3-15-11 Flyers @ Panthers Recap

1st Period
I thought the team might have something to prove after collapsing in the final minutes of their last game.  I really thought that the Flyers would come out with some extra jump in their step, but it looked like they didn't know what time the game started. The Panthers pushed the pace to start the period and ended the period by laying a few heavy hits as the clock ran down.The Flyers out shot and out chanced the Panthers in the period, but it didn't feel like it.

Dan Carcillo's fight sparked the Flyers in the 2nd period

The Flyers', once again, give up a goal immediately after scoring. There wasn't much Boucher could have done about the second goal, and maybe the first goal was the perfect shot that the announcers said it was, but you still want the goalie to make that save. They squander away yet another 5-on-3 power play, and had entirely to many turnovers.

The ice in is just horrid tonight. The puck is bouncing all over the place and players are having a really hard time getting it to settle down. Not an excuse for the bad play, just wanted to make a note of it.


2nd Period
Much better period by the Flyers. Dan Carcillo shows a little emotion by dropping the gloves, and the Flyers score a goal. Danny Briere shows some extra hustle to beat the Panthers' D to a loose puck, and the Flyers score a goal. Some good lessons for the Flyers to learn that period. Mainly, if they put forth the effort and emotion, they possesses the talent to win games.

Even though the Flyers played better that period, they still have an extra gear that they can shift into. It would be nice to see them come out and put the Panthers away in the third. Maybe since the team took the first period off, they will put in a good third and get out of South Florida with two points.

3rd Period
Well, a win is a win. The Flyers played ok in the third. Not as good as the second, but a lot better than the first. They had some good scoring chances and continued to press for the majority of the period. The Panthers were able to generate some sustained pressure late in the period, but Boucher made some good saves down the stretch to help secure the two points.

The win keeps the Flyers in first place in the East and three points ahead of the Penguins. It will be interesting to see how the Flyers play on Thursday when they travel to Atlanta to play the Thrashers. Hopefully the team can take another step forward and pick up another important two points.

3-15-11 Flyers at Panthers Preview

I really have no idea what to expect out of the Flyers tonight. Last week started with an embarrassing performance in NYC and ended with an embarrassing performance in Philly, and sandwiched in between were two victories that lacked a focused 60 minute effort. Maybe after getting away with coasting to victory in two games, the Thrashers' game was the wake up call that will finally rouse the Flyers' from their slumber, but I doubt it. This teams gives off the vibe that they plan to hit the snooze until the playoffs start.

The Panthers look like a team that has packed it in for the season, they are now tied with the Islanders for 13th and sit 11 points out of eighth place. They have an outside chance to make the playoffs, but it isn't looking good for them. This yet another game that the Flyers could easily win if care to show up and play. If the Flyers put in the effort for 60 minutes tonight, they win the game. If they don't they have a 50/50 chance of winning.

I'll go ahead and predict that the Flyers will win big tonight. They were embarrassed at home and will feel the need to prove themselves. They may even get their first shutout of the season, but it would not surprise me at all if they came out and laid another egg. Who the fuck knows what this team will do on a night to night, or period to period basis. 6-0

3-12-11 Thrasher at Flyers Pregame

After losing in the last minute of overtime to the Devils last night, the Atlanta Thrasher boarded a plane to Philly for tonight's game against the Flyers. After playing good hockey for the first half of the season, the Thrashers have been in free fall since early January, losing 19 of their last 25 games. The Thrashers should be desperate for a win since they are only six points out of eighth place with only 14 games to play, but they might also be a little spent coming into their third game in four nights with the previous two games going into overtime.

The Flyers are coming off of their best game in weeks and will be looking to build on their improving play. One area of their game that could still use some work is their power play. In last two games the Flyers have had a five minute power play against two of the worst penalty killing units in the league and have only been able to score one goal during each of them. The Thrashers gave up three power play goals on six opportunities last night to a Devils team that has a worse power play than the Flyers. This could be a perfect game for the Flyers to get multiple power play goals in a single game for the first time in 14 games.

The Thrashers have struggled mighty in the second game of back-to-backs this season; going 2-7-3, averaging only 2.33 goals, and being outscored 48 to 28. The Flyers have the capability to offensively over power the Thrashers who will ice a defensive unit that is a combined -39 for the season. This is a perfect game for the Flyers to go out and impose their will on an opponent. If the Flyers are able to duplicate their aggressive starts from the two previous games, they should be able to take advantage of a tired Thrashers club and put this game out of reach early.

Flyers - Leafs Recap

1st Period
Another good first period from the Flyers. They were not as dominant as they were against the Oilers, but the Leafs are a better team and are playing in front of their fans. The Leafs had a few shifts where they were able to pin the Flyers in their zone, but the Flyers did a good job of keeping the Leafs to the outside and protecting the front of the net.  Brian Boucher continued his good play against the Leafs and made a couple of key saves when the Flyers had a coverage breakdown.

The power play looked better, but was still only able to score once on a five minute power play. The passes were much better and the Flyers were getting bodies in front of James Reimer. Andrej Meszaros picked up his sixth goal of the year when his slap shot from the point found its way past Reimer who was being screened by Jeff Carter. Carter had another great period, and was probably the best Flyer in the first.

The Flyers did a great job on the fore check. They forced multiple turnovers and generated a lot of offense by going into the corners to fight for pucks. They also did a great job of going to the net and fighting for rebounds. It was nice to see JVR knock Colby Armstrong on his ass. The Flyers' penalty kill was excellent that period. Mike Richards needs to get a handle on his cross ice passes, the majority of them lead to turnovers and rushes the other way.  Hopefully the Flyers can take advantage of the Leafs being down a D-man for the rest of the game.

2nd Period
I thought the Flyers had another good period. The Leafs were able to grab a little momentum after they scored a power play goal that deflected off of Mikhail Grabovski shield, but the Flyers were able to stabilize the game after a timeout. The forwards did a good job of picking up the right man on the rush which allowed the D to force the rushes to the outside.

The fourth line had a couple of good shifts that period which culminated with Darroll Powe scoring off of a nice keep by Matt Carle. The Flyers picked up another goal by having players in front of the net. A shot from the point was blocked, but the Flyers had two guys in front of the net who were able to dig the puck free and find Claude Giroux for the goal. The team has also done a better job of making the correct decision between dumping or carrying the puck into the zone.

The Flyers have had trouble holding onto leads lately, and I expect the Leafs to come out with some extra push in the third. They really need these two points and I don't expect them to let them go without a fight. If the Flyers can continue playing the way they have up to this point, they should get out of Toronto with a win.

3rd Period
Even though the Leafs cut the lead to one and had a lot of good scoring chances, the Flyers were able to hold on and win the game. This was easily the Flyers best game in weeks. They did a great job on the fore check, back checking, and not having long lulls during the game. There is still room for improvement, but they are at least moving in the right direction.

Nick Boynton had a good first game in the orange and black. He made a couple of good defensive plays and I don't recall him making any major errors. He played good enough that he should be considered an option to give Sean O'Donnell some rest. O'Donnell wasn't as bad as the last couple of games, but he did get beat by fourth liner Mike Brown for the Leafs' only goal in the third.

Turnbuckle Gate

I am sure that by now you have seen the hit that sent Max Pacioretty to the hospital with a sever concussion and a non-displaced cervical fracture of the fourth vertebra. What is interesting about this hit is that so many experts, ex-players, and pundits are completely divided in their views. Half side with Zdeno Chara's report that it was an unfortunate accident, and the other half think side with Pacioretty who thinks that Chara intended to drive his skull into the into the turnbuckle.

I really can't bring myself to believe that Chara had the time to think,"I'm gonna drive this guys skull into that turnbuckle." Chara was doing what he does ten times a game, riding an opposing player into the wall so his teammate can retrieve the puck. It might be interference, but it is not called that often, so players do it. The play happened so quickly, and so instinctively, that I have a hard time believing that Chara intended to drive Pacioretty into the turnbuckle.

The two players do have a history of not getting along this season. Pacioretty gave Chara a shove after scoring an overtime goal, and naturally a scrum ensued. The next time the teams meet, they had it out in a game that ended with 182 penalty minutes, multiple fights, and a few ejections. If this hit was a calculated retaliation, it was one of the best disguised retaliatory hits in the history of the NHL.

I don't think you should hold players accountable when injuries occur on normal hockey plays. The NHL should stop disciplining players based on the extent of injury they caused and their past history. Grave injuries can happen on ordinary plays, and no injuries can happen on extremely malicious plays. In the end, I agree with the NHL on this one, it was just an ordinary hockey play gone horrible wrong.

Flyers @ Leafs game day updates

Sounds like Boosh might get the start tonight.

tpanotch Tim Panaccio
Pronger staying on ice. Lavy won't comment. Sounds like pronger is out.

tpanotch Tim Panaccio
Boynton thinks he is playing because of Pronger

tpanotch Tim Panaccio

Holmgren confirms Pronger out with upper. Body inj. Day to day

I will post more updates as they come out.


Thanks again to the posters at PSF for helping find this information.

3-10-11 Flyers-Maple Leafs Preview

This is a perfect match-up to see if the Flyers are ready to break out of their slump. The Flyers were able to end their losing streak against a sub par Oilers team by turning in a fantastic first period followed by two mediocre periods. This victory can not be looked upon as the end of the slump due to the quality of the opponent and the overall quality of play from the Flyers. If the Flyers are able to come out and repeat their first period performance against the Oilers for three periods against a team that is desperate for points, then a lot of the Flyers' fans doubts will be put to rest.

This will be Kris Versteeg's first game back in Toronto since the trade. Versteeg had two goals against the Leafs last week, and should be fired up to prove himself in front of his former fan base. Jeff Carter is coming off of a good game against the Oilers which could hopefully be the beginning of hot streak. Carter has been a streaky player his entire NHL career, and now would be a great time for Carter to get hot and help lead hs team back to their winning ways. 

The two keys to winning this game are forwards getting back to help the defense and retrieving the puck after dumping it into the zone. The Flyers were able to dominate the Oilers because the forwards were constantly harassing the them in the neutral zone forcing turnovers and allowing the 'D to hold play their positions. The Flyers got into trouble when they started attempting drop passes and cross ice passes in the neutral zone instead of moving the puck forward. The Flyers will find success if they dump the puck and attack the net.

After losing to the Islanders on Tuesday, I expect the Leafs to come flying out of the gate to try to set the tone in front of their home fans. The Flyers might have to come from behind to win this one, but I think they will win by one or two goals. I still don't expect a solid 60 minute performance, but I think we will see a step up from the last game.

Well, He Looked Sorry...

The Flyers once again failed to stand up for a teammate who was leveled by a dirty hit. What made this one even worse was tough guy Jody Shelley was looking directly at Ladislav Smid as he boarded Darroll Powe. After watching the hit, Sheley skated right by Smid and a crumpled up Powe to chase after the puck. Maybe he let him go because he looked remorseful immediately after the hit. I don't give a shit if he was begging and pleading his case, Shelley should have still had a response to the hit.

I would really love to see this team go to war for each other, it might have been the quickest way to put an end to this slump, and this was the perfect place for it. The Flyers were playing one of the worst teams in hockey and were right in the middle of dominating the hell out of them in the first period. If they had responded immediately it might have negated a five minute power play, but they would have still had two and a half periods left to win the game.

I don't think teams should respond after every big hit, but when you see a teammate blatantly boarded, their needs to be a response. Shelley publicly chastised unnamed teammates for not being with the program,  maybe everyone would be on the same page if they knew that their teammates had their backs.

Olers-Flyers Recap

1st Period
18 minutes and 45 seconds, that is how long it took the Edmonton Oilers to register their only shot on goal in a first period that was dominated by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers were able to correct almost all of their short comings in Sundays' game. The forwards were aggressively hunting the puck in the Oilers zone and played strong along the boards. The defense did not get out of position and had good communication defending against the rush. The Flyers got a lot of shots on goal from the points and had men in and around the net for deflections and rebounds. Finally the Flyers did not relax after they scored a goal.

The key to the Flyers domination that period was the forwards willingness to get back and help out the defense. The Oilers had a hard time moving the puck beyond the neutral zone because they were constantly being harassed by the forwards. This left the d-men in good position to retrieve the puck when the Oilers were forced to dump it into the zone. I don't think the Oilers had any sustained pressure outside of their two power plays the entire period.

I give the Flyers full marks for putting in a full twenty minutes of work in the first. So far they have not underestimated the Oilers and have not taken their foot off the gas, but that doesn't mean everything was perfect. If the Flyers get another power play, it would be nice to see some better passes, and the D not dumping the puck in from their side of the blue line. It would also be nice to see someone stand up for a teammate who was just boarded. Hopefully the Flyers continue their stellar play in the second period.

2nd Period
Well, the Flyers took their foot off the gas in the second period. After registering 18 shots on goal in the first, the Flyers only managed to get four in the second. The only good scoring chance the team had was off of set face off play, and Carter picked up his second goal of the night because the Flyers' superb execution. The Oilers answered :55 seconds later on a bad giveaway by Sean O'Donnell.

You might expect the Oilers to come out with a little extra push after their embarrassing first period performance, but their is no reason the Flyers shouldn't have squashed it and returned to dominating the game. All of the intensity and hustle of the first period was replaced with low percentage passes and lazy play. This game could have easily been out of reach by the end of the second if the Flyers would have kept up the intensity.

The Flyers need to realize that they can't sit on two goal leads for the rest of the year. I guess they failed to learn that lesson on Saturday against the Sabres. The Oilers are not nearly as desperate for points as the Sabres, but the Flyers need to come out in the third and take away any thoughts the Oilers might have of winning this game.

3rd Period
Just a simple testament to the continued lazy play; to start the third period the Flyers averaged one offsides or icing for the first five minutes, they only had one of each during the first period. The fore check was returned to the shelf and exchanged for cute drop passes in traffic and cross ice passes in the neutral zone.The Flyers failed, on multiple occasions, to get the puck deep into the zone, which resulted in a lot of scoring opportunities going the other way.

The Flyers played one of the worst teams in the league last night and absolutely dominated them when playing with a little passion and heart. As soon as they stopped playing with that desire and aggression the Flyers were outplayed by a bad team that was missing the majority of its offensive threats. I really believe that Flyers were lucky to get two points out of last night's game. A better opponent would have capitalized on some of their chances in the third period and tied or outright won the game.

I picked the Flyers to win in a close game,  I wasn't sure if the Flyers' had learned to put in a full 60 minutes yet. It was great to see a dominant Flyers squad again, but some of that dominance was exaggerated by the quality of opponent they were playing. If the Flyers play an entire game with the way they played the first period, they might be unbeatable. But a full 60 minutes of effort is somethign we havn't seen from this Flyers team in some time.

3-8-11 Oilers @ Flyers game day updates

It looks like Bob will be in net.

Healthy scratches tonight for Flyers appear to be Zherdev and Nodl.

Projected Lineup
Carcillo-Richards-Versteeg
Hartnell-Briere-Leino
JVR-Carter-Giroux
Shelly-Betts-Powe

Bobrovsky  



Keep checking in, updates will be posted here throughout the day.



Thanks to the posters at PSF for finding this info.