What Ovi's Fight Means

While the Washington Capitals were on their way to a sixth straight loss, something happened in the second period that could change this team's season: Alexander Ovechkin dropped the gloves.

Ovechkin went after and cleanly finished a check on a New York Rangers defenceman. Rangers' forward Brandon Dubinsky took exception, they dropped the gloves, and the rest was history. View it here.

Too often now, we see a fourth line no-name come into the mix and set the tone. Sometimes this is appropriate, no one wants their best player in the box for five minutes every few games.

However, it is great to see an all-star and top player in the world initiating and battling all the way through a fight.

Going through a losing streak Capitals fans are not accustomed to the last few years with the team's success, this can be an essential factor into righting the ship.

From personal experience, teammates feed off of this kind of action. It's a wake up call to say what is happening on the ice (Ovechkin included) is unacceptable and it has to stop while simultaneously releasing pent up frustration.

It should be interesting to see how the Capitals respond in their next few games. If a fight by their franchise player and captain does not inspire them, it's going to be hard to figure out what will.

Flyers Beat Caps in OT

Danny Briere buried a nifty shootout goal in the second round and Brian Boucher stopped all three Capitals shootout attempts as the Flyers won 5-4 tonight in Washington.

In a game featuring 16 penalties (many questionable to say the least), the Caps used their powerplays to their advantage to get back into the game, while the Flyers could not convert on theirs to put the game away.

Briere's high sticking while on the powerplay allowed the Caps' Eric Fehr to launch a rocket past Boucher with 39 seconds left. From there it seemed inevitable that the Caps would seize the moment and continue their dominance at home. But Boucher had other ideas and was steady in the shootout turning away consecutive shots to his glove by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin while getting some help from the iron on Alex Semin's deke.

It was certainly not the Flyers best win, but they will take the two points after a two game skid. They will face the Montreal Canadiens on Monday at the Wells Fargo Center hoping to avenge a shutout loss last Tuesday night up at the Bell Centre.

Flyers Dominate Again, Carter Extended

While the Philadelphia Flyers celebrated a 5-2 beat down of the Florida Panthers tonight, the news of Jeff Carter's contract extension created the most buzz at the Wells Fargo Center tonight.

Carter, 25, was rewarded with an 11-year, $58 million contract extension as confirmed by the team at its 6 p.m. news conference today.

Many people have been critical of Carter both positively and negatively so it will certainly be interesting to see how this move is received amongst the fans and media.

Here's who this contract could effect long term:

-Claude Giroux: Giroux just received a contract extension himself, but nowhere near to Carter's extent. Giroux, who many people see as having more upside, will need to be compensated even more in three year which would lead to more possible cap problems down the road.

-Ville Leino: Leino will be a free agent at the end of this season and he is proving last post season was not a fluke. It may be hard to match an offer on the free market if another team values Leino as highly as they do. The Flyers will look to get a deal done with him now that Giroux and Carter are signed so it does not even get to free agency.

-Sergei Bobrovsky: The young goaltender continues to astound us with his spectacular play. If Bobrovsky proves to be the real deal and with the Flyers' history of trying to find a franchise goaltender, they will want to get a deal done to lock Bobrovsky up for a long time as well.

Leino needs to be the main focus right now, but down the road Giroux and Bobrovsky will present cap problems as well.

Photo courtesy of "In Philly We Trust Blog"

Caps Lose in OT

The Washington Capitals dropped the first end of back-to-back games in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at HSBC Arena in Buffalo.

Ryan Miller was back in action after a five game absence with a hip injury and he certainly gave the Sabres a spark despite going down 1-0 early.

The Caps were a victim of bad luck on Buffalo's second goal when a shot from the point ricocheted around the crease and was buried into an open net by Thomas Vanek, who had a spectacular night.

Vanek ended the game with a flawless effort dangling his way through the Washington defense and finally beating goalie Braden Holtby with a great deke.

Washington had goals from Karl Alzner and Nicklas Backstrom, but Alex Ovechkin could not find the scoresheet tonight.

The Caps are back in action tomorrow afternoon at the Verizon Center at 5 p.m. against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Photo courtesy of the NHL and "Google Images"

Caps Beat Lightning

The theme of the Washington Capitals' season has been the following: fall behind early, then relentlessly pursue the opponent thereafter.

The Caps beat the struggling and depleted Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Verizon Center 6-3. After going down early, the Caps broke the offensive zone in half and abused the half-wall with their cycling, wearing down the Lightning, and freeing up quality shots in the slot.

The Alexs' stole the show with a combined eight points tonight. Alexander Semin had a hat trick and Alexander Ovechkin tallied his ninth goal of the season and added two assists. The Caps remain the best team in the conference leading the Philadelphia Flyers by two points.

The Caps head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres Saturday night, another team devastated currently by injuries. It should be an intriguing tilt, but it's hard to see the Caps losing this one, we'll find out.

Photo courtesy of "Google Images."

Flyers Blowout Hurricanes

On the 25th anniversary of Pelle Lindbergh's death, another young goaltender who resembles many aspects of Lindbergh's style continues to dominate.

Sergei Bobrovsky continues to astonish fans with his enviable speed between the pipes as the Philadelphia Flyers annihilated the Carolina Hurricanes 8-1 tonight in Raleigh, N.C.

The Flyers used a combination of speed and grit to pile on the goals tonight, the first half of their goals coming from creating traffic in front and burying rebounds. The second half came from great skill, passing, and hands to create opportunities for quality shots.

The main aspect on the game though that is going unnoticed is the defensive pairing of Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. While this blog was quite critical of O'Donnell in the first few games, he has shown the stability that Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren saw in him playing alongside Drew Doughty with the Los Angeles Kings last year. The pair has allowed the top four to rest more and be fresh every night and that will be key when the playoffs come around to have three reliable defensive pairs.

The Flyers are back in action against the Florida Panthers at the Wells Fargo Center Saturday night. The Panthers are coming off a strong win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, so the Flyers need to come in focused and feast off this soft spot in their schedule.

Photo courtesy "bleacher report."

The Week Ahead

It's great to be back after a few tough weeks for midterms. Now it's time to get back to business.

The Philadelphia Flyers will have a few days off to rest after playing four games in six nights. They return to action on Wednesday night in Carolina to face the Hurricanes and then have a home tilt on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

The Flyers should come away with no less than 3 points in those two games. They dominated the Hurricanes in their first meeting this season despite giving up a goal in garbage time to win 3-2. The Panthers game has the ominous feeling of a trap game. Florida has some offensive weapons and a solid goaltender in Tomas Vokun. They are low in the standings and the Flyers have to make sure they do not play down to their competition.

Look for Brian Boucher to get a start in one of these two games. While Sergei "Bob" Bobrovsky has been sensational, it would benefit the Flyers to get Boucher a game in this week to keep him sharp and also there is less risk against teams lower in the standings.

Check back for updates during the week.

Gagne Returns, Flyers/Lightning Preview

The game fans have been waiting for is here (besides the opener against Pittsburgh of course).

Simon Gagne returns tonight to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time as a visiting player. He is sure to get an outstanding ovation, a sentiment that was echoed by Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell earlier today.

While it will be a festive night, a game still has to be played. Here are the keys to tonight's contest:

-Brian Boucher: 'Boosh' is getting the call after his stellar performance in St. Louis and looks to gain consistency early in the season. That way the Flyers can manage breaking in rookie Sergei Bobrovsky to the North American style of play.

TB's Top Six: The Lightning have a tremendous top six and have shown in their first couple games they can put the puck in the net. Along with Gagne are Vincent Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Ryan Malone, Steven Stamkos, and Steve Downie. The Flyers have to shut these guys down in order to pull out two points tonight.

Andrej Meszaros-Do not forget this is Meszaros's first game against his former team that lost patience with him. It will be interesting to see if there is a difference in his game tonight. Meszaros and defensive partner Sean O'Donnell had their best games of the season in their first game being able to play with each other.

That's all for now. It's midterm time here at Mason so I will be off and on the next couple of weeks.

Caps Win/Flyers Lose Recaps

The red was rocking on and off the ice in the Washington Capitals last night. The Caps throttled the New Jersey Devils 7-2.

It certainly did not start well though. The Caps looked sloppy and were simply being outworked in their defensive zone, a still glaring problem for this team going forward. The Caps were able to overcome their early mistakes though and keep the game tied at two halfway through the game. That's when the flood gates opened.

The Caps started flying around the ice the way their fans are accustomed to. They wore out the Devils defense with a combination of odd-man rushes, cycling, and despite being outshot 33-29, it seemed all the shots were down in New Jersey's end.

Here were the keys to the Caps win:

-Martin Brodeur: Brodeur may have been the Caps' best player last night conceding five goals on 20 shots. Brodeur has now given up nine goals in just five periods this year. His play has been so atrocious that Johan Hedberg had to finish the game out last night. Not a good sign for the Devils moving forward.

-Alex Ovechkin: Ovechkin was kept off the board in Atlanta, so he came out motivated and it showed. Ovechkin had two goals (one on a penalty shot) and an assist. The great thing about Ovechkin is, even if he is kept off the scoresheet, that is the effort he gives night in and night out, something that is lost sometimes when he is criticized (and rightfully so) for celebrating every goal like it's the first time he's ever scored a goal.

-John Carlson: This kid is an absolute stud. He played well when he came up last year, and it has carried over in two games this year. A tremendous two-way defeseman, Carlson has great speed, vision, and a rocket for a shot that he displayed on the Caps' first goal last night.

The Caps next face the Ottawa Senators on Monday at the Verizon Center.

Meanwhile, the Flyers should be thankful they came out with a point in St. Louis last night.

Brian Boucher, the journeyman made a stellar case to be get some more starts in the net. He shut the door on nine of ten St. Louis powerplay opportunities and kept the Flyers in the game.

Here were the keys to last nights game:

-Penalties: The Flyers took ten penalties. That is simply unacceptable. Sure, some of the calls were questionable, but a player in this contemporary NHL has to know to not put themselves in a position where they might get called. The penalty kill stepped up though and killed nine of the ten powerplays.

-Defensive Zone: The Flyers still have a problem with getting the puck out of their own end. There will be stints where they fail to get the puck out three to four times in a row. Sean O'Donnell looks like he's having an asthma attack with how much he coughs the puck up. This has to improve going forward, and no the Chris Pronger absence is no execuse for it.

-Brian Boucher: We all have our opinions about Sergei Bobrovsky. Should he get a majority of the starts in Michael Leighton's absence? Yes, but 'Boosh' is not going quietly. 'Boosh' looked superb last night, keeping the Flyers in the game when they were asleep the first two periods. It is hard to dislike him. He uses what talent he does have and works unbelievably hard. Still, head coach Peter Laviolette shows no allegiances. He will put the man in the net he feels will give him a chance to win.

The Flyers open up at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday against a young, talented Colorado Avalanche team. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Caps Lose, Pavelec Awake at Atlanta Hospital

It's on somber nights such as these, that fans and media alike are reminded that athletes are humans too. Thrasher's goaltender Ondrej Pavalec suddenly collapsed with no one around him just two minutes and 25 seconds into the game. View here. NOTE: The video is disturbing, consider before viewing (courtesy of CBC website).

Pavelec has since regained consciousness at an Atlanta hospital and will be kept overnight for observation. In typical hockey player fashion, it has been reported the first thing Pavelec wanted to know was what the score was. Regardless, it was sickening and frightening to watch. As someone who understands and knows how that can shift a player's psyche one way or another, it certainly had an impact on the game. The Thrashers shifted to the motivation psyche.

The Capitals took an immediate 1-0 lead after a nearly 20 minute delay. That's when the Thrashers woke up and responded with a 4-2 victory.

There was a controversial call that helped build momentum for the Thrashers. In the second period, Mike Green was whistled for covering the puck in the crease ensuing in a penalty shot. Evander Kane took the penalty shot and converted turning the tide in the Thrashers favor.

The key breakdown came in the third, when the Thrashers took advantage of a blown faceoff coverage. Fredrik Modin picked up the loose puck and beat Michal Neuvirth, in for the injured Semyon Varlamov, to the blocker side.

The Caps answered with a perfectly executed 2 on 1 by Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Knuble. Ovechkin made a flawless saucer pass to Knuble who buried it with a half-open net. However, it was not enough to pull out a victory.

The Caps will look to rebound against the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night in their home opener after New Jersey was stunned in their season and home opener by Dallas in overtime.

Bobrovsky Stellar, Flyers Win Season Opener

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette made two intriguing decisions today. The first was starting 22-year-old rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

The other was taking a timeout within the first ten minutes of the Flyers' first game of the season. Both paid off.

Bobrovsky was brilliant, stopping 29 of 31 shots leading the Flyers to a 3-2 win over in-state rival Pittsburgh.

The Penguins stormed out of the gate peppering Bobrovsky with shots, but he weathered the storm stopping 15 shots in the 1st period.

Laviolette, master of the timeout, took it early to settle down an anxious defensive corps that was missing its leader, Chris Pronger. The Flyers settled down after that and played well the rest of the way.

While Bobrovsky stole the show, the key play was Claude Giroux's shorthanded goal to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead. The Penguins had a rushed and atrociously executed breakout with all the forwards up too high. Kris Letang was too fancy trying to make a back pass to his defensive partner and last man back Paul Martin. Giroux picked it off and made Marc-Andre Fleury look foolish on an in-zone breakaway. View the goal here.

While the Penguins were missing Jordan Staal here is why the win is encouraging:

-Crosby/Malkin: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were on the ice close to 25 minutes each. This has to be troubling for the Penguins going forward especially if Staal misses extensive time. Both Crosby and Malkin will be worn out by season's end if they have to be relied on this much. If you look at the Flyers forwards ice time, only Mike Richards went over 20 mins.

-Defense: The defense was not spectacular, however going into a hostile environment and the opening of a new building, the defense got the job done. With a rookie goaltender in net and without Chris Pronger, the Flyers kept a lot of pucks to the outside and cleared the net pretty well and will only get better once Pronger returns.


-Bobrovsky: Let the goaltender controversey begin. Bobrovsky showed when it mattered tonight both how athletic and astonishingly quick he is. The pressure is now on Michael Leighton when he returns since he has the most to lose. Bobrovsky is motivated and looking to prove he can play at this level.

The Flyers will be at St. Louis on Saturday to take on the Blues. Caps update after their tilt with the Thrash tomorrow.

Video courtesy of nhl.com
Stats courtesy of nhl.com and philadelphiaflyers.com

Bobrovsky to Start, Pronger Out

In a surprising announcement, Sergei Bobrovsky will be the Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender in the season-opener tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 22-year-old Russian will make his NHL debut against a division rival opening a brand new arena, the Consol Energy Center. Welcome to the NHL.

Also, Chris Pronger will sit out tonight as he still tries to recover from off-season knee surgery. Pronger has practiced the past couple of days, but feels the knee is not up to full speed to compete at the highest level.

Notes: The Carolina Hurricanes have won the first game of the young season, beating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in Helsinki, Finland.

Eastern Conference Rankings

1. Washington Capitals- The Caps return with virtually the same team as last year with the exception that Semyon Varlamov is now the number one goaltender with the departure of Jose Theodore. The Caps may not be the best team in the East, but they certainly are in the easiest division. This may be a factor that is overlooked in connection with the Caps' playoff struggles. With a division that consisted of only themselves going to the playoffs and playing those four teams 24 of 82 games, it's hard to get experience against quality teams. Regardless, they are still very talented and will likely claim the East in the regular season.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins- The Pens have shored up an inconsistent defense by adding former Devils defenseman Paul Martin and former Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek, an underrated component to the Coyotes remarkable season last year. The injury to Jordan Staal will not help early on, but the Pens have a lot of motivation to prove themselves after a dismal playoff exit last year.

3. Buffalo Sabres- It always seems like on paper the Sabres have no business being at the top of the conference. However, the emergence of Tyler Myers last year as possibly a more dynamic Zdeno Chara will look to be a force and anchor the defense. It also always helps to have the best goaltender in the world in Ryan Miller. Like the Caps, the Sabres division isn't particulary strong, but it does have some quality teams.

4. New Jersey Devils- Like the Pens, the Devils have brought in and retained quality players. The Ilya Kovalchuk contract saga is mercifully over, overshadowing the signing of Anton Volchenkov, one of the best all-around defensemen in the league. Martin Brodeur is another year older, but it should not stop him from putting up 35+ more wins this year.

5. Philadelphia Flyers- The Flyers injury-bug has already hit and it's just now October. Michael Leighton is already out for a month and superb penalty-killer Ian Laperrier is out indefinitely. This may put more pressure on Chris Pronger to return quicker (like he cares about our opinion). Despite the injuries, the Flyers have shown in the preseason they have a tremendous balance of offensive and defensive depth. Look for Sergei Bobrovsky to take advantage of being Brian Boucher's backup at the start of the season.

6. Boston Bruins- I was bewildered when I saw on the ESPN hockey blog a feature on Tim Thomas trying to reclaim the net from Tuuka Rask. Good luck, Tim. Rask proved last year he belongs in the net as the starter. The continued concussion problems of Mark Savard will impact the team, but Tyler Seguin, the 2010 number two overall pick and the trade for Nathan Horton will look to provide a spark.

7. Ottawa Senators- Ottawa is such an enigma. There are usually two versions of this team. There is the extremely talented one, that shows a combination of speed, grit, and solid goaltending. Then, there is the team that looks completely lost and outmatched. The loss of Anton Volchenkov on the backend leads to their dropoff, however with players such as Spezza, Alfredsson, and Fisher still on the ice every night, this is still a playoff team.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning- This team has been the risky pick all off-season. It's hard to counter the argument though. With the first two lines featuring names such as Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, and Gagne along with Dan Ellis in the net, this team can compete in an anemic Southeast division.

9. Atlanta Thrashers- The Thrash have become basically the Chicago Blackhawks role players team. This certainly adds more depth, however the loss of Colby Armstrong will be felt and of course Ilya Kovalchuk. Had both still been with the team, they would be a playoff team.

10. Toronto Maple Leafs- Once again, this is not a joke. Brian Burke is a magician and he has assembled a plethora of young talent to revive this original six team. Phil Kessel, Dion Pfaneuf, JS Giguere, Colby Armstrong are now all Leafs, and they will no longer be an embarrassment and start working their way back toward being a prowd franchise and volitile playoff contender.

11. Montreal Canadiens- Les Habs' offseason was simply astonishing. They traded playoff hero Jaroslav Halak and have given the reins to Carey Price, likely since the Habs don't want to admit they were wrong when they annoited him as the next Roy. While they have some talent up front, they do not have a lot of depth and will pay the Price for it.

12. New York Rangers- The New York Mets of the NHL, strapped by outragous and guaranteed contracts, have not improved whatsoever over the offseason. The Blueshirts will once again have to rely on King Henrik to win every game for them. He cannot play all 82 and admitted how fatigued he was at the end of last year. Martin Biron is a capable backup, but like his previous stops, he cannot steal a game for a team.

13. Carolina Hurricanes- Not much remains of the 2006 Cup team. Sure Eric Staal and Cam Ward, two young all-stars still remain, but there needs to be more than an incredible forward and goaltender to sustain success in this league.

14. New York Islanders- The Isles cannot catch a break. Defensemen Mark Streit is out indefinitely after injuring his shoulder in a meaningless scrimmage. Perhaps Rick Dipietro will be availabe for more than five games this season? If not it's up to soon to be 41 year-old Dwayne Roloson. Ouch.

15. Florida Panthers- The Panthers finally did themselves a favor and are blowing the team up and starting over. There are good pieces with Booth and Vokoun in the net. Still, Panthers GM Dave Tallon will have his hands full. He's already proven he can form a championship team with a majority of the players he acquired for the Blackhawks so the fans, however many that are left, have to exercise patience.

Season is six days away, Flyers vs. Sabres tonight, start getting ready!

Western Conference Preseason Rankings

1. San Jose Sharks-The Sharks get the nod here because they are the best team every regular season. There's no reason it should change now. By adding two solid goaltenders in Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki, the battle for the starting job will motivate both goalies to perform well. Add that to an already stellar offense, the Sharks have what it takes to maintain their regular season dominance. Playoffs are still a completely different matter.

2. Vancouver Canucks-Certainly ambitious to put the Canucks ahead of the Stanley Cup champions. However, the Canucks have an easier division to compete in with the only other team in the division to make the playoffs being the eighth seeded Avalanche last year. The Canucks have a solid consistency on offense, defense, and in the net that will key them to finishing second.

3. Chicago Blackhawks-To think the defending champs will not win their division is on the border of insanity. Yes they lost some of their depth and their goalie, however the core remains. Toews, Hossa, Kane, and Keith are four of the best players in the league and three of the four are age 27 or younger. This group will play virtually identical to its style last year by getting into a high scoring game and simply eliminate difficult shots for Marty Turco.

4. Detroit Red Wings-A healthy Red Wings team is sure to provide better competition for the Blackhawks in the Central Division. The addition of veteran Mike Modano will likely be overlooked and while he does not have the skill he once possessed, the respect he has within that locker room could go a long way. The key is going to be Jimmy Howard's sophomore campaign. Honorable mention Nick Lidstrom's return.

5. Los Angeles Kings-The Kings have some of the best young talent in the NHL. Lead by Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick in the net, the Kings will learn from their playoff experience last year and will likely make a conference semi-finals appearance this year.

6.Phoenix Coyotes-Phoenix drops off from it's remarkable run last year since the club in it's state of financial crisis, was strapped in terms of improving the team. However, the Coyotes still have a lot of talent and leadership (Shane Doan), a great head coach (Dave Tippett), and an elite goaltender (Ilya Bryzgalov) that will help sustain their success.

7. Anaheim Ducks-Things are looking up on the frozen pond of Anaheim. The move of (Cherry Hill native) Bobby Ryan from wing to center gives the Ducks a tremendous 1-2 punch in terms of f0rward lines. Ryan will center future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne (yes, he is a HOF player) while Ryan Getzlaf centers the top line alongside Corey Perry. If Jonas Hiller can have a productive season, look for the Ducks to be back in the playoffs and perhaps be a dark horse.

8. St. Louis Blues-No it's not a j0ke, the Blues will be the final playoff team in the West. The addition of Jaroslav Halak with the phenomenal young talent of foward T.J. Oshie and defenseman Eric Johnson will get the Blues back to the postseason.

9. Nashville Predators-The Preds lost one of their greatest franchise leaders in Jason Arnott. It will be extremely difficult to overcome his loss. Combine that with the loss of goalie Dan Ellis, a very reliable backup goaltender to steal some games and it comes back to haunt them.

10. Colorado Avalanche-The Avs surprised everyone with their playoff appearance and tremendous series with the Sharks. However, the Avs problem is not from within. While they did not do much to improve themselves in the offseason, other teams have acquired more talent. So while the Avs haven't hurt themselves, they haven't helped themselves either.

11. Calgary Flames- It's going to be a long year in Alberta. The Flames play a gritty style and yet their only key addition was bringing back center Olli Jokinen to team up with Jarome Iginla. Calgary has some of the most loyal fanbases in the league and they are going to be stuck with mediocrity.

12. Minnesota Wild- The Wild will look to continue their transition from a trap system to a high pressure system, yet still lack the personnel to do so. Mikko Koivu is by far their best player and goalie Niklas Backstrom looks to bounce back after an injury-filled season last year. Still, the Wild just don't have the horses yet to compete with the elite teams of the conference.

13. Columbus Blue Jackets- Steve Mason is the key to the Jackets getting back to their successful ways. The offense has the parts it needs with Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger providing a great 1-2 punch. It's Mason and the spotty defense that will be the key to any improvement.

14. Dallas Stars- Remember when the Stars used to be one of the best teams in the league year in and year out? Those days are long gone as the Stars prized acquisition last year was a young, but talented goalie who had been injured all year. Kari Lehtonen looks to begin anew in Dallas and keep them in games with the little offensive weapons they have.


15. Edmonton Oilers- The Oil can have the same start to their preview as the Stars. Any dynasty that existed has almost completely faded. Four years after coming within a period of winning the Cup, the Oilers are now a laughing stock. There is some reason for hope though. Taylor Hall, the 2010 number one overall pick will certainly put this passionate fanbase back in the seats. He has exceptional skill, speed, and goal-scoring ability that will hopefully get the Oil back on the path to where it belongs as a legitimate contender.

East coming up tomorrow, no playoff predictions until the playoffs arrive.

Halfway Through Preseason, Flyers Making Progress

Sergei Bobrovsky

The Philadelphia Flyers posted a 3-0-1 record to open their first half of the preseason. Fans had a chance to get a look at some new faces in the organization.

Among them are veterans such as Bill Guerin, Andrej Meszaros, Sean O'Donnell, and Nikolai Zherdev.

While all of these players are familiar in NHL circles, some of the young talent the Flyers have acquired was on display as well. The prospects getting the most attention have been forward Mike Testwuide and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bobrovsky, 22, has received high praise thus far due to his agility and focus. That focus has been evident in the shootout where Bobrovsky has a 2-1 record (the loss went 11 rounds). With the severity of the injury to Michael Leighton unknown, Bobrovsky now has a possibility of making the team out of camp.

Testwuide on the other hand, will likely not make the team despite showing brilliant flashes of skill, speed, and strength in the action he has seen. He will be sent to Adirondack to get an idea of what it is like to play an entire professional season.

With all this in mind, here are things to watch for over the final week of preseason:

-Chris Pronger: Pronger has been making progress in his rehabilitation and there is an outside chance he may try to play in Buffalo on Sunday, but do not count on it. Regardless, the Flyers must make sure he is 100 percent and not rush him back. He can afford to miss a couple extra weeks.

-Guerin/Carcillo/Powe Battle: Dan Carcillo did not make his task of retaining his roster spot easier for himself by getting ejected against the Minnesota Wild Saturday night. Head coach Peter Laviolette will tolerate his antics in control, but when he gets out of hand it will be hard to justify keeping him. Guerin had his best game by far on Saturday, seeming to look more comfortable. Darroll Powe still plays a solid role on the penalty kill, but will that be enough to retain his spot? Time will tell.

-Zherdev/Giroux: Nikolai Zherdev and Claude Giroux are already showing an unbelievable chemistry with Zherdev posting three goals in three games. Giroux has highly praised Zherdev's hands and positioning putting to rest for the moment Zherdev's flaws that worried the organiztion when they signed him (attitude, effort, etc.). If Zherdev continues to put the puck in the net, no one will be talking about it.

That's all for now, my first set of team rankings will be posted at the end of the week.

Guerin Offered Tryout Contract

Bill Guerin, who seems to have played for every NHL team there is (eight to be exact) will try to make a ninth.

Guerin, 39, was offered a tryout contract by the Flyers and will be with the team when they begin camp on Friday.

Guerin was instrumental in bringing a Stanley Cup back to Pittsburgh two years ago. Last year Guerin scored 21 goals and added 24 assists for 45 total points. He then scored four more goals and had five more assists in the playoffs for a total of nine points.

A veteran presence like Guerin's would be invaluable to last year's Eastern Conference Champions. The Flyers have a lot of young forwards and Guerin's addition would be best comparable to Mike Knuble.

Here's some potential risks:

-If Guerin does enough to force the Flyers to keep him (which I think he will) how much is it going to cost the Flyers with limited cap space? This would force the Flyers hand on one of their young forwards (Dan Carcillo or Darroll Powe) off the roster and I'm not sure if the Flyers want to risk youth development for only having Guerin for a year.

-The tryout contract has language in it that allows Guerin to walk away at any time and sign with another team who gives him a legitimate offer.

-The style of play worries me. Sure Guerin had to grind it out once in a while for the Penguins. But when Sidney Crosby is your center, not much work will be necessary besides being in the right position. It worries me if Guerin can handle the relentless attack and physicality of head coach Peter Laviolette's system.

It certainly will make for a competitive camp. Camp and the season are soon upon us get ready!

New Tiebreaker Rule to Be Approved

According to Frank Seravalli's column and EJ Hradek of ESPN, the NHL will approve a rule change of how tiebreakers will be used at the end of the season.

The change is in the event a tiebreaker is needed at the end of the season to determine playoff seeds.

The tiebreaker is still total wins, however the only wins considered are those in regulation and overtime. Prior to this ruling it was all of a team's wins (regulation, overtime, and shootout).

Here's my take on the rule:

-It's unnecessary: Why is this needed? If a team wins a game, they win a game. The NHL can only blame themselves since they instituted the shootout in the first place.

-Mindset: This changes nothing on the ice itself. Teams are still going to execute their game plans in order to win, even if that means stalling to the shootout. Teams with shootout skill depth (Penguins, Blackhawks, etc.) have no more incentive to go for it all at the end of overtime now than they did last year.

-Over-the-Top: Another rule being considered is switching from 4 on 4 in overtime to 3 on 3 with less than three minutes to play. How much more can the game be devolved? The game was meant to be played 5 on 5, not in a roller hockey, nonsense style.

We'll see if the changes have an actual impact come April. Training camp is just around the corner get ready!

Cote Retires, Becomes Phantoms Assistant

Riley Cote retired Monday after spending parts of four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Cote, 28, was then named as an Assistant Coach to the Flyers AHL affiliate the Adirondack Phantoms.

"I will do the best job I can to help teach and develop all the players in Glens Falls on and off the ice," he said. "I'm looking forward to a new challenge in life."

While the Flyers were often criticized for using a spot on a player who played one or two shifts a game, there is no denying the kind of heart Riley Cote possessed. He did whatever was asked of him and was fearless in sacrificing himself to give his team a spark. That said, this move does relieve the Flyers of some cap space that they were not likely to use.

Also, it has been reported within the past couple of days that Chris Pronger may not be ready for the start of the season.

Pronger had arthroscopic knee surgery and has been rehabbing ever since to start getting ready for training camp.

If unfortunately Pronger does miss some time, better off early in the year than in April and May when it matters. This is why the Flyers addressed defensive depth in the offseason. That's all for now, probably won't be picking up until around training camp.

Gagne Traded to Tampa Bay

The inevitable has happened, Simon Gagne is no longer a Philadelphia Flyer.

Gagne was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning today for defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th round pick according to Frank Seravalli.

This move gets the Flyers back under the cap and probably concludes their moves for the offseason.

With Ilya Kovalchuk resigning with the New Jersey Devils today, it should make for another great division battle this upcoming season.

Carcillo and Zherdev Sign, Gagne Likely Out

The Flyers have come to terms with wingers Dan Carcillo and Nikolai Zherdev, putting the Flyers in the range of $2.5 million over the league salary cap.

This likely means that Simon Gagne's career as a Flyer is over. The only satisfaction I can take from Gagne departing is the fact he has never been more respected by the fans as much as he is now. Coming back from a broken foot when the Flyers were on the verge of elimination, Gagne helped carry the Flyers to the Stanley Cup.

That being said, the Zherdev signing is a smart one because:

-Youth: Zherdev is only 25 and has already shown he can put points on the board. He can best be compared to filling in the void left by Joffrey Lupul from last year.

-Single Year Contract: Like Ray Emery, Zherdev has a history of behavioral issues. He can be lazy and have inconsistent effort, but when his game is on he can be very dangerous. For a one year contract, there is very little risk involved.

By signing Carcillo, the Flyers avoided arbitration and got back the Energizer Bunny of their team. Carcillo, also well known by his nickname Carbomb, flies around the ice and is never afraid to take the body. While he does have his flaws, his flashes of skill, grit, and agitation outweigh them.

More to come if/when a Gagne deal gets done.

Free Agency Begins, Flyers Make Splash

Coming off one of the best seasons in recent memory, the Philadelphia Flyers looked to improve an already stellar roster for the 2010-2011 season.

With the opening of free agency today the Flyers made some key acquisitions:

Andrej Meszaros: A young defenseman who showed a plethora of potential with the Senators, Meszaros is looking to bounce back after two injury-riddled seasons in Tampa Bay. Look for him to compete for the #4 defensive position with Braydon Coburn. Meszaros also played extremely well in the Olympics alongside previous Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara.

Sean O'Donnell: A veteran defenseman that was plus-14 on a Los Angeles Kings team that relied more on creative offense rather than a solid defensive scheme despite a defensive mastermind in head coach Terry Murray.

Jody Shelley: A tough guy whose only two goals last year came against the Flyers. He will play on the fourth line and likely replace both Dan Carcillo and Riley Cote.

Braydon Coburn: Resigned to a two year deal after a strong playoff, but unspectacular regular season. Still a strong two-way defenseman with a lot of upside, Coburn can continue to improve while playing alongside arguably the most underrated defenseman in the NHL Kimmo Timonen.

Michael Leighton-The Cinderella goaltender earned a well deserved multi-year contract signing a two-year, $3.1 million deal. As of now he is the Flyers number one goaltender going into next season.

With these additions it's safe to say the Flyers defense is set, here's how I see the pairs turning out:

Pronger-Carle
Timonen-Coburn
Meszaros-O'Donnell

The question flying around the organization and the fanbase is if the Flyers are done in terms of their goaltending situation. The goalie position has haunted the Flyers in their quest to obtain the Cup since the Broad Street Bully days.

If the Flyers are going to go after Evgeni Nabokov, they will have to move backup Brian Boucher and possibly one other player to fit him under the cap at a possible $4 million salary.

With what cap the Flyers have remaining, they will most likely focus on adding another 3rd line winger due to their depth at the center position. Look for it to be a veteran presence such as a Miroslav Satan or Owen Nolan type player. That's all for now more updates as they come in!

Flyers Make History, Need to Refocus

After completing a comeback of epic proportions, the Philadelphia Flyers are ready to face the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The euphoria needs to subside and the Flyers need to rechannel their focus toward a hockey team that is riding the hottest goaltender in the playoffs, Jaroslav Halak.

Here are my keys to the series:

-Michael Leighton: Leighton keeps putting together stellar performances. Despite a rough start to Game 7, Leighton shut the door from that point on and made all the key saves. He is clearly the underdog going against Halak, but if Leighton has the psyche to worry about his own game instead of trying to outperform Halak, he will be fine.

-Mike Cammalleri vs. the Flyers D: Cammalleri has carried the Habs offense and missed two of the four regular season meetings against the Flyers due to injury. The Flyers top four defensemen have gotten the job done shutting down the top scorers on both the Devils and Bruins. It's a tough matchup to call. Regardless, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen will always be on the ice when the Gomez or Cammalleri line is out.

-Coaching: If you had told me how important coaching was going to be in the last series, I would have laughed it off. Peter Laviolette is the real deal and has figured out how to motivate this team. It is no fluke as to why he won the Cup with Carolina. On the other side, Jacques Martin has had a lot of success, but cannot seem to get his team over the hump to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Laviolette has not changed his mind set and the Flyers will be prepared.

Like the West, I expect this series to be a long, drawn out war. Regardless of who wins this series, they will viewed as significant David's to the Goliath's that are the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.

It's hard to not trust this team now and it's not going to be easy, but we will be back in the Finals for the first time since 1997.

Prediction: Flyers in 7.

Flyers Need to Matchup, Cut Deficit in Half

The Flyers played two admirable games in Boston, but could not come away with a win. Now they return home in desperate need of a win and scoring help.

Danny Briere has been the most consistent offensive production so far. Scott Hartnell and James Van Riemsdyk continue to struggle putting points on the board despite playing with a lot of energy.

Brian Boucher has played well, but not well enough. Tuukka Rask is making the saves that steal games and Bouch probably wanted both the second and third goals back from Game 2.

Here is what needs to happen to take Games 3 and 4:

-Marc Savard has to be shut down. He has provided an essential boost to the Bruins in all areas of the ice. He had the game winner in Game 1 and is not backing down (see Dan Carcillo's finger).

-The third defensive pair has been an atrocity. I understand the top four defensemen need rest, but with less than five minutes in the game, they need to dig deep and be out there. That mismatch cost the Flyers the game. Ryan Parent and Lukas Krajicek have to be better in the defensive zone, plain and simple.

-Special Teams. The Flyers power play has disappeared. Watching both games and seeing how difficult it was for the Flyers to set up in the zone was frustrating as a fan let alone for the players. The Bruins are being aggressive with their box and the Flyers are firing into shooting lanes that do not exist. Some power play tallies can bring back that confidence and get them back on track.

Overall as a team, the Flyers just have to be better. They have played well, but not great. With the home crowd behind them, I think the Flyers cut the deficit in half and a few breaks are finally going to come their way.

Caps Lose, Flyers to Face Bruins in Round 2

Well the verdict is in. The Flyers will play the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting on Saturday. The Capitals collapse of a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens is the reason the Flyers are in this position.

This series sets up well for the Flyers. Both teams play physical and have made an outstanding commitment to defense so far in the playoffs. Both goaltenders (Brian Boucher and Tuukka Rask) have elevated their play.

Here are the keys to the Flyers winning the series:

-Special teams are going to be crucial. The loss of Ian Laperriere is devastating to the Flyers' penalty killing unit that stifled the Devils so younger players will have to fill the void. Notable names mentioned have been Jon Kalinski and Andreas Nodl.

-Goaltending. Boucher and Rask have been surprisingly superb (remember in Sports Illustrated when Boucher was picked as number 16 out of 16 best playoff goalies). What it will come down to is which goalie can steal a game for his team not just make the routine saves.

Marc Savard. Savard has been cleared to play for the first time since getting annihilated by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke and suffering a grade two concussion on March 7. Savard will most likely be rusty despite being able to practice the last couple of weeks just like when Jeff Carter came back from his first broken foot. If Savard resembles his old self though and ignites this offense, it could be a long series.

On paper and systematically, the Flyers got the match-up they wanted. As daunting as the injury list looks, the Flyers have not only overcome that adversity so far, they have done so with authority. There is no reason to doubt that now.

Prediction: Flyers in 6.

Finally I have loved all the different "History Will Be Made" fan videos that have been posted and I wanted to put one up here of my idol growing up and trying to play the game the right way.

Giroux Erupts, Flyers Advance in Five

The picture says it all.

Claude Giroux, at just 21, is already a playoff star and performer. Giroux contributed on all three Flyers goals last night with two goals and an assist, as the seventh seeded Flyers eliminated the second seed New Jersey Devils last night.

The Flyers set the tone early into the game, on a spectacular goal by Danny Briere with Giroux making an unbelievable spin move pass.

The Devils, who seemed to lack the urgency and sacrifice the Flyers showed at home in Game 3 and 4, sent a barrage of shots at the net, but Brian Boucher was up to the task, as his fantastic postseason play continues.

The second period belonged to Giroux. A blocked Mike Richards shot came right into the slot to a trailing Giroux. He teed it up and put the puck in the back of the net so quickly, the goal had to be reviewed. About three minutes later, he buried another goal on the doorstep after Scott Hartnell won a puck battle in front of the net.

The Flyers preserved the lead and now wait for their next opponent. By winning last night, the Flyers have gained some much needed rest for their walking wounded. Blair Betts and Ian Laperriere, Laperriere especially, suffered injuries from the great amount of sacrifices they gave blocking shots. Also, this gives more time for Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter to recover from their surgeries.

The most likely opponent is the Washington Capitals, but it won't hurt if the Canadiens can extend the series.

Wednesday Game 1 Wrap Up's

What a great opening night to the NHL playoffs. For Flyers fans, it could not have gone any better.

The Flyers pulled out a 2-1 victory Wednesday night. The team relied on great defense, goaltending, and capitalized on the few mistakes the Devils made. Mike Richards and Chris Pronger, the man they brought in to elevate the Flyers level of play in the playoffs, tallied for the Flyers. Travis Zajac was the Devils' lone scorer.

Despite a great team effort, the Flyers still have a lot to improve on going into Game 2. The Devils dominated a majority of the game and despite Martin Brodeur's recent playoff collapses, 14 shots is simply not enough. It all starts with the breakout and better defensive zone play. If the Flyers make a good first pass and then can start the forecheck, they will be in much better shape.

In the other three contests last night, the Ottawa Senators sent a shock wave through the league and made a statement by beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last night. If goalie Marc-Andre Fleury does not get it together, the Penguins title defense will swiftly lead to the first tee.

Also, the Phoenix Coyotes did not go quietly into the night against the juggernaut that is the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings looked primed for another playoff run the way they ended the season and started the game, jumping out to a 2-1 lead. However, Phoenix kept coming at Detroit and rookie goalie Jimmy Howard. By using the points and working from the top of the offensive zone, Phoenix scored two unanswered goals and secured the win.

Finally, in the biggest upset of the night, the eighth seeded Colorado Avalanche went into the Shark Tank and beat the top seed in the West, the San Jose Sharks. The young uprising Avalanche scored with less than a minute left to continue a trend that Sharks fans are fed up with, early playoff letdowns.

Tonight, three other series are set to begin. The heavily favored Washington Capitals are ready to try and take the first step toward the Cup by taking on the always underachieving Montreal Canadiens.

In Buffalo, the Sabres will take on division rival Boston. The Bruins won some critical games down the stretch including a nice win in Washington while sitting key players Zdeno Chara and Mark Recchi. Both teams have trouble scoring, but the Sabres have a man by the name of Ryan Miller, who I believe will be the difference in this series.

Finally, another surprise team, the Los Angeles Kings travel to Vancouver to take on the Canucks. The Kings are not to be taken lightly in this series. They have a good combination of skill and grit and goaltender Jonathan Quick has shown he can be brilliant through stretches during the year. The Canucks are going to need more of a supporting cast to help the Sedin twins and a return to normalcy in elite goaltender Roberto Luongo not the inconsistent one they had this year. Let the madness begin!

Flyers Clinch! Devils Series Preview

I said in my last post that Brian Boucher would have to play like Ron Hextall did in his rookie year to get this Flyers team anywhere. He did what he needed to and the Flyers are going to the playoffs on a 2-1 victory in the shootout.

Henrik Lundqvist, who played just as well if not better for the Rangers, looked exhausted and overwhelmed in the shootout.

The Flyers were all but packing their golf bags until early in the third period when Matt Carle scored the biggest goal of his young career on a rebound in the slot. That tied the game and forced overtime and a shootout. Danny Briere may have earned all of his $6.5 million annual salary by making Lundqvist look foolish on the first shootout attempt. Mike Richards then missed for the Flyers and it was tied at one going into the final round.

Claude Giroux came down on Lundqvist like a wrecking ball and beat him five-hole like it was nobody's business.

Olli Jokinen, the final hope for the Rangers, came flying down the ice all the way from his defensive zone, only to be denied by Boucher.

With a win today as well, the New Jersey Devils clinched the second overall seed in the conference and are the opponent all Flyers fans have been hoping for. The Flyers are 5-1 against New Jersey this year and the return of Jeff Carter has clearly sparked the offense. The playoff schedule has not been released yet, but the playoffs overall start on Wednesday. Prediction: Flyers in 6.

Final Regular Season Game

Well, it has all come down to this. One game. For a team predicted to win the Stanley Cup in the preseason, the 2009-2010 Flyers may go down as one of the most disappointing teams in team history with a loss Sunday.

Thanks to another emotionless performance on Friday night and without the help they have received for a month from other teams to keep them in it, the Flyers' playoff run starts now if at all.

I have been reading the other online blogs and I understand why fans want the team to lose tomorrow. Maybe a reality check by missing the playoffs will make the Flyers' brass (Ed Snider) come to the realization that the Broad Street Bully days are over. Gary Bettman, Colin Campbell, and a majority of the players in the league have led to this post-lockout culture.

Barry Melrose put it best, he does not want to see the game of hockey become a game that can be played by cowards. I hate to say it, but it is almost if not already at that point.

The fact of the matter is the Flyers honestly have a line and a half of skill and two and a half lines of grit and tough guys. That is not going to cut it in the post-lockout NHL.

Despite the return of Jeff Carter, the Flyers continue to be bewildered by the fact it takes a full 60 minutes of all out effort to win a hockey game. Not 54, where they take a six minute nap and think they have enough skill to make up for it. Because quite frankly, that skill is overrated or past its prime. Regardless of the result, it will mark the beginning of an intriguing playoff series or offseason.

Maple Leafs Tonight

It's the final week of the season and I'm back after a month off from a lot of school work. My how the Flyers' situation has changed. Two goalies shut down, seven have dressed as Flyers this season. It is a mess.

However, despite all this the Flyers miraculously are still as of today in the playoffs. The problems have been everything from an inefficient offense, poor goaltending, and now even the New York newspapers are setting the tone for this weekend's home and home with the Rangers by claiming the Flyers have locker room issues.



The way I see it, it all comes down to the following going on from here:

-The players earning the big bucks (Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, to some extent Mike Richards) need to start earning the paycheck.

-Brian Boucher is going to have to play like Ron Hextall did in 1987.

-The forecheck must be relentless all 60 minutes of every game, players cannot be taking shifts off.

It all starts tonight, Toronto has an impressive 9-3-2 record since the Olympic break so the Flyers cannot take this game lightly.

Habs Postgame/Olympic Break Notes

Well the Flyers capped off a perfect 4-0 week by going into the Belle Center and annihilating the Canadiens 6-2 to go into the Olympic break holding down the sixth place spot in the conference. Entering this week I would have said the break could not come any sooner, but now I am almost upset it is here since they are playing so well. The schedule after the break is demanding and grueling, but the Flyers will have to take it one step at a time. The first game is against a young and full of potential Tampa Bay team lead by Steven Stamkos (a fine fantasy selection on my part).

Found out today that Jeff Carter will not play for Team Canada after Ryan Getzlaf proved to the team he was ready to play after putting on a four point display yesterday against the Oilers. However, there are still several Flyers in Vancouver so it should be a couple of exciting weeks to see everyone playing for pride and country. Let's hope Ryan Miller is as dominant as he has been up to this point and the US wins it for Brian Burke.

Habs Postgame and Pregame

Anyone else tired of these home and home's? I am not because it gets the blood boiling and the Flyers are taking advantage of them. A dominant first two periods last night. They took the first half of the third off last night, but then finished strong. Michael Leighton was outstanding once again? By the way is it just me, or does a Flyer score for the other team on him once per game? It is maddening how many bad bounces they have gotten lately.

Anyway onto tonight, I was surprised Carey Price got the front end of the two games since he played so poorly against the Capitals. I am intrigued to see if Halak gets a final Olympic tuneup tonight or if they go back to Price. It certainly should be a good game with the way the game ended last night.

Devils Postgame II/Habs Pregame

I think I'm experiencing deja vu. Did the Flyers seriously two games in a row erase a two goal deficit then win it? Yes they did and despite playing poorly most of the game, the Flyers dug deep and found a way to get the two points. The key moment was when the Flyers killed off a 5 on 3 in the 3rd period to give themselves a chance to at least salvage one point. For all the Chris Pronger skeptics, Ilya Kovalchuk once again did not score and was kept in check the whole night. The emotion displayed on the bench after Simon Gagne fired a wrist shot past Martin Brodeur is something the fans have been looking for all year. It is obvious that this is a reflection of Peter Laviolette's influence. Laviolette's passion and relentless pursuit of perfection is what is motivating this team right now.

Which leads into the final two games before the Olympic break. The Flyers face a critical home and home with the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs are one point ahead of the Flyers for sixth place and are coming off a circus win against the Washington Capitals last night, ending their 14-game winning streak. With both teams coming off huge wins, it is critical to not fall behind a third game in a row. Expect Slovakian Olympian Jaroslav Halak to be back in the net after Carey Price's performance last night. Halak has been solid in net this season despite the Habs' scoring troubles. Michael Leighton should be back in net and has earned the start since Ray Emery's MRI is still not available. Emery's situation is difficult. When healthy, he has demonstrated a phenomenal work ethic, gotten the job done, and behaved himself. Check out how he gave his time to some Haitian children on philly.com. However, it is going to be difficult negotiating a long term contract if he cannot stay healthy. It will certainly be interesting to see how it folds out.

According to philly.com, Blair Betts has just signed a 2-year extension, well deserved and a good move by the Flyers. Betts is not exactly an offensive threat, but provides quality shifts and is invaluable as a penalty killer along with Ian Laperriere.

Devils Postgame and Pregame

Well, that certainly is something we have not seen that often this season. A Flyers comeback win. It was great to see the energy and momentum they kept gaining during the second half of the game. They started setting up shop in front of the net where they belong and were burying their chances.

Tonight they have to come out with that second half of the game effort for 60 minutes. The Devils are in the middle of a tough stretch right now and the Flyers need to capitalize on it especially with only two more games before the break after tonight. Expect Leighton back in net since it takes the Flyers physicians a week to get the result of an MRI and announce it. I think it's not looking good for Emery unless he does cortisone shots the rest of the year. Finally, kudos to Rex Ryan sporting the Dave Schultz retro jersey at the Hurricanes game last night, that was awesome.

Wild Postgame/Devils Preview

I've taken a couple days to alleviate my frustration from the Wild game. The Flyers let a goalie making his NHL debut hold them to just one goal, and Michael Leighton had perhaps his toughest game since becoming a Flyer. And yet he still only gave up two goals! Now one of the two Flyers beat writers for philly.com in his divine wisdom blamed Leighton for gift-wrapping the game for the Wild. Last I checked, if it was not for Michael Leighton, the Flyers would already be packing their golf bags. Leighton is 8-3-1 with a 2.25 GAA and .920 save percentage. Not to mention the Flyers have scored less than two goals in every game he has lost. So I guess the Flyers' streaky, anemic, and overpaid offense was too easy for this writer to blame.

Turning to tonight. The Flyers have a lot to prove and technically salvage in this game. Ilya Kovalchuk makes his first trip to Philadelphia as a Devil and a national television audience will be witnessing it. The Flyers need to come out and make a statement and show some life to give their fans some reason to keep believing in them. Don't be surprised if Leighton is back in net. He's played well enough to start and now that rushed-back-too-quickly Emery has a hip problem, it's likely he'll get more rest. Regardless of who is in net, if the Flyers can't score, the game will be over before it begins.

Just watched Laviolette pregame, Leighton is in net tonight! Emery apparently practiced, but still not ready to go.

Kovalchuk Impact and Minnesota Preview

Well the deal is done, the sweepstakes are over. Ilya Kovalchuk will be a Devil the rest of this season. Lou Lamoriello pulled off an ingenious trade and the Devils will now have a threatening sniper every night in the lineup. Not to mention one of the top ten goalies to ever play the game still at very good form. I still don't believe the Devils are the team to beat in the East since their trap system always gets matched up against rather than teams taking a risk to one of their stars in a regular season game. I am interested to see how Kovalchuk fits into the system. He most likely will hang up high to unload his lethal shot off turnovers. Next week's home and home certainly has much more flare to it.

However, the more pressing matter at hand is going into a very tough Minnesota building and getting two points. Minnesota is a very defensive minded team with a phenomenal goaltender in Backstrom, but he has been battling an illness and placed on IR. As of now it looks like Anton Khudobin will start and Ray Emery for the Flyers despite a very solid performance by Michael Leighton against the Oilers. This is a big game to win going back to Philadelphia and having to face the new version of the Devils twice in a row. While they cannot look past this game, next week will be a real indication on where this team stands.

Edmonton Postgame

There's really no other way to dissect this one. Tonight's loss to Edmonton was gut-wrenching. The Flyers had all the opportunities in the world to take two points easily in this game and they let it get away. Darroll Powe was called for a pretty weak penalty with less than two minutes to play. However, Powe should have known he cannot just be waving his stick around it should have been on the ice. The Oilers took advantage of the ensuing powerplay and scored with 16.1 seconds remaining.

Once again the Flyers have found ways to create tremendous scoring chances, but inexplicably cannot bury them. The forecheck was strong in the 2nd period and the first half of the 3rd period. The Oilers were showing their youth by turning the puck over and not executing the breakout. Yet, they and former Flyer Ryan Potulny, who scored the goal, came out with a victory.

The positive was that goaltender Michael Leighton played outstanding in his first start in eight games. He was caught a little deep in the crease on the goal, but he cannot be faulted for this let down. And give the Oilers credit, they are now 2-0 in February after not winning once last month. They grinded it out and took advantage when it mattered most.

Look for Emery to be back in the net against the Wild. It seems every time this team looks to be moving forward, it takes a monumental step backwards. The Wild are a very good defensive team and if Backstrom is unable to play yet again, it could certainly help the Flyers chances.

Edmonton Tomorrow Night!

Tomorrow night, the Flyers visit an atrocious Edmonton Oilers franchise on their second game of this current road trip. Even a coach as good as Pat Quinn has been unable to revive a once proud franchise. The Flyers cannot get arrogant and think this will be a cakewalk after they cruised Monday night against a Flames team in complete disarray. They need to come out hard, establish the forecheck, and never let Edmonton sniff at a chance to gain momentum. I'll go into specific aspects postgame.