Danny Briere, in what must be a coordinated effort to submarine my fantasy hockey season, will miss time due to the ever-present and ever-mysterious "lower body injury." Briere joins Simon Gagne on the list of Flyers stars currently sitting and watching the games. Both are also on my fantasy team.
The good news is that Blair Betts is back and Ryan Parent is back. David Laliberte has been called up to take Briere's place on the roster.
As I write this, the Flyers are up 4-1 on the Carolina Hurricanes, thanks in part to a goal and an assist by Laliberte, who is playing in his first NHL game. If he keeps this up, Riley Cote may never find his way back into the line up.
So, some bad news for the team, but good hockey so far. Fingers crossed for the rest of this one.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Jones out, Shanny out, Gagne out but Cote in! Get your party hats out!
Glen Falls, NY and Los Angeles, CA have a ton in common.
They're both located within the continental United States, both end in an "s" and now they will both have been called home by Randy Jones during the 2009-10 hockey season.
That's right America, Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting Randy Jones has been claimed off of re-entry waivers by the LA Kings, meaning the Flyers will still be on the hook for about half of Jones' lucrative $2.5 million contract.
This is not a great scenario for the Flyers who will now be stuck paying for Jones to bring his unique hockey sensibility elsewhere. The team is always in danger of bumping their head's on the NHL salary cap paying the players on the roster, now they get to experience the joys of paying guys on other teams.
On the upside, Jones gets to play in the NHL again, the Flyers get rid of Randy and Ryan Parent may be healthy and ready to go for Saturday's matinee against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Having Parent on the active roster would have made Jones useless to the Flyers anyway, so its curious why GM Paul Holmgren thought it was a good idea to try and sneak Jones through waivers. With Parent back, Danny Syvret and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will likely split time as the team's six defenseman, so what purpose would Jones have served on the roster exactly?
Right now, Jones is probably a touch better then Syvret but he's not in Tollefsen's league. What a head scratcher. This one looks like a case for Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. I'll get them to take a gander at it and get back to you all.
Hey, while we're on the topic of players who won't be playing for the Flyers this year, remember that whole Brendan Shanahan thingy? You do? Good, now go on ahead an forget it because--- again according to Carchidi--- Homer has denied any interest in the Hall of Fame bound left winger. So we all better get used to Riley Cote lighting up rinks across the NHL, filling nets with pucks and playing absolutely shut down defense.
Oh wait! There I go confusing superstar forward Jerome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Cote again! I always do that. No, Cote will play three minutes a game and finish with an even plus/minus rating if we're all lucky.
So to recap: no Jones, no Shanahan, but SOME Cote. Good times everybody. Good times. Go Phils.
They're both located within the continental United States, both end in an "s" and now they will both have been called home by Randy Jones during the 2009-10 hockey season.
That's right America, Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting Randy Jones has been claimed off of re-entry waivers by the LA Kings, meaning the Flyers will still be on the hook for about half of Jones' lucrative $2.5 million contract.
This is not a great scenario for the Flyers who will now be stuck paying for Jones to bring his unique hockey sensibility elsewhere. The team is always in danger of bumping their head's on the NHL salary cap paying the players on the roster, now they get to experience the joys of paying guys on other teams.
On the upside, Jones gets to play in the NHL again, the Flyers get rid of Randy and Ryan Parent may be healthy and ready to go for Saturday's matinee against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Having Parent on the active roster would have made Jones useless to the Flyers anyway, so its curious why GM Paul Holmgren thought it was a good idea to try and sneak Jones through waivers. With Parent back, Danny Syvret and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will likely split time as the team's six defenseman, so what purpose would Jones have served on the roster exactly?
Right now, Jones is probably a touch better then Syvret but he's not in Tollefsen's league. What a head scratcher. This one looks like a case for Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. I'll get them to take a gander at it and get back to you all.
Hey, while we're on the topic of players who won't be playing for the Flyers this year, remember that whole Brendan Shanahan thingy? You do? Good, now go on ahead an forget it because--- again according to Carchidi--- Homer has denied any interest in the Hall of Fame bound left winger. So we all better get used to Riley Cote lighting up rinks across the NHL, filling nets with pucks and playing absolutely shut down defense.
Oh wait! There I go confusing superstar forward Jerome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Cote again! I always do that. No, Cote will play three minutes a game and finish with an even plus/minus rating if we're all lucky.
So to recap: no Jones, no Shanahan, but SOME Cote. Good times everybody. Good times. Go Phils.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Heeeee's baaaack... maybe
Put this one in the "say it isn't so" file.
Tim Panaccio is reporting that Randy Jones has been placed on re-entry waivers, which means that by this time tomorrow, everyone's favorite over paid 6th defenseman could be a Flyer again. Back from his two month long exile with the Adirondack (Slight Joaquin Phoenix sigh) Phantoms.
Jones was a victim of his excessively high salary, which caused his banishment to the AHL. Panaccio noted that this move may be a result of Simon Gagne's latest injury. If Gagne goes on the long term IR, his cap hit won't count until he can play again and thus we will all be treated the hockey stylings of one Randy Jones, assuming that he clears waivers.
If some other team claims him, the Flyers and Jones' new employer will split the remainder of the contract, something that would be a less than enviable situation for the perennially cash-strapped Flyers.
The only thing worse then paying Randy Jones to play for your hockey team is paying Randy Jones to NOT play for your hockey team. Or is that better? Maybe its better. Either way, we'll find out tomorrow morning if Jonesy is back with the orange and black, or if he's someone else' problem.
Interesting aside: If this is how Homer wants to spend the cash freed up by Gags' injury, what are the odds on ever seeing Brendan Shanahan wearing an orange sweater? You know, a player we could certainly use more then another defensively-challenged defenseman.
This situation could lead to a fascinating feature here an Inglourious Flyers. Each game we can try and predict who will cough up the puck more, Jones or Braydon Coburn. Extra points will go to the player with the worse plus/ minus rating and if you put the puck in your own net.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Simon Gagne bitten by injury bug
A ultrasound revealed that Flyers left wing Simon Gagne has two small hernias in his groin area according to yahoo.com. The injury could require surgery, but no decision has been made yet.
Gags has been off to a bit of a slow start with only a goal and four assists in his first nine games. This is a tough break though as he seemed to be pulling out of his funk after scoring his first of the season against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
This news could force the Flyers hand when it comes to signing free agent left winger Brendan Shanahan. The team was reported to have interest in the 40-year-old and losing Gagne for any length of time could increase that level of interest significantly. Especially, considering their only other option on the left side to replace Gagne is Riley Cote and his three minutes of ice time a game.
Geez. Shanny may already be in Philly.
Gags has been off to a bit of a slow start with only a goal and four assists in his first nine games. This is a tough break though as he seemed to be pulling out of his funk after scoring his first of the season against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
This news could force the Flyers hand when it comes to signing free agent left winger Brendan Shanahan. The team was reported to have interest in the 40-year-old and losing Gagne for any length of time could increase that level of interest significantly. Especially, considering their only other option on the left side to replace Gagne is Riley Cote and his three minutes of ice time a game.
Geez. Shanny may already be in Philly.
Flyers pepper Theodore but come up short
Note to Flyers: I like roller coasters as much as the next guy, but this is getting ridiculous.
The orange and black continue to do their best thrill ride impression as the bounce from winning streak to losing streak, and back again. The team opened the year with three straight wins, followed that up with three straight loses, washed that down with two more wins and now, thanks to tonight's 4-2 road loss to the Washington Capitals, they have lost two in a row for a gorgeous 5-4-1 record.
I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like this start to the year. A few seasons back the Flyers played win/ loss hockey for about two months, but this mess seems weirder.
Things got off on the right foot for the good guys tonight as they jumped out to a 2-0 midway through the second period thanks to a pair of power play goals by Scott Hartnell and the much maligned Braydon Coburn.
Hartnell's goal came off a spectacular cross ice pass from Mike Richards, while Coburn rocketed his in from the circle.
While the game was still 1-0, Hartnell muffed an opportunity for an easy second goal when his shot on a wide open net hit off the heal of his stick.
The Capitals, a one line team if there ever was one, proved just how true that was by getting all four of their goals from their top line. Alexander Ovechkin had two, including an empty netter, Alexander Semin scored one off of Kimmo Timonen's leg and Nicklas Backstrom scored a power play goal to go with his three assists. The line also accounted for 14 of the team's 35 shots.
The Flyers peppered netminder Jose Theodore with 43 shots, 20 of them in the third period alone, but he was more then up to the task. You may remember Theodore from his time warming the Caps bench during last season's playoffs as youngster Simyon Varlamov stole the show.
Fortunately for Theodore--- and unfortunately for the Flyers tonight--- Varlamov had little interest in hanging on to the starting job and he promptly gave it back. Oh well, you win some an you lose some, unless your the Flyers, then you win two and loss two, win three, loss three.
The team deserved a slightly better fate tonight. They weren't able to sit on a two goal lead, but few teams can against the Caps, especially so early in the game. They kept plugging away, but Theodore had all the answers, including stonewalling Darroll Powe on a third period penalty shot attempt.
Three Keys Revisited:
1.) Solid Goaltending- Hard to argue with 32 saves. Emery played well, but fell victim to a few bad breaks. It happens. This loss can't be pinned on Emery, who continues to impress me.
2.) Get Some Help for the Young Guys- Well Hartnell scored which is nice, but Simon Gagne missed the game with hernia's in his groin, which may require surgery. Very bad times. The young guys contributed again as both Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk picked up assists in the contest.
3.) DEFENSE- Look no further than Kimmo Timonen's -3 for the night to see how he fared. Coburn's goal was nice, but he still looks shakey in his own end. Maybe its time to split up Chris Pronger and Matt Carle? Couldn't hurt.
Player to Watch: Braydon Coburn- 1 goal, -1, 5 SOG, 21:21 TOI
The orange and black continue to do their best thrill ride impression as the bounce from winning streak to losing streak, and back again. The team opened the year with three straight wins, followed that up with three straight loses, washed that down with two more wins and now, thanks to tonight's 4-2 road loss to the Washington Capitals, they have lost two in a row for a gorgeous 5-4-1 record.
I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like this start to the year. A few seasons back the Flyers played win/ loss hockey for about two months, but this mess seems weirder.
Things got off on the right foot for the good guys tonight as they jumped out to a 2-0 midway through the second period thanks to a pair of power play goals by Scott Hartnell and the much maligned Braydon Coburn.
Hartnell's goal came off a spectacular cross ice pass from Mike Richards, while Coburn rocketed his in from the circle.
While the game was still 1-0, Hartnell muffed an opportunity for an easy second goal when his shot on a wide open net hit off the heal of his stick.
The Capitals, a one line team if there ever was one, proved just how true that was by getting all four of their goals from their top line. Alexander Ovechkin had two, including an empty netter, Alexander Semin scored one off of Kimmo Timonen's leg and Nicklas Backstrom scored a power play goal to go with his three assists. The line also accounted for 14 of the team's 35 shots.
The Flyers peppered netminder Jose Theodore with 43 shots, 20 of them in the third period alone, but he was more then up to the task. You may remember Theodore from his time warming the Caps bench during last season's playoffs as youngster Simyon Varlamov stole the show.
Fortunately for Theodore--- and unfortunately for the Flyers tonight--- Varlamov had little interest in hanging on to the starting job and he promptly gave it back. Oh well, you win some an you lose some, unless your the Flyers, then you win two and loss two, win three, loss three.
The team deserved a slightly better fate tonight. They weren't able to sit on a two goal lead, but few teams can against the Caps, especially so early in the game. They kept plugging away, but Theodore had all the answers, including stonewalling Darroll Powe on a third period penalty shot attempt.
Three Keys Revisited:
1.) Solid Goaltending- Hard to argue with 32 saves. Emery played well, but fell victim to a few bad breaks. It happens. This loss can't be pinned on Emery, who continues to impress me.
2.) Get Some Help for the Young Guys- Well Hartnell scored which is nice, but Simon Gagne missed the game with hernia's in his groin, which may require surgery. Very bad times. The young guys contributed again as both Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk picked up assists in the contest.
3.) DEFENSE- Look no further than Kimmo Timonen's -3 for the night to see how he fared. Coburn's goal was nice, but he still looks shakey in his own end. Maybe its time to split up Chris Pronger and Matt Carle? Couldn't hurt.
Player to Watch: Braydon Coburn- 1 goal, -1, 5 SOG, 21:21 TOI
Shanny to Flyers? Ohhh boy!
That's the rumor that's been floating around for the last few days kiddies.
If you'll remember, the team was also reported to have had interest in the 40-year old left winger last season, but were foiled by a tight salary cap situation. This year, their cap is in better shape and that just might mean Brendan Shanahan could be a Flyer before long.
Shanny is an excellent player, a veteran presence in the locker room and a proven winner. He has scored 656 goals over the course of his 22-year NHL career and collected 698 assists for a grand total of 1354 points in 1524 games.
As long as he comes on the cheap, the Flyers could very much use a guy like Shanny. The team is short on veteran wingers after letting Mike Knuble walk during this past offseason and even though they are different types of players, Shanny could go along way to replacing Knuble's locker room leadership. He may not have the scoring touch that he once had, but he is still a viable NHL player, who was let go by the New Jersey Devils before this season started due to an unclear role with the team.
A few other teams are thought to be interested. As long as he doesn't go to the Penguins, I'm fine, though I would enjoy seeing him in the orange and black. He's a hell of a player and a sure fire Hall of Famer. I will keep you posted. It's my pretend job, after all...
If you'll remember, the team was also reported to have had interest in the 40-year old left winger last season, but were foiled by a tight salary cap situation. This year, their cap is in better shape and that just might mean Brendan Shanahan could be a Flyer before long.
Shanny is an excellent player, a veteran presence in the locker room and a proven winner. He has scored 656 goals over the course of his 22-year NHL career and collected 698 assists for a grand total of 1354 points in 1524 games.
As long as he comes on the cheap, the Flyers could very much use a guy like Shanny. The team is short on veteran wingers after letting Mike Knuble walk during this past offseason and even though they are different types of players, Shanny could go along way to replacing Knuble's locker room leadership. He may not have the scoring touch that he once had, but he is still a viable NHL player, who was let go by the New Jersey Devils before this season started due to an unclear role with the team.
A few other teams are thought to be interested. As long as he doesn't go to the Penguins, I'm fine, though I would enjoy seeing him in the orange and black. He's a hell of a player and a sure fire Hall of Famer. I will keep you posted. It's my pretend job, after all...
Flyers/ Caps: Round 2 this evening
Wow, so all this watching hockey stuff is getting pretty tiring, eh? Three games in four days and now another one tonight? Its enough to make an amateur blogger contemplate kicking all this school nonsense to the curb and go pro.
Yeah that's the life. Hitting the open road with the orange and black and blogging my way to fame and fortune. And then one night it happens. Ray Emery gets arrested for speeding and BAM! The team turns to yours truly to be their starting netminder against the defending Stanley Cup champions, (Joaquin Phoenix sigh) the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, I shut them out and add an goal to boot. And not an empty netter either, I beat Marc-Andre Fleury high to the glove side from inside my own crease.
Yup, I see it all now as plain as day. You're probably wondering what happened to current back up Brian Boucher in my scenario. Well, after his performance on Sunday in 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, I wouldn't expect to see Boosh in net against a team with a winning record for a little while. I mean, I like the guy, but he was terrible.
Ahh well. Not sure how my parents would react to my ditching college for a job as a blogger, a job that I am presently doing for free. I guess I'll stick to the college thing for now, but if the team goes on a tear, I just may do my best Chris Osgood in the regular season impression and dissappear.
Hey, there's a game tonight! Here I am wasting your time with all this ugly jibber jabbering. How about a couple of keys to tonight's road game against the 6-2-2 Washington Capitals.
1.) Solid Goaltending- Emery will be back in net tonight and he will need to be on top of his game if the team expects to beat the high powered Caps offense. Emery has been steady so far this season and considering he's still adjusting back to the NHL game, he should just keep getting better...hopefully.
2.) Get some help for the young guys- Claude Giroux, James vanRiemsdyk, Darroll Powe. These have been the team's best players lately. The line of Powe, Danny Carcillo and Mika Pyorala was the only one that showed up to play the Sharks. The Flyers are going to need to get some contributions from the veterans if they want to win consistently. Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell, I'm looking at you two...
3.) DEFENSE- Outside of the Chris Pronger/ Matt Carle pairing, the defense has been shakey. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn have been pretty dreadful so far, going a combined -15 this season. These two need to improve, especially Coburn who needs to shake his habit of putting the puck into his own net.
Player to Watch: Braydon Coburn
Yeah that's the life. Hitting the open road with the orange and black and blogging my way to fame and fortune. And then one night it happens. Ray Emery gets arrested for speeding and BAM! The team turns to yours truly to be their starting netminder against the defending Stanley Cup champions, (Joaquin Phoenix sigh) the Pittsburgh Penguins. Of course, I shut them out and add an goal to boot. And not an empty netter either, I beat Marc-Andre Fleury high to the glove side from inside my own crease.
Yup, I see it all now as plain as day. You're probably wondering what happened to current back up Brian Boucher in my scenario. Well, after his performance on Sunday in 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, I wouldn't expect to see Boosh in net against a team with a winning record for a little while. I mean, I like the guy, but he was terrible.
Ahh well. Not sure how my parents would react to my ditching college for a job as a blogger, a job that I am presently doing for free. I guess I'll stick to the college thing for now, but if the team goes on a tear, I just may do my best Chris Osgood in the regular season impression and dissappear.
Hey, there's a game tonight! Here I am wasting your time with all this ugly jibber jabbering. How about a couple of keys to tonight's road game against the 6-2-2 Washington Capitals.
1.) Solid Goaltending- Emery will be back in net tonight and he will need to be on top of his game if the team expects to beat the high powered Caps offense. Emery has been steady so far this season and considering he's still adjusting back to the NHL game, he should just keep getting better...hopefully.
2.) Get some help for the young guys- Claude Giroux, James vanRiemsdyk, Darroll Powe. These have been the team's best players lately. The line of Powe, Danny Carcillo and Mika Pyorala was the only one that showed up to play the Sharks. The Flyers are going to need to get some contributions from the veterans if they want to win consistently. Simon Gagne and Scott Hartnell, I'm looking at you two...
3.) DEFENSE- Outside of the Chris Pronger/ Matt Carle pairing, the defense has been shakey. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn have been pretty dreadful so far, going a combined -15 this season. These two need to improve, especially Coburn who needs to shake his habit of putting the puck into his own net.
Player to Watch: Braydon Coburn
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Flyers stop by the Wachovia Center tonight for a rare game
While a certain local baseball team was busy winning a certain second straight National League pennant, a certain local hockey team was busy doing... well... nothing of interest really, unless swapping minor leaguers with the Columbus Blue Jackets counts.
The Flyers will take the ice tonight for the first time since losing the Florida Panthers last Friday. Their opponent will be the 4-4-0 Boston Bruins, who have had themselves a rough start to the year. Aside from the .500 record, the Bruins lost grinder Milan Lucic to a broken finger and playmaking center Marc Savard to a broken left foot. Add to that a defense that hasn't looked sharp and a some early season jitters from last year's Vezina trophy winning netminder Tim Thomas and the Bruins early season struggles sort of make sense.
No offense, poor defense, sloppy goaltending, key injuries. Yeah that'll about do it, I think.
The orange and black will look to take advantage of a tired Bruins team, which won 3-2 last night at home against Nashville. The Flyers will have the fresher legs, but then again, the Flyers should be pretty rusty after playing two games over the course of the last 12 days or so.
Ah the NHL scheduling committee.
Now that they're back from fall break, the Flyers will play four games in six days. Couldn't have spread some of those out over the last two weeks? That wasn't possible at all? Oh well.
Here are some keys to this thing.
Three Keys
1.) Simplify the offense- The Flyers have struggled scoring goals lately as a result of trying to do too much with the puck. They'll need to knock of the cute-sy stuff if they want to have any success against a Bruins defense that ranked amongst the league's best last year.
2.) Withstand the Bruins early flourish- The Bruins will likely come out firing on all cylinders tonight as they look to win back to back games for the first time all season. The Flyers should have the advantage the longer the game goes, due to their recent inactivity.
3.) Show some fire- The boys in red from across the parking lot have set the bar very high for the rest of the city's teams as they head to the World Series for the second straight year. The home fans will be loud and excited tonight, the Flyers just need to give them a reason to go crazy. It shouldn't take much, but the Wachovia Center will be ROCKING tonight.
Player to Watch: Simon Gagne had an assist last week when I picked him. Not totally what I was expecting but, hey, I'll take credit for it. I'm that kind of guy. Tonight, keep your eyes on James van Riemsdyk. The young man has been rock solid so far, but the sky's the limit for this former #2 overall pick. And he doesn't beat up cab drivers over pennys like the guy who was picked ahead of him.So, he's got THAT going for him to. Go get 'em JVR.
The Flyers will take the ice tonight for the first time since losing the Florida Panthers last Friday. Their opponent will be the 4-4-0 Boston Bruins, who have had themselves a rough start to the year. Aside from the .500 record, the Bruins lost grinder Milan Lucic to a broken finger and playmaking center Marc Savard to a broken left foot. Add to that a defense that hasn't looked sharp and a some early season jitters from last year's Vezina trophy winning netminder Tim Thomas and the Bruins early season struggles sort of make sense.
No offense, poor defense, sloppy goaltending, key injuries. Yeah that'll about do it, I think.
The orange and black will look to take advantage of a tired Bruins team, which won 3-2 last night at home against Nashville. The Flyers will have the fresher legs, but then again, the Flyers should be pretty rusty after playing two games over the course of the last 12 days or so.
Ah the NHL scheduling committee.
Now that they're back from fall break, the Flyers will play four games in six days. Couldn't have spread some of those out over the last two weeks? That wasn't possible at all? Oh well.
Here are some keys to this thing.
Three Keys
1.) Simplify the offense- The Flyers have struggled scoring goals lately as a result of trying to do too much with the puck. They'll need to knock of the cute-sy stuff if they want to have any success against a Bruins defense that ranked amongst the league's best last year.
2.) Withstand the Bruins early flourish- The Bruins will likely come out firing on all cylinders tonight as they look to win back to back games for the first time all season. The Flyers should have the advantage the longer the game goes, due to their recent inactivity.
3.) Show some fire- The boys in red from across the parking lot have set the bar very high for the rest of the city's teams as they head to the World Series for the second straight year. The home fans will be loud and excited tonight, the Flyers just need to give them a reason to go crazy. It shouldn't take much, but the Wachovia Center will be ROCKING tonight.
Player to Watch: Simon Gagne had an assist last week when I picked him. Not totally what I was expecting but, hey, I'll take credit for it. I'm that kind of guy. Tonight, keep your eyes on James van Riemsdyk. The young man has been rock solid so far, but the sky's the limit for this former #2 overall pick. And he doesn't beat up cab drivers over pennys like the guy who was picked ahead of him.So, he's got THAT going for him to. Go get 'em JVR.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Flyers trade Mike Ratchuk, break this young man's heart
Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Ratchuk is no longer a Flyer. Well, actually he was never really a Flyer to begin with.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Ratchuk is no longer a Phantom.
Please! Please! Settle down! There is no need for shouting! Put down those pitchforks! We will all get through this thing together.
To those out there who weren't preparing to storm the Wachovia Center like a band of angry villagers in an old horror movie, allow me to explain.
The Flyers shipped minor league defenseman Mike Ratchuk to the Columbus Blue Jackets for minor league right winger Stefan Legein.
On the surface this may not seem exactly, well, Earth-shattering. Trading a minor leaguer for a minor leaguer. Big woop, right? Wrong! How dare you?!?
Ratchuk is responsible for one of the greatest plays I've ever seen live at a hockey game. Two years ago on fan appreciation day, he went end-to-end with the puck and rifled a shot in late in the game. It was a play that really can't be described, it needed to be seen. Sadly, the AHL doesn't post many videos on Youtube, so if you weren't there, you probably won't be seeing it. Apologies.
Now that he's gone, I'm not sure what I'll do with myself. I'll just have to go on, one day at a time. If there was ever a time for a Joaquin Phoenix sigh, this is it.
On paper the deal makes sense. Ratchuk has been a healthy scratch for the Adirondack Phantoms (The Flyers AHL affiliate) last two games. The Flyers have tremendous depth in the defensive position, what with Oskars Bartulis, Kevin Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdon all currently developing in the system, so sadly Ratchuk was... expendable.
Legein has himself quite the back story. While playing for the Blue Jackets farm team, he decided that he was done with hockey for good and retired at age 19. Once the prospect of going out and finding a real job became too daunting, he returned and finished out the season.
He is supposed to be very fast and will drop the gloves if need be, so he seems like a perfect fit with what Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has been up to lately in terms of blending skill and toughness.
Here's hoping that he works out and all is well. I'll miss you Ratty and I will never forget that one goal, that one beautiful moment that we shared. I'm getting a bit choked up here...
Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Ratchuk is no longer a Phantom.
Please! Please! Settle down! There is no need for shouting! Put down those pitchforks! We will all get through this thing together.
To those out there who weren't preparing to storm the Wachovia Center like a band of angry villagers in an old horror movie, allow me to explain.
The Flyers shipped minor league defenseman Mike Ratchuk to the Columbus Blue Jackets for minor league right winger Stefan Legein.
On the surface this may not seem exactly, well, Earth-shattering. Trading a minor leaguer for a minor leaguer. Big woop, right? Wrong! How dare you?!?
Ratchuk is responsible for one of the greatest plays I've ever seen live at a hockey game. Two years ago on fan appreciation day, he went end-to-end with the puck and rifled a shot in late in the game. It was a play that really can't be described, it needed to be seen. Sadly, the AHL doesn't post many videos on Youtube, so if you weren't there, you probably won't be seeing it. Apologies.
Now that he's gone, I'm not sure what I'll do with myself. I'll just have to go on, one day at a time. If there was ever a time for a Joaquin Phoenix sigh, this is it.
On paper the deal makes sense. Ratchuk has been a healthy scratch for the Adirondack Phantoms (The Flyers AHL affiliate) last two games. The Flyers have tremendous depth in the defensive position, what with Oskars Bartulis, Kevin Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdon all currently developing in the system, so sadly Ratchuk was... expendable.
Legein has himself quite the back story. While playing for the Blue Jackets farm team, he decided that he was done with hockey for good and retired at age 19. Once the prospect of going out and finding a real job became too daunting, he returned and finished out the season.
He is supposed to be very fast and will drop the gloves if need be, so he seems like a perfect fit with what Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has been up to lately in terms of blending skill and toughness.
Here's hoping that he works out and all is well. I'll miss you Ratty and I will never forget that one goal, that one beautiful moment that we shared. I'm getting a bit choked up here...
How a pumpkin with facial hair saved my weekend and other stories...
Well, I owe you an apology for not breaking down the Flyers latest loss, this one occuring last Friday at the hands of the moderately woeful Florida Panthers. The orange and black let a few leads slip away and all in all, it was pretty depressing.
So there, I've apologized to all you good folks out there for not breaking down the game, now its the Flyers turn to apologize to me for almost ruining my weekend... I'm waiting guys...
Yeah, last weekend was rough. My second favorite Philadelphia team, the Phillies lost earlier in the day. Nothing quite like watching you two favorite teams lose within hours of each other. To top it all off, I got very sick ALSO on Friday. It was like a 24-hour Swine Flu incident or something, if such a malady exists. I'm not virologist, after all.
Thankfully I was able to catch "Paranormal Activity" last weekend, and the combination of that and carving a pumpkin revived what could have been a miserable weekend. I give "Paranormal Activity" a B+, but the pumpkin gets a solid A+. It has a moustache folks. I know. Beat that Martha Stewart.
So the Flyers are currently sitting at 3-2-1 on the year, and haven't been exactly lighting the world on fire in recent weeks. Best of all: they're off until Thursday! If they don't come out and score 12 goals on the Bruins in the first period, I will be angry. I've endured too much time off after loses these past two weeks. I need to be appeased!
I'm sure that some would call those unreasonable expectations, but not me. I'm out for metaphorical blood and so should the Flyers. They have a considerable amount to prove, especially in light of the fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing like losing games has gone out of style. I believe their current record is one million- 1-0 or something to that effect. I rounded up.
Ok, so I'm still waiting for the Flyers apology. Perhaps it will come in the guise of a 12 goal first period explosion? One can only hope.
Go Phils tomorrow, show your cross-parking lot neighbors how this winning thing is done. Hmmm... I wonder if Jimmy Rollins can take face-offs?
So there, I've apologized to all you good folks out there for not breaking down the game, now its the Flyers turn to apologize to me for almost ruining my weekend... I'm waiting guys...
Yeah, last weekend was rough. My second favorite Philadelphia team, the Phillies lost earlier in the day. Nothing quite like watching you two favorite teams lose within hours of each other. To top it all off, I got very sick ALSO on Friday. It was like a 24-hour Swine Flu incident or something, if such a malady exists. I'm not virologist, after all.
Thankfully I was able to catch "Paranormal Activity" last weekend, and the combination of that and carving a pumpkin revived what could have been a miserable weekend. I give "Paranormal Activity" a B+, but the pumpkin gets a solid A+. It has a moustache folks. I know. Beat that Martha Stewart.
So the Flyers are currently sitting at 3-2-1 on the year, and haven't been exactly lighting the world on fire in recent weeks. Best of all: they're off until Thursday! If they don't come out and score 12 goals on the Bruins in the first period, I will be angry. I've endured too much time off after loses these past two weeks. I need to be appeased!
I'm sure that some would call those unreasonable expectations, but not me. I'm out for metaphorical blood and so should the Flyers. They have a considerable amount to prove, especially in light of the fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing like losing games has gone out of style. I believe their current record is one million- 1-0 or something to that effect. I rounded up.
Ok, so I'm still waiting for the Flyers apology. Perhaps it will come in the guise of a 12 goal first period explosion? One can only hope.
Go Phils tomorrow, show your cross-parking lot neighbors how this winning thing is done. Hmmm... I wonder if Jimmy Rollins can take face-offs?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Flyers look to keep Panthers offense toothless
After 6 days off, the Flyers will look to get back into the win column tonight as they take on the Florida Panthers (1-4-1) at the BellAtlantic Center.
Fortunately for the Flyers, the Panthers have been struggling to score goals during this young season. Michael Frolik leads the team with TWO, while the team as a whole has only scored 10 total during five games. For the sake of comparison, Mike Richards leads the Flyers with six goals and they've scored 19 in their five games.
The Panthers have struggled since starting the season with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Helsinki, Finland.
Of course, the Flyers have seen their own share of struggles lately, to the tune of back-to-back home loses after starting the season with three straight wins. Both teams will be looking to right the ship tonight, so here are three keys to an orange and black victory. They also happen to be three keys to making a certain you-know-who a VERY happy camper this weekend as he struggles to climb a mountain of school work.
I'm not saying but I'm just saying.
Three Keys
1.) Don't underestimate Panthers- Sure the Panthers aren't the Penguins (what a weird statement as far as the natural world is concerned) but they have a few legitimate scoring threats. David Booth netted 31 goals last year, but he only has one so far this year. Still, he is not a player to forget about.
2.) Be smart with the puck- Turnovers helped keep the Capitals in a game last week that the Flyers should have won handily. They helped to give the Penguins a win shortly after that and they allowed the Ducks to climb back into a game that the Flyers had in the bag. Also, I've noticed a few players developing the annoying habit of just flinging the puck around absently hoping it finds its way to a friendly body. Better yet, I love the big shot from the blue line that immediately hits a guy in the shin and deflects away harmlessly. How about NOT doing this gibberish anymore?
3.) Play 60 minutes- This just in: hockey games last for 60 minutes, not 45 minutes like the Flyers seem to think. Donovan McNabb didn't know football games could end in a tie, the Flyers don't know how long the game they've played for most of their lives lasts. Good Lord athletes! Is it too much to ask for you to understand the GAME that you make millions playing? I suppose it may be, as this problem plagued them throughout the last few seasons, including last year against these very Florida Panthers... oh dear. I'm nervous now. This could be a long, work-filled weekend for yours truly, err I mean that certain someone I mention earlier...
Player to Watch: Simon Gagne. The superstar left winger has no goals and three assists so far this season. Certainly nothing to shake a stick at, but expect him to break out of this scoring funk sooner rather then later...
Fortunately for the Flyers, the Panthers have been struggling to score goals during this young season. Michael Frolik leads the team with TWO, while the team as a whole has only scored 10 total during five games. For the sake of comparison, Mike Richards leads the Flyers with six goals and they've scored 19 in their five games.
The Panthers have struggled since starting the season with a 4-3 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Helsinki, Finland.
Of course, the Flyers have seen their own share of struggles lately, to the tune of back-to-back home loses after starting the season with three straight wins. Both teams will be looking to right the ship tonight, so here are three keys to an orange and black victory. They also happen to be three keys to making a certain you-know-who a VERY happy camper this weekend as he struggles to climb a mountain of school work.
I'm not saying but I'm just saying.
Three Keys
1.) Don't underestimate Panthers- Sure the Panthers aren't the Penguins (what a weird statement as far as the natural world is concerned) but they have a few legitimate scoring threats. David Booth netted 31 goals last year, but he only has one so far this year. Still, he is not a player to forget about.
2.) Be smart with the puck- Turnovers helped keep the Capitals in a game last week that the Flyers should have won handily. They helped to give the Penguins a win shortly after that and they allowed the Ducks to climb back into a game that the Flyers had in the bag. Also, I've noticed a few players developing the annoying habit of just flinging the puck around absently hoping it finds its way to a friendly body. Better yet, I love the big shot from the blue line that immediately hits a guy in the shin and deflects away harmlessly. How about NOT doing this gibberish anymore?
3.) Play 60 minutes- This just in: hockey games last for 60 minutes, not 45 minutes like the Flyers seem to think. Donovan McNabb didn't know football games could end in a tie, the Flyers don't know how long the game they've played for most of their lives lasts. Good Lord athletes! Is it too much to ask for you to understand the GAME that you make millions playing? I suppose it may be, as this problem plagued them throughout the last few seasons, including last year against these very Florida Panthers... oh dear. I'm nervous now. This could be a long, work-filled weekend for yours truly, err I mean that certain someone I mention earlier...
Player to Watch: Simon Gagne. The superstar left winger has no goals and three assists so far this season. Certainly nothing to shake a stick at, but expect him to break out of this scoring funk sooner rather then later...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Finally a moment to reflect...
Woowee! I don't know about you guys, but watching those FIVE regular season hockey games over the past two weeks has tuckered me out! I need a break, a chance to sit back, relax and reflect on the five games passed and the 77 left to go.
And honestly, I've always felt that sports should be played in five game intervals. Just something about the number five, I dunno. It's why I've always liked the Pentagon and why I never cared much for the movie "Seven." One of those is perfect and the other is just a tad too much.
Fortunately, the Hockey Scheduling Gods (Crazius Maxiums and Unnecessarius are their names) seem to agree and thus after playing a mere five games this season, our belovedly inglourious local hockey team is now off until Friday.
Sure, that may not seem like a lot especially since I'm writing this late Wednesday night. So sue me, I'm a man of many obligations. Who am I kidding? I've got nothing going on, I'm just lazy.
Look, the point is that the last Flyers game took place Saturday evening, a frustratingly unproductive shootout loss to the "Formerly Mighty" Anaheim Ducks. That's nearly a week off for no seemingly apparent reason. A week for the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins to keep winning, something that both teams seem to stubbornly keep doing.
What's up with that? I mean, the Pens I can understand, but that Rangers team is an enigma. Thankfully, they tend to start the season hot and then disappear once the weather starts to get cold. A confusing trend for a team that plays a winter sport, but what are you going to do?
Ah well, such is life. So, what's the point of all this rambling nonsense? There must be a point, somewhere in here. You've come this far, the least I can do is give you some pearl of wisdom to take with you on your journey through cyberspace.
Bad news is--- what with the economy and all--- that I'm out of such pearls. What I can give you are five tips on ways to pass the time until the next Flyers game. I ask that you add some of your own in the comments section. Please, I need all the help I can get. Remember, this is an Olympic year. Come February the league is going to shut down for two weeks and my apartment is likely going to turn into the set of "Requiem for a Dream II: Cruise Control," with me as the Jared Leto character, jonesing for a fix of that wonderful drug known as the Orange and Black.
Top 5 Ways to Pass the Time Until More Hockey
5.) Do some school work- I know! Hear me out! If you get it done while the Flyers aren't playing, you will be free to enjoy the games uninterrupted. Sad now, happy later!
4.) Spend time with friends and loved ones- This is especially useful if the aforementioned friends and loved ones aren't hockey fans. This way, once the games start again, they won't be able to complain about never seeing you.
3.) Take up an activity, like knitting or watching paint dry- really anything to keep your mind occupied. During the lock out season, I watched paint dry while knitting scarves for my entire family. Of course, I was also taking a knitting class at the time. I call that killing multiple birds with one gigantic bazooka stone.
2.) Develop an obsession with another sport- Take up baseball, football, indoor lacrosse, anything at all depending on the season. I've always heard that the best way to cure an obsession is to replace it with another obsession. Or did I hear that was the wrong thing to do? I need to do some more research on this one...
1.) Purchase "NHL 10"- one of the best sports games I've ever played. It is incredibly realistic, the game play is sensational and you can start fights after the whistle. What more can you ask for from a video game?
So there are my tips. As I said, please share yours. Together we can make it through to Friday. The Olympics will be another matter entirely...
And honestly, I've always felt that sports should be played in five game intervals. Just something about the number five, I dunno. It's why I've always liked the Pentagon and why I never cared much for the movie "Seven." One of those is perfect and the other is just a tad too much.
Fortunately, the Hockey Scheduling Gods (Crazius Maxiums and Unnecessarius are their names) seem to agree and thus after playing a mere five games this season, our belovedly inglourious local hockey team is now off until Friday.
Sure, that may not seem like a lot especially since I'm writing this late Wednesday night. So sue me, I'm a man of many obligations. Who am I kidding? I've got nothing going on, I'm just lazy.
Look, the point is that the last Flyers game took place Saturday evening, a frustratingly unproductive shootout loss to the "Formerly Mighty" Anaheim Ducks. That's nearly a week off for no seemingly apparent reason. A week for the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins to keep winning, something that both teams seem to stubbornly keep doing.
What's up with that? I mean, the Pens I can understand, but that Rangers team is an enigma. Thankfully, they tend to start the season hot and then disappear once the weather starts to get cold. A confusing trend for a team that plays a winter sport, but what are you going to do?
Ah well, such is life. So, what's the point of all this rambling nonsense? There must be a point, somewhere in here. You've come this far, the least I can do is give you some pearl of wisdom to take with you on your journey through cyberspace.
Bad news is--- what with the economy and all--- that I'm out of such pearls. What I can give you are five tips on ways to pass the time until the next Flyers game. I ask that you add some of your own in the comments section. Please, I need all the help I can get. Remember, this is an Olympic year. Come February the league is going to shut down for two weeks and my apartment is likely going to turn into the set of "Requiem for a Dream II: Cruise Control," with me as the Jared Leto character, jonesing for a fix of that wonderful drug known as the Orange and Black.
Top 5 Ways to Pass the Time Until More Hockey
5.) Do some school work- I know! Hear me out! If you get it done while the Flyers aren't playing, you will be free to enjoy the games uninterrupted. Sad now, happy later!
4.) Spend time with friends and loved ones- This is especially useful if the aforementioned friends and loved ones aren't hockey fans. This way, once the games start again, they won't be able to complain about never seeing you.
3.) Take up an activity, like knitting or watching paint dry- really anything to keep your mind occupied. During the lock out season, I watched paint dry while knitting scarves for my entire family. Of course, I was also taking a knitting class at the time. I call that killing multiple birds with one gigantic bazooka stone.
2.) Develop an obsession with another sport- Take up baseball, football, indoor lacrosse, anything at all depending on the season. I've always heard that the best way to cure an obsession is to replace it with another obsession. Or did I hear that was the wrong thing to do? I need to do some more research on this one...
1.) Purchase "NHL 10"- one of the best sports games I've ever played. It is incredibly realistic, the game play is sensational and you can start fights after the whistle. What more can you ask for from a video game?
So there are my tips. As I said, please share yours. Together we can make it through to Friday. The Olympics will be another matter entirely...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Shootout rears its ugly head in Flyers loss to Ducks
For two and three fourths periods, the Flyers played a heck of a hockey game. They led 2-0 over a tough Anaheim team, Ray Emery had been solid and the defense seemed to have shaken its irritating habit of coughing up the puck like a cat coughs up a fur ball.
Too bad hockey games last for three full periods because that last fourth was rough for the orange and black.
They were up thanks to power play goals from the captain Mike Richards and birthday boy and former Duck Chris Pronger. For Richards, the goal was his league leading 6th goal, while Pronger netted his first as a Flyer with a booming slap shot from the point.
Then Teemu Selanneshowed up and runied everything by scoring two goals about six minutes apart. His second goal came with only 16 seconds left in the game. Neither goal was really Emery's fault. The first was the result of a defensive break down, while the second came after the Flyers couldn't get the puck out of their own end thanks to the Ducks having pulled their goalie for the extra skater.
The teams played through a scoreless overtime and then came everyone's favorite circus event--- the shootout. There is absolutely nothing I'd rather watch then a team sport being decided by an individual competition. You know, just like how football games end with field goal kicking contests and the NBA has those dunk contests after the first OT period.
Oh wait... Well, I'm sure the shootout makes sense to someone, somewhere. Even if that someone is currently occupying the cell next to Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Homicial maniac or not, it still counts.
The Flyers failed to convert on their three chances in the shootout, but Selanne capped off his sorta hat trick and gave them the win. The loss drops the Flyers to 3-1-1 on the season.
2.) Emery needs to shine: Emery made 31 saves on 33 chances and stopped 1 of 2 in the shootout. The goals that got by him would have gotten by most netminders in the league. He was solid and should get a huge boost of confidence from playing the way he did against one the NHL's better teams. Thumbs up.
3.) Shut down the RGP Line: This one was a bit tough. Ducks head coach Randy Carlisle mixed his lines up throughout the game, especially late. Selanne scored all of the Ducks goals, but RPG line members Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each picked up an assist in the contest. Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan were both +2 for the night. At best, this one was also a push.
Player of the Game: Chris Pronger (1 goal, 31:17 TOI, -1, 2 SOG)
Next Game: Friday, Oct. 16 at Florida Panthers (1-3-0). Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Too bad hockey games last for three full periods because that last fourth was rough for the orange and black.
They were up thanks to power play goals from the captain Mike Richards and birthday boy and former Duck Chris Pronger. For Richards, the goal was his league leading 6th goal, while Pronger netted his first as a Flyer with a booming slap shot from the point.
Then Teemu Selanneshowed up and runied everything by scoring two goals about six minutes apart. His second goal came with only 16 seconds left in the game. Neither goal was really Emery's fault. The first was the result of a defensive break down, while the second came after the Flyers couldn't get the puck out of their own end thanks to the Ducks having pulled their goalie for the extra skater.
The teams played through a scoreless overtime and then came everyone's favorite circus event--- the shootout. There is absolutely nothing I'd rather watch then a team sport being decided by an individual competition. You know, just like how football games end with field goal kicking contests and the NBA has those dunk contests after the first OT period.
Oh wait... Well, I'm sure the shootout makes sense to someone, somewhere. Even if that someone is currently occupying the cell next to Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Homicial maniac or not, it still counts.
The Flyers failed to convert on their three chances in the shootout, but Selanne capped off his sorta hat trick and gave them the win. The loss drops the Flyers to 3-1-1 on the season.
Three Keys Revisited
1.) Cut down turnovers: The Flyers were successful here, for the most part. They were much more responsible with the puck, until they fell apart at the end. Still room for improvement. Push.2.) Emery needs to shine: Emery made 31 saves on 33 chances and stopped 1 of 2 in the shootout. The goals that got by him would have gotten by most netminders in the league. He was solid and should get a huge boost of confidence from playing the way he did against one the NHL's better teams. Thumbs up.
3.) Shut down the RGP Line: This one was a bit tough. Ducks head coach Randy Carlisle mixed his lines up throughout the game, especially late. Selanne scored all of the Ducks goals, but RPG line members Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry each picked up an assist in the contest. Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan were both +2 for the night. At best, this one was also a push.
Player of the Game: Chris Pronger (1 goal, 31:17 TOI, -1, 2 SOG)
Next Game: Friday, Oct. 16 at Florida Panthers (1-3-0). Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Three Keys to tonight's home game vs. the Ducks
1.) Cut down turnovers: These have killed the Flyers the last two games. If they hope to contend with a solid Ducks team, they can't be throwing the puck around all willy-nilly like. Be smart!
2.) Emery needs to shine: Emery was dominate during the Flyers first two games of the season, but the last two have been kinda-sorta ugly. VERY kinda-sorta. 10 goals against during that span, granted most of those weren't his fault, (see Key #1) he needs to get back to how in played in games one and two of this year.
3.) Shut down the RGP Line: The combination of Bobby Ryan, Correy Perry and Ryan Getzlaf is one of the best in the entire league. During last year's playoffs, these three guys accounted for almost all of the Ducks offense. Shut down these guys and you will be in a good position to pick up the win. Sadly, the Ducks added the likes of Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupul in the offseason, so they may not be as one dimensional this year.
Keep an eye on: Claude Giroux. Head coach John Stevens decided to pull his young star off the third line, where he played center and put him on the first line, where he will be a right winger. Mika Pyorala will slide down and center the third unit. This move may not be conducive to helping the depth, but it should help ignite the top line a bit.
2.) Emery needs to shine: Emery was dominate during the Flyers first two games of the season, but the last two have been kinda-sorta ugly. VERY kinda-sorta. 10 goals against during that span, granted most of those weren't his fault, (see Key #1) he needs to get back to how in played in games one and two of this year.
3.) Shut down the RGP Line: The combination of Bobby Ryan, Correy Perry and Ryan Getzlaf is one of the best in the entire league. During last year's playoffs, these three guys accounted for almost all of the Ducks offense. Shut down these guys and you will be in a good position to pick up the win. Sadly, the Ducks added the likes of Saku Koivu and Joffrey Lupul in the offseason, so they may not be as one dimensional this year.
Keep an eye on: Claude Giroux. Head coach John Stevens decided to pull his young star off the third line, where he played center and put him on the first line, where he will be a right winger. Mika Pyorala will slide down and center the third unit. This move may not be conducive to helping the depth, but it should help ignite the top line a bit.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Pens escape with win, Letang escapes with finger sans pride
The dream is over. The 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers will NOT finish the season 82-0-0, after losing to the other Pennsylvania team 5-4 this evening. It is a sad day for us all. How can we, as Flyers fans ever recover from this actrocity?
One day at a time I suppose, one day at a time.
The Pens didn't so much win this one as the Flyers handed it to them. Braydon Coburn even went so far as to score a goal for them. That Coburn is just a giver, I tell you.
The Flyers coughed up the puck whenever possible, whether there was a Penguin around or not, left goalie Ray Emery out to dry, all in addition to Coburn's self goal. It was a sight to behold, it really was.
In fact, if it wasn't for outstanding individual efforts from Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Danny Briere this thing could have been over early.
Fortuntely, Pittsburgh was more then up to keeping the game close. The undisciplined and uninspired play from last night's 3-0 loss to Phoenix carried over and they let the Flyers hang around long after the game should have been out of reach. They had turnover problems of their own and were carried by Evegni Malkin, who despite a goal, an assist and seeming to dominate the game for long stretches, still managed a -1 rating. Incredible.
And then there was the physical aspect of the game. Boy howdy! Surely, the biggest scrum of the night came with 1.2 seconds left in the third period. Richards went hard to the net and bowled over Pens goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. Richie cracked his head on the cross bar and was nearly kicked in the face by a falling Fleury. I'm sure fans in Pittsburgh weren't pleased by his actions, but sadly, this IS hockey. Not curling. Man up and move on, its a physical sport and there isn't anything wrong with crashing the net.
Of course, Pittsburgh wasn't going to take this lying down. In true Pens fashion a 2-1 scuffle broke out between Scott Hartnell, Kris Letang and I believe Chris Kunitz. I mean, why fight fair? Its not Penguins hockey then! Seeing this Chris Pronger came in--- apparently every the name "Chris" is big in hickey, eh?--- and did his best to bend Kunitz into a right angle, the wrong way. He almost succeded. Kunitz for one looked horrified that he wouldn't be able to cheap shot Kimmo Timonen anymore without fear of a psychotic 6' 3'' guy turning his teeth into tiddly-winks.
Somewhere along the line Letang gots a boo-boo on his finger, which of course resulted in the game being halted until an appropriately sized "Spongebob Squarepants" band-aid could be located for Letang. Allegedly, Hartnell bit him and if that was the case, I say touche to Hartnell! He's getting beat up and tackled by two guys, Letang's lucky he still has a finger. Maybe next time he'll fight fair, or else he may have a tough time playing the guitar. Of course, the question may also be raised as to just how Letang's finger got in Hartnell's mouth to begin with.
Best of all, these allegations are coming from Letang and the Pens broadcasters. Now, in case you didn't realize, the Pens broadcasters actually call the game from ON the ice, thus they were able to see exactly what happened and in NO way were are going off of hearsay and conjecture. God bless those czars of the commentary booth!
I guess Letang's mom never told him to keep his hands to himself. Oh well, we move on and hopefully he's learned himself a lesson.
Player of the Game: Jeff Carter (2 goals, 2 assists, 21:04 TOI, 7 SOG, even rating? Essh...)
Next Game: Oct. 10 vs. Anaheim (1-1-1) at 7 p.m.
One day at a time I suppose, one day at a time.
The Pens didn't so much win this one as the Flyers handed it to them. Braydon Coburn even went so far as to score a goal for them. That Coburn is just a giver, I tell you.
The Flyers coughed up the puck whenever possible, whether there was a Penguin around or not, left goalie Ray Emery out to dry, all in addition to Coburn's self goal. It was a sight to behold, it really was.
In fact, if it wasn't for outstanding individual efforts from Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Danny Briere this thing could have been over early.
Fortuntely, Pittsburgh was more then up to keeping the game close. The undisciplined and uninspired play from last night's 3-0 loss to Phoenix carried over and they let the Flyers hang around long after the game should have been out of reach. They had turnover problems of their own and were carried by Evegni Malkin, who despite a goal, an assist and seeming to dominate the game for long stretches, still managed a -1 rating. Incredible.
And then there was the physical aspect of the game. Boy howdy! Surely, the biggest scrum of the night came with 1.2 seconds left in the third period. Richards went hard to the net and bowled over Pens goalie Marc Andre-Fleury. Richie cracked his head on the cross bar and was nearly kicked in the face by a falling Fleury. I'm sure fans in Pittsburgh weren't pleased by his actions, but sadly, this IS hockey. Not curling. Man up and move on, its a physical sport and there isn't anything wrong with crashing the net.
Of course, Pittsburgh wasn't going to take this lying down. In true Pens fashion a 2-1 scuffle broke out between Scott Hartnell, Kris Letang and I believe Chris Kunitz. I mean, why fight fair? Its not Penguins hockey then! Seeing this Chris Pronger came in--- apparently every the name "Chris" is big in hickey, eh?--- and did his best to bend Kunitz into a right angle, the wrong way. He almost succeded. Kunitz for one looked horrified that he wouldn't be able to cheap shot Kimmo Timonen anymore without fear of a psychotic 6' 3'' guy turning his teeth into tiddly-winks.
Somewhere along the line Letang gots a boo-boo on his finger, which of course resulted in the game being halted until an appropriately sized "Spongebob Squarepants" band-aid could be located for Letang. Allegedly, Hartnell bit him and if that was the case, I say touche to Hartnell! He's getting beat up and tackled by two guys, Letang's lucky he still has a finger. Maybe next time he'll fight fair, or else he may have a tough time playing the guitar. Of course, the question may also be raised as to just how Letang's finger got in Hartnell's mouth to begin with.
Best of all, these allegations are coming from Letang and the Pens broadcasters. Now, in case you didn't realize, the Pens broadcasters actually call the game from ON the ice, thus they were able to see exactly what happened and in NO way were are going off of hearsay and conjecture. God bless those czars of the commentary booth!
I guess Letang's mom never told him to keep his hands to himself. Oh well, we move on and hopefully he's learned himself a lesson.
Player of the Game: Jeff Carter (2 goals, 2 assists, 21:04 TOI, 7 SOG, even rating? Essh...)
Next Game: Oct. 10 vs. Anaheim (1-1-1) at 7 p.m.
Well rested Pens fly into town
Don't make the mistake of thinking the Flyers have the upper hand in tonight's matchup with their cross state rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins, because the flightless birds played last night, while the orange and black rested.
Judging by the stats and game recaps that I've seen, the Pens were at also off last night. Back-up goalie Brent Johnson recieved no support from the rest of his team, as they marched their way towards a 3-0 loss to the possibly homeless Phoenix Coyotes.
The Stanley Cup champs were outplayed from wire-to-wire last night, so there is really no reason at all that they shouldn't be fresh as a field of Gary Bettman-coddled daisies for tonight's contest against the orange and black in the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers will need to be smarter, MUCH smarter defensively if they intend on moving to 4-0 for the season. They are coming off an ugly 6-5 OT win over the Caps on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, for the Flyers it looks like they will be a bit shorthanded going into the game this evening.
Center Blair Betts will be sidelined for a month with a dislocated right shoulder, while rooked left wing James vanRiemsdyk will likely miss tonight's game as a precaution after a testing negative for a concussion.
This means Riley Cote and Arron Asham are likely to find themselves in the lineup tonight, playing on the fourth and third lines respectively. That said, here are three keys to a Flyers victory tonight:
1.) Play tighter defensively
2.) Continue to improve discipline
3.) Keep getting contributions from all four lines
That's all. Go Flyers and I'll be back later tonight with some thoughts on the game.
Judging by the stats and game recaps that I've seen, the Pens were at also off last night. Back-up goalie Brent Johnson recieved no support from the rest of his team, as they marched their way towards a 3-0 loss to the possibly homeless Phoenix Coyotes.
The Stanley Cup champs were outplayed from wire-to-wire last night, so there is really no reason at all that they shouldn't be fresh as a field of Gary Bettman-coddled daisies for tonight's contest against the orange and black in the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers will need to be smarter, MUCH smarter defensively if they intend on moving to 4-0 for the season. They are coming off an ugly 6-5 OT win over the Caps on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, for the Flyers it looks like they will be a bit shorthanded going into the game this evening.
Center Blair Betts will be sidelined for a month with a dislocated right shoulder, while rooked left wing James vanRiemsdyk will likely miss tonight's game as a precaution after a testing negative for a concussion.
This means Riley Cote and Arron Asham are likely to find themselves in the lineup tonight, playing on the fourth and third lines respectively. That said, here are three keys to a Flyers victory tonight:
1.) Play tighter defensively
2.) Continue to improve discipline
3.) Keep getting contributions from all four lines
That's all. Go Flyers and I'll be back later tonight with some thoughts on the game.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Betts out, van Riemsdyk gets bell wrung
The Flyers penalty killing and face off winning machine Blair Betts will miss a month due to a dislocated right shoulder according to the team's General Manager Paul Holmgren. The Flyers PK has given up only 2 goals in 18 chances so far this season and that has been thanks in part to the contributions of Betts, as well as fellow newcomer Ian Laperriere.
Homer also pointed out that rookie left winger James vanRiemsdyk "had his bell wrung" and that he would be evaluted later on.
Losing Betts hurts as now Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne will all have to pick up more minutes on the penalty kill to make up for his abscene. Losing van Riemsdyk, who has 3 assists in 3 games since surprising most and making the big club out of camp, hurts the team's depth. Here's hoping that his injury isn't serious.
The team will need both Betts and van Riemsdyk back on the ice quickly in order to keep having success in this young season.
Homer also pointed out that rookie left winger James vanRiemsdyk "had his bell wrung" and that he would be evaluted later on.
Losing Betts hurts as now Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne will all have to pick up more minutes on the penalty kill to make up for his abscene. Losing van Riemsdyk, who has 3 assists in 3 games since surprising most and making the big club out of camp, hurts the team's depth. Here's hoping that his injury isn't serious.
The team will need both Betts and van Riemsdyk back on the ice quickly in order to keep having success in this young season.
Flyers win slugfest with Caps 6-5 in OT
Now I know what Washington Capitals fans have to deal with most nights. Back and forth hockey where defense and goaltending are like acting in a Michael Bay movie--- nonexistent.
I don't know if my heart could take watching this type of hockey night in and night out, but at least the good guys came out on top. I can't complain, I mean I could, but I won't. The Flyers won and now get to regroup until their week from hell continues on Thursday against the... Joaquin Phoenix sigh... Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
But back to this game for a second. Ray Emery looked a bit shakey in his first home start with the orange and black. That said, he still stopped 31 of 36 shots and his defense did him NO favors tonight. Turnovers were the name of the game and the Caps made the Flyers pay for their mistakes. This is something that will have to be remedied for Thursday's game. You can't plan on spotting the Pens 5 goals and still picking up the win.
On the offensive side of the puck, Mike Richards out dueled Alex Ovechkin and the Caps high powered offense. Richie picked up his second career hat trickall in the second period. His last two goals were seperated by a mere 18 seconds.
Of course, the biggest factor in Richie's night--- other then skill--- was Matt Carle, who picked up not one, two or three but FOUR assists all in the second period. Carle was sensational and he continues to prove why he was once dealt for Danny Boyle, the hockey player not the director.
And who would I be to not mention the man who picked up the game winner? That was a little someone named Danny Briere, who netted the over time game winner on the day of his 32nd birthday. After the year he had last year, there are few people I want to see succeed more then Danny. He's one of the sport's good guys. A little guy with a huge heart, who has had to work hard for every break he's gotten. He took a ton of undeserved heat last year and here's hoping that this year he sends all the message board naysayers scurrying back to their parent's basements in shame.
The Flyers power play went 3-9 tonight, which is incredible. Not so much the three goals that they scored, but the fact that they were given almost twice as many power plays as the Caps. This is huge because Alex The Great doesn't kill penalties. Anytime you can get him off the ice, you're doing something right.
So, the Flyers beat the Caps at their own game. The orange and black played disciplined if not text book hockey and survived a poor defensive night to move to 3-0-0 on the year. Good times, now let's not make a habit of this. I mean, the winning is awesome, but the way they went about it was agonizing.
Next Game: Thursday vs. Pittsburgh
Player of the Game: Mike Richards (3 goals, 6 SOG, 22:27 TOI)
Happy B-Day: Danny Briere
I don't know if my heart could take watching this type of hockey night in and night out, but at least the good guys came out on top. I can't complain, I mean I could, but I won't. The Flyers won and now get to regroup until their week from hell continues on Thursday against the... Joaquin Phoenix sigh... Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
But back to this game for a second. Ray Emery looked a bit shakey in his first home start with the orange and black. That said, he still stopped 31 of 36 shots and his defense did him NO favors tonight. Turnovers were the name of the game and the Caps made the Flyers pay for their mistakes. This is something that will have to be remedied for Thursday's game. You can't plan on spotting the Pens 5 goals and still picking up the win.
On the offensive side of the puck, Mike Richards out dueled Alex Ovechkin and the Caps high powered offense. Richie picked up his second career hat trickall in the second period. His last two goals were seperated by a mere 18 seconds.
Of course, the biggest factor in Richie's night--- other then skill--- was Matt Carle, who picked up not one, two or three but FOUR assists all in the second period. Carle was sensational and he continues to prove why he was once dealt for Danny Boyle, the hockey player not the director.
And who would I be to not mention the man who picked up the game winner? That was a little someone named Danny Briere, who netted the over time game winner on the day of his 32nd birthday. After the year he had last year, there are few people I want to see succeed more then Danny. He's one of the sport's good guys. A little guy with a huge heart, who has had to work hard for every break he's gotten. He took a ton of undeserved heat last year and here's hoping that this year he sends all the message board naysayers scurrying back to their parent's basements in shame.
The Flyers power play went 3-9 tonight, which is incredible. Not so much the three goals that they scored, but the fact that they were given almost twice as many power plays as the Caps. This is huge because Alex The Great doesn't kill penalties. Anytime you can get him off the ice, you're doing something right.
So, the Flyers beat the Caps at their own game. The orange and black played disciplined if not text book hockey and survived a poor defensive night to move to 3-0-0 on the year. Good times, now let's not make a habit of this. I mean, the winning is awesome, but the way they went about it was agonizing.
Next Game: Thursday vs. Pittsburgh
Player of the Game: Mike Richards (3 goals, 6 SOG, 22:27 TOI)
Happy B-Day: Danny Briere
Monday, October 5, 2009
Capital offences...
Fancy meeting you here! And at this hour too! I do declare it must be fate!
The new season smell hasn't even worn off yet but the Flyers will need to be in midseason form tomorrow night when they face the Washinton Capitals (2-0-0).
Despite a near crippling lack of defense or goaltending, the Caps are rolling. Because their offense is. A look at the league's offensive leaders to date should clarify:
Points
1.)Alexander Ovechkin- 6
2.) Nicklas Backstrom- 5
3.) Brooks Laich- 5
4.) Alexander Semin- 5
Goals
1.) Brooks Laich- 3
2.) Alexander Ovechkin- 3
Assists
1.) Nicklas Backstrom- 5
2.) Milan Hejduk- 3 (Non-Capital)
3.) Alexander Oveckin- 3
It pretty much just goes on like that. If the Flyers plan is to keep doing what they are doing, they WILL lose. Simply put, they need to be more disciplined. If you give the Caps too many chances on the power play, things WILL get ugly.
The Flyers defense has been sensational thus far and their penalty kill has been incredible, but they can't continue to take bad penalties. Not when Ovechkin is floating around the circle, waiting to uncork a one-timer.
Ray Emery bailed the team out in games one and two this season, now they need to give him some help. They can't expect it to do it all himself. No more 5-3!!!
Tonight Vs. spent more time talking about this game then the one that was actually on--- a 3-2 Rangers victory over the Devils, decent game by the way---so let's hope that the Flyers are up to the challenge. I think they will be. They owe it to Emery and themselves. Smart, disciplined play willl win the day.
Ohh, I made a rhyme. Look at the time, I must be out my mind. Whoops! I don't think that last one worked. *Skulks away slowly*
The new season smell hasn't even worn off yet but the Flyers will need to be in midseason form tomorrow night when they face the Washinton Capitals (2-0-0).
Despite a near crippling lack of defense or goaltending, the Caps are rolling. Because their offense is. A look at the league's offensive leaders to date should clarify:
Points
1.)Alexander Ovechkin- 6
2.) Nicklas Backstrom- 5
3.) Brooks Laich- 5
4.) Alexander Semin- 5
Goals
1.) Brooks Laich- 3
2.) Alexander Ovechkin- 3
Assists
1.) Nicklas Backstrom- 5
2.) Milan Hejduk- 3 (Non-Capital)
3.) Alexander Oveckin- 3
It pretty much just goes on like that. If the Flyers plan is to keep doing what they are doing, they WILL lose. Simply put, they need to be more disciplined. If you give the Caps too many chances on the power play, things WILL get ugly.
The Flyers defense has been sensational thus far and their penalty kill has been incredible, but they can't continue to take bad penalties. Not when Ovechkin is floating around the circle, waiting to uncork a one-timer.
Ray Emery bailed the team out in games one and two this season, now they need to give him some help. They can't expect it to do it all himself. No more 5-3!!!
Tonight Vs. spent more time talking about this game then the one that was actually on--- a 3-2 Rangers victory over the Devils, decent game by the way---so let's hope that the Flyers are up to the challenge. I think they will be. They owe it to Emery and themselves. Smart, disciplined play willl win the day.
Ohh, I made a rhyme. Look at the time, I must be out my mind. Whoops! I don't think that last one worked. *Skulks away slowly*
Fast start leads to painful cliches about "flying"
The Flyers are flyin' high baby! They're off like a jet! Flyin' outta the gate!
Oh, the wonders of cliches! While we're on the subject of cliches, I hate school. A college student who hates school, the heck you say? Tell me more abot this startling trend!
I know, I know. You've certainly heard that nonesense before, but I do dislike it when my blogging gets interrupted by a veritable tidal wave of class work. Sigh, let me cry myself a river. I move on...
Back to the Flyers. The team won their first two games of the season, the first time that has happened in a while. What's even more impressive is that both games were on the road, making this a feat that they Flyers had never accomplished in their entire history.
Will they go 82-0? Unlikely, but a man can dream...
Ray Emery has gotten his Flyers career off on the right foot, posting a 2-0 shutout of the Hurricanes on Friday night and besting alleged "Best Goalie Ever" Martin Brodeur and the Devils on Saturday to the tune of 5-2.
Emery has looked sensational, swatting away 5-3 chances like they were flies.
The Flyers have recieved a balanced scoring attack, something that they have tended towards in recent years, unlike that other Pennsylvania team who shall not be named. The Flyers have shown that losing Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble isn't going to sink the ship, which is nice.
The defense in front of Emery has been sound as well. Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen have proven that age is just a number. They looks as good as they ever have. The Flyers second pairing of Timonen and Braydon Coburn is better then most teams first units. The depth on this year's club is scary.
The offense, defense and goalies are all rolling. A change of pace from this time last year when the Flyers looked more like the New York Islanders then a liegitimate NHL team.
From here on out, class work be damned! I will bring you up-to-date posts. I will not let anything, be it Native American or Magazine related stop me. I am not afraid to fail a class for the Flyers. I am an idiot, after all.
Here are some further thoughts...
10/2: 2-0 win at Carolina
Player of the Game: Ray Emery (28 saves)
10/3: 5-2 win at New Jersey
Player of the Game: Matt Carle (1 goal, 1 assist, 24:04 TOI, +3, 2 SOG)
Oh, the wonders of cliches! While we're on the subject of cliches, I hate school. A college student who hates school, the heck you say? Tell me more abot this startling trend!
I know, I know. You've certainly heard that nonesense before, but I do dislike it when my blogging gets interrupted by a veritable tidal wave of class work. Sigh, let me cry myself a river. I move on...
Back to the Flyers. The team won their first two games of the season, the first time that has happened in a while. What's even more impressive is that both games were on the road, making this a feat that they Flyers had never accomplished in their entire history.
Will they go 82-0? Unlikely, but a man can dream...
Ray Emery has gotten his Flyers career off on the right foot, posting a 2-0 shutout of the Hurricanes on Friday night and besting alleged "Best Goalie Ever" Martin Brodeur and the Devils on Saturday to the tune of 5-2.
Emery has looked sensational, swatting away 5-3 chances like they were flies.
The Flyers have recieved a balanced scoring attack, something that they have tended towards in recent years, unlike that other Pennsylvania team who shall not be named. The Flyers have shown that losing Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble isn't going to sink the ship, which is nice.
The defense in front of Emery has been sound as well. Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen have proven that age is just a number. They looks as good as they ever have. The Flyers second pairing of Timonen and Braydon Coburn is better then most teams first units. The depth on this year's club is scary.
The offense, defense and goalies are all rolling. A change of pace from this time last year when the Flyers looked more like the New York Islanders then a liegitimate NHL team.
From here on out, class work be damned! I will bring you up-to-date posts. I will not let anything, be it Native American or Magazine related stop me. I am not afraid to fail a class for the Flyers. I am an idiot, after all.
Here are some further thoughts...
10/2: 2-0 win at Carolina
Player of the Game: Ray Emery (28 saves)
10/3: 5-2 win at New Jersey
Player of the Game: Matt Carle (1 goal, 1 assist, 24:04 TOI, +3, 2 SOG)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
