Bryz isn’t exactly shy about giving his opinions.

The other night, when the Flyers got blasted for five goals against the Capitals, Bryz was less than thankful of his teammates’ efforts to block shots, but stopped short of blaming the deflected goals on the defense.

Last night, he inched closer to the it wasn’t my fault line after another loss to a St. Louis team, one that arrived at 3 AM on Saturday (I’m really beginning to hate that town): [quotes courtesy of the Flyers city-leading PR department]

Q: What happened on the exchange? 

“Bad communication, somebody yells 'I'll get it it' and they don't get it.”

Q: Coburn…?

“Yeah, I guess.”

Q: Chris just said the communication needs to be better in terms of the defensemen with yourself, is it still a work in progress?

“We have to establish it because it needs to be very simple. We need to have three words and everybody has to know these words…..play it, leave it or over. Not,  everybody comes up with his own words, like I'll pick up, or don't touch or something like that. It needs to be a simple three words so everybody understands everybody and we're all on the same page.  And then we won't have this problem in the future.”

Q: Do you have to dictate those three words to them? 

A: I guess, yeah.

 

Coburn took the blame. This time.

Q: Once you saw him have the puck on his stick, I guess the assumption was that he was just going to outlet it somewhere, right? Not just slide it to you? 

"Well, I was ready for a bit and then the closer and closer I got to him, I kind of thought he was making a different play, but that's on me because I always have to be on my toes there. "

 

I love honesty. It's certainly much better than the myriad clichés most athletes hurl our way. Unfortunately, it’s not a practice that hockey players always appreciate– remember, this is a crowd that buys wholly into work hard, pucks on net, and big stops.

Telling it like it is something Bryz has done his whole career. When things go well, he credits teammates. When they don’t… well, he let’s them know it. And when it's his fault? He takes the blame.

But he's always blunt.

No cause for concern here – we’re talking about an October hockey game – but Bryz’s candidness is worth keeping an eye on.