The Flyer Frequent

Until Next Season...

2009-04-25T18:15:00.001-04:00

.
..because sometimes a 3-0 lead just isn't enough.

World Penguin Day

2009-04-25T01:00:00.004-04:00

World Penguin Day is an annual "holiday," celebrated every year on April 25th. Yes, this April 25th. The day the Flyers fight for their playoff lives against the Penguins. Not real penguins, though. Just hockey players with pictures of penguins on their chests.

Playing real penguins would be kinda fun. They're good on ice, and would probably try to hatch the puck or something. And they're all about Daniel Briere's height, which would be fun for him.

It could be the last day of the Flyers' season, and this is the mind-blowing stuff I come up with. It's impressive, I know.

Hartless

2009-04-24T15:21:00.002-04:00

Following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and Madonna, anthemist extraordinaire Lauren Hart is off to Africa to get herself a baby. Which is fine.

What's a little questionable about this is the timing. Lauren decided the best time to go grab said baby is in April, ie playoff time, ie the time when she gets to sing "God Bless America" with a video recording of a dead woman.

So instead of a duet between a dead, absent woman and a live, present woman, the Flyers will open Game 6 with a duet between a dead, absent woman and a live, absent woman who apparently values babies over Jared Ross & Co.

How do you feel about Lauren Hart's priorities?

Six is a Magic Number

2009-04-24T01:58:00.002-04:00

Since the lockout, the Flyers have been a tough knockout. No team has been able to close out the Flyers in an elimination game if they didn't build up a lead of at least six goals. Six.

So in this Game 6, the Penguins theoretically will need to put in at least six goals.

Not gonna happen.

ECQF Game 5: Flyers 3 @ Penguins 0 - Penguins Lead Series 3-2

2009-04-24T00:29:00.006-04:00

That's more like it.

It was an odd, unfamiliar feeling having bounces go the Flyers' way.
As those of you who read The FF frequently should know, I have ALWAYS been an ardent defender of Daniel Carcillo, who has proved me right by being one of the Flyers' best these past two games. He got assists on the first two goals to finish a game best +2. Added to his goal in Game 4, he's picked it up nicely after that suspension.
One person I actually have been advocating for is Arron Asham, who again showed off some offensive chops with a laser of a shot to open the scoring, a goal that stood up to be the game winner.
That first goal held up because Martin Biron did what he needed to do. He didn't really even look his best, but nothing got past him (except Evgeni Malkin's kick-in). Tough to complain too much about a shut out.
Every Flyer forward except for two have scored. Those two? Joffrey Lupul and Danny Briere. Not to say their not earning they're pay (they aren't), I'm just thinking a little pride should kick in when Jared Ross is out-tallying you...
I realize he scored tonight, but Mike Knuble hasn't been much better than his two aforementioned goalless teammates. Hopefully that late goal gets him back on track.
I guess it makes sense to keep trying, so good on 'em, but anyone else think it was a little odd that Bylsma pulled Marc-Andre Fleury with just over a minute left, down by three? Can't say I've seen that before.
The Pittsburgh fans were quiet the whole game, and deserted their team halfway through the third. The Igloo didn't look more than half full with five minutes left, which is pretty disgraceful for a playoff game, no matter the score.

The action now shifts back to The Wach for Game 6, on Saturday at 3 PM on NBC and CBC. The Penguins haven't outplayed the Flyers since Game 1. That was more than a week ago.

Good things can and will happen.

Let's go Flyers.

ECQF Game 4 Review: Penguins 3 @ Flyers 1 - Penguins Lead Series 3-1

2009-04-22T13:02:00.004-04:00

Oh well.

I've been saying Marc-Andre Fleury was the key to this thing the whole time, and Game 4 certainly proved this. Flyers dominated this game and had nothing to show for it.
What really killed the Flyers was not getting a goal real early. The Flyers came out blazing in the first ten minutes, while the Pens and even Fleury looked a little flat out of the gate. Getting an early goal woulda been huge, but Pittsburgh weathered the storm, got a super crappy goal from Sidney Crosby putting himself in the net before the puck, and they never looked back.
With Daniel Carcillo of all people scoring (finally), the stage really was set for a huge goal in those waning minutes of the third. The Flyers played their worst hockey of the game inconveniently after Biron got pulled, which made for a pretty anti-climactic end to what could have been a pretty epic comeback.

This is what it must have been like for Montreal fans last year, watching your team dominate games and doubling up the other team's shot count, hitting post after post, not being able to score any damn goals while the opponent takes advantage of seemingly every opportunity they get. It's not fun.

There's no doubt in my mind that the Flyers "deserve" a lot better than to be down 3-1 at this point. One of those post shots goes in from Game 4, Carter buries that empty net in Game 2, and it's a whole different series.

Which is why I'm fairly sure the series is over, but Game 5 certainly isn't. The Flyers have not been outplayed at all since Game 1, and seem to know it. They get some bounces to finally go their way, and this thing could very easily be headed back to Philadelphia for a Game 6.

Let's Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 4 Preview: Penguins @ Flyers - Penguins Lead Series 2-1 - 4/21/09

2009-04-21T13:17:00.004-04:00

Whenever I start thinking about this Game 4 tonight, my arms start twitching, my palms get all sweaty, my mouth gets all dry, I get short of breath and feel like I'm about to pass out. All of which makes typing pretty difficult. Damn, I love the playoffs.

Last year's Game 4 against Pittsburgh didn't really matter. The Flyers were down 3-0, and while winning it and avoiding the sweep was nice, it still only gave them a (generous) 13% chance of taking the series.

This year is totally different. A win tonight and it's a tie ballgame, a best-of-three for a spot in the second round. Flyers would have all the momentum, and the Penguins would be crying even more than usual.

And on the other side, a loss tonight would be fatal. As much as the Flyers "made it a series" by winning Game 3, they would completely unmake the series by losing tonight. It would be over. I'd say there was still hope, but I'd be lying.

So with all that in mind, here we go...

Why the Flyers Will Win:

Because the Flyers are really, really good. Their depth is absolutely nuts, with any of around eight of them completely capable of having a multi-goal game tonight.
The Flyers should have all the momentum tonight. They outplayed the Penguins in Game 3 and most of Game 2. The Flyers could be overconfident and had trouble stringing wins together down the stretch, but if there is any momentum it will be squarely with the orange team.
As you should have read earlier, the Flyers are money in Game 4s. They've won five straight and eight of their last nine. I'm not sure if this means anything, but it's good all the same.
I have no evidence for this, but I feel like the Flyers are going to get pretty favorable officiating tonight. They're really due.

Why the Penguins Will Win:

Because the Flyers have been completely incapable of containing Evgeni Malkin. He's leading the league with seven points in these playoffs. Seven points in three games.
I didn't know which section to put this in, but once again I think this game is completely in Marc-Andre Fleury's small French Canadian hands. If he bounces back big from his Game 3 disappointment, it will spell trouble for the Flyers. If he doesn't, the Flyers win.
Because the Penguins are getting more used to the Wach by now. If you think that the crowd was a big factor in Game 3, you gotta realize that it won't be as big a factor tonight. Add that to the fact that Flyer fans won't be given any free orange shirts (sorry), and life should be a little easier for the Pens.

Prediction: Flyers win 3-2. OT. Epic.

Puck drops at 7, on Versus, CBC, CSN Philadelphia, and FSN Pittsburgh.

Do it to it, boys.

The Flyers Get Creepy...for You!

2009-04-20T19:51:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure what's creepiest about this. The horrible acting, the way you can't see John Stevens while he's talking to you, or the way your phone actually rings. It's serious scary movie material.

Don't visit this link in the dark.

http://www.channel1media.com/flyers/2009/

Fourth Time's the Charm

2009-04-20T16:33:00.005-04:00

Whether or not they win the series, the Flyers have had phenomenal success in Game 4s over the past five seasons. The Flyers have won eight of their past nine Game 4s, including their past five in a row. That's crazy good.

Some highlights (the ones I could find):

2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 4 vs. New Jersey

2004 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 vs. Tampa Bay

2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 4 vs. Buffalo

2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Game 4 vs. Washington

2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 4 vs. Montreal

2008 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 vs. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has lost their last three Game 4s. Unimpressive.

Recap: Flyers are good, Penguins are bad.

Do it to it, boys.

ECQF Game 3: Penguins 3 @ Flyers 6 - Penguins Lead Series 2-1

2009-04-19T18:16:00.006-04:00

3

@

And we have a series.

All that orange is a beautiful thing. From the T-shirts (which the Penguins were too cheap to give out this year) to the Kate Smith, it's easily the best playoff atmosphere in any sport. And I say that as a completely impartial observer.
It definitely got pretty scary there in the early second, with the Penguins erasing a two-goal cushion in like twenty-five seconds of playing time. Sure the Flyers had the lead for 53 minutes of this game and never trailed, but those seven minutes weren't fun. The Frenchies got together and decided that not having the lead was no good, and decided that they (Martin Biron, Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and Daniel Briere) should start playing really well. And it was a beautiful thing to see.
Claude Giroux is such a great human being. Not only did he get a real pretty goal, a prettier assist, and the prettiest fight (that he only got roughing for), he also has managed to grow a playoff beard that is almost as orange as his jersey. It's a great look.
The main thing to take home from tonight's game is that I really know what I'm talking about. I've been saying all series long that the key is whether or not Marc-Andre Fleury plays well, and tonight was another shining example of that. Fleury stunk up the joint wire to wire, with a save percentage around 82%. And the Flyers won. Game 4 will largely balance on how he bounces back.
As much as dumping on Daniel Carcillo is the pasttime here, I gotta say he had a pretty decent game today. He was one of only four Flyer forwards who didn't spend any time in the box, and didn't do anything too boneheaded. I still think Luca Sbisa contributes more, but it worked out alright today.
The only thing I noticed Sidney Crosby do all game was get face washed by Darroll Powe, who by the way is having one hell of a series.
Congrats to Jared Ross on choosing a pretty good occasion to score his first NHL goal.

Tuesday is now the hugest night of everyone's life. Git 'er tied, boys.

Orange--You Glad?

2009-04-19T13:11:00.003-04:00

Today for the first time since May 3rd, 1999, the Flyers will wear orange for a playoff game. This is the first time since April 6th, 1969, that the Flyers will wear orange for a home playoff game.

I apologize for how uninteresting that is, and I apologize to myself for wasting so much time figuring those dates out.

The Last Playoff Game at the Wach

2009-04-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 2: Flyers 2 @ Penguins 3 (OT) - Penguins Lead Series 2-0

2009-04-18T14:03:00.004-04:00

2

@

3 (OT)

Well that sucked.

Losing but playing well really isn't enough. Moral victories mean nothing this time of year, though this game was infinitely better than Game 1. The Flyers controlled play most of the way, and had the lead with less than four minutes remaining. Can't get too much closer.
NEVER have I heard of a 5-on-3 in overtime in the playoffs before. Neither call was terrible, but both were unfortunate. Claude Giroux's penalty especially was just bad luck, as he would not have gotten a call at all if these composite sticks didn't break so easily.
Jeff Carter's inability to bury that shot with Marc-Andre Fleury way out of position was absolutely killer. I really have no other words to describe it.
Martin Biron was great, except for in overtime. The goal was pretty soft, but way worse than that was when he inexplicably came out to like the blue line to challenge a racing Penguin for a puck. He barely won the battle, but NO way was it worth the risk. Not in regulation in the regular season, much less overtime in the playoffs. Had he been a half step slower, the game would have ended right there, in about the worst fashion imagineable. But all in all, he was good.

The focus at this point has to be on extending the series one game at a time. Winning Game 3 means there will be a Game 5. Winning Games 3 and 4 means there will be a Game 6. Baby steps.

Game 3 puck drops at 3 on NBC. Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 2: Flyers @ Penguins 4/17/09 (Penguins Lead 1-0)

2009-04-17T14:34:00.004-04:00

The biggest game of the year. If the Flyers lose, as far as I'm concerned, all hope is lost. Insert your own favorite cliche here. Tonight is cliche city.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

Because they have to. The Flyers are going to be desperate, and hopefully were embarrassed by their play in Game 1. There's a lot to prove. They will be better if they have any pride.
The Flyers played their best near the end of the game. Maybe some good momentum got started? Maybe?
How can Pittsburgh not underestimate these Flyers? Every talking head is saying that the series is over, how the Flyers are a terrible team, etc. The Flyers could very well catch them sleeping.
Daniel Carcillo is not a playoff calibre player, and the Flyers will be better off without him. Hopefully Luca Sbisa can provide some sort of spark.

Why the Penguins Will Win:

If Game 2 looks anything like Game 1, the Penguins will win. The Flyers were far from being in the contest at any point, so a lot has to change fast.
The main problem the Flyers have had against the Penguins dating back to last year's playoffs is a complete inability to solve Marc-Andre Fleury. Second to the penalties, it was the main reason the Flyers lost Game 1. Keeping shots high and sending somebody to run him over repeatedly (I nominate Hartnell) could do a lot of good. But if nothing changes, it will be trouble.
Normally I would say that the big advantage in penalties against that the Penguins held in Game 1 would mean some balancing out in Game 2. But the Carcillo suspension will just reinforce notions of the Flyers being goons. Expect whistles early and often.

If anybody is thinking along these lines, yes the Flyers did lose both Games 1 and 2 in Buffalo in 2006 and come back to tie the series by winning both Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. So it can be done. But both those Flyers wins were flukes, and the Flyers deservedly got destroyed in Games 5 and 6.

Prediction: Penguins win 3-0. I pray I'm wrong.

Puck drops at 7 on CSN Philadelphia, Versus, and CBC.

Let's go Flyers (clap clap clapclap clap).

Carcillo vs. Sbisa By The Numbers

2009-04-17T09:23:00.003-04:00

During the much maligned Daniel Carcillo era, the Flyers have gone 10-10-1, which makes for a 47.6% winning percentage.

During the Luca Sbisa era (October-January), the Flyers went 26-14-9, good for a 53.1% winning percentage. They also had a much greater percentage of their losses in OT, which of course is largely meaningless in playoffs, but speaks to the losses being closer.

All in all, good news. Unless you read between the lines...

The record during the interregnum between Carcillo and Sbisa? 8-4-1, good for a 61.5% winning percentage. That was the stretch leading up to the Upshall-Carcillo trade, since which the Flyers have only won 47.6% of their games. That's a drop-off of about 14 percent, which is pretty huge.

I promise I'll try not to say anything more about Scottie Upshall the remainder of the playoffs. I'll try to try. But it's so hard...

My Name is Luca, I Play in the Second Game

2009-04-17T08:42:00.003-04:00

An angel descending from the north (see the halo?), Luca Sbisa makes his triumphant return to Flyerland in what is only the biggest game of the season. Welcome back, little Swiss guy.

Daniel Carcillo finally got the Flyers on the suspension board this season, after being held suspensionless for an uncharacteristic 83 games. He'll have to watch from the press box, where scared reporters will try not to make eye contact with him for fear of him biting off their faces.

So what does Sbisa's return mean? Sbisa and Carcillo combined for zero goals this season, true, but Sbisa has the excuse of playing on defense most all of his time with the Flyers, whereas Carcillo's only excuse is that he's terrible.

Sbisa will be on offense tonight, which was always fun to watch. He is crazy fast and plays like he's crazy small (even though he's allegedly 6'2''), bouncing around wildly like a ping-pong ball. Whether he's good or not is not really important--he'll be a different look for the Penguins to deal with, and has to be a pain to play against. Facing Luca Sbisa on offense has to be like playing poker against someone who has no idea what the rules are. They have no idea what they're doing, but neither do you, so it's dangerous for both.

So please, Luca, do big things tonight. The bar is set dangerously low, just be careful not to trip over it.

They're Trying to Take My Carcillo Away!

2009-04-16T12:36:00.002-04:00

The NHL will hold a hearing with Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo at 3 p.m. ET Thursday to discuss an incident that took place during the Flyers' Game 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-1, Wednesday night.

The NHL spoke with all coaches and general managers prior to the start of the playoffs informing them there would be no "message sending" during the latter stages of games. Carcillo got involved with the Penguins' Max Talbot near the end of the game.

The Flyers acquired Carcillo, 24, at the trade deadline in exchange for Scottie Upshall and a 2011 second round draft pick. He scored 3 goals and 11 assists in 74 games this season, picking up 254 penalty minutes.

Link

Prayers answered (albeit late). Here's hoping they ban him and reverse the Upshall trade...

ECQF Game 1: Flyers 1 @ Penguins 4 - Penguins Lead Series 1-0

2009-04-15T21:50:00.011-04:00

1

@

Can't get too much worse, right? Right...?

The Flyers can't afford to think everything was okay in this game, and that they'll just bounce back. Because it wasn't, and they won't. The Flyers have to do exactly what they did after that horrible performance in Toronto not so long ago. Beat themselves up over it, change shit, and come out firing, and score five goals in the first period. That would be good.
The Flyers just did not look good. Any of them. Braydon Coburn looked okay. Maybe Mike Richards wasn't bad. But nobody was great. Jared Ross may well have been the third best player on the ice. Not good.
Just about every Flyer forward was totally invisible tonight, except for the two previously mentioned, Scott Hartnell, and Claude Giroux.
Arron Asham's penalty was really weak. Led to the first goal, and the game seemed over from there on. That's the only whining I can muster out of this--the Flyers didn't deserve to win at all.
Martin Biron was pretty mediocre. No terrible goals, but he could have had the first three. Especially the third, from Evgeni Malkin. Those are the kind of weird breakdown goals that the Penguins seem to get a lot vs. our boys. No reason for Biron not to start Game 2, it really isn't debatable. He hasn't been immaculate, sure, but Antero Niittymaki has been just bad lately, so putting him in really shouldn't be an option.
That guy who predicted that the Penguins would win Game 1 by the score of 4-1? He must be a freakin' genius.

The split is what we needed, and the split is still in play. Game 2 becomes a must win now, no way around that.

On This Day Last Year...

2009-04-15T10:01:00.002-04:00

...The Flyers took their first lead of the playoffs, winning Game 3 against the Capitals 6-3 to go up two games to one in the first round.

One year later, the Flyers go into Pittsburgh looking to take their first lead of the playoffs tonight.

If that doesn't get you excited for this game, you don't have a pulse.

Go Flyers.

ECQF Game 1 Preview: Flyers @ Penguins 4/15/09

2009-04-15T08:53:00.007-04:00

Holy crap, we're here. As of writing this, there's about nine hours until the Flyers begin their run in the playoffs. It's been three hundred and thirty-two days since the Flyers last played a playoff game. That's a long time. A LONG time.

(This is mostly general stuff for the whole series, but it's mostly for tonight).

Why the Flyers Will Win:

Because they've got something to prove. About 97% of pundits are picking Pittsburgh to win this series, which is pretty ridiculous for a 4 vs 5 match-up. Plenty of bulletin board material.
Because the Penguins' record against the Flyers this year is really deceptive. They won four of the six, sure, but one of those was in a shootout (in a game the Flyers were leading with three minutes left), and the other was because of this shit.
Because the Penguins' record against the Flyers this year is really irrelevant. The Flyers had a winning record against the Penguins in the regular season last year, and we all know how much that meant. The Flyers also did not have winning records last regular season against either Washington or Montreal, and we all know how much that meant too.
Braydon Coburn. Kimmo Timonen. Simon Gagne. Claude Giroux. None of them were around last year. Those additions plus the subtractions of Ryan Malone, Marian Hossa, and Derian Hatcher should mean good things.
Last time the Flyers and Penguins played, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for zero points. And more importantly, zero shots. This is a team with it's current lineup that knows how to shut them down.

Why the Penguins Will Win:

Goaltending. I definitely don't dump on Martin Biron as much as the rest of the world does, but I don't think he matches up well against Marc-Andre Fleury. Mostly because Fleury is the key to the Penguins success, and doesn't get anywhere near the credit he should for it. Ever since Fleury got rid of those yellow pads, he's been real good. The Flyers scored a combined eight goals on him in five games last year (plus an empty netter). That's a GAA of 1.60. Which is real good.
The Penguins ended the season in the right way, winning their last few games pretty convincingly, finishing a run that saw them move up all the way from tenth to fourth. The Flyers, on the other hand, finished the season by blowing three different leads against the Rangers to squander home ice.

Prediction: Penguins take Game 1, by a score of 4-1. Shaky night for Biron. He'll have a big Game 2, though.

Split!

2009-04-15T08:24:00.003-04:00

As is always the onus for the higher seed in any playoff series, the Flyers need to get a split in Pittsburgh. Whether they want to win Game 1 or Game 2 doesn't matter, as long as they get one of them. In the playoffs last year, every higher seed that got a split (or better) in their first two games on the road went on to win the series (except one, Calgary who lost in seven). Underdogs went six for seven in series where they got the split, and zero for eight in series where they didn't come away with a split. It's that simple.

The Flyers followed that formula beautifully. They managed splits in both Washington and Montreal, and won both those series. They couldn't split in Pittsburgh, and lost the series.

So the Flyers need to win one of these two. Tonight would be nice. Game 2 on Friday would be nice. Both would be nicer. But please, Flyers, get at least one. Or else this Salmon will be a very sad fish.

Scoreboards Make Me Fired Up

2009-04-14T15:52:00.007-04:00

Ever since I've been going to Flyers games (which is approximately since I was five days old), or any other sports event for that matter, I always loved scoreboards. A big part of it is doubtlessly my fascination with anything shiny with a lot of flashing lights,

Next to ones showing a win for whoever I like, my favorite scoreboard is the one before the game starts. 0-0, all the time remaining. No matter how lopsided the match up is, everybody goes into every game tied (except those weird combined score soccer back-to-back two-game series, and the final day of Jeopardy tournaments). 0-0 makes everybody nervous. 0-0 means anything can happen. 0-0 means nobody might ever score, ever, for like 29 overtimes. You never can tell.

Shit I'm good. I should write Nike commercials.

And it's with that spirit of tabula rasa in mind that I introduce The Flyer Frequent's newest feature, a scoreboard that will keep track of the score in games of the Flyers-Penguins series, as well as the Flyers-Capitals, Flyers-Bruins, and Flyers-Blackhawks series when they roll around. It'll be on the sidebar, replacing that breathtakingly stable Daniel Carcillo goal count meter. It'll be updated pretty irregularly, so you may want to find a back up news source, just in case.

So for now, here's what we got.

0-0, baby. Gotta love it.

The Penguins' Deluded View of History

2009-04-14T06:01:00.006-04:00

One of my most prized possessions is a VHS from 1989 called "Never Say Die," which goes into really ridiculous detail on the Flyers' 1988-89 season, including a long
segment about what the team did to kill time while in Winnipeg. Really must see stuff.

But since the video is impossible to find and will likely never make it to YouTube, I had to find an alternate source for clips on the Flyers-Penguins first ever playoff meeting, in 1989. And yes, it really did take 21 years for the cross-state Penguins to face the Flyers in the playoffs even though they joined the league in 1967-68, because the Penguins were just horrendous in the first half of their existence. The flightless birds only won three playoff series in their first twenty-one seasons, whereas the Flyers had won three playoff series in a season five times by the time 1989 rolled around. That had to be pretty embarrassing for not just the Penguins and their fans, but everyone in the league.

So in lieu of Never Say Die, I found a clip on the 'Tube from what appears to be the Penguins equivalent of Never Say Die. Except that unlike Never Say Die, this Penguins video, inexplicably titled "There's a Team in the Building," is completely on crack. There's some bold-faced bias that even a Fox News anchor would have to shake his head at.

If you don't pay really close attention to the narration, you'll assume the Penguins won this series, when in reality they lost it to a pretty mediocre Flyers team that wouldn't make the playoffs again for the next five years.

Did you catch any Flyers wins in there? They mentioned the Flyers winning game two while showing a Penguin scoring and fans in the Igloo applauding. The mention of the Flyers winning Game 4 was made while the Penguins were shown celebrating their Game 3 win. Game 6's mention is a sentence fragment. The Flyers win in Game 7 mentions a more complete thought, but tries to diminish the win by saying the Flyers "stole" it. Takes some balls to say that a team "stole" a game they won 4-1.

I do realize that getting mad at the narration of a VHS from 20 years ago might not be the most relevant way to prepare for the playoffs, but I care not. Let's just hope the Penguins' 2009 VHS is equally dismissive of these upcoming four Flyer wins.

Stale Hate

2009-04-14T04:06:00.005-04:00

One of the many frustrating things about playing Pittsburgh in the first round is that it deprives Flyers fans of the opportunity to get to hate someone new. Last year saw the Flyers face both the Capitals and Canadiens for the first time since the 1980s. Part of the reason I was looking forward to playing the Hurricanes was because it would mean playing a new team, getting acquainted with and falling in hate with a whole new group of people, a whole new fanbase.

Instead, we get to play the Penguins. Our big rival. The team who broke our hearts last year.

Yawn.

Playing the Penguins, as someone else put it somewhere (how's that for citation), is like dessert before the icing. Every Pittsburgh game is such an treat. But it's a treat we've had a lot before. Playing the Penguins in the first round is like eating the first eleven chocolate eclair ice cream bars in the box in one sitting (which is awesome because they're delicious), and then having eating the twelfth one because Gary Bettman is forcing you to. You enjoyed the first eleven, but you're pretty damn full, and you know that this last Pittsburgh-colored chocolate eclair ice cream bar would taste a lot better if you could just wait a while. I wish there was time before eating this last eclair bar to get the previous eleven out of your systems in what would certainly be an epic trip to the bathroom. I'm guessing that's how a lot of the Flyers (and maybe the Penguins) are feeling right now, especially the always constipated Andrew Alberts and Hal Gill.

And that's a big part of the reason I haven't had a lot to say about this series. I've got epic brain freeze, I'm full, and a little nauseous at the thought of having to cram more of this crap down my throat.

I'll recover by 7:01 pm Wednesday, I'm sure, but in the mean time I'm gonna need some Tums. Or maybe Alyonka Larionov can teach me how to be bulimic.

The Times

2009-04-13T02:04:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, April 15	at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Friday, April 17	at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Sunday, April 19	at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m.	NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday, April 21	at Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m.	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Thursday, April 23	at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m.	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
*Saturday, April 25	at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m.	NBC, CBC
*Monday, April 27	at Pittsburgh, TBD	VERSUS, CBC

For those of you keeping score at home, the Flyers will play a maximum of ONE home night game during this series. Ridiculous.

The Stupidest Thing I've Heard So Far Today

2009-04-12T15:40:00.004-04:00

"Alexander Ovechkin [is] probably going to be the Conn Smythe trophy winner when this thing is over." -Mike Milbury on NBC

That's right, Mike Milbury is predicting the MVP of the playoffs before they start. He's not sure if the Caps will make it out of the first round, but he is sure that Ovechkin will be the MVP. Ovechkin could win, sure, but saying that it is "probable" before the Caps win a series (which the Caps haven't done since 1998) is pretty indefensible. Saying anything about the Conn Smythe before the finals is unconscionably dumb.

The only thing Mike Milbury ever did was drive the Islanders into the ground as GM, so why he's ever been paid to be an "expert" is beyond me. Unless, of course, the hiring director at NBC is a grateful Rangers fan.

Home Ice Matters. A Lot.

2009-04-12T02:08:00.004-04:00

After winning two series as an underdog last season, home ice might not seem that important. But against our first round opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins, it most certainly does.

Compared the all-time home and road records against the Penguins, and you'll see why.

Home (in Philadelphia) : 89W-24L-8T (78.8 win %)

Away (in Pittsburgh) : 43W-46L-22T (43.3 win %)

That's a HUGE 35.5% difference.

So please, Flyers, get a point against the Blueshirts tonight. It's practically Game 1 of the first round.

It's Pittsburgh

2009-04-11T21:52:00.004-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins have come all the way back from 10th place in the East to a tie for fourth, and they will face the Flyers in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs in the 4 vs 5 match up, a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers need at least one point against the Rangers on Sunday in order to get home ice for the series against Pittsburgh. The Rangers are locked into seventh, so hopefully they don't come out too motivated.

For my money the Flyers and Penguins are the two playoff-toughest in the East. Shame they have to meet this early.

Take a Dive, Crosby

2009-04-11T16:35:00.003-04:00

Tonight, for the first time, I'd actually like to see Sidney Crosby take a dive.

If the Penguins lose in regulation tonight, the Flyers will face the Penguins in the first round. If the Penguins lose in regulation, the Flyers will have home ice advantage and face the Hurricanes in the first round.

Please please please please please please.

The Penguins tanked their last game last year in order to avoid playing the Flyers in the first round--they even gave Crosby the game off. No reason to think they shouldn't do the same this year.

So please Pittsburghers give Crosby, Malkin, Sykora, Fleury, Gonchar, Bylsma, Kunitz, and Guerin the night off. We don't want any part of each other in the first round, Pittsburgh. It's all in your hands.

The Canadiens might not try their best either tonight, probably preferring playing their rival Boston over Washington in the first round. If both teams are trying to tank tonight, it could be a mess of epic proportions.

Joffrey Lupul: Homewrecker

2009-04-11T07:01:00.003-04:00

Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia decided to air a big, in-depth, hard hitting playoff preview show this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in order to build up their playoff coverage. Not a bad idea. You would assume there would be a breakdown of the Flyers' and their opponent's strengths and weaknesses, how they match up against each other, maybe a review of previous contests this season. You would assume that. But you would be oh so wrong.

Instead of focusing on the X's and O's, Comcast and Steve Coates have decided to focus on the eternal struggle between a man's wife and his teammate who he is apparently cheating on her with.

In an odd hybrid of The Newlywed Game and Jerry Springer called "Affairs of the Hart," Steve Coates puts pits Joffrey Lupul and Lisa Hartnell against one another in the most recent of their many battles for Scott Hartnell's love.

One would think Lisa would have the advantage Scott's wife, but Joffrey gets to sit next to Scott on flights to exotic destinations like Columbus, playing his guitar seductively as they get lost in each other's eyes.

It's a horribly public for this love triangle to fight itself out. Joffrey's answers get all the laughs, while Lisa is left to nervously laugh at her own responses, met with only silence.

Lisa tries to win Scott's heart back by cooking him some dinner (after he annoys his teammates and coaches at practice):

And Scott repays her by cooking an elaborate dinner for two with all sorts of special secret ingredients, the most special of all the ingredients being a generous sprinkling of love:

Except, as you can see, Lisa wasn't invited to this romantic dinner for two in her own home. Scott waited until she was out of town and called over his true love, Joffrey, to share in this meal of the heart.

"But Salmon, guys are always making romantic salad dinners for one another!"

Riiiight.

Is Joffrey Lupul destroying the Hartnells' marriage? Probably. Joffrey better watch his back, though--Lisa's just sitting around with nothing to do but practice shooting him in the head over and over again on the two Buck Hunter machines in her apartment.

Game #81 Preview: Flyers @ Islanders 4/11/09

2009-04-11T03:51:00.003-04:00

Last road game of the regular season. Here's hoping the last post-season road game is in another time zone.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The Flyers are 5-0-0 in their previous meetings with the Islanders this season. I'm sensing a pattern there.
The Islanders have been really bad lately. REALLY BAD. With nothing to play for (and every loss helping their draft lottery chances in the Tavares Sweepstakes), the Islanders haven't been trying. Believe it or not, just like Michael Scott, there's a big difference between the Islanders trying and the Islanders not trying. The Islanders have lost their last two games by a combined score of 15-1. They're giving up an average of 2.5 goals a period, which is more than some teams have given up per game this year.
Ryan Parent is back from whatever was wrong with him, so the defense (which wasn't even bad without him) will be all the better.
Daniel Carcillo had his best game as a Flyer on Thursday. Still no scoring, but it's the closest he's come. Hopefully he takes advantage of the Islanders' shitty goaltending to get some momentum.

Why the Islanders Will Win:

This is the definition of a trap game. It's impossible for the Flyers not to be thinking ahead to the playoffs, and even the Rangers tomorrow. Hopefully this team has more focus than that.
If I'm the Flyers, losing this game wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Dropping to sixth would mean losing home ice, yes, but it would also mean avoiding the hot Hurricanes and Penguins and facing the cold Devils in the first round. Not a terrible idea, maybe?

Prediction: Islanders win 4-1 in a game that unnerves many in Flyerland. Sorry.

Atlantic Cruise Control

2009-04-10T06:00:00.005-04:00

For the third consecutive season, the Atlantic Division will send four teams to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flyers, Penguins, Devils, and Rangers are the same foursome as last year, with the Islanders making it over the Flyers in 2007. The Atlantic Division made history in 2008 by being the first Eastern Conference division to send four teams in back to back years, and makes even more history this season by being the first team in either conference to do it three seasons in a row.

The Atlantic Division also is the only division never to have sent fewer than three teams to the playoffs in any season. This compares pretty favorably to the Southeast, who has never sent more than two teams to the playoffs in any season.

The Atlantic Division carried their tradition of regular season domination into the playoffs last season, with none of the four Atlantic Division squads losing a series to a non-Atlantic team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. In the playoffs, the Atlantic teams went a combined 12-4, with Pittsburgh sweeping Ottawa and the Flyers ousting the champions of both the Northeast and Southeast in five and seven games, respectively.

Congratulations, Atlantic Division. You're pretty damn good at this sport. And to the Islanders, well...at least you'll get a decent draft pick?

Game #80 Review: Flyers 1 @ Rangers 2 4/9/09

2009-04-10T04:08:00.004-04:00

Eh, we'll get em on Sunday.

What a horrible way to start a hockey game. Biron gets shoved into the net, and there's no whistle, and the Rangers take the lead in the first minute. The Flyers played pretty well (though they're not finishing their chances well), and deserved better than to have the game marred by that crap.
This is the second time that I've blamed the officials for a loss, which is pretty low. The only other time I blamed the refs? The last game at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers. Hmm...
Daniel Carcillo is certainly persona non grata in these parts, but he was alright tonight. Scoring just one goal will cure a lot. Not that I'll stop dumping on him, but at least this unimpressive stat will go away: Carcillo has scored zero goals in eighteen games as a Flyer. But in his one game against the Flyers this year as a Coyote, he managed to score a goal. Not cool. Oh, and Scottie Upshall managed to score again tonight...
Martin Biron looked good--neither goal was his fault, and he didn't get rattled from that BS first goal.
Hurricanes lost for the first time in forever, which keeps the Flyers tenuous hold on fourth in tact. Pittsburgh won, though, so there are now three teams tied at 96 points. The Flyers have two games left to Carolina and Pittsburgh's one apiece, but as of now have the fewest wins of the three, which is the tiebreaker.

Only two more games left in the entire regular season, at Islanders on Saturday and vs. the Rangers on Sunday. Saturday is a potential trap game, and would be incredibly easy to overlook, with the Rangers and a little thing called the playoffs on the horizon.

Game #80 Preview: Flyers @ Rangers 4/9/09

2009-04-09T17:55:00.005-04:00

The Flyers are in, but still can finish anywhere between third and sixth, with home ice or without it, against Carolina, Pittsburgh, or even New Jersey. So these last three games against the New York teams are big.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The Flyers are much better than the Rangers. That oughta count for something.
Next to the Penguins, it's pretty safe to say that the Rangers are this team's least liked opponent. The Flyers would undoubtedly love to keep the Rangerss out.

Why the Rangers Will Win:

David Sloane, who has never before played a game at ANY professional level, will be starting tonight for the Flyers in place of the injured Ryan Parent. I'm not sure why it's not Luca Sbisa making his triumphant return, but it's probably a cap issue. Work it out, Holmgren. Jared Ross, John Kalinski, and Luca Sbisa are all much better than Danny Syvret, Andreas Nodl, and whoever this Sloane clown is.
This could be the Rangers' last home game 'til October, potentially. That could be some motivation for them.

Prediction: Rangers win 3-1. No idea why.

How Close We've Come

2009-04-08T15:08:00.011-04:00

Brace yourselves, dear readers, because this is probably the best work I've ever done. The Flyers may or may not be hitting their peak as the playoffs approach, but I certainly am.

Now that the Flyers are officially in the playoffs, I figured it's high time to look to the past to try to find the algorithms, decipher the codes of past results to figure out exactly how well the Flyers will do in the playoffs this year.

Looking at data of number of playoff games won, playoff series won, and series played each year didn't yield a whole lot of useful results, because the number of rounds and lengths of series in the playoffs has changed a few times since 1968. So I figured the best way to put every year in historical perspective was to look at how close the Flyers came to winning the number of playoff games necessary to win the cup each year as a percentage.

Here's the graph, you should click on it to see it bigger:
And if you're for some reason dying to see the X and Y flipped, here it is sideways:

So what can we glean from this gold mine of information? Several things:

Keeping Momentum is not the Flyers' strong point (What Goes Up Must Come Down Hard). Very rarely have the Flyers followed up success with success (which is different from not improving, see #3). There has only been one stretch in the entire forty season history of the team in which the Flyers were able to put together consecutive seasons of getting 50% or more of the way to the Stanley Cup. That stretch, not surprisingly, was from 1974-76, when the Flyers made the finals three straight seasons. The Flyers have gotten at least 50% of the way to the Stanley Cup (semifinals/Conference Finals) an extremely impressive thirteen times in their forty seasons, almost a third of the time. But only during this one 1974-76 stretch did the Flyers ever manage to put any of those thirteen back to back. This, theoretically, bodes poorly for these 2009 playoffs. But no better time to break the streak than the present.
"Back With a Vengeance" is more than just an advertising slogan (What Comes Down Goes Back Up Big). When the Flyers go a season or more without winning a playoff game but then recover, they're at their most dangerous. In 1973, the Flyers followed up not making the playoffs in 1972 by winning a playoff series for the first time. In 1985, the Flyers followed up two first round sweeps in 1983 and 1984 by making the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1995, after missing the playoffs for five straight seasons from 1990 to 1994, the Flyers got back on track by making the conference finals. And in 2008, the Flyers recovered from finishing dead last in the league in 2007 by making the conference finals. This is a team that knows how to bounce back.
Improvement comes often, rarely stays around. Only three times in their history have the Flyers done better from one year to the next in consecutive seasons. The Flyers improved in both '73 and '74, both '99 and '00, and both '03 and '04. The improvement in 1999 is pretty minor, though, as the Flyers only improved in that they lost their first round series in 1998 in five games, but lost their 1999 first round series in six. I don't think anybody really saw that as a step in the right direction. Never have the Flyers improved three years in a row, though 1973-75 saw the improvement end in '75 only because the Flyers could not have possibly improved on their '74 Cup win--they merely repeated it.
Three Clearly Defined Eras, and now. The years/stretches when the Flyers won zero playoffs games split the history of the team pretty cleanly into three major eras, which can be accurately referred to as the Clarkeian Era, the Poulinian Era, and the LeClairian era, as those three players' stints with the team match up best with the team's runs of consecutive playoff-winning seasons, even if Poulin and LeClair weren't necessarily the faces of the franchise. The pre-Clarke era didn't see much playoff success, and the Richardsian era is too young as of now to really say much about it. I skipped over the lockout season in doing the line, but if it was there there would be a clearer demarcation between the LeClairian and Richardsian eras (with that odd Forsbergian 2006 season in-between).
Problems with this method are that it doesn't differentiate between missing the playoffs and getting swept in the first round, and that games won don't always reflect series won. The Flyers got swept in the first round four times, in 1969, 1971, 1983, and 1984. Getting swept in the first round is much better than missing the playoffs, but looks the same on the graph as the disastrous, cellar dwelling seasons of the early 1990s and 2006-2007. As for the second problem, it's best illustrated by the fact that the graph shows the Flyers as closer to winning the Cup in 2000 and 2004 when they lost in Game 7 of the conference finals than it does in 1976, when they got swept in the Stanley Cup finals.

So there you have it. History says that the Flyers will not be able to repeat their conference finals run of last season this year, but I choose to ignore that information. This is the dawning of the Richardsian Era, boys and girls, in which the Flyers improve every year and Stanley Cups will rain onto the streets of Philadelphia like satellites crashing down to earth. You might want to wear a helmet.

The Secret Revealed

2009-04-08T03:01:00.003-04:00

The Flyers are 23-0-3 in their last 26 games in which Jeff Carter has scored. That's unreal. So for the playoffs, it would be a good idea to make sure that Carter scores at least once a game. It's apparently that simple. (H/t Inquirer)

Game #79 Review: Panthers 1 @ Flyers 2 4/7/09

2009-04-08T00:46:00.006-04:00

1

@

The Flyers made the playoffs for the thirteenth time in fourteen seasons. But more importantly than that, they made the playoffs this year, and soon will be only 16 wins away from the Stanley Cup. That never stops being fun.

So many things went right tonight. The Flyers won, and clinched a playoff spot. Martin Biron played great. Jeff Carter played great. Pretty much the whole team played great, and against a legit team that had beaten the Flyers decisively twice before.
Daniel Carcillo finally played some on the fourth line! Finally! He still managed to be a -1 on the night.
More good news for the Flyers playoff chances--Riley Cote will be out 'til next season. We find the timing of his injuries right before the playoffs both this year and last suspicious, but we like it.
Matt Carle his first tagging on The FF for his nice play to set up Joffrey Lupul's goal. Congratulations, Matty, it's gotta be a big day for you.
If you're unclear on the definition of "shit-eating grin," watch Jeff Carter's interview here (he's up second) and all will be clear.
The Flyers do control their own destiny in terms of securing home ice, but it's still not nice to see the results rolling in the way they are. Carolina won BIG (9-0 over the Islanders), Pittsburgh won in Tampa, the Rangers beat the Canadiens, and the Devils lost to Toronto. Why is the Devils losing bad? Because they're looking like an awfully soft first round opponent right now, and I want at 'em.

Three games against the New York two to wrap up the regular season. At the Rangers on Thursday at 7 pm, at the Islanders Saturday afternoon at 2 pm, and vs. the Rangers Sunday at 5 pm. Playing for position and home ice. Should be a good time.

Make Room in Your Closet...

2009-04-07T21:43:00.002-04:00

For an XL orange shirt.

The playoffs make me happy.

And The Flyer Goes To...

2009-04-07T17:39:00.003-04:00

The Flyers give out their team awards before tonight's game, which are always kind of a waste of time in my opinion. But people like winning stuff, so...

Bobby Clarke Trophy (MVP)
Should Win: Mike Richards
Will Win: Mike Richards
Last Year's Winner: Mike Richards

Barry Ashbee Trophy (Best Defenseman)
Should Win: Kimmo Timonen
Will Win: Kimmo Timonen
Last Year's Winner: Kimmo Timonen

Pelle Lindbergh Memorial (Most Improved)
Should Win: Ryan Parent
Will Win: Ryan Parent
Last Year's Winner: Braydon Coburn

Toyota Cup (most three stars of the game points):
(I could do the math if I cared)
Should Win: Jeff Carter
Will Win: Jeff Carter(?)
Last Year's Winner: Martin Biron

Gene Hart Memorial Award (Best relations with fans)
Should Win: Scott Hartnell
Will Win: Scott Hartnell
Last Year's Winner: Mike Richards

Yanick Dupre Memorial (Best relations with the press)
Should Win: Martin Biron
Will Win: Scott Hartnell
Last Year's Winner: Martin Biron

Game #79 Preview: Panthers @ Flyers 4/7/09

2009-04-07T15:28:00.002-04:00

Tonight could be the night. With one point (or a Rangers loss), the Flyers would guarantee a playoff spot for the thirteenth time in fourteen seasons, a conference best. The Penguins and Canadiens can clinch tonight as well with wins.

Clinching is always fun. Here's what it looked like last year:

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The last home game the Flyers played, they scored five goals in the first period. If they do that again, they'll probably win.
Riley Cote's convenient right before the playoffs injury is keeping him out of this game, which means somebody who knows how to skate will get a jersey instead.
Martin Biron is getting the start tonight, which is good, because he's the only Flyers goalie who knows how to win these days.
A loss tonight could put the Flyers as low as SIXTH. That's bad. What's good is that the Flyers play well when the game means something. Which is good because the playoffs fast approach.

Why the Panthers Will Win:

As much as tonight means for the Flyers, it's gotta mean a lot more for the Panthers. The Panthers are tied for eighth with the Panthers but don't own the tiebreak
You may have noticed, in our non-stop efforts to improve here at The FF, we've put up a little meter on the sidebar which keeps track of how many goals Daniel Carcillo has scored for the Flyers. Unfortunately, it has to be updated manually. Fortunately, I doubt I'll ever have to update it. Daniel Carcinogen is coming off his worst game yet as a Flyer, taking 24 minutes worth of penalties against Ottawa on Saturday. He's just bad. Scratch him for the year and be done with it already.

Prediction: Florida wins 3-2 in a shootout. Flyers clinch, Panthers get two points. Everybody's happy.

What Remains

2009-04-06T09:12:00.004-04:00

A whole lot can happen. There could be some real interesting late tanking around the 6-7 seeds, which will be the difference between playing New Jersey or Washington. They're both dangerous teams, but totally opposite styles. Every team should have a preference between the two.

Place Your Bets

2009-04-06T08:24:00.003-04:00

From a couple different betting sites,

Stanley Cup Odds:
And the odds to make it out of the Eastern Conference:

Thoughts? Comments?

I think the main flaw in these sets of odds is with the Rangers. They are nowhere near as likely as the Flyers or Carolina to make it out of the East. And I would put Boston's odds around at least 3-1.

One Point Away

2009-04-06T04:40:00.004-04:00

In order to miss the playoffs, the following nine events ALL must happen. If any one of these things does not happen, the Flyers will be into the playoffs for the thirteenth time in the last fourteen seasons.

The Flyers must lose to the Panthers on Tuesday in regulation.
The Flyers must lose to the Rangers on Thursday in regulation.
The Flyers must lose to the Islanders on Saturday in regulation.
The Flyers must lose to the Rangers on Sunday in regulation.
The Rangers must beat the Canadiens on Tuesday.
The Panthers must beat the Thrashers on Thursday.
The Panthers must beat the Capitals on Saturday.
The Canadiens must get at least four points in their remaining four games (or three points if two of those points are from a victory).
The Penguins must get two points in their remaining three games.

The last two are pretty much givens, but its fair to say that the other seven are all fifty-fifty or better for the Flyers. Very conservatively assuming the first seven events all have a 50/50 probability of happening, the Flyers still have a better than 98% chance of getting into the playoffs.

The Flyers can still mathematically face eight different teams in the first round. There's a whole lot of hockey left before the second season begins.

Looking Good So Far

2009-04-04T03:53:00.002-04:00

The Carolina Hurricanes sit in fifth right now, and seem to be in pretty good shape to face the Flyers in the first round. Big game tonight in the race for fifth, with the Penguins visiting Carolina tonight at 7. Go Canes.

Game #77 Review: Maple Leafs 5 @ Flyers 8 4/3/09

2009-04-04T01:40:00.004-04:00

5

@

What was a masterpiece turned into a mess. But a mess with a W attached is still a beautiful thing.

Five-goal first periods are fun. Giving up five goals, however, isn't. So much of the energy the team built up for this game manifested itself in offense, which is understandable, considering it was the main problem area last time around.
Pretty surprising that a guy who is second in the league in scoring is just now getting his first hat trick. Jeff Carter gets three late, scoring goals that initially seemed like icing but turned out important.
Why were they important? Because, for the second straight game, Martin Biron wasn't very good. Though I don't think he's especially at fault here, nor is the rest of the defense. The Flyers had a friggin' six goal lead, it's only natural they'd switch their defensive settings from kill to stun.
Claude Giroux has gotta be just about everybody's favorite Flyer these days. This was his third straight multi-point game. For a rookie in his first playoff hunt, that's unbelievable.
Scott Hartnell got his 30th of the year, which I doubt many would have predicted in October. 30 goals, a glove toss, and a wig night makes for quite the season.
What's with the home team wearing white both times during this home and home? I like it more, but I don't really understand the occasion...

Quick turn around for the Flyers, going back to Ontario to face the Senators tomorrow night for some Hockey Night in Canada action. The game's not gonna be seen much on the show outside of Ottawa, though, as the other game on the bill is Canadiens-Maple Leafs, which will almost certainly get top billing.

Flyers clinch a playoff spot with a win in Ottawa. Do it to it, boys.

Game #77 Preview: Maple Leafs @ Flyers 4/3/09

2009-04-03T18:37:00.002-04:00

Why the Flyers Will Win:

Because losing this game would be really, really, really bad.

Prediction: Flyers win. Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease

Just to Twist the Knife a Little More...

2009-04-03T05:53:00.002-04:00

See that guy scoring that clutch game winning goal? Yep, that's Scottie Upshall. Remember him?

It was Scottie's sixth goal with the Coyotes in fifteen games with them. That's a goal every three games.

And Daniel Carcillo, who we gave up Scottie and a second round draft pick for? Well, since he joined the Flyers, he's averaging less than a goal every three games. To be more specific, he's averaging zero goals every fourteen games. The Flyers have gone a less than spectacular 7-7 since Carcillo's arrival, going 8-3-1 in the twelve games before he showed up.

"But Salmon, Carcillo is such a good fighter! And he leads the league in penalty minutes! And he fights!"

In case you haven't figured this part out yet, fights don't win hockey games. The way a team wins a hockey game is by outscoring the other team. A key part of that word, "outscoring," is "scoring." A key part of that word isn't "leading the league in penalty minutes."

Sigh.

It's Official

2009-04-02T22:23:00.005-04:00

The Flyers will tonight spend their first night out of fourth place since January. While the Hurricanes and Penguins have been on fire, the Flyers (and Devils) have been terrible. And now it officially shows up on the standings.

Hope this is the wakeup call the boys need. Because Florida is catching up too...

Game #76 Review: Flyers 2 @ Maple Leafs 3 4/1/09

2009-04-02T00:35:00.004-04:00

2

@

Well, that sucked.

How flat were the Flyers tonight? I don't know if they were hungover from taking JVR out partying last night or what, but they came out looking terrible. The only two players who had good nights were Antero Niittymaki, Claude Giroux, and Arron Asham. Everybody else was pretty much awful.
Friday night's game becomes super important now. Momentum going into the playoffs is huge, and going into the playoffs playing this crappily will mean an exit in five games or less.
Martin Biron wasn't that bad, but pulling him was smart. Protect his psyche, let him start on Friday. They definitely need him sharp come playoff time. Let Niittymaki take the Senators on Saturday.

The Penguins moved into a tie with the Flyers tonight with their win. The Flyers have a game in hand, but the Penguins own the first two tiebreakers. That should provide some much needed urgency.

Game #76 Preview: Flyers @ Maple Leafs 4/1/09

2009-04-01T18:21:00.006-04:00

The Flyers are playing their first of two games in four days in Ontario. The schedule is a bitch, meaning that the Flyers have to play three games in four days, flying back and forth to Canada twice in that short span.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

It's James van Riemsdyk day in Flyerland, so spirits should be high.
The Maple Leafs are really bad. And their GM is super pissed off, talking about what failures they are because they're going to miss the playoffs. Missing the playoffs is bad, but being in fourteenth is way worse. They're not very good.
The Flyers don't really have the games in hand that they used to, and so now the playoff picture is a little more urgent. The Flyers are only one point ahead of Carolina, who is only one point ahead of Pittsburgh, who is only one point ahead of New York, who is only one point ahead of Montreal.
Martin Biron gets the start, and the Flyers have been much much better with him at the helm.
The Flyers aren't the Mets. They'll make the playoffs.

Why the Maple Leafs will Win:

The Maple Leafs have absolutely nothing to play for, and will be dangerous. Lot of guys fighting for jobs for next year.
The Flyers are 1-2 in games on TSN this year.

Prediction: Flyers win 4-1. I hope I'm right, since I want one of those Tastykakes shirts.

A Reason to Like All But One Penguin More

2009-04-01T15:40:00.003-04:00

You know how Penguins fans say crap like "you're just jealous, you would love Sidney Crosby if he was on your team." We all know that's a load of crap. For one thing, Flyers fans aren't the type to love everybody on their own team (looking at you, Carcillo).

Thus I was happy to hear that the Penguins have just as little respect for Captain Crosby as we do.

Center Sidney Crosby was "Juice Boy" after practice Tuesday at Mellon Arena, delivering post-session cups of a sports energy drink to teammates for failing to best interim coach Dan Bylsma in the final round of an individual shootout competition. Crosby jokingly suggested the fix was in.
"That's not true," Bylsma said, smiling. "I did not take any money or give any money. I question Sid (insinuating) that, being that he's Juice Boy." (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, h/t Puck Daddy)

Disrespect is a beautiful thing.

The Centralized West / Atlantic Supremacy

2009-03-31T15:28:00.006-04:00

All five Central Division teams are currently in playoff position in the West, taking up more than half of the conference's spots. If it holds (which is unlikely because of the remaining schedule), the Central Division would be come the first in the league to get all five teams into the playoffs since the six division system started in 1998-99.

It would be pretty surprising for the Central Division to be the one to , as the Central has been pretty terrible in terms of depth in it's ten year history as a five-team division, averaging only 2.22 teams in the playoffs each season, second worst in the league.

You know what division is the best? The Flyers' own Atlantic Division, naturally. The Atlantic Division is tied with the Northeast Division with an average of 3.22 teams in the playoffs each year, significantly better than the 2.66 that would be the expected average. The Atlantic will have sole possession of the highest average once this season's numbers are added, as the division will almost certainly send four teams, and the Northeast will send a maximum of two. The Atlantic Division is also the only division never to have sent less than three teams, and with the Devils, Flyers, Penguinss and Rangers all in great shape to make the playoffs this season, the Atlantic is likely to become the first division to send four teams to the playoffs in three different years.

Of course, a large part of the success of the Atlantic and Northeast is due to the incomprehensible suck of the Southeast Division. The Southeast is the only division never to have sent three teams to the playoffs, an accomplishment which every other division has achieved at least twice (the Atlantic has done it nine times). The Southeast is also the only division to have ever sent only one team to the playoffs, and they've done it four times. Unbelievable that that craphole of a division has won two of the last four Stanley Cups.

Here's how the number of Stanley Cups by division breaks down:

Atlantic -- 2 (New Jersey 2000, New Jersey 2003)
Northeast -- 0 (None)
Southeast -- 2 (Tampa Bay 2004, Carolina 2008)
Central -- 2 (Detroit 2002, Detroit 2008)
Northwest -- 1 (Colorado 2001)
Pacific -- 2 (Dallas 1999, Anaheim 2007)

And the number of Stanley Cup finals appearances by division:

Atlantic -- 4 (New Jersey 2000, New Jersey 2001, New Jersey 2003, Pittsburgh 2008)
Northeast -- 2 (Buffalo 1999, Ottawa 2007)
Southeast -- 3 (Carolina 2002, Tampa Bay 2004, Carolina 2008)
Central -- 2 (Detroit 2002, Detroit 2008)
Northwest -- 3 (Colorado 2001, Calgary 2004, Edmonton 2006)
Pacific -- 2 (Dallas 1999, Dallas 2001, Anaheim 2003, Anaheim 2007)

For a team that has been getting the most teams into the playoffs, the Northeast has had some pretty crappy results in the playoffs. It's also worth noting that two of the Southeast's appearances in the finals came in years where there was only one Southeast team in the playoffs.

So what does all this mean? No idea.

Finder's Fee

2009-03-30T13:36:00.004-04:00

Last Wednesday I alerted my dear readership to the possibility of getting their grubby little hands on some genuine Flyer blood.

And since my announcement, the price has skyrocketed from the $1 starting price to a whopping:

$1,500

Wow. Since The Flyer Frequent is allegedly the second most popular site on the internet behind only Google, this explosion was only natural. I was hoping my bid of $1 would hold up. I guess I'll have to go to Plan B for obtaining Flyer blood. Plan B isn't pretty.

All I ask, ernied8, is a small contribution in gratitude for the enormous windfall I have brought you. Even a modest commission of, say, 40%, would be sufficient.

Game #75 Review: Bruins 4 @ Flyers 3 3/27/09

2009-03-30T02:01:00.009-04:00

4

@

3

Bruins won both in Philadelphia, and the Flyers won both in Boston. So much for giving the home town fans a good time.

So the Flyers didn't win. Not apocalyptic. They played pretty well (minus one), and it's not the playoffs. Losses are allowed. While catching New Jersey for the division title would be nice, losing that possibility isn't worth crying over.
What is worth crying over is Antero Niittymaki. His last three starts at home he has surrendered three goals in the first period. Twice now his three goal leaks have cost the Flyers the lead. All three of these home starts he has lost. Throw in his last road game, and he's 0-4 in his last four starts.
Yes, both teams had to play back-to-back games, but the Flyers had to play three in four nights, where this was only the Bruins second game in seven days. Another reason not to worry about this loss.
Claude Giroux is really good at this game. Really, really good.

A couple days off, then a home-and-home with Toronto. Should win both, but one is acceptable. Toronto is all over the place these days, so expect some weird, crappy, high-scoring hockey.

Game #74 Review: Flyers 4 (SO) @ Islanders 3 3/28/09

2009-03-29T16:33:00.005-04:00

4 (SO)

(Game summary videos haven't been working on the NHL TV pages lately...)

Epic win over a terrible team? Why not.

This was a game the Flyers needed to win, because losing two straight to teams out of the playoffs would have been a huge bump in the road. If the Flyers hadn't dug themselves such a hole, this game wouldn't have been nearly as impressive. But two points are two points.
Arron Asham or Darroll Powe can't replace Daniel Carcillo on the third line soon enough. Carcillo has now played twelve games in the orange and black, and has scored exactly zero goals. The only other forward not to have scored in this stretch? Riley Cote.
I like Giroux with Gagne and Knuble, but the reuniting of the Hartnell-Carter-Lupul line was way overdue. They never should have been split.

Joffrey Lupul, in a rare performance as an energetic player, gets The Hat, with two goals.

And he was kind enough to the fans to reveal the back of the hat while talking to Coatesy.

Antero Niittymaki (who?) gets the start tonight against Boston, a game the Flyers will barely lose.

Game #74 Preview: Flyers @ Islanders 3/28/09

2009-03-28T16:49:00.005-04:00

Flyers in the friendly confines of Nassau Colliseum tonight, against a team that the Flyers dominate like none other, the 30th place New York Islanders.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The Flyers are just much better than the Islanders. They've won ten straight against them, and should have absolutely no problems tonight.

Why the Islanders Will Win:

The Isles have to be riding high after a big 2-0 shut out of Detroit last night. They will be playing with as much confidence as a team that terrible possibly could.

This could very easily be the Flyers last ever game in Nassau, if the team does pack up and move to Kansas City or wherever else the rumors have them going. Good riddance.

Prediction: Flyers 5-1.

Game #73 Preview: Panthers @ Flyers 3/26/09

2009-03-26T15:23:00.004-04:00

It's the night we've all been waiting for. The night that Florida finally arrives to the Wachovia Center.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

As I'm sure you've heard, tonight is Scott Hartnell Wig Night. 7,000 wigs in the arena. I just pray there's a hat trick. Those things would look so ridiculous on the ice, and the team whose fans threw rats at Flyers players during the 1996 playoffs certain
How dumb would it be to lose on Scott Hartnell Wig Night? Fear of that embarrassment should be incentive enough.
Florida's choke yesterday was out of control. Up 3-1 on Buffalo in the third, they managed to lose 5-3, seriously damaging their playoff hopes. Florida and Montreal seem to be competing for who gets to start their summer earlier, and the Panthers are winning that battle right now. Morale has to be absurdly low for the boys with the kitties on their shirts.

Why the Panthers Will Win:

Things have been going so badly for Florida lately that it has to turn around sometime. Having this game only a night after their choke gives them less time to sulk, which could help.

Prediction: Flyers win 4-1. Hartnell almost certainly drops the gloves.

The Hat, Part Deux

2009-03-25T16:18:00.006-04:00

Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News today broke the story of the Flyers' ugly orange Player of the Game Hat. Oh wait, that's not right. Yours truly was all over this story weeks ago. And I don't even write about this stuff for a living...

In my continuing efforts to be the preeminent source for all things related to The Hat, I now present the updated gallery of all The Hat winners in 2009:

New Jersey 3/23/09 -- Jeff Carter (1 goal, his 40th of the season).

Pittsburgh 3/22/09 -- Ryan Parent (1 assist, held Malkin and Crosby to zero shots)

Buffalo 3/20/09 -- Danny Briere (2 goals)

NY Rangers 3/14/09 -- Arron Asham (2 goals)

Buffalo 3/10/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Nashville 3/7/09 -- Joffrey Lupul (2 goals).

Boston 3/3/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Los Angeles 2/25/09 -- Martin Biron (34 shots, 34 saves in the shoutout).

Washington 2/24/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Buffalo 2/19/09 -- Mike Richards (2 goals and 3 assists)

NY Rangers 2/15/09 -- Claude Giroux (1 goal and 2 assists)

NY Islanders 2/14/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Atlanta 2/8/09 -- Scott Hartnell (2 assists and ZERO(!) penalties)

Boston 2/7/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Tampa Bay 1/30/09 -- Antero Niittymaki (42 shots, 41 saves, and an assist).

Atlanta 1/21/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Florida 1/16/09 -- Antero Niittymaki (34 shots, 32 saves)

Toronto 1/10/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Minnesota 1/8/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Anaheim 1/2/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Flyer Blood to the Highest Bidder

2009-03-25T03:07:00.008-04:00

The Flyers are more about making their opponents bleed than actually bleeding their own blood. Because of its scarcity, Flyer blood is a precious commodity, a sound investment in these troubled economic times. Flyer blood can be worn in a vial around the neck to ward off evil, or used to extract DNA so parents wanting the best can make their baby a Flyer spawn. There are rumors out there that the reason the Octomom has had so many kids is because her sperm donor is Gary Dornhoefer. It would explain a lot.

My previous searches for Flyer blood had come up empty until just now, when I stumbled upon this treasure on the world's online blood marketplace--eBay. A game-worn Rick MacLeish jersey from the seventies, doused with a nice amount of Rick's own blood. Not only is there blood on the jersey, but it's mythology details how this modern day Shroud of Turin spent time in a landfill, which had to have enhanced its mystical powers immensely.

Bidding starts at the absurdly low price of $1.

Rick MacLeish's blood is a powerful elixir to be sure, my friends. Bid early, bid often. Don't let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass you by. Just look at all the other Flyers essentials you've already missed on eBay (FGSB).

(If you prefer ways to get close to Rick MacLeish that don't involve quite as many bodily fluids, I recommend watching his domination of Showdown '78.)

New Poll / Do Dreams Come True?

2009-03-24T02:58:00.005-04:00

The Flyer Frequent is proud to present its second ever poll, up on the sidebar now. Vote for who you most want to see the Flyers take on in the first round, either Pittsburgh, Carolina, or the Rangers.

With a handful votes in so far, the Carolina Hurricanes are the most desired opponent. Which is good, because as of today, they are in fifth place, winning a big game in Florida last night. Pittsburgh is only a point behind with a game in hand, but fifth is fifth.

The Flyers went 3-0-1 against the Hurricanes this season, playing all four games within the span of a couple weeks in late November and early December. Carolina, you'll recall, couldn't even beat the Flyers when they led 5-1 after two periods.

At the risk of getting ahead of myself, I think it's pretty clear that if the Flyers do meet the 'Canes in Round 1, sweep will be the word.

Game #72 Review: Devils 2 @ Flyers 4 3/23/09

2009-03-24T00:33:00.008-04:00

Beating Pittsburgh and New Jersey back to back? Doesn't get much better than that.

That was about as good a night on the power play as you'll ever see. Flyers were perfect at 3-for-3 with the man-advantage, scoring three goals in only 3:15 of power play time. The penalty kill was pretty solid as well, holding the Devils to only one power play goal in eight chances, in 14:23 of 5-on-4.
Remember when Daniel Briere was really terrible? Ever since he got his first goal in this comeback vs. Buffalo on Thursday, he has been phenomenal. His goal on the great feed from Kimmo Timonen was a beauty, and his feed on Mike Knuble's was just as nice. He's got his poaching feel back, and it's really a great thing to behold.
Daniel Carcillo and Arron Asham can't trade lines soon enough. Carcillo has the penalty taking skills of Steve Downie with the grooming habits of Adam Morrison. It's a really horrible thing to watch.
I accidentally initially put just "Martin Brodeur" as a reason why the Flyers would win this game. But was it wrong? He was not great at all, especially on Gagne's goal. Flyers are now 3-1 against Brodeur this season. Not bad.

For getting his fortieth goal of the season, The Hat goes to Jeff Carter.

Flyers are off until Thursday, with a couple of potential trap games coming up, vs. Florida on Thursday and at Nassau on Saturday.

Game #72 Preview: Devils @ Flyers 3/23/09

2009-03-23T16:39:00.007-04:00

Back to back games against the two biggest divisional rivals on national television? What's not to love?

Why the Flyers Will Win:

Momentum. The Flyers and Devils both played good teams whose colors are black-and-gold yesterday afternoon. The Flyers won, largely because their black-and-gold team showed up in blue. The Devils, on the other hand, looked pretty bad against Boston, Brodeur especially.
The Devils have pretty little to play for these days. They'll finish in second. The Flyers are also locked into fourth, but since the Flyboys have something to prove against the Devils and the Devils don't have much to prove against the Flyers,
Daniel Briere is playing real well right now. Hell, everybody except Daniel Carcillo is playing real well right now.
Martin Brodeur will probably still be blinded by tears from the alimony beating he took recently.

Why the Devils Will Win:

The Devils haven't back to back games since Obama has been president. Yeesh.
Back in December, the Flyers played the Penguins and Devils back to back. They had a big win over Pittsburgh, then seemed absurdly content to get an OT loss vs. the Devils. If they're that complacent again, there could be issues.

Prediction: Flyers 3-1. Do it to it.

Puck drops at 7 on Versus.

The First Round Opponent

2009-03-23T02:58:00.004-04:00

The Flyers, as has been clear for weeks now, are going to be the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. What has been decidedly less clear is who will be their opponent in Games 1 and 2 at the Wachovia Center. It looked like it would be Montreal for a while, or maybe Florida, but both have hit the skids hard recently, falling to eighth and ninth respectively.

Bold Prediction: The Flyers will face a Staal brother in the first round.

Barring an unlikely huge surge by either of those two, the Flyers' first round opponent will be either Pittsburgh, Carolina, or the Rangers, who have 86, 85, and 84 points respectively as they sit in fifth, sixth, and seventh.

Here's how the remaining schedules look for the three:

Pittsburgh has the toughest next three, against two division leaders and the Rangers, whereas the Rangers and Hurricanes both have two against teams pretty much out of the playoff race, followed by. Don't be surprised to see Pittsburgh fall out of fifth this week, though they should be able to make it up in their remaining five games, which are all against weaker teams. Pittsburgh should finish in fifth, but they're as streaky a team as any, so here's hoping they don't.

Carolina, everyone should agree, is the least scary of the three, and therefore the most desireable first round opponent. They play five of their games at home, which hopefully should cancel out the two at New Jersey which they shouldn't have a shot in. Hopefully Brodeur is resting for the last one.

Lastly, the Rangers, who are a mess. Sean Avery & Co. are the only of the three who the Flyers will face in the regular season. They meet in the final two games of the season, at which point the picture will be much clearer. The Flyers may have the chance to tank to get the Rangers in the first round, or the Rangers the chance to tank to avoid the Flyers. Both could tank, which would be a mess. Playing a home and home to end a season is pretty unusual, and could potentially lead to the two teams playing nine straight games against each other, which I have to think is pretty unprecedented. It should stay unprecedented, though, as I don't see the Rangers passing both Pittsburgh and Carolina, especially as their meeting with each team is away from Manhattan.

It will probably be another Battle of Pennsylvania, but there is still a chance it won't be. Let the Capitals have Pittsburgh, I say. They deserve each other.

Game #71 Review: Flyers 3 @ Penguins 1 3/22/09

2009-03-22T22:01:00.006-04:00

That was strange. I had absolutely zero hope for this game. Clearly, I was rendered hopeless by the fact that only one Sweet Sixteen team is ranked below #5, and deluded by recent Penguins successes. And for that I apologize. It will never happen again.

The stats guy says that Crosby and Malkin combined for zero shots. Ryan Parent is getting a lot of the credit for this, but it was really a huge team effort. And if they really got zero shots, how to explain this huge Biron save on Crosby?
Goalie controversies are an omnipresent cliche for the Flyers, but Martin Biron looked really good. Really good. I'm still nervous when he gives up one that another quick one is going in, but that didn't happen today.
Daniel Carcillo = still terrible. His dive was largely called on reputation alone, but having his reputation regularly cost the Flyers penalties is just as bad as having him regularly called for legit penalties. He needs to be on the fourth line (or just scratched), moving Asham or Powe up.
Speaking of Darroll Powe, he has become a bizarrely huge part of this team's defensive core for a fourth liner. He's getting regular time on the PK, and scored the empty net goal with less than a minute left in the game because Stevens put him on the ice in a one-goal game with less than a minute left. Bold move.
The main lesson we learned in this game is that I'm a genius. I said in the preview that all the Penguins success has been because Fleury has been playing better. And today, he was bad. And the Penguins lost. Simon Gagne's goal was pretty soft, and he probably could have had Hartnell's. The Flyers were sticking to the formula that worked so well for them against Montreal in the playoffs last year--demoralizing a team by getting a lead despite being horribly outshot (Penguins led in shots 21-10 after two despite being down 2-0).

Despite not getting on the scoresheet until an assist on Powe's empty netter, Ryan Parent gets The Hat for the first time. Not a bad pick.

Big stuff against New Jersey tonight on Versus at 7. The back-to-back is a built in excuse to lose, but winning is much preferable.

Game #71 Preview: Flyers @ Penguins 3/22/09

2009-03-22T02:43:00.007-04:00

I'm not going to do the usual why each team will win thing, because honestly I can't come up with many decent reasons why the Penguins won't win this game. They're 13-1-2 since Bylsma took over. Malkin could be missing the game with a suspension for his late cheapshot vs. L.A., which would be nice, but probably won't be the difference.

The difference for this team, which doesn't get talked about enough, is Fleury. Fleury was phenomenal in the playoffs last year, and was terrible early in this year. Now he's playing pretty well, and so is the rest of his team. The Flyers have only won once against the Penguins this season, and that was with the terrible Dany Sabourin in net for the flightless birds.

This game is even more important than the average Pittsburgh game since it's the last time the Flyers and Penguins play in the regular season, before they almost certainly meet in the first round of the playoffs. If the Flyers can really just injur every decent Penguin--Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar, Fleury, Staal, Kunitz, Sykora--that would be good. Hopefully then Carolina would be able to move into the #5 seed, which would be a much easier opponent, and be the first time that the Flyers ever faced the Hurricanes/Whalers in a playoff series, leaving the Thrashers as the only Eastern team the Flyers have never faced in the playoffs.

And the game is on NBC, which is good because I'll get to see it, but terrible because NBC's coverage is awful. Mike Milbury is awful. Pierre McGuire is awful. Whoever keeps them on the air is even more awful.

Hopefully the game won't be awful. Hopefully the Flyers win. That would be good.

Puck drops at 12:30 in the Igloo. Go Flyers.

Game #70 Review: Flyers 6 @ Sabres 4 3/20/09

2009-03-21T12:19:00.007-04:00

Honk for Sweep.

I've stopped short of saying Daniel Briere was becoming a cancer on the team, but it was getting near that. John Stevens switched up the lines just for him, and clearly not everyone was thrilled about it. Briere producing has to make people happier, if a little resentful maybe.
Not a pretty game, really, but the Flyers needed a lot of goals, and goals they got. Richards, Carter, Gagne, Briere all tallied. No big stretch to say they're going to need those four to be the big four come playoff time.
Daniel Carcillo has no business being on the top three lines. He has no business being anywhere but the Phantoms, really. Waive the jackass already.
The buzzer goal = not cool, Sabres, not cool.

No big surprise here, Briere gets The Hat this time. And he giggled like a schoolgirl about it to boot.

Two nationally-televised games in the next couple days. Penguins Sunday on NBC, then Devils Monday on Versus. Should be a hoot.

Game #70 Preview: Flyers @ Sabres 3/20/09

2009-03-20T19:11:00.004-04:00

I'm in a rush, but luckily tonight is pretty straight forward...

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The Flyers have won every game in this season series, and with some ease. They'll win again tonight.

Why the Sabres Will Win:

They won't.

Prediction: Flyers 4-1. Do it to it, boys.

Madness on Ice

2009-03-19T13:41:00.003-04:00

The two most dominant American sports events in my mind are the NFL Playoffs and March Madness, both of which are single elimination. It's about time the NHL got in on that action.

Instead of the crap preseason the NHL does now, the NHL should playd a single-elimination tournament for like the Stanley Saucer or something. Seeding and brackets would be based off the previous year''s standings, and lower seeds would host the game. There'd be a day or two off between each game.

I'm undecided on whether or not the conferences should be seperate and meet at the final or be mixed the whole way.

Doing just the east, based on today's standings, here's how I see it playing out. I'm not biased at all.

Game #69 Review: Flyers 2 @ Red Wings 3 3/17/09

2009-03-18T13:42:00.007-04:00

As far as heartbreaking, two-goal lead blowing, regulation losses go, this one wasn't so bad.

It feels like a game the Flyers should have won because they had a two goal lead. But really, Detroit is just better than the Flyers, and if you had told me that the Flyers would only lose by one, I would have been a little surprised.
That being said, the Flyers really could have won this game if they had gotten more decent shots on Chris Osgood. He's terrible, and will be Detroit's downfall come playoff time.
Martin Biron is really good. It took thirty something shots for the top team in the league tofinally get one past him. But there is an issue with Biron that has been there forever, and that is his propensity for giving up quick back to back goals. The team has got to be aware of this, and just try their damnedest to keep
Before the deadline, it looked like there might be zero Daniels on the team. But instead we have two. And both Daniels, Briere and Carcillo, really should be fed to the lions. Carcillo was awful and completely at fault on the first Detroit goal, and Briere was not good. His problems are probably all mental at this point, and until he starts scoring he's a big hinderance. But, of course, he has to keep getting ice time if he's gonna score. Quite the catch-48.

Big three games in the next four days. Sabres, Penguins, and Devils. Three points would be nice.

Game #69 Preview: Flyers @ Red Wings 3/17/09

2009-03-17T14:19:00.010-04:00

For the first time in three years, it's time to play at the JLA. And it's on Versus, the second in a stretch of four out of five Flyers games that will be on national TV. Amen to that.

Why The Flyers Will Win:

Sure the Flyers haven't won in their last seventeen trips to Detroit. But the eighteenth time's the charm, right?
Martin Biron has been real solid in March, and is playing with a lot of confidence having finally locked up the starting gig. Look for him to be big tonight.
The Red Wings have a lot of question marks in goal, and a propensity for getting blown out of the water. In their last three losses, they've given up eight, eight, and six goals. If the Flyers can get a first cut in, the Red Wings have proven to be a pretty hemophiliac team, completely unable to stop the bleeding.
The Flyers are 4-0-1 this year in games on Versus, including wins in the last four.
The Flyers are one of the few teams that can match Detroit's offensive depth. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble, Claude Giroux, Daniel Briere and even Arron Asham make for quite the stacked front lines.
Pretzels are only $1 all night long at the Joe. While this will boost morale, it will mean the locals will be too busy chewing to loudly support their boys in red.
It's Ryan Parent's birthday, and he doesn't like losing on his birthday.

Why the Red Wings Will Win:

The Flyers haven't won in their last seventeen trips to Detroit. No reason the eighteenth would be any different.
Daniel Briere has been a mess in this latest incarnation. He's been slow and not even coming close to making goals happen. Until something changes he's going to keep being a huge hindrance to the team.
Randy Jones is out for a week, and though he has his haters, he is clearly way better than Danny Syvret, who has been called up to take his place (no Guenin?).
In case you haven't heard, the Red Wings are really, really good. They lead the league in points, and were the first team to clinch a playoff berth.

Prediction: Red Wings win 4-1. They're good.

Michigan Mikey

2009-03-17T00:39:00.005-04:00

Even though he's already scored more than 20 goals this season, I don't often write about Mike Knuble. If you look on that thing on the right sidebar that shows you how much about each category has been written, you'll see. He's rarely terrible, and he's rarely extraordinary. He's just a good, hard-playing, Flyersy player. Which is totally acceptable.

Mike is playing in his home state of Michigan today for the first time in three years. His family from Grand Rapids will likely be in attendance, as well as some old chums from his days in Ann Arbor playing for the University of Michigan. He liked it there. He was the Wolverines' most improved player in 1993, and their MVP in 1995. Other notable Wolverines in the NHL include Marty Turco, Cam Ward, Brendan Morrison, and Mike Comrie.

Will being back in the Wolverine State lead Knuble to be something besides not terrible and not extraordinary tonight? I'm going to go out on a limb and say...maybe.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, there was no real point to this post. Sorry.

No Fly Zone

2009-03-16T21:47:00.003-04:00

November 5th, 1988. Ronald Reagan is president, and the nation hadn't even voted on his replacement yet. The Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Zaire, East Germany (and the Berlin Wall), are all in great shape. Barack Obama is 27, and just started law school. Luca Sbisa is not even a sperm yet.

A lot of things have changed since that day, but one thing has stayed the same--the Flyers' luck in Detroit. In seventeen games in Joe Louis Arena, including two in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers have won exactly zero times. 0-15-2. Bizarre and gross, especially considering that the Flyers have the second best all-time winning percentage of any team in the league.

So what is it about Detroit that makes it such a horrible place for the orange and black?

Does being in Detroit, the capital of industrial decline, depress the hell out of them? It sure depresses the hell out of Tim Panaccio.
Is it an allergy to octopus residue?
Does the Wings' lack of a third color bewilder them?
Is it their creepy Europhilia? The Red Wings are the only team in the league where North Americans are the minority. For all the "Buy American" stuff the other Detroit industries promote, the Red Wings sure do love the importeds.
Or does all the weirdness stem from the Flyers' second-most recent win in Detroit, a 1988 game where the Flyers were down 5-1 and came back to win 11-6. That, my friends, is weird.

Whatever the reason may be, I believe I have the antidote. It is, of course, me. The Flyers are 4-0 in their last four games with yours truly in the building, with wins over Washington, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Washington again. Not too shabby.

The Most Fun You'll Have With Excel Today

2009-03-16T12:33:00.003-04:00

J.P. at Japers' Rink posted this pretty sweet playoff race predictor spreadsheet thing, where you predict the rest of the results the last few weeks of the season and it tells you how everything winds up in the east. Takes some time, but is worth doing.

Playing it fairly pessimistically, this is what I wound up with.

Not ideal, but #6 Philadelphia vs. #3 Washington went okay last time...

Game #67 Review: Flyers @ Rangers 3/15/09

2009-03-15T15:42:00.006-04:00

Et tu, Justin St. Pierre?

I'm really not big on blaming the officiating. I don't know that I ever have on here before. But holy crap, there were some absolutely terrible calls in this game. A blood drawing high stick on Braydon Coburn gets ignored, then he hits the guy behind the play and gets a game misconduct. The fourth, backbreaking goal, was a result of the Flyers letting up thinking a call was imminent on the hook against Matt Carle.
The Flyers gave up four power play goals to the team ranked 28th in the league on the power play. Horrendous.
This weekend made the goalie situation even clearer. Martin Biron played well yesterday, then today Antero Niittymaki was mediocre at best. Lundqvist started both games this weekend--should Biron have as well?
Jeff Carter and Ryan Parent were both on the ice for three Rangers goals. Shame.
Daniel Briere makes his linemates on the fourth line look real good. Not because he's a great playmaker, but because he makes them look good by comparison. He's been absolutely awful and out of shape, and needs to be a healthy scratch until he can skate faster than a sled hockey player. The only thing he contributed was a penalty.
There were some real odd combinations out there late in the game. Every single Flyer, including Darroll Powe and Riley Cote, played on the penalty kill. Bizarre.
Speaking of Riley Cote, he saw less than three minutes of ice time today. There has to be a better use of a roster spot.
Having Sean Avery score four goals on his team is something no hockey fan should ever have to experience.

Real big week ahead. At Detroit, At Buffalo, At Pittsburgh. Need at least three points there.

Fat Marty

2009-03-14T21:31:00.006-04:00

Mockery is the sincerest form of mockery.

Even on his special day, some brilliant headline writer at NHL.com thought it would be funny to mock Marty for being fat. They were right, it was funny. It's always funny. And thusly we are happy to celebrate Marty Gras.

(In case you're completely lost, gras = fat in French.).

Game #66 Review: Rangers 2 @ Flyers 4 3/14/09

2009-03-14T18:00:00.006-04:00

Fun game, fun win.

Remember that goalie controversy? Me neither. In a day where all eyes are on the fatter Marty B., Martin Biron was spectacular, bailing out the Flyers in a game they might not have deserved to win. Hanging tough after the early Antropov goal is a great sign.
Before the Caps game, I listed about seven players who wouldn't surprise me by scoring twice. And tonight an eighth player, Arron Asham, got two goals. The depth on this team is absolutely absurd.
How's this for a stat: Asham scored two goals, and only had more ice time than two other players (Cote and Powe), registering only 9:43. That's better than a goal for every five minutes of ice time. He could very easily have a nice Umbergerian run come playoff time
Scott Hartnell got his career high 25th goal of the season, a real sharp rebound goal very reminiscent of the one he scored in Game 4 vs. Montreal. And he got a write up on NHL.com to boot.
He got two assists, but we're still waiting for Dan Carcillo to score a goal.
Daniel Briere is playing on the fourth line and the power play, and still isn't doing anything special at all. Really makes you wonder how he could possibly still be a Flyer come next season...
No surprise here, The Hat goes to Arron Asham today. His first time wearing the orange crown.

Beating the Rangers was fun. Let's do it again tomorrow.

12:30 at MSG on NBC. Niitty and Valiquette get the starts. Go Flyers.

Game #66 Preview: Rangers @ Flyers 3/14/09

2009-03-14T00:47:00.006-04:00

The two games this weekend vs. the Rangers obviously count the same in the standings, but I get the sense that Sunday's means more. It a nationally televised, network game at Madison Square Garden. But before tomorrow comes today, and today looks pretty good.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

The Rangers, who were way out in first place to start the season at 10-2-1, had fallen out of playoff position to ninth before just recently getting back up to seventh. The Flyers have been much steadier throughout, and that counts for a lot.
The last time these two teams met it was an absolute ass kicking.
Martin Biron has been very solid of late, and he gets the start today, with Antero Niittymaki getting the nod for tomorrow.
I really refuse to believe they're in any danger, but the Flyers technically are only five points ahead of ninth place. They're mentioning how tight it is in press conferences, which has boded well in the past.
Sean Avery.

Why the Rangers Will Win:

I'm betting Daniel Carcillo is going to do something real stupid with Avery. Stevens foreshadowed it pretty explicitly in his presser, and Carcillo is certainly still looking to make a name for himself.
The last time the Rangers visited the Wach was a long time ago. When she was still relevant.Sarah's spirit still haunts the building, and the presence of two Alaskans (Matt Carle and Scott Gomez) is certain to awaken it. Maybe Ed Snider can pipe in some more deafening applause and patriotic music as an offering. Comcast-Spectacor will need to do something to keep the Ghost of Palin Past at bay, because she can't be happy about her daughter being dumped by her son-of-a-meth-dealer baby daddy.

Prediction: Rangers 3-2. Not feeling this one.

Oh, and if anyone can count the number of times Jeff Carter shrugs in the below clip, please post your estimate in the comments. I appreciate the help, because I just can't count that high.

Still Bitter

2009-03-13T14:48:00.003-04:00

Scottie Upshall has scored three goals in his five games with the Phoenix Coyotes. Daniel Carcillo has scored zero goals in his four games with the Philadelphia Flyers.

And despite this, the Flyers have the gall to say that Carcillo is "a perfect fit." Perfect fits score goals. Perfect fits get more than one point in four games. Carcillo may like playing for the Flyers a whole lot, but for it to be a "perfect fit," it has to be a little more mutual.

I'm still willing to wait a little while longer before completely giving up on Carcillo. But patience is wearing thin. He better do something big this weekend in the two games vs. New York.

Or at least he can spill some of Sean Avery's blood on the ice.

Game #65 Review: Capitals 2 @ Flyers 1 3/12/09

2009-03-12T22:04:00.005-04:00

And so the Flyers win the season series 2-1-1 instead of 3-0-1.

My feed crapped out and was spotty all through the first, so I don't have any great insights into anything except what I've read and what. But when has that ever stopped me?

Not a bad game. Like I said in the preview, the Caps were the more determined team, especially Theodore, and it paid off. Though not by a whole lot. Real close game. A lot more of these to come the rest of the way.
Alex Ovechkin scored. That happens. But who was on the ice for the Flyers when he scored? Arron Asham, Darroll Powe, and Riley Fucking Cote. That's completely inexcusable.
Only one goal for the good guys tonight (from Mike Knuble), but it was a real nice one. Flyers did a lot of things right in terms of setting up shots, just that the actual shots weren't enough.
Jose Theodore had a good night, which we all know he can do. Though that "spectacular" save in the second that's shown like three times in the highlights above was really just him having to make up for being in terrible position and getting across way too slow.

Daniel Briere didn't get hurt today. Mixed emotions on that. I liked him a lot in the playoffs last year, but that groin is just a distracting time bomb these days.

Not happy to see the Penguins salvage a point after being down 3-0 in the third. Not happy to see the Devils or Rangers win. Nice that the Islanders held the Canadiens to one point. And nice to see the Panthers lose.

Big home-and-home, back-to-back matinees with the Rangers coming up this weekend. Beating Sean Avery and Co. twice in two days should be a lot of fun.

Game #65 Preview: Capitals @ Flyers 3/12/09

2009-03-12T13:58:00.006-04:00

With a win tonight, the Flyers will have taken seven of the possible eight points in the season series vs. the Caps. That's as close to perfect as you can get without, you know, being perfect. But we'll take it.

Why The Flyers Will Win:

Last time the Caps were in town, the Flyers won by six, so that's a reasonable spread for tonight. The memories of that wonderful Saturday in December are a lot of fun, please enjoy below

The Caps still have an enormous mental block when it comes to the Caps. The Flyers have proved to be their kryptonite, and it clearly bugs the crap out of them from the top down, starting with Bruce Boudreau.
The Flyers are scoring at will lately, which comes in handy against a team with less than spectacular goaltending. Lupul, Richards, Carter, Knuble, Gagne, Hartnell, even Giroux or Briere. None of them would be a shock to score more than once tonight.
Martin Biron has been great of late and was quite the Cap-killer in the playoffs. Should be good tonight as well.
They won last night, but the Caps absolute got the crap beat out of them last night. Twice.

Why the Caps Will Win:

This game also certainly means more to the Caps. They've been struggling mightily of late, and the Flyers are their biggest rival.
Daniel Briere comes back tonight. Which almost certainly means he'll re-break himself. Which could hurt morale.

Prediction: Flyers win 5-3. Should be a good time.

So Excited

2009-03-12T00:03:00.004-04:00

Joffrey Lupul sure looks excited, doesn't he? You would be too if you got to play Washington tonight.

It's kind of a secret, but the Capitals are kind of awful. Since the Flyers and Caps last tangled on February 24th, the Capitals have had only one regulation win in seven games, and that one win was against Atlanta. That's pretty sad.

So what has been their downfall? Two obvious things, and one thing that hasn't gotten talked about a whole lot.

The first is a complete lack of secondary scoring, which JP wrote about just yesterday over at Japer's Rink (which is probably the best team focused blog in the NHL blogosphere). The scoring they have comes almost entirely from four guys they were able to get with first round draft picks: Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Mike Green, and Nicklas Backstrom. Of the four, all but Green were obtained with picks that were so high because the Caps were so bad. Green was the 29th pick in the same year as Ovechkin (2004), a draft year where the Caps enjoyed three first round picks.

The second issue is goaltending. Some are in denial about the problem, but it's there. Jose Theodore is currently rocking a less than mediocre save percentage of .900. He has won all of zero second round playoff series in his career, in four attempts. The last three times, his team got swept. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, that's a disaster.

Martin Biron, on the other hand, has won 80% of his career second round games. Booya.

There was sort of a goalie controversy with Brent Johnson earlier in the year, which ended with a decent streak from Theodore and Johnson's injury. Simeon Varlamov showed a lot of potential, but they sent him back to Hershey for reasons I don't know.

But as I see it, the real problem the Caps are having stems from a lack of potent veteran leadership. They've been without a real captain all season with Chris Clark out so much. Ovechkin is a great energy guy and a good scorer, but he's not much of a leader, and his game revolves so much around how he dominates individually that he's not much of a captain-type. Sergei Fedorov is the only real veteran to speak of, but he's definitely not someone with any sort of leadership qualities, having been in the league so many years and never developing into a great locker room guy. The Caps don't have any players outside of Fedorov who know what it takes to win Cups, who know what it's like to go wire-to-wire as a favorite. And the wear of that seems to be proving to be their downfall.

Brooks Laich is a hell of a player and a real likeable, team guy, and he really should get the C before the playoffs start. That might help. But they're in trouble. A lot of trouble.

Can't say that I mind one bit.

As long as they don't completely roll over and gift the Penguins into the second round. That would suck.

Flyers Geography / In Defense of Randy Jones

2009-03-11T12:39:00.009-04:00

Back in November, the Flyers were named by the Finnish Embassador to the United States as "the most Finnish team in the National Hockey League", due to the league high presence of four Finnish Players (Antero Niittymaki, Kimmo Timonen, Lasse Kukkonen, and Ossi Vaananen), as well as Finnish-American team President Peter Luukko. Add some past Flyers like Illkka Sinisalo and Sami Kapanen, and you've got yourself quite the Little Helsinki on Broad Street.

The Finns knew the Flyers were especially deserving of this award, as they did not allow any player who is not Finnish, Canadian, or American player into their lineup. The Flyers expressed their gratitude for this honor by putting Vaananen and Kukkonen on waivers.

The Flyers currently only have players from three countries, sharing the title of least international team with the Calgary Flames, who incidentally also only have Canadians, Americans, and Finns. Not a Swede, Czech, Slovak, or Russian to be found for miles.

This isn't to say that the Flyers don't have some demographic uniqueness. Randy Jones is from Quispamsis, New Brunswick. And despite the fact that there are 736,000 Canadians from New Brunswick, Randy Jones is the only New Brunswicker to currently be in the NHL. Out of the 476 Canadians currently in the NHL, Randy is the only one from a population that, proportionally, should have ten. Even Prince Edward Island, with a population of only 140,000, has more NHLers than New Brunswick (2).

I'm definitely not a Randy Jones hater. He got the highest vote total in the dump the chump poll, sure, but he's a pretty solid, physical defenseman who led the team in +/- last year, and is fifth in the team this year at +12, behind only Richards, Gagne, Carter, and Timonen, even though Randy has played only 32 games this season. None too shabby.

He's clearly overcome some major obstacles making it out of the hockey black hole that is New Brunswick. Props, Mr. Jones, Props.

(I wrote all this not counting Andreas Nodl, because we all know he doesn't matter).

Game #65 Review: Sabres 2 @ Flyers 5 3/10/09

2009-03-10T22:10:00.008-04:00

Bam.

What a great time to be a Flyers fan.

Jeff Carter breaks a five-game goal-less streak for the second time in a month. He's been cold lately, but he was real good tonight. Being out of the goal race seems to have hurt his urgency somewhat, hopefully it returns as the games mean more.
Scott Hartnell scored twice, neither with his stick--one off the leg, one off the nipple. Maybe on March 26th he'll score one off his wig.
Second real good, multi-point game in a row for Joffrey Lupul. Definitely glad to see him still in the orange and black.
The first goal was a total fluke, but for the next fifty-something minutes, Martin Biron was real solid, if unspectacular. The late second Buffalo goal was weak, and since it was so late may leave a lasting impression. Biron should still get the start vs. Washington, but it was an annoying blemish on what was otherwise a pretty nice night.
Claude Giroux is pretty good at this sport, ain't he?
In case you haven't noticed, the Flyers depth is absolutely absurd. There are easily eight guys who wouldn't surprise anybody with a multi-goal night.
Arron Asham had a nice scrap, his first in a while. Word that Riley Cote left the game injured really can't worry anyone too much. Flyers have plenty of tough guys that are far more useful with the puck.
Bunch of penalties from Daniel Carcillo, but they were all matching. Flyers are good four-on-four, so that's fine. But when they stop being matching it's gonna be a big problems.
No hat in today's post game videos, which means it didn't go to Hartnell, Carter, or Biron. Maybe Giroux? Lupul? Or maybe whoever won it just didn't wear it on camera (Carter never has that I've seen).

Washington, Pittsburgh, New Jersey AND Montreal all came from behind to win tonight. Pittsburgh was sloppy enough to hand Florida a point in the process. While it's frustrating for the Flyers to not gain much ground tonight, it has to be absolutely killer for Buffalo. They're done.

Capitals roll in to town to wrap up their series on Thursday. Flyers lead the series with them 2-0-1 so far, so expect big things.

Game #65 Preview: Sabres @ Flyers

2009-03-10T16:35:00.004-04:00

Why The Flyers Will Win:

Martin Biron has owned the Sabres of late, and was awesome vs. Nashville on Saturday. He has a real chance to lock down the #1 spot solidly with a big game tonight.
Last time these two teams met, Mike Richards notched five points. Always improving, we expect him to tally around eighteen tonight.
Buffalo's logo is not a Sabre. It's a buffalo. And that's just weird. It's not like the Devils' logo is a new jersey, or the Coyotes' logo is a Phoenix. The bills do the same sort of thing, and I just can't endorse this. The Flyers logo is flying, so it's fine, but the buffaslug on the Sabres jerseys isn't sharp or being fenced with or anything. That has to cost them at least a couple goals a game.

Why The Sabres Will Win:

Patrick Lalime will probably get the start tonight, and while he might be pretty crappy nowadays, once upon a time he was a serious Flyer killer, allowing only two goals in five games in the first round of the 2002 playoffs. Yikes.
When was the last time a Flyers goalie put together two solid games back to back? Not since at least 2008.
No idea why Mike Richards missed practice yesterday.

Why Everybody Wins:

The game is on Versus, so it will be in HD and seen nationwide, AND that horrible Sabres announcer will have the night off.

There is definitely going to be an anything you can do I can do better moment from Riley Cote aimed at Carcillo at some point during this win for the Flyers. I see four goals.

Mike Knuble wears The Hat tonight.

Luck of the Flyerish

2009-03-10T08:55:00.005-04:00

Saint Patrick's Day is only a week away, boys and girls, and yours truly will be there in person as a lucky charm for the Flyers, especially the little leprechaun that is Daniel Briere. But while I'm at Joe Louis Arena gorging myself on $1 pretzels and celebrating my Irishness with a dozen or so $3 beers (between 6 and 7 pm), there are plenty of things you can buy to make your Flyers Saint Patrick's Day experience just as special.

The good folks over at the NHL want to make sure you take advantage of this booming economy and spend your money on Flyers apparel that can only be used on this one day of the year. And as an incredible as a four-leaf clover, the NHL Store's Saint Patrick's Day Section offers more items for the Flyers than they do for any other team in the league except the Penguins, for whom there are also a whopping FIFTEEN items available for next Tuesday.

So no longer should you be torn between your compulsions to wear green and wear Flyers stuff on game night. You can spend up to $454 dollars on the collection of Saint Patrick's Day Flyers gear, and that's assuming you're cheap and only buy one of each item.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Old Time Hockey 2009 St. Patrick's Day Philadelphia Flyers Dalkey Hooded Sweatshirt -- $39.99

Because nothing says Flyers like an angry leprechaun head. Also makes a great gift for your favorite illiterate Notre Dame fan. The "F" can also pass for several other letters, which is great if you're also an Alyers or Jlyers fan.

Old Time Hockey 2009 St. Patrick's Day Women's Philadelphia Flyers Caitlin T-shirt -- $19.99

For your girlfriend, Caitlin, who is a big Flyers fan. She loves it when guys ~~stare at her boobs~~ try to read the small writing across her shirt. As seen above, the shirt comes already crooked, which is great because Caitlin has MASSIVE scoliosis.

Inglasco Limited Edition Philadelphia Flyers St. Patrick's Day Puck - Shop.NHL.com Exclusive! -- ~~$12.99~~ $9.99

I can't believe they reduced the price on this baby! A Flyers St. Patrick's Day puck??? Think of all the things you could do with that! You could look at it, and then put it down somewhere! And then maybe look at again, and put it somewhere again! It's a limited edition, so you gotta hurry folks.

Happy Shopping!

In-Fighting

2009-03-10T06:17:00.005-04:00

The 30 GMs of the NHL are meeting this week, and fighting is to be the main topic of discussion. Pro-fighting Brian Burke of Toronto decided the best way to approach this subject was to challenge any other GM who disagrees with him to a fight. I'm sure Paul Holmgren is firmly in the pro-fighting camp as well, but I'm sure just about every Flyers fan would pay good money to see our GM beat the crap out of Brian Burke.

Hockey fights are sort of unique in sports skirmishes, because unlike baseball, basketball, or even NASCAR throwdowns, there's really not usually much animosity or genuine dislike there. Fighting in hockey is just what you do. It's always been part of the game and probably always will be. And in the extremely transient NHL, former sparring partners often wind up sitting on the bench. Or current sparring partners, as was the case with R.J. Umberger and Jim Dowd about a year ago, who fought in practice and had to be broken up by Steve Downie. Wonder if it's a coincidence that none of those three are with the team any longer...

Flyers haven't had any incestuous thrown downs that we know of this year, but it doesn't mean none of the 20 guys on the current roster have ever gone at each other.

I dug up three such regular season tussles between current brothers in orange, all of them with a common, unsurprising participant. And they all happened in early-mid November, for what that's worth (not a whole lot).

In chronological order:

Arron Asham (NYI) def. Mike Richards (PHI) 11/10/2005

Arron Asham (NYI) def. Mike Richards (PHI) 11/9/2006

Riley Cote (PHI) vs. Arron Asham (NJD) 11/8/2007 (draw)

With 100% of Precincts Reporting...

2009-03-09T10:03:00.007-04:00

Democracy is as Philadelphian as driving to Delaware to buy cheaper booze. Flyers fans Philadelphian and non-Philadelphian made their voices heard in our entirely scientific poll, and voted in a strong plurality to dispose of Randy Jones. Although it is possible that sixteen or so of Jones' votes were cast by the Bergeron family.

And yet, despite the overwhelming mandate of the masses, Paul Holmgren sent away Scottie Upshall, who only got one vote, a vote which I know came after his trade had been announced.

So should Paul Holmgren get a pass? Sam Cardichi and Flyers Goal Scored By... seem to think so. I'm not so sure. Daniel Carcillo hasn't been terrible by any means, but he hasn't been great. Upshall wasn't putting up huge numbers either. They've been about the same. In the long run, Carcillo for Upshall will probably be a pretty even trade.

Except that the deal wasn't just Carcillo for Upshall. It was Carcillo for Upshall and a second round pick. And picks, except for the occasional James Van Riemsdyk, are worth holding on to. I don't think anybody can honestly say at this point that the deal has worked out well for the Flyers yet. If Carcillo catches fire down the stretch and into the playoffs, then it's time to be giving the deal a thumbs up. But not until then.

We still love ya, Homer. You took the Flyers from 30th to the conference finals in one season, which was totally unprecedented and unexpected. And it's just hard to stay mad at a guy whose hair manages to stay at such sharp right angles.

The Standings, 3/9/09

2009-03-09T02:12:00.007-04:00

With only 18 games left in the season, this day off seems like a super duper time to take a look around the east and see what's likely to be on the menu come April. I've even been kind enough to show off my crazy MS Paint skills as well, circling everything you should care about. There's really only five things.

From the Flyers perspective, the biggest number is that 64 games played. It's two or three games fewer than each of the seven teams below the Flyers have played, which makes for a pretty nice cushion. It's pretty clear that the Flyers are coming in fourth. Not much chance of getting any higher, and not too much chance of falling.
As much fun as it was to see the Penguins floundering around in 10th a month or so ago, it's equally as unfun to see them with a good shot to make the playoffs. Especially with them winning six in a row, and having only one regulation loss under whoever that guy is that replaced Therrien.
This means that the Penguins could easily make it all the way up to #5 and see the Flyers in the first round. And I don't think anybody wants that. The whole 5th-9th race (Buffalo isn't looking great at 10th) is crazy close, including a three way tie at 6th-8th. Flyers could easily face any of Montreal, Florida, the Rangers, Pittsburgh or Carolina in the first round. Let's hope it's Carolina or the Rangers.
If Carolina and Florida both join Washington in the playoffs, it would be the first time that three Southeast Division teams would have made it in the same year. That's exactly what the league needs, playoff games with thousands of empty seats...
There's a not terrible chance that things could break really well for the Flyers in the first round. With the top three all struggling this weekend, and the Capitals and Bruins struggling for some time now, it's entirely possible that the top three seeds could all go down in the first round, leaving the Flyers with home ice advantage until the finals. That's exactly what allowed Washington to make the finals in 1998, when they really had no business getting past the second round. I'd have absolutely no problem with the Flyers winning a Stanley Cup they probably didn't deserve. Give me the Rangers, Hurricanes, Canadiens, and Predators on the road to Stanley Cup III anytime.

The Hat

2009-03-08T03:40:00.018-04:00

"This is the first time I've had the hat...and I make it look pretty good."
--Joffrey Lupul (at 2:45)

So said yesterday's two time goal scorer Joffrey Lupul in a post game interview, setting yours truly on an odyssey through the Flyers TV video archives of unprecedented ambition. I had noticed the ugly orange Flyers trucker hat before, but had never thought too much of it. It looks like it was probably made in the 80s, and found in some old supply closet at the Spectrum. My dad has a bunch just like it in his closet at home, though mostly in black, not that beautifully Flyersy orange.

The hat clearly serves as a sort of player of the game award, likely bestowed by John Stevens after each win. I had never heard the hat directly referenced before Lupul's comments, so hadn't picked up on any patterns previously. So I went digging.

And now, I present to you, the results of my research into every Flyers win in 2009, in order to forever immortalize the men whose triumphs earned them each The Hat.

Nashville 3/7/09 -- Joffrey Lupul (2 goals).

Boston 3/3/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Los Angeles 2/25/09 -- Martin Biron (34 shots, 34 saves in the shoutout).

Washington 2/24/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Buffalo 2/19/09 -- Mike Richards (2 goals and 3 assists)

NY Rangers 2/15/09 -- Claude Giroux (1 goal and 2 assists)

NY Islanders 2/14/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Atlanta 2/8/09 -- Scott Hartnell (2 assists and ZERO(!) penalties)

Boston 2/7/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Tampa Bay 1/30/09 -- Antero Niittymaki (42 shots, 41 saves, and an assist).

Atlanta 1/21/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Florida 1/16/09 -- Antero Niittymaki (34 shots, 32 saves)
Niitty appears to be the only two-time hat winner

Toronto 1/10/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Minnesota 1/8/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

Anaheim 1/2/09 -- The Hat not seen in interviews.

I skimmed a few 2008 videos, but The Hat doesn't seem to make any appearances. before that Florida game in January.

As should go without saying, The Flyer Frequent is THE place for any further updates on any The Hat related developments, as well as stats, charts, graphs, projections, and polls on future The Hat winners. Stay tuned.

Game #64 Review: Predators 1 @ Flyers 4 3/7/09

2009-03-08T00:27:00.008-05:00

Didn't see this one coming.

The bounce back from that flameout Thursday was pretty unbelievable. A very commanding win over a team on a six-game win streak is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Martin Biron was at his lights out best. Flashy as hell, with absurdly overly dramatic glove saves and that absolutely nuts goal line stop that leads off the above recap vid. He let in a soft goal, sure, but the swagger was great to see. Asked why he made so many big saves, Marty replied "I just want to be on TV." Martin was in the SportsCenter Top Ten for his save on Jokinen vs. Calgary on Thursday, and is clearly already addicted to the fame. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but it looks like the goalie controversy has subsided for the time being. Sorry Niitty, but Montreal and Calgary were both real shitty efforts.
Easily Joffrey Lupul's best game of the year, as he becomes the sixth Flyer to hit 20 goals on the year. And he gets the hat? More on that later, as the FF's crack research team is hard at work pursuing all leads hat related. We're on to something big here.
Poor Riley Cote clearly feels his usefulness diminishing to nothing. Daniel Carcillo arrives Thursday, and Riley feels threatened so he fights on Thursday. Carcillo drops the gloves tonight, and Riley feels threatened so he has to have an even bigger fight the very next shift. Carcillo got a point tonight too, which has to stick in Riles' craw all the more. Honestly, Riley can't possibly get any ice time in the playoffs, so it should be only a matter of time before Holmgren lets him get comfortable with the Phantoms.
Flyers gained a game on the Devils tonight to boot. Because they lost to the Islanders. They lost by four. They lost to the ISLANDERS by FOUR. Sit back and enjoy this.

Huge set of games coming up. Sabres on Versus, Capitals, Rangers, Rangers on NBC, Red Wings on Versus, Sabres, Penguins, Devils on Versus, and Panthers, all in the next eighteen days. Should be fairly awesome stuff.

Damaged Goods

2009-03-07T07:46:00.005-05:00

Remember that one part of the Flyers trade deadline day that seemed okay? The swap that restored some faith in the team's prospects? That couldn't possibly last.

Kyle McLaren failed a physical and was sent back to the Sharks, undoing the trade. Because of the two transactions that went down on Wednesday, THIS was the one that needed to be reversed...

San Jose's attempt to con the Flyers worked only temporarily, which now gives the team doctors more time to force Daniel Briere into action, even though he's probably on the verge of having his leg amputated.

The Flyers med staff is always good for that. I fully expect a statement sometime today saying something along the lines of:

Daniel Briere has been cleared to return to play tonight vs. Nashville. While Daniel was initially alarmed by the internal bleeding near his groin, team doctors have assured him that said bleeding is merely the result of menstruation.

Nodl is getting the nod tonight to take Briere's place. Completely forgot he existed, but he never bugged me too much, which is all I can really ask for at this point.

Well, At Least He's Happy

2009-03-06T04:39:00.003-05:00

I realize I've been pretty obsessive over the departure of Scottie Upshall. He's getting a lot more coverage here now than he did when he was actually on the team. And until this deal proves to be anything better than horrendous, that's the way it's gonna stay for the forseeable future.

On the heels of that sad sad sad airport interview, it's sorta nice to see Scottie already so chipper with his new crew. Then again, I don't like that he could get over us so fast. Mourn a while, bud, for our sakes.

Scottie's part of the vid starts around the 1:00 mark.

Game #63 Review: Flames 5 @ Flyers 1 3/5/09

2009-03-06T02:23:00.008-05:00

5

@

So this is how good the Flyers are after the trade deadline. Pathetic.

While the Flyers were busy giving up FOUR goals in the first period, a guy you may have heard of named Scottie Upshall was busy scoring a goal up in Boston, and leading his lowly Coyotes to a win over the mighty Bruins. Remember when he was scoring goals for the Flyers? That was nice. The video is below, if you wanna twist the knife some more.
As much as I'm ready to hate him, Daniel Carcillo wasn't all bad tonight. Didn't do much special, but didn't do anything worse than anybody. Then again, his new teammates set the bar perilously low.
This was the second REAL bad first period in a row for Antero Niittymaki in as many home games. Gave up four to Calgary after giving up three to Montreal. The goalie carousel keeps turning...
These Flames look damn good with their new acquisitions. You gotta like their chances of making it out of the West.
Riley Cote fought early for a reason. He really has to prove his relevance now with two capable fighters in Arron Asham and Carcillo in the line up, both of whom can occasionally put a puck in the net. Something Riles can't even imagine doing.
More on the Briere injury disaster later. I don't hate myself enough to write about it now.

In conclusion, this game was absolutely gross and horrible. Paired with wins from Pittsburgh and the Rangers, this night went just about as badly as it possibly could have.

Dear Mr. Carcillo,

2009-03-05T18:10:00.003-05:00

If you take so much as one dumb penalty tonight, you're dead to me.

Don't fuck it up.

Sincerely,

Salmon

Game #63 Preview: Flames @ Flyers 3/5/09

2009-03-05T17:20:00.008-05:00

The Calgary Flames are a real nice team to watch. They're tough and orangey, easily the Flyers of the West. They've got a stud goalie in Kiprusoff, and a stud star in Iginla. They're physical and scrappy, and easily my second favorite team in the league (though obviously way out of first place).

Why The Flyers Will Win:

The Flyers are coming off their best game of the season on Tuesday, and no reason that momentum doesn't hold.
I'm not sure who gets the start for the Flyers tonight goaliewise, but if it's Niittymaki that's great because he's been so good lately, and if it's Biron that's great since he has something to prove.
The Flames are exactly the kind of team Briere should do well against. Look for him to have a big night.
Remember all the excitement about how healthy the Flyers were for the Boston game? They're still just as healthy.

Why The Flames Will Win:

Morale in the Flyers locker room has to be weird right now, with the departure of Upshall. Carcillo is said to be a popular guy in Phoenix, but a lot of the Flyers probably miss their boy.
With the departure of #9, the Flyers now have only two players on their roster with single digit numbers, Coburn (#5) and Jones (#6). Not sure what that means, but I'm guessing it's not good.

No prediction, can't really get a good feel for this game. Could be real good, could be real bad. Meh.

Oh Yeah, This Guy Came Too

2009-03-05T02:35:00.005-05:00

In the little time since I stopped sobbing over the departure of Scottie Upshall, I found out the Flyers made a seemingly much better deal as well today, this one a sixth round pick in exchange for San Jose's Kyle McLaren. McLaren is a very solid defensemen, and a sixth round pick is nothing. And McLaren will clearly love living in Pennsylvania, because it's obvious from the above picture that the dude is Amish.

With that introduction out of the way, time to get back to crying. Scottie got beamed up, and he didn't even know. This video of Scottie at the airport from CSN Philly (click "Scottie Upshall is Sad to Leave Philadelphia - 3/4") makes it abundantly clear that he doesn't want to leave at all. Sad sad sad.

ETA: Vid is up on YouTube now, for your convenience below

Great Moments In Scottie Upshall History

2009-03-04T15:49:00.006-05:00

It's a good thing this blog already is cloaked in black, because we're going to be in mourning over the ~~death~~ departure of Scottie Upshall for a while.

Scottie Upshall had an absolutely phenomenal last game for the Flyers, but he really showed his chops as a Flyer in the playoffs last year, scoring three pretty huge goals. And here they are.

Huge momentum shifting goal in Game 7 vs. Washington

Huge deflating goal in Game 3 vs. Montreal

Huge series clinching goal in Game 5 vs. Montreal

Not only can he score, but the dude also likes cheesesteaks. And we hear the Phoenix cheesesteak scene ain't so hot.

And lastly, who can forget when he commentated on Sergei Brylin's whining with "what a fucking pussy."

Sigh, good times.

Pack Up That Crib, Scottie

2009-03-04T15:27:00.003-05:00

Scottie Upshall (and a second round pick) was the only Flyers castoff today on deadline day, going in a trade no one saw coming to Phoenix for Daniel Carcillo (WTF?).

This trade sucks on so many levels. Everybody liked Upshall. He was a quick pest with a great shot, who was huge in the playoffs last year and a great energy guy. He was on an exciting new line with Giroux and Briere that looked great. There was nothing wrong with him (note how he got ZERO votes on our scientific poll of who the Flyers need to get rid of).

Carcillo, if we're lucky, is a Steve Downie 2.0. On paper, he's absolutely the last thing the Flyers need. A guy with only three goals and seven assists in 54 games. Not to mention the league leading 174 penalty minutes, which the Flyers were apparently after in an attempt to be short handed the entire game as opposed to just half of it. For those of you keeping score at home, he's got four fewer goals than Upshall, seven fewer assists, and way more penalty minutes.

Did the Flyers need another fighter? We already have one too many, dressing both Asham and Cote regularly. I know we have a reputation to protect, but dressing three enforcers is just absurd.

AND we gave up a second round pick for this chump. You know who once came to the Flyers via a second round draft pick? BOBBY CLARKE.

Scottie now has to move to Phoenix (big downgrade) to play for the Coyotes, who are pretty much out of playoff contention. Plus he's gotta pack up and move out of this sweet crib.

'

Hope you come back to Philly during your free agency this summer, Scottie. You'll be missed.

Game #62 Review: Flyers 4 @ Bruins 2 3/3/09

2009-03-03T23:55:00.010-05:00

Huge.

Big big game. Right to it.

This was a real reassuring game for a team with a whole lot of drama surrounding it. The drama won't necessarily end in these last fifteen or so hours before the deadline, but this game might take away some of the urgency Holmgren is probably feeling.
I'm one to play favorites, but I really haven't had one Flyer stand out for me since Sami Kapanen left. I'm not looking for like a Carter or Richards who everyone knows is awesome, but somebody whose name isn't on a lot of jerseys. And damn, Scottie Upshall sure was that guy tonight. He's not big but absolutely leveled people out there, and he's not known for being a great goal scorer, but he had a real nice goal tonight, and if you remember he got a game-tying goal in Game 7 against Washington and the series winning goal vs Montreal in Game 5. He gets stuck on the third line mostly, but if he was on one of the top two lines he'd most certainly have ~25 goals a season.
The NESN announcers made some reference to Scottie Upshall complaining that the media is obsessed with his good looks and should focus more on his hockey abilities. Did I miss his anointing as the Anna Kournikova of the NHL? Someone more informed on puck bunny culture needs to catch me up here.
If they trade Scottie Upshall tomorrow after my above slurping, I won't be amused.
Simon Gagne had a huge game too, with two goals. Overshadowed now by the younger guns, but Gagne is a real reliable veteran presence that will be huge come playoff time, guaranteed.
Kimmo Timonen makes such a huge difference. It still makes me slam my head into walls thinking about how that Penguins series would have gone had he been healthy for all of it...
Here's how it had gone the previous four games. Great Niittymaki game, great Biron game, bad Niittymaki game, bad Biron game. And now, on the eve of a trade deadline game, a great game from Niittymaki. It might just be luck of the draw for Niittymaki, sort of a "she loves me, she loves me not" situation where his name happened to come up on the last petal. Biron's name has been swirling around more than anybody's most recently, and he's awfully pricy to be a backup. Niitty getting the start tonight and capitalizing on it might be the straw that puts Biron on a plane tomorrow night.
Randy Jones might have been the only player with a real bad game tonight. I haven't been as hard on him as a lot of people have, but this was bad. He has to be pretty distracted by the trade rumors, and his morale is probably low from seeing the results of the poll here (53% of the vote as of now...ouch).
But right after I write that, I see that Jones was a team leading +3 on the night. I'm full of crap, clearly.
Daniel Briere, the biggest name potentially on the trade block, had a pretty decent game given that it was only his second back. That Giroux-Briere-Upshall line is a thing of beauty, and should definitely see more time together.

Predicted 4-3, got 4-2. Not bad. The most Flyersy Western Conference team, the Calgary Flames, come to town on Thursday. Should be a good show.

Knuble, Richards, Timonen, and Stevens post-game reactions here for ya

Game #62 Preview: Flyers @ Bruins 3/3/09

2009-03-03T15:04:00.005-05:00

1 vs. 4 tonight in a potential second round playoff match-up that may be more of a sure thing than anyone realizes. 5-8 in the East is really a joke, so look forward to a Boston vs. Philadelphia rematch of the last World Series come early May.

What's that you say? The Red Sox didn't make it to the World Series last year? They lost to the Devil Rays? The Devil Rays? Yikes...

Why The Flyers Will Win:

For the first time since 1987 or so, the Flyers are playing with a full deck, all the arrows in the quiver. Biron, Niittymaki, Richards, Carter, Briere, Gagne, Knuble, Hartnell, Lupul, Upshall, Giroux, Timonen, Coburn, Jones, Parent, Carle, Alberts, Powe, Asham, hell even Cote will all be there. That's some serious all killer no filler. No Guenin, no Kukkonen, no Sbisa, no Metropolit, no Ross. It's a beautiful thing.
Timonen back makes a huge difference. He's fairly invisible as far as huge deals go, but he sees the ice better than anyone on the team, and should help give some Viagra to a power play that's been horribly flaccid lately.
Last time Tim Thomas played, he let in a shot from just inside the concourse. Sure he's an "all-star," but so were Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist, and they've all sucked unbelievably hard of late.

Why The Bruins Will Win:

Even though the Flyers are hitting unparalleled levels of stackedness, the Bruins are still damn good. #1 in the east, and playing at home.
The trade deadline has to be hell for any player, more so on the noise-making Flyers than on the pretty quiet Bruins. If I had no idea who I'd be playing for in two days, I'd be pretty distracted to say the least. If I'm Joffrey Lupul or Randy Jones and I really want to stay in Philadelphia, I play like shit tonight, and maybe get suspended for a dirty hit or something. Hard to trade a player who just got suspended.

Prediction: Flyers win 4-3. Epic. Maybe OT.

The NHL has been cracking down on livestream sites with far too much effectiveness, so viewing may be in peril for me. But I'll try. Let me know if you know of any reliable, decent feeds that haven't been shut down yet by the man.