In case you missed it …

Monday March 29, 2010 • 2 Comments 

With all of the excitement in the NCAA Tournament this past weekend you may have missed some of the things that took place here in Philadelphia. Heck you may missed things because you had a family commitment or simply were out boozing with friends. We don’t discriminate here. Whatever the reason, Philly Sports Blogs has you covered. In what will become a Monday tradition, we unveil the first “In Case You Missed it.”

Because even though you are not always watching, we are.

— Playing goalie for the Flyers might be the most dangerous position in all of sports right now. Johan Backlund, the latest victim of the injury bug, never even got a chance to show his worth. Making his first start in place of the injured Michael Leighton, who was in for the injured Ray Emery and the slumping Brian Boucher, Backlund left Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Penguins in the second period after aggravating a groin injury. Taking Backlund’s place on the roster is Carter Sutton, who was called up from the Phantoms. Sutton only appeared in four games for the Phantoms, going 1-2-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average.

—The Flyers salvaged the weekend. The news wasn’t all bad for the Orange and Black as they put together their best effort in the month of March with a 5-1 thrashing of the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. It was a much needed win as it moved the Flyers into a 6th place tie in the Eastern Conference with Montreal and four points ahead of 9th place Atlanta.

— The Sixers (yes they are still playing) actually put together a nice win on Friday, defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 105-98. It was the second-straight win for Philadelphia, something that could be cause for celebration they way the team has played. One of the recent revelations has been Jason Kapono, who has stepped into the starting lineup and produced. He scored 14 points against Atlanta, and 10 in Wednesday’s win against the Bucks. Who knew that putting an actual shooter on the floor would force opposing teams to lengthen their defense, thus creating more space for the other Sixers on the floor?

— Donovan McNabb is still here. Nothing more to be said.

— Ryan Madson will open the season as the Phillies closer. With Brad Lidge set to start the season on the DL, Charlie Manuel elected to go with Madson over the newly-acquired Danys Baez. Madson struggled in that role last year, saving 10 of 16 games and posting a 5.82 ERA, but gets a clean slate to work with. So what happens if Madson starts the season on fire saving 6 of 6 games? Does Lidge still come back and take over?Likely, but it sure will be fun debating about it.

So there’s your Philly weekend in a nutshell, just in case you missed it.



Jeff Carter out 3 to 4 weeks

Monday March 22, 2010 • 2 Comments 

The news keeps getting worse for Flyers fans.

Leading scorer Jeff Carter will miss 3-4 weeks with a fractured in his left foot, according to General manger Paul Holmgren in this nhl.com article.

The loss is the latest blow for a team that has never found its flow this season. The Flyers are already without Ray Emery and Michael Leighton and will now have to make do without the assistant captain.

It seems so long ago that the Flyers were picked to win a Stanley Cup.

It just doesn’t feel like it’s meant to be for the Orange and Black this year.



Leighton’s injury could be nail in coffin

Wednesday March 17, 2010 • 2 Comments 

If your heading out to a local pub today to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to raise you glass and drink one to the health of Michael Leighton.

Then say a long prayer.

While there are far worse are far more gruesome injuries there’s something about the words “high ankle sprain” that makes a fan cringe.

When the phrase is simply “ankle sprain” there’s a whole different feeling. Players recover from ankle sprains in days. Players often don’t recover from high ankle sprains weeks — or even months.

SO Flyers fans wait today holding their breath that Michael Leighton’s high ankle sprain, is somehow a miss diagnosis and that the man entrusted with taking the Flyers deep into the NHL playoffs will not be relegated to a training room the rest of the season.

A high ankle sprain is defined as an injury to ligaments between the two major bones in the lower leg (tibia and Fibula) at the level of the ankle. There are grade I, II, and III injuries. If Leighton has grade I and there is just a minor tear of the ligament, there is hope for him to return without too much time lost. If it is II or III, you can probably forget about it.

It’s a tough break (not literally) for a player who was finally given his opportunity to be a starting goalie in the NHL and was making the most of it. Leighton was 16-5 with a 2.48 GAA for the year. He will be replaced by Brian Boucher, who has not been nearly as effective. For the season Boucher is 4-12 with a 2.77 GAA.

If the injury proves serious, a season that began with hopes of a Stanley Cup and Ray Emery in net has been reduced to competing for a middle of the pack playoff spot with Boucher the man who will be counted on win in the postseason.

It’s not exactly how Paul Holmgren drew it up.



Leighton now “the guy”

Thursday March 4, 2010 • Leave a Comment 

Forget everything you think you know about Michael Leighton. The fact that he has been a journeyman backup means nothing. The fact that he has had a fantastic year, which has produced a great winning percentage and a sub-three goals against average this season is also meaningless.

Right now everything changes. When the Flyers decided not to bring in a veteran goaltender to replace the injured Ray Emery by yesterday’s trade deadline, everything concerning Leighton changed. He was no longer a Cinderella story that had a nice little run at the NHL level.

He was now the undisputed No. 1 goalie for a Flyers team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Now the pressure is on and soon we will find out how he handles his new position.

Those were the thoughts that ran threw my mind at 3:01 p.m. on Wednesday when it became clear that it would be Leighton from here on out.

As for his first presentation after the deadline? Well, it was a disaster. Leighton allowed four goals in a period and a half before being pulled in favor of Brian Boucher in a 7-4 loss to the Panthers.

Talk about a bad way to reward a management team that just put its faith in you.

Now Leighton cannot be judged by one bad outing but it was a rough start that will go along way in determining if management made the right call making a goalie who has not played more than 34 games in a season since his arrival in 2002, the guy.

For all that Leighton’s resume lacks, his production in 22 games with Philadelphia has been eye-opening. The team is 14-7-1 in games he has started and his 2.80 goals against average is more than acceptable for a team that scores at a 3.02 clip.

The issue at hands seems to be why the Flyers neglected to give Leighton any help at the deadline. If you are going to stick with a goalie who has had limited success in the past and lacks in the playoff experience department, why not load up the defense in front of him? GM Paul Holmgren said the team tried to bolster the team but nothing that would accomplish that could get done.

I’m sure Holmgren tried his best. But Pittsburgh, Washington, Ottawa and Buffalo all made moves to make themselves stronger moving forward. For those counting, each of those teams are ahead of the Flyers in the conference standings and stand in the way of the team’s quest for a Stanley Cup.

But there is no changing that now. All Flyers fans can do is hope Leighton takes his game to a level it has yet to reach.

Welcome to the fire Leighton.



A season of ups and downs

Sunday January 17, 2010 • 6 Comments 

Three weeks ago many would have written the Flyers off.  Three months ago, many would have picked them to win the Atlantic.  The truth is, this season is not following any logical path, and just when you think the home team can’t do anything right, they have a streak like they have gone through in the past 10 games, going 7-2-1.  Discount the stinker against Ottawa, and they have looked as good as anyone in the conference.

At just past the halfway point of the season, the Flyers sit poised on the edge of the playoff bracket with 49 points in 46 games.   They are third in the Atlantic in wins, but also lead in losses and are currently last in points. But they are only two points out of third and a solid playoff spot.

What is it about this team ?   Why are they so streaky ?  A lot of it has to do with their schedule.  The rest has to do with the play of two key players.   Veteran winger Simon Gagne is rounding into form after returning from injury with a five-game point streak and four goals and 10 points in his last seven games.  Michael Leighton has gone 8-1 in goal since being picked up off waivers from Carolina.

The reason the Flyers looked awful up until Christmas was simple; they were not scoring and ther combination of Emery and Boucher was giving up nearly 3 goals a game.    In one five game stretch in December they allowed 22 goals against.   If you discount an awful 7-4 loss to Ottawa, in their last ten games they have given up 19 goals total.   Flyers fans are now on the edge of their seats waiting to see if the team reverts to it’s lackluster performance of the fall, or if the pickup of Leighton and the resurgance of Gagne will prove enough for this team to play catchup and play it’s way back into contention.

I have to say Emery has proved to be the biggest disappointment in Philadelphia professional sports this year.  He has moved from being the key to the Flyers return to success, to riding the bench after hovering near .500 through 21 starts with a 2.83 GAA.  The Flyers will not be able to carry three goalies on the roster for very long, so the question now is, can they salvage anything with a trade of Emery ?    I don’t see him contributing anything significant to the team for the rest of the year, and Boucher is normally as reliable a player in the net as Emery and is costing the team $675,000 less.  Emery is only on a one year contract, and may still hold some value to a team that is struggling in goal.   Incidentally, the Flyers are currently over the cap by just about the amount of Emerys salary, so a trade before the end of the year for a younger player may help in several areas.

Speculation is that Boucher is odd man out and Emery could return to goal after Leightons 8 game winning streak was snapped on Thursday.  In about 2 hours we will see just who new coach Peter Laviolette calls to start against Washington.   If Emery loses today and looks as bad as he has in recent weeks before his injury, it may devalue any trade potential he still holds and leave the Flyer stuck with pushing Boucher in a trade.  Personally I would stick with Leighton, who has had the hottest hand in net for the Flyers this year.  To me,  one loss does not warrant switching players and may create a confidence issue in the goalie who, at this juncture, can be considered responsible for rescuing the Flyers season.



Michael Leighton’s long road leads to Philly

Wednesday January 13, 2010 • Leave a Comment 

In a move so minor that it hardly made a splash, the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Carolina’s Michael Leighton off re-entry waivers on Dec. 15. At the time it hardly stopped the presses as Leighton was nothing more than a backup with a goals against average over four.

One month later and it is hard to imagine where the Flyers would be without him.

Leighton continued his host streak, helping lead the Flyers to their fourth straight win, 6-3, over the Dallas Stars. Leighton has now made 10 straight starts, going 8-0-1. His goals against is an impressive 2.14. So impressive, in fact, that despite Ray Emery being cleared to play, Flyers manager Peter Laviolette decided to stick with Leighton Tuesday against the Stars.

While the coach did not go int details about continuing to stick with the newest Flyers’ goalie, he did stress that as long as the team is winning, he s going to stick with the same guys.

So who is Michael Leighton? Well he has been a journeyman to say the least.

Here is some info: Leighton has spent parts of six seasons in the NHL and AHL. While with the Panthers this season he went 1-4-0 with an unimpressive 4.28 goals against average and bellow-average.848 save percentage.

He was drafted in 1999 in the fourth round by the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut in 2003. From there he was traded to the Sabres, who he never appeared in a game for. He then went to the Ducks, followed by the Predators, playing in just one game combined. Nashville later put him on waivers and the Flyers claimed him during their awful 2007 season. He played four games before going to the Canadians, who then shipped him to Carolina. As discussed earlier, Carolina put him on waivers and the Flyers picked him up.

Will the rest be history?

Probably not. If Leighton was an overlooked gem someone would have discovered him somewhere down his winding road before now. That doesn’t mean Flyers fans can’t enjoy the ride though. Winning in the NHL is all about finding a hot goalie and that’s exactly what the Flyers have done.

And if everything comes crashing down to earth? Well, that’s OK too. The team has a pretty good backup policy in Emery.



At midseason the Flyers are tough to figure out

Tuesday January 5, 2010 • Leave a Comment 

The Flyers are contenders to win the Stanley Cup.

The Flyers are worst team in hockey.

The Flyers are just another average team.

At different points of this season all three statements have been made about the Orange and Black and we still don’t know which one is true.

The Flyers reached the midway point of their schedule on Sunday with a wild, if not fitting, 7-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The game featured the Flyers starting cold, getting hot, then going cold again.

Hot and cold — sounds a lot like their season.

Entering the season the team had expectations of winning the Stanley Cup. As they  reach the halfway point they are exactly .500. At 19-19-3 the Flyers sit at the bottom of the Atlantic and 12th in the Eastern Conference. This was not what was envisioned when Chris Pronger added a defensive element with a team full of offensive firepower. This was the year that Gagne, Briere, Richards, Carter and Hartnell would lead the team past the hated Penguins, Rangers and Devils. Instead, Gagne and Briere have missed a ton of time to injures, there are rumors of Carter sleeping with Hartnell’s wife, Jon Stevens was fired and even the Islanders have a higher place in the standings.

Yet, for all of their problems the Flyers are not in all that bad shape. That’s right, even after going through a stretch of 14 losses in 17 games, the Flyers are right in the thick of the playoff chase, sitting just two points behind the Rangers. Getting on a hot streak shouldn’t be a problem for this group, as it has three streaks of at least three straight wins. The problem is avoiding losing streaks. There have been four cases where the team dropped at least three straight games.

To say Philadelphia fans can still envision a Stanley Cup this season sounds funny, but it is not all that out of the realm. Just two years ago the Penguins sat in 10th place in the Eastern Conference heading into the final half of the season before getting hot and advancing all the way to the finals where the succumbed to the Detroit Red Wings.

In every sport the favorites in the playoffs are the teams that enter the postseason a hot streak — but in hockey it seems to be more true than any of the others. It is a sport where it is not that rare for a No. 7 or No. 8 to knock off a No. 2 or No. 1., it seems all you really need is a team on a goal-scoring run with a red-hot goaltender.

Ray Emery is set to return later this week and Flyers fans can cling to the hope that he can find that fire. His talent is there, the consistency needs to follow.

This is not where the Flyers or their fans thought the team would be at the season’s midpoint. Fortunately there is another half of a season to go.

That means the team can still live up to their potential and win a Stanley Cup.

Or they can be the worst team in hockey.

Or they can be just another average team.

With this team, each seems as likely as the rest.



Major retooling needed at Wachovia center

Friday December 25, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

The Flyers started the season strong, but since the week before Thanksgiving they have posted a 4-13-1 record and dropped to next to last in the entire Eastern Conference.

With nearly 50 games to go, it is too early to say their season and playoff hopes are over, but it is getting close.  Tomorrow they play the Carolina Hurricanes, the only eastern team with a more pathetic record and a team the Flyers beat in their season opener.  I think it is fair to say they need to beat this team.  Consider it a late Christmas present.  Combined with their last game, a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay, it will constitute a modest two game winning streak.  Early in the year, one would have thought 2 in a row was no big deal, but after the last month plus of play, I have to say that 2 in a row will be a marked improvement.

No one seems to be able to put their finger on why this team went from being a potential contender to almost an also ran so quick.  It seems like the transition occurred in a flash.   The entire roster seemed to lose skill points, speed, and attitude overnight. The goaltending tandem of Brian Boucher and Ray Emery, has been average at best, and horrible at times with Emery’s GAA rising from 2.1 to 2.83 with his last game consisting of a shellacking by Washington when he allowed 5 goals on 17 shots in 31 minutes before being injured and replaced by Boucher.

Emery had lost 6 of 7 prior to that game and since his injury,  his replacement has come in to lose 8 of the next 10.  Although to be fair to Boucher, he had only one terrible game, against the Penguins on December 15th when he allowed 6 goals on 35 shots.  The remainder of his losses are more directly the result of a team that is offensively flatlining.  Normally when a goalie allows 3 goals or less through a fifteen start stretch, one would expect him to win more than 2 of those games.  The Flyers just plain stink, on both sides of the ice.  Something has got to give.

With the return of Simon Gagne the Flyers have to be hoping to generate some momentum, and one rumor has them resigning goalie Martin Biron.   The problem there is that the Flyers likely can not afford his nearly 4 million dollar salary without making some other roster moves.   And given that they are on pace to score a paltry 212 goals this season, a ludicrous figure given their lineup, it is uncertain whether spending that kind of money will really do much to resolve the situation anyway.  Yes, Emery has been a washout so far, either due to injury or poor conditioning, or age, or loss of skills, but Boucher is a decent goalie, and without goal support is not going to win more than a dozen games the rest of the year.

With the exception of Mike Richards and his 15 goals, there is not a single Flyer in the top 40 in offensive categories including goals, assists, points,  and plus/minus.  If it were not for the Flyers power play, one feels they may have no offense at all !  So the bottom line is that more than just needing a goalie, the Flyers are in need of major reinforcements in nearly all aspects of their game right now.   If they do not get them, they are in jeopardy of  having a worse season than their 2005-2006 campaign when they only managed 22 wins and 56 points as they were never in contention.

Here is hoping they can pull out a win, gain some momentum, and have a positive trend heading into the new year.  They really need to make the adjustments quick and get back to their winning ways if they are to have a chance at salvaging the season.  At this point, achieving the playoffs will likely be the best they can manage and a trip deep into the playoffs is not a serious possibility in 2010.  Unless they get a multitude of gifts from Santa and a whole new attitude going into next year.



Sewage leak fitting for stinky Flyers

Wednesday December 23, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

You can’t make stuff like this up.

The Flyers had their Tuesday afternoon practice in Tampa Bay canceled because of sewage leak in the locker room.

It makes sense considering how much crap the Flyers have put forth over the last two months.

Once picked as the Stanley Cup Favorites, the Flyers have sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic – and for that matter the NHL. Only the Carolina Panthers have fewer points than the Flyers’ 32.

Things have been nothing short of awful. The team has lost 14 of its last 17 games and has scored just 18 goals in the 10 games since John Stevens was fired. Against the Panthers on Tuesday, Chris Pronger, who was signed to help keep pucks out of the net, was on the ice for all four Florida goals. The Flyers are not exactly getting their bang for the buck there.

The good news for the Orange and Black is that they are just seven points behind the Panthers for the 8th seed in the East and have three games in hand. The reality of the NHL is that home ice advantage means next-to nothing in the playoffs. It is all about going in on a hot streak with a hot goaltender.

The Flyers have plenty of time to turn things around. Getting Ray Emery back will help. Remembering how to score will help more.

Hopefully Wednesday’s incident got rid of all the backed up crap the Flyers have been laying out on the ice.

I’m tired of the stink.



John Stevens fired.

Friday December 4, 2009 • 2 Comments 

The Flyers fired John Stevens today.  They started the season strong with the Ray Emery signing and had only 5 losses through their first 15 games, but have been in a near tailspin recently.   after losing 6 of their last 7 games, the Flyers have gone from the team to beat, to barely average in the Atlantic.

Fan consensus has been that Stevens lost this team long ago and has been simply going through the motions.  They have the top power play unit in the league but the penalty killing unit has been falling fast, from the top ten to a ranking of 18th in the league as of yesterday.   It seems that when the refs call the penalty on the Broad Street Bullies it is a virtual given the opponents will score with the ensuing man advantage.

Emery has gone from being the man in goal, to being half of a two man defensive team with Boucher, with Stevens starting Boucher in goal 4 of the past 5 games.  All but one of those games have resulted in losses and Boucher is now 2-4 in goal despite a fairly decent 2.19 Goals Against Average and a save percentage of .924.   Emery, who was supposed to be the defensive solution to a Flyers team that could score, but lost too many games by allowing the easy goal, has become more of a part time player than the star attraction after a very strong start.

The Flyers have dropped to a last place tie in the Atlantic Division and have at best a couple weeks to turn their season around before they find themselves fighting for a playoff spot.  Two weeks ago they were being viewed as the potential best team in the division.

No word yet on who will be Stevens replacement, but the one thing that is certain is that unrest and unease are the predominant feelings in Philly tonight.



The Executioner claims another victim

Friday December 4, 2009 • 3 Comments 

Bernard “The Executioner”  Hopkins extended his career record to 50-5-1 with a unanimous decision against Enrique Ornelas Wednesday night.  In a surprise upset, Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. early in the first round in Australia, thereby preventing the expected rematch between the Philadelphia native and the man who delivered the most telling defeat of his long career.

Roy Jones Jr is now 54-6 and, at 40, may retire after earning 8 titles in his 20 year career.  The veteran had been slated to fight Hopkins sometime next year pending the successful conclusion of the fight against Green, intended as a warmup for the long awaited rematch.

Meanwhile, “The Executioner” left no doubt he has gas left in his tank as he dominated the younger challenger throughout, actually appearing stronger late in the 12th round than in earlier rounds.   He dominated the middle rounds, staggering his younger opponent several times in the fifth and sixth rounds.  It seems probable he would have knocked Ornelas out if the 12th round had gone much longer, or if he had started his final flurry 30 seconds earlier as Enrique was all but out on his feet when the bout ended.   As it was, the unanimous decision showed him ahead by at least 8 points on all three judges scorecards.   “This is what happens when you take care of your body when you’re young in the brutal sport,” Hopkins said. “I invested in myself like you invest in money in the bank.”

Hopkins was introduced to a roaring crowd as the pride and joy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Flyers goalie Ray Emery who has Hopkins painted on his helmet, were among the 6,662 fans cheering on Hopkins

Based on the Roy Jones loss, Hopkins may next challenge WBA heavyweight champion David Haye for his biggest bout of 2010, a year in which he will turn 45 in January.  Hopkins, who once had a ten year prefect reign as middleweight champion, claimed “I’m going to be a problem next year” and re asserted his intentions to become heavyweight champion in 2010.

“The Executioner” will certainly shake things up in the boxing world next year.  His last hiatus was one of 14 months, and he well could have three matches including the one this week in the newxt 14months  before retiring as champion.



Flyers can’t buy win on Black Friday

Friday November 27, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

It may be “Black Friday” but it wasn’t a day to celebrate for the Orange and Black.

After snapping a three-game losing streak on Wednesday, the Flyers stumbled at home against the Buffalo Sabres, falling 4-2.

If you were at work, or simply forgot the Flyers had a matinee, here is a brief recap of what went wrong at the Wachovia Center.

— The Sabres had been winless in their last four games and hadn’t scored more than three goals in 11. The Flyers allowed them to snap both streaks.

— The Flyers had a goal taken off the board in the first period when an early whistle kept the them from taking a 1-0 lead. The refs ruled Miller had control of a puck that was clearly loose.

— Ray Emery looked average, but didn’t do as bad as his stat line (4 goals on 25 shots) would indicate. Two of the goals he had no shot on, including the fourth of the game, a goal by Tim Connolly. The goal came in front of a crowded net when Connolly’s shot bounced off the back of Emery’s mask and into the net. Regardless, the Flyers have now dropped three straight with Emery in net.

— Right winger Ian Laperriere was hit in the face by a slap shot by Buffalo’s Jason Pominville late in the first period. He returned in the third, but it was an ugly incident to watch.

— The Flyers couldn’t solve Ryan Miller. After beating the NHL’s GA leader for five goals in the teams first meeting, the Flyers have struggled to solve him in two games since. Outside of a 30-second span late in the first period when the Flyers scored twice, they had no answer for Miller.

— The Sabres Drew Stafford was credited with the game’s first goal, but it was Matt Carle who was responsible. Carle inadvertently knocked his back-hander into his own net, giving the Sabres an early lead.

About the only good that came from the game was done when the gloves were dropped. Dan Carcillo locked up with Craig Rivet twice, getting the best of him, especially in the second encounter.



Flyers traveling the unkind road

Tuesday November 24, 2009 • 2 Comments 

Remember that scene in the end of “The Wizard of Oz” where Dorothy clicks her heals together and repeats: there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home?

Ray Emery and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers might be doing that as we speak.

For the third consecutive game the Flyers lost on the road, this time falling to the Avalanche, 5-4. The Flyers were out-worked and out-played through the first two periods before playing an inspired third session. Even with their two third-period goals, the hole the Flyers had dug themselves was just too big to overcome.

A week ago this team was making its case as a top team in the Eastern Conference. Lately they have looked pretty average. Emery struggled mightily Monday night, giving up five goals in two periods just a few days removed from allowing six goals in a loss to the Sharks.

The Flyers finish off their five game road trip on Wednesday against the Islanders. Normally the Islanders are the perfect team to play when a team is looking to fix its woes, but that has not been the case this season. New York has stayed in the thick of the (early) playoff mix, staying above .500. The team is a statistical oddity as it has won just nine of its 24 games, yet at 9-8-7 they have as many points (25) as the Flyers.

After that it is back home to take on a Sabres team that has split two meetings with them this season.

 Three bad games in November is not the worst thing in the world but it is cause for concern.

And unlike Oz, this is no dream.



Flyers offense catching fire

Monday November 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment 

The Philadelphia Flyers offense has officially woken up.

After scoring a combined three goals in losses to San Jose and Washington, the Flyers have broken out with 12 goals in two games, including a half-dozen o Monday night’s 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jeff Carter and Mike Richards led the way scoring a pair each, while rookie David Laliberte and Scott Hartnell also found the back of the next.

Laliberte has now scored in consecutive games after being called up as a replacement for Simon Gagne, who will miss 6-8 weeks after having hip and abdominal surgery.

Ray Emery made 26 saves to record the win.

The Flyers got to see their old net-minder, Antero Nittymaki, as the Tampa Bay backup was summoned from the bench after starting goalie Mike Smith was pulled after allowing five goals in a period and a half.

The Flyers will now have three days off before they return to the ice at Buffalo against the Northeast leading Sabres.

Hopefully the time off does not cool down the boys in orange and black, because the last two games have provided evidence of just how dangerous the offense can be.



Flyers off to perfect start

Sunday October 4, 2009 • 1 Comment 

It’s only two games into the NHL season, but the Philadelphia Flyers sure look fine tuned.

The Flyers gave Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur headache after headache Saturday night, beating the future Hall of Famer five times in a 5-2 win.

On the other side of the ice, Flyers goalie Ray Emery put together his second strong performance, bringing a shutout into the third period. Emery made is Flyers debut on Friday and shutout the Carolina Panthers, 2-0.

Emery, who played in Russia last season, made 24 saves Saturday. Meanwhile, Brodeur, who was playing in the 1,000th game of his career, struggled all night and the Flyers took advantage.

 Philadelphia had a balanced attacked, getting contributions from all four lines. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Ian Laperriere, Daroll Powe and Matt Carle each scored as the outcome was never in doubt.

While he didn’t score, Flyers rookie James VanRiemsdyk may have been the best player on the ice. VanRiemsdyk, who grew up in North Jersey, was all over the ice making plays and chimed in with two assists. Expectations were high for the rookie entering the season and he has not disappointed.

While the early results look great for the Flyers we will know a lot more about the team this time next week. The Flyers have games against the Capitals, Penguins and Ducks coming up. It should be a fun week for the Orange and Black and its fans.

It’s early, but it’s never too early to get excited.