Prior to tonights game versus the Detroit Red Wings, the Flyers will retire the #2 that was worn ever so gracefully by Mark Howe. Howe's jersey will join the #1 of Bernie Parent, #4 of Barry Ashbee, #7 of Bill Barber and the #16 worn by Bobby Clarke.
Mark Howe is the son of Red Wings great Gordie Howe who will reportedly be in attendance tonight to see his son receive the honor he once did.
Tonights game is a huge test for the Flyers. They currently sit 5th in the East and can not improve on their positioning with tonights game. Pittsburgh is currently in 4th with 83 points, 4 more than the Flyers. Flyers fans may want to be rooting for the Rangers tonight as they take on the Devils who are only 2 points behind the Flyers and if things go well for them tonight could tie the Flyers for 5th.
The Red Wings are tied for the division lead with St. Louis but own the #4 seed in the West. No stranger to the playoffs, the Wings be looking to see where they stand too. They are currently 16-16-1 on the road this season and that could hurt them come playoff time. Regardless of their 27-4-2 record at home. Yeah, 27-4-2.
Players to watch
Philadelphia: Braydon Schenn
Braydon Schenn has been quiet lately. He hasn't registered a point since potting 2 against Detroit back on the 12th of February. That is 8 games without a point. In 3 of the games he didn't even register a shot. It may be time to look at changing his line mates. Maybe a little wake up call is due.
Detroit: Johan Franzen
Often when you think of the Red Wings the first names that come to mind are Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom. Johan Franzen is just as an important part of this Red Wings team as the previous 3. He currently leads the team with 24 goals and is one of three Wings in the club. And those guys aren't Datsyuk or Zetterberg. Valterri Filppula (24) and Jiri Hudler (20) are the other.
Prediction
Well this is a tough one. Just kidding. Detroit hasn't been victorious in Philadelphia since they smashed our hearts on the ice and skated over them with their Stanley Cup back in 1997.
Philly: 2
Detroit: 1
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com
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Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Just past mid-season report
At 26-13-4 the Flyers currently sit in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. They trail the New York Rangers by 4 points in the standings. So at the half way point of the season there have been a few pleasant surprises and a few disappointments. Overall the team has played very well in the first half of the year and we look forward to seeing what they can do down the stretch into the playoffs.
What I would like to do is to give you my mid-season report on just how each and every player has done so far. Due to the number of players that have skated for the orange and black this season, only players who have played in 20 or more games will be reviewed.
First we'll start with the guys who have played in every game.
Scott Hartnell: Scotty too hotty has played exceptionally well so far in the first half. He has scored a team leading 19 goals and has benefited from a lot of time on ice. He has seen the third most ice time on average among Flyers forwards. Still no stranger to the penalty box, Hartsy is 2nd on the team in penalty minutes with 65. Just imagine the type of impact he would have if he were on the ice more. And by on the ice we mean on his skates. Grade: B+
Kimmo Timonen: Looking back on that Peter Forsberg trade I would say that the Flyers made out pretty well with this guy. With the absence of captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season, Kimmo has stepped up big time. Timonen is 5th on the Flyers in points and 2nd on the team in assists. Without Timonen who knows where this defense would be. Grade: A
Jakub Voracek: This kid is fast. Not only is he fast, we have seen flashes of great plays from Voracek this season. Tied with Timonen with 26 points on the season, Jake is one of four Flyers players to have more than 20 assists on the season. He has made the absence of Jeff Carter less noticeable and has benefited from playing on lines with guys like Briere and Simmonds. Grade: B
Wayne Simmonds: Raise your hand if you like what you've seen so far. Keep your hand raised if you knew this was what you were getting with Simmonds. Hand still up? Cool. Simmonds has done a decent job so far this season. He has a pretty balanced offensive game with 12 goals and 11 assists. He has seen a good amount of time on the power play this season and it has benefited him greatly. He is tied with Giroux and Jagr for second on the team in power play goals with 5. Grade: B
Matt Carle: Carle has looked lost out there at times this year and it usually results in the other team celebrating. About a week ago he had a game against Ottawa in which he was a -4. Then there are times when he makes a great play and stops an oppositions rush. He has had a pretty wishy-washy first half of the season and with the Flyers signing Braydon Coburn to a long term deal a few months back Carle hasn't really been helping his free agent to be status. Grade: C
Maxime Talbot: What a pick up this has turned out to be. Talbot has scored 10 goals this season and I don't think many were expecting him to have that at the half way point of the season. He has played well since coming over from Pittsburgh in the offseason and looks to be a focus of what this team is built to do in the few years. He is a tremendous back checker and penalty killer and a leader on the ice. He adds a necessary grit to this team and he is kind of like the sandpaper of the tool box. Grade: B+
Andrej Meszaros: As hard as it is for me to say this, Mes has kind of let me down this far into the season. Now, before you get upset, that doesn't mean I don't think he has played well. He has. I just thought of him as the number 3 defensemen on this team before Pronger went out and I still think hes the number 3 defensemen in the line up today. Mes has 6 goals and 10 assists so far this season and plays almost 21 minutes a night. But with only a +5 rating, playing with Matt Carle has kind of slowed him down a bit this season. Flyers fans hope Andrej the Giant shows up come playoff time because when he plays a great game he is very noticeable. When he plays poorly he is noticeable as well, and not in the good way. Grade: B-
The players mentioned below have all played in 35-42 games on the season.
Braydon Coburn: Coby has played well but his numbers would not reflect it. Having had his presence felt mostly on the penalty kill, Coburn is only a +1 rating. With only 1 goal on the season Coburn has to shoot more. He has fired the puck at the net 54 times on the season and not with much success. His 1.9 shooting percentage is the lowest on the team among players with a ranking. Grade: B
Danny Briere: Briere has been absent more times than not this season and has been a bit of a disappointment offensively. Briere gets the second most time on ice among forwards and has only tallied 29 points so far this season. Undoubtedly Briere brings a level of leadership and respect when it comes to the younger players and that can not be over looked. Briere needs to pick it up down the stretch and start living up to that contract in the regular season as well as the playoffs. Grade: B-
Matt Read: What a find this kid has turned out to be. A clear contender for the Calder trophy this year Read is the top rookie on a Flyers roster that leads the NHL in points from rookies. With 13 goals on the season, 3 of them on the power play and one short handed, Read is the top point getter for Flyers rookies as well with 27. Grade: A-
Claude Giroux: Stud muffin. Plain and simple. G has been the best Flyer all season long and is going to be a top 3 vote getter for the MVP when all is said and done. With 49 points on the season Giroux is the most exciting Flyers player since Lindros. I just wish he would grow back that mustache. Grade: A+
Sean Couturier: Cooter has been the steal of the draft. Getting him that late in the top 10 was one of the best draft picks since Brady went to New England. The kid has no teeth and just looks like a hockey player. With 9 goals on the season Couturier looks to become the 9th Flyer to eclipse the 10 goal mark on the season, an NHL best. Couturier has seen precious time on the penalty kill with Talbot and they are easily one of the leagues best combo's. Grade: B
Jaromir Jagr: This is a toughie. Jags has been about what I expected. For the whole season. This was obviously a tremendous signing for this hockey club. He has helped the development of Claude Giroux so much and has really gotten a lot out of Scott Hartnell. Jaromir was always my mothers favorite player and I could never figure out why. Until now. Grade: B+
James VanReimsdyk: Oh JVR, I sense your time in Philadelphia is coming to an end soon. It is unfortunate too. There are times during the games when JVR looks like a big presence on the ice, and then he disappears for two to three games. Maybe a change of scenery will do the kid some good. Grade: C-
Zac Rinaldo: Rinaldo made his splash last season in a playoff game and Lavy fell for it. Rinaldo was an instant replacement for oft troubled Dan Carcillo and I think its safe to say a lot of Flyers fans who weren't Carbomb people are Rinaldo people. The kid hits like thunder and has a heart the size of an ox. He just seems like a liability late in games. He has been a spark for this team all season long with his energy and that certainly helps. Grade: C+
The remaining three players all played between 20-35 games this season.
Harry Zolnierczyk: Harry Z as they like to call him has been another rookie to see ice time this season. Not much but when Z sees the ice he tries to make the best of it. Looking like a kid who plays with his heart not his head Harry Z is a little too spunky for his own good sometimes. He has a -11 rating on the season and is by far the lowest on the team in those regards. For a fourth line winger Z has played as well as anyone else has in the past few years on the 4th line. Grade: C
Andreas Lilja: This guy is a bum. How he is a +3 is beyond me. Grade: D
Marc-Andre Bourdon: Bourdon has come up in light of Prongs being out for the season and has played better than expected. Bourdon has seen just over 15 minutes of ice time per game and has made a few plays to help win some games. Hes also made a few to help lose some. That's what you get. Another season in Adirondack could have helped but to me this has Jim Vandermeer and Dennis Seidenberg syndrome written all over it. Bourdon will be good enough for someone to want him and then a few years down the road don't be surprised to see him in the playoffs playing big games. Whether its for us or not remains to be seen but Bourdon has a big future if he can learn to play a little cleaner and learn to clear the puck.
In the final section we will grade the goalies.
Ilya Bryzgalov: Flyers fans have had such high expectations for Bryz all season long it is easy to blame him for a lot of the losses. Rightfully so, Bryz has been the goalie of record in 13 games this season in which the opposition has scored 4 or more goals. The Flyers are 3-11 in those games. Bryz has to do a better job of not giving up rebounds. He has been getting beat on some of the craziest shots and deflections. You could also make an argument that it has been the fault of the defense which has blown countless 2 goal leads in the 3rd period this season. Bryz must get better if he wants to be the starting goalie come playoff time. Grade: B-
Sergei Bobrovsky: Bob has put up numbers this season that are better than Bryz' all around. However, Bob isn't getting paid $51M a season so he rides the pine. For now. He has a GAA of 2.42 and it keeps going lower. Expect to see Bob in a lot more big games than you would think down the line even though Bryz is Lavy's guy. Grade: B+
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading.
What I would like to do is to give you my mid-season report on just how each and every player has done so far. Due to the number of players that have skated for the orange and black this season, only players who have played in 20 or more games will be reviewed.
First we'll start with the guys who have played in every game.
Scott Hartnell: Scotty too hotty has played exceptionally well so far in the first half. He has scored a team leading 19 goals and has benefited from a lot of time on ice. He has seen the third most ice time on average among Flyers forwards. Still no stranger to the penalty box, Hartsy is 2nd on the team in penalty minutes with 65. Just imagine the type of impact he would have if he were on the ice more. And by on the ice we mean on his skates. Grade: B+
Kimmo Timonen: Looking back on that Peter Forsberg trade I would say that the Flyers made out pretty well with this guy. With the absence of captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season, Kimmo has stepped up big time. Timonen is 5th on the Flyers in points and 2nd on the team in assists. Without Timonen who knows where this defense would be. Grade: A
Jakub Voracek: This kid is fast. Not only is he fast, we have seen flashes of great plays from Voracek this season. Tied with Timonen with 26 points on the season, Jake is one of four Flyers players to have more than 20 assists on the season. He has made the absence of Jeff Carter less noticeable and has benefited from playing on lines with guys like Briere and Simmonds. Grade: B
Wayne Simmonds: Raise your hand if you like what you've seen so far. Keep your hand raised if you knew this was what you were getting with Simmonds. Hand still up? Cool. Simmonds has done a decent job so far this season. He has a pretty balanced offensive game with 12 goals and 11 assists. He has seen a good amount of time on the power play this season and it has benefited him greatly. He is tied with Giroux and Jagr for second on the team in power play goals with 5. Grade: B
Matt Carle: Carle has looked lost out there at times this year and it usually results in the other team celebrating. About a week ago he had a game against Ottawa in which he was a -4. Then there are times when he makes a great play and stops an oppositions rush. He has had a pretty wishy-washy first half of the season and with the Flyers signing Braydon Coburn to a long term deal a few months back Carle hasn't really been helping his free agent to be status. Grade: C
Maxime Talbot: What a pick up this has turned out to be. Talbot has scored 10 goals this season and I don't think many were expecting him to have that at the half way point of the season. He has played well since coming over from Pittsburgh in the offseason and looks to be a focus of what this team is built to do in the few years. He is a tremendous back checker and penalty killer and a leader on the ice. He adds a necessary grit to this team and he is kind of like the sandpaper of the tool box. Grade: B+
Andrej Meszaros: As hard as it is for me to say this, Mes has kind of let me down this far into the season. Now, before you get upset, that doesn't mean I don't think he has played well. He has. I just thought of him as the number 3 defensemen on this team before Pronger went out and I still think hes the number 3 defensemen in the line up today. Mes has 6 goals and 10 assists so far this season and plays almost 21 minutes a night. But with only a +5 rating, playing with Matt Carle has kind of slowed him down a bit this season. Flyers fans hope Andrej the Giant shows up come playoff time because when he plays a great game he is very noticeable. When he plays poorly he is noticeable as well, and not in the good way. Grade: B-
The players mentioned below have all played in 35-42 games on the season.
Braydon Coburn: Coby has played well but his numbers would not reflect it. Having had his presence felt mostly on the penalty kill, Coburn is only a +1 rating. With only 1 goal on the season Coburn has to shoot more. He has fired the puck at the net 54 times on the season and not with much success. His 1.9 shooting percentage is the lowest on the team among players with a ranking. Grade: B
Danny Briere: Briere has been absent more times than not this season and has been a bit of a disappointment offensively. Briere gets the second most time on ice among forwards and has only tallied 29 points so far this season. Undoubtedly Briere brings a level of leadership and respect when it comes to the younger players and that can not be over looked. Briere needs to pick it up down the stretch and start living up to that contract in the regular season as well as the playoffs. Grade: B-
Matt Read: What a find this kid has turned out to be. A clear contender for the Calder trophy this year Read is the top rookie on a Flyers roster that leads the NHL in points from rookies. With 13 goals on the season, 3 of them on the power play and one short handed, Read is the top point getter for Flyers rookies as well with 27. Grade: A-
Claude Giroux: Stud muffin. Plain and simple. G has been the best Flyer all season long and is going to be a top 3 vote getter for the MVP when all is said and done. With 49 points on the season Giroux is the most exciting Flyers player since Lindros. I just wish he would grow back that mustache. Grade: A+
Sean Couturier: Cooter has been the steal of the draft. Getting him that late in the top 10 was one of the best draft picks since Brady went to New England. The kid has no teeth and just looks like a hockey player. With 9 goals on the season Couturier looks to become the 9th Flyer to eclipse the 10 goal mark on the season, an NHL best. Couturier has seen precious time on the penalty kill with Talbot and they are easily one of the leagues best combo's. Grade: B
Jaromir Jagr: This is a toughie. Jags has been about what I expected. For the whole season. This was obviously a tremendous signing for this hockey club. He has helped the development of Claude Giroux so much and has really gotten a lot out of Scott Hartnell. Jaromir was always my mothers favorite player and I could never figure out why. Until now. Grade: B+
James VanReimsdyk: Oh JVR, I sense your time in Philadelphia is coming to an end soon. It is unfortunate too. There are times during the games when JVR looks like a big presence on the ice, and then he disappears for two to three games. Maybe a change of scenery will do the kid some good. Grade: C-
Zac Rinaldo: Rinaldo made his splash last season in a playoff game and Lavy fell for it. Rinaldo was an instant replacement for oft troubled Dan Carcillo and I think its safe to say a lot of Flyers fans who weren't Carbomb people are Rinaldo people. The kid hits like thunder and has a heart the size of an ox. He just seems like a liability late in games. He has been a spark for this team all season long with his energy and that certainly helps. Grade: C+
The remaining three players all played between 20-35 games this season.
Harry Zolnierczyk: Harry Z as they like to call him has been another rookie to see ice time this season. Not much but when Z sees the ice he tries to make the best of it. Looking like a kid who plays with his heart not his head Harry Z is a little too spunky for his own good sometimes. He has a -11 rating on the season and is by far the lowest on the team in those regards. For a fourth line winger Z has played as well as anyone else has in the past few years on the 4th line. Grade: C
Andreas Lilja: This guy is a bum. How he is a +3 is beyond me. Grade: D
Marc-Andre Bourdon: Bourdon has come up in light of Prongs being out for the season and has played better than expected. Bourdon has seen just over 15 minutes of ice time per game and has made a few plays to help win some games. Hes also made a few to help lose some. That's what you get. Another season in Adirondack could have helped but to me this has Jim Vandermeer and Dennis Seidenberg syndrome written all over it. Bourdon will be good enough for someone to want him and then a few years down the road don't be surprised to see him in the playoffs playing big games. Whether its for us or not remains to be seen but Bourdon has a big future if he can learn to play a little cleaner and learn to clear the puck.
In the final section we will grade the goalies.
Ilya Bryzgalov: Flyers fans have had such high expectations for Bryz all season long it is easy to blame him for a lot of the losses. Rightfully so, Bryz has been the goalie of record in 13 games this season in which the opposition has scored 4 or more goals. The Flyers are 3-11 in those games. Bryz has to do a better job of not giving up rebounds. He has been getting beat on some of the craziest shots and deflections. You could also make an argument that it has been the fault of the defense which has blown countless 2 goal leads in the 3rd period this season. Bryz must get better if he wants to be the starting goalie come playoff time. Grade: B-
Sergei Bobrovsky: Bob has put up numbers this season that are better than Bryz' all around. However, Bob isn't getting paid $51M a season so he rides the pine. For now. He has a GAA of 2.42 and it keeps going lower. Expect to see Bob in a lot more big games than you would think down the line even though Bryz is Lavy's guy. Grade: B+
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Will the Flyers have a new face when they play Nashville tomorrow?
Possibly.
More like probably. It is looking more and more like the Flyers are going to make a trade any minute. You can almost smell it in the air.
But wouldn't a small part of you be sad if the Flyers traded James VanReimsdyk? Wasn't it just last postseason when we had our abysmal series against the Bruins that we chanted JVR! JVR! JVR!
I remember that. How quickly that doesn't matter anymore. JVR has been underachieving since the day he put on the Flyers crest. The only player really to have better numbers overall from that 2007 draft is Patrick Kane from Chicago. Other than that, we have Voracek (7th overall) and nobody else has really made a splash in the NHL. Some have made bigger ripples than other. Logan Couture is another good player from this draft. He has 96 points in 144 games in his career. VanReimsdyk has 97 points but has played in 94 more games than Couture.
Toronto loves JVR. They have since we drafted him 2nd overall and they drafted Dale Mitchel 74th overall. The Leafs didn't have a pick in either of the first two rounds and it has killed them since. They are missing an age generation on that team. They need a middle child. James VanReimsdyk is that middle child.
So Philly needs defense. Enter Luke Schenn.
Luke is the older brother of current Flyer Braydon Schenn. How touching. Why wouldn't big brother Luke want to play for the Flyers? He can police the NHL for his little brother making sure the big piece in the Mike Richards deal stays un-concussed. Plus, have you seen his slap shot. Boom.
The deal would surely include some AHL players or draft picks but don't expect anybody else that is NHL ready to be involved.
But not so fast. There is no guarantee that this trade will happen. They Flyers have made it "clear" that their number one target was Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter.
The Flyers next game will be tomorrow in Nashville and it will be interesting to see what jersey the three players mentioned above will be wearing come the 8:00PM start.
Please send any questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading.
More like probably. It is looking more and more like the Flyers are going to make a trade any minute. You can almost smell it in the air.
But wouldn't a small part of you be sad if the Flyers traded James VanReimsdyk? Wasn't it just last postseason when we had our abysmal series against the Bruins that we chanted JVR! JVR! JVR!
I remember that. How quickly that doesn't matter anymore. JVR has been underachieving since the day he put on the Flyers crest. The only player really to have better numbers overall from that 2007 draft is Patrick Kane from Chicago. Other than that, we have Voracek (7th overall) and nobody else has really made a splash in the NHL. Some have made bigger ripples than other. Logan Couture is another good player from this draft. He has 96 points in 144 games in his career. VanReimsdyk has 97 points but has played in 94 more games than Couture.
Toronto loves JVR. They have since we drafted him 2nd overall and they drafted Dale Mitchel 74th overall. The Leafs didn't have a pick in either of the first two rounds and it has killed them since. They are missing an age generation on that team. They need a middle child. James VanReimsdyk is that middle child.
So Philly needs defense. Enter Luke Schenn.
Luke is the older brother of current Flyer Braydon Schenn. How touching. Why wouldn't big brother Luke want to play for the Flyers? He can police the NHL for his little brother making sure the big piece in the Mike Richards deal stays un-concussed. Plus, have you seen his slap shot. Boom.
The deal would surely include some AHL players or draft picks but don't expect anybody else that is NHL ready to be involved.
But not so fast. There is no guarantee that this trade will happen. They Flyers have made it "clear" that their number one target was Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter.
The Flyers next game will be tomorrow in Nashville and it will be interesting to see what jersey the three players mentioned above will be wearing come the 8:00PM start.
Please send any questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Flyers play Isles tonight in Nassau
Danny Briere has 12 goals and 12 assists in his last 19 games against New York and Sean Couturier has 6 points in his last 8 games overall as the Flyers look to grab 2 more points in the race for the Atlantic Division.
The Islanders just look to remain relevant in the NHL as they start playing the spoiler role at the halfway point of the season. The currently have a roster that boasts 1 player that registers on the + side of the +/- column. Matt Moulson is a +5. Every other player has a negative rating. You aren't going to win that many games when your players are getting scored on more than you are scoring on them. The Flyers have only 6 players in the negative column. Seven if you include Jody Shelley.
Matt Moulson, aside from being the Islanders best player, is also their leading scorer. With 20 goals on the season he joins John Tavares and Michael Grabner as the only Isles to hit the double digit column. Kyle Okposo, P.A. Parenteau, and Frans Nielsen are knocking on the door but past that they don't offer much depth.
They have a carousel of guys in net but Al Montoya has been arguably their best but has split the ice time with Evgeni Nabokov this season with a little Rick DePietro mixed in. Nabokov is more likely to start tonight for the Isles but I have no confirmation of that.
For the Flyers, Sergei Bobrovsky will be in net. Hard to blame Lavy, Bob has a 6-0-0 record against the Isles with a 1.84 GAA for his career. Bob played great between the pipes in Carolina on Tuesday night stopping 35 of 36 shots. Bryzgalov has given up 4 or more goals in 5 of his last 7 games and has seen the pressure starting to be applied.
Look for a pretty physical game tonight, these two teams don't exactly like one another. Not sure if their will be any fights but there is always the possibility.
Players to watch for:
New York Islanders- C- John Tavares. As John Tavares goes, so do the Islanders. He is their man. He doesn't bring the same offensive pop as Matt Moulson but he is probably a better all around player. If the Islanders can somehow win this game, look for Tavares to have a big part in that.
Philadelphia Flyers- C- Scott Hartnell. Hartsy hasn't had a shot in two games. Need I say more?
Prediction- Flyers 3 - Islanders 1
The Flyers are 17-1-5 in their last 23 games against the Isles. No reason to think that changes tonight. Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr, and Claude Giroux are pointless in their last three and that line should bust out tonight. I just cant bring myself to give Bob his first career shutout. Just cant...
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading. Don't forget to LIKE our Facebook page.
The Islanders just look to remain relevant in the NHL as they start playing the spoiler role at the halfway point of the season. The currently have a roster that boasts 1 player that registers on the + side of the +/- column. Matt Moulson is a +5. Every other player has a negative rating. You aren't going to win that many games when your players are getting scored on more than you are scoring on them. The Flyers have only 6 players in the negative column. Seven if you include Jody Shelley.
Matt Moulson, aside from being the Islanders best player, is also their leading scorer. With 20 goals on the season he joins John Tavares and Michael Grabner as the only Isles to hit the double digit column. Kyle Okposo, P.A. Parenteau, and Frans Nielsen are knocking on the door but past that they don't offer much depth.
They have a carousel of guys in net but Al Montoya has been arguably their best but has split the ice time with Evgeni Nabokov this season with a little Rick DePietro mixed in. Nabokov is more likely to start tonight for the Isles but I have no confirmation of that.
For the Flyers, Sergei Bobrovsky will be in net. Hard to blame Lavy, Bob has a 6-0-0 record against the Isles with a 1.84 GAA for his career. Bob played great between the pipes in Carolina on Tuesday night stopping 35 of 36 shots. Bryzgalov has given up 4 or more goals in 5 of his last 7 games and has seen the pressure starting to be applied.
Look for a pretty physical game tonight, these two teams don't exactly like one another. Not sure if their will be any fights but there is always the possibility.
Players to watch for:
New York Islanders- C- John Tavares. As John Tavares goes, so do the Islanders. He is their man. He doesn't bring the same offensive pop as Matt Moulson but he is probably a better all around player. If the Islanders can somehow win this game, look for Tavares to have a big part in that.
Philadelphia Flyers- C- Scott Hartnell. Hartsy hasn't had a shot in two games. Need I say more?
Prediction- Flyers 3 - Islanders 1
The Flyers are 17-1-5 in their last 23 games against the Isles. No reason to think that changes tonight. Hartnell, Jaromir Jagr, and Claude Giroux are pointless in their last three and that line should bust out tonight. I just cant bring myself to give Bob his first career shutout. Just cant...
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and thank you for reading. Don't forget to LIKE our Facebook page.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Flyers weather the Hurricanes, win 2-1
Overall I would say it was a pretty good effort for the boys last night as they prevailed 2-1 in Carolina. It wasn't easy and Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward stopped 35 of 37 shots in a loss.
Sergei Bobrovsky had a busy night in net. He stopped all but 1 that came his way gathering 35 on the night as well. Furthermore, I am convinced that Bob will never get a shut out. Last nights spoiler was Jerome Samson. It was his first career NHL goal for the the second time in a three games a player has scored his first career goal on Flyers goalies.
Two more goals from rookies last night and three more points. Braydon Schenn slammed a rebound home for the second goal of his promising career to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second. A little later in the period Carolina would connect on the power play to tie it at one.
Then just over three minutes into the third period Sean Couturier took a pass from Harry Zolnierczyk and beat Ward over his right shoulder to take back the lead for the Flyers, 2-1.
The rest of the game proved to be relatively uneventful with the exception of a skirmish that took place at the 18:18 mark that may prove interesting later in the season. This was the last time the Flyers and 'Canes would play this season so there was some expected aggression out on the ice. After Cam Ward covered up the puck Schenn was being aggressive and going for the puck. In doing so, he gave Hurricanes defensemen Tim Gleason a pretty good cross check to the back that was failed to be called. Gleason got up and gave Schenn a piece of his mind. Gleason got 2 for roughing which proved to be no big deal.
So why is this interesting to me?
Well, all along I have been avoiding the Shea Weber trade talks as best I could. I think it would a trade not worth making and I feel that they can get a more affordable D-man at a better price.
If I were Paul Holmgren, with the trade deadline approaching I would be looking at a few key names.
1. Ryan Suter, Nashville
2. Tim Gleason, Carolina
3. Erik Johnson, Colorado
Anyone of those three defensemen would fit our system very well, in my opinion. But if Gleason is taking shots at a guy who has a slight chance to be his future teammate. That might not be that smart of an idea. Its hard to welcome a guy to the locker room that leaves a bad taste in your mouth and to me, that was a player who I wouldn't necessarily welcome with open arms.
Other than that the game was pretty uneventful. Zac Rinaldo was a healthy scratch. Matt Carle was a +1 after being a -4 in Ottawa on Sunday. Scott Hartnell failed to register a shot for his second straight game in over 20 minutes of ice time.
The Flyers next game will be Thursday when the go to New York to face the Islanders. Ilya Bryzgalov will presumably be in net and will be looking rebound from his 6-4 loss against Ottawa. If Bobrovsky is in net again he will look to continue contributing to the team. He has looked great in his last few games and has looked good in losses as well.
Please send any questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and don't forget to like us on Facebook.
Sergei Bobrovsky had a busy night in net. He stopped all but 1 that came his way gathering 35 on the night as well. Furthermore, I am convinced that Bob will never get a shut out. Last nights spoiler was Jerome Samson. It was his first career NHL goal for the the second time in a three games a player has scored his first career goal on Flyers goalies.
Two more goals from rookies last night and three more points. Braydon Schenn slammed a rebound home for the second goal of his promising career to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second. A little later in the period Carolina would connect on the power play to tie it at one.
Then just over three minutes into the third period Sean Couturier took a pass from Harry Zolnierczyk and beat Ward over his right shoulder to take back the lead for the Flyers, 2-1.
The rest of the game proved to be relatively uneventful with the exception of a skirmish that took place at the 18:18 mark that may prove interesting later in the season. This was the last time the Flyers and 'Canes would play this season so there was some expected aggression out on the ice. After Cam Ward covered up the puck Schenn was being aggressive and going for the puck. In doing so, he gave Hurricanes defensemen Tim Gleason a pretty good cross check to the back that was failed to be called. Gleason got up and gave Schenn a piece of his mind. Gleason got 2 for roughing which proved to be no big deal.
So why is this interesting to me?
Well, all along I have been avoiding the Shea Weber trade talks as best I could. I think it would a trade not worth making and I feel that they can get a more affordable D-man at a better price.
If I were Paul Holmgren, with the trade deadline approaching I would be looking at a few key names.
1. Ryan Suter, Nashville
2. Tim Gleason, Carolina
3. Erik Johnson, Colorado
Anyone of those three defensemen would fit our system very well, in my opinion. But if Gleason is taking shots at a guy who has a slight chance to be his future teammate. That might not be that smart of an idea. Its hard to welcome a guy to the locker room that leaves a bad taste in your mouth and to me, that was a player who I wouldn't necessarily welcome with open arms.
Other than that the game was pretty uneventful. Zac Rinaldo was a healthy scratch. Matt Carle was a +1 after being a -4 in Ottawa on Sunday. Scott Hartnell failed to register a shot for his second straight game in over 20 minutes of ice time.
The Flyers next game will be Thursday when the go to New York to face the Islanders. Ilya Bryzgalov will presumably be in net and will be looking rebound from his 6-4 loss against Ottawa. If Bobrovsky is in net again he will look to continue contributing to the team. He has looked great in his last few games and has looked good in losses as well.
Please send any questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and don't forget to like us on Facebook.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Flyers travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes
Puck drop will be at 7 tonight as the Flyers have traveled down the east coast to Carolina.
The Hurricanes currently sit 14th in the East are are having, lets say an off year. They are the only team in the East that has not won a shootout this season... besides the Flyers.
Luckily for the Fly Guys, Carolina has given up an NHL leading 146 goals on the season and the Flyers know how to put the puck in the net. Ottawa shut down the Flyers front line and they failed to generate that much offense or excitement for that matter.
Carolina doesn't boast too many threats. Their top two lines do most of the scoring. Tuomo Ruutu leads the team with 14 goals. Eric Staal leads them in points with 29.
Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net for the Flyers tonight. I say it is a smart move. Ilya Bryzgalov gave up more than 4 goals for the 12th time this season in the Flyers last contest with Ottawa. I don't think we will have to worry about that too much, Bobrovsky has a GAA of 2.56 on the season. That combined with Carolina's relative inability to score (19th in the league in Average Goals per game) and the Flyers being one of the most potent offenses it should fare well for the Flyers.
In my previous entry I made a fuss about was the players heart. Let me clarify, I am not saying that I think we have a bunch of heartless players on the ice. Guys like Kimmo Timonen and Max Talbot are going to go out there and give it their all every single night. I'm not sure the same can be said for everyone in the line up.
Tonight will be a good night for the guys to bounce back and grab a win. I'm sure if they take a 2-goal lead into the third period there is going to be alot of anxiety in the Delaware Valley. Lets hope they are only up by 1, or 3.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com Thank you for reading and make sure you like us on facebook if you haven't done so already.
The Hurricanes currently sit 14th in the East are are having, lets say an off year. They are the only team in the East that has not won a shootout this season... besides the Flyers.
Luckily for the Fly Guys, Carolina has given up an NHL leading 146 goals on the season and the Flyers know how to put the puck in the net. Ottawa shut down the Flyers front line and they failed to generate that much offense or excitement for that matter.
Carolina doesn't boast too many threats. Their top two lines do most of the scoring. Tuomo Ruutu leads the team with 14 goals. Eric Staal leads them in points with 29.
Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net for the Flyers tonight. I say it is a smart move. Ilya Bryzgalov gave up more than 4 goals for the 12th time this season in the Flyers last contest with Ottawa. I don't think we will have to worry about that too much, Bobrovsky has a GAA of 2.56 on the season. That combined with Carolina's relative inability to score (19th in the league in Average Goals per game) and the Flyers being one of the most potent offenses it should fare well for the Flyers.
In my previous entry I made a fuss about was the players heart. Let me clarify, I am not saying that I think we have a bunch of heartless players on the ice. Guys like Kimmo Timonen and Max Talbot are going to go out there and give it their all every single night. I'm not sure the same can be said for everyone in the line up.
Tonight will be a good night for the guys to bounce back and grab a win. I'm sure if they take a 2-goal lead into the third period there is going to be alot of anxiety in the Delaware Valley. Lets hope they are only up by 1, or 3.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com Thank you for reading and make sure you like us on facebook if you haven't done so already.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Flyers blow another 2-goal lead, lose 6-4
Going into yesterdays game, Ilya Bryzgalov had given up 4 or more goals 11 times this season. 11 TIMES! The Flyers were 3-8 in those games. Well, yesterday he gave up five and the Flyers dropped another one of those games to fall to 3-9 on the season when he gives up 4 or more.
3-9!
Let that sit for a little bit.
Now, I "humaanngous beeg" part of me wants to blame Ilya. But then in the back of my mind all I can hear is "Why you heff to be mad?!"
Ok, enough of the funny business.
Matt Carle, you are officially on notice. You were a -4 yesterday. That simply will not do. In recent games I have quickly been losing my patience with Carle. Its a shame, hes a guy you really want to like too. Not for nothing, but Zac Rinaldo was a +1 and Andreas Lilja was a +2.
Claude Giroux, what was that? Undoubtedly these two games against Ottawa were a fluke but you were -3 yesterday and you were pretty much non existent Saturday night.
But that's not what is digging at me.
Recently on my facebook page I asked the question:
"What are your thoughts on our defense blowing 2-goal leads in 3 of their past 4 games? What would you do to change it?"
I saw a response from a guy named Eric that rang clear to me.
"Either you want it bad enough, or you collect your millions and say its just one game."
Touche, Eric.
In the third period yesterday their were two teams on that ice. A determined Ottawa team, and a dipsy-doodle Flyers team.
The first period was all Flyers for the most part and they scored the only goal in the second period. They carried the dreaded 2-goal lead into the third period. I saw facebook posts like "I hope the Flyers don't blow another 2 goal lead" and "The Flyers should get Tim Tebow to play goalie"
Poppycock.
They owned Ottawa in 4 of the 6 periods in the home and home series. But the period they lost each time was the third. Luckily enough they held on to the game Saturday. 1 point out of a potential 4 would not have been good. The fact that Ottawa got out played and out manned in pretty much both games yet still walked away with 3 of the possible 4 points is not a good one for Flyers fans.
It has to worry you for the playoffs. As the standings currently stand, if the season ended today the Flyers would play Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs. For the first time in almost 3 seasons, that sounds frightening. Ottawa in the playoffs.
This team would lose in 6 maybe 7 games to the Sens if Craig Anderson played like that throughout the entire series.
Ottawa shut Claude Giroux out in both games. Scott Hartnell and Jake Voracek didn't even register shots yesterday. All three players were on the ice for over 14 and a half minutes and two of them didn't even get a shot on goal.
How can this team win in the playoffs if our top line cant score against a pretty mediocre team, our defense cant hold a lead, and our goalie gives up 4 goals a night almost as much as he doesn't.
So what do we need?
We need to want it more. We need more heart. We need more guys like Danny Briere who has been in a funk and then has a hat trick while dancing with Kyle Turris. So what Turris looks like hes 15. Briere needed a spark for himself and he went out and got it. He even credited Jody Shelley for some of his fighting skills.
We need guys like Carle to step up. We need guys like Matt Read to make it hard for the Flyers to trade them. We need the defensive aspect of the team to step up all around. Forwards need to do a better job of back checking, defensemen need to go down and block a shot. I swear, if I see one more goal go in off of a Flyers player I am going to lost my mind. I love this team. I want this to be the team that wins the cup. I don't want them to make a move for a defensemen. Unless it means that Lilja is out of the line up, I'm all for that.
Hopefully the Flyers can get some of that heart back when they travel to Carolina tomorrow to play the Hurricaines at 7:00.
No word on who will be in net, but I will be very surprised if it is not Sergei Bobrovsky, perhaps the Flyers most valueable piece.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com Thank you for reading.
3-9!
Let that sit for a little bit.
Now, I "humaanngous beeg" part of me wants to blame Ilya. But then in the back of my mind all I can hear is "Why you heff to be mad?!"
Ok, enough of the funny business.
Matt Carle, you are officially on notice. You were a -4 yesterday. That simply will not do. In recent games I have quickly been losing my patience with Carle. Its a shame, hes a guy you really want to like too. Not for nothing, but Zac Rinaldo was a +1 and Andreas Lilja was a +2.
Claude Giroux, what was that? Undoubtedly these two games against Ottawa were a fluke but you were -3 yesterday and you were pretty much non existent Saturday night.
But that's not what is digging at me.
Recently on my facebook page I asked the question:
"What are your thoughts on our defense blowing 2-goal leads in 3 of their past 4 games? What would you do to change it?"
I saw a response from a guy named Eric that rang clear to me.
"Either you want it bad enough, or you collect your millions and say its just one game."
Touche, Eric.
In the third period yesterday their were two teams on that ice. A determined Ottawa team, and a dipsy-doodle Flyers team.
The first period was all Flyers for the most part and they scored the only goal in the second period. They carried the dreaded 2-goal lead into the third period. I saw facebook posts like "I hope the Flyers don't blow another 2 goal lead" and "The Flyers should get Tim Tebow to play goalie"
Poppycock.
They owned Ottawa in 4 of the 6 periods in the home and home series. But the period they lost each time was the third. Luckily enough they held on to the game Saturday. 1 point out of a potential 4 would not have been good. The fact that Ottawa got out played and out manned in pretty much both games yet still walked away with 3 of the possible 4 points is not a good one for Flyers fans.
It has to worry you for the playoffs. As the standings currently stand, if the season ended today the Flyers would play Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs. For the first time in almost 3 seasons, that sounds frightening. Ottawa in the playoffs.
This team would lose in 6 maybe 7 games to the Sens if Craig Anderson played like that throughout the entire series.
Ottawa shut Claude Giroux out in both games. Scott Hartnell and Jake Voracek didn't even register shots yesterday. All three players were on the ice for over 14 and a half minutes and two of them didn't even get a shot on goal.
How can this team win in the playoffs if our top line cant score against a pretty mediocre team, our defense cant hold a lead, and our goalie gives up 4 goals a night almost as much as he doesn't.
So what do we need?
We need to want it more. We need more heart. We need more guys like Danny Briere who has been in a funk and then has a hat trick while dancing with Kyle Turris. So what Turris looks like hes 15. Briere needed a spark for himself and he went out and got it. He even credited Jody Shelley for some of his fighting skills.
We need guys like Carle to step up. We need guys like Matt Read to make it hard for the Flyers to trade them. We need the defensive aspect of the team to step up all around. Forwards need to do a better job of back checking, defensemen need to go down and block a shot. I swear, if I see one more goal go in off of a Flyers player I am going to lost my mind. I love this team. I want this to be the team that wins the cup. I don't want them to make a move for a defensemen. Unless it means that Lilja is out of the line up, I'm all for that.
Hopefully the Flyers can get some of that heart back when they travel to Carolina tomorrow to play the Hurricaines at 7:00.
No word on who will be in net, but I will be very surprised if it is not Sergei Bobrovsky, perhaps the Flyers most valueable piece.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com Thank you for reading.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Briere and Bryzgalov lead the Flyers past Ottawa
Daniel Briere has been held out of the goal column for quite some time. Last night that all changed when Briere broke out of his recent slump by recording his 5th career hat trick bringing his goal count to 13 on the season.
Briere also dropped the gloves in the tilt with Sens forward Kyle Turris. The two had been chirping at one another throughout most of the beginning of the game before they decided to drop the gloves. It was an unexpected bout but Briere seemed to have gotten the better of Turris. He seemed pretty excited about his performance in the game.
Ilya Bryzgalov made 35 saves on 37 shots yesterday and had a few key saves late in the game to preserve the lead for the Flyers. The Flyers have not officially announced who will be in the net today when the Flyers face off in the back end of a home and home series. It would originally have made sense for the Flyers to play both Bobrovsky and Bryzgalov one game apiece but with Bryz's play yesterday he may be in the pipes again today.
With the exception of Bryzgalov and Briere most of the Flyers were pretty quiet. Jake Voracek picked up 2 more assists on the season and looks to have found a good running mate in Briere. The two have combined for 4 goals in the past two games. Scott Hartnell had his 7 games points streak snapped and Claude Giroux failed to register a point in what seemed like forever. Braydon Schenn recorded his second assist of the season bringing his point streak to 3 games since scoring his first NHL goal at the Winter Classic.
Milan Michalek potted his 20th goal of the season, first on the Sens, and looks to continue his reign as Ottawa's biggest goal threat this season. Erik Karlsson continued his impressive play by registering an assist on both Ottawa goals. Karlsson is the leading vote getter among Defensemen in the NHL for the upcoming All Star Game.
The same goes for the Flyers in this game as the one yesterday. Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Michalek and Karlsson are clearly the biggest threats on the Sens and then after that there is a drop off in talent. With the level of physicality of yesterdays game look for players like Zenon Konopka and Chris Neil to be more of a presence in this game.
The Flyers will be expecting Jaromir Jagr to make his return to the line up. They hope that he can provide an offensive spark and help the team continue to put pucks in the back of the net. If he plays, he will resume his previous duties on the first line with Giroux and Hartnell. Matt Read will most likely play on the line with Briere and Voracek. The line of Wayne Simmonds, JVR, and Schenn has been a pretty productive line since finding one another so the chance that they may stay intact is a decent one. The only players that the Flyers would be able to scratch for the game would have to be either Zac Rinaldo or Harry Zolnierczyk. Rookie Sean Couturier has been one of the most consistent Flyers this season and will remain in the line up.
So what do the Flyers do with Max Talbot? The original thought that comes to mind would be to move Schenn to the fourth line and have Talbot center Simmonds and JVR. Talbot has been great since signing a deal as a free agent to come to Philadelphia in the off season and it would be a shame for him to lose ice time. It definitely will be interesting to see what the Flyers do in regards to their line combinations.
Players to watch
Ottawa: D, Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson had two more assists in last nights game bringing his total to 34 on the season. With 8 more assists on the season that the next Senator, Jason Spezza, Karlsson moves the puck well and again will prove to be a big factor in the game.
Philadelphia: C, Claude Giroux
Its no secret that Giroux has been the Flyers best player all season long but a lot of that has to do with Jaromir Jagr. With Jagr back in the line up after missing most of the past three games the Flyers look for him to help spark that top line. Giroux will benefit the most from the return of Jags. Look for Giroux to find his way back in the scoring column today.
Prediction:
Craig Anderson played great yesterday in net. Don't expect that to carry over into today's game. The Flyers play great road hockey and the Sens play great at home but with the return of Jagr to the line up and the resurgence of Briere and JVR the Flyers appear to be clicking on all cylinders.
Flyers 4- Ottawa- 2
Flyers Goals- Jagr, Simmonds, Hartnell, Coburn
Senators Goals- Spezza, Gonchar
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com. Thank you for reading and please share and enjoy!
Briere also dropped the gloves in the tilt with Sens forward Kyle Turris. The two had been chirping at one another throughout most of the beginning of the game before they decided to drop the gloves. It was an unexpected bout but Briere seemed to have gotten the better of Turris. He seemed pretty excited about his performance in the game.
Ilya Bryzgalov made 35 saves on 37 shots yesterday and had a few key saves late in the game to preserve the lead for the Flyers. The Flyers have not officially announced who will be in the net today when the Flyers face off in the back end of a home and home series. It would originally have made sense for the Flyers to play both Bobrovsky and Bryzgalov one game apiece but with Bryz's play yesterday he may be in the pipes again today.
With the exception of Bryzgalov and Briere most of the Flyers were pretty quiet. Jake Voracek picked up 2 more assists on the season and looks to have found a good running mate in Briere. The two have combined for 4 goals in the past two games. Scott Hartnell had his 7 games points streak snapped and Claude Giroux failed to register a point in what seemed like forever. Braydon Schenn recorded his second assist of the season bringing his point streak to 3 games since scoring his first NHL goal at the Winter Classic.
Milan Michalek potted his 20th goal of the season, first on the Sens, and looks to continue his reign as Ottawa's biggest goal threat this season. Erik Karlsson continued his impressive play by registering an assist on both Ottawa goals. Karlsson is the leading vote getter among Defensemen in the NHL for the upcoming All Star Game.
The same goes for the Flyers in this game as the one yesterday. Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Michalek and Karlsson are clearly the biggest threats on the Sens and then after that there is a drop off in talent. With the level of physicality of yesterdays game look for players like Zenon Konopka and Chris Neil to be more of a presence in this game.
The Flyers will be expecting Jaromir Jagr to make his return to the line up. They hope that he can provide an offensive spark and help the team continue to put pucks in the back of the net. If he plays, he will resume his previous duties on the first line with Giroux and Hartnell. Matt Read will most likely play on the line with Briere and Voracek. The line of Wayne Simmonds, JVR, and Schenn has been a pretty productive line since finding one another so the chance that they may stay intact is a decent one. The only players that the Flyers would be able to scratch for the game would have to be either Zac Rinaldo or Harry Zolnierczyk. Rookie Sean Couturier has been one of the most consistent Flyers this season and will remain in the line up.
So what do the Flyers do with Max Talbot? The original thought that comes to mind would be to move Schenn to the fourth line and have Talbot center Simmonds and JVR. Talbot has been great since signing a deal as a free agent to come to Philadelphia in the off season and it would be a shame for him to lose ice time. It definitely will be interesting to see what the Flyers do in regards to their line combinations.
Players to watch
Ottawa: D, Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson had two more assists in last nights game bringing his total to 34 on the season. With 8 more assists on the season that the next Senator, Jason Spezza, Karlsson moves the puck well and again will prove to be a big factor in the game.
Philadelphia: C, Claude Giroux
Its no secret that Giroux has been the Flyers best player all season long but a lot of that has to do with Jaromir Jagr. With Jagr back in the line up after missing most of the past three games the Flyers look for him to help spark that top line. Giroux will benefit the most from the return of Jags. Look for Giroux to find his way back in the scoring column today.
Prediction:
Craig Anderson played great yesterday in net. Don't expect that to carry over into today's game. The Flyers play great road hockey and the Sens play great at home but with the return of Jagr to the line up and the resurgence of Briere and JVR the Flyers appear to be clicking on all cylinders.
Flyers 4- Ottawa- 2
Flyers Goals- Jagr, Simmonds, Hartnell, Coburn
Senators Goals- Spezza, Gonchar
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com. Thank you for reading and please share and enjoy!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Ottawa is coming to town
The Flyers will take place in the first game of a home and home series against the Ottawa Senators in an intriguing match ups between the two teams sitting 4th and 5th in the Eastern Conference.
The Senators are coming in with 4 of the 6 starters for the East in the up coming All Star Game. A majority of fans out argue that there is a home city bias to the results. (When isn't there?) But it is tough to argue with the picks that were chosen.
Daniel Alfredsson wears the "C" for the Sens. Pretty obvious why he was selected. He is a perennial All-Star and has registered 1,051 points in 1,090 games in 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the Sens.
Erik Karlsson was the overall leading vote getter and the top defensemen in the NHL. This kid is a stud. With 5 goals and 32 assists on the season Karlsson is no stranger to the offense. He has registered 143 shots on goal this season, first on the team.
Jason Spezza has put together a pretty solid first half of the season and it is understandable how he could be selected to the team. He is the points leader for the Sens and has played in all 41 games this season for Ottawa averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per night.
Milan Mihalik was probably the most surprising choice of them all however a late push in the voting moved him past Toronto Maple Leaf, Phil Kessel. Mihalik is dangerous in more than one way. He has the most goals on the team at this point in the season but he also boasts the highest shooting percentage of all players for Ottawa.
The Flyers go into play today with a little uncertainty. Kimmo Timonen will attempt to play today after x-rays came back negative. Timonen blocked a shot off his wrist in the Winter Classic and left the previous game against the Blackhawks midway through the second period. His level of play could effect the outcome of this game depending on how other Flyer players play today. They have blown 2 goal leads late in their last two games and look to remedy that today.
Expect to see Sergei Bobrovsky in net today and Ilya Bryzgalov back in net tomorrow when they take the battle north of the border to Canada. Bryzgalov looked solid but still beatable against Chicago after stopping 30 of 34 shots fired at him. He snapped a personal 4 game losing streak in the process but saw his GAA go up again, now up to 3.05 for the season.
Bobrovsky currently has a GAA of 2.56 and a save percentage that is .914. He is giving up a shade under half a goal less than Bryzgalov and is currently stopping 2.5 more shots per goal than Bryz. If Bob keeps playing well it is going to be tough for Peter Lavoilette not to play him.
The Flyers bring with them tonight the second most goals scored in the East this season. Only trailing Boston and only a few ahead of the fourth place Senators. They will need to score early and often today to grab 2 points in this game. With the Rangers winning again they moved 6 points ahead of the Flyers in the division. They are idle until Tuesday when the Phoenix Coyotes come to play. If the Flyers can take both of these games they will find themselves only 2 points back of the Rangers with a little under half the season left.
Impact Players
Ottawa: D, Erik Karlsson
As stated earlier, the kid is a stud. Undoubtedly he will make a play in this game that will impact it one way or the other. He takes a lot of shots and picks up a decent amount of those assists on rebounds that get buried by Michalik or Spezza. Watch out for Ottawa's first line as they carry a big portion of the burden for the Sens.
Philadelphia: LW, James VanReimsdyk
JVR is coming off a huge game against Chicago. 2 goals and the eventual game winner with 33 seconds left in the game. Look for JVR to continue that level of play and expect him to see ice time with Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Schenn. If that line doesn't to have it early, JVR could find himself on a line with Claude Giroux and Scott Harnell, the two players who assisted on the GWG versus Chicago.
What to look for
Look for the depth of the Flyers to come up big in this game. All four lines registered a goal in the previous game and anytime you get contributions from all four lines you are going to have a lot of success playing the game. If the top two defensive pairings for the Flyers can keep the Sens top line at bay the Flyers should win this game no problem. If Ottawa's top line finds success, look for it to be a shoot out.
Prediction
Flyers 3- Ottawa 1
Philly Goals by- Giroux, Couturier, VanReimsdyk
Ottawa Goal by- Spezza
Please send and questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and like our page on facebook.
The Senators are coming in with 4 of the 6 starters for the East in the up coming All Star Game. A majority of fans out argue that there is a home city bias to the results. (When isn't there?) But it is tough to argue with the picks that were chosen.
Daniel Alfredsson wears the "C" for the Sens. Pretty obvious why he was selected. He is a perennial All-Star and has registered 1,051 points in 1,090 games in 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the Sens.
Erik Karlsson was the overall leading vote getter and the top defensemen in the NHL. This kid is a stud. With 5 goals and 32 assists on the season Karlsson is no stranger to the offense. He has registered 143 shots on goal this season, first on the team.
Jason Spezza has put together a pretty solid first half of the season and it is understandable how he could be selected to the team. He is the points leader for the Sens and has played in all 41 games this season for Ottawa averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per night.
Milan Mihalik was probably the most surprising choice of them all however a late push in the voting moved him past Toronto Maple Leaf, Phil Kessel. Mihalik is dangerous in more than one way. He has the most goals on the team at this point in the season but he also boasts the highest shooting percentage of all players for Ottawa.
The Flyers go into play today with a little uncertainty. Kimmo Timonen will attempt to play today after x-rays came back negative. Timonen blocked a shot off his wrist in the Winter Classic and left the previous game against the Blackhawks midway through the second period. His level of play could effect the outcome of this game depending on how other Flyer players play today. They have blown 2 goal leads late in their last two games and look to remedy that today.
Expect to see Sergei Bobrovsky in net today and Ilya Bryzgalov back in net tomorrow when they take the battle north of the border to Canada. Bryzgalov looked solid but still beatable against Chicago after stopping 30 of 34 shots fired at him. He snapped a personal 4 game losing streak in the process but saw his GAA go up again, now up to 3.05 for the season.
Bobrovsky currently has a GAA of 2.56 and a save percentage that is .914. He is giving up a shade under half a goal less than Bryzgalov and is currently stopping 2.5 more shots per goal than Bryz. If Bob keeps playing well it is going to be tough for Peter Lavoilette not to play him.
The Flyers bring with them tonight the second most goals scored in the East this season. Only trailing Boston and only a few ahead of the fourth place Senators. They will need to score early and often today to grab 2 points in this game. With the Rangers winning again they moved 6 points ahead of the Flyers in the division. They are idle until Tuesday when the Phoenix Coyotes come to play. If the Flyers can take both of these games they will find themselves only 2 points back of the Rangers with a little under half the season left.
Impact Players
Ottawa: D, Erik Karlsson
As stated earlier, the kid is a stud. Undoubtedly he will make a play in this game that will impact it one way or the other. He takes a lot of shots and picks up a decent amount of those assists on rebounds that get buried by Michalik or Spezza. Watch out for Ottawa's first line as they carry a big portion of the burden for the Sens.
Philadelphia: LW, James VanReimsdyk
JVR is coming off a huge game against Chicago. 2 goals and the eventual game winner with 33 seconds left in the game. Look for JVR to continue that level of play and expect him to see ice time with Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Schenn. If that line doesn't to have it early, JVR could find himself on a line with Claude Giroux and Scott Harnell, the two players who assisted on the GWG versus Chicago.
What to look for
Look for the depth of the Flyers to come up big in this game. All four lines registered a goal in the previous game and anytime you get contributions from all four lines you are going to have a lot of success playing the game. If the top two defensive pairings for the Flyers can keep the Sens top line at bay the Flyers should win this game no problem. If Ottawa's top line finds success, look for it to be a shoot out.
Prediction
Flyers 3- Ottawa 1
Philly Goals by- Giroux, Couturier, VanReimsdyk
Ottawa Goal by- Spezza
Please send and questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and like our page on facebook.
Friday, January 6, 2012
James VanReimsdyk bails out Flyers. Beat Chicago 5-4
James VanReimsdyk could do no wrong last night as he had a breakout, 2 goal performance including the game winner with just :33 left on the clock. Scott Hartnell made a beauty of a pass to find the waiting stick of JVR to slam it right past Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery.
The first period started off pretty eventful with Jimmy Hayes scoring on a redirect from Jamal Mayers just three minutes into the game. The ensuing face-off would continue the excitement. Zac Rinaldo and Andrew Shaw, playing in place of Daniel Carcillo who was suspended 7 games for his boarding penalty on Tom Gilbert of the Edmonton Oilers, dropped the gloves. It was Shaw's first NHL fight in his first NHL game. Shaw did a decent job in his first bout. He left the ice with his jersey torn. Rinaldo was obviously not happy, probably because he failed to clear the blue line on the attempted clear leading to the goal by Hayes.
The Flyers would go on to tie the game late in the first period when Jakub Voracek slammed a perfect bounce off a errant shot by Braydon Coburn. Marc-Andre Bourdon also assisted on the goal. The first period would end at a 1-1 tie but not for lack of excitement. Ilya Bryzgalov made several key saves in that period and the Flyers could have been behind rather than tied.
Alex Shaw, the same Shaw playing in his first game, would take a pass from Blackhawks captain Jonothan Toews and beat Bryzgalov for his first NHL goal. 7:37 into the second period and from then on the second period was all Philadelphia. Scotty Hartnell would take a pass from Claude Giroux and Matt Read and find the back of the net to tie it at two goals apiece. Matt Read was playing on the top line in place of injured winger Jaromir Jagr and held his own pretty well for most of the game.
Then just 4 minutes later Flyers F Harry Zolnierczyk scored for the Flyers to take a 3-2 lead. Harry Z just looks like a kid who really is trying to enjoy his time in the NHL. Hopefully he can maintain his level of play and stay in the line up. Most Flyers fans would probably rather have him on the ice than Jody Shelley. Zolnierczyk would slam a rebound home from Sean Couturier and Andrej Meszaros.
In what looked like a very similar goal. James Van Riemsdyk would slam home a Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Schenn. It was JVR's 10th goal of the season which puts the Flyers with 8 players in double digits in goals.They are the only team in the NHL with 8 players to have reached that mark. Voracek has 6 and Meszaros and Couturier have 5 each and would be the next to hit the 10 goal plateau.
The second period would end with the Flyers up 4-2. Feelings were good heading into the locker room but then the 3rd period came along. The first have of the period when scoreless but that would change quickly. Patrick Sharp took a double minor for High Sticking at the 10:15 mark of the 3rd. The Flyers failed to capitalize and as time expired on the penalty to Sharp, Brent Seabrook fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Bryzgalov to bring the Blackhawks within 1. Then just 25 seconds later Patrick Kane would tie the game at 4 and the Flyers had blown a lead in their second consecutive third period versus a Stanley Cup threat.
As time would tick away on the clock you could almost sense that this game was not going to go into overtime. They Flyers made sure of it. Claude Giroux failed to get on the scoring chart with a goal tonight but he did set up two goals and the pass he made down low to Hartnell that set up the game winning goal was textbook. Hartnell's pass to JVR was a blind pass. A blind pass right to the stick of JVR and he made sure to bury it. Patrick Kane who was in the penalty box serving a minor for high sticking could do nothing but watch the Flyers celebrate as he skated back to his bench.
The goal would be the eventual game winner for the Flyers who picked up two key points in the standings. With the Rangers beating the Florida Panters in OT, the boys in Orange and Black could ill afford to fall 6 points out of the division lead.
They Flyers will be off today and will resume competition on Saturday when they host the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have 4 of the 6 announced starters for the East in the All Star game but don't fool yourself, they don't have that tremendous of a team. Next season or more likely the following season look for the Senators to be a force in the Eastern Conference but they aren't quite their yet. That doesn't mean the Flyers can take the Sens lightly but if all goes well it should be a game that falls in their favor.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com
The first period started off pretty eventful with Jimmy Hayes scoring on a redirect from Jamal Mayers just three minutes into the game. The ensuing face-off would continue the excitement. Zac Rinaldo and Andrew Shaw, playing in place of Daniel Carcillo who was suspended 7 games for his boarding penalty on Tom Gilbert of the Edmonton Oilers, dropped the gloves. It was Shaw's first NHL fight in his first NHL game. Shaw did a decent job in his first bout. He left the ice with his jersey torn. Rinaldo was obviously not happy, probably because he failed to clear the blue line on the attempted clear leading to the goal by Hayes.
The Flyers would go on to tie the game late in the first period when Jakub Voracek slammed a perfect bounce off a errant shot by Braydon Coburn. Marc-Andre Bourdon also assisted on the goal. The first period would end at a 1-1 tie but not for lack of excitement. Ilya Bryzgalov made several key saves in that period and the Flyers could have been behind rather than tied.
Alex Shaw, the same Shaw playing in his first game, would take a pass from Blackhawks captain Jonothan Toews and beat Bryzgalov for his first NHL goal. 7:37 into the second period and from then on the second period was all Philadelphia. Scotty Hartnell would take a pass from Claude Giroux and Matt Read and find the back of the net to tie it at two goals apiece. Matt Read was playing on the top line in place of injured winger Jaromir Jagr and held his own pretty well for most of the game.
Then just 4 minutes later Flyers F Harry Zolnierczyk scored for the Flyers to take a 3-2 lead. Harry Z just looks like a kid who really is trying to enjoy his time in the NHL. Hopefully he can maintain his level of play and stay in the line up. Most Flyers fans would probably rather have him on the ice than Jody Shelley. Zolnierczyk would slam a rebound home from Sean Couturier and Andrej Meszaros.
In what looked like a very similar goal. James Van Riemsdyk would slam home a Wayne Simmonds and Braydon Schenn. It was JVR's 10th goal of the season which puts the Flyers with 8 players in double digits in goals.They are the only team in the NHL with 8 players to have reached that mark. Voracek has 6 and Meszaros and Couturier have 5 each and would be the next to hit the 10 goal plateau.
The second period would end with the Flyers up 4-2. Feelings were good heading into the locker room but then the 3rd period came along. The first have of the period when scoreless but that would change quickly. Patrick Sharp took a double minor for High Sticking at the 10:15 mark of the 3rd. The Flyers failed to capitalize and as time expired on the penalty to Sharp, Brent Seabrook fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of Bryzgalov to bring the Blackhawks within 1. Then just 25 seconds later Patrick Kane would tie the game at 4 and the Flyers had blown a lead in their second consecutive third period versus a Stanley Cup threat.
As time would tick away on the clock you could almost sense that this game was not going to go into overtime. They Flyers made sure of it. Claude Giroux failed to get on the scoring chart with a goal tonight but he did set up two goals and the pass he made down low to Hartnell that set up the game winning goal was textbook. Hartnell's pass to JVR was a blind pass. A blind pass right to the stick of JVR and he made sure to bury it. Patrick Kane who was in the penalty box serving a minor for high sticking could do nothing but watch the Flyers celebrate as he skated back to his bench.
The goal would be the eventual game winner for the Flyers who picked up two key points in the standings. With the Rangers beating the Florida Panters in OT, the boys in Orange and Black could ill afford to fall 6 points out of the division lead.
They Flyers will be off today and will resume competition on Saturday when they host the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have 4 of the 6 announced starters for the East in the All Star game but don't fool yourself, they don't have that tremendous of a team. Next season or more likely the following season look for the Senators to be a force in the Eastern Conference but they aren't quite their yet. That doesn't mean the Flyers can take the Sens lightly but if all goes well it should be a game that falls in their favor.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Don't Toews Me Brah!
Ilya Bryzgalov gets the start in net tonight when the Flyers play host at the Wells Fargo Center when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town. The game will start at 7:00 and it will mark the return of former Flyer D-man Sean O'Donnell. It would also be the "glorious" return of Daniel Carcillo however he will be sitting out due to his 7 game suspension from the league for boarding Edmonton Oilers' Defensemen Tom Gilbert.
The Blackhawks will somehow have to manage without him. But we all know that won't be an issue. The 2010 Stanley Cup winners come into town with a roster swimming with talent.
Jonathan Toews might possibly be the best captain in the NHL. Of course this is only an opinion but something tells me that if the captains were switched around in 2010 the Flyers would have raised the banner rather than Chicago. That is not a dig at Mike Richards who had a tremendous postseason in 2010 and came just short of bringing the Cup back to Philly. Its like having a Lamborghini or a Porche. There is no wrong choice, only a better choice.
Patric Sharp has come out of his shell since finding a home in Chicago since the Flyers shipped him away for Matt Ellison and eventual 3rd round draft pick Jon Matsumoto. Great deal that ended up being. But has emerged as an essential piece of the Blackhawks puzzle and an undoubted leader in the locker room. Sharp currently leads the Blackhawks in power play points with 12.
The Blackhawks also pack a powerful punch on the blueline. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith may very well be two of the best Defensemen in the league. Both have great defensive awareness but also have great offensive presence. Keith enters the game with 20 assists on the season, 10 of which on the power play. Seabrook is having a down year but is still one of the top defensemen, not only in the Western Conference but also in the entire NHL.
The 'Hawks also bring two more monsters to town with them tonight. Marian Hossa, who is no stranger to the back of the net, comes in with a team leading 41 points on the season (17g, 24a). The other is Patrick Kane who Flyers fans know best for his Stanley Cup game 6 game winning goal. Sorry Michael Leighton.
The Flyers look to counter attack in their first game since dropping the Winter Classic 3-2 to the Rangers on Monday. Hopefully with the HBO cameras out of the picture Ilya and the boys can get their heads back on right and start winning some games with some consistency again.
Currently 4 points out of first in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference the Flyers find themselves in their own building for the first time since getting thumped 6-0 by the Bruins. The Flyers will be without Jaromir Jagr who will miss the next 7-10 days with a left groin strain. They will using Matt Read on a line with Claude Giroux and Scotty Hartnell to try and generate some offense. Most people expected them to go with James VanReimsdyk who has been struggling to find the stat sheet and the ice recently.
Hopefully the boys in Black and Orange can find their winning ways. Maybe Mr. Universe can find his inner compass and not be lost in the woods. The Flyers could really use a stand out game from their $51M man. They definitely would love to grab the extra 2 points on the Penguins who are idle tonight. Having played one less game and having 2 more points then the Pens, an extra 2 points would go a long way down the road.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com to be featured in a future blog. We hope you enjoyed reading. Please Like our page on facebook. FLYERS BLOGSPOT
The Blackhawks will somehow have to manage without him. But we all know that won't be an issue. The 2010 Stanley Cup winners come into town with a roster swimming with talent.
Jonathan Toews might possibly be the best captain in the NHL. Of course this is only an opinion but something tells me that if the captains were switched around in 2010 the Flyers would have raised the banner rather than Chicago. That is not a dig at Mike Richards who had a tremendous postseason in 2010 and came just short of bringing the Cup back to Philly. Its like having a Lamborghini or a Porche. There is no wrong choice, only a better choice.
Patric Sharp has come out of his shell since finding a home in Chicago since the Flyers shipped him away for Matt Ellison and eventual 3rd round draft pick Jon Matsumoto. Great deal that ended up being. But has emerged as an essential piece of the Blackhawks puzzle and an undoubted leader in the locker room. Sharp currently leads the Blackhawks in power play points with 12.
The Blackhawks also pack a powerful punch on the blueline. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith may very well be two of the best Defensemen in the league. Both have great defensive awareness but also have great offensive presence. Keith enters the game with 20 assists on the season, 10 of which on the power play. Seabrook is having a down year but is still one of the top defensemen, not only in the Western Conference but also in the entire NHL.
The 'Hawks also bring two more monsters to town with them tonight. Marian Hossa, who is no stranger to the back of the net, comes in with a team leading 41 points on the season (17g, 24a). The other is Patrick Kane who Flyers fans know best for his Stanley Cup game 6 game winning goal. Sorry Michael Leighton.
The Flyers look to counter attack in their first game since dropping the Winter Classic 3-2 to the Rangers on Monday. Hopefully with the HBO cameras out of the picture Ilya and the boys can get their heads back on right and start winning some games with some consistency again.
Currently 4 points out of first in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference the Flyers find themselves in their own building for the first time since getting thumped 6-0 by the Bruins. The Flyers will be without Jaromir Jagr who will miss the next 7-10 days with a left groin strain. They will using Matt Read on a line with Claude Giroux and Scotty Hartnell to try and generate some offense. Most people expected them to go with James VanReimsdyk who has been struggling to find the stat sheet and the ice recently.
Hopefully the boys in Black and Orange can find their winning ways. Maybe Mr. Universe can find his inner compass and not be lost in the woods. The Flyers could really use a stand out game from their $51M man. They definitely would love to grab the extra 2 points on the Penguins who are idle tonight. Having played one less game and having 2 more points then the Pens, an extra 2 points would go a long way down the road.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com to be featured in a future blog. We hope you enjoyed reading. Please Like our page on facebook. FLYERS BLOGSPOT
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Whats next for the Winter Classic?
Detroit.
Plain and simple. One of the original 6 teams. One of the most storied franchises in the NHL. Hockeytown, USA.
Why would anyone argue against the Red Wings hosting the 2013 Winter Classic? They would be a fool and that is about the only explanation for it.
The Red Wings have hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup 11 times since the league formed. Third most behind only Toronto (13) and Montreal (23), also part of the "Original 6".
Now the sceptic would ask "Where do you play the game?". Simple, Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Even though Ford Field would make a tremendous spot it is not outside. Thus, eliminating it from debate. It wouldn't exactly be in the heart of Detroit but there is no harm in contacting the folks over in Ann Arbor and checking in on Michigan Stadium. The Big House is home to the Michigan Wolverines and could seat well over 100,000 people. It would be tough for the NHL to sell that many tickets, but believe me, people will buy them all.
So the question becomes, "Who do they play?".
Chicago? No.
Vancouver? No.
Columbus? .... Let's get real.
St. Louis? Possibly, but lets do one better.
(drum roll please).......
Enter the Colorado Avalanche.
One of the most heated rivalries in hockey over the past 10-15 years has lost some flavor in recent seasons with the Avs having not had the most success since the departure of longtime leaders Joe Sakic and injury riddled Peter Forsberg, who bounced around the NHL like a pinball before finally crash landing back in Colorado before retiring again this past off season.
The only team that would make sense other than the Avs is the Blackhawks and we've 'been there, done that' with the Winter Classic in 2009 when the Hawks hosted the Wings at Wrigley Field. As intriguing as a match up with the Canucks would be, the Canadian teams seem hesitant to play in our version of their Heritage Classic.
Not to mention, think about that Alumni Game. Stevie Y, Sergei Federov, Dino Ciccarelli for the Wings, Patrick Roy, Sacic, and Claude Lemieux for the Avs. My mouth savors over the possibilities of this match up.
Either way, the NHL will not lead us down the wrong path with this game. (Sorry Isles, Yotes, and Preds fans.) They will put a game on that the fans want to watch. A game they can get invested in, two teams poised for playoff runs with two different attitudes and two different philosophies.
So where does the Winter Classic go from here?
Its no secret that Gary Bettman has told the Washington Capitals that they would receive a home game. Expect that in 2014, possibly hosting the Bruins. A match up that would feature two of the more predominant teams of the late 2000's.
Minnesota also has been chomping at the bit to host a game. But the NHL has been hesitant to do so with the Wild having not been overly successful over recent years. The team is much improved this season and looks to sustain success to hold on to a playoff spot. They currently sit 6th in the Western Conference but are only 3 points behind Vancouver in the Northwest Division after going 1-6-3 over their last 10 games.
Questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com I hope you enjoyed reading and please share with your friends.
Plain and simple. One of the original 6 teams. One of the most storied franchises in the NHL. Hockeytown, USA.
Why would anyone argue against the Red Wings hosting the 2013 Winter Classic? They would be a fool and that is about the only explanation for it.
The Red Wings have hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup 11 times since the league formed. Third most behind only Toronto (13) and Montreal (23), also part of the "Original 6".
Now the sceptic would ask "Where do you play the game?". Simple, Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Even though Ford Field would make a tremendous spot it is not outside. Thus, eliminating it from debate. It wouldn't exactly be in the heart of Detroit but there is no harm in contacting the folks over in Ann Arbor and checking in on Michigan Stadium. The Big House is home to the Michigan Wolverines and could seat well over 100,000 people. It would be tough for the NHL to sell that many tickets, but believe me, people will buy them all.
So the question becomes, "Who do they play?".
Chicago? No.
Vancouver? No.
Columbus? .... Let's get real.
St. Louis? Possibly, but lets do one better.
(drum roll please).......
Enter the Colorado Avalanche.
One of the most heated rivalries in hockey over the past 10-15 years has lost some flavor in recent seasons with the Avs having not had the most success since the departure of longtime leaders Joe Sakic and injury riddled Peter Forsberg, who bounced around the NHL like a pinball before finally crash landing back in Colorado before retiring again this past off season.
The only team that would make sense other than the Avs is the Blackhawks and we've 'been there, done that' with the Winter Classic in 2009 when the Hawks hosted the Wings at Wrigley Field. As intriguing as a match up with the Canucks would be, the Canadian teams seem hesitant to play in our version of their Heritage Classic.
Not to mention, think about that Alumni Game. Stevie Y, Sergei Federov, Dino Ciccarelli for the Wings, Patrick Roy, Sacic, and Claude Lemieux for the Avs. My mouth savors over the possibilities of this match up.
Either way, the NHL will not lead us down the wrong path with this game. (Sorry Isles, Yotes, and Preds fans.) They will put a game on that the fans want to watch. A game they can get invested in, two teams poised for playoff runs with two different attitudes and two different philosophies.
So where does the Winter Classic go from here?
Its no secret that Gary Bettman has told the Washington Capitals that they would receive a home game. Expect that in 2014, possibly hosting the Bruins. A match up that would feature two of the more predominant teams of the late 2000's.
Minnesota also has been chomping at the bit to host a game. But the NHL has been hesitant to do so with the Wild having not been overly successful over recent years. The team is much improved this season and looks to sustain success to hold on to a playoff spot. They currently sit 6th in the Western Conference but are only 3 points behind Vancouver in the Northwest Division after going 1-6-3 over their last 10 games.
Questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com I hope you enjoyed reading and please share with your friends.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Winter Classic in rewind
Wow, what a game. Even thought the Flyers lost this was still a phenomenal game to watch.
Henrik Lundqvist stole the show early and often in this one as the Rangers edged out the Flyers 3-2 in this years rendition of NHL Pond Hockey. From the moment the game started there was a noticeable level of tenaciousness on both parts. But shockingly no fisticuffs.
The first period ended in a 0-0 tie but was much more exciting than the scoreboard would indicate. With the shots 12-9 in favor of the Flyers both net minders were very busy. The game stayed scoreless until the 12:26 mark of the 2nd period when Braydon Schenn tallied his first career NHL goal and he couldn't have chosen a better stage unless it were game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Schenn is not the first Flyers player to record his first NHL goal while playing in the Winter Classic. Back in 2010 when the Flyers lost to the Boston Bruins 2-1 then Flyers Defensemen Danny Syvret recorded his first ever goal under the lights at Fenway.
Claude Giroux would later make it a 2-0 game when he pocketed a beautiful backhander past Lundqvist for his 18th of the season. The assists would come from Maxime Talbot and Scott Hartnell, who was far and away the most physical Flyer in the game leading all players with 13 hits. Then just 30 seconds later Ranger tough guy Mike Rupp would rip a wrist shot past Sergei Bobrovsky, who started the game in place of Ilya Bryzgalov and his 9year $51M contract.
Then just under 3 minutes into the 3rd period Rupp would strike again this time tying the game at 2. It was just Rupp's 3rd goal of the year and 2nd of the game. Shortly after that the Rangers would strike again this time Brad Richards, the high priced free agent this off season who shunned Calgary for the bright lights of New York City and who could blame him?
The game would take a curious turn late in the 3rd period when Rangers coach John Tortorella took exception to a few calls made by the officials during the game which became apparent after the game.
"They called a penalty shot which I still don't understand," he said. "I'm not sure if NBC got together with the refs to turn this into an overtime game. I thought the game was reffed horrible.
"I just thought tonight, in that third period, it was disgusting."
Perhaps Tortorella is right. Most would tend to differ. If anything the officials may have saved the game for the Rangers. Late in the 3rd with an empty net in front of him, Rangers captain Ryan Callahan broke free from Flyers D man Kimmo Timonen and then, for whatever reason, decided to grab hold of Timonen's stick. Had he not grabbed the stick, he would have gotten the hooking call because the stick of Timonen was all over him holding him back. Both players would be taken to the penalty box which would set up perhaps the most exciting last minute in a hockey game so far this season.
After some applied pressure from the Flyers which included several amazing saves by Lundqvist and a puck that Matt Read put off the post the Flyers best opportunity came with about 20 seconds on the clock when Danny Briere got a puck behind Lundqvist that Rangers D Ryan McDonagh smartly slid behind and kept the puck from sneaking past the crease. McDonagh however closed his hand on the puck which awarded the Flyers the first ever Penalty Shot in a Winter Classic game.
Lundqvist stoned Briere and the following 19.6 seconds would be followed by a frivolous attempt by the Flyers to knot up the score but the Rangers would ultimately prevail and grab the ever important 2 points that a lot of fans forgot about with this game. Rather than jumping to a 1st place tie with the rivals from the North the Flyers drop 4 points behind and will look to make up some of those points in their next tilt, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at 7:00 at the Wells Fargo Center. It will mark the return of two former Flyers Dan Carcillo and Sean O'Donnell.
Please email any questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and we will attempt to feature them on a future blog. I hope you enjoyed reading my assessment of the game.
Henrik Lundqvist stole the show early and often in this one as the Rangers edged out the Flyers 3-2 in this years rendition of NHL Pond Hockey. From the moment the game started there was a noticeable level of tenaciousness on both parts. But shockingly no fisticuffs.
The first period ended in a 0-0 tie but was much more exciting than the scoreboard would indicate. With the shots 12-9 in favor of the Flyers both net minders were very busy. The game stayed scoreless until the 12:26 mark of the 2nd period when Braydon Schenn tallied his first career NHL goal and he couldn't have chosen a better stage unless it were game 7 of the Stanley Cup. Schenn is not the first Flyers player to record his first NHL goal while playing in the Winter Classic. Back in 2010 when the Flyers lost to the Boston Bruins 2-1 then Flyers Defensemen Danny Syvret recorded his first ever goal under the lights at Fenway.
Claude Giroux would later make it a 2-0 game when he pocketed a beautiful backhander past Lundqvist for his 18th of the season. The assists would come from Maxime Talbot and Scott Hartnell, who was far and away the most physical Flyer in the game leading all players with 13 hits. Then just 30 seconds later Ranger tough guy Mike Rupp would rip a wrist shot past Sergei Bobrovsky, who started the game in place of Ilya Bryzgalov and his 9year $51M contract.
Then just under 3 minutes into the 3rd period Rupp would strike again this time tying the game at 2. It was just Rupp's 3rd goal of the year and 2nd of the game. Shortly after that the Rangers would strike again this time Brad Richards, the high priced free agent this off season who shunned Calgary for the bright lights of New York City and who could blame him?
The game would take a curious turn late in the 3rd period when Rangers coach John Tortorella took exception to a few calls made by the officials during the game which became apparent after the game.
"They called a penalty shot which I still don't understand," he said. "I'm not sure if NBC got together with the refs to turn this into an overtime game. I thought the game was reffed horrible.
"I just thought tonight, in that third period, it was disgusting."
Perhaps Tortorella is right. Most would tend to differ. If anything the officials may have saved the game for the Rangers. Late in the 3rd with an empty net in front of him, Rangers captain Ryan Callahan broke free from Flyers D man Kimmo Timonen and then, for whatever reason, decided to grab hold of Timonen's stick. Had he not grabbed the stick, he would have gotten the hooking call because the stick of Timonen was all over him holding him back. Both players would be taken to the penalty box which would set up perhaps the most exciting last minute in a hockey game so far this season.
After some applied pressure from the Flyers which included several amazing saves by Lundqvist and a puck that Matt Read put off the post the Flyers best opportunity came with about 20 seconds on the clock when Danny Briere got a puck behind Lundqvist that Rangers D Ryan McDonagh smartly slid behind and kept the puck from sneaking past the crease. McDonagh however closed his hand on the puck which awarded the Flyers the first ever Penalty Shot in a Winter Classic game.
Lundqvist stoned Briere and the following 19.6 seconds would be followed by a frivolous attempt by the Flyers to knot up the score but the Rangers would ultimately prevail and grab the ever important 2 points that a lot of fans forgot about with this game. Rather than jumping to a 1st place tie with the rivals from the North the Flyers drop 4 points behind and will look to make up some of those points in their next tilt, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at 7:00 at the Wells Fargo Center. It will mark the return of two former Flyers Dan Carcillo and Sean O'Donnell.
Please email any questions or comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com and we will attempt to feature them on a future blog. I hope you enjoyed reading my assessment of the game.
Monday, January 2, 2012
First Blog
So, Here we are. January 2nd of 2012 on the morning of the Winter Classic and it couldn't be a better day for a hockey game outside.
As we all are aware by now Claude Giroux and the Orange and the Black are facing off against Ryan Callahan and those Atlantic Division Leading Rangers from just up the New Jersey Turnpike. The Rangers lead the Flyers by only 2 points in not only the Atlantic but also for the number 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.
So what can we expect from today's game?
Physicality. Pure grit. Determination.
Without a doubt there will be a physical presence to this game. You can expect guys like Brandon Prust to get involved early and often in this battle. One of the biggest battles I am personally looking forward to is the one that will take place between Prust and Wayne Simmonds. Its no secret that these guys do not like one another. I also look for Scott Hartnell to get involved in the "Rough Stuff".
Along with the toughness the game will also have a lot of skilled players involved. Between Marian Gaborik and Claude Giroux anything can happen with the puck today. Not to mention when there are players like Jaromir Jagr on the ice you seem to just be waiting for magic.
When you sit back and look at it these two teams are fairly even on paper. The Rangers bring a level of confidence and patience that the Flyers lack but the Flyers posses a level of anticipation and excitement that is only comparable to catching lightening in a bottle.
In a see-saw style game with a few lead changes and scoring coming often I look to the Defense of both teams to look for a difference maker on both sides. In this game, look no further than Kimmo Timonen for the Flyers and Michael Del Zotto for the Rangers.
Timonen provides a level of comfort to the coaches and other players when he is on the ice. The man rarely makes a mistake and you know that you will be getting 100% when he comes on the ice. Del Zotto is an emerging stud on the blue line and will be a staple of Rangers D for years to come. With a big slap shot from the point and the control of the power play he is quickly becoming a favorite in coach John Tortorella's arsenal of weapons. Look for one of these players to make a difference in today's game.
The Flyers made a curious move the other day when they announced that they will be starting back up goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky over struggling Junior Astronomer Ilya Bryzgalov. And when looking at the numbers how can you blame them. over Bryz' last 4 games he is giving up well over 4 goals a game. Sorry Bryz, that doesn't get the job done. Bob has been on fire recently and today should be another solid performance by him. For the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist will get the start in net and should prove to be a challenge for the Flyers who have yet to beat him this season.
Prediction:
I look for the Rangers to jump out early and get out to a quick lead and the Flyers come come back to take it into the first intermission tied up at 1. After a second period full of excitement I believe the Flyers will be on top 3-2 going into the 3rd. After a pretty uneventful 1st half of the period the Rangers will tie it up before eventually falling to the Flyers in a shootout. Final Score: Flyers 4, Rangers 3.
I hope you enjoyed the blog. It will be the first of many installments and please ask any questions that are picking at you and hopefully we can feature them one day on a future blog.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com
As we all are aware by now Claude Giroux and the Orange and the Black are facing off against Ryan Callahan and those Atlantic Division Leading Rangers from just up the New Jersey Turnpike. The Rangers lead the Flyers by only 2 points in not only the Atlantic but also for the number 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.
So what can we expect from today's game?
Physicality. Pure grit. Determination.
Without a doubt there will be a physical presence to this game. You can expect guys like Brandon Prust to get involved early and often in this battle. One of the biggest battles I am personally looking forward to is the one that will take place between Prust and Wayne Simmonds. Its no secret that these guys do not like one another. I also look for Scott Hartnell to get involved in the "Rough Stuff".
Along with the toughness the game will also have a lot of skilled players involved. Between Marian Gaborik and Claude Giroux anything can happen with the puck today. Not to mention when there are players like Jaromir Jagr on the ice you seem to just be waiting for magic.
When you sit back and look at it these two teams are fairly even on paper. The Rangers bring a level of confidence and patience that the Flyers lack but the Flyers posses a level of anticipation and excitement that is only comparable to catching lightening in a bottle.
In a see-saw style game with a few lead changes and scoring coming often I look to the Defense of both teams to look for a difference maker on both sides. In this game, look no further than Kimmo Timonen for the Flyers and Michael Del Zotto for the Rangers.
Timonen provides a level of comfort to the coaches and other players when he is on the ice. The man rarely makes a mistake and you know that you will be getting 100% when he comes on the ice. Del Zotto is an emerging stud on the blue line and will be a staple of Rangers D for years to come. With a big slap shot from the point and the control of the power play he is quickly becoming a favorite in coach John Tortorella's arsenal of weapons. Look for one of these players to make a difference in today's game.
The Flyers made a curious move the other day when they announced that they will be starting back up goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky over struggling Junior Astronomer Ilya Bryzgalov. And when looking at the numbers how can you blame them. over Bryz' last 4 games he is giving up well over 4 goals a game. Sorry Bryz, that doesn't get the job done. Bob has been on fire recently and today should be another solid performance by him. For the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist will get the start in net and should prove to be a challenge for the Flyers who have yet to beat him this season.
Prediction:
I look for the Rangers to jump out early and get out to a quick lead and the Flyers come come back to take it into the first intermission tied up at 1. After a second period full of excitement I believe the Flyers will be on top 3-2 going into the 3rd. After a pretty uneventful 1st half of the period the Rangers will tie it up before eventually falling to the Flyers in a shootout. Final Score: Flyers 4, Rangers 3.
I hope you enjoyed the blog. It will be the first of many installments and please ask any questions that are picking at you and hopefully we can feature them one day on a future blog.
Please send all questions and comments to Phlyers1967@gmail.com
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