game may be needed to keep these guys on their feet. McPhee's the enforcer in this group, and it may prove to be the case that he has an important part to play in Phily's season as the lighter guys may need someone to bust some heads and get the puck back for them. The others aren't going to be knocking anyone down. Are his skills good enough to make an effective contribution though?

At D Iafrate's gonna dominate, and he'll need to. Kravchuk is the 2nd best checker out of the Dmen with a slightly average 8.875 checking effect. After that we're struggling for muscle here. Lidstrom & Daigneault are both bigger pansies than big pansy Bob Errey. What happens when Iafrate goes in the bin for a penalty and one of those guys has to fill in? Lidstrom's smooth handling and a well timed B check will be the order of the day. Will the best players jump all over that opportunity?

SEASON PREDICTION - A TITLE CHALLENGERS

In the hands of average players i'm not sure if i'd say that or not, but we have to acknowledge who's using them here. That said anyone is going to score a hatful of goals with Makarov, Recchi & Ciccarelli hitting slappers, finding 1timers and threading the passes through the gaps. At D Iafrate & Kravchuk have enough about them to keep most forward lines quiet and Blue is an acceptable goalie, even if i'm not his biggest fan.

The starting 5 have it all offensively and can beat anyone. The only question mark you may be able to put on them is what happens when there are penalties or injuries? Are the back up guys good enough, or tough enough? That lack of weight & checking in some areas will have to be overcome by great offence...........again, who's gonna bet against them to do it?

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WHY DID I GIVEUP RECCHI? WHY?

Anyway... i wonder what the next tm writeup will be?

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SPOILER ALERT would be nice. :mellow:

lol. It was ages ago! Darth Vader is also Luke Skywalker's father, Bruce Willis is a Ghost & that bird you fancy in the Crying Game is actually a man :P

On a serious note though, how do you do those links to hide something like a result or whatever? Don't understand that

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Use this code:


[spoiler]
Put what you want hidden here
[/spoiler]

It HAS been ages, but for those who have not inquired (like me), we wouldn't know who won because it hasn't been updated on the Blitz site and/or the videos haven't been posted.

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I thought I uploaded all the videos but it turns out I left it at 3-2, whoops :/

which I guess is why there was so little reaction to the videos after i posted them..

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no wait, game 6 is there..

http://forum.nhl94.com/index.php?/topic/13965-blitz-06-a-playoff-finals-mtl4-vs-phi2/page__view__findpost__p__114468

am I missing something?

i just haven't put the boxscore up because it was messed up

still need to do the B finals, though..

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no wait, game 6 is there..

http://forum.nhl94.com/index.php?/topic/13965-blitz-06-a-playoff-finals-mtl4-vs-phi2/page__view__findpost__p__114468

am I missing something?

i just haven't put the boxscore up because it was messed up

still need to do the B finals, though..

Ah yes, you're right! Apologies Robbie, the results have been known, I just somehow missed it.

Well, a long overdue congratulations are in order to Freydey! Nice job, very impressive to say the least.

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Ya it is unwritten law that frey and I desynch in game 6.. happens literally every single lg ever lol

Nice writeup robbie! I start lidstrom over Kravchuk, but this is the 2nd thing that suggest I should do the opposite. Guess I gotta do some hokkee exhis and see if I should reconsider lol

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I start lidstrom over Kravchuk, but this is the 2nd thing that suggest I should do the opposite. Guess I gotta do some hokkee exhis and see if I should reconsider lol

Well it's all to do with styles isn't it? Like I said, these reviews are just meant to be a commentary on what the numbers on the roster might suggest, but really have nothing to do the player controlling them. If you start Lidstrom & you're good with the poke check you get the benefits of his skills. If you go with Kravchuk you have more scope for going with the big hits. Maybe the big hits of Lafrate compliment Lidstrom's skills well though and you don't need 2 hitters?

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Nice writeup robbie! I start lidstrom over Kravchuk, but this is the 2nd thing that suggest I should do the opposite. Guess I gotta do some hokkee exhis and see if I should reconsider lol

my excel sheet with my own formulas also has Kravchuk as a 69 and Lidstrom as a 65. But with the B check, Lidstrom's low weight and high maneuverability could be more useful..

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Guest Houli

Ya it is unwritten law that frey and I desynch in game 6.. happens literally every single lg ever lol

Nice writeup robbie! I start lidstrom over Kravchuk, but this is the 2nd thing that suggest I should do the opposite. Guess I gotta do some hokkee exhis and see if I should reconsider lol

:blink: desynch vs everybody?

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