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

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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.

Joffrey Lupul: Homewrecker

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

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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

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.

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

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

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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.

The Hat

"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.

Scott Hartnell Has Side-By-Side TVs

Flyers beat Buffalo 6-3 and Mike Richards was pretty sweet. But I'll get to that later.

For right now, what's most important to me is sharing with you all that Scott Hartnell has side-by-side TVs in his living room. Seriously. And they're not small ones either.

Game #47 Preview: Flyers @ Panthers 1/27/09

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Flyers play their first game in a week (and only second in eleven days) tonight against the Florida Panthers. Do they still remember how to skate? Only time will tell...

Why the Flyers will win:

• Antero Niitymaki will hopefully start, and he's a crazy 8-0 against the southeast division this season, including the win last week over Florida.
• Jay Bouwmeester doesn't have the people skills it takes to win hockey games, as per Mirtle.

Why the Panthers will win:

• With trade rumors swirling around practically every Flyer who doesn't have a letter on his sweater (except maybe Hartnell), it would be pretty understandable for the Flyers to be pretty distracted.

That's all I got for this one. It's been a while, there's really no telling what the hell will happen. I'll predict Panthers by two, just in case the Flyers are as unpumped for this game as I am.

Nine Best of 2008 -- #7

The only game on the countdown from the 2008-2009 season comes in at #7. Odd scheduling made it so that all four regular season games vs. the Carolina Hurricanes were to be played across only a sixteen day span. The match-up was a good one for the Flyers, and saw the team come away with seven of the eight available points.

No points came in more dramatic fashion than the final two. Flyers dug themselves into a 5-1 hole after two with generally crappy play, especially from Antero Niittymaki. But things started to turn around in the third, with the Wachovia Center remarkably not empty.



Scott Hartnell's first of what would be two hat tricks in a week got the Flyers to 5-3, and goals by Scottie Upshall and Simon Gagne tied the score, helped by way more solid play from Niittymaki.

Flyers won the shootout easily, 2-0, on goals from Gagne and Mike Richards, meaning that the Flyers put six unanswered pucks in the net.

With the Flyers currently in third and the 'Canes in seventh, a first round playoff meeting between the two teams is not totally out of the question. And based on this game, it's safe to say there's no one I'd be happier facing.

Game #39 Review: Flyers 1 @ Kings 2(SO) 1/3/09

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Down, but happy.

This game never really seemed to get out of first gear, not entirely surprising given that the Flyers probably burned out their clutch in that second period of the Ducks game. Decent but unspectacular goaltending foiled far below spectacular offense from both sides. And a point is a point. And three out of four points in California is not bad. It's not perfect by any means, but we feel better about it when we come up with excuses.

Some quick thoughts...

• FIFTH straight road sell-out. In another market with mediocre attendance. Flyers = America's Team?
• A point is better than no point. Especially when that one point puts you in sole possession of first in the Atlantic for the first time all season, with a Rangers loss to the Caps last night.
• The Flyers are absurdly injured at this point. When Luca Sbisa is forced to play forward, you're having injury problems. When Luca Sbisa is a STARTING forward, it's gotten completely out of hand. Gone is "Broad Street Bullies" for the time being, we've got "Team Red Cross" now.
• He's been ultra solid in regulation, but Antero Niittymaki has been exposed as an awful shootout goalie. Pull to the right, let him go down, put it over his glove. The Devils did it twice to win, now the Kings did it twice to win. I think some thought has to be given (at least come March or so when things get tighter) to putting Biron in net for shootouts. Hey, it worked for Gordon Bombay and Julie Gaffney...

• As bad as Niittymaki is at 1-on-0's, , Scott Hartnell is infinitely worse. He has gotten an amazing number of breakaways in the past few games, and always manages to make an ass of himself. I laughed when he got awarded a penalty shot, and had absolutely zero confidence in him doing anything but embarrassing himself. Especially in a situation like a penalty shot where there's no backcheckers, he should just wind up between the dots and rip a slapshot, which is by far his best weapon. Save himself the humiliation. Hartnell's on pace for thirty goals, but he might as well just dump and chase if he finds himself alone inside the blueline.
• As it's abundantly clear from the locker room interviews... ...it's good to see the Flyers staying calm and grounded. Let's hope they get their pulses up a little bit though before they play the Caps, though.

Flyers flew home to Philly for a day or so back home before hopping on the train south to DC. I would say that returning to Philadelphia makes this a seperate road trip if anyone asked me (no one asked me).

There will be a lot of good memories returning to Verizon Center to face the Caps. A lot. Even that beer bottle to Carter's head.

Game #37 Review: Flyers @ Canucks 12/30/08

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This was big. Getting off to a quick start in the first by getting two goals in the first period (double what the Flyers had scored in the first six periods of this road trip) was big. Martin Biron finally letting in fewer than three goals was big. Winning a game this isolated on the schedule was big.

But the biggest thing clearly is Simon Gagne getting knocked out of the game in the first minute. Obviously concussion worries are first and foremost any time Gagne goes down for the rest of his career, but this one didn't look too bad. He got up fairly quickly, and seemed to be clutching his shoulder more than he was dizzy or disoriented. I doubt he'll play in California, but I really don't think this wasn't the career ender it could have been.

Some thoughts:

• Don't care that he lost the fight badly--how sweet is it to have a captain stick up for his teammates like Mike Richards does.
• Been hearing his name forever as a prospect, and glad to see Claude Giroux getting out there and playing well. He is super quick and has incredible hustle on every play, and is just a little pinball type that is fun to watch.
• Biron played real well, especially in the third. And those goals weren't stoppable shots. Nice effort for him, easily his best game of December.
• Jeff Carter widens his lead for most goals in the NHL. Playing for the name on the back can be a good motivator even if playing for the crest on front is most important. Carter's clearly pretty excited to be leading the league, and it's the kind of quest that can really electrify a locker room.
• Ossi Vaananen as third string goalie? That was some pretty sweet post-to-post.
• If Carter has the best shot on the team, Scott Hartnell has the best slap shot. He beats goalies glove-side on shots better than anyone I can think of.
• Garbagey goal to be sure, but nice for Jonathon Kalinski to get his first career tally, and a game winner no less.
• Odd to see only one Flyer in minus territory in a one-goal game. That somewhat dubious distinction goes to Darroll Powe.
• The orange and black tie on John Stevens was pretty sweet. Not that it's gonna reach any Guy Carbonneau levels, but it's a good look.
• I don't think Bieksa's hit was that dirty, but it's total crap for Canucks TV to name him the #2 star of the game when all he did the whole game was knock out Gagne and then get in a retalliation fight with Richards. Give it to Kalinski for getting his first ever goal and the game winner, or give it to Ryan Kesler for that nice deflection on Vancouver's second.
• The hell is going on with Vancouver's goaltending? They're without their franchise player Roberto Luongo, so they trade for a not great backup in Jason La Barbera and pull Curtis Sanford after a not-that-bad two-goal first period? I don't get it. But I'm embarrassed if I'm La Barbera. He's practically the Kings' #1 guy these days, and he got traded for a seventh round draft pick. That's unimpressive.

On to California. Worse places to spend New Year's than Los Angeles. Maybe they can find Rose Bowl tickets and go see Penn State beat up on USC?

Hartnell and Timonen Injured

Because the 5-1 loss to Chicago wasn't bad enough on its own, news broke that the Flyers will be without at least two of their starters for the forseeable future.

By ED MORAN
Philadelphia Daily News
morane@phillynews.com
CHICAGO - Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell were injured in last night's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks.
Timonen had a soft cast on his right foot after chipping a bone in the ankle.
"It will depend on how Kimmo feels, but it looks like [he'll be out] a minimum of a week," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Hartnell broke his big toe blocking a shot. We'll see how he feels, but it's a very slim chance [he'll play tonight]."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/36771924.html