Friday, February 24, 2012

Important Notice

February 24, 2012

Update: The blog's return has been pushed back to Sunday due to major renovations. Again, sorry for any inconvenience.

I have two important announcements.

1. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the acquisition of Braydon Coburn, the longest tenured Flyer on the team right now.

2. That Flyers Blog will be down until next Saturday, March 3. I will be on vacation for about a week, and unfortunately, I will not have the time to sit down and write while I am away. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

- Nick

Flyers fall flat in 2-0 loss to Oilers

February 24, 2012

Head coach Peter Laviolette was furious after Thursday night's loss to the Oilers.

"You like to think it serves as a wake up call, because we're in a playoff race," said Laviolette. "And tonight is unacceptable.

"We eased are way into the first period, the second period was horses---. You wake up and try to win a game in the third period it's... Hopefully it's a wake up call."

The Flyers were shutout by Edmonton.

Oiler's goaltender Devan Dubnyk saved all 35 of the Flyer's shots for his first shutout of the year.

Iyla Bryzgalov saved 28 of 30 shots by Edmonton, allowing goals to Taylor Hall (22, 3:26) and Jordan Eberle (27, 8:04) in the second period.

In the third period, Edmonton's Shawn Horcoff was awarded a penalty shot after Kimmo Timonen hooked him to stop a short-handed breakaway.

Bryzgalov, who has struggled in shootout scenarios all season, managed to stop Horcoff on the penalty shot.

During the second period, Scott Hartnell was sent to the box for a hit on Magnus Paajarvi that injured Paajarvi's knee. Hartnell was called for kneeing.

According to CSNPHilly.com's Tim Panaccio, the NHL reviewed Hartnell's hit for a possible suspension, but decided that they will not discipline him for the hit.

Hartnell admitted that the hit was unintentional.

"I was just finishing my check," Hartnell said. "It was the end of a long shift, and part of my game is being physical. Hopefully he is all right.

"I don't really know what happened to him. But it wasn't my intent to injure."

The loss ties the Flyers with the Pittsburgh Penguins for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have 73 points.

The Flyers will be looking for that wakeup call on Saturday, when they make their third stop in Canada to play the Calgary Flames.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400047386

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Carter to Los Angeles

February 23, 2012

Over the summer, the Flyers traded away their (now former) capatain Mike Richards, and a 30 goal scorer in Jeff Carter just minutes apart from each other.
Richards landed in Los Angeles, Carter in Columbus, and Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, Jake Voracek, and Sean Couturier came to Philadelphia.

The trades payed off pretty nicely on the Flyer's side. The trade seems to have worked out for Richards too, as he quickly settled in wearing the King's black and silver.

Carter's tenure in Columbus has been a much different story. He has had to deal with injuries, has often been said to be unhappy in Ohio, and has played nowhere near on the level he did with the Flyers.

The Blue Jackets have had quite a few trade rumors surrounding them lately, mainly because they are trying to move their own captain Rick Nash, but there have also been some that concerned Carter.

The Carter rumors can now be put to rest.

Reported by NHL.com, the Blue Jackets traded Carter to the Kings for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick in the 2012 or 2013 NHL Draft.

It is a good move for both Carter and the Kings.

The Kings have struggled this season with goal scoring, averaging a league-low 2.05 goals per game. They will be getting a player who has scored 30-goals in a season three times already.

Los Angeles (at the time of this writing) is just barely hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 66 points, just one point over the Calgary Flames in ninth.

Carter will bring more offense to the team, which the King's front office is hoping, will result in more wins and better playoff security.

For Carter, he is finally out of Columbus, and will be reunited with his former teammate and close friend in Mike Richards.

As for the Blue Jakcets; they are the worse team in hockey, at 18-35-7 with only 43 points. They are getting a good, solid defenseman in Jack Johnson, that will bring veteran experience to a young and disorganized team. In addition, they could be getting a first round pick that will bring in more young talent to help them be better in the future.

The news is not entirely Flyers related, but is still news worthy to Flyers fans, considering that Carter never wanted to leave Philadelphia in the first place.

Best of luck to Jeff Carter on his new start in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Simmonds ties it up, Jagr wins it

February 22, 2012

The Flyers entered Winnipeg on Tuesday night winless against the Jets, but that problem was corrected by the end of the night.

Down 3-2, time was running out for the Flyers.

Jet's goaltender Ondrej Pavalec kept his team in the game the entire time, but the defense did not do enough to help their goalie.

The Flyers were easily getting players open in front of the net, resulting in many scoring oppurtunities.

With 10 seconds left in the third period, the Jets almost escaped with the win, but James Van Riemsdyk charged into the Jet's zone and got a pass to Wayne Simmonds right in front of the net.

Simmonds (22, 19:50) scored to tie the game up at three, and send it in to overtime.

Like in regulation, the Flyers continued to take shots on goal.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
With the overtime period nearing a close, Danny Briere, from Winnipeg's red line, passed it out to Jaromir Jagr in front. Jagr scored (16, 4:16), the Flyers avoided the shootout, and got the win by a fianl of 5-4.
During regulation, the Jet's Dustin Byfuglien (9, 12:31) started the scoring with a power-play goal in the first.

Minutes later, Claude Giroux (23, 15:50) scored to tie the game 1-1.

In the second, Scott Hartnell (28, 1:09) scored off a rebound, from a shot by Kimmo Timonen.

Hartnell gave the Flyers their first lead, but Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd took it back with back-to-back goals (18, 7:52) (19, 8:56) to put the Jets up 3-2.

Maxime Talbot (17, 11:14) scored to tie the game up 3-3.

In the third period, Evander Kane (23, 4:57) scored a power play goal to give the Jets the lead bakc at 4-3, then Simmonds tied it up at the end of the period with his clutch goal.

The Flyers took 55 total shots on goal. Pavelec allowed five goals, but stopped a season high 50 shots on Tuesday night.

In the Flyer's goal, Ilya Bryzgalov continues to show his struggles. The Jets only had 26 shots on goal; Bryzgalov only saved 22.

The Flyers have held on to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference for a good part of the season, but there incosistency as of late dropped them down to the fifth seed. They are tied for fifth with the Pittsburgh Penguins (who have been playing well the past few weeks) with 73 points.

Th New Jersey Devils (also playing well lately) are now in fourth with 74 points.

The next stop on the Flyer's road trip is in Edmonton, where they will play the Oilers on Thursday night.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images

Extra Notes

Bryzgalov took a puck off his glove hand during practice Tuesday morning. The team trainers had X-rays done on his hand, and they came back negative. GM Paul Holmgren said afterwards that Bryzgalov was fine.

Zac Rinaldo returned to the lineup against Winnipeg, after serving his two-game suspension for his illegal hit on the Detroit Red Wing's Jonathan Ericsson, back on February 12.

Defenseman Pavel Kubina, who was acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay, made his debut as a Flyer on Tuesday night.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400047347

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Pronger showing no improvement

February 19, 2012

Chris Pronger's wife, Lauren, was present at the Flyer's Wives Fight For Lives Carnival, and spoke about her husband's status for the first time since January with CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio.

Her words were not very encouraging, and make it even more ponderable if Pronger's hockey career is over, specifically when she says that the family has reached out to Keith Primeau.

 Here is Lauren Pronger's full interview with Panaccio posted on CSNPhilly.com:

Every day at home in South Jersey, it’s a constant struggle for Lauren Pronger and her husband Chris, and their family.

“We have a lot of help,” she said. “And we need it.”

Lauren Pronger, who is co-chairman of the Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival, said Sunday that there has not been any substantial change, either positive or negative, to Chris’ post-concussion syndrome since she last spoke in January.

She also admitted that, for the first time, her family is considering reaching out to Keith Primeau who has been suffering from post-concussion syndrome for six years, because her and Chris want to know what life may be like if he never gets better.

“That has been brought up a lot lately,” she said. “There are a lot of parallels between the two [men]. I think Chris is starting to realize now that he should be in communication with him.

“To know what is ahead for him. The more insight you can get, the better off you are. You kinda know what to expect and what you are going through.

“Obviously, there will be differences but if you have someone who has been through it, maybe that is a little comforting.

“I think this is very, very frightening for Chris. He’s been able to battle through so much and come out of it, but this is different for him. This is really tough on Chris. He wants to be out here more than anyone. This is his life, this is his passion. And this is tough.”

Lauren said he continues to have good and bad days.

“Unfortunately, I can’t report any major improvement,” she said. “I certainly wish I could. It’s very disheartening.”

Chris Pronger has gone through bouts of depression during his absence from the team which began in late November. He won’t play this season and his career could very likely be over.

“I see a lot of differences in Chris,” she said. “Just hoping to have a couple good days in a row and see him back to his normal self again. I know he wants this, too. It’s very frightening to him, too.”

She declined to get specific about what differences she has seen in Chris other than, to say, “He is not himself and it’s not in a good way.”

Lauren got emotional speaking to reporters.

“I just want him to get better,” she said. “He still has a long life to live, three kids and a wife and everything. Right now, we’re just hoping for his health to come back. That is our priority.”

- Tim Panaccio, Flyers Insider at CSNPhilly.com
http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/flyers-talk/post/Prongers-wife-Chris-status-very-disheart?blockID=654150&feedID=695

Flyers trade for Kubina, get more defensive help

February 19, 2012

The Flyers brought in even more defensive insurance late Saturday with the acquisition of Pavel Kubina from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
espnflorida.com
The Lightning will be receiving Jonathan Kalisnski (Phantoms), a 2nd round pick acquired from the Florida Panthers, and a 2013 4th round pick. Tampa Bay will have the option to use the 2nd round pick in the draft this summer, or in 2013.

Kubina, 34, is posting a +/- rating of 1, with 3 goals, and 8 assists, in 52 games this season. He is averaging 19:55 of ice time.

The 6' 4", 258-pound defenseman brings more strength and intimidation to the blue-line, something the Flyers have been lacking in Pronger's absence.

With Kubina, and the recently acquired Nicklas Grossman, taking up the roster spots on defense, it is expected that Marc-Andre Bourdon will be sent back to Adriondack.

Kubina is a 13-year veteran who brings playoff experience, but more importantly, Stanley Cup experience. He was a key part in Tampa Bay's 2004 Cup run.

Howson still trying to sell Nash to Philadelphia

Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson was in Philadelphia for the Penguins Flyers game on Saturday.

According to CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio, Howson is sill trying to sell a possible deal for Rick Nash to Paul Holmgren and the Flyers.

It's rumored that Howson wants Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn, but it is clear that Holmgren wants them to stay in Philadelphia.



Penguins top Flyers 6-4

February 18, 2012

The Flyers had a lot happening Saturday afternoon.

James Van Riemsdyk finally returned from his concussion, Jaromir Jagr returned from the flu, Danny Briere kept playing after leaving Thursday night's game with a shoulder injury, and Nick Grossman made his debut in orange and black.

That was all before the game. During the game, Eric Wellwood scored his first NHL goal, and Jaromir Jagr scored two to move closer to Luc Robatille on the all-time goals list.

Wayne Simmonds scored again to continue his hot streak.

And yet, the Flyers still struggled against the Pittsburgh, as the Penguins kept finding ways to score on first Ilya Bryzgalov, and then Sergei Bobrovsky.

Recap
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400047228

Friday, February 17, 2012

Sestito needs surgery

February 17, 2012

Tom Sestito left Thursday night's game after a fight against Buffalo's Zach Kassian.

GM Paul Holmgren announced that Sestito has a lower-body injury. Now there are more details on that injury.

Sestito has a torn groin muscle that will require surgery to heal. The announcement was made via the Flyer's website, in their blog On The Fly.

Here is Paul Holmgren's statement:

"Sestito will have surgery to repair a torn groin muscle on Tue., Feb. 21," said Holmgren. "He will be out for 6-8 weeks."

Jagr and Meszaros expected back vs. Pittsburgh

CSNPhilly.com Contributor Ryan Bright reports that Jaromir Jagr and Andrej Meszaros are both expected to be back in the lineup Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Both did not play on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

The now 40-year old Jagr sat out while he was recovering from the flu.

Meszaros was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but now appears to be ready to go.

JVR Update

In Bright's same report, he writes that James Van Riemsdyk is fully practicing wihtout limiting himself, which is clearly a good sign.

JVR has been out since January 12 with a concussion, but has since been upgraded from out indefinitely to day-to-day.

Van Riemsdyk has been going one day at a time to see how he feels, but hinted at a possible retrun on Saturday.

“We’ll see about Saturday. Maybe. We’ll see.”

Other News

Bright also reports that Danny Briere wore a no-contact jersey in practice. Briere's upper-body injury, that has him listed as day-to-day, is suspected to be a right shoulder injury.

In addition, just one day after scoring his first NHL goal, Erik Gustaffson has been sent back to the Adirondack Phantoms.

This move was made in order to clear a roster spot for Nicklas Grossman, who the Flyers acquired on Thursday from the Dallas Stars.

Gustaffson is not the first player to be sent back to the Phantoms after scoring his first goal in the NHL. Harry Zolnierczyck also scored his first, then was sent back to Adirondack the next day.

Simmonds, Flyers top Sabres 7-2

February 17, 2012

The Flyers just keep getting hit with injury after injury.

In the pre-game warmups of Thursday night's game, however, the team had one more to add to the list.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
Wayne Simmonds got hit in the face with a puck, that gave him a bloodied lip, and caused him to lose a few teeth. But that did not stop him from playing.

Instead, Simmonds played the entire game wearing a full visor attached to his helmet, and played an excellent game.

Returning from the flu was Ilya Bryzgalov, who did not play in the last two games.

The Flyers had three days off since their last game against Detroit, and there were signs of rust.

Bryzgalov allowed two first period goals to Jason Pominville (22, 5:15), and Thomas Vanek (21, 9:30). He, along with the rest of the team, were booed off the ice at the end of the period.

Perhaps that was a spark the team needed, because in the second, the Flyers erupted.

Max Talbot scored not even a minute in to the second (15, 0:54) to get things going for the Flyers.

Then Wayne Simmonds scored the next two goals (19, 3:32) (20, 6:49), both on the power play, to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead.

Simmonds' two goals also made a huge impact on the game.

Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff started goaltender Jhonas Enroth, but he was pulled immediately after the Flyers took their first lead of the game.

Ryan Miller subbed in for Enroth, but it did not help, as Erik Gustaffson scored his first NHL goal (1, 13:48) to give the Flyers a two goal lead, and their fourth goal in the period.

In the third, the Flyers continued their surge.

Philadelphia racked up three more goals by Talbot (16, 3:58), Jake Voracek (10, 4:29), and Scott Hartnell (27, 9:25).

Claude Giroux did not score, but recorded five assists against the Sabres.

After a shaky first period, where Bryzgalov let up two goals, he stopped every shot that followed. Bryzgalov made 27 saves off of the Sabre's 29 shots.

Enroth only had 26:49 of ice time, and made only 15 saves out of 18 Flyers shots.

Miller did not do any better, saving only 13 of 17 shots in the remainder of the game.

The Flyers win by a final of 7-2.

At 32-18-7, the Flyers have 71 points. That puts them ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points for fourth in the Eastern Conference, but they trail the Rangers in first, by eight points.

The Penguins will play the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center, on Saturday afternoon. Coverage starts at 1:00 PM.

Extra Notes: Danny Briere left the game in the second period, after being checked into the boards by Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta.

Tommy Sestito also left the game.

Paul Holmgren announced that Briere has an upper-body injury, and Sestito has a lower-body injury.

Andrej Meszaros did not play Thursday night because of an upper-body injury. Meszaros is day-to-day.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400047165


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Flyers trade for defenseman Grossman

February 16, 2012


bleacherreport.com
The Flyers have acquired Nicklas Grossman from the Dallas Stars in a trade where Dallas will receive a 2012 2nd round pick, and a 2013 third round pick.
Grossman, 27, has spent his entire six-year career in Dallas, but will now be sporting the orange and black, at least for the rest of the 2011-2012 season.

Grossman has five assists, and is averaging 18:59 minutes of ice time in 52 games this season. His +/- rating breaks even at zero.

The Flyers special teams have struggled lately, and Grossman may be able to help fix that.

Grossman averaged third highest in minutes on special teams for Dallas (2:12 on the penalty kill, and 2:13 on the power play), according to CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio.

The Flyers have been looking for defensive help ever since they learned that Chris Pronger would not play for the rest of the year due to post concussion syndrome.

The club has been involved in rumors that included Shea Weber, and Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators, Luke Schenn of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Hal Gill of the Montreal Canadiens.

Weber and Suter are both top tier defenseman, who have been key parts to Nashville's success, as the Predators are currently fifth in the Western Conference.

Luke Schenn, Brayden Schenn's younger brother, is showing that he can be a good defenseman in the NHL. The 21-year old is currently playing with a +/- rating of 7.

Hal Gill from the Canadiens is the only defenseman that the Flyers were considering, that has Stanley Cup experience. Gill won with Pittsburgh in the 2008-2009 season.

After this season, Grossman is an unrestricted free agent. It is unclear if he is just a rental, or if the Flyers will try to hold on to him past this year.

Grossman will earn $1.625 million this season.

The 2012 2nd round pick that Dallas is receiving was originally acquired by the Flyers from the Los Angeles Kings, the 2013 3rd round pick was acquired from the Minnesota Wild.

The trade between Philadelphia and Dallas comes about a week and a half before the February 27 trade deadline.

Lineup update, Nash rumors

February 16, 2012

Jaromir Jagr, who has been dealing with the flu, will not play tonight against the Sabres, according to a report by CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio.

Eric Wellwood, who was originally recalled from the Phantoms to fill in for an injured Jakub Voracek, will be playing in place of Jagr.

Speaking of Voracek, he participated in the optional practice this morning. Panaccio believes that he will play tonight, but Voracek hinted at him playing being a near game time decision.

Voracek suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's loss to New York, and missed Sunday's game in Detroit.

Fortunately, Voracek appears to be ready to come back tonight, and if not, in the near future.

Flyers not one of Nash's approved teams

Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson was in Philadelphia on Saturday, and spoke to Paul Holmgren. This lead to rumors that the Flyers could be one of the teams in the running for a Rick Nash trade.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled all year, and are now looking to trade their captain after he gave the team his blessing to do so.

However, Nash gave a list of approved teams, according to CSNPhilly.com, and the Flyers are not one of them.

The Bruins, Kings, Rangers, Sharks, and Maple Leafs are the teams that Nash approved of.

Nash has a no-trade clause in his contract, but will waive it if Columbus can trade him to one of the teams he listed.

The trade deadline is on February 27.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Happy Birthday Jaromir Jagr!

February 15, 2012

Today is Jaromir Jagr's 40th birthday!

bleacherreport.net
Jagr started playing in the NHL in the early 1990's, and has experienced a career full of ups and downs. From winning the Stanley Cup in '91 and '92, to leaving the NHL for three years.

Prior to the start of the season, the Flyers surprised everyone by signing Jagr, and so far the deal has worked for both sides.

Jagr has 13 goals and 39 points in 48 games, and is confident that he will re-sign with the Flyers next year for a 19th NHL season.

The Flyer's website put up a post where friends and teammates share their favorite memories of Jagr.

You can read the post by clicking on the link below:
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=617042&navid=DL|PHI|home

Happy Birthday Jagr!

JVR Update

CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio reports that James Van Riemsdyk took contact in practice today, which is a good sign since Van Riemsdyk has been recovering from a concussion.

However, Van Riemsdyk is still not ready to retrun.

Van Riemsdyk did not speak to the press today, but a team spokesman said that Van Riemsdyk is not feeling any different right now.

Jaromir Jagr did not practice today, as he is recovering from the flu. Panaccio writes that Van Riemsdyk was more than likely practicing as an extra man on the power play, while Jagr was out.

There is still no timetable for JVR's return.

Update: The Flyer's website reports that Andrej Meszaros is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He did not practice today

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Rinaldo suspended, Jagr has flu, Rick Nash rumors

February 14, 2012

Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for two games by the NHL for his hit on Detroit's Jonathan Ericsson on Sunday night. Rinaldo charged and launched himself at Ericsson in the 4-3 Flyer's loss.

This is Rinaldo's first suspension. He has been fined two times before by NHL Disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan for two other incidents.

Jagr has the flu

There is now a reason for why Jaromir Jagr has been in a bit of a slump lately.

According to CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio, Jagr has been battling the flu for the past week, which was not helped by the fact that the Flyers have had seven games in the past ten days.

Jagr has only one goal in the last 16 games. He turns 40 on Wednesday.

Rick Nash in orange and black?

There have been rumors about defense, and even goaltending (not that much of a stretch actually). How about a forward?

The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking into trading their right winger and captain Rick Nash, and the Flyers are a rumored landing spot.

According to CSNPhilly.com, Flyer's GM Paul Holmgren and Columbus GM Scott Howson met and talked on Saturday after the Flyer's loss to the Rangers in Philadelphia.

The problem is that the Blue Jackets would reportedly want Brayden Schenn, James Van Riemsdyk, or Sean Couturier in reutrn, which at this point, doesn't seem likely to happen.

The Rangers and the Kings are other teams that are rumored to be in the running for Nash, and again, they would also have to give up a lot.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Flyers lose in Detroit 4-3

February 13, 2012

The Flyers could not keep the Western Conference leading Detroit Red Wings from winning their 20th straight home game at Joe Louis Arena, despite two goals being scored by Brayden Schenn.

Recap
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2011020829

(Sorry, I'm pressed for time today).

Update

Jakub Voracek did not play due to an upper-body injury he suffered in Saturday's loss to the Rangers. He is listed as day-to-day.

The Flyers recalled Eric Wellwood from the Phantoms to fill in for Voracek.

Ilya Bryzgalov has the flu, and is still out of the lineup. He backed up Sergei Bobrovsky on Sunday night, but GM Paul Holmgren says that Bryzgalov will need some practice time to get back in full swing.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Timonen disappointed in effort

February 12, 2012

                                                                      CenterIcePhilly

Kimmo Timonen was clearly frustrated by yesterday's 5-2 loss to the Rangers, and had a few things to get off his chest about his teammates.

“I’m a little disappointed at the effort, the emotional level, a top team in the conference and league and to be honest. We got half the guys going and half not,” Timonen said.

“That was my opinion. You might see differently, but that is what I saw. It’s a big game for us and I was expecting more. It was tight game, they got three power play goals, we didn’t score any.”
bleacherreport.com
When aksed about the Ranger's consistency this season, against the Flyer's especially, Timonen explained why, and reinforced that the Flyer's must improve and give more effort.

“They play the same way every night. There’s no surprises and if there is a breakdown their goalie makes the save and they block a ton of shots. Somehow they get the job done. They work hard. They play the same system every night and their goal plays really well every night.”
You have to bring it every night,” Timonen said. “I don’t care who you are … Every game matters. You have to bring it!”

Timonen was then asked if the absence of captain Chris Pronger was starting to have its effect on the team, and if he would have said something by now if he was playing.

“He’s not here and we all should get by that by now – he’s not coming back,” Timonen said. “We’d be more than happy to take him back but he’s not here. Would he say something? I don’t know. Who knows?”
“… Everyone realizes we could have played better,” he said. “It was a tight game, 2-2, but I felt we could have pushed more and pressured more. They got another two points.

“… We need everybody going at the same time. We just can’t have one or two lines going and four defensemen or whatever. We need everybody going. This is the time of year when you need everyone going.”

Timonen said that if the team does not play well against the Western Conference leading Detroit Red Wings, then their chances of catching up to the Rangers in the standings will become a lot slimmer.

“Tomorrow, if we’re not ready to play, it’s even a tougher opponent than today,” Timonen said.

Hopefully, Timonen's words will light a fire in his teammates.

The Flyers have been playing very inconsistenly, even before Saturday's loss to the Rangers. If this is what it takes to get them to play on a higher level, then it is great that Timonen spoke up.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Flyers can't beat the Rangers, again

February 11, 2012
The Flyers found themselves in the exact same spot they were nearly a week ago.

The Rangers beat the Flyers 5-2 to cap off a disappointing weekend, and make them 0-4 against New York this season.

Six days later, the Flyers lost to the Rangers 5-2, making them 0-5 against them this season.

It was another frustrating loss that, unfortunately, shows that the Flyers can't seem to find a way against the Rangers.

Wayne Simmonds (18, 13:03) scored in the first, and Claude Giroux (22, 6:36) scored in the second for the Flyer's only two goals.

Ryan Callahan (19, 18:25) and Marian Gaborik (27, 16:40) each scored power play goals in the first.

In the second, Callahan (20, 9:15) scored again giving New York a 3-2 lead at that point. Callahan's second also came on the power play.

The Rangers, who have had some struggles on the power play through out the season, scored three goals against the Flyer's penalty kill on Saturday.

The Flyers were able to keep it a close game until the third,then Artem Anisimov (9, 6:28) scored to make it 4-2.

Callahan scored (21, 11:25) the Ranger's fifth goal to complete the hat-trick, and give the Rangers a 5-2 win.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in goal for the Flyers, while Ilya Bryzgalov missed his second straight game with the flu.

The Rangers took 26 shots on goal. Bobrovsky only saved 21.

The Ranger's Henrik Lundqvist saved 31 of the Flyer's 33 shots.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
In the first period, Tom Sestito received a game misconduct and a double minor on top of that, after a fight with the Ranger's Stu Bickel. The referees tried to restrain the two players, but couldn't hold them back from throwing punches.

Danny Briere served the double minor for Sestito, since he was sent to the locker room. Shortly after, Briere was sent to the locker room with a 10-minute game misconduct, but it wasn't made clear why.

Another loss to the Rangers is frustrating and a bit disheartening, but the Flyers need to move on, because they will play the best team in the Western Conference in the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400047025

Friday, February 10, 2012

Howe Hat-Trick for Hartnell in 4-3 win

February 10, 2012

Ilya Bryzgalov has been feeling like there is a soccer net behind him in shootouts. But Sergei Bobrovsky got the start Thursday night against Toronto, after Bryzgalov went home sick.

However, the story of the night wasn't focused on the goalie, like so much scrutiny has been lately, it was on the Flyer's finally converting on offensive chances.

Scott Hartnell lead the way.

In the first period, Hartnell (26, 14:38) put the Flyers on the board, then immediately fought Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf.


                                                                      hockeyfights.com

What was the cause of the fight? Well that depends on who you ask.

“It was typical #hartnelldown, but I saw the replay and he got tripped,” said Claude Giroux. “He stayed in there with a goal and a fight. When he gets pissed off, that’s dangerous for the other team. He’s on the puck and he’s jumping.”
Phaneuf had a different take on it.

“Well he slashed me,” Phaneuf said. “And to be honest with you, fights happen they're part of the game. He came after me and obviously he wasn't happy. He voiced that and it's done.”

Hartnell already had two thirds of the Howe Hat-Trick by the end of the first.

In the second, Hartnell completed it, by earning an assist on a goal by Claude Giroux (21, 13:53) that gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead over the Leafs.

Scoring in the second was back and forth.

Toronto's Tyler Bozak tied the game 1-1 at the start of the second (11, 0:54), but Max Talbot (13, 3:32) scored to give the Flyers back the lead. Talbot's 13 goals tie a career high.

The former Flyer Joffrey Lupul (22, 5:57) on the power play to tie the game at two in his return to Philadelphia. Lupul continued his great season Thursday night, by scoring off a shot that deflected off the skate of Braydon Coburn and through Bobrovsky's pads.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
Following Giroux's goal, Danny Briere took a shot that deflected off Toronto goaltender James Reimer, and Brayden Schenn (6, 15:07) was there to score off the rebound, giving the Flyers a 4-2 lead.

Tyler Bozak (12, 18:09) scored to put Toronto back within one before the end of the second.

Bobrovsky and the Flyer's D were able to keep the Maple Leafs out of the net for all of the third period, and the Flyers got the 4-3 win in regulation.

Bobrovsky saw 27 shots from Toronto, and saved 24.

The Flyers continued to pile on shots like they did against the Islanders on Tuesday night. They took 39 shots on net, and found a lot more success, as Reimer only made 35 saves.

Since Bryzgalov was out sick, the Flyers called up goaltender Jason Bacashihua from the Phantoms to back up Bobrovsky.

On Saturday, the Rangers come to the Wells Fargo Center for an afternn\oon game. The Flyers will be looking to get their first win against New York this season.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400046966

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Bobrovsky to start against Toronto

February 9, 2012

Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com reports that Sergei Bobrovsky will start in goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

Ilya Bryzgalov, who is 4-0-0 in his career against the Leafs, is sick and was sent home from practice this morning.

2013 Classic

The 2013 Winter Classic has been announced.

The Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs will faceoff on New Year's Day, at Michigan Stadium.

This year's Winter Classic was the most celebrated by far, so the Red Wings have a lot to live up to.

Lupul returns to Philly

Former Flyer, now Maple Leaf Joffrey Lupul is having a career year.

Lupul 21 goals, and 35 assists, for a total of 56 points. He is sixth in the NHL in points.

The forward is good friends with Scott Hartnell, who is also in the midst of a career year with the Flyers.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Pronger shows up for a visit at practice

February 8, 2012

It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Flyers are starting to miss Chris Pronger, especially after this weekend.

The defense has been struggling, and so has the goaltending as a result.

After going silent since December, Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com reportes that Pronger showed up to practice on Wednesday to visit his teammates.

You can read about Pronger's visit at CSNPhilly.com by clicking on the link below.
http://www.csnphilly.com/blog/flyers-talk/post/Pronger-surprises-Flyers-with-visit-to-p?blockID=647572&feedID=695

CSNPhilly.com also reports that Harry Zolnierczyk has been loaned to the Adirondack Phantoms.

Zolnierczyk was a healthy sctratch from last night's game against the Islanders.

45 shots, no goals, and a shootout loss

February 8, 2012

A rough weekend for the Flyers carried over into this week.

Ilya Bryzgalov stopped all 18 shots he faced from the visiting New York Islanders, and was even named the third star of the game. And yet, when that announcement was made, the fans booed him.

Why? Another shootout loss.

Bryzgalov and the Flyer's D kept the Islanders off the board in regulation, and the overtime period. However, Bryzgalov, once again, struggled in the shootout.
Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
The Islander's Fran Nielsen and John Tavares easily scored on their shootout attempts, while Danny Briere, who returned Tuesday night after being out with a concussion, and Wayne Simmonds were kept off the board by goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

The Islanders won the shootout, and the game by a 1-0 final.

Nabokov was dominant for the Islanders, stopping all 45 of the Flyer's shots in regulation and in overtime.

The loss to the Islanders makes it three straight, and a 1-5 record this season in the shootout.

The Flyers did play well against the Islanders, but things just didn't go their way.

On Thursday night, the Flyer's will try to shake off the loss and build off their good play against New York, when the Maple Leafs visit the Wells Fargo Center.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400046902

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Update: Briere in lineup vs. Islanders

February 7, 2012

Finally, some good news for the Flyers!
zimbio.com
Danny Briere will play tonight against the New York Islanders.

On Monday, Briere said it was possible that he could return for tonight, but it seemed unlikely. However, Briere says that he feels good, and is ready to play again,“Things have been going well the last two and a half, three days. I feel ready. I feel like it’s time. No symptoms the last few days, so we’ll give it a go. I know I’m excited.”

Briere has been out since January 21, when he sustained the concussion during the road game against the New Jersey Devils.

His return comes after a rough weekend, where the Flyers lost on Saturday to the Devils, then dropped their fourth straight this season to the Rangers.

Briere hopes that he "can provide a little spark,” tonight.

JVR continues to progress

James Van Riemsdyk remains out indefinitely with a concussion. He has been out since January 7, when he got the concussion against the Ottawa Senators.

Van Riemsdyk is making progress, but at a slower pace than Briere.

Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com reports that even though JVR is still out, he seems more upbeat no than he was before.

CSNPhilly.com also reports that the trade rumors that involved Van Riemsdyk being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Luke Schenn are fading out; citing multiple sources that state that the Leafs have lost interest since Van Riemsdyk got his concussion.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Briere now day-to-day

February 6, 2012

The Flyer's website is reporting that GM Paul Holmgren has upgraded Danny Briere's status from out indefinitely to day-to-day.
clutch.mtv.com
Briere participated in an optional practice on Monday, and has also participated in more contact drills the past few days.

In fact, head coach Peter Laviolette mentioned at practice that Briere is "able to go full practice."

Briere says that he is feeling good right now, and has already passed the baseline test. However, there is still no timetable for his return.

Tuesday night's game against the Islanders is an extremely unlikely time for his return, but could still be an option.

Weekend Recap

February 6, 2012

The Flyers faced a tough weekend schedule, with division games against the Devils and Rangers on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The Flyers found themselves in a deep hole, facing a 6-0 deficit in Saturday afternoon's New Jersey matchup.

But Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, and company tallied four goals in the third to whip a comeback, but it fell just short in a 6-4 loss.

Flyers-Devils Recap
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400046807

On Sunday it was off to the Garden, and things didn't go to well.

The Flyers tied it up 2-2 in the third, but New York was able to pull away and hand the Flyers a 5-2 loss, and their fourth staright loss to the Rangers this season.

Flyers-Rangers Recap
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400046859



Friday, February 3, 2012

Lavi fishing on TV

February 3, 2012



Flyers and fishing fans alike may want to tune in to NBC Sports Network's "Charlie Moore: No Offense" (though if you are a fishing enthusiast, I probably don't need to tell you that).

However, why for the Flyers fans? Because head coach Peter Laviolette will be one of the guest stars on a future episode.

So if you want to see Lavi reel in some fish, keep your eyes peeled.

Simmonds scores 2, Flyers win 4-1

February 3, 2012

Following the shootout loss to the Jets on Tuesday, the Flyers continued their homestand against the Nashville Predators.

The Predators were on a five game win streak heading into Thursday night's game, but Wayne Simmonds  helped snapped that streak.

Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Imag
Simmonds scored twice, the first goal coming in the first period (14, 15:41) to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. The second goal came in the third (15, 15:19) on the power play, to put the Flyers up 3-1.

Matt Read (16, 14:32) scored the only goal in the second period, giving the Flyers a 2-0 lead over Nashville.

The Predators did not get on the board until the third, when Ryan Suter (6, 8:37) scored to make it 2-1.

Ilya Bryzgalov had another great start in goal, stopping 26 of 27 shots.

After Simmonds' second goal, with Nashville's backup goaltender Anders Lindback pulled, Jaromir Jagr had a clear shot at the empty net. But he opted to pass it to Claude Giroux, who easily scored the empty netter (19, 18:55).

Lindback made just 24 saves out of 27 shots for Nashville.

The Flyers won by a final of 4-1 in regulation, after their last three games went to a shootout.

The Flyer's next contest is on Saturday against the Atlantic Division rival New Jersey Devils. It will be their third straight home game since the return from the All-Star break.

Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400046766

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Flyers trade Marshall for Ford

February 2, 2012

The Flyers have traded defenseman Kevin Marshall to the Washington Capitals for forward Matt Ford, according to the Flyer's website.

The 27-year old Ford is already assigned to play on the Adirondack Phantoms, which makes sense considering he has been playing for the Capital's minor league team, the Hershey Bear's.

Marshall, on the other hand, has seen time in the NHL this season. He has played in 10 games for the Flyers, dating back to his debut on November 21.

Ford has 10 goals and 18 assists in 39 games for Hershey this season. Marshall had two goals and three assists for the Phantoms in 32 games, but did not earn any points on the Flyers.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Concussed Flyers miss practice

February 1, 2012

Danny Briere and James Van Riemsdyk both did not practice today, according to a report by CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio.

Briere and Van Riemsdyk are out indefinitely with concussions, but seemed to be recovering since they were practicing for the past two days.

GM Paul Holmgren believes that both players hit a setback in their recovery. However, Panaccio writes that Briere wanted some extra rest to assist in his recovery.

Ben Holmstrom has been sent back to Adirondack, now that Zac Rinaldo is clear to play after being out with an upper-body injury.

Bryz makes the saves, but Flyers lose in shootout

February 1, 2012

The Flyers went into the All-Star break fresh off a shootout win in Florida. On Tuesday night, they found themselves in another shootout in the first game back.

The Winnipeg Jets traveled to the Wells Fargo Center for their third matchup with the Flyers this season.

The Jets were 2-0 against the Flyers heading into the game, with the first win coming from a memorable 9-8 final.

This game, however, was light on the scoring.


Flyers.NHL.com, Getty Images
Brayden Schenn (4, 15:11) scored on the power play in the first to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Chris Thorburn (1, 2:06) tied it up 1-1 for Winnipeg.

The Flyers got a couple good scoring chances in the third.

Scott Hartnell got a breakaway chance, but was stopped by Winnipeg goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

The third period ended, so it was on to overtime. No one scored in overtime, so the Flyers were on to their second shootout in as many games.

Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, and Jaromir Jagr failed to score on Pavelec in their attempts.

Ilya Bryzgalov, who had not made a single save going into Tuesday night's shootout, saved both Kyle Wellwood's and Blake Wheeler's attempts. But Bryzgalov was not able to save the third attempt by Bryan Little.

The Jets scored the lone goal in the shootout, and took a 2-1 win.

Bryzgalov actually had a very solid night, despite the shootout loss. He saved 23 of 24 shots, stoped the first two shootout attempts, and came so close to stopping the third.

Pavelec also played well in goal, making 27 of 28 saves for the Jets.

The Flyers are now 0-3 against the Jets this season, and 1-4 in the shootout.

Their home record is also not that good, going only 11-7-4 at home compared to 18-7-2 on the road.

The Nashville Predators come to the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night for the Flyer's net game.


Box Score
http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=400047631