In Soviet Russia, goaltender sleeps through outdoor game! via The School Philly
When Ilya Bryzgalov informed the media that Sergei Bobrovsky would be starting the grandest showcase of Flyers hockey perhaps ever, I imagined Ed Snider slunked on the floor screaming incoherencies at the top of his lungs in a scene reminiscent of Julia Louis-Dreyfrus carrying on about “My diamonds!” in Christmas Vacation.
My goalie! My Russian goalllliiie…
Apparently, though, Snider took the news quite well… or was heavily medicated when he spoke to Philly Sports Daily’s Ryan Bright about the goaltender situation we now have on our hands*:
“We have two goalies and one was playing better than the other coming into the game, he won the start,” said Snider. “It’s not a big issue, we’re a team with two good goalies that will work out whatever issues they have and we’ll be in good shape.
“There’s no issue, we have no issue. We have two good goalies, we’ll be fine. We’re fighting for first place, something must be working well. It can’t be that bad.”
*If you don’t think there’s a goaltender situation or controversy, then you need to look no further than the fact that we (and the Chairman) are talking about it.
Here’s the thing, humans: the Flyers didn’t sign Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract so Peter Laviolette could continue to play his cherished game of Start The Hot Goalie, which is the sports equivalent of that well-educated friend of yours who has started three unprofitable companies, had six jobs, and briefly entertained thoughts of a career as a male stripper. Everything is all roses for a few days, but then reality always sets in and it becomes obvious that Bobrovsky (or the career as a male stripper) isn’t a suitable long-term option. Unless you have a big dick.
Unless. You. Have. A. Big. Dick.
The point in spending so much for a “number one” goalie is that you have a big-game go-to. Do you think the Phillies would swap Roy Halladay for Kyle Kendrick because Doc was struggling and KK mowed ‘em down in his previous three appearances as a long-man? Absolutely not. Even if Halladay was 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA in the month, he would get the start over Kendrick, every time.
That’s a bit of an extreme example, and hockey lineups have much less stringent practices than those in baseball, but it’s the same principle. Bryzgalov is here to stabilize a roster spot that has been unstable for 30 years. Starting Bob two consecutive games, which were important both in terms of the standings and because one was the largest spectacle the sport has ever seen, coupled with the fact that yes, we’re talking about it, means that there is very much a goaltender situation or controversy or issue or problem or crazy motherfucking Russian goaltender is tweeting pictures of his fucking Thermos the night before the Winter Classic. Whatever you want to call it.
The argument that Bob is playing better doesn’t work. Bryz is here to put an end to the _________ is the better goaltender right now argument, not take it to another level.
And oh by the way, Bob performing his best Michael Leighton on Mike Rupp’s (Mike Rupp's!) second goal is the reason the Flyers lost in front of 46,000 fans yesterday.
I’m not so sure I believe Mr. Snider.
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24 Responses
This will only become a full blown mess is Lavy doesn’t go back to Bryz for like the next 3 or 4 games… regardless of how he plays. I just think you have to give Bryz a chance to redeem himself. I’m ok with the whole “hot goalie gets the start” thing, but I agree to a point… Bryz was brought here to be the man. But at the same time, he needs to start playing like one. He can take the WC benching and move on, or he can sit and pout. Guess we’ll see how it goes.
Who is the best goalie in the league right now? Or who would you expect to not be sat for any reason? Tim Thomas? Ryan Miller? Henrik Lundqvist?
Because all of them, at some point in the last two years, has been sat for the “hot goalie.” And they are the best goalies in the league.
Nice try, Kyle. But I’m still not buying into the controversy yet. Laviolette made the right call. It just didn’t work out. For a game… in January. Yes, it was a spectacle, but it was still just one game in January.
He’s fucking crazy because he tweeted a pic of his thermos? You really come off as a bit of a dick in the short time I have been checking out your blog Kyle. Personally I am tired of rich athletes and all the fucking cliches thrown out left and right. It’s refreshing to see someone like Bryz actually show a little personality.
A little perspective PLEASE
“the grandest showcase of Flyers hockey perhaps ever”
it was ONE (1) NHL game in January – nothing more – nothing less
not more important than any ONE (1) playoff game ever…
c’mon Kyle – get a grip – you plunged into the hype are drowning in it
Tony- Not sure you grasped the fact that was merely an option, not necessarily definitive. Also, hyperbole.
The 700 Level had this exact picture up about an hour before you. Good job Kyle.
Then go back to the 700 level joe. No one cares you unintelligent fuck.
Bryz is playing like shit. Look at the numbers. He’s scared of the town, expectations and the philly media. Bryz is mentally weak. He needs to grow thick skin and a short memory and hell do better. I still say bob will be a better goalie in the long run..he’s clearly more athletic.
We lost because the team quit. They kept passing cross ice it was so predictable. And not for nothing, briere is getting major blame for missing 2 open nets and that weakass penatly shot attempt.
LOL, if the flyers would have won then everyone would have been talking about how BIG a game this was. Because they choked on it, it’s just another January game….LMFAO. Typical philly fans.
what the fuck would you suggest Snider say? or do? about bryzgalov and how would your suggestion improve the situation in the short term? exactly.
the 700 level sucks
@Jack Barbieri
And I’m pretty sure if that was the case you’d be on here saying how it was nothing but a January game. Typical troll.
It was as big a game as a January divisional game can be… but still JUST a January divisional game.
Briere said it, flyers let up after they scored the second goal and it cost them, Rupp skated right by a stick check in the neutral zone on the second “bad” goal. Voracek fanned on an open net in the first period but of course it’s Philly so it’s gotta be about the goalies right? Christ dig a little deeper “fans”. Rangers are built to win now, Flyers are built to win in June.
@J.T.
nope, not the case at all. Typical butt-hurt flyers fan.
Jack, you have no life if you want to come on here and get a rise out of Philly fans. Go home troll, you probably don’t know shit about hockey.
As for Kyle, there is no goalie controversy. For one thing, comparing Roy Halladay to Bryz and KK to Bob is absolutely ridiculous. Look, I know you, and the rest of this city, are completely in love with the Phillies, but let’s not try to bring them up in every post. Bryz has struggled, yes, but you act as if he’s blowing the SCF. It’s fucking January, give me a fucking break. The controversy, if there ever was one, ended yesterday when Bob gave up two soft goals. Bryz wil recover, and Bob will prove to still be a formidable backup. You’re the one who said trading Richards and Carter would be the death of the Flyers this year. You obviously know nothing about hockey, quit acting as if you’re an expert.
What do you have for women with the best comment??
I think you’re 100% wrong about Ed Snider. I think he’s the NHL equivalent of the late Al Davis. I get the feeling his motto is very close to “just win, baby”. If Snider wanted Bryz in goal for the money he was paying him, you would have seen Bryz in net for the Winter Classic, guaranteed.
I think this is a tempest in Bryzgalov’s teapot. The Flyers played reasonably well as a whole; NHL playoff seeding isn’t that important; and Bryzgalov has eight more years on what-is-now an unmovable contract to get it right. Who will remember this game come March?
JL- haha whichever women’s specific business wants to sponsor select posts,,,
Many Flyers losses this year have come at the same time every game, the 3rd period. If they finished the game the way they opened it, no doubt this game is 4-2 Philly and we are talking about how great and exciting this team is. Instead they come out in the 3rd as flat as Miley Sirus and lose the game because of poor play unable to over come one soft goal.
Everyone needs to chill out. “Controversy” or not, who cares? If Bob got the start over Bryz at the Wells Fargo Center on January 2, no one would even blink an eye. Some have said it before, but I’ll repeat, it’s one game in January. This isn’t exactly the Eastern Conference finals.
Plus, its all hindsight. IF Bob would have put up a shut out, and the Flyers won 2-0, everyone would be on Lavy’s nuts. It didn’t happen, so Bob lost the start against the Blackhawks on Thursday. It will go back to Bryz and hopefully he can find his way “out of the woods.”
With all that being said, I still can’t knock Lavy for the decision. He’s always said, if you’re not playing well, you won’t like your ice time. Hence multi-million dollar JVRs 9 minutes of ice time in Pittsburgh last week. Why should goalies be any different? The team was on board with it as well. Hartnell said something along the lines that this is good because maybe Bryz needs a “wake up call.”
I don’t feel Bryz is mentally weak, I think he gets it but this is just uncharted territory for him. He’s said things like he wishes he only made $450k a year and that he’s feeling pressure from media because there “were no reporters in Phoenix.”
So hopefully when HBO gets out of the locker room, things can go back to business as usual. Maybe Bryz isn’t a Brodeur, Hasek, or Lundqvist but he has shown he IS a Thomas or Miller. People forget his numbers because he was part of a terrible organization in Phoenix. He CAN win us a Stanley Cup.
Sorry for going off, I just cant take this crap anymore.
Enough of the Bob sucks crap. Bob does not suck. Every goalie in every sport is going to let in a bad goal every once in a while. Its hardly the worst goal anyone has ever given up on a big spotlight. Tim Thomas let Danny Syvret score because he decided to leave the goal to crosscheck someone in the back. Michael Leighton Michael Leightoned. The England goalie let a 9 inch wide ball roll gingerly through his hands.
The fact is, Bob did not lose the game. If the Flyers score on two of their 15 other golden scoring opportunities (Briers PS, first Giroux breakaway, JVR shot wide of an emptyasterisk net, etc.), they won the game. You can’t blame Bob for the Flyers not burying their chances.
For those who don’t think there is anything wrong with the goaltending in philly right now, you must not really be a fan. Honestly, how can you not be mad that our captain and goal scorer got shipped off this summer so that the flyers could move into the goalie is the most important player club, only to have our 51 million dollar goalie not win games for us?? The avalanche game for example, briere ties it with 18 seconds left and bryz can’t stop one puck, just ONE PUCK, to win the shootout? Sure, we had a chance at winning had read not hit the crossbar, but I put the blame on our million dollar goalie, not the surprisingly skilled rookie. And I don’t know how anyone who is a “flyers fan” is saying the winter classic was just another game in january. hbo blew my mind for three weeks leading up to it and I got to see into the hockey world for once instead of what the philly media digs out. It was such a huge event, and it was awesome, but the team let us down by not winning. If anything, the winter classic is a game for the fans, to promote how amazing hockey is, and it stings that we couldn’t win at cbp with 46,000+ fans there to support
Solution: Neil Little hahahahahah He was definitely hot on Saturday hahahahah. LaForest wasn’t bad either. Nor was Bernie.
“This jacket is not humongous big.” -Bryz
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