Thursday, May 10, 2012

Holmgren: Give the Devils their due

By ROB PARENT
rparent@delcotimes.com
VOORHEES - Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren won't spend as much time as his head coach pouring over video of what happened in a losing series with the Devils.  He’s already accepted what his eyes tell him.
"I think you are going to have to give the Devils their due," Holmgren said. "I think they played tremendously. We had no
answer for them. … I am sure the coaches will look at a lot of the things on what happened. I have met with Peter (Laviolette); we will talk some more and evaluate it and assess what happened over the summer when we have lots of time
to think and talk about it.
“Our guys tried as hard as they could. We had no answer for how they played."



Holmgren saw the obvious, that the Flyers couldn't handle the Devils' forecheck, couldn't muster one of their own. He said he expects the Flyers to be more defensively responsible next season, though that wouldn't translate into a full system switch under a coach who always employs an attack-first system.
Not that there’s any blame being pushed Laviolette’s way.
"I think Peter, when I talked to him this morning, he said he wants to see the series again and see what the Devils did,"
Holmgren said. "He’s a good coach and I’m sure he’ll come up with something that will make us better next year.”
* * *
Holmgren agreed with several of his players that thing Ilya Bryzgalov will be a better goalie next season, with one whacky season of ups and downs on the ice and in the media behind him.
"He had a lot of things to adjust to," Holmgren said. "From playing in Philadelphia and the scrutiny of the media as
compared to what he came from, the scrutiny of the fans from what he came from ... I don't think there is going to be any question that Ilya will play better next year."
Asked if he'd wished that Bryzgalov, who got in trouble with his coach when he took to HBO's 24/7 television cameras before the Winter Classic like a starving stand-up joker, had been a little more serious with his work, Holmgren said, "His job is to stop pucks and help us win games. It is not Comedy Central. … He is a funny guy to talk to. He has got some
interesting concepts of life."
* * *
Holmgren refused to discuss everyone else's presumption that Claude Giroux will be the team captain next season. To Holmgren, concussed Chris Pronger is the captain and will remain so until his status changes.
"He’s doing probably the same and any chance of returning, I would say your guess is as good as mine,” Holmgren said. "I
think at some point I'll sit down with Chris and see where he's at. Probably prior to July 1st, we’ll make an assessment.
“As it relates to Chris and as much as anything else, I’m a glass is half-full kind of guy."
* * *
NOTES: Holmgren said he would pursue re-signing pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Matt Carle, indicating prior discussions with Carle's agent went well. ... Expect defensemen Nick Grossmann and perhaps Kimmo Timonen to have their knees surgically tended to. Holmgren said James van Riemsdyk is dealing with "a stomach issue" and may also be facing
surgery. Timonen is apparently interested in playing beyond next season, his last under contract, "which is good news for me," Holmgren said.

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