Stats!

First off…

LET’S GO FLYERS

Now that that’s out of my system, let’s get down to some Saturday morning statistical analysis!

The habs’ success story is obviously Halak. But before we talk about the obvious, let’s take a look at the Hab’s scoring.

Cammaleri and Gionta are definitely scary, scoring 18 points (!) and 12 points, respectively. But if you look at scoring depth, the Habs have nothing on the flyers. Cammaleri and Gionta combined have scored nearly HALF of all the habs’ goals (19 of 40). Furthermore, only 3 players have scored 4 goals or more. To put this stat into perspective, the Flyers have FIVE players with 4 or more goals

If the Flyers can neutralize one or both of Cammaleri and Gionta, we have a significant chance of taking the habs’ scoring out of the game. I’m confident this can happen, because the habs have never seen anything like the densive powerhouse the flyers put out with the likes of Richards, Pronger and Kimmo.

Halak has been a BEAST. ‘Dude hasn’t allowed 3 or more goals in the month of May. In his last 10 games he’s had a 1.96 GAA and .946 save percentage. That’s freaking incredible.

So it looks like we’re in for a low scoring series. If the Flyers can hold the habs to 3 or less goals, we got the series. If not, we’ll have to find a way around the Halak-monster.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT: 9/15/2009

If ever there was a time to head over to the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, it’s now:  the heart of training camp.  For the price of gas you can watch the Orange and Black skate up close, and get a real sense of how fast NHL caliber hockey truly is. 

But the real story at training camp isn’t about rooting on your favorite Flyers (that’s why I go before the playoffs J ).  The real story lies with the kids; scratching and clawing their way to fill the final available roster spots, and in the process, fulfilling their dreams of playing professional hockey.

Here are a few highlights of the kids (as well as the superstars) from today’s camp.

Drills for Squad #1:  Practice started around 9 AM with breakout plays.  Nothing too intense, but it was interesting to see how the players interacted on the fly.

Scrimmage for Squad #1:  After drills, the squad took a breather and hit the ice for scrimmage.  The game ended in a “welcome home” shutout for Boucher, but results were radically different for 28-year old Johan Backlund, who was lit up for 5 goals.

The stand-out line of the scrimmage was without a doubt Carter – Pyorala – Hartnell.  Put it to you this way:  I entered the Skate Zone today skeptical of the much ballyhooed Finnish prospect, and left a believer.  Mika Pyorala is the real deal.  He can take the puck from end to end, and he can set up plays just as well as he can finish them.  My unofficial tally had him with 3 Assists, though with Jeff Carter hot-dogging for the crowd (threading the needle past Backlund both forehand AND backhand), it wasn’t that hard.  Regardless, I’m on board the Pyorala bandwagon and I fully expect him to make it out of camp.

Another up and comer who caught my eye was Zach Rinaldo, our sixth round pick in 2008.  Nothing too special, but his speed was excellent and he could develop into a great defensive forward.  Darroll Powe be forewarned.

Patrick Maroon.  The kids’ got hands, but does he have the wheels?  His stick handling looked effortless, but you could tell he was having trouble keeping up with the squad.  A spectator next to me (who said he knows Stevens) told me that he has an abdominal issue, so I’ll give the kid the benefit of the doubt.  If Maroon can step up his speed, I have no problem seeing him in a Flyers uniform by the end of the season.

Stinker Watch:  Jason Ward.  Ineffective throughout the scrimmage and you could tell he was trying to showoff for the coaches.

Breakouts for Squad #2:  Not much happened during breakouts, though it was reassuring to see Gagne back in action.  Awesome, as well, to see Ray Emery and Chris Pronger (this dudes a monster!)

Scrimmage for Squad #2:  The first thing that struck me about Emery was his athleticism.  It seemed like every move of his was accentuated.  For example, if he had to go from his knees to a standing position he would actually end up jumping off the ice a bit.  I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing, but the guy’s energy level is wholly evident in his style of play.  Always moving, smooth laterally and poking for the puck at every opportunity.  Emery, like Boucher, also received a shutout during the scrimmage.

Kris Kolanos showed many good attributes.  He stole the puck a few times, stopping the rush in the process, showed good corner play and even had a nice juke to shake off a defender.  Still, probably Phantom’s material.

It looks as if David Laliberte’s year in the A has helped his game.  He had a nice goal on Nic Riopel, beating the youngster with a wrist-shot on the short side.  I also noted that he had good vision with the puck, completing a backhanded pass into the slot.

Now for the name we’ve all been waiting for: JVR.  To be perfectly honest I didn’t get the best look at the kid (his team’s offensive zone was on the other side of the rink).  At one point in the drills, the kid looked completely out of breath.  Granted, he was battling for a while down low, but none of the other players showed fatigue like he did.  His playing time in the scrimmage was limited.  Pyorala could beat him out for the last roster spot.

Gagne actually showed some speed in the scrimmage, injury be damned.  He even scored on one of his famous wristers from the slot. 

Pronger.  Just in awe of this guy.  He’s appears to be a foot taller than the next tallest player and he plays big too.  He let loose a one-timed slapshot from the point that made me proud of Homer for putting it all on the line and grabbing him.  Luca Sbisa who?

The Flyers have pieced together a promising young core and I’m excited to see not only who makes it out of camp, but also how the Flyers develop their young talent in the future.

Coaching from the Front Office

It’s a rare occurrence, especially within an organization as tightly run as the Philadelphia Flyers, that a general manager publicly criticizes his head coach.  However, this is exactly what was reported by Tim Panaccio on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

General Manager Paul Holmgren, addressing the media two days before the NHL rookie draft, laid all of his cards on the table.  Ever the plain dealer, Holmgren told the media that he wants to see a changed team hit the ice next season; one with an amped up energy level, and a “hunt-the puck” attitude.

Holmgren further revealed that he has had discussions to this effect with Flyers coach John Stevens, who, in his first full season, coached the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals, but saw his team trounced in this year’s first round by the Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

Speaking somewhat out of the schoolyard, Holmgren revealed to the media that he told Stevens:   “I want us [the Flyers] to be more aggressive.”  Holmgren continued, “I talked to John right after the season … The next time we met, I wanted him to come back and show me how we’re going be more aggressive.”

Judging by Holmgren’s draft day blockbuster, acquiring Chris Pronger from Anaheim (perhaps more importantly, while also shedding Joffrey Lupul), as well as the Flyers’ recent free agency maneuvers , it seems that perhaps Holmgren didn’t approve of Stevens’ homework, after all.  In fact, the team that Holmgren has assembled falls in line with exactly the kind of team he told the media he intended to ice in his June press conference.

A GM molding a team after his own intentions isn’t news.  What is fascinating about the recent turn of events surrounding the Flyers organization is that Holmgren is coaching, in effect, from his perch in the front office.

In order to understand Holmgren’s tactic, it is first necessary to dissect what a “hunt-the puck” system means.   Of course, every offensive system has its own peculiarities, but in its purest form, Holmgren’s system is simple:  the puck is dumped into the opposing team’s zone, followed closely by a banger-type player on the forecheck.  The banger does his best to wrest possession of the puck, or ties up the opponent until help arrives with the second man in.  Once possession is gained, either the banger or his teammate passes the puck to the trailing man, usually a sniper, who has set himself up in the slot.

Since this type of offensive scheme involves two types of players, bangers and snipers (I’m using the term sniper to loosely signify a predominantly goal-scoring forward), we can examine the current Flyers lineup to see how Holmgren has been coaching the Flyers, in a very real sense, from the front office.

To present the possible line combinations that Holmgren Stevens might use, I’ll politely borrow from Mike Barr, founder and former owner of the excellent Flyers forum www.orangeandblack.net.   Barr imagines the Flyers’ primary lines will be constructed as follows:

1)      Gagne-Richards-JVR/FA Signing
2)     Hartnell-Carter-Powe
3)     Carcillo-Giroux-Briere
4)     Cote-Laperriere-Asham

Of course there are no guarantees that these line combinations will remain throughout the season (or that JVR will even make it out of camp), but as I will also point out, most combinations will fit Holmgren’s “hunt-the-puck” system.  Here’s how:

1)       The puck gets dumped into the zone.  JVR or Richards crashes into the zone with one or the other closely following.  Gagne sets up office in the slot or at the red dots.

2)      The puck gets dumped into the zone.  Powe or Hartnell crashes into the zone with one or the other closely following.  Carter sets up office in the slot or at the red dots.

3)      The puck gets dumped into the zone.  Giroux or Carcillo crashes into the zone with one or the other closely following.  Briere sets up office in the slot or at the red dots.

4)      Checking line (but not a bad checking line) that will probably just crash the net.

It’s clear that Holmgren has indelibly stamped his “hunt-the puck” system all over the 2009-2010 Philadelphia Flyers.  Interestingly, Holmgren’s coaching strategy is also plain to see in the players that he has let go in the offseason.

Mike Knuble was the most significant Flyers forward to be lost to free agency, but where would he fit in Holmgren’s new system?  Knuble was famous for parking himself in front of the net, and scoring his 30+ goals a season through deflections or by utilizing his quick hands in tight situations.   He was never known for his work along the short-boards, and he was too slow for the forecheck.  Holmgren knew that Knuble wouldn’t fit into his new coaching scheme, and therefore didn’t match the Capitals’ offer.

Joffrey Lupul.  Lupul was shipped off to Anaheim in the Chris Pronger draft-day clearance sale.  His loss, once again, was no big deal for General Manager/coach Paul Holmgren, because his main skill, as a sniper, is already well represented in the new-look Flyers.  Why did he send Lupul and not another one of the Flyers’ snipers?  The answer lies in the second part of Holmgren’s new technique, his reliance upon high energy and aggressive players.  Lupul had the skill to round out either the first or second line on the Flyers, but his lackadaisical attitude, streaky scoring and poor off-ice demeanor all contributed the end of his tenure in Philadelphia.

So what does this all mean for the Philadelphia Flyers?  Well, first of all, it’s been a heck-of-a long time since the Flyers have had a real team identity.  Since making it to the ECF in the 2007-2008 season, they’ve played with a chip on their shoulder, but that can’t be counted as a true team identity.  Holmgren’s is a tough, physical system to play throughout the grueling 82-game season, but if the Flyers can persevere, they stand a chance at having a very successful season.

Finally, Holmgren taking the reins when it comes to the Flyers offensive system can’t bode well for John Stevens.  As I said previously, it is the coach that typically implements the offensive scheme, and to have a GM publicly declaring his own system over that of the coach makes it seem that Stevens’ job could be in jeopardy.  Should the Flyers not excel with the lineup and coaching strategy that Holmgren has put into place, expect  Holmgren to stop coaching from the front office, and resume coaching from behind the bench.

Flyers vs. Penguins: Mid-Series Recap

Those sports-fans lucky enough to follow the Frequent Flyers Update (don’t know how to subscribe?  Just click the RSS button on the right side of your address bar!) might have noticed my lack of postings in the past few days.

I’m torn as to the true reason for this.  After all, the playoffs are the most important time of the year.  If hockey fans need cutting edge reporting and expert analysis at any time of the season, surely it is now.

I wish I could convince the reader that I haven’t been updating, because the playoffs are such a highly charged time of the year, and I’ve been unable to cut through the emotional haze to post accurate, sober reporting.  After all, I’m a blogger.  I have a highly-respected and time honored journalistic standard to maintain.

Psyche.

The real reason for my recent lackadaisical attitude toward the Update arises from my emulation of the lazy, uninspired hockey that the Flyers had brought with them into the playoffs, which was on display during the first two games of the series against Pittsburgh.

As you know from my heated comments concerning the last game of the season against the New York Rangers, I’ve been upset by the Flyers’ recent play.

My anger spilled over into the playoffs when the Flyers played like stiffs, like shells of their former selves, throughout the first game.

There were so many negative thoughts racing through my mind after the game that I was unable to put them into words.  I’m still having trouble, but suffice it to say, the Flyers were used and abused by the Penguins, and instead of reacting, they merely took the beating.

This is the Pittsburgh Penguins we’re talking about here.  They’re a good team, but certainly not great.  The Flyers played the Pens on Wednesday like they were playing the Edmonton Oilers from the mid-eighties, and heck, the 86-87 Flyers took that legendary team to game seven of the Cup finals that year!

Malkin and Crosby are a great duo – probably the best in the NHL – but Gretzky and Messier they are not.  The Flyers forgot this simple message on Wednesday, instead playing a timid game, seemingly awestruck by the dazzling offense of Mark Eaton (who scored his first ever playoff goal) and Tyler Kennedy (who also scored his first ever), as well as the technical wizardry of Penguins’ coach Dan Bylsma (who was coaching his first ever playoff game at any level).

All tongue and cheek analysis aside, the Flyers looked terrible in game one. 

John Stevens’ postgame comments that the Flyers’ lack of discipline made the game an “uphill battle” didn’t help either.  Though the Flyers did amass 35 PIMs compared to the Penguins’ 9, many of the calls against the Flyers were minor infractions that traditionally haven’t been called in the playoffs. 

Scott Hartnell’s 16 PIMs are excusable, because he was attempting to light a spark under the asses of his teammates.  Stevens was upset with Hartnell, even going so far as to say that he will have a talk with the regular season minor-penalty leader.  However,  even stolid Stevens admitted that  on Wednesday the “Intensity of the playoffs went up, and we didn’t go along with it.”  What better way to get your team into the game than with a fight, policing the game so that the other team does not get away with murder?

Unfortunately, the refs had other ideas, and called the game tightly; in the process removing all hope that the Flyers would get back into the game.

Signs of Life?

Game two certainly felt more promising for the Flyers, who seemed to have stepped up their game since the first meeting. 

Hartnell reprised his role as team sparkplug, scoring the game’s first goal with 6:30 left in the first period.

The Flyers held onto the lead for most of the second period, however tentatively, as the Penguins peppered Martin Biron 14 times in the period.  Three-minutes and 30 seconds before the second intermission, Bill Guerin shot a wrister from the slot that beat Biron glove side. 

The momentum shifted in favor of the Flyers early in the third when Darroll Powe streaked down the right wing and fired one over Marc-Andre Fleury’s shoulder, recapturing the lead for the Flyers; a lead they kept for much of the rest of the third period.

That is until the refs decided to do something they hadn’t done all period – call a penalty.  Not only did the refs go against a precedent they had set throughout the period (and moreover the game, since they had only called five other infractions prior to this one), but the penalty they called on Jeff Carter was so mild and so inconsequential to the game that you have to wonder what their true motive was.  What’s more inconsequential, a hook or a two minute penalty at the end of a closely fought playoff game?  We know the NHL’s answer, but ask a hockey purist and he or she will tell you just the opposite.

The officiating had been brutal against the Flyers for the entire series, but this call was just too critical to go unreported.  Reluctantly, I’m going to drop the penalty talk from now on (unless I see something as egregious as the Carter call), because I risk sounding like a homer, and because I don’t want to waste any more of my time.

To make a long story short, the Pen’s goal forced overtime; an overtime that was ended by Guerin, again on the power play (which turned into a 5 on 3 thanks to the NHL’s new ‘automatic’ penalties).  And with that, the Flyers went down by two in the series.

Vengeance Now

During the series’ third game at the Wachovia Center, the momentum finally began to shift in the Flyers’ favor.  To quote Sunday’s MVP, Claude Giroux, “The whole team just played hard.”

This devil-may-care attitude was apparent from the start of the match, with the Flyers finally physically dominating the Penguins, and more importantly, putting pucks past Fleury.  The Flyers went into the first intermission up 2-1.  They would have been up by two goals, if not for a sneaky goal by Malkin.  Malkin’s goal aside, it finally looked like the Flyers found their game.

The Flyers made me re-think this, however, allowing the Pens to score in the first 15 seconds of the second period to tie the game.  But nobody said this was going to be easy, and the Flyers, boosted by a display of passing wizardry by Giroux and Briere, regained the lead in less than five minutes.

And they never looked back.

They even took it to the Penguins, and the overzealous refs, scoring shorthanded!  Though Gagne threaded the puck past Fleury, credit for the play should be directed toward Claude Giroux, who exhibited puck possession skills well past his age.  Forsberg-esque would not be too grand of a comparison, as the Flyers’ rookie’s first forechecked the puck away from Penguins’ defender Kris Letang, then stickhandled the puck behind the back of the net, before sending a crisp pass through the crease and onto Gagne’s stick.

Looking Ahead

The Flyers’ 6-3 win against the Penguins was exactly what they needed to get their heads back into the series.  With momentum clearly shifting in their favor, the Flyers are squarely in the driver’s seat of the series.

But if the Flyers are ever to come out of this series, they’ll have to play hardnosed, yet elegant hockey like they did on Sunday.  This is the only way that the Flyers can overcome not only the Penguins, but the interference of the referees.

The odds are certainly not in their favor, but I can’t count out this Flyers team.  If the Flyers can, to quote William Wallace from Braveheart, “fight like warrior-poets,” they can over come this team.  After all, it’s JUST the Pittsburgh Penguins!

Flyers Blow It in Third, Lose 3-2; Drop to Fifth Seed

I remember it well.  It wasn’t quite the playoffs, but it sure felt like it.

On April 4, 2008, the second to last game of the 2007-2008 regular season, the Flyers humiliated the New Jersey Devils, 3-0, to clinch the playoffs.

They came out like a team possessed, like a team that was completing its mission.  The crowd fed off their energy, and deafened the Devils, even going as far as chasing all-star goaltender Martin Brodeur from the net (a memory I’ll relish forever).

Turn the calendar forward 12 months and you’d see the exact opposite situation play itself out at the Wachovia Center. 

When the Flyers took to the ice on Easter Sunday, they had already clinched the playoffs, but not the crucial number four seed.  Gaining a single point during Sunday’s game versus the New York Rangers mean that the Flyers could have wrapped up the fourth seed and home ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the point eluded them. 

Instead they blew it in the third.

To their credit, the Flyers did lead for the better part of the game – even taking their lead into the third period on goals from Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter, and Danny Briere. 

But there was a sense that the lead wouldn’t last.  The Flyers entered the third and played lackadaisical hockey; not necessarily BAD hockey, but they certainly did not play like a team fighting for a valuable playoff position.

Case in point was Sean Avery’s game tying goal.  A little under five minutes into the final period, Rangers centerman Scott Gomez picked up the puck in his own end and deked through three, count’em THREE Flyers poke-checks before dropping the puck to Avery in the Flyers zone.  What’s worse, the lazy checking came from two of the Flyers’ more defensively responsible forwards, Simon Gagne and Mike Richards (I’ll give emergency callup Jamie Fritsch a pass here, because, 1) I don’t know anything about him, and 2) he was put in the unenviable position as an emergency call up [thanks Paul Holmgren!] and playing on a pairing with Andrew Alberts [thanks John Stevens!]).

With the game tied early in the third, there was a sense at the Wachovia Center that the Flyers were doomed (but hey, the game was tied and all they Flyers needed was one point, why cheer and try to help the team?).  Blair Betts scored the game winning goal for New York with eleven minutes to go in the game.  The culprit here?  Marty Biron, who got his pants deked off of him by the Ranger’ six goal-scorer.  The Flyers played with gusto for the rest of the period, but Henrik Lundqvist proved up to the challenge.    

Analysis

 Instead of rising to the occasion, the Flyers blew it on Sunday.

My frustration was reflected by the team, especially Danny Briere, in his post-game comments.  “Most of the year when we had big games we came up strong,” Briere reflected.  “I guess I was just expecting that again.”

What I take exception to is the second half of Briere’s statement about expectations.  If the Flyers are to take the series versus Pittsburgh, they’re going to have to surpass their own expectations, and play serious hockey.

There will be more pre-series analysis to come, but I wanted to stop and congratulate Jeff Carter for scoring yet another goal.  His 46^th of the season was a full 17 more than last year’s total, and provided him with the second highest total of the National Hockey League!

Carter Watch

Flyers “Lock it Down;” Clinch Playoffs with 2-1 Home Victory over Florida

Jeff Carter’s 45^th goal of the year proved to be the game-winner on Tuesday, as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Florida Panthers to clinch the playoffs.

Remarking on the Flyers’ thirteenth playoff appearance in fourteen seasons, Coach Stevens exclaimed simply, “It feels awesome.”  And I couldn’t agree more.

After Philadelphia failed to clinch on Saturday, losing instead in a shootout to the Ottawa Senators, I feared that the sense of urgency to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs had disappeared from the Flyers’ locker room.

The Flyers, especially Martin Biron proved me wrong on Tuesday night, playing a defensively sound hockey game, before locking down the victory in the third.

 Remarking on Biron’s thirty-save performance (good for a.967 save percentage) was Stevens who said earnestly that “Marty looked like himself again.”  Like a father reflecting on his children’s successes, Stevens continued, “I thought it was a real important game for Marty; important for himself and for the rest of the team.”  Stevens’ optimism and sense of satisfaction was also felt in the locker room.

Biron said frankly, “I like to win games.  When I win, I like it and I move on.”

Carter’s typically nonchalant attitude turned borderline cocky when talking about his league leading seventeenth game winning goal of the season.  “[You] shoot the puck and good things happen. “ When asked about his scoring success throughout the year, Carter answered “You shoot and you score.  It’s easy.”

Scoring goals in the NHL is never easy, but the shot that beat Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun on Tuesday night sure seemed effortless for the league’s second-ranked goal scorer.

With the game tied, and twelve and a half minutes remaining, Joffrey Lupul passed the puck to Carter around the Panthers’ blue line.  The pass eluded Carter, instead being picked up by Panthers’ defenseman Jassen Cullimore.  At that point, Scott Hartnell, who accompanied Carter on the wing absolutely decked Cullimore with a blatant crosscheck to the back. 

Any number of calls could have been made – cross checking, boarding, roughing, anything- but the refs swallowed their whistles and allowed play to continue. 

Carter picked up the loose puck around the near-boards close to the Panthers’ goal-line, and took two strides toward Vokoun before launching a quick wrister that surprised the Panthers’ goalie and squeaked past his leg pad.

The rest of the game was dictated by the Flyers’ excellent defensive play, again quoting Stevens “We locked it down.”

Stevens was right in more ways than one – locking down both the game and their ticket to the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup playoffs!

Best of luck, boys!  The Frequent Flyers Update looks forward to another memorable post season!

Carter Watch

Carter’s 45th of the season means…..another installment of Carter Watch!

Carter Watch!

 

Flyers Comeback Thwarted by Spezza; Lose in OT 4-3

With a win against an ailing Ottawa Senators team on Saturday night, the Flyers stood to clinch a berth in the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. What they got, however, was a shootout loss – one point.

One measly point.

Sure every bit counts this time of year, and the point did enable them to remain tied with the resurgent Carolina Hurricanes in the points column, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a greater sense of urgency from the Orange and Black.

Case in point was Coach Stevens’ comments from his postgame presser. Remarking on the failed comeback, Stevens remarked that “…it showed a lot of poise and resilience from our team.” He continued to add modifiers (excuses?) about the game, saying that “We [Philadelphia] played last night and they didn’t,” and “We didn’t get off to the start we wanted.”

Stevens’ comments are the worst kind of apology – an excuse for a job poorly done.

The reason that the Flyers didn’t get off to a good start, and that they had to mount their comeback in the first place, was because upstart Danny Carcillo was given a two and a ten for unsportsmanlike conduct at the very time that Jeff Carter was called for hooking.

It’s unfortunate that the Flyers received the double-call, but blame only rests on the players’ shoulder-pads. Carter frequently takes hooking penalties, and who knows what Carcillo said or did to the ref to necessitate his expulsion from the game.

The fact of the matter is that the double-call happened, and only twenty-seconds into the penalty, Nick Foligno put a goal past Antero Niittymaki.

The Flyers went down by two early in the second when Chris Kelly received a Hail Mary pass from Ottawa defenseman Chris Campoli. Kelly deeked to Niitty’s far side, before popping the puck over his outstretched glove.

It took an unlikely hero to kickstart the Flyers’ comeback – Darrol Powe.

Only thirty-seconds after Kelly’s goal, Andreas Nodle sprang Powe on a breakaway, which was foiled by the hooking of Ottawa defenseman Filip Kuba. On the resulting penalty shot, the first of Powe’s NHL career, the Flyers’ rookie rocketed toward Alex Auld at top speed and beat the Ottawa goaltender with a ham-fisted, but effective deek to the farside.

The Flyers followed Powe’s cue, scoring later in the second period on the power play to knot the game at two, and gaining the lead thirty-seconds into the third period. Mike Richards scored his 30^th of the season on the tieing goal with a blistering slap shot from the point.

The Sens, however, responded to the Flyers’ three-goal flurry only a few minutes later, when Jason Spezza sent an expertly-placed laser over Nitty’s shoulder. Spezza’s goal would be the game’s last until Mike Fisher won it for Ottawa in the shootout.

Analysis

Reacting to the Flyers’ loss was Mike Richards, who, like his coach, made it seem as if the Flyers were robbed in Ottawa. “I thought we played well…battling back,” the Flyers’ captain began. “Maybe we deserved a little bit of a better fate, but we’ll take the one point.”

As anyone who follows the Flyers’ press conferences will know, Richards is not the best media spokesperson. In fact, he comes across as sheepish and passive. Think of a thirteen-year old boy in the principles’ office.

But the above reaction was a weak one, even for Richards’ standards.

Where’s the sense of urgency? Where’s the fire? Where’s the admission that it took a fourth-liner to get the Flyers’ engine started on Saturday night? Where’s the remorse for the fact that the team could have wrapped up a playoff spot, but failed?

Stevens’ and Richards’ comments are indicative of a very dangerous team-mindset; that of the team who expects the wins merely to be handed to them, rather than one that knows its place as a middle of the pack playoff contender. Last year the Flyers were on top of the game, hungry for that playoff spot. Sure, they were in danger of actually not making the playoffs, but the hell or high water-approach they took served them well in the first round against the Caps.

I wholeheartedly think that this years’ Flyers team – especially with the emergence of Claude Giroux, and the return of Simon Gagne to the lineup – will make an even more formidable playoff opponent than last year’s team.

It pains me to admit, though, that unless the Flyers’ passive mindset is eradicated from the locker room, the Flyers might be a one-round and done team.

Carter Watch

Over the past week I was in Miami for spring break. I had an absolute blast on South Beach, but having a blast isn’t usually conducive toward writing good sports journalism, so the Frequent Flyers Update fell by the wayside.

Well, I’m back in Philadelphia and currently working on the summary for the Flyers’ shootout loss against the Senators on Saturday night.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Carter Watch. Carter scored three times during Friday’s 8-5 drubbing against the Maple Leafs to record his first career hat-trick. The first of many, we hope.  Enjoy!

Carter Watch

Carter Watch

Carter Watch

Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)…

..and winning in overtime.

My sincere apologies for the Elton John reference, but last night’s game against the Islanders had me singing.

No it wasn’t the Flyers’ three-goal comeback in the third period, or their overtime victory, it was their four fights that made it possibly the best Flyers game of the year.

The first, between upstart Darrol Powe and veteran centerman Doug Weight (age difference of 14 years, FYI), nicely set the tone of the evening:  namely, that the Flyers would have to fight for their two points against the league’s worst team. 

The Islanders would make their stand on the scoreboard as well, scoring the game’s first two goals.  It was only after the Islanders’ second, that the Flyers began to mount their comeback; and if the Flyers weren’t able to put pucks past Islanders’ goaltender Yann Danis, they’d do it their own way: the Broad Street Bullies way.

Six minutes into the second stanza it was Daniel Carcillo and Nate Thompson’s turn to dance.  The Flyers’ newcomer took a few quick jabs before delivering heavy fists to the back of Thompson’s head, eventually dropping Thompson to the ice.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, Riley Cote picked a fight on the very next shift with Islanders’ rookie, Joel Rechlicz.  Like many of Cote’s fights, he sustained a series of blows to the face, but remained standing by force of will alone.

The gem of the evening occurred just three minutes after Cote’s bout, when Arron Asham and Tim Jackman got together.  Jackman did his best to tie up Asham, but the Flyers’ winger was able to free his arm by shaking off his elbow pad.  With his newly freed arm, Asham took one solid punch to the side of Jackman’s head, and dropped his opponent.

Then, early in the third, the Islanders dropped their hold of the game. 

Joffrey Lupul’s first goal of the night was scored in somewhat of a fluky way.  He streaked down the right wing and shot the puck toward Danis’ far side.  Danis saved the puck with the paddle of his stick, but ended up deflecting it into his own net.  A few minutes later, Scott Hartnell tied the game.  Lupul scored his second, again streaking down the right wing.  This time, Lupul cut in front of Danis before popping it over the goalie’s shoulder.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, Lupul’s go-ahead goal was not enough, as Mark Streit scoreed just moments later.

Streit’s goal forced an uneventful overtime, which led to the shootout.

Milestone

Congratulations to Joffrey Lupul for scoring his 99th and 100th goal against the Islanders!  He played somewhat lax hockey for most of the game, but really turned it on when it counts.  All fisticuffs aside, Lupul brought it when the team needed him most, and was the game’s best player.

 

Flyers Fail to Go for Four, Fall to Panthers 4-2

A win here, a loss there; a string of losses here, a few wins in a row there:  this is how the Philadelphia Flyers have been playing hockey since the start of the New Year.

On Thursday, the Flyers had a chance to do what they haven’t been able to since the calendar changed – put together a winning streak of more than three wins.

And throughout the first and second periods, the Flyers seemed committed to the win, simply buzzing around the 9^th place Panthers. 

But the Panthers had other ideas, to quote coach Stevens “They played with some desperation…”

It was not, however, a desperation goal that allowed the Panthers to go up by one mid-way through the first period.  Florida struck with a simple deflection from the point.

With Kimmo Timonen in the box for hooking, the Panthers went to work, cycling the puck around the Flyers’ zone.  They worked the puck to Jay Bouwmeester, whose blast from the point was redirected up and over Martin Biron by Cory Stillman.

The Flyers responded in the second, peppering Florida goalie Craig Anderson with 18 shots, two of which found the back of the net. 

With 5:53 left in the period, Jeff Carter and Matt Carle streaked through the neutral zone on a 2 on 1.  Carter, thinking shot all the time (who wouldn’t when you have 40 under your belt!) used Carle as a decoy, before wristing one past Anderson on the short side.

Though the Flyers were finally able to figure out Anderson, the Panthers allowed them to enjoy the tie for exactly 23-seconds, before Keith Ballard and Radek Dvorak led a 2 on 1 the other way.  Ballard shot the puck intentionally into Biron’s far leg-pad, forcing the Flyers’ net-minder to kick the rebound out toward his teammate Dvorak who slammed it in past Biron.

Instead of licking their wounds, the Flyers got the tie back with only four second to go in the period.  This time it was Carter who passed the puck toward the crease, where Hartnell tucked it into the top-shelf.

So after two periods, it was a twenty minute hockey game.  However, unlike in their grudge-match against the Devils on Monday, the Flyers were unable to put it together in the third.

In fact, they went down early.  Only two minutes into the final period, Andrew Alberts nearly turned the puck over in front of his own net.  Alberts was able to avoid the turnover, but seemingly overcompensated for his near mishap, dishing the puck to Florida defenseman Nick Boynton.  Boynton’s shot was saved by Biron, but the rebound was picked up by Brett McLean who popped it over Biron’s shoulder for the game winner.

The Flyers 15 shots in the third period were ineffectual, largely because Florida’s defense did a fine job of keeping their shots to the outside, allowing few real scoring chances.

Analysis

So the Flyers lost against to an inferior team in the Panthers.  Hey, it’ll happen at this time of the season.  Thursday’s match against the Panthers was the Flyers’ fifth in ten days, a streak where they played some impressive hockey.  The Panthers are a bubble team, playing desperately to reach their first playoff appearance since they went to the cup-finals in their inaugural year of 1995-1996.  I’ll let it slide.

What’s inexcusable is coach Stevens’ continuing to play the defensive pairing of Andrew Alberts and Randy Jones.  Both recorded a minus-two rating on Thursday’s game, and led directly, atleast, to Nick Boynton’s game winning goal. 

Separately, they are competent NHL defensemen.  However, their size and lack of mobility would best be used complimenting other defensemen on the team.  Together they actually bring down each other’s game. Considering Jones’ questionable health of late (he was a game-time decision for Thursday’s game), the Flyers would gain much by splitting up this dire pairing.

On the positive side, Jeff Carter scored his 41st of the season!  You know what that means…time for Carter Watch!

 

Carter Watch!