Archive for the 'Flyers' Category

Flyers: Has it really come to this?

After another lackluster effort against Florida, the Flyers find themselves with 14 losses in their last 17 games. Consider some of these staggering facts for the team The Hockey News picked to win the Stanley Cup:

  • 32 points in 35 games. Only Carolina has fewer in the NHL (And now the Flyers starting goalie is a guy the ‘Canes released earlier this month)
  • Mike Richards and Jeff Carter lead the Flyers with 27 points which is tied for 56TH in the NHL.
  • Seven points out of the final playoff spot in the East
  • Five goals in the last four games and 18 in 11 December contests
  • One win and 14 goals scored in their last eight homes games (eight goals scored in the seven losses)
  • No first round pick in 2010 (Traded to Anaheim)

Not much has changed since John Stevens was let go on December 4. While Peter Laviolette’s post-game press conferences may be more exciting, the product on the ice sure looks the same.

No effort. No urgency. No structure. No…..nothing.

The atmosphere in the Wachovia Center Monday night was unlike any I’ve seen at a Flyers home game in years. The fans were unusually quiet until the third period when the mob turned ugly. One fan had a bag on his head. Venom was being spewed not at the visiting Panthers, but on the home team. Nobody was free from criticism. Pronger, Richards, Hartnell, Carter, Leighton, Holmgren….the fans had something to say about anyone in an orange jersey. Even PA announcer Lou Nolan was terrible, pronouncing names incorrectly and mixing up teams and players. I haven’t seen a crowd that frustrated since the early 1990’s when the Spectrum faithful would chant “Jay must go” in reference to team president Jay Snider.

Where has this team gone wrong?

  1. Way too may penalties. The Flyers lead the NHL with 18.2 PIM/gm, and 191 minors against. Hartnell leads the league with 25 minor penalties and the PK has slipped to 26th overall.
  2. Too many muckers and grinders. On any given night, why do the Flyers need Carcillo, Asham, Laperriere, Cote all dressed? On Monday, Florida was looking for a fight-filled contest so Cote was inserted for Mika Pyorala. Cote played a grand total of 1:04. When Darrell Powe comes back, wow, add another mucker. To their credit, Lappy and Carcillo have been the most energetic and noticeable Flyers of late. The same could be said for Powe before he got hurt.
  3. For all the talk about goaltending, that isn’t what ails the Flyers. I disagree with CSNPhilly’s Tim Panaccio’s assessment that Michael Leighton looked over-matched against Florida. The two goals he allowed in relief were on a deflection and laser to the top corner from the dot. No chance for any goalie on those. Patrick Roy circa 1993 could’ve played for the Flyers this month and not much would be different in the standings. The goals have dried up, not the goaltending.
  4. Power play is 4-for-33 over the last seven games including 0-for-7 against Florida.
  5. JVR has gone cold. One goal in 17 games.
  6. What has happened to Braydon Coburn? To say he’s been awful this year would be putting it mildly.
  7. With Powe returning this week, injuries are no longer an excuse. Aside from in goal, the Flyers are a healthy hockey team.

What needs to be done?

  • Does Mike Richards need to relinquish the captaincy to Chris Pronger?
  • Are the rumors about Carter messing around with Hartnell’s wife too crazy to be true?
  • Any truth to what Jeremy Roenick said on TSN that something or someone must be poisoning the dressing room since there is too much talent for this team to be so brutal?
  • Is a trade necessary just for the sake of change?
  • Should the Flyers take a run at potential free agent Ilya Kovalchuk? One rumor had Carter, Coburn and Giroux headed south for Kovy…is that too much?

All these questions, and really no clear cut answers…Unfortunately I could keep going but it’s all making my head hurt. Nothing cures better than a few wins…

Published
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Bill
on December 23, 2009
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Stevens leaves Flyers with no identity

The Flyers’ decision to fire John Stevens was certaily not surprising to anyone who has watched this team over the last two seasons. While most believe the roster is stocked with talent, the product on the ice is far from impressive.

For a team that was selected by The Hockey News to win the Stanley Cup this season to be sitting tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference is completely unacceptable. The reasons for the Flyers’ struggles are puzzling, yet plentiful.

First of all, is there any structure? Are the Flyers an up-tempo offensive team? A shut-down defensive squad? A team that excels on special teams? I would have to say no on all three. I have no idea what they are. With an impressive roster that would make even Joe Banner proud, the Flyers are not a team I feel comfortable with whether they have a 3-0 lead or are trailing by a three goals. There is no confidence this group can either hold a lead or rally from a deficit.

Continue reading ‘Stevens leaves Flyers with no identity’

Published
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Bill
on December 5, 2009
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The Right, Wrong, and Lingering Questions for the 2009-10 Flyers

Another season of Flyers hockey is here and expectations are once again sky high. After the difficult finish to the ‘08-09 campaign, the team made the biggest splash of the NHL offseason, acquiring former Norris and Hart Trophy winner Chris Pronger. Pronger provides size, experience and skill that make him born to be a Flyer.

Although goaltending was not the reason the Flyers were eliminated in the first round, both Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki have moved on. Ray Emery was brought in as the latest #1 man between the pipes and so far, the reviews have been stellar.

Before the puck drops on the 42nd year of Flyers hockey, here’s a look at what to watch for:

What Could Go Right

  • Pronger continues to be the minutes-eating #1 defenseman the Flyers have lacked since the days of Mark Howe and Brad McCrimmon. Sidney Crosby won’t feel so comfortable in front of the net this season.
  • Emery’s strong preseason (1.78 GAA in 6 games) carries over into the regular season.
  • Depth at forward remains the Flyers greatest strength. The orange and black return four guys who scored 30+ goals in ‘08-09, led by Jeff Carter’s 46. Gone are 52 combined goals from Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul, but expect much more output from Daniel Briere and Claude Giroux, who combined for only 20 regular season tallies.
  • The flashes of brilliance Giroux displayed down the stretch and in the playoffs will lead to the beginning of a brilliant career. Guess the Flyers aren’t so disappointed the Rangers drafted Bobby Sanguinetti one pick ahead of Giroux now.
  • Blair Betts provides the strong faceoff and penalty killing presence the team has been sorely lacking.
  • James Van Riemsdyk (JVR) keeps developing into the John LeClair type-winger the Flyers envisioned when they selected him #2 overall in 2007. The 20-year old led the team with 16 shots on goal in the preseason.
  • The additions of Pronger, Ian Laperriere and Betts take some of the workload off Kimmo Timonen, Mike Richards and Carter, allowing them to be even more effective in the somewhat reduced roles.
  • Being paired with Pronger will make Matt Carle a much better player.
  • The Flyers were one of four teams ranked in the top 10 in both the power play and penalty kill last season. The new additions could bolster the special teams into the top five in both categories. The PP struggled during the preseason but with the talent the Flyers can throw out there, things should improve.
  • The sting of two straight playoff losses to the Penguins combined with the added veteran experience will spur the team to reach our lofty expectations.

What Could Go Wrong

  • The loss of Knuble’s presence in front of the net cannot be replaced on the power play.
  • Emery will simply falter in goal or return to his disruptive ways that led to his departure from Ottawa.
  • The team will continue to show its maddening tendency to lose intensity or even disappear for long stretches in games or even weeks at a time (i.e. Game 6 vs Penguins or the final week of the regular season which cost them home ice against the Pens).
  • Daniel Carcillo will lead the league in PIMs for the third straight season and continue to take an average of one bad penalty a game. Danny boy picked up 45 PIMs in six preseason games so he’s already off to a fast start.
  • The Flyers led the league with 17.5 PIM per game last season. Adding Pronger and Lapperiere to go with a full season of Carcillo will not help this department.
  • The lack of cap space will come back to haunt them.

Remaining Questions

  • Can Briere and Simon Gagne remain healthy?
  • Briere is moving from center to wing this season. After leading the team with six points in the preseason, does the position switch matter?
  • What can the Flyers expect from Brian Boucher? The guy who went 12-6-3 with a 2.18 GAA last season with the Sharks or the one who was 0-2-1 with a 4.52 GAA and .794 save% in preseason. If Boucher is out for an extended period of time with his current injury, its doubtful Johan Backlund is ready to shoulder the backup duties.
  • Why are the Flyers carrying Arron Asham, Riley Cote, Laperriere AND Carcillo on the roster?
  • Is Mika Pyorala for real? The 28-year old Finnish rookie earned a roster spot after an impressive training camp. With five points in six games and a plus-five rating, there was no way to keep him off the roster.
  • The road team in each of the previous two winter classics have reached the Stanley Cup Final. Will the Flyers make it three straight this year?
  • How could people be so upset the Flyers traded Luca Sbisa for Pronger?
  • Hard to believe its been 34 years since the last Stanley Cup parade down Broad Street. Is this finally the year?
Published
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Bill
on October 2, 2009
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Chris Pronger - Born to be a Flyer

The Flyers made a major move on Thursday night, acquiring Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle from the Ducks for Joffrey Lupul (Hey, Gary Bettman, it’s Joffrey, not Jeffrey), Luca Sbisa, two first rounders and a third. I absolutely love the deal.

Pronger brings a dimension of size, skill and nastiness to the Flyers’ blueline that they’ve been lacking for decades. He’s 34-years old and has one year remaining on his deal, I understand that. But one thing I’ve always loved about the Flyers is that they are never afraid to go for it. Remember the battles Derian Hatcher had with Sidney Crosby during the first two years of Sid’s career? Pronger will take that to a whole new level. Between Ray Emery and Prongs, I’m willing to bet Crosby won’t be scoring too many goals from inside the blue paint in the crease this season.

I understand that some people are upset that the Flyers gave up a lot for the big man. Honestly, the only piece I’m sorry to see go is Sbisa. Lupul is a nice player but very streaky. The Flyers also had six 20-goal scorers last season so he was expendable. Dumping his contract is also a plus ($4.25M for each of the next four seasons).

Sbisa will become a quality NHL player but I’d trade him for Pronger at any point in either ones career. The Flyers have traded away first round picks for veterans before and not regretted it. Dainius Zubrus for Mark Recchi, Mike Ricci for Eric Lindros, Maxime Ouellet for Adam Oates to name a few. The first round picks I can live without, especially since they are somewhere in the 20s.

And who remembers what the Oilers or Ducks traded away in order to acquire Pronger? The only thing people remember is that he played like a beast and took his teams to new heights.

In fact, in his only season in Edmonton, he led the Oilers to Game 7 of the Finals. And then in his first year in Anaheim, the Ducks won the Cup…I can’t wait to see how his first year in Philly plays out.

Besides Mike Richards, there was one guy I always thought was meant to be a Flyer and that was Chris Pronger….and now he’s in orange and black.

Here’s a description of Dingle from Philadelphiaflyers.com

Philadelphia also acquired young forward and prospect Ryan Dingle in the deal. Dingle, 25, posted 18 points (11G,7A) in 70 regular season games with the Iowa Chops of the AHL in 2008-09. He has a total of 25 points (12G, 13A) in 93 regular season games in the AHL with the Portland Pirates (2006-07 to 2007-08) and Iowa (2008-09).

“He’s a little spark plug,” said Pronger of Dingle. “He’s a skilled guy, very fast, competitive guy. In training camp last year he had a great camp with us and opened a lot of eyes.”

A native of Steamboat Springs, CO, Dingle was a member of the University of Denver Pioneers’ 2005 NCAA National Championship team with current Flyers defenseman Matt Carle.

“We had our choice of a couple different guys, and I like Ryan,” said Holmgren. “He’s a good young player. Certainly he’s not a throw-in per se, because he’s a guy that we do have some time for.”

Notes

  • Pronger was a teammate of John Stevens on the 1993-94 Hartford Whalers where his first pro head coach was….Paul Holmgren.
  • This is the second time Lupul and Pronger have been traded for each other.
  • Matt Carle will switch from #25 to #20, and Pronger will get to wear 25.
  • It will be interesting to see how the Flyers handle the salary cap (Danny Briere, Mike Knuble, Andrew Alberts, backup goalie, etc) with future moves this summer.
Published
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Bill
on June 27, 2009
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The Pros and Cons of Bringing on Ray Emery

The Flyers reportedly will sign goalie Ray Emery to a one-year contract as soon as the free-agent period opens on July 1. No financial terms were available as of yet.

Playing for Atlant Mytischi of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) last season, Emery posted a 2.12 goals against average and .920 save percentage with a record of 22-8.

Talks with Marty Biron continue, but it is believed he is asking for too much money and a long-term deal that the Flyers are not willing to accommodate.

Emery, a Hamilton, Ont. native, is 71-40-14 lifetime with a 2.71 GAA and eight shutouts in 134 NHL games. The Senators waived him after a rocky 2007-08 season despite having two years left on his deal.

Emery helped lead the Sens to the Stanley Cup final in 2007, but then a wrist injury and a series of issues led to dissension within the dressing room. His goals-against average ballooned to 3.13, with a lowly .890 save percentage in 31 games in ‘07-08.

There are two ways to look at this….

The Positive
Philly is his kind of town, and he’s our type of player. He fights and battles like Ron Hextall. Maybe Biron took the Flyers as far as he could go….it could be time to move on. The current Flyers team is lacking in personality and Emery certainly could provide some.

He once ate a cockroach in the locker room to win a $500 bet from Daniel Alfredsson. He is covered in tattoos, has a pet python, drives fast cars and once had Mike Tyson painted on his mask.

The Negative
He’s been pulled over 30 times by his count during a two-year span…Had a road rage incident with a 65-year old motorist. He’s been a notorious night owl who has been late for practices and missed team planes. Depending on who you ask, he is either a good teammate or a clubhouse cancer.

Biron was one of the most popular players in the room. Ottawa is a franchise similar to the Flyers in that goaltending has been their achilles heel over the last ten years, and aside from the ‘07 playoff run, Emery was not the answer there.

But the big question is…Can he play?

Fans in Philadelphia seem to be far less enthusiastic about this than when the Sixers hired Eddie Jordan to a chorus of crickets and tumbleweeds blowing through South Philly.

The fact remains that the franchise has not had a consistent stud goalie since Hextall. Biron may not have been the reason the Flyers lost in each of the last two playoff years, but he certainly didn’t carry the team on his back.

Interestingly, Emery may be best remembered for his fight with Biron a few years back…and this year he went after a trainer…

The Flyers are strapped by the cap. Mike Knuble is a free agent that the club wants to re-sign. Rumors remain that Jay Bouwmeester is still on their wishlist. Where will the cap space come from?

Biron and Antero Niittymaki are both UFAs this summer. Biron made $3.5 million last season, while Niittymaki earned $1.225 million. Emery is a cheaper alternative which would free up space to concentrate on the blueline and/or adding a faceoff man.

If Emery does become a Flyer, one thing is for certain…it will be interesting to see how it plays out, one way or another.

Just for fun, here are the contracts of some other goalies rumored to be on the move or free agents this summer…

JS Giguere
Making 6.0M next season and 7.0 the year after

Kari Lehtonen
Restricted free agent after making $3.0 Million in 08-09

Nik Khabibulin
UFA after making $6.75 this season

Josh Harding
Restricted free agent after making $750K this season

Craig Anderson
UFA after making $575K this season

Roberto Luongo
1 year remaining on deal at $7.5 million

Scott Clemmensen
UFA after making $500K this season

Jaroslav Halak
Will make $800K in 09-10 before becoming RFA

Carey Price
Will make $850K in 09-10 before becoming RFA

Source: NHLNumbers.com

Published
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Bill
on June 8, 2009
in Flyers
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Remembering Peter Zezel and the Greatest Flyers Game of All-Time

Hard to believe it’s been 22 years, but May 28, 1987 is a special date in Flyers’ history. The orange and black returned home to The Spectrum after overcoming a 2-0 deficit and defeating the Oilers 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Philadelphia fell behind 2-0 again in Game 6 before Lindsay Carson got the Flyers on the board seven minutes into the second period.

The game remained 2-1 Edmonton until Glenn Anderson took a high-sticking penalty on Peter Zezel with 7:39 remaining, and the struggling Flyer power play (1-for-22 previously in the series) converted when Brian Propp put one high over Grant Fuhr’s glove into the top corner to tie the game at two with just under seven minutes remaining.

Only 84 seconds later, Zezel gathered a loose puck in the Flyers zone and carried it across the blueline where Jari Kurri interecepted a pass and threw it off the boards where J.J. Daigneault raced to keep it in, and in one motion blasted a shot past a screened Fuhr and bedlam erupted in South Philly.

I can honestly say I’ve never heard an arena louder. Any city. Any sport. Ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUohOgRfFTU

The goal was Daigneault’s only career playoff point in a Flyer uniform. The story was that as Zezel rushed up the ice, Daigneault tried to come onto the bench and Mike Keenan waved him back on which is the reason he was late getting into the zone. Destiny.

The remaining five-plus minutes were mayhem as Ron Hextall and the Flyers tried to hold off the Oilers’ offensive machine.  With 10 seconds remaining, Hextall tried to clear the puck high up through the middle. Mark Messier jumped up and caught it and had an empty net to shoot at before Hextall somehow scrambled back into position. Amazing.

Minus Tim Kerr, their 58-goal scorer, this banged up group of grinders, role players and character guys was heading to the NHL’s first Stanley Cup Final Game 7 in 16 years, against one of the greatest teams of all-time. Think of the names…

Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey, Lowe and Fuhr. Wow.

To this day, I still watch this game from start to finish 10 times a year, and can quote Gene Hart word for word throughout like people do with movies. Some of the notable aspects of this game included the crowd in a frenzy for the full 60 minutes, the organ music, the homemade signs throughout The Spectrum, no ads on the boards visible to the TV cameras, the undisputed two best teams in the league battling in the Final.

Despite the outcome of Game 7, this remains my most cherished Philadelphia sports moment. This team embodied everything great about sports and our city.

Classic signs in The Spectrum that night:
Who needs a great one? We have a great team
No Retreat No Surrender
Craven the Cup
Thank you Flyers You’re so great…Thanks to you I’m up real late
Oilers: Did you enjoy your parade?
Flyers Parade June 3

I couldn’t do this post without noting the passing of Peter Zezel this week at the young age of 44. Peter was a solid two-way player and fan favorite at The Spectrum during his career in Philly, but was even a better person. I was lucky enough to meet him as a 12-year old kid and he made me feel like the most important person in the rink. After his passing, many people shared their stories of Peter and they were all similar to mine, which goes to show the type of guy he was.

Published
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Bill
on May 29, 2009
in Flyers
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Fleury stands on his head: Game Four Observations and Notes

Game Four can be summarized in three words: Marc-Andre Fleury.

This was a classic case of a hot goalie stealing his team a game.

The Pens goalkeeper was phenomenal, making 45 saves in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win. After a shaky performance in Game Three, Fleury was clearly the difference in sending the Penguins home with a 3-to-1 series lead. The Flyers came out hard in the first ten minutes of the game and had three power plays, and plenty of quality scoring chances, in the first period, but could not crack the former #1 overall pick.

It figured that with all the difficulty the Flyers had scoring, Daniel Carcillo would be the one to finally find the net with just over eight minutes left in the game. Carcillo had not scored in any of his previous 22 games as a Flyer.

This game was frustrating but what else could the Flyers have done? The effort was there. A game like this just makes the Game Two loss even more painful since the Flyers had the game in their grasp and let it slip away.

All is not lost for the Flyers though. They’ve outplayed the Pens for three straight games now, but only have one win to show for it. Another strong effort Thursday and this series will be coming back to Philly for Game Six.

Fleury
I had a bad feeling that Fleury would bounce back in Game Four after reading these comments in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday morning….

Did Philadelphia get to Fleury a little in Game 3?
“I sure hope so,” Flyers winger Scott Hartnell said of his team’s 6-3 win (including an empty-net goal) to close the series gap to 2-1.
“We did a good job [Sunday] of getting to the net, getting second chances and changing the angle of the puck. It seems like he can stop that first shot most of the time. When we get him moving side to side, it seems like we’ve been getting some better chances and last game we put them in the back of the net.”

Biron
I’ve already read plenty of message boards after Game Four ripping Marty Biron for this loss. I’m not sure what else he could have done. On Sidney Crosby’s goal, he had no chance, and the second Pens goal was a nice move. Flyers goaltending is always an easy target for criticism, but shouldn’t be tonight.

Power Plays
The Flyers were 0-for-8 with 16 shots on the power play. Pittsburgh was 0-for-5 with four shots. Philadelphia was on the man advantage for 12:47 and the Pens for 6:55. That’s basically a full period of hockey spent on special teams, which to me is way too much. Penalties kill the flow of the game and unlike Game Three, this game was very physical but not real chippy. Let them play!

The Flyers did get the majority of the calls, but still, this game was marred by ticky-tack calls. Ryan Parent’s holding call against Evgeni Malkin in the corner in the first period was an absolute joke. Mike Richards tripping call against Fleury when their skates collided was incidental contact and not a penalty. For Pittsburgh, they had some bad calls against them as well, namely Hal Gill’s interference call on Mike Knuble and Sergei Gonchar’s trip on Hartnell. Neither should have been penalties.

Crosby

Sid the Kid was basically invisible again despite his controversial goal. In 25 shifts and 19:53 of ice time, he had two shots and no hits. Crosby was dominant in the faceoff circle again though, winning 20 of his 32 draws.

Despite being a non-factor for much of the two games in Philly, Sid still left town with three points over those two contests.

Maxime Talbot
Talbot scoffed at the notion on Monday that Flyers’ fans are as “intimidating” as those national hockey polls claim they are.

“They call themselves the most intimidating?” Talbot told reporters. “That’s pretty pretentious. They try to be intimidating. They’re all dressed in orange t-shirts and they scream a lot. Does that make the Flyers a better team? I don’t think so.”

I guess we can’t all be as cool as Talbot is, as these commercials (here and here) prove …what a tool….

Faceoffs
I’ve been harping on the Flyers’ inability to win draws all series. In Game Four, they were improved, winning 48% of the faceoffs (39-of-82). Jeff Carter (14-of-27) and Mike Richards (12-of-24) led the way on the improved effort.

On the Fly

  • When Tyler Kennedy has as many goals in the series (2) as Carter and Richards combined,  you know the Flyers are in trouble.
  • After picking up seven points (4-3) in the first three games of the series, Malkin was held without a point or a shot and was -1.
  • The Flyers outhit the Pens 24-to-12 with Andrew Alberts credited with a game-high four.
  • Richards crushed Rob Scuderi behind the net in the first period, similar to his destruction of Tom Poti earlier in the season in Washington.
  • Every Flyer had at least one shot except for Jared Ross and Parent…In Ross’ defense, he played only four shifts and 2:01. Carter and Richards had five shots each.
  • Pittsburgh had lost three straight Game Fours before this.
  • Teams trailing 3-1 in a series have been eliminated each of the last 26 occurrences in the NHL playoffs.
  • The Flyers are 0-13 all-time in series they’ve trailed 3-1. Three times they stretched the series to seven games, three times to six, and seven times they lost in five.
  • The Pens are 6-1 in series they have a 3-1 lead in…losing only to the Islanders in 1975 when they blew a 3-0 series advantage.
  • In the previous two series the Pens had home ice against the Flyers (1989, 2008), they scored 16 goals in the two Game Fives played in Pittsburgh (10-7 and 6-0 wins).
  • The crowd of 19,883 was raucous once again and really turned it up afer Carcillo got the Flyers within one until the final horn.
Published
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Bill
on April 22, 2009
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Flyers’ Game 3 Observations and Notes

The Flyers clawed their way back into the series with a 6-3 win over the Penguins in Game Three Sunday afternoon.

Even during warm-aups the Wachovia Center was in a frenzy, and the energy never waned. Pittsburgh actually came out strong to start the game, with much of the early play spent in the Flyers zone. But despite being outshot 9-to-2 twelve minutes into the game the home team made the most of their chances, and the scoreboard had the Flyers leading 2-0.

Getting Away With It
Late in the first period, the Flyers were looking to take a 2-0 lead into the dressing room before Evgeni Malkin struck with only 12 seconds remaining. Usually those late goals are killers and the reason teams stress never giving up goals in the first or last minute of a period. Well, the Pens stormed out and tied the score 13 seconds into period two. In basically 25 seconds of playing time, Pittsburgh erased a two-goal deficit and the Flyers had broken two cardinal sins by allowing goals in the first and last minutes. It’s not often a team can do that and live to tell about it.

The Refs
As was the case in Game One, the referees disrupted the flow of the game. Marc Joannette must have had a quota on the number of penalties to call because he was brutal. It was tough to figure what the refs, and Joannette in particular, had in mind. Numerous non-calls had the fans and players frustrated while calls like Mike Richards’ hold on Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter’s slash on Jordan Staal were questionable at best in a playoff game. To be fair, after Carter’s slash, Malkin was charged with a cheap hooking call as an even-up 14 seconds later.
This is the Stanley Cup Playoffs between two good teams and bitter rivals. Let them play and put the whistles away! The NHL has to let the players decide the series, not the zebras.

Claude Giroux
The 21-year old may have had the best game of his brief NHL career. After picking up the slashing penalty on Chris Kunitz which gave Pittsburgh a two-man advantage in OT Friday, Giroux redeemed himself in Game Three. He picked up a huge goal to regain momentum for the Flyers after the Pens had tied it at two, and set up a beautiful shorthanded goal by Simon Gagne, which turned out to be the game-winner.

After ragging the puck in the Pens zone in an attempt to kill time, he found Gagne alone in front for a 4-2 lead.  The line of Giroux, Danny Briere and Darroll Powe was outstanding once again. I think Bob Clarke knows the kids name now, unlike when we drafted him in 2006.

Crosby
As is usually the case in Philadelphia, Sid the Kid was serenaded with “Crosby Sucks” chants all day long. It’s hard to imagine a visiting player currently more vilified in any city or sport than Crosby is in Philly right now. Despite picking up two assists, Sid was fairly quiet in Game Three. He was not nearly as noticeable as Malkin, and finished the day with four shots on goal and a minus-one. He did continue his domination in the faceoff circle though, winning 14-of-20.

Faceoffs

The Flyers continue to improve in the circle. Pittsburgh did win 29 of 55 (53%) draws, but unlike the first two games the orange and black were able to avoid being hurt by losing critical faceoffs in the defensive zone.
Late in the second period a kid who couldn’t have been more than 10 years old screamed out “Come on Carter, start winning some faceoffs!” Only in Philly….

Carter did have his first strong game in the circle, winning 8 of 15, including going 5-and-1 vs Staal - a complete reversal from Games One and Two.

Lauren Hart Does It Again
The Flyers had Hart sing ‘God Bless America’ along with a recording of Kate Smith. In all of sports, there is nobody better than Lauren Hart…anywhere. Most nights, if they sent you home after watching her sing, it would still be worth the price of admission, and Sunday was no exception. Just fantastic. Why TV networks don’t show the anthems anymore is beyond me.

Classic Jerseys
Big games in Philly always mean the fans will bust out some great jerseys. Spotted in the crowd today were some classics: Rick Tocchet, Bobby Clarke, Brian Boucher, Gary Dornhoefer, Ed Van Impe, Brad McCrimmon (don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those before), Mikael Renberg, Danny Markov, Jeff Hackett, Dale Hawerchuk, Dan McGillis, multiple Jeremy Roenicks, Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, Dainius Zubrus, Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin, and Dave Brown.

On The Fly

  • The Flyers outscored Pittsburgh 2-1 in each of the three periods.
  • For the first time in the series, Kimmo Timonen led the Flyers in ice time with 26:36. Twenty-nine seconds more than Braydon Coburn.
  • The Flyers outhit the Pens 29-18…Dan Carcillo, Darroll Powe and Andrew Alberts led the way with four each.
  • In only eight shifts and 6:37 of ice time, Alabama native Jared Ross scored his first NHL goal and was 5-and-1 on faceoffs.
  • Evgeni Malkin now has seven points (4-3) in the series after his two goal performance Sunday.
  • After being credited with 14 hits in Game 2, Brooks Orpik was not awarded any in Game 3.

Big Day in Philly
Aside from the Flyers win, Raul Ibanez’ 2-run walk-off lifted the Phils to a much-needed win, and the Sixers rallied from 18 down to beat Orlando 100-98 in Game One. A beautiful spring Sunday to be a fan in Philly…

Published
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Bill
on April 19, 2009
in 76ers, Flyers and Phillies
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Flyers’ Game 2 Observations and Notes

The Flyers fell 3-2 in overtime to the Penguins in Game Two Friday. The orange and black showed more effort and determination than Game One, but couldn’t hold a late 2-1 lead. Bill Guerin’s goal with 1:31 left in the first OT was the difference. Game Three is Sunday afternoon at the Wachovia Center.

Game 2 Observations
Friday’s game was so much more enjoyable to watch. The refs let the boys play and the result was an intense, hard-hitting game that never lost its flow. The opening moments were chippy and refs Bill McCreary and Brad Meier could have easily bogged the game down with ticky-tack calls. Tonight felt so much more like a playoff game and the officials deserve credit for that.

After picking up 35 minutes in penalties and giving the Pens eight power plays in Game 1, the Flyers talked about being more disciplined. For the most part in Game 2, they were. They picked up five minors and Kimmo Timonen picked up a 10-minute misconduct after the game. Unfortunately, the Pens went 2-5 on the PP, tying the game late in the third and winning it in OT.

The overtime penalties were a disappointing way to end a great game. The original cross check on Hal Gill was the right call. After that, you knew the officials were looking for an even-up penalty and unfortunately Mike Knuble got a crosscheck of his own.

The slash call on Claude Giroux is a horrible rule but, a rule nonetheless. Anytime you break a stick with a slash, it?s a penalty. However, when it’s behind the play, in overtime during the playoffs, that’s a tough way to lose a game. Sticks nowadays break more easily than any No. 2 ever did during a pencil fight in the back of the bus in 7th grade. That rule needs to be changed. Terrible way to lose.

Jeff Carter came out on fire in the first period. He seemed less visible as the game wore on, and his hooking penalty led to the Penguins second goal with less than four minutes remaining.

Luca Sbisa played forward in place of Daniel Carcillo and was on the ice only 5:37 during 11 shifts

The Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke line was much-less visible in Game 2. As probably the Pens best line in Game 1, the trio was basically shut down Friday. With Chris Kunitz substituted for Cooke late in the third, the line did have an outstanding shift and drew the penalty on Carter which led to the Pens tying the game

Giroux picked up the first of what should be many playoff points for his career on the Darrell Powe goal. Giroux looked like he fumbled a pass attempt to Powe but the puck made it there anyway, and the Princeton grad buried it for a 2-1 Flyers lead.

Great Saves a Turning Point
The Flyers unleashed a shooting gallery on Marc-Andre Fleury at times in the first period but were only able to put one by the former #1 overall pick in the opening stanza.

In the first minute of the third period with the score tied at one, Staal had a wide open net but shot the puck back into Marty Biron. About a minute later, the Flyers took the lead on Powe’s goal.

Then with about 8:30 remaining in the game, Fleury made an unreal save on Carter. In almost the same fashion as Staal. Carter had a wide open net but Fleury slid across to rob him and keep the game in reach for Pittsburgh.

Faceoffs
The Flyers were mauled in the circle in Game 1, losing 64% of the draws, including two which led directly to Pittsburgh goals. Between games they complained to the league that the Pens were not set before the puck was dropped and that created an advantage. Like they say, if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying, especially on faceoffs.

In Game 2, the Flyers were better, but still not good. Pittsburgh won 54% of the draws but it still seemed like they won every important faceoff. After the Carter penalty at 15:56 of the third period, Mike Richards lost the ensuing defensive draw clean AGAIN to Sidney Crosby, which led to Penguins possession and the tying goal. Danny Briere (4-4) and Scott Hartnell were the only Flyers above .500 in the circle.

On The Fly

  • Pittsburgh outshot the Flyers 49-40?After outshooting the Pens 14-12 in the first period, the Flyers were on the short end of the shot clock in each of the next three periods, including OT.
  • Philadelphia has now lost five straight playoff games at The Igloo.
  • Including best of five series, the Flyers are 2-13 all-time when they fall behind 0-2 in series. The last time they rallied though was in 2000 when they lost the first two at home against the Penguins before rallying to win in six games.
  • Hartnell was booed every time he touched the puck in the first period. For a pest like Hartnell, that’s a true case of respect.
  • Braydon Coburn led the Flyers with 42 shifts and 33:46 of ice time. Malkin led all forwards with 26:57 of playing time, but three Flyers forwards were also over 26 minutes. Carter (26:35), Simon Gagne (26:15), and Richards (26:14).
  • Gagne led the Flyers with six shots, and Richards with seven hits. After a game-high seven hits in Game 1, Knuble was credited with only one in Game 2. Brooks Orpik had an astounding 14 hits Friday.
  • With a three point night, Evgeni Malkin now has five points in the series (2-3) and 10 points in seven career playoff games vs Flyers.
  • Since 1985, the Flyers have reached the conference finals eight times, including last year. In the following season, they are 1-6 in first round series?Beating only the Lightning in 1996. Not a good omen.

Philly Sports
Switching back and forth to the Phillies during intermissions and commercials, the Phils ceremonies for Harry Kalas were great. The best part was having a video of Harry singing “High Hopes” during the 7th inning stretch. If you didn’t get chills from that, go back to rooting for the Mets.

Anniversary
Friday was also the anniversary of an infamous moment in Philly sports history. Ten years ago on April 17, the Eagles drafted Donovan McNabb who was greeted by a bunch of lowlifes from 610. Just another example of why it’s the worst sports radio station in the country - bar none.

If people in Philadelphia would just appreciate what they have in McNabb, we’d all be better off.

Published
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Bill
on April 18, 2009
in Eagles, Flyers and Phillies
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Flyers’ Game 1 Playoff Nuggets

The Flyers fell 4-1 to the Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last night. The orange and black seemed to sleepwalk through most of the game as the maddening trend of uninspired hockey continued for the Flyers.

Martin Biron played a solid game and could only be faulted maybe on the second Pittsburgh goal. In his defense, Tyler Kennedy scored on a flubbed shot that went through Biron’s legs on a the three-on-one…In the playoffs though, that’s a save that needs to be made. The other three goals were all off crazy bounces.

The third goal was a result of Mike Knuble attempting to pass the puck behind the net, but it took a bad bounce off the boards and caromed out in front, right to Evgeni Malkin. Knuble had tried this earlier in the game and the puck barely made its way to the Flyer defenseman after bouncing around behind the net. He probably would not have been a good plinko player on the Price is Right.

The opening goal of the game was setup by an awful phantom hooking penalty on Arron Asham 4:26 into the game. That call shouldn’t be made in a peewee tournament let alone the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Faceoffs

The Flyers have been flat out awful on draws all season and it cost them in Game 1…There isn’t a guy on the team I feel confident with in the circle…At least last season they could throw Jimmy Dowd out there to take a key draw…

The Pens won 38 of 59 faceoffs (64%) Wednesday and I’m shocked it wasn’t worse…It seemed like they won every single draw. The Flyers don’t just lose them, they lose ‘em clean. Two Penguin goals were the direct result of faceoff losses. Malkin beat Carter clean back to Gonchar for the Crosby goal to open the scoring. Claude Giroux then lost a  draw to Crosby for the Mark Eaton goal to make it 4-0. This has been a problem all season and the Flyers aren’t going anywhere unless it’s figured out in a hurry…

The numbers don’t lie:
Jeff Carter: 3 for 18 including 1-9 in the defensive zone
Mike Richards: 4 for 18 including 2 for 12 vs Crosby
Jared Ross: 2 for 8
Danny Briere 1 for 5

On a bright note, Claude Giroux was 5 for 8 and Darroll Powe 3 for 3

On the Fly

  • The Flyers are 1-4 in Game 1s vs the Pens all-time, and have now lost six straight Game 1s overall…Their last opening game win was against Toronto in 2004
  • In the second period, the Flyers didn’t pick up their first shot until 7:39 was left in the frame. However, they ended up outshooting the Pens 6-4 in the period
  • Jeff Carter seemed to be streaking down the right wing all night and led the Flyers with 8 shots on goal.
  • Mike Richards hit the post three times.
  • Mike Knuble had a game-high seven hits.
  • Braydon Coburn led the Flyers with 34 shifts and 26:06 of ice time.
  • The most penalized team in the NHL during the regular season was at it again in Game 1. The Flyers picked up 12 penalties for 35 minutes. They did hold the Pens to 1-9 on the power play but the penalties meant Pittsburgh was on the PP for 10:34 of the game.
  • Scott Hartnell led the NHL in minor penalties during the regular season and picked up three more in Game 1, plus a 10-minute misconduct.
  • The Flyers trailed 1-0 after the first period and have now led after the opening frame only four times in the last 24 games.
  • The Pens have now outscored the Flyers 10-1 in their last two playoff meetings.
Published
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Bill
on April 16, 2009
in Flyers
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Flyers All-Time Roster - #’s 21-30

21. Dave Brown (1982-89; 91-95)
Brownie was one of the most feared enforcers of the 80’s, and one of the best in Flyers history. Big Dave picked up 1,382 PIM in two stints with the team, ranking sixth on the franchise list. I do realize Peter Forsberg played parts of two seasons with the Flyers but Brown played a much different, but bigger, role in the success of the team for a longer period of time.
Honorable Mention: Forsberg, Bill Flett

22. Rick Tocchet (1984-92; 99-02)
The sixth round pick in 1983 had quite a run in Philly. Tocchet is tied for 11th in franchise history with 232 goals and the all-time leader with 1,817 PIM. During the ‘87 playoffs, the line of Tocchet, Propp and Eklund were absolutely unstoppable. #22 evolved from a grinder into a goal scorer and captain before being shipped to Pittsburgh. He later returned for a second stint after being acquired from Phoenix and helped the Flyers to a long playoff run in 2000.
Honorable Mention: Tom Gorence, Luke Richardson, Mike Knuble

23. Ilkka Sinisalo (1981-90)
In nine seasons in Philly, Sinisalo racked up 199 goals and 408 points. He became the third player in NHL history to score his first career goal on a penalty shot. The thing I may remember most about Sinisalo was an intermission feature PRISM did on him set to the Sade song, Smooth Operator. Weird, I know.
Ilkka is back with the organization as a scout.
Honorable Mention: Alex Zhamnov, Petr Svoboda

24. Derrick Smith (1984-91)
Acquired as a third round pick in the 1983 draft that also netted Peter Zezel, Rick Tocchet and Pelle Eklund, Smith played seven seasons with the orange and black. Smith was a valuable grinder during the glory days of the mid 80’s, but the two memories that stand out in my mind are when he picked the puck up out of the net after Ron Hextall scored his first goal at The Spectrum, and the amazing move on a breakaway to beat Patrick Roy for a shorthanded goal in Game 1 of the 1989 Wales Conference Finals. Smith faked to his backhand and pulled the puck back to his forehand as Roy slid completely out of the crease.
Honorable Mention: Sami Kapanen

25. Keith Primeau (2000-05)
The Flyers traded Rod Brind’Amour to Carolina for Primeau in January 2000, the day the Rams beat the Bucs in the NFC Championship Game. Primeau was supposed to team with Eric Lindros to form hockey’s version of the twin towers. That plan was obviously short-lived, but Primes made his own mark with the fans of Philadelphia. For a guy who was known for coming up small in the playoffs early in his career, Primeau ended up scoring some of the biggest postseason goals in recent Flyer history. Any Flyers fan remembers where they were on the night Primeau beat Ron Tugnutt in the fifth OT in Game 4 of the 2000 Eastern Conference semis.

The big capatain shook off any notion that he wasn’t a postseason performer with a run for the ages during the 2004 playoffs, registering 16 points in 18 games. Two moments that stand out are Game 5 against Toronto, when Primeau repeatedly torched Maple Leaf defenseman Bryan McCabe on his way to a hat trick and a 7-2 Flyer win. The other was his goal in Game 6 against the Lightning. Down 4-3, he tied it up with 1:49 left (video evidence) and Simon Gagne won it in OT. This may be the loudest I’ve ever heard the Wachovia Center and even though this will give me chills every time I hear it, I still cringe at the chicken dance music playing in the background. One of the best goals in recent Flyers history and they have to play this music since each fan won a free $1 chicken sandwich when they scored four goals….awful.

Primeau’s career ended prematurely due to concussions, the final one at coming in October 2005 at the age of 34 after and elbow from Montreal’s Alexander Perezhogin.
Honorable Mention: Keith Acton, Shjon Podein, Peter Zezel

26. Brian Propp (1979-90)
Drafted 14th overall by the Flyers from the Brandon Wheat Kings in the stacked 1979 Draft, Propp became a standout in Philadelphia for 11 seasons. He ended his career ranked second in goals and assists and third in points on the Flyers all-time list. A guy Gene Hart used to call the ‘Brandon Bopper,’ Propp was a five-time all-star who appeared in three finals in orange and black. Propp guffawed his way to 369 goals for the Flyers and ranks behind only Bobby Clarke with 112 career playoffs points for Philadelphia. It’s strange that there isn’t much talk about retiring his number 26.
Since Propp left town, the Flyers haven’t given his number much justice, handing it out to such standouts as: Gord Hynes, Valeri Zelepukin, Viacheslav Butsayev, Rob Zettler, Jim Vandermeer, Phil Crowe, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Martin Hostak.
Honorable Mention: Orest Kindrachuk, Michael Handzus

27. Ron Hextall (1986-92; 94-99)
Hexy revolutionized the goaltending position with his aggressiveness and puck handling skills. You couldn’t go to a rink in the late 80’s and not see a kid playing goal with the number 27 on his back. One moment pretty much sums up Hextall for me….On opening night of the 1986-87 season, the Flyers were hosting the Oilers and Hextall made his NHL debut. During a stoppage of play, Wayne Gretzky skated by the crease and said “who the hell are you?” Hexy fired back, ‘who the hell are YOU?” How can you not love that?? Maybe the most popular Flyer of the last 30 years…

I can watch this video forever and not get sick of it…

Classic Hexy commercial

Very Honorable Mention: Reggie Leach (1974-82)
The rifle was acquired from the California Seals five days after the Flyers won their first cup in ‘74…Reggie holds the club record with 61 goals in ‘75-76, won the Conn Smythe that season, and is the only Flyer to be named MVP of an All-Star Game (1980).

28. Kjell Samuelsson (1986-92; 95-98)
Big Kjell spent two productive stints with the Flyers. First, he was acquired from the Rangers in December 1986 for disgruntled goalie Bob Froese. The 6-6 defenseman was the tallest player in NHL history at the time and spent the majority of his ice time paired with Mark Howe. A two-time winner of the Barry Ashbee Award as the Flyers’ best defenseman, he was traded to Pittsburgh in the Mark Recchi deal in 1992. He then returned to Philly as a free agent prior to the 1995-96 campaign. Samuelsson is now in his ninth season on the Phantoms coaching staff.
Honorable Mention: Claude Giroux looks like he could be the 28 Flyers fans remember for years to come…

29. Joel Otto (1995-98)
After 11 seasons with the Flames, Otto signed as a free agent with the Flyers in 1995. The hulking center was a defensive specialist and a beast on faceoffs. The Elk River MN, native represented the Flyers and the United States in the 1996 World Cup and 1998 Olympics. He also centered the Minnesota line with Shjon Podein and Trent Klatt.
Honorable Mention: 29 seems to be the number for mediocre defensemen…Yves Racine, Jack McIlhargy, Daryl Stanley, Randy Jones, Karl Dykhuis, Ryan McGill, Glen Cochrane, Nate Guenin, Terry Carkner and Alexandre Picard have all worn the number at one time as Flyers’ blueliners.

30. Garth Snow (1995-98)
Aside from having the Sabres accuse Snow of wearing 2 x 4s on his shoulders under his jersey in the 1997 playoffs, maybe the best thing about him was the way Gary Dornhoeffer used to pronounce his name…Gooaltenndderr Gerttthh Snoah. Snow was a mini-Hextall: a battler who was never afraid to mix it up. In parts of three seasons in Philly, the Massachusetts native went 40-25-16 and 8-4 in the playoffs before being dealt to Vancouver for Sean Burke.
Honorable Mention: Although Bernie Parent began his Flyers career wearing #30, the number has basically been a staple for guys better known for opening and closing the door to the bench….Antero Niittymaki, Bobby Taylor, Bruce Gamble, Rick St. Croix, Bruce Hoffort, Gary Inness, Tommy Soderstrom, and Darren Jensen.

Published
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Bill
on April 3, 2009
in Flyers
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Flyers All-Time Team by Uniform Number #1-20

1. Bernie Parent
232 wins, 2 Stanley Cups, number in the rafters, and the Hall of Fame. And of course, “Only The Lord Saves More Than Bernie.”

2. Mark Howe
Acquired in a steal of a deal from Hartford in August of 1982, Howe became arguably the greatest defenseman in Flyers history. My favorite Howe stats are the three-year run he had in +/- from 1985-87: +51, +85, +57. A plus 85, wow, think about that.
Honorable Mention: Ed Van Impe

3. Tom Bladon
A second round pick in 1972 who spent six seasons in Philly, including the two Cup years. May be best remembered for notching an NHL record eight points in one game (4 G, 4 A) by a defeseman in December of ‘77 against the Cleveland Barons (remember them?).
Honorable Mention: Doug Crossman, Behn Wilson

4. Barry Ashbee
Tough D-man who was the first Flyer to have his number retired. His career ended early after being struck in the eye with a puck in the playoffs against the Rangers in 1974. He passed away in 1977 from leukemia.

5. Larry Goodenough
A second-round pick in 1973, Goodenough won a Cup in 1975 before being traded with current assistant coach Jack McIlhargey to the Vancouver Canucks for Bob Dailey. Braydon Coburn will soon be the Flyers best #5, but Goodenough was good enough, for now.

6. Chris Therien
The franchise’s all-time leader in games played by a defenseman with 753 over parts of 11 seasons in orange and black. Therien scored only 29 goals, but was a +126 for the Flyers, and always did a great job playing against Jaromir Jagr.

7. Bill Barber
A franchise best 420 goals, 2 Cups, a retired number, and Hall of Famer. Barber even led the Phantoms to a Calder Cup 1998, and won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year for the Flyers in 2001.
Honorable Mention: Lou Angotti

8. Dave Schultz
Mark Recchi had some great seasons in Philly and holds the Flyers’ record for points in a season, but the franchise known as the Broad St. Bullies was led by the ultimate Bully in Dave Schultz. “The Hammer” was an important part of both Cups, and even put up 115 points to go along with his 1,386 PIM in Philadelphia.
Honorable Mention: Mark Recchi, Brad Marsh

9. Bob Kelly
“The Hound” was an integral part in the birth of the Bullies. After getting roughed up by the Blues in the playoffs in 1968 and ‘69, the Flyers decided to toughen up, and Kelly was added, in the the 1970 Draft, to a mix that already included Schultz and Don Saleski from the ‘69 Draft.
Honorable Mention: Pelle Eklund

10. John LeClair
As soon as he arrived from Montreal in 1995, LeClair became a force. Part of the vaunted “Legion of Doom,” Johnny Vermont put up three 50-goal and two more 40-goal seasons for the Flyers. His 333 goals rank fifth in franchise history.
Honorable Mention: Brad McCrimmon and although he didn’t last very long, one of my favorite Flyer names…Magnus “Roooooo” Roupe

11. Don Saleski
“Big Bird” Saleski was drafted to provide toughness and size. In nearly 500 games with the Flyers, he contributed 235 points and 602 PIM to go along with two Stanley Cup rings.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Dineen, Ron Flockhart, Mark Recchi

12. Tim Kerr
Maybe the number with the toughest competition, and I don’t mean from Jim Cummins and Colin Forbes. Tim Kerr is the choice here with 650 points in 601 career Flyer games. He played through countless injuries, and had more pins holding him together than a bowling alley. The big man compiled franchise records with 17 hat tricks and 145 power play goals. From 1984-87 he put together four straight 50+ goal seasons. If only he were able to stay healthy during the ‘87 Playoffs, the Flyers might have another banner hanging from the rafters.
Honorable Mention: Simon Gagne, Gary Dornhoefer

13. Claude Lapointe
Twelve points in 56 games over parts of two seasons usually won’t land you on many lists. Lapointe gets the nod over the likes of Dave Michayluk and Glen Metropolit due to….well, not much…who would you choose?? Maybe Daniel Carcillo can make his mark here…

14. Ron Sutter
The Flyers picked Sutter one spot ahead of Scott Stevens in the 1982 Draft. Ron played parts of nine seasons on Broad Street and was a premier checking center and faceoff man. He chipped in 323 points in 555 games and served as captain for two seasons before being traded to the Blues for Rod Brind’Amour.
As a side note, check out some of the other players to wear #14 in orange and black: Dave Snuggerud, Peter White, Dave Tippett, Dan Quinn, Mark Pederson, Mike Maneluk, Craig MacTavish, Chris Jensen, Pat Hannigan, Denis Hamel, Craig Darby, Kimbi Daniels, Mark Cullen and Mikael Andersson. Whew, not exactly a who’s who in Flyers history. However, Brian Propp did wear 14 before switching to his familiar 26.
Honorable Mention: Joe Watson, Ken Linseman, Justin Williams

15. Joffrey Lupul
Despite being a Flyer for less than two seasons, Lupul has established himself as the best of another less than stellar class. Also, only Lupul can say he scored an OT winner in Game 7 of a playoff series for the Flyers.

Other not so notable #15s: Niko Dimitrakos, Al Conroy, Dale Kushner, Doug Evans, Pat Falloon, Craig Fisher, Mark Greig, Steve Kasper, Andrei Kovalenko, Danny Lucas, Mike Maneluk, Larry Mickey, Richard Park, Garry Peters, Joe Sacco, Jarrod Skalde, John Slaney, Doug Sulliman, Rich Sutter, Mark Taylor, Peter White, Todd White…Wow, maybe the Flyers should retire this number just so no other stiffs could wear it.
Honorable Mention: Terry Crisp

16. Bobby Clarke
You think Flyers, you think Clarkie…

17. Rod Brind’amour
With all due respect to Billy Tibbetts, Rod Brind’Amour gets the nod- Roddy was the Flyers lone representative at the 1992 All-Star Game at The Spectrum and finished his career in orange and black in the franchise’s top 10 in goals, assists and points. One of the most popular players in recent Flyer history, he was traded to Carolina for Keith Primeau, and captured that elusive cup as captain of the ‘Canes in 2006.
Honorable Mention: Paul Holmgren, Jeff Carter, Simon Nolet

18. Mike Richards
At age 24, Richards has already displayed all the qualities that make him the quintessential Flyer. Tough, talented, humble, yet confident. A quiet guy who leads by example. I’ve always thought of him as the Chase Utley of hockey. A player who does anything necessary to win and who will be a Flyer for the next decade.
Honorable Mention: Lindsay Carson, Ross Lonsberry, Mike Ricci, Dale Hawerchuk, Daymond Langkow, Brent Fedyk

19. Rick MacLeish
The Flyers acquired MacLeish from Boston in 1971 and the mustachioed one would score the only goal in the Stanley Cup clinching game against his former team in 1974. MacLeish ranks sixth in both goals and assists, and fourth in points in Flyers history. In 1972-73 he became the first Flyer to reach the 50-goal mark.
Honorable Mention: Scott Mellanby, Mikael Renberg, Scott Hartnell

20. Dave Poulin
Captain Courageous was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1983 and became the sixth captain in Flyers history, serving six seasons from 1984-1990. During that span, the Flyers captured three Patrick Division Championships and two Wales Conference titles. Poulin represented the Flyers in two NHL All-Star games and was a member of the NHL All-Star team that participated in Rendez-Vous ‘87. He also claimed the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward in 1987. He became the 18th member of the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2004. Poulin may be best remembered for his breakaway goal while two-men down in Game 6 of the 1985 Wales Conference Final against Mario Gosselin and the Quebec Nordiques. I can hear Gene Hart now…”He’s going right on in….shoots….score!!”
Honorable Mention: Jimmy Watson

Published
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Bill
on March 16, 2009
in Flyers
. 2 Comments

The perfect way to say Goodbye to the Spectrum

The Sixers put on a tremendous show as they played their final game at the Spectrum Friday night.

It was a reminder of all that was great about being a Sixers fan in the 70s and 80s. The intimate setting of the old barn. The classic red, white and blue unis. No useless music blaring during play. Dave Zinkoff.

The 76ers theme song (click here to listen) that always sounded so good when they played it on the organ as the game was winding down towards yet another Sixers win.

Clap your hands everybody
For Philadelphia 76ers
Stomp your feet, everybody
For Philadelphia 76ers
Here they come, Philadelphia
On the run, Stand up and cheer
#1, Philadelphia
Here they come, team of the year
On the run, Stand up and cheer
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Sixers
10, 9, 8, 76ers

The Doctor was there, along with Bobby Jones, Moses, Earl Cureton, Franklin Edwards, Clemon Johnson, Marc Iavaroni and Wali Jones. Sure, plenty of names were not present: Mo Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Billy C., Charles….but they were certainly there in spirit.

The team brought back a Zinkoff impersonator and the memories came rushing back at how a PA announcer could be such a big part of any game. Booosstonn calllllss tiimmmeeooutt!!!

The floor used during the magical ‘82-’83 season was refurbished and brought back for one more night on display.

Oh yeah, the game. The Sixers and Bulls put on a performance that I’m willing to bet wouldn’t have been nearly as entertaining or intense if it were across the lot at the Center.

I can’t believe how old I sound when I say I loved everything about Friday’s game. It reminded me once again how great sports can be when everything isn’t about money. The Spectrum was a true home court advantage. The fans were on top of you. No luxury boxes, Lexus clubs or cigar bars to distract you from the game. The hallways, locker rooms and press box were tiny. Now every city has its own ‘center’ that’s sponsored by some bank and all of them look alike. How many of today’s arenas can you say are a true advantage on their own merit? I can’t think of one. There are no more Boston Gardens, Fabulous Forums or Chicago Stadiums and it’s depressing.

I was at the game Wednesday night against Toronto and it wasn’t much fun. There were 30 people in the building for the start of the game, and that included the players. The constant music and sponsored gimmicks were nauseating. The current Sixer unis (can we get rid of those please?) remain an eyesore. Friday night’s game couldn’t have been the same team or league that I witnessed on Wednesday, could it? There was no comparison.

I know all good things must come to an end and change is the only constant we know. But for one night, I was reminded why I became a sports fan and why the Spectrum used to be the happiest place on earth for me.

Published
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Bill
on March 14, 2009
in 76ers and Flyers
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Flyers Get Second Chance at Second Half - What’s Ahead

Tonight, the Flyers opened the second half of the season with a 3-2 loss to the Panthers. With victories by both the Devils and Rangers, Philadelphia also lost ground in the Atlantic Division race. With last season’s 10-game February losing streak fresh in their mind and the brutal schedule ahead, the Flyers need a quick rebound performance Friday in Tampa.

1/30 at Lightning
Despite Tampa’s troubles this season, they have played the Flyers tough in all three meetings. The ‘Ning are 2-0-1 against Philly this season and are 7-2 in their last nine meetings in St. Pete. The Flyers catch a break in that Tampa plays the night before in Carolina while John Stevens’ crew gets two days to stew over the loss to the Panthers.

1/31 at Blues
Philadelphia has owned St. Louis over the years, running up a a staggering 82-38-17 lifetime record against the Blues, including five straight wins in the Gateway to the West. The Blues have the fewest points in the Western Conference but have won three of the last four entering Thursday. St. Louis features impressive rookie Patrik Berglund, the owner of 14 goals, as well as David Backes, who ranks third in the league in penalty minutes.

2/4 & 2/7 Home and Home vs Bruins
The Flyers return home Wednesday for their first meeting with the scorching Bruins. The B’s have again become relevant in Boston for the first time in recent memory. Boston has a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference thanks to tremendous speed and skill throughout their deep lineup. The defense is anchored by old nemesis Zdeno Chara, and Tim Thomas has been outstanding in net. Riley Cote has had some of his best fights as a Flyer against Shawn Thornton of the Bruins, so keep a black eye out for that. The Sixers host the Celtics on Tuesday, then Flyers-B’s on Wednesday. A good, old fashioned Philly-Boston lineup this week at Wachovia.

2/8 at Thrashers
In another meeting with their perennial whipping boys, Philadelphia heads south for a Sunday matinee with the Thrashers. Thirteen straight wins over Atlanta, including three this season, have the Flyers in place to pick up two key points. After receiving a 7-0 shellacking in Phillips Arena in late October, the Thrash played two tight games in Philly, before suffering their usual fate…a loss each time. Antero Niittymaki will likely take his place between the pipes, looking to improve on his 12-0 career record over Atlanta.

Published
by
Bill
on January 28, 2009
in Flyers
. 0 Comments

Top 5 Most Hated Flyers Rivals

In Philadelphia the concept of hating the opponents of the hometown team is instinctual from birth, and nurtured by loving parents. It really doesn’t matter if the team is the Cleveland Cavaliers or the St. Louis Rams - if you’re playing the Sixers or Eagles we hate you.

But of course there are some teams who raise the ire of Philadelphians more than others. In football it’s the Dallas Cowboys. For the Phils it’s the New York Freakin’ Mets. And in basketball it’s those Green SOB’s from Boston.

Today though as I return from the Caps game in DC I’m going to focus on who Flyers fans hate the most, because it was obvious the Caps fans relished beating the bullies from the north. The Washington Post named the Flyers one of the Caps most despised rivals yesterday.

With that here are the Top 5 Most Hated Flyers Opponents:

  1. New York Rangers - The Broadway Blueshirts are hands down the most reviled Flyers foe. Nothing stirs the blood of Flyers fans more than seeing those, as former Flyers head coach Bob McCammon called them, Smurfs. Just the mere presence of guys like Ron Duguay, Tomas Sandstrom, Tie Domi, and Jaromir Jagr got the dander up. The fans at Madison Square Garden chanting for Ron Hextall to buy a Porsche infuriating. Hometown boy Mike Richter and head coach Mike Keenan winning a Cup in NY despicable. Playoff upsets in 1982, 1983, and 1986 heartbreaking. And lets face it - we hate them simply because they play in NY.
  2. New Jersey Devils - Another geographic no-brainer, the Devils have flummoxed the Flyers for years. They’ve only been in NJ since 1982 but it seems like forever. Two crushing losses in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1995 (Claude Lemieux’s Game 5 blue line goal) and 2000, and the fact that outside of Marty Brodeur the faces may change but the frustration continues. Why does this team even exist? From playing in the swamps to the dregs of Newark, perpetually in the shadow of NY.
  3. Pittsburgh Penguins - I think it’s safe to say that Pittsburgh fans probably hate the Flyers more than we hate them, but what do you expect when they’ve been our whipping boys in Philadelphia for the past 40 years. That isn’t to say we have any love for them. Cross-state rivalry, the emergence of Cindy Crosby as the new favorite fan target at Wachovia, and the Pens finally breaking through the last season after going 0-3 against us in playoff series make for a prickly relationship. With young stars Crosby and Evgeni Malkin battling Mike Richards and Jeff Carter this rivalry will surely continue to fester for years to come.
  4. Washington Capitals - Once again, another team who hates us more than we hate them. Past domination, and the fact Flyers fans have always flooded home games and taken over the joint have pissed off the Cap fan for years. Historically we don’t have much to be miffed about except the Game 7 OT goal by the hated Dale Hunter completing a 3 games to 1 collapse in the 1988 playoffs. Recently the emergence of Alexander Ovechkin has made the Caps relevant once again in the NHL, but that doesn’t seem to have impressed Flyers fans. For visual evidence check out the “F*ck Ovechkin” video on YouTube.
  5. Buffalo Sabres - Anytime you meet the same team 6 times in the playoffs since 1995 animosity is sure to follow. Lindy Ruff was always in the middle of things - from the Sabres coach getting hit with a cup on the bench after being eliminated in 2000 playoffs to Ken Hitchcock telling Ruff to “f*ck off” after the 2006 Game 2 loss. Matthew Barnaby and his Sabres logo tooth, Dominik Hasek’s constant flopping and whining, and the fact that Buffalo always seemed to be the team that exposed the Flyers big, slow defensemen (1998, 2001, and 2006) are all reasons Flyers fans show little love for the Sabes. Plus, Buffalo still chafes from losing the Cup to the Flyers in 1975.
Published
by
Bill
on January 7, 2009
in Flyers
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