In The Room with Anthony SanFilippo

FLYERS ACQUIRE LEINO

2010-02-06T12:08:00.003-05:00

In the first of what is sure to be multiple moves to upgrade the struggling offense, the Flyers acquired Ville Leino from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth round pick in 2011 Saturday morning.

Not quite Ilya Kovalchuk, eh?

“Ville is a skilled forward that is going to give us some depth,” said Flyers G.M. Paul Holmgren. “I think he has the ability to play up and down our lineup and play with our skilled players. We're excited to have him.”

Leino, 27, has just four goals and three assists in 42 games this season. Holmgren added he was hopeful Leino could join the Flyers in time for tonight's game in Minnesota against the Wild.

Detroit originally signed Leino in the summer of 2007 as an undrafted free agent following a solid career in the Finnish Elite League. In 2007-08 he had 28 goals and 77 points in 59 games with Jokerit, and was named league MVP.

He spent most of 2008-09 with the Wings’ AHL affiliated Grand Rapids Griffins, where he scored 46 points in 57 games. He then led the club in scoring in the playoffs with 13 points in 10 games.

In 13 NHL games last season, Leino had 5 goals and 9 points, and he had 2 assists in seven playoff games.

Leino makes $800,000 both this season and next season, and will cost the Flyers an additional $200,000 against the cap more than Tollefsen who was making $600,000 and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

FLYERS POSTGAME VS. ISLANDERS

2010-01-30T21:29:00.003-05:00

Russ Cohen from XM Satellite Radio joins me to break down the Flyers 2-1 win over the Islanders Saturday.

THESE COULD HURT IN THE END

2010-01-28T23:27:00.003-05:00

You can't blow two goal leads in the third period ever. It's a bad loss.

It's worse when its against the Atlanta Thrashers.

It's worse when you are in a 30-game sprint that may or may not end up with a playoff berth.

Before I get into the game, let me say this... If the Flyers miss the playoffs this season, it very well could cost Paul Holmgren his job.

There won't be any excuses like injuries, or bad coaching to lean on any longer.

If in fact there are no playoffs this season, the problems with this team will probably be exposed as the kind that can't be corrected.

Which means the core of the team will need to be blown up.

Shudder to think....

Anyway, here's what's wrong right now from my perspective:

1. The top two lines are listless. Jeff Carter runs hot and cold. He's really good for a stretch and then disappears just as long. Danny Briere was playing great for awhile, but after jamming his neck against the boards last Saturday against Carolina, he hasn't been the same. Scott Hartnell must be in the witness protection program because he hasn't been seen in a while.

Then there's Mike Richards, who seems to be an offensive threat only on the power play. Simon Gagne is playing with a bit more fire, but hasn't scored in eons, and Darroll Powe is very good for a third line, but not really for a second line.

2. The defense is too thin. Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen are fine. Matt Carle had a bad game, but is usaully reliable. Braydon Coburn hasn't been the same since the 2007-08 playoffs when he got hit in the face with a puck.
But the rest of the defense is shaky. Oskars Bartulis has the makeup to be a decent NHLer, but not right now. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen gambles too much and his injuries have limited him from making up for his little mistakes. Even Danny Syvret, who is hurt and Ryan Parent, who had back surgery, are suspect. Sytvret as offensive skill but makes too many mistakes on D. Parent could be a very good shut down defenseman, but can;t stay healthy enough to find out.

3. The goalie needs to be better. Ray Emery wasn't terrible tonight, but he hasn't stolen a game since his return either. I wouldn't be surprised to see Micahel Leighton Saturday against the Isles. Emery could use a rest and Leighton needs to shake off some rust.

4. Every once in a while, this team still thinks it can turn on the jets as needed. That was the case against Atlanta and it didn't work. Peter Laviolette is frustrated. Pronger is disappointed. Messages have been sent. The stakes are well known - and yet it still happens. The Flyers hope it's just a blip on the radar. But, if not, it could again be their undoing.

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Some notes from the game:

* The Flyers record now stands at 26-23-3 and 55 points, including a 15-11-2 record at home.

* The Flyers are now 3-2-0 on their six-game homestand and will play the final game of their longest homestand of the season when they take on the New York Islanders on Saturday at 1 pm ET.

* Despite the loss, the Flyers own a 14-2-2-1 record at home against the Thrashers, earning 33 out of a possible 38 points in the all-time series.

* Simon Gagne appeared in his 634th game as a Flyer, surpassing Rod Brind’Amour for 11th place on the Flyers’ all-time games played.

* Arron Asham has 10 points in his last 12 games (3G,7A).

* Rookie James van Riemsdyk has at least a point in four of his last six games and in eight of his last 12 games (11 pts - 5G,6A).

* Dan Carcillo’s goal marked the fourth time this season that a Flyers player has scored on his birthday (Danny Briere on Oct. 6, Chris Pronger on Oct. 10, Claude Giroux on Jan. 12, Dan Carcillo on Jan. 28).

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Check back in the morning for video of me and NHL.com senior writer Adam Kimmelman as we break down this loss for the Flyers.

PENGUINS TAKE A BITE OUT OF FLYERS

2010-01-24T17:34:00.002-05:00

This was certainly a tough loss, and we'll get into the whole 2-1 debacle in tomorrow's edition of the Daily Times, delving into penalties that weren't, goals that weren't and a loss that shouldn't have been.

But for now, I want to take this time to give you the rundown of an on-ice incident that goes well-beyond gamesmanship and really is about as unsportsmanlike as it gets.

In the third period, with a scrum piling on top of Scott Hartnell, who always seems to be in the middle of such things, Arron Asham skated over to try to pull Matt Cooke off of his teammate.

Asham grabbed Cooke, his gloved hand getting near Cooke's mouth.

Cooke responded by biting down - hard. Asham lost his cool and tried to get at Cooke, but officials kept them apart.

Both went to the penalty box for roughing, and when they came out, Asham tried to lure Cooke into fighting, but Cooke ducked him.

Afterwards, Cooke and teammate Craig Adams joked that if Scott Hartnell didn't bite Kris Letang earlier this season (remember that?) than Cooke didn't bite Asham.

But you should have seen Asham's finger. It was certainly chewed.

Asham didn't have many kind words to say about Cooke, calling him "gutless" "a chicken" and "garbage" among other things.

Look for a blow by blow to be posted on delcotimes.com later tonight and in the print edition tomorrow.

And, look for the final meeting of the season between the two teams - March 27 in Pittsburgh - to be nasty.

Finally, with the Pens having now won 4-out-of-5 games against the Flyers this season, despite Philadelphia outplaying them in at least three, if not four of the games, coach Peter Laviolette was asked why, when the team is doing everything right, they still can't beat Pittsburgh. His response?

"We will when it counts," he said.

Anyone else know deep down these two will meet in the playoffs again this year?

BREAKING NEWS: RANGERS STINK

2010-01-21T23:01:00.002-05:00

Nice win for the Flyers tonight. They're now within two points of the No. 6 seed, which the Rangers are currently clinging to.

But, let me say this: The Rangers are bad. How they've won 24 games is beyond me.

This team has no offense beyond Marian Gaborik, and he spent so much time in the penalty box he left his team, well, punchless.

Aside from their all-world goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who must be the reason the Rangers are even in this playoff mix, the rest of the team is really sub par.

Aside from Gaborik (62 points) Vinny Prospal has 36 points and 27 of them are assists - mostly to Gaborik. No one else breaks the 30-point plateau.

Come on, even Flyers' rookie James van Riemsdyk has 30 points.

The defense has a couple of young, up-and-comers in Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy, but they are very green, and I don't mean Mike.

Marc Staal is their best defenseman, and he's still growing up too.

Here's a not-so-bod prediction - the Islanders, not the Rangers, ar ehte New York playoff representative this season.

Still, well-played defensive and checking game by the Flyers tonight. I don't want to take away the way they've been playing lately.

Now 2-0 on the six game homestand, if they knock off Carolina Saturday, it'll set up a could-be classic against Pittsburgh Sunday.

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Here's some notes from the game:

* With the win, the Flyers improve their record to 25-21-3 and 53 points, including a 14-9-2 record at home.

* The win also gives the Flyers five straight wins at home… the last time the Flyers won five straight at home occurred from Dec. 9, 2008 – Jan. 10, 2009 when they won eight straight games at home.

* The Flyers recorded their second straight shutout over the Rangers, after posting a 6-0 victory on Dec. 30… They have now shut out the Rangers for a total of 155:14 of play.

* The last time the Flyers posted back-to-back shutouts over the Rangers was Oct. 20 (5-0 W) and Oct. 22, 1999 (2-0 W), John Vanbiesbrouck posted both shutouts for the Flyers.

* Ray Emery posted an assist on James van Riemsdyk’s goal in tonight’s game, becoming the first Flyers goaltender to record an assist in a game since Martin Biron had an assist vs. NY Rangers on April 12, 2009.

* Chris Pronger has a three-game point streak and has points in eight of his last nine games (11 pts - 2G,9A)… Rookie James van Riemsdyk has a three-game points streak and has at least a point in seven of his last nine games (10 pts - 5G,5A).

* The Flyers improved their record to 8-4-1 against Atlantic Division opponents.

* The Flyers have scored the first goal in 13 of their last 14 contests… They have also scored a goal in the first period in 12 of those contests and have allowed a goal in the first period in just 3 of the 14 games and have held their opponent scoreless in 30 of 49 games on the year.

UMBERGER - A YOUNG PLAYER WHO GOT IT

2010-01-19T23:04:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, when newspapers publish my two stories from the Flyers 5-3 win over Columbus, you're going to read a lot about R.J. Umberger.

It helped that the former Flyer scored two goals, and nearly a third, in his first game back since being traded from Philadelphia to Columbus, but the fact is, I likely would have devoted a good chunk of my space to Umberger because he's such a quality human being who was well-liked during his four years in Philadelphia (I include the season with the Phantoms during the lockout).

The fact that he had a big game only made his prominence in stories more applicable.

So, why dedicate so much space to a former player who is now doing his thing for the opposition?

Because he is everything you want in your locker room and on your hockey team and the Flyers really miss that kind of player.

There is a reputation, deserved or not, that the Flyers younger players, for the most part, are bratty.

Umberger, while he was close with all of them and remains friends with all of them, always seemed a bit more mature, a bit more refined.

When the young Flyers were moving into homes in Voorhees, NJ or transplanting themselves onto the Philadelphia side, Umberger was buying a home for himself and his lovely young wife in secluded Medford, N.J. - near then coach Ken Hitchcock.

He was always a player who was willing to buy into Hitchcock's system, something a lot of young players are not apt to do.

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter speak politely about Hitchcock, but they don't ever say anything glowing about their former coach who rode them very hard.

Patrick Sharp, now starring for the Chicago Blackhawks, also struggled under Hitch as a young player, but learned to appreciate Hitch's lessons after he was traded from Philadelphia.

Simon Gagne grew up from being a pure scorer to one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL under Hitchcock.

So, when Hitchcock had the opportunity to bring Umberger into Columbus, he jumped at the chance.

"R.J. has really grown into the kind of player who I can sit down and talk to and have him get the message across to the other players that I want to get across through him as a leader," Hitchcock said.

He's on pace to have the best year of his career. He has 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points. That would be third best on the Flyers right now.

But it's so much more than that with him. He gets the fans. He gets the media. He knows how to be communicative. He can express his feelings properly without sweating the small stuff. If he has a bad game and gets criticized for it, he's not going to let the printed words eat away at him. His Teflon personality works.

Here's all you need to know about the guy.

After the game tonight, rather than go immediately to the team bus, he sought me and another writer out and asked us to do him a favor.

He wanted us to let the fans of Philadelphia know that he wanted to come onto the ice to thank them for the way they've treated him, both in the past and tonight, but couldn't because there was an immediate team meeting after game.

"I don't want them to think I'm blowing them off or anything," he said.

He could have simply got on the bus to the airport. He could have popped in his I-pod and drowned out all distractions. He could have just ho-hummed his way through another loss and looked forward to a little nap on his short flight home.

Instead, he wanted to find a way to say thank you to the fans of Philadelphia and made it his mission.

He got to a couple of us. I spread the word through the press box in hopes that all in attendance at this game as well as all those who follow the FLyers from home get to see how genuine Umberger really is.

And who knows, maybe one day when he's a free agent, this organization will bring him back.

Because he always wanted to be a Flyer for the rest of his career. He has a tattoo of the logo to prove it.

And he is a model of what a class act is in the sport of hockey.

DEFENDING RICHARDS

2010-01-17T20:01:00.004-05:00

This is not going to be a popular stance among my hockey-writing brethren, but the fact is, I completely understand where Mike Richards is coming from in his on-again-off-again relationship with the local media.

You'll be hearing all about this tomorrow, but tonight Richards had a bit of a blow up with the local writers following a 5-3 loss to the Washington Capitals in D.C.

The crux of the disagreement was surrounding some quotes by Richards in the Jan. 25 edition of the Hockey News in which he is quoted as saying the Philadelphia Media makes things up when times are bad.

The exchange grew heated, so much so that at one point, coach Peter Laviolette had to get between Richards and one reporter (not yours truly) to prevent things from really going awry.

Before I express my opinion on the subject, I'm going to provide a transcription of the interview for all to read so you can begin to formulate your own opinions on the subject.

(NOTE: Two questions concerning the game were asked prior to these questions and have been omitted from this transcription for lack of relevance to the topic).

INQUIRER: A story was published this weekend where you say the Philadelphia media makes stuff up. Can you address that?

RICHARDS: The articles to begin with at the beginning of the year. Things like that.

INQUIRER: Such as?

RICHARDS: The drinking articles and things like that.

INQUIRER: The drinking articles?

RICHARDS: The articles… that’s why I didn’t talk to you for a month.

INQUIRER: I did an article that said that you drank?

RICHARDS: Yes.

INQUIRER: I have no idea what you are talking about. Elaborate please?

RICHARDS: Are you allowed to write something in the paper at any time that I say we didn’t…

INQUIRER: (interrupting) I didn’t.

RICHARDS: You didn’t write an article at the beginning of the year?

INQUIRER: That said you were drinking?

RICHARDS: That we’re out too much and that you asked Lupes (Joffrey Lupul, now with Anaheim) all the questions and everything? Anthony? Weren’t there articles?

DELCO TIMES: There were articles about those events but nothing naming you specifically.

RICHARDS: They said the players were drinking too much. Richards and Carter were out all the time.

INQUIRER: He (Lupul) said that?

RICHARDS: Isn’t that what the article said?

INQUIRER: No. I think that you’re making that up.

RICHARDS: Oh, O.K.

INQUIRER: You’re making it up.

RICHARDS: O.K.

CSNPHILLY.COM: The follow up to that is, do you think there’s a problem between us and you?

RICHARDS: Um.. Probably not. I haven’t even read the (Hockey News) article. I don’t know if I was misquoted or what was said. So, I can’t elaborate on that.

DELCO TIMES: I guess the question that might clear this up is, is this something that was brought up to you by the (Hockey News) writer, or was this something you brought back up again yourself?

RICHARDS: No. I’m not sure in this instance because it was a month-and-a-half ago. But, in the texting it was like, ‘What’s it like playing in Philadelphia?’ I said, ‘The media’s tough sometimes when we’re losing, it’s good what we’re winning.’ I can’t say exactly what I said but…

INQUIRER: (interrupting) You did say in the next sentence that ‘they make stuff up.’

RICHARDS: Oh, O.K.

COURIER POST OF NJ: Do you think you’re treated unfairly by us this season?

RICHARDS: No... Thanks guys. It was a pleasure, as usual.

Following this exchange Richards approached some writers privately to talk further. He was definitely upset. Soon, one of the writers started jawing with him and the two were face-to-face for a second before coach Peter Laviolette stepped between the two and separated them before it escalated any further.

Here's the thing. Is Richards a little too sensitive? Yes. Does he have to stop worrying so much about what is written about him? Yes. Does he need to embrace his captaincy a bit more and use it as a soap box of sorts. Yes.

Yet, I feel for the guy. I really do.

Here's the thing. Put yourself in his shoes. He's a 24-year-old single guy. He's also a handsomely-paid professional athlete. Now ask yourself, if you were him, wouldn't you be enjoying the good life a little bit too? I know I sure would.

Also, imagine you were a professional athlete. Imagine if every day people were writing things about you. Wouldn't you at least be interested in their opinions? Wouldn't you kind of use that as a guideline for the way you carry yourself in front of them? I know I would.

In the same magazine piece, Chris Pronger says this about being a young leader and dealing with the media:

"There's always a learning curve, but it's not always the way you think it's going to be an it's definitely not always going to be the easy way," he said. "The media turned on me pretty quick and I think that's why I had the reputation I had for the first seven, eight, nine years as not media-friendly. They weren't overly nice to me, so I thought, 'I'm not going to help them do their job if they're not nice to me.'
"Learning that lesson comes with the learning curve and maturity. You're going to have situations where things don't always go well and you have to learn how to deal with the bad times just as you have to learn to deal with the good.
"Mike is still a very young player and nobody's going to be perfect all the time. He's a pretty quiet guy who wants to lead by example and let his play be his voice,let his play be the tool that gets guys to buy in to what we're trying to do here. As a young leader with a lot of young players around, sometimes that's difficult.
"Guys are going to make mistakes, whether it's maturity issues, or game experiences. There are all sorts of things you encounter as a 24-year-old and you're going to look back years later and say 'Ahhh' - much like I did. I had to go through the exact same experiences as a young captain with a lot of pressure like Mike.
I can tell all these guys what's going to happen until I'm blue in the face, but they've got to go live it and make their own mistakes. They may heed some advice and not make some of the glaring mistakes I made, but they still have to live their lives and learn from their experiences."

That's a mouthful.

But he's right. Richards has some things to learn, and to be fair to Richards, there has been obvious growth. He still has room to grow, but again, it'll take time.

Where I side with him is that maybe we came on a bit too thick as writers today.

Maybe we made too much of this story in the Hockey News, which, in my opinion, went way overboard in it's description of the stories we all wrote about the Flyers young core of players (there were references to condom machines and Quagmire from the Family Guy).

But, criticism of the approach of the Hockey News story, which was certainly a few months too late on the subject, the post game story became a story only because we put ourselves into the story.

We could have spoken to Mike specifically about the game and let well enough alone. Or, we could have broached the subject a little differently, without ambushing him as we did. Some of the questions, to me, also seemed to be an attempt to goad Richards.

That's not fair. So, to see Richards lose his cool afterward, I can't say it wasn't completely justified.

Does there need to be better understanding between captain and media? Yes. But, was Richards a bit uptight and not answering with the right words, forcing the questioners to poke and prod him on the semantics of his answers without letting him express it properly? I think so too.

Hopefully there can be some resolution here, but at the same time, if Richards decides to not talk to us for awhile again, I can't say I don't understand.

EMERY GETS THE NOD

2010-01-17T14:48:00.003-05:00

So the answer to the mystery question of life for the Flyers this weekend is Ray Emery.

Emery gets the start in goal today against the Caps, and it makes sense.

Emery has been cleared to play for the last week, and he was a solid, if not spectacular goalie before getting injured.

HE played hurt for awhile, which skewed some of his numbers, but believe me, Emery was as sharp at the start of the season as Michael Leighton has been of late.

So, it's only fair that Emery get a chance to reclaim his spot as the No. 1 goalie.

Peter Laviolette was clearly riding Leighton until he lost, which happened Thursday in Toronto, however, don't expect Leighton to just fade into the abyss.

Unless Emery goes on an equally remarkable streak of 11 straight starts without a loss in regulation, it's likely Leighton will be back in net.

And if Emery struggles, be certain that Laviolette won't hesitate to go back to Leighton quickly.

Emery's start today signifies that the organization still considers him the No. 1 goalie, and rightfully so. He has done nothing wrong to deserve losing that spot.

But, it wouldn't be out of line to say that his grip on that spot is not nearly as firm as it was with Brian Boucher as his primary backup. If Emery stumbles, Leighton has proven he can carry the load and has the confidence not only in himself, but of his teammates and coaches as well.

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One little note: Radio broadcaster Tim Saunders has grade 5 laryngitis and can't be the play-by-play man for today's game. Instead, Chris Therien will do play-by-play. Should be a fun broadcast! Good luck Bundy!

POWE/BETTS/LEIGHTON - WHO KNEW?

2010-01-12T22:57:00.003-05:00

If I told you at the beginning of the season that the Flyers would go through a horrible stretch of games, fire their coach, sit in next to last in the conference in the standings and then work their way out of it with a brilliant 10-game run who would you assume were the players leading that rise from the ashes?

Mike Richards? Jeff Carter? Simon Gagne? Scott Hartnell? Chris Pronger? Ray Emery? Danny Briere?

Any or all would have made perfect sense.

But, if I told you it was Darroll Powe, Blair Betts and Michael Leighton, you would have told me I was "crazier than an (out)house rat."

(Bonus points if you can tell me the movie that line was from.)

Yet, they've been the catalysts for this 8-1-1 run that have vaulted the Flyers from 13th in the conference to seventh and only three points out of fifth.

Powe had a goal and an assist against Dallas Tuesday and Leighton had 27 saves to improve to 8-0-1 as a Flyers starter this season.

Meanwhile, Betts has fueled a penalty kill that has stopped 21 straight power plays and 35 of the last 37.

"I just got back when the team started to get rolling," said Powe, downplaying the coincidence of his return and the Flyers turnaround. "We had to learn a new system and it's just clicking right now."

But, Powe is more important than one would imagine to this roster.

“Well, when you talk about skating and speed, he brings that element in a lot of different areas," coach Peter Laviolette said about Powe. "He brings it on the forecheck, the penalty kill… defensively, he’s solid. When you’re strong down the middle, I think you become a stronger hockey team. So when you add [Blair] Betts and [Darroll] Powe down the middle to [Mike] Richards and [Jeff] Carter, you’ve got a good strength down the middle. Having Darroll back, as well as Blair, has been helpful in a lot of different areas.”

As for Leighton, how do you take the guy out at this point? He's been sensational. I think Laviolette will ride him until the hot streak ends, or until the schedule becomes more demanding, whichever comes first.

All said, the Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season right now, and if they can maintain some semblance of it the rest of the way, maybe the expectations weren't too high at the beginning of the season.

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14 different Flyers registered at least one point in this win over Dallas. That's the first time since 12/31/97.

For some good little trivia, here are the 14 players who got a point in that game, an 8-0 win over Vancouver:

Trent Klatt, Rod Brind'Amour, Eric Lindros, Pat Falloon, Luke Richardson, Chris Gratton, John LeClair, Paul Coffey, Colin Forbes, Eric Desjardins, Daniel Lacroix, Janne Niinimaa, Vaclav Prospal and Shjon Podein.

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Some other newsy notes:

* With the win, the Flyers currently own a 23-19-3 record and have 49 points, which puts them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference… At Home, they now have a 12-9-2 record.

* The Flyers currently have a four-game winning streak, where they have out scored the opposition by a combined score of 23-10… They have also gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, earning 17 out of a possible 20 points in the standings and have averaged 5.75 goals-per game in that span.

* During that span, the Flyers have scored the first goal in all 10 of those contests, in addition to recording a goal in the first period in 8 of those contests (5 of which have been multi-goal periods) the Flyers have allowed a goal in the first period in just 2 of the 10 games and have held them scoreless in 27 of 45 games on the season.

* The Flyers power play has scored a combined nine goals in the last five games, having gone 9-for-17 (52.9%) on the man advantage.

* The Flyers had 14 players record at least a point in tonight’s contest, marking the first time the Flyers have had 14 players or more record a point in game since Dec. 31, 1997 in an 8-0 win at Vancouver.

* Ian Laperriere has recorded at least a point in four of his last five games – 5 points (2G,3A)… He also recorded the first “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” for the Flyers since Mar. 28, 2008 at NJ (Randy Jones - 1G,1A, 1 fighting major)

* Mike Richards has a five-game point streak in which he has six points (3G,3A) and at least a point in eight of last 10 games - 12 points (6G,6A).

* Jeff Carter has recorded at least a point in seven of last 10 games for 11 points (4G,7A).

* Chris Pronger has points in five straight games, posting seven points (1G,7A) in that span, while also recording at least a point in nine of his last 12 games – 12 points (2G,10A).

* Simon Gagne has a five-game assist and point streak, where he has posted six points (1G,5A)… He also has 13 points (5G,8A) in 12 games since his return from injury on Dec. 19.

* Danny Briere has at least a point in seven of his last nine games for 11 points (5G,6A) in that span.

* Rookie James van Riemsdyk has at least a point in four of his last five games, posting seven points (3G,4A).

ODDS AND ENDS FROM A WIN OVER THE PENS

2010-01-07T23:17:00.002-05:00

Color me impressed.

I admit, I was skeptical about the Flyers recent run of success. Sure they were winning games, but they weren't beating good teams.

And yes, the remaining skeptics will say they played a Penguins team minus three regulars (Sergei Gonchar, Ruslan Fedotenko and Chris Kunitz) but the fact still remains that the Flyers have a gigantic mental block when it comes to their Keystone rivals.

So to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes and to answer ever punch the Penguins had with a bigger counterpunch of their own says a lot about where the Flyers are now as opposed to where they were just before Christmas.

Consider this difference:

In the first 35 games, they averaged 2.71 goals per game. In the last eight, they've averaged 4.38.

In those first 35 games they scored four goals or more all of 10 times. In the last eight they've done in six times.

In the first 35 games they were 15-18-2, in the last eight they are 6-1-1.

Notice a difference?

When they score, they win. Pretty simple. And there's a big difference between when they score first and when they don't.

In the 17 games in which the Flyers have allowed the first goal, they are a putrid 3-14-0.

However, in the 26 games in which they're registered the first goal, they are 18-5-3.

It's the most lopsided differential in that statistic in the NHL.

Oh, and in this eight game stretch in which they are 6-1-1 they've scored first in each game. It's a mental thing with this team, it really is.

Other tidbits of note:

The Flyers had eight different players with at least two points:

Jeff Carter (2 goals), Mike Richards (1 goal, 1 assist), Chris Pronger (1 goal, 1 assist), James van Riemsdyk (2 goals), Matt Carle (1 goal, 2 assists), Darroll Powe (2 assists), Arron Asham (2 assists) and Danny Briere (2 assists).

The last time they had eight players with at least two points in a game was Nov. 15, 2006 in a 7-4 win at Anaheim.

The scorers in that game?

G A

Forsberg, Peter C PHI 1 1
Gagne, Simon LW PHI 1 1
Kapanen, Sami RW PHI 2 0
Knuble, Mike RW PHI 1 1
Nedved, Petr C PHI 0 2
Pitkanen, Joni D PHI 0 2
Robitaille, Randy C PHI 0 2
Sanderson, Geoff LW PHI 1 1

- Despite the comfortable win, Oskars Bartulis and Braydon Coburn were still a minus-1. Coburn is now minus-5 in his last three games and Bartulis is a team-worst minus-12.

- Right now the Flyers best offensive player might be Danny Briere. He has benefited the most from Peter Laviolette's system. He has nine points in his last seven games and even though he's a notorious minus player, he's been a plus-5 in that span.

_ on the negative side, Sidney Crosby scored twice and now has 24 goals and 28 assists for 52 points in 30 career regular season games against the Flyers.

MAGIC NO. 27

2010-01-06T22:57:00.002-05:00

Danny Briere talked about the No. 27 yesterday. Danny Carcillo brought it up tonight.

No, they weren't talking about Mika Pyorala.

Instead, they were talking about the number of wins the Flyers needed to get in the second half of the season to make the playoffs.

27 out of 41. That might sound like a lot, and considering the position the Flyers had put themselves in after the first 41 games, it will likely take 54 points to qualify for the postseason.

But, look at the schedule. Really look at it. Don't be snookered into the belief that a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning at 16-15-10 is above .500. They aren't. They've played 41 games and won 16. That means they've lost 25. They're a sub-.500 team.

So, with that in mind I offer you this stat: Including tonight, a game which the Flyers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2, the Flyers play 28 of their final 41 games against teams that are sub-.500 right now.

Crazy, no?

Usually the Flyers find themselves in the midst of a brutal schedule down the stretch, but this season, it doesn't seem to be breaking down that way. At no point in the remaining schedule do they play more than two straight games against plus-.500 teams.

So, getting at least 54 points, seems not only attainable, but likely.

Consider the Flyers are 5-1-1 in their last seven games. The five wins, all sub-.500 teams. In the first 41 games, they were 11-5-1 against teams that are currently below .500.

That's not to say this is going to be smooth sailing the rest of the way. THe schedule, while not as top-heavy as far as opponents, is certainly brutal in the way of travel and the number of games in short periods of time.

With the exception of next week when the Flyers play just two games, the Flyers play 11 weeks with either three or four games per week on the schedule.

There's a road trip to Calgary, Edmonton and Minnesota in early February that will likely force the players to pack their mukluks, a trip to Tampa, Florida and Buffalo fresh out of the Olympic break, and five-out of six on the road in nine days in mid-March with stops in New York, Nashville, Dallas, Atlanta and Ottawa.

So it won't be a joyride, but it's a schedule that works for the Flyers, could get them on a nice, little roll, and have them feeling confident heading into the postseason.

FLYERS WIN STREAK COULD BE DELAYED BY RAIN

2009-12-30T22:54:00.002-05:00

Just when you thought you've seen it all in sports comes this wacky possibility - The Flyers' next game might be rained out.

Yep, the National Weather Service is calling for a "weather Event" of sizable proportions to roll into New England late tomorrow night and into Friday and Saturday that could postpone the Winter Classic slated for Fenway Park.

The league has plans in place to deal with these issues, but for now the Flyers' brass is still feeling confident the game is going to go on as planned.

"The Boston guys are telling me it looks like there'll be a window to get the game in," said Flyers' President Peter Luukko. "I'm from New England, and you can never predict the weather up there, so who knows, but I think they'll see what the forecast is that morning and make the decision then."

I think Luukko was simply regurgitating league-fed info - it is a league-run event after all - and the likelyhood of the game being a wash out Friday is greater than you might think.

We'll know more tomorrow, but I'm betting on a final decision on New Year's breakfast.

.....................................

Interesting stats from the Flyers 6-0 win:

- Mike Richards was plus-4 while Brandon Dubinsky was minus-4.

"Tonight is not a night for me to talk about how the team played. I'm one of the go-to guys here, one of the guys the team relies on and a performance like that is unacceptable," Dubinsky said. "It was probably my worst game as a New York Ranger."

- Scott Hartnell played just 9:58, a team low for the Flyers.

Not sure if this was injury-related, discipline related, or rest-related with the Flyers having a comfortable lead, but I'll certainly look into it tomorrow.

- Blair Betts won 69 percent of his faceoffs against his former team. Most of his wins came against Rangers captain Chris Drury.

Betts is proving to be an integral part of the Flyers roster. He's their best faceoff guy, he's their best penalty-killer, He's a quality checking line center, in short, he's been a strong offseason addition.

Three Stars

I voted for Gagne, Briere and Carter and that's exactly how they played out. They were really good offensively.

...........................................

Finally, I think Michael Leighton deserves a shot at the start in the Winter Classic.

In his four starts he's 4-0 with a 1.48 GAA and .952 save percentage. That's stellar.

MAYBE THE MOST PATHETIC REPLAY REVIEW EVER

2009-12-27T18:59:00.002-05:00

Danny Briere should have had his second goal of the game.

Instead, it was waved off by replay which insisted there was a distinct kicking motion by Briere after his initial shot hit the post and caromed back out.

Briere wasn't even looking at the puck when the supposed kicking motion happened, was being checked from behind and was in mid celebration.

But, somehow, much like the single-bullet theory, the geniuses in the Toronto war room where video replay decisions are made, determined Briere was adroit enough to still knowingly kick the puck into the net.

Horrible call.

If the Isles come back and tie, or win this one, part of the blame is going on the league for employing dunces in such important official positions.

CARTER GOAL A THING OF BEAUTY

2009-12-27T18:31:00.002-05:00

Scott Hartnell gets a lot of criticism for the lunk-headed decisions he makes. Whether it's taking a bad penalty or making a dumb pass.

Usually, it's deserved.

But, he often doesn't get credit for the fine plays he makes, and Jeff Carter's goal was one of those.

Hartnell led a 2-on-1 break out of the zone and made a smart pass to Carter for the goal. He waited for defenseman Brendan Witt to go down to block it, dragged the puck behind him and was able to make the pass across to Carter after Witt slid past.

Marty Biron, who is in goal for the Isles, should have made the save, but Carter found his usual weak spot - under his glove arm - for his 14th goal of the season.

2-1 Flyers after two... but I'm still not overly impressed.

ISLES GOAL LOOKED LIKE A HIGH STICK TO ME

2009-12-27T18:05:00.002-05:00

Forme Flyer (and all-around good guy) Jon Sim just tied the score for the Isles, but it looked like a high stick to me.

Not Sim's goal - which was clean, but the assist credited to Mark Streit.

That puck was above Chris Pronger's shoulders - and those are some pretty tall shoulders - and Streit swatted it down from their with his stick.

Sim beat Matt Carle to a spot and just like that, the game's tied.

......

On a side note, I'm tired of people proposing to fiancee's at sporting events. It's not cool, and it's the guy's way of assuring she'll say yes, because it's in front of thousands of other people and she doesn't want to look bad.

I wish someone could track the stat of how long those in-arena proposal marriages last. I'd bet the divorce rate is even higher there than more traditional propsals - like the guy who puts the proposal on a piece of paper inside a fortune cookie.

BRIERE BESTS HIS GOOD BUDDY

2009-12-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

Danny Briere staked the Flyers to their third straight 1-0 lead when he beat Marty Biron with a shot to the top shelf short side.

Briere was in the right place at the right time to gather a puck lost by line mate Jeff Carter as Carter was attempting to dodge a check.

It was Briere's 13th tally of the season.

But, despite the early lead the Flyers have not looked great.

Michael Leighton has been lucky, with one shot beating him to the five-hole but trickling wide, while his teammates still are turning the puck over waaaay too much in their own zone - Danny Syvret and Scott Hartnell with a couple especially awful blind passes that could have led to goals.

Even if the Flyers win this one, no one should consider them completely out of their funk. They are still playing down to the level of their competition - Tampa Bay, Carolina and the Islanders are by no means a measuring stick.

SCRATCHES AND GOALIE SURPRISE

2009-12-27T17:18:00.002-05:00

Peter Laviolette chose Michael Leighton over Brian Boucher to start this afternoon's game with the New York Islanders.

Boucher has not played since last Monday when he suffered a laceration on a finger on his glove hand, meaning Michael Leighton made his third straight start in goal.

Leighton has been O.K. for the Flyers, winning his last two starts.

Laviolette's ideology was that Boucher has not had a chance to practice and since the team had some travel problems getting into New York from Raleigh, N.C., their morning practice was canceled.

Boucher will likely be back in net Wednesday for the Flyers' next game in New York City against the Rangers.

..................

Ryan Parent missed his second straight game with a vague back injury. Danny Syvret was recalled from the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL to take his spot in the lineup.

Mika Pyorala was a healthy scratch along with Riley Cote.

EMERY TO GET SOME OCCASSIONAL TIME OFF

2009-11-15T18:32:00.002-05:00

Ray Emery has started 15 of the first 16 games for the Flyers, but he could start to see his starting frequency tempered a bit.
After a quirky schedule that made the Flyers take 43 days to play their first 16 games, They now will play eight times in the next 13 days and then following a four day break they will jam a dozen games into 20 December days before Christmas.
So Brian Boucher, who has been collecting dust on the end of the bench, will get the call more frequently.
“Ray has played really well and the schedule has allowed him to get the rest he’s needed,” Stevens said. “But now we’re going to start to travel a lot and we’re going to need (Boucher) to win us hockey games. Just like he did last year in San Jose when (Evgeni) Nabokov needed rest or was a little injured, Boosh came in and played great and we’re going to need that starting with this road trip.”

FROM SCHULTZ TO HIS ARMY

2009-11-14T23:35:00.002-05:00

Dave Schultz will become the 20th member of the Flyers organization to be inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame during an on-ice ceremony prior to the team’s contest vs. the New Jersey Devils at the Wachovia Center on Monday, November 16.

Here's a Q and A with him from earlier tonight:

Q: How does it make you feel?
“It makes me feel unbelievable. I don’t think I can grasp it all yet. I mean I have to a certain extent, that I will forever be in the Flyers organization. That’s what it means right? So it is very special.”

Q: Looking back, do you think you had an impact not only in Philadelphia, but also on the sport?

“I think the Philadelphia Flyers had an impact on the sport, because we were the first expansion team to win a Cup, and we won it twice-almost won it three times-and I was just a small part of that. A lot of my teammates started all these brawls which I didn’t agree with. I thought one-on-one would be fine, but we got a lot of attention. We were a tough team and there were a bunch of us. I mean “The Hound”, Bob Kelly, he was my man, and [Dupont]. We all played tough so we were a good hockey club, and that’s the key. We were never intimidated, and I and a few of my teammates made sure of that. We won tons of games and won a couple championships, so we made an impact. Any team that wins two years in a row the championship, the Stanley Cup, they make an impact on the game.”

Q: When we asked Chris Pronger if he wanted to play back in that era he said no because they didn’t make that much money back then. What was the most you ever made in a season, and does it bother you to see these guys signing thirty and forty million dollar contracts?

“We made nothing compared to these guys. We played to play the game, and I’m not saying that these guys don’t, but they are set for life after a very short career. I made half a million dollars in my whole career, and the government took half. There is no comparison, and I can’t even think about it.”

Q: Does it bother you?

“If I let it bother me then that’s a negative. It’s just the way it was. The only thing that I wish is that our pensions were of people that pick up trash.”

Q: Some say that Game Seven of the Rangers series was a turning point for that whole dynasty you had, that fight in Game Seven. Did you feel like that fight was a turning point in the whole playoff run that year?

“No. They talk about it because we won that game, we won Game Seven here. The New York Rangers have a great hockey club, a great, great hockey club. They beat Boston, and if you are playing the first period of a seventh game in the semi-finals, I should really check who was on the ice, because no one wanted to get third man in against me.”

Q: That’s what I’m saying you set the tone for that game, and that game was a deciding game?

“We won what 4-3, so we didn’t set the tone. We both won our home games. They had a great team, so I don’t think that’s fair, but I’ll take it.”

Q: Can you think of some of the big goals in history that you were a part of, like the overtime game in Atlanta. The Bobby Clarke overtime goal, that you were in. Do you take pride in stuff like that as well?

“In Atlanta not so much. We were up three games to none, and we were going to win that series. Boston, that was a biggie. We had to win a game in Boston; we hadn’t won in many years. We almost won the first game. A fan from Boston behind our bench yelled, like I hadn’t seen the ice for ten minutes in the third period, and ten minutes into overtime .A fan yelled ‘Put Schultz out there so we can score’. And Freddie [Shero], the genius that he was, he said ‘[Bob] Clarke, [Bill] Flett, Schultz, and I went in the corner. [Terry] O’Reilly I don’t know, did he back off, I took the puck from him. Flett he came with [Bob] Clarke. If we had won that game, who knows, but we had to win a game in Boston, and I don’t know if we could have won Game Seven.”

Q: You mentioned O’Reilly. Was he the toughest that you ever faced?

“I always say yes. And not that [Clark] Gillies wasn’t pretty tough or a number of other guys. We fought eight times. I’ve seen video where I was going to fight a small guy like Dave Forbes. I could have fought those guys but I didn’t get a chance, because O’Reilly got in between us and I had to fight him, so I always say that. Now, I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a Boston Bruin, and his number is hanging in the rafters, and rightfully so. I got to meet him lately, and get to know him a little bit, because for many years we didn’t talk. I talked to [Clark] Gillies, Ty, [Tiger] Williams, and all these guys. So I always say he was, but again Clark Gillies was another tough guy.”

IT'S A CAPITAL OFFENSE...

2009-10-27T22:34:00.002-04:00

... that these Flyers can't score goals. Really. Does anyone else think they really miss Mike Knuble right about now?

He was that guy who used to get all these ugly goals that padded leads, or got the team back in games. He had a knack for those specifically. Right now, nobody is scoring anywhere near the net.

It's troubling and it's got the Flyers scratching their heads a bit.

Consider - 81 shots the last two games and only three goals.

Consider - Jeff Carter hasn't scored since the Game 2 of the NLDS between the Phils and Rockies - yeah, it's been awhile.

Consider - fourth liners Arron Asham and Darroll Powe each individually have as many goals (3) as Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux combined.

Yikes!

The game was entertaining. It always is between these two teams. And it's a little bit funny. As much as Flyers fans hate the Penguins, Rangers and Devils, they seem to truly respect the Caps. Whether in Philly or in D.C. there's always a lot of props being handed over to Washington for the way they play, whereas the venom is clearly visible dripping off the incisors with Pittsburgh, New York and New Jersey.

MY THREE STARS

1. Jose Theodore - He looked like the Theodore who won the Vezina a few years back, making 41 saves. Maybe, for once, the Flyers can lean on that old "we ran into a hot goalie" crutch.

2. Nicklas Backstrom - The young center had a hand in every goal - scoring one and assisting on the others. His line with Alexander Semin (3 points) and Alexander Ovechkin (2 goals) was really good.

3. Ray Emery - The Caps threw everything at him and he held his ground. The three goals he allowed (the fourth was an empty-netter), either deflected off a Flyer or came through a bad screen.

DID YOU NOTICE:

- The Flyers had a season high in shots with 43 and now have 84 shots in two games against the Caps.

- James van Riemsdyk got another assist and remains the only rookie to average more than a point per game he's played.

- Chris Pronger logged 30:41 of ice time - which is more than half the game.

- Kimmo Timonen was again a minus-3. That's two games in a row. He's now minus-10 for the season, tied for second worst in the league among 662 players. (Minnesota's Brent Burns is minus-11). His partner, Braydon Coburn isn't much better (minus-9)

One final personal note:

I love Washington D.C. I went to college here. I lived here for a bit. But I never understood (and never will) how the Beltway can be an 8-lane road and have the kind of gridlock I experienced driving here today?

It's a smaller city than Philly, our highways are smaller (I-76 has only 2-lanes in each direction for Pete's sake) and more people live here - yet we don't have this kind of traffic.

My trip was going fine until I hit the beltway, then it took 40 minutes to go 4 miles. I almost missed the start of the game. Unreal.

SHOULD RICHIE GET SUSPENDED?

2009-10-24T23:09:00.002-04:00

Good question.

I've watched the hit a dozen times. I think it was late. I think he left his feet upon impact.

I think it's suspension-worthy.

But, it doesn't matter what I think. It only matters what the NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell thinks and he won't look at it until late tonight.

There were some vast opinions about the hit after the game.

Here are some of the quotes. You decide for yourself. First Florida then the Flyers:

Panthers G.M. Randy Sexton said ''there is no place'' in hockey for hits like Richards put on and he could be suspended as early as tomorrow morning. The Flyers play here Sunday.

''I didn't see the hit,'' Sexton said, noting he was writing in his game report as the hit went down. ''When they didn't show the replay, I knew it was bad. Then they showed it. I'm sure the league will do a full review.

''The league wants to get rid of these shots to the head.''

Defenseman Keith Ballard

“He was in a vulnerable position, and Richards knows he’s in a bad spot and he goes after him,” Ballard said. “He’s done it before. That’s the same stuff (the NHL wants to) put an end to. He tried to hurt him.
“The thing with Mike Richards is he’s a good, honest player. He plays hard, but he does (stuff) like that. He’s done it before. I love a lot about his game. He does a lot of things well, but then he does that stuff. (You lose respect) It’s a split-second decision, but it’s a decision that’s been made several times now.”

Paul Holmgren

What do expect from the league on this hit?

"I don't expect anything. I thought it was a good hit."

The league is trying to get rid of blows to the head, is that a concern if
they look at it?

"No. I don't see how they can view it like that. Mike was doing hs job. He
was back-tracking to catch up to the play and went to finish his check on
the player who had just passed the puck and his feet never left the ice. It
was a shoulder hit. Young David Booth turned his head. It looks like he saw
him at the last second, but he turned his head and his head took the blow.
It would have been shoulder on shoulder if not. It's a physical game and
sometimes these things happen. I feel bad for David Booth. He's a good young
player. Hopefully everything is going to be all right."

The fact that Richards doesn't have a reputation for this, do you think
that'll work in his favor with the league?

"The league knows Mike isn't a dirty player. He's a hard-nosed, gritty
player who any team in the league would covet and does covet."

But, when there's a head injury on a hit like this, don't you almost expect
a suspension?

"No. No. No I don't. I think you have to look at each case as it is and
sometimes unfortunately injuries happen. There was nothing dirty about that
hit. It was a physical play that sometimes happens in a hockey game."

You said you didn't think he left his feet, is there room for interpretation
on that?

"Most hits it looks like they leave their feet after the hit. Certainly his
feet were on the ice when the hit was made."

How does this process work, will you get a call tomorrow?

"Usually a call or an email, but usually it would have happened by now. It
hasn't."

Randy Sexton has said....

(interrupting) "Randy should watch more hockey games."

No, he said there's been a lot of debate over the summer...

(interrupting again) "No, I agree with that. But even if you slow this one
down frame by frame, I don't see how you can say that's a dirty play or a
suspendable hit. I just don't see it."

Mike Richards

Take us through the hit

"I saw him with the puck and I was going up the middle and trying to
eliminate him from having the puck and he dished it off and everything
happened so quickly it was hard to explain. I just wanted to separate him
from the puck."

Was it a legal hit?

"I don't know. I wasn't trying to hurt him I just wanted to separate him
from the puck. He just kind of moved and turned and it happened so quickly,
it's hard for me to explain. I haven't seen a replay. I don't have a history
of head shots and I don't even know if it was a head shot."

Will your reputation help you?

"I don't know. I don't know what to expect. I'm not a player who has done
this before or been in thi scenario before. It's up to Colin Campbell to
look at it and do his job, but I'm not the type of player who does that.

Were you shaken by it?

"I'm never out there to hurt anyone. I have respect for the game and respect
for the players. My concern is with him. Hopefully he's fine and gets
better."

My three stars in case you care:

1. Danny Briere - two goals and an assist. The entire line (Jeff Carter and James van Riemsdyk) was all over the ice.

2. van Riemsdyk - First NHL goal, pretty pass to Briere. Probably the best game he's played yet.

3. Jeff Carter - He had 11 scoring chances and won more faceoffs than he lost for the second game in a row.

YOU PICK THE STARS!!!!

2009-10-22T12:21:00.002-04:00

I'm going to try something at the Flyers' game that I think will be really cool. Here's the release I posted on the Delco Times Web site this afternoon:

Hey hockey fans - yes, there still is hockey in this town amidst all the World Series pandemonium. Even though it seems like eons since the Flyers last played, they are back on the ice tonight when they host the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m.

I have the pleasure of being the media member assigned the three star selection for tonight's game and I wanted to try something a little bit different.

I figured, why should I be the lone guy with an opinion on the game's three best players? Why not get some input from the people who are watching the game intently - you the fans.

So, I've devised an opportunity tonight for Flyers' fans to do something historic - for the first time in NHL history, I will offer the fans the opportunity to pick the stars. That's right, you get to help me make the selections.

Here's how it'll work. You will send me your picks at any point during the game up until there are 8 minutes remaining in the third period (which is when we have to submit the picks to the Wachovia Center press box staff). I will compile a running tally and make the selections based on your recommendations. Sounds easy enough, no?

Of course, sometimes in hockey, the three stars aren't that simple at the 12-minute mark of the third period, so I will also accept things like "winning goal" or "winning goalie" or the like as submissions.

There are three easy ways to send me your three star selections:

1. Post your selections as a comment on my blog here at delcotimes.com -- http://tinyurl.com/antblog

2. Send me a tweet on Twitter @anthonysan37

3. Leave a comment on my Facebook Page under my Three Stars post -- http://tinyurl.com/antface

I hope this will be a fun exercise for you all. Enjoy!

POST GAME 10-08-09, PENGUINS 5, FLYERS 4

2009-10-08T23:01:00.002-04:00

You knew they weren't going to win all 82 games, right?

I know, I know, you just didn't want the first loss to come against the hated Penguins. Well, unfortunately it did, but when you hand Pittsburgh four of the five goals the way the Flyers did tonight, you really can't expect to win, can you?

We'll get into the game in a bit, including three stars and some tidbits and stats, but the most pressing issue postgame came from the Pittsburgh locker room.

That's where Pens' defenseman Kris Letang was accusing Scott Hartnell of biting him on the hand.

Didn't we go down this road two years ago in New Jersey when Travis Zajac accused Derian Hatcher of the same thing?

While I don't think Hatcher was guilty, I feel the jury has to remain out on Hartnell until we have more information.

Here's the transcripts of interviews with both Letang and Hartnell:

Kris Letang

What happened?

"My answer is going to be ask him. He knows what he did. Go ask Hartnell."

Does this anger you?

"It sets up the whole season. We have (five) more games to play against the and we know they’re about doing stupid things like that at the end of the game."

Has this ever happened before?

"It’s a first for me. I want to be ceratin you go ask him."

Does this surprise you?

“They try to intimidate us after the whistle with scrums and things like that, but our game isn’t playing after the whistle... We play a north-south game, and if they want to come after us after the whistle we’ve got to just walk away.”

Scott Hartnell

Did you bite him?

"He had his hands in my face, doing the face wash and we were rolling around. I can't say what happened."

Has anyone ever accused you of biting?

"No."

A further explanation?

"He went after Richards who was driving the net and I went after him obviously. A couple of other fights broke out and we were rolling around on the ice there."

So there was no biting?

"(Laughs) No. Well, there was no blood anyways."

Do you think the league will contact you about a suspension?

"No. I don't know what the rules are. I have no idea. We'll see what happens."

Does it surprise you that he was so adamant that you did it?

"I don't know what happened. I know he went to the bench and I saw Pronger with Kunitz so I jumped over there. I was out there for two minutes so I don't know what really happened."

You decide...

......................

Onto the game:

My Three Stars:

1. Marc-Andre Fleury - Yeah, he gave up four goals, but he was sensational early in the game and kept Pittsburgh in it. He finished with 30 saves and was truly the difference in the contest.

2. Danny Briere - Two goals and some good jump in the legs of Briere, who is poised to have a nice bounce back season. Yeah, he was a minus-1, but that's because he happened to be on the ice for two goals that were caused by turnovers by teammates. Not his fault.

3. Jeff Carter - Can't knock a guy who has a four point night - even if he was directly responsible for one of Pittsburgh's goals. Offensively, he was everywhere - his line with Briere and Hartnell has been a really good combination thus far.

DID YOU KNOW:

-Despite their first loss of the season, both Jeff (2G,2A) and Mike Richards (2A) extended their scoring streak to four straight games… Carter now has seven points (4G,3A) in his streak, while Richards also has seven points (5G,2A).

-The last time Carter posted four points in one night was April 3, 2009 vs. Toronto (3G,1A).

-Danny Briere had two goals in tonight’s game, marking his first multi-goal game since March 20, 2009 vs. Buffalo… Briere’s two goals also give him 26 career points (9G,17A) in 29 career games against Pittsburgh… Briere’s first goal of the night was also his 100th point as a Flyer.

-The Flyers have scored 10 of their 17 goals on the season in the second period, and have outscored their opponent 10 to 5 in the second frame.

-Defenseman Matt Carle now has points in three straight games, recording seven points (1G,6A) in that span. His seven points lead all NHL defensemen.

-Defensemen Kimmo Timonen (1G,4A) and Chris Pronger (4A) also have recorded points in three straight games.

-The Flyers scored two of their four goals on the power play in tonight’s game, and have now gone 5-for-16 (31.3%) in the last two contests.

That's all the good news. Now how about this?

-Sidney Crosby won 21-of-24 faceoffs (88 percent) mostly abusing Richards (5-of-17, 29 percent).

-Simon Gagne, who has been very quiet in the first four games, lost the puck off hs stick on a breakaway.

-The Flyers are 10-20-4 against Pittsburgh since John Stevens took over as coach, his worst record against any other Eastern Conference foe.

-Crosby was held without a point against the Flyers for just the third time in 27 regular season games. In the other 24 games though, Crosby has 20 goals and 26 assists in 46 points.

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Analysis: Too many turnovers. Too sloppy in their own end. Briere had it right. He said there are times when the Flyers are "brain dead" on the ice. They have a mental block against Pittsburgh and no matter how much they win during this regular season, they will still play second fiddle to the Pens until they find a way to beat them in the playoffs.

Off day for me tomorrow, but I'll be back with more on the Flyers Saturday when they host Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, Bobby Ryan and Anaheim. As a side note, it'll be the first game here for Ryan, a native of Cherry Hill, NJ.

POSTGAME 10-6-09: FLYERS 6, CAPITALS 5 (OT)

2009-10-06T22:58:00.002-04:00

Did you catch your breath yet?

Wow. That was some hockey eye candy folks. It wasn't the most disciplined game. It drives coaches nuts. But it certainly was a beaut to watch - even for a stodgy purist like me.

There's a lot to get to, so let's jump right in, shall we?

MY THREE STARS:

1. Mike Richards - when the captain gets up for a game, there are few better. You can see why, in games like this, he gets compared to Bobby Clarke. He played with a mean streak. He played with offensive precision. He scored three goals and was the best player on the ice.

2. Matt Carle - I've been saying it since Day 1 of camp and I'm gonna keep trumpeting it all season long - Carle is going to have a huge year for the Flyers. I'm thinking 50 points plus. He is so much more confident playing with Pronger that he's becoming a star in his own right. Four assists tonight. Team USA please take notice.

3. Alex Ovechkin - The guys is the best player in the game. I will argue this point with anyone. He can do so much that guys like Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby can't. They're great players too, but Ovechkin is otherworldly.

DID YOU KNOW:

This is the 10th time in Flyers history that the team has started the season with a 3-0-0 record and first time since 1998-99. Of the previous nine times, the Flyers have improved their record to 4-0-0, seven times.

The Flyers also improved their home opening record to 24-12-5-1 (shootout loss)

Matt Carle's four assists in the second period of tonight's game is a new Flyers record for most assists in a period by a defenseman. It also ties an NHL record for most assists in one period by a defenseman. The last time a defenseman recorded four assists in one period was: Rob Blake, 2nd period, Los Angeles vs. Calgary on Jan. 29, 1998.

Carle’s four assists in a game are also a new career high… He now has six points (1G,5A) in his last two games

Mike Richards became the Flyers player to record a hat trick in a Flyers home-opener… Tonight was also Mike Richards’ second career hat trick. The first came on Feb. 8, 2008 vs. NY Islanders.

With his assist on Scott Hartnell’s goal in the third period, Kimmo Timonen recorded his 300th assist in the NHL.

The Comcast-Spectacor ice crew removed 492 hats and 104 T-shirts that were tossed onto the ice following Mike Richards hat trick at the Wachovia Center tonight.

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IN OTHER NEWS:

Blair Betts' injury is a big one. Don't be fooled by the fact that he is a minimum salary player on the fourth line. He's the best faceoff guy on the team. He's one of the best penalty killers. A dislocated shoulder is a tricky injury. Paul Holmgren said "at least" four weeks. If we see Betts before Thanksgiving, I'll be impressed.

James van Riemsdyk's situation is a bit more cloudy, but then again, aren't they always when it comes to head injuries and the Flyers? He's day-to-day. He'll be re-evaluated. Homer is saying "bell rung." I'm saying uh-oh. My biggest problem though isn't the veil of secrecy - it is, after all, just a precaution - but rather, the macho test the Flyers seem to try with all of their young players after injuries.
THey sent van Riemsdyk back out on the ice at the start of the third period. He took two shifts and realy didn't feel right. If he had his "bell rung" why the hell put him out there at all? Just keep him in the locker room. It's the third game of the season for Pete's sake.

They did this in 2005 when Jeff Carter was a rookie and half of his ear was sliced off. They sent him back out with a huge bandage on his head. He had just lost a ton of blood and had his ear sewed back on. But, they wanted to see if he could tough it out - you know - be a hockey player.

Sometimes, you need to know when to draw the line. You'd think, with the history here they would be more cautious. As well run as this organization is from top to bottom, it's the one thing I'll never understand about it.

POST GAME 10-3-09: FLYERS 5, DEVILS 2

2009-10-03T22:37:00.003-04:00

This win was even more impressive than last night's. I'll give you some analysis in a minute, but I want to let you know - don't miss the transcription of the Ian Laperriere interview below - it's pretty hysterical.

O.K.... onto the game.

The Flyers came into a New Jersey arena and looked composed, poised, confident, you pick the adjective. It was evident early on that this wasn't going to be your typical Flyers-Devils game up here.

While the 9-35-9 record in New Jersey the past 19 years is a bit daunting, this group of Flyers was hell bent on slapping history in the face.

From the opening draw to the final horn, the Flyers were the better team. They won more puck battles, they controlled possession, they pressured the Devils defense and they did something they almost never do - they wore out Marty Brodeur.

My three stars were:

1. Ray Emery - He was superb in the first two periods, stifling the Devils and allowing his team to build a four-goal lead.

2. Matt Carle - He's so much more active n the offense now that he's paired with Chris Pronger. I really expect a big season from him.

3. Laperriere - The guy just exudes character and grit. He will be a fan favorite in no time - great personality too.

DID YOU SEE:

- Laperriere actually got things rolling early in the first period with a great play in the corner that led to a hooking penalty on Johnny Oduya. The Flyers didn't score on the ensuing power play, but the hard work certainly set a tempo in the game.

- Kimmo Timonen made a nice sliding stop to break up a 3-on-2 early in the game with the score still tied. It's one of those little things that get overlooked in a game with seven goals, but it kept momentum from swinging right away.

- The Flyers penalty kill held the Devils to just one shot on goal during a full 2-minute 5-on-3. Chris Pronger spearheaded the effort with great work down low while Blair Betts and MIke Richards were pests at the top of the triangle.

- Credit Paul Martin with a great defensive play to thwart Claude Giroux's breakaway chance in the closing seconds of the first period.

- Ray Emery got a delay of game penalty for playing the puck outside of the trapezoid. That's one of those weird sounding penalties that makes me chuckle a little bit. Anyway, Emery didn't have to deal with that rule in Russia last season, wonder if he had a small brain cramp there.

- Laperriere almost scored a second goal in the second period on a redirection. Only thing is he tipped it wide of the net.

- Early in the third period, with New Jersey really pressing, both Danny Syvret and James van Riemsdyk turned the puck over at the point to the Devils. Van Riemsdyk addressed that afterward. "I made a couple bonehead plays that I need to eliminate, but I felt more comfortable out there tonight," he said. The second bonehead play as coming off the bench too quickly to play the puck leading to a bench minor for too many men on the ice and the subsequent Devils' first goal.

- It took the Flyers 82 games to allow a shorthanded goal in 2008-09, but just two games befoe they allowed one in 2009-10.

- Pronger, Matt Carle, van Riemsdyk, and Claude Giroux were each plus-3. Oduya was a game-worst minus-3.

- The Flyers really rolled their four lines. The fewest minutes of any player was Daniel Carcillo who logged 11:06. That's good balance and fine coaching on Stevens' part to make it work out so evenly.

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O.K.... now for Laperriere. Combined with Pronger, the Flyers added two of the best interviews in the NHL. Here are some snippets from Lappy:

Q: Are you supposed to score goals:

IL: Once in a while I guess. It always feels good to help the team that way.

Q: It was a tough angle, no?

IL: If I don't know where it's going, then I don't think Marty does either. I just tried to put it on net and hope good things happen.

Q: You ever scored on Marty before?

IL: I did, yeah. I've been playing a long time. I'm not a goal scorer, but the odds are firmly in my favor. It's not really my job to score but if I can chip in once in a while, then it's good.

Q: Talk about Emery keeping the Devils off the scoreboard when it was 1-0 or 2-0.

IL: Yeah, he made a sick save there when it was 2-0. It was the play of the game. When you see a goalie making saves like that you get momentum and everybody has a little boost on the bench.

Q: Looking forward to the day off tomorrow after winning the first two games?

IL: I don;t know. Is that what they do? I don't know. I'm the new guy so I'm just going to go with the flow and see what goes on tomorrow.

Q: You hear a lot about being the team to beat. What does it mean to start the season 2-0?

IL: It's a long season. Hockey News came out with that a lot of people came out with that, but it's a marathon. We have to take it game-by-game and stretch by stretch. We'll have some ups and we'll have some downs, we just have to come out on top at the end of the season.

Q: Do you like getting an identity as a tenacious penalty killer?

IL: I made a career doing that. (Blair) Betts made a career doing that. They didn't bring us here to score goals obviously. We welcome the challenge.

Q: Does it take a while to learn the rivalries after being used to the ones out West?

IL: I don't know. I'm not mad at anybody yet. Give me a couple games and I'll get mad at someone. Out west I had my rivals. All these guys are new to me. I need to look at the stats sheets and see who they are. I am sure they are doing the same thing for me. When you play against these guys a couple times and you get a couple cheap shots here and there you remember them. It's only Game 2. Trust me, I'll find my rivals.

Q: In time for the playoffs?

IL: Maybe a little earlier.

Q: Van Riemsdyk said the goal was all you despite his pass.

IL: I don't know. This kid is sick. You don't get drafted second overall for no reason. I didn't know who he was, but he's doing things veterans would do out there. It's nice to see a kid with that much poise, especially on your team.

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Hey, somehow there are still 500 tickets remaining for Tuesday's opener. Come on people, you have to get there to see this team. Besides, they're playing Washington. Alex Ovechkin is worth the price of admission alone and you get to welcome back Mike Knuble to boot.

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Off day for the Flyers tomorrow, so it'll be an off day for the blog too.. but look for much more come Monday, especially on the early success of the fourth line and a preview into the Caps and Pens coming up this week.