Well, you’ve done it. You’ve done it now. Wouldn’t it be nice to have nice things? To sit back, relax and appreciate what we have? To enjoy a victory, per say, sip on a martini (pinky’s up) and actually have a sense of optimism? WELL APPARENTLY NOT FLYERS TWITTER.
You have forced me to come out of my shell to defend a man that has done his job in the 2020 season.
This is my first time writing for High and Wide Hockey, so naturally, this should be a happy, fun and joyous occasion. But, not so fast, skipper….Enter Flyers Twitter. I now have to use this platform to defend a player that should have been receiving praise with his play for the first two games since hockey has returned. None other than #8 and the second half of the Swedish Rock Group OSKÄR and HÄGG, Robert Hagg.
Before I proceed, let me preface this by saying: This Flyers team has very little gaps and holes. That does not mean you have to create any that do not exist.
In this article, I’m not going to give you CORSI, I’m not going to give you Fenwick or any other advanced analytic. Hell, I’m not even going to consider how many ham & cheese sandwiches he has before games (shout-out Nolan Patrick). I’m going to give you an observation from a Flyers fan’s perspective. Disagree with me? I welcome it. Let’s have a conversation. Ready? Let’s start.
The expectations for a defenseman in this day of hockey are commonly correlated with how many points a defenseman gets in a season (think of guys like Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang or even Shayne Gostisbehere for 15 games in 2016 *sigh*). Everyone wants the flashy defenseman. They’re electric and fun to watch when they score and contribute offensively. It’s great, sometimes it’s like poetry in motion. However, with the rise and praise of those offensive guys comes the lack of appreciation for the classic stay-at-home defensive defenseman (think of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh). Enter Robert Hagg.
Throughout the course of the 2019-20 season, specifically through the Flyers 9 game winning streak from Feb 18-Mar 7, the play and growth from Robert Hagg was specifically noticeable. At the beginning of the season, with additions like Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun, accompanied by the rise of Philippe Myers, the Flyers blue line was getting crowded. However, Hagg has rose to the occasion.
Hagg has provided shut down defense with Justin Braun on the Flyers 3rd defensive pairing down the stretch. In the recent games since hockey has resumed, Hagg has continued to give the Flyers steady minutes with Braun. Isn’t that great? A 3rd line pairing that is actually providing CONSISTENT play. Is it even possible? One would think that after all the years with notable greats like Brandon Manning, Andrew MacDonald, and Luke Schenn patrolling the blue line, Flyers fans would be appreciative of the blue line depth and reliability that we have now. Well, here we are.
In Sunday’s game, Hagg played 16 solid minutes in the Flyers’ 4-1 victory over the Bruins. But wait, you see that? The sky is falling as Hagg finished the game with a +/- of -1. A -1 after a puck had deflected off his skate and ended up in the back of the Flyers net. Oh gee, isn’t that something? Isn’t that all his fault? That in hockey, a game that is played with a rubber puck (rubber bounces, according to science), took a bad ricochet off his skate and ends up in the net. It’s hockey, it happens. Would you have preferred that Hagg not meet his guy at the post and allowed him to walk in front of the net? Ah, didn’t think so, nerds.
But, apparently, that’s all that most people noticed from Hagg. They didn’t notice him break up odd man rushes, force takeaways or deflect passes. And they definitely didn’t notice him blocking shots and taking away shooting lanes against one of the best offenses in the National Hockey League. But how could you notice that, right? I mean, they aren’t flashy stats that show up on the scoresheet. Why block a shot when you could score a goal? The stay-at-home defenseman is still alive and well, folks, and Robert Hagg is playing to his strengths and doing his job.
My advice to you all is to breathe, collect and gather yourself and find something else to be angry about because Robert Hagg ain’t it. See you all on Thursday. Puck drop at 4pm against the Capitals.
Follow Me on Twitter: @FlyersJohnny
Photo Credit: The Associated Press
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Shout it on a Mountain! We all know this fan base is essentially divided into two factions. The first being the Ghost lovers/sympathizers, with the other being the Hagg supporters. And you can’t be in that group AND like Bobby Hagg. Don’t ask me to explain it, but that’s where A LOT of the unwarranted hate comes from!
Great job man! It’s nice to see that there are still a plethora of people out there, that see his worth. 6th/7th dman at best and he’s giving you his all!