The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Saturday that forward Danny Briere has been activated from injured reserve.
Briere has missed the last 36 games with the lingering effects of a groin strain, which included exploratory surgery back on January 22.
In nine games this season, Briere posted five goals and nine points. He also racked up a goal and four assists in a three-game rehab assignment with the Philadelphia Phantoms in the American Hockey League before his procedure.
In other roster moves, the club recalled forward Nate Guenin from the Phantoms, while assigning forward Claude Giroux and defenseman Lasse Kukkonen to the AHL farm team.
It is the first time Guenin has been called up to the parent club this season. He has collected eight assists in 42 games for the Phantoms this season. In 11 games with the Flyers over the previous two campaigns, the 26-year-old picked up two assists.
Giroux had four goals and 11 points in 21 games for Philadelphia.
Kukkonen, who had been waived three separate times by the Flyers this season, was credited with only two assists in 22 games in 2008-09.
The roster shuffling comes as part of a set of moves over the last two days designed to bring Briere back to the lineup so that the franchise would not exceed the league-mandated salary cap.
On Friday, the Flyers had waived forward Glen Metropolit and defenseman Ossi Vaananen in anticipation of Briere's return. However, Metropolit was claimed by Montreal and Vaananen by Vancouver, and Briere did not dress for the Habs' 4-3 overtime win in Philly.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
There was no full moon last night...
Who knew, really, that Ossi Vaananen and Glen Metropolit would have been picked up off waivers?
Apparently, thousands of fans, but not Paul Holmgren. Bigger kick is that "Metro" didn't even have to leave the city to go to his new team. All he did last night was announce his arrival in Montreal with a breakaway on Antero Niittymaki.
So, Vaananen is now in Vancouver, and Kimmo Timonen still has the flu and Briere couldn't come back and that stupid call in overtime sunk the Flyers, 4-3 in OT.
I blame the power play, which looks absolutely balls-out useless without a quarterback. Does anyone on the coaching staff realize maybe you've got to implement a PP system where Richards, Carter, anyone elsecan take the lead if the head man is injured?
Once again, the talent is there, but the drive is not. This is the season to fix such problems, through trades. Addressing the coaching situation is another, bigger, yet pressing matter which I have felt from the start needs changing.
I don't feel one bit confident heading into the next two road games, in Jersey tomorrow or in Boston on Tuesday in advance of the deadline. How can Holmgren realistically make a deal if the team can't pull together? Still, stranger things have happened and in this NHL, road games are key because our club feels good to be "away from the pressure of the home fans."
Apparently, thousands of fans, but not Paul Holmgren. Bigger kick is that "Metro" didn't even have to leave the city to go to his new team. All he did last night was announce his arrival in Montreal with a breakaway on Antero Niittymaki.
So, Vaananen is now in Vancouver, and Kimmo Timonen still has the flu and Briere couldn't come back and that stupid call in overtime sunk the Flyers, 4-3 in OT.
I blame the power play, which looks absolutely balls-out useless without a quarterback. Does anyone on the coaching staff realize maybe you've got to implement a PP system where Richards, Carter, anyone elsecan take the lead if the head man is injured?
Once again, the talent is there, but the drive is not. This is the season to fix such problems, through trades. Addressing the coaching situation is another, bigger, yet pressing matter which I have felt from the start needs changing.
I don't feel one bit confident heading into the next two road games, in Jersey tomorrow or in Boston on Tuesday in advance of the deadline. How can Holmgren realistically make a deal if the team can't pull together? Still, stranger things have happened and in this NHL, road games are key because our club feels good to be "away from the pressure of the home fans."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Hard Decisions That Have To Be Made
Unless there is an unforeseen setback in a pre-game skate tomorrow, Danny Briere will finally make his return to the Flyers lineup after missing a whole mess o'games.
Since Briere's contract will once again be on the books, Paul Holmgren has had to make some minor moves to accomodate the extra cash. Two came down today, as defenseman Ossi Vaananen and forward Glen Metropolit were placed on waivers.
Even with that, the club is still roughly $500,000 over the cap, and that may be satisfied if Lasse Kukkonen goes on waivers once again to give the team a surplus under the cap.
With two defensemen and a fourth-line forward relegated, possibly to the Phantoms if no other NHL team is interested, it sounds like there are the beginnings of a set-up with Wednesday's trade deadline approaching.
Is it really fair to someone like Metropolit to basically be given his walking papers? Yes.
Is it a potentially costly long-term move? I'd say yes as well. Aside from Mike Knuble and Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers will lack another elder voice in the room should Metro hit the bricks soon. Last year, the club was rife with those experienced tongues, and the club needed that.
This year is no different. The kids need more level-headed presence on their way up, and because Holmgren tied himself in knots by stacking up defenseman by the cord in the offseason (plus the Aubin contract), he's going to have to make hard (and maybe unnecessary and stupid?) decisions to clear room for salary if there are deals to be made.
On the whole, it should be Darroll Powe who should take the hit. However, he's younger, comes cheaper, and I assume the organization saw something they liked in him to spare him a visit from the NHL's version of The Turk. We need players like him to hone his game in the minors a bit more before blossoming into a player in the franchise mold.
Guys like Metropolit don't come along very often, and he's the kind of guy this team needs now. He's someone looking for one final shot to prove hism worth to a team on the rise. If he should land in the AHL, I suppose if the need was great enough, Holmgren could pluck Jim Dowd from the NHL's radio network and stuff him onto the checking line once more.
One thing's for sure, despite the fact that the salary cap has risen over the last four years, it's still a major sticking point even with good planning in mind.
Since Briere's contract will once again be on the books, Paul Holmgren has had to make some minor moves to accomodate the extra cash. Two came down today, as defenseman Ossi Vaananen and forward Glen Metropolit were placed on waivers.
Even with that, the club is still roughly $500,000 over the cap, and that may be satisfied if Lasse Kukkonen goes on waivers once again to give the team a surplus under the cap.
With two defensemen and a fourth-line forward relegated, possibly to the Phantoms if no other NHL team is interested, it sounds like there are the beginnings of a set-up with Wednesday's trade deadline approaching.
Is it really fair to someone like Metropolit to basically be given his walking papers? Yes.
Is it a potentially costly long-term move? I'd say yes as well. Aside from Mike Knuble and Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers will lack another elder voice in the room should Metro hit the bricks soon. Last year, the club was rife with those experienced tongues, and the club needed that.
This year is no different. The kids need more level-headed presence on their way up, and because Holmgren tied himself in knots by stacking up defenseman by the cord in the offseason (plus the Aubin contract), he's going to have to make hard (and maybe unnecessary and stupid?) decisions to clear room for salary if there are deals to be made.
On the whole, it should be Darroll Powe who should take the hit. However, he's younger, comes cheaper, and I assume the organization saw something they liked in him to spare him a visit from the NHL's version of The Turk. We need players like him to hone his game in the minors a bit more before blossoming into a player in the franchise mold.
Guys like Metropolit don't come along very often, and he's the kind of guy this team needs now. He's someone looking for one final shot to prove hism worth to a team on the rise. If he should land in the AHL, I suppose if the need was great enough, Holmgren could pluck Jim Dowd from the NHL's radio network and stuff him onto the checking line once more.
One thing's for sure, despite the fact that the salary cap has risen over the last four years, it's still a major sticking point even with good planning in mind.
One more note...
Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin was a quiet, albeit looming presence in the press box last night.
Apparently, this signals the Flyers have at least serious inquiries into the trade value of one Jay Bouwmeester.
However, nobody, not even dual bloggers who go under an assumed name, could even begin to discuss what the Flyers could offer as fair value.
Apparently, this signals the Flyers have at least serious inquiries into the trade value of one Jay Bouwmeester.
However, nobody, not even dual bloggers who go under an assumed name, could even begin to discuss what the Flyers could offer as fair value.
Biron shines as Flyers grind out win over Kings
Martin Biron stopped all 34 shots he faced to post his second shutout of the season, as the Philadelphia Flyers ground out a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Wachovia Center.
"I've had some close ones," said Biron, who improved to 19-12-5 and lowered his goals-against to 2.85. "We have a big wall in our hallway here reminding us of all the milestone. I know they'll be putting my name on the wall, which is going to be nice."
Jeff Carter picked up a goal and assist for the Flyers, who have won four of their last five games and crept within four points of idle New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Simon Gagne registered an empty-net goal and Matt Carle added a secondary helper.
Erik Ersberg nearly equalized Biron, allowing one goal on 19 shots for the defensively-oriented Kings, who have dropped three of their last four contests.
Carter’s power-play goal seemed to awaken both clubs and the fans late in the second period.
With LA defenseman Matt Greene off for holding, Joffrey Lupul worked the puck down low from the left circle. Two Flyers got in whacks at the disc in front of Ersberg, but it worked loos to Carter at the side of the net and his poke was successful for a 1-0 lead at 16:11.
That series accounted for two of the Flyers’ five shots in the middle 20 minutes, as Biron was sharp to stop 13 and keep it a one-goal contest.
The Kings continued pressing in the third, but mostly forced into perimeter chances, lofted just nine shots on net. The visitors also squandered two power-play chances after Glen Metropolit and Mike Richards were whistled for infractions in the first half of the period.
Ersberg was given the hook for an extra skater with 1:20 remaining in regulation, and after unsuccessful chances to the empty net by Richards and Carter, Gagne maneuvered around a Kings checker and scored with one second to play.
"We had our looks, we had our opportunities but Marty was really good here," Kings head coach Terry Murray said. "It was a demanding game, and I was proud of our guys because we're such a young team. We have to find a way."
A passionless first period passed with LA outshooting Philly 12-9. The best chance for either club to score came 7 ½ minutes in, when Gagne was dragged down from behind on a breakaway.
Game Notes
Biron notched his 25th career shutout…Carter’s goal gave him 36 on the season, second-best in the NHL and one ahead of New Jersey’s Zach Parise. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin has a comfortable lead with 44 tallies…Kimmo Timonen missed his second straight game with the flu…Danny Briere is still on track to return to action Friday against Montreal…Channel 3 traffic reporter Bob Kelly successfully proposed to his girlfriend on ArenaVision between the first and second periods.
"I've had some close ones," said Biron, who improved to 19-12-5 and lowered his goals-against to 2.85. "We have a big wall in our hallway here reminding us of all the milestone. I know they'll be putting my name on the wall, which is going to be nice."
Jeff Carter picked up a goal and assist for the Flyers, who have won four of their last five games and crept within four points of idle New Jersey for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Simon Gagne registered an empty-net goal and Matt Carle added a secondary helper.
Erik Ersberg nearly equalized Biron, allowing one goal on 19 shots for the defensively-oriented Kings, who have dropped three of their last four contests.
Carter’s power-play goal seemed to awaken both clubs and the fans late in the second period.
With LA defenseman Matt Greene off for holding, Joffrey Lupul worked the puck down low from the left circle. Two Flyers got in whacks at the disc in front of Ersberg, but it worked loos to Carter at the side of the net and his poke was successful for a 1-0 lead at 16:11.
That series accounted for two of the Flyers’ five shots in the middle 20 minutes, as Biron was sharp to stop 13 and keep it a one-goal contest.
The Kings continued pressing in the third, but mostly forced into perimeter chances, lofted just nine shots on net. The visitors also squandered two power-play chances after Glen Metropolit and Mike Richards were whistled for infractions in the first half of the period.
Ersberg was given the hook for an extra skater with 1:20 remaining in regulation, and after unsuccessful chances to the empty net by Richards and Carter, Gagne maneuvered around a Kings checker and scored with one second to play.
"We had our looks, we had our opportunities but Marty was really good here," Kings head coach Terry Murray said. "It was a demanding game, and I was proud of our guys because we're such a young team. We have to find a way."
A passionless first period passed with LA outshooting Philly 12-9. The best chance for either club to score came 7 ½ minutes in, when Gagne was dragged down from behind on a breakaway.
Game Notes
Biron notched his 25th career shutout…Carter’s goal gave him 36 on the season, second-best in the NHL and one ahead of New Jersey’s Zach Parise. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin has a comfortable lead with 44 tallies…Kimmo Timonen missed his second straight game with the flu…Danny Briere is still on track to return to action Friday against Montreal…Channel 3 traffic reporter Bob Kelly successfully proposed to his girlfriend on ArenaVision between the first and second periods.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Now this is what we are talking about...
Jeff Carter notched the game-winner as Philadelphia used a three-goal third-period burst to take down Washington, 4-2, at Verizon Center.
Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Arron Asham also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won four of their last five games.
Antero Niittymaki was stellar between the pipes, making 33 saves.
Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin picked up a goal each for the Capitals, who had won four of five coming in.
Jose Theodore made 33 stops but faltered over the final 20 minutes to take the loss.
Early in the third, Theodore made a spectacular short-handed save on Mike Knuble, as the veteran winger had all the time he needed to lift a shot into an open net but was foiled by the Caps' netminder's stacked pads.
The Flyers kept digging, however, and Hartnell tied the game with 10:49 left in regulation, hitting the top-right corner of the net from the left wing after Joffrey Lupul hit him in stride with a perfect drop pass.
Carter put the Flyers ahead with 9:24 left in the contest, taking a loose puck off a Lupul shot from the right side of the crease and slipping the disc under the crossbar. In the process, he snapped a five-game goal drought, the longest stretch without a score this season.
Asham then made a move around two Caps defensemen and a great cut in front of Theodore to beat him with 7:30 to play and Philly was up by two.
Niittymaki was strong down the stretch and the Flyers emerged with the key road victory.
On the power play, Backstrom converted an Ovechkin feed for a 1-0 Caps lead 1:48 into the contest. The advantage grew to a pair of goals 4:19 into the second period as Ovechkin converted a turnover by Carter and unloaded a one- timer.
Giroux brought Philly within one, one-timing a Mike Richards feed for a 5-on-3 score at 9:22 of the second.
Game Notes
Carter's goal was his 35th of the season, tying him with Zach Parise of New Jersey for second-most in the NHL. Ovechkin leads with 44...Washington has won seven of the last 11 meetings, but Philadelphia has taken two of three this season...Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen missed the game with the flu, the latest player to be struck down by the bug which has troubled the team for a month...The clubs meet one final time this season, in Philadelphia, on March 12.
Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Arron Asham also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won four of their last five games.
Antero Niittymaki was stellar between the pipes, making 33 saves.
Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin picked up a goal each for the Capitals, who had won four of five coming in.
Jose Theodore made 33 stops but faltered over the final 20 minutes to take the loss.
Early in the third, Theodore made a spectacular short-handed save on Mike Knuble, as the veteran winger had all the time he needed to lift a shot into an open net but was foiled by the Caps' netminder's stacked pads.
The Flyers kept digging, however, and Hartnell tied the game with 10:49 left in regulation, hitting the top-right corner of the net from the left wing after Joffrey Lupul hit him in stride with a perfect drop pass.
Carter put the Flyers ahead with 9:24 left in the contest, taking a loose puck off a Lupul shot from the right side of the crease and slipping the disc under the crossbar. In the process, he snapped a five-game goal drought, the longest stretch without a score this season.
Asham then made a move around two Caps defensemen and a great cut in front of Theodore to beat him with 7:30 to play and Philly was up by two.
Niittymaki was strong down the stretch and the Flyers emerged with the key road victory.
On the power play, Backstrom converted an Ovechkin feed for a 1-0 Caps lead 1:48 into the contest. The advantage grew to a pair of goals 4:19 into the second period as Ovechkin converted a turnover by Carter and unloaded a one- timer.
Giroux brought Philly within one, one-timing a Mike Richards feed for a 5-on-3 score at 9:22 of the second.
Game Notes
Carter's goal was his 35th of the season, tying him with Zach Parise of New Jersey for second-most in the NHL. Ovechkin leads with 44...Washington has won seven of the last 11 meetings, but Philadelphia has taken two of three this season...Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen missed the game with the flu, the latest player to be struck down by the bug which has troubled the team for a month...The clubs meet one final time this season, in Philadelphia, on March 12.
Flyers vs. Capitals, other things
In yet another pre-playoff push game, the Flyers head down to DC to face the Washington Capitals.
Despite a quick dose of that demon flu, Jeff Carter will play tonight. Unfortunately, Kimmo Timonen will not play, struck down by that same persistent bug. What is certain, and telling, is that Antero Niittymaki will start in goal. Martin Biron is penciled in for tomorrow night at home against Los Angeles.
With the Rangers in a bit of turmoil after the coaching change, and the Devils being idle, this is a HUGE game in the division and conference standings. It's one the Flyers a) can't afford to lose, and b) can't afford not to put forth a gut-busting effort, manpower shortage or not.
This is not to say that anything special and/or unexpected will happen. I'm actually predicting a win, because the bad taste left over from Saturday's shocking loss has to put this team into another gear. All three games this week, Friday at home against Montreal inclusive, can be wins. They all should include at least one point in each, though a regulation setback to the Caps (who lead the Southeast) is understandable.
Also, according to the Flyers site, Danny Briere is targeting Friday's contest for his return. This is good news on all fronts.
It means the club finally gets back their best playmaker and most experienced playoff scorer. There is also three bona-fide lines that are a threat to score against and punish the opposition. It means the club gets a little less than one week to sort out their salary cap issues and three games to decide what additional pieces of the puzzle need to be acquired.
With Briere added, maybe the lines look like this:
Gagne-Briere-Knuble
Carter-Richards-Hartnell
Lupul-Upshall-Giroux
Metropolit-Asham-Powe/Kalinski/Gratton
Pretty solid all around, eh?
Despite a quick dose of that demon flu, Jeff Carter will play tonight. Unfortunately, Kimmo Timonen will not play, struck down by that same persistent bug. What is certain, and telling, is that Antero Niittymaki will start in goal. Martin Biron is penciled in for tomorrow night at home against Los Angeles.
With the Rangers in a bit of turmoil after the coaching change, and the Devils being idle, this is a HUGE game in the division and conference standings. It's one the Flyers a) can't afford to lose, and b) can't afford not to put forth a gut-busting effort, manpower shortage or not.
This is not to say that anything special and/or unexpected will happen. I'm actually predicting a win, because the bad taste left over from Saturday's shocking loss has to put this team into another gear. All three games this week, Friday at home against Montreal inclusive, can be wins. They all should include at least one point in each, though a regulation setback to the Caps (who lead the Southeast) is understandable.
Also, according to the Flyers site, Danny Briere is targeting Friday's contest for his return. This is good news on all fronts.
It means the club finally gets back their best playmaker and most experienced playoff scorer. There is also three bona-fide lines that are a threat to score against and punish the opposition. It means the club gets a little less than one week to sort out their salary cap issues and three games to decide what additional pieces of the puzzle need to be acquired.
With Briere added, maybe the lines look like this:
Gagne-Briere-Knuble
Carter-Richards-Hartnell
Lupul-Upshall-Giroux
Metropolit-Asham-Powe/Kalinski/Gratton
Pretty solid all around, eh?
Renney axed, Tortorella installed
Here's the New York Post spin on the Renney firing and hiring of former coach John Tortorella.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Rangers fire Renney; Tortorella next?
The New York Rangers brought the axe down upon head coach Tom Renney early on Monday, after his club struggled to a 31-23-7 record. The Blueshirts have faded as late, winning two of their last 10 games and sputtering with the third-worst offense in the NHL.
Word out of New York is that the Rangers are currently in talks with former Lightning head coach and one-time interim coach John Tortorella to take the position on a permanent basis.
An announcement is expected to come later this afternoon from general manager Glen Sather.
Word out of New York is that the Rangers are currently in talks with former Lightning head coach and one-time interim coach John Tortorella to take the position on a permanent basis.
An announcement is expected to come later this afternoon from general manager Glen Sather.
Richards finally gets due, earns First Star
Courtesy of the Sports Network
Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards, Florida Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Cristobal Huet were named the NHL's Three Stars for the week ending February 22.
Richards tallied a league-high eight points last week in two games while extending his shorthanded goal streak to three games. He recorded a career-high five
points -- two goals, three assists -- in the Flyers' 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday. Philadelphia's captain had three points in the team's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. His seven shorthanded goals are the most in the NHL. He has 23 goals and 37 assists on the season.
Vokoun had two shutouts in three games and stopped 115-of-118 shots overall. He recorded his sixth shutout of the season in the Panthers' 2-0 win over the East-leading Boston Bruins on Saturday. On the season, Vokoun is 20-17-3 with a 2.41 goals against average, as Florida currently sits in the East's seventh position with 68 points.
Huet led the Blackhawks to a 3-1-0 record during the week by making 103 saves in 109 chances. He recorded his third shutout of the season in Chicago's 4-0 win over the Panthers on Thursday. On the season, Huet has a 17-11-3 record with a 2.23 GAA, as the Blackhawks occupy the West's fourth seed by a comfortable eight-point margin over the fifth-place Canucks.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards, Florida Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Cristobal Huet were named the NHL's Three Stars for the week ending February 22.
Richards tallied a league-high eight points last week in two games while extending his shorthanded goal streak to three games. He recorded a career-high five
points -- two goals, three assists -- in the Flyers' 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday. Philadelphia's captain had three points in the team's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday. His seven shorthanded goals are the most in the NHL. He has 23 goals and 37 assists on the season.
Vokoun had two shutouts in three games and stopped 115-of-118 shots overall. He recorded his sixth shutout of the season in the Panthers' 2-0 win over the East-leading Boston Bruins on Saturday. On the season, Vokoun is 20-17-3 with a 2.41 goals against average, as Florida currently sits in the East's seventh position with 68 points.
Huet led the Blackhawks to a 3-1-0 record during the week by making 103 saves in 109 chances. He recorded his third shutout of the season in Chicago's 4-0 win over the Panthers on Thursday. On the season, Huet has a 17-11-3 record with a 2.23 GAA, as the Blackhawks occupy the West's fourth seed by a comfortable eight-point margin over the fifth-place Canucks.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Crosby benefits from Biron mistake as Penguins clip Flyers
Sidney Crosby scored twice, including the game-winner late in regulation after a miscue by Flyers netminder Martin Biron, as Pittsburgh escaped with a 5-4 win over Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.
Ruslan Fedotenko added two goals and one assist for the Penguins, who have won two consecutive games despite wasting two-goal leads in each, and improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Dan Bylsma.
Pascal Dupuis chipped in with three helpers and Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 27 shots for the win.
Mike Richards had a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who had won five of six coming in. Braydon Coburn, Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble also tallied while Biron's costly mistake saddled him with the loss after a 22-save performance.
Crosby was credited with the game-winning goal on a bizarre play with 2:45 left in the contest.
Biron dove between the circles to stop a scoring chance by Dupuis, but inexplicably dropped the puck behind him as he stood up. A Flyers defenseman overskated the puck, but Dupuis was there in the left circle to shove a pass ahead to the Penguins captain for a tip into an open net.
Richards missed a half-open net and a chance to tie with 90 seconds to play, and though Maxime Talbot missed the empty net with under 40 seconds left, the Flyers couldn't get an equalizer as time ran out.
Lupul potted a backhander from the slot with 9:29 left in the first, then Crosby equalized on a wicked shot off the crossbar 21 seconds into the second period.
Malkin's tip of a Petr Sykora deflection of a Sergei Gonchar shot led to a power-play goal and 2-1 Penguins lead at 7:14, then Fedotenko blew a shot home with 7:51 remaining for a 3-1 edge.
Richards brought the Flyers within 3-2 on another short-handed breakaway goal 3:07 into the third period. He set a team record with a goal while a man down for the third consecutive game, and tied Brian Propp and Mark Howe for most short-handed goals by a player in one season with seven.
It was a 3-3 game at the 6:37 mark when Matt Carle dished to Coburn for a blast at the right point which deflected off a Penguin stick and sailed over Fleury's glove, but Fedotenko hit the net again at 9:50 to put Pittsburgh back on top.
A Simon Gagne-to-Richards-to Knuble passing series made it 4-4 with 5:35 to play.
Game Notes
Richards has three goals and five assists in his last two games...Propp accomplished the feat in 1984-85 and Howe in 1985-86...Pittsburgh had not won a road game since a 4-2 decision in Philly on January 13...The Penguins lead the season series, 4-1-0, with one final meeting on March 22 at Mellon Arena...Pittsburgh travels to Washington on Sunday and Philadelphia heads to America's capital on Tuesday.
Ruslan Fedotenko added two goals and one assist for the Penguins, who have won two consecutive games despite wasting two-goal leads in each, and improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Dan Bylsma.
Pascal Dupuis chipped in with three helpers and Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 27 shots for the win.
Mike Richards had a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who had won five of six coming in. Braydon Coburn, Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble also tallied while Biron's costly mistake saddled him with the loss after a 22-save performance.
Crosby was credited with the game-winning goal on a bizarre play with 2:45 left in the contest.
Biron dove between the circles to stop a scoring chance by Dupuis, but inexplicably dropped the puck behind him as he stood up. A Flyers defenseman overskated the puck, but Dupuis was there in the left circle to shove a pass ahead to the Penguins captain for a tip into an open net.
Richards missed a half-open net and a chance to tie with 90 seconds to play, and though Maxime Talbot missed the empty net with under 40 seconds left, the Flyers couldn't get an equalizer as time ran out.
Lupul potted a backhander from the slot with 9:29 left in the first, then Crosby equalized on a wicked shot off the crossbar 21 seconds into the second period.
Malkin's tip of a Petr Sykora deflection of a Sergei Gonchar shot led to a power-play goal and 2-1 Penguins lead at 7:14, then Fedotenko blew a shot home with 7:51 remaining for a 3-1 edge.
Richards brought the Flyers within 3-2 on another short-handed breakaway goal 3:07 into the third period. He set a team record with a goal while a man down for the third consecutive game, and tied Brian Propp and Mark Howe for most short-handed goals by a player in one season with seven.
It was a 3-3 game at the 6:37 mark when Matt Carle dished to Coburn for a blast at the right point which deflected off a Penguin stick and sailed over Fleury's glove, but Fedotenko hit the net again at 9:50 to put Pittsburgh back on top.
A Simon Gagne-to-Richards-to Knuble passing series made it 4-4 with 5:35 to play.
Game Notes
Richards has three goals and five assists in his last two games...Propp accomplished the feat in 1984-85 and Howe in 1985-86...Pittsburgh had not won a road game since a 4-2 decision in Philly on January 13...The Penguins lead the season series, 4-1-0, with one final meeting on March 22 at Mellon Arena...Pittsburgh travels to Washington on Sunday and Philadelphia heads to America's capital on Tuesday.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Why I Really Hate the Devils
This is an oft-trodden subject amongst Philly fans ever since Claudie Lemieux slipped that blue-line shot past Ron Hextall in mid-June, 1995 at the Spectrum, but I have a bit of a different take on the issue beyond the usual "I hate the Devils because they're from Jersey/they always beat us/they choke the life out of the game" stuff.
Hear me out.
1) They cause me to root against and wish horrible fates upon some great players I went to school with.
I graduated from Boston College in the Spring of 2000, just as the Eagles hockey program was reaching its peak under Jerry York after some very down years in the 90's. On those teams (which reached two NCAA finals and lost both, along with a national semifinal) were forward Brian Gionta, defenseman Mike Mottau, and goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Gionta, who mysteriously recorded fewer points each year he was at the Heights while growing in popularity and leadership roles, set the Devils' record for goals in one season with 48 in 2005-06. He is the prototype for the small forward who takes his punishment but scores from in close, and could very well be the next Claude Lemieux for the club in the future. As captain in 2000-01, he was the chief guiding force behind BC's title run and victory over North Dakota. He and I also shared two classes together during my senior year, both bullshit communication courses. Smart kid, but one of those who spoke loudest in his own natural environment.
Mottau was the defensive stalwart from 1996-2000, and won the Hobey Baker in 2000, one day before the crushing loss to the Sioux in Providence. My lasting memory of him was as he lay curled up inside his own empty net after a fruitless dive to stop ND's clinching empty-netter, a player who gave it all and more, but it just wasn't enough. He finally got his legitimate shot in the NHL seven years after graduating and bouncing between several NHL and AHL teams.
Clemmensen graduated with Gionta after the 2001 triumph. In four years, he captured just about every meaningful goaltending record there was (albeit during an era where the neutral zone trap was in vogue in Hockey East), including the school record for longest shutout streak by games and minutes played. After a year in exile with Toronto's AHL team, he had the best job in hockey as Martin Brodeur's backup until Brodeur's injury in November forced him to share the spotlight.
All three have made significant contributions to the Devils' success this season, as they are the Atlantic Division leaders. All those fond memories and accolades from those great college years have melted away now that they are the faces of the red-and-black clad enemy. As a Flyers fan, I wouldn't blink twice if any of them suffered a horrible injury short of incapacitation, but I'd secretly be praying for their safety and secretly cheering for their individual accolades.
2) They have taken chances on, won with, players the Flyers wanted but never had the balls to go for.
This started back in 1999, when Alexander Mogilny was clearly on his way out of Vancouver thanks to Mike Keenan and Marc Crawford's regime changes. At the time, the Flyers had their eye on Mogilny and Ray Bourque to spruce up what had become a very good, grinding, four-line operation under Craig Ramsay. The fear was that Mogilny's "soft" reputation would outweigh his production. Never known to show much courage but possessing a flair for goals, he was eventually brought to Jersey in March, 2000 after Brendan Morrison bad-mouthed the trap system and was marked for exile. Suddenly, the Devils' slumbering offense awoke.
Despite just three goals in 12 games at the tail end of the first season as the Devils wrested the Cup from the Dallas Stars, the Russian exploded for 43 goals and 83 points in 2000-01 as Jersey went all the way to a Game 7 before bowing to Colorado. That season, with his help, New Jersey led the league with 295 goals and was second in wins. However, not wanting to sign him to his contract demands, Jersey let him go to Toronto in the off-season but his mark on the franchise was evident.
This year is another prime example. Brendan Shanahan.
Shanny was left in exile after the Rangers' roster purge at the end of last season, and failed to catch on with anyone despite generating all sorts of interest from the Summer forward. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren repeatedly expressed desire to inquire, but nothing serious was ever in the works despite certain media and blog reports.
In my opinion, Philly was left with serious veteran leadership holes after Jason Smith, Jim Dowd and Sami Kapanen departed or weren't welcome back. Shanahan could have filled that role expertly, and I imagine would have been happy to skate on the third line to do so. Instead, the Flyers have insisted upon keeping the young team chemistry as is, while Shanahan was signed by New Jersey in mid-January.
All that's happened since is that the Horned Ones rose from fourth in the division to first, thanks to a 10-2-0 spurt in the first games since Number 18 came back to the club which drafted him in 1987. Included in that run was an eight-game win streak. Despite the Flyers' ability to win games and stay out of a tailspin like last year, New Jersey currently holds an eight-point lead over Philly in the division and is challenging Washington for the second seed in the conference.
I'm not looking forward to the remaining Flyers-Devils matchups this season, and my prediction for the orange and black is nothing but pain in this area.
3) They've chosen not just to clog up the league with choking defense, but also done the league and themselves a disservice by shacking their own collective offensive talents.
Case in point: Jacques Lemaire's first year behind the bench, 1993-94, Jersey scored over 300 goals and advanced to double-overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The next season, in the 48-game scramble caused by the lockout, the Devils were in shut-down mode. Theirs is the first and purest strain of the Neutral Zone trap virus. Those teams pressured the opposition into mistakes, converted them, and pressed from a 1-0 lead right through to the end of the contest. Before the league caught up to the antics, New Jersey slew the Red Wing dragon by capitalizing on so many mistakes that it appeared the Devils still had some capability goal-wise.
That wasn't the case, as the Devils' goal totals dropped to 215 in 1995-96, rose slightly to 231 in 1996-97, the dipped to 225 in 97-98. In the two expansion years which followed, Jersey scored 248 and 251, while still clinging to a defense-first philosophy which caused some drawn-out, boring regular-season and playoff games.
During this stretch, they made old-school point-a-game producers seem like retreads, giving Dave Andreychuk, Steve Thomas, Doug Gilmour, Phil Housley and Bobby Carpenter some very un-worthy numbers when judged against the rest of their careers.
Fully armed in the last expansion year, the Devils (for reasons only those in the organization know fully) transformed into the second-coming of Edmonton by nearly hitting the 300-goal mark. This was the most complete, scary, and awesome team the Devils ever had, but their response after taking the Colorado Avalanche to the limit in 2001 was to dismantle the machine.
In 2001-02, there were only 205 goals to be had, then 216 in their final Cup year of 2002-03. The Devils hit the net 213 times in 03-04, then spiked to 242 in 05-06 before falling to 216 and 206 the last two campaigns.
This season, the Devils continued their stingy ways while always relying on the Hall-of-Fame credentials of Martin Brodeur. As always, they remained stuck in neutral early on, struggling to remain competitive in the Atlantic.
Until tragedy struck in the form of an arm injury Broduer suffered in a November game. He's been out ever since, and the goal has been guarded by Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes, also known as goalies 2A and 2B.
And what was the Devils' plan to bide their time until their Savior came back? Open up the floodgates and use scoring to win games! Brilliant!
With the addition of Shanahan, the Devils now have a very-much feared attack. Eight players have scored at least 10 goals as of today. Zach Parise leads the parade with 35, having moved ahead of Jeff Carter (Boooo!) for second in the NHL. Patrik Elias has 23 and Gionta is fifth with 13 tallies. They have scored five or more goals 13 times already this season. They have dropped an eight-bomb on the Rangers, seven at Tampa, and outgunned San Jose on the road last Sunday night. This is a scary bunch.
And no matter what happens, it will all disappear once Brodeur comes back, be it in March or next October. New Jersey will once again act like a turtle frightened by a stiff breeze, and win 2-1 and 3-2 again.
I can't take it. Pick one and proceed. Just don't get in the way of legitimate teams who embraced the philosophy of the New NHL.
Hear me out.
1) They cause me to root against and wish horrible fates upon some great players I went to school with.
I graduated from Boston College in the Spring of 2000, just as the Eagles hockey program was reaching its peak under Jerry York after some very down years in the 90's. On those teams (which reached two NCAA finals and lost both, along with a national semifinal) were forward Brian Gionta, defenseman Mike Mottau, and goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Gionta, who mysteriously recorded fewer points each year he was at the Heights while growing in popularity and leadership roles, set the Devils' record for goals in one season with 48 in 2005-06. He is the prototype for the small forward who takes his punishment but scores from in close, and could very well be the next Claude Lemieux for the club in the future. As captain in 2000-01, he was the chief guiding force behind BC's title run and victory over North Dakota. He and I also shared two classes together during my senior year, both bullshit communication courses. Smart kid, but one of those who spoke loudest in his own natural environment.
Mottau was the defensive stalwart from 1996-2000, and won the Hobey Baker in 2000, one day before the crushing loss to the Sioux in Providence. My lasting memory of him was as he lay curled up inside his own empty net after a fruitless dive to stop ND's clinching empty-netter, a player who gave it all and more, but it just wasn't enough. He finally got his legitimate shot in the NHL seven years after graduating and bouncing between several NHL and AHL teams.
Clemmensen graduated with Gionta after the 2001 triumph. In four years, he captured just about every meaningful goaltending record there was (albeit during an era where the neutral zone trap was in vogue in Hockey East), including the school record for longest shutout streak by games and minutes played. After a year in exile with Toronto's AHL team, he had the best job in hockey as Martin Brodeur's backup until Brodeur's injury in November forced him to share the spotlight.
All three have made significant contributions to the Devils' success this season, as they are the Atlantic Division leaders. All those fond memories and accolades from those great college years have melted away now that they are the faces of the red-and-black clad enemy. As a Flyers fan, I wouldn't blink twice if any of them suffered a horrible injury short of incapacitation, but I'd secretly be praying for their safety and secretly cheering for their individual accolades.
2) They have taken chances on, won with, players the Flyers wanted but never had the balls to go for.
This started back in 1999, when Alexander Mogilny was clearly on his way out of Vancouver thanks to Mike Keenan and Marc Crawford's regime changes. At the time, the Flyers had their eye on Mogilny and Ray Bourque to spruce up what had become a very good, grinding, four-line operation under Craig Ramsay. The fear was that Mogilny's "soft" reputation would outweigh his production. Never known to show much courage but possessing a flair for goals, he was eventually brought to Jersey in March, 2000 after Brendan Morrison bad-mouthed the trap system and was marked for exile. Suddenly, the Devils' slumbering offense awoke.
Despite just three goals in 12 games at the tail end of the first season as the Devils wrested the Cup from the Dallas Stars, the Russian exploded for 43 goals and 83 points in 2000-01 as Jersey went all the way to a Game 7 before bowing to Colorado. That season, with his help, New Jersey led the league with 295 goals and was second in wins. However, not wanting to sign him to his contract demands, Jersey let him go to Toronto in the off-season but his mark on the franchise was evident.
This year is another prime example. Brendan Shanahan.
Shanny was left in exile after the Rangers' roster purge at the end of last season, and failed to catch on with anyone despite generating all sorts of interest from the Summer forward. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren repeatedly expressed desire to inquire, but nothing serious was ever in the works despite certain media and blog reports.
In my opinion, Philly was left with serious veteran leadership holes after Jason Smith, Jim Dowd and Sami Kapanen departed or weren't welcome back. Shanahan could have filled that role expertly, and I imagine would have been happy to skate on the third line to do so. Instead, the Flyers have insisted upon keeping the young team chemistry as is, while Shanahan was signed by New Jersey in mid-January.
All that's happened since is that the Horned Ones rose from fourth in the division to first, thanks to a 10-2-0 spurt in the first games since Number 18 came back to the club which drafted him in 1987. Included in that run was an eight-game win streak. Despite the Flyers' ability to win games and stay out of a tailspin like last year, New Jersey currently holds an eight-point lead over Philly in the division and is challenging Washington for the second seed in the conference.
I'm not looking forward to the remaining Flyers-Devils matchups this season, and my prediction for the orange and black is nothing but pain in this area.
3) They've chosen not just to clog up the league with choking defense, but also done the league and themselves a disservice by shacking their own collective offensive talents.
Case in point: Jacques Lemaire's first year behind the bench, 1993-94, Jersey scored over 300 goals and advanced to double-overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The next season, in the 48-game scramble caused by the lockout, the Devils were in shut-down mode. Theirs is the first and purest strain of the Neutral Zone trap virus. Those teams pressured the opposition into mistakes, converted them, and pressed from a 1-0 lead right through to the end of the contest. Before the league caught up to the antics, New Jersey slew the Red Wing dragon by capitalizing on so many mistakes that it appeared the Devils still had some capability goal-wise.
That wasn't the case, as the Devils' goal totals dropped to 215 in 1995-96, rose slightly to 231 in 1996-97, the dipped to 225 in 97-98. In the two expansion years which followed, Jersey scored 248 and 251, while still clinging to a defense-first philosophy which caused some drawn-out, boring regular-season and playoff games.
During this stretch, they made old-school point-a-game producers seem like retreads, giving Dave Andreychuk, Steve Thomas, Doug Gilmour, Phil Housley and Bobby Carpenter some very un-worthy numbers when judged against the rest of their careers.
Fully armed in the last expansion year, the Devils (for reasons only those in the organization know fully) transformed into the second-coming of Edmonton by nearly hitting the 300-goal mark. This was the most complete, scary, and awesome team the Devils ever had, but their response after taking the Colorado Avalanche to the limit in 2001 was to dismantle the machine.
In 2001-02, there were only 205 goals to be had, then 216 in their final Cup year of 2002-03. The Devils hit the net 213 times in 03-04, then spiked to 242 in 05-06 before falling to 216 and 206 the last two campaigns.
This season, the Devils continued their stingy ways while always relying on the Hall-of-Fame credentials of Martin Brodeur. As always, they remained stuck in neutral early on, struggling to remain competitive in the Atlantic.
Until tragedy struck in the form of an arm injury Broduer suffered in a November game. He's been out ever since, and the goal has been guarded by Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes, also known as goalies 2A and 2B.
And what was the Devils' plan to bide their time until their Savior came back? Open up the floodgates and use scoring to win games! Brilliant!
With the addition of Shanahan, the Devils now have a very-much feared attack. Eight players have scored at least 10 goals as of today. Zach Parise leads the parade with 35, having moved ahead of Jeff Carter (Boooo!) for second in the NHL. Patrik Elias has 23 and Gionta is fifth with 13 tallies. They have scored five or more goals 13 times already this season. They have dropped an eight-bomb on the Rangers, seven at Tampa, and outgunned San Jose on the road last Sunday night. This is a scary bunch.
And no matter what happens, it will all disappear once Brodeur comes back, be it in March or next October. New Jersey will once again act like a turtle frightened by a stiff breeze, and win 2-1 and 3-2 again.
I can't take it. Pick one and proceed. Just don't get in the way of legitimate teams who embraced the philosophy of the New NHL.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Richards has career night; Flyers double up Sabres
Mike Richards recorded a career-best five points on two goals and three assists, and Mike Knuble earned the game-winner late in regulation as Philadelphia rallied past Buffalo, 6-3, at the Wachovia Center.
Glen Metropolit, Braydon Coburn and Darroll Powe also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won three in a row and five of their last six.
Martin Biron stopped 39-of-42 shots to post his fourth straight win.
Jaroslav Spacek scored twice and Derek Roy contributed the other goal for the Sabres, who have dropped four of their last six games.
Ryan Miller was tagged for four goals on 34 shots in the loss.
Despite unleashing 14 shots on goal in the third, the Flyers didn't emerge with a lead until 6:09 left in regulation. Simon Gagne dished into the crease from behind the net, where Knuble buried the chance from in close.
Richards then hit the empty net with 42 seconds to go to cap off his career night and Powe added another with just under 10 seconds remaining.
Metropolit deflected a right-wing shot from Arron Asham to put the Flyers up a goal with 7:18 left in the first period. Richards picked up a secondary helper on the tally.
Biron slowed but was unable to stop a Spacek shot from the slot and it was 1-1 at 3:16 of the second.
Capping nearly a minute of pressure in the Sabres zone, Coburn blasted a shot by Miller off a dish from Gagne for a 2-1 Flyers lead at 8:57.
Already on the power play and awaiting a delayed penalty, Spacek managed to get a rising shot through traffic and over Biron's glove for a 2-2 game with 7:49 left in the second.
Richards then converted a 3-on-2 short-handed rush with 5:57 remaining, tipping a Kimmo Timonen lead pass and chipping it off the right pipe and behind Miller.
Buffalo knotted the score again, with 30.1 seconds to go, as Drew Stafford's stuffer worked loose and Roy's poke in the crease got the puck over the goal line. The Flyers' captain wasn't a threat to score on that series, as he took a penalty for goaltender interference to set up the visitors' goal.
Game Notes
Knuble reached the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight year and became the fifth Flyer to score 20-or-more this season...Philly improved to 20-1-2 when leading after one period...Richards now leads the NHL with six short-handed scores...Buffalo has won six of the last 10 meetings but the Flyers have won both matchups this season...Spacek's last two-goal game came on October 13, 2007 against Ottawa...Gagne added two assists...Sabres forward Paul Gaustad returned after a six-game absence and recorded an assist.
Glen Metropolit, Braydon Coburn and Darroll Powe also lit the lamp for the Flyers, who have won three in a row and five of their last six.
Martin Biron stopped 39-of-42 shots to post his fourth straight win.
Jaroslav Spacek scored twice and Derek Roy contributed the other goal for the Sabres, who have dropped four of their last six games.
Ryan Miller was tagged for four goals on 34 shots in the loss.
Despite unleashing 14 shots on goal in the third, the Flyers didn't emerge with a lead until 6:09 left in regulation. Simon Gagne dished into the crease from behind the net, where Knuble buried the chance from in close.
Richards then hit the empty net with 42 seconds to go to cap off his career night and Powe added another with just under 10 seconds remaining.
Metropolit deflected a right-wing shot from Arron Asham to put the Flyers up a goal with 7:18 left in the first period. Richards picked up a secondary helper on the tally.
Biron slowed but was unable to stop a Spacek shot from the slot and it was 1-1 at 3:16 of the second.
Capping nearly a minute of pressure in the Sabres zone, Coburn blasted a shot by Miller off a dish from Gagne for a 2-1 Flyers lead at 8:57.
Already on the power play and awaiting a delayed penalty, Spacek managed to get a rising shot through traffic and over Biron's glove for a 2-2 game with 7:49 left in the second.
Richards then converted a 3-on-2 short-handed rush with 5:57 remaining, tipping a Kimmo Timonen lead pass and chipping it off the right pipe and behind Miller.
Buffalo knotted the score again, with 30.1 seconds to go, as Drew Stafford's stuffer worked loose and Roy's poke in the crease got the puck over the goal line. The Flyers' captain wasn't a threat to score on that series, as he took a penalty for goaltender interference to set up the visitors' goal.
Game Notes
Knuble reached the 20-goal mark for the sixth straight year and became the fifth Flyer to score 20-or-more this season...Philly improved to 20-1-2 when leading after one period...Richards now leads the NHL with six short-handed scores...Buffalo has won six of the last 10 meetings but the Flyers have won both matchups this season...Spacek's last two-goal game came on October 13, 2007 against Ottawa...Gagne added two assists...Sabres forward Paul Gaustad returned after a six-game absence and recorded an assist.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Kovalev told to leave team for time being
When the Montreal Canadiens embark on a two- game road trip beginning Wednesday, one player who will not be with the club is star forward Alex Kovalev.
The Montreal Gazette reported on Tuesday that Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey announced that Kovalev will not make the Habs' two-game road swing through Washington and Pittsburgh.
Gainey told the club after a practice session that Kovalev wasn't going to help the team and told him to take a few days away, citing the Russian veteran's apparent lack of energy and emotion.
Gainey added that he will evaluate the situation at the end of the week, but said that there was no guarantees the Habs' captain would be in the lineup for Saturday's tilt against Ottawa.
Kovalev, the All-Star Game's most valuable player, has compiled 13 goals and 39 points in 57 games thus far this season.
The Montreal Gazette reported on Tuesday that Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey announced that Kovalev will not make the Habs' two-game road swing through Washington and Pittsburgh.
Gainey told the club after a practice session that Kovalev wasn't going to help the team and told him to take a few days away, citing the Russian veteran's apparent lack of energy and emotion.
Gainey added that he will evaluate the situation at the end of the week, but said that there was no guarantees the Habs' captain would be in the lineup for Saturday's tilt against Ottawa.
Kovalev, the All-Star Game's most valuable player, has compiled 13 goals and 39 points in 57 games thus far this season.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Awww...Good Fah Them
It's about time the Flyers showed a little something to dispel any fears of another February collapse.
Wins at home over the Islanders (5-1) on Saturday and yesterday at the Rangers (5-2) might be an indicator that forechecking, smart play and opportunistic offense has not been lost on the club.
Two players also managed to set team and league records in the victories. Simon Gagne became the first player in team history to successfully convert three penalty shots after scoring the final goal against the Isles. He's also 3-for-3 in his career.
Mike Richards gets the more impressive nod, though. His short-handed score on a flubbed wrister, which made it 2-0 early in the second period, made him the only player in NHL history to be credited with three two-man-disadvantage goals.
Although the Flyers still lead the league in shorties, it had been roughly two months since they tallied while at least a man down. It's fair to say that it was the goal which started to break the Blueshirts' collective backs because it was very quickly 5-0 from there.
To be fair, both games were far from perfect.
The Islanders outshot the Flyers and if not for the weird 67-second burst in the third period, the game could have gone either way. Stevens and company still have to impress upon the leaders of the team that they have to keep working. A lot of teams fighting for a playoff spot or who are out of the race will just work hard for 60 minutes to play the spoiler. The Islanders, regardless of position, always force teams to work. Philly has two more games with the injury-wracked club from Nassau County and they won't be any picnic.
Sunday's game saw the Rangers play a poor first period then wake up over the last 40 minutes, only to see every single turnover they committed end up behind Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Valiquette. Games where you're up by five goals a little more than halfway through are few and far between, and it would have been nice to see the orange and black bear down more instead of letting the Rangers skate around them for the rest of the contest.
At this juncture of the season, a full effort is more valuable than the margin of victory. So begrudgingly, I'll take a 3-1 or 3-2 win with max effort than a 5-2 decision where you coast the final 25 minutes.
This week's home games (Buffalo on Thursday and Pittsburgh in a Saturday matinee) offer unique opportunities to feast on playoff contenders who are not playing up to snuff. Wonder how the Pens will fare now that Michel Therrien got the axe and Dan Bylsma(?) is the interim head coach.
Wins at home over the Islanders (5-1) on Saturday and yesterday at the Rangers (5-2) might be an indicator that forechecking, smart play and opportunistic offense has not been lost on the club.
Two players also managed to set team and league records in the victories. Simon Gagne became the first player in team history to successfully convert three penalty shots after scoring the final goal against the Isles. He's also 3-for-3 in his career.
Mike Richards gets the more impressive nod, though. His short-handed score on a flubbed wrister, which made it 2-0 early in the second period, made him the only player in NHL history to be credited with three two-man-disadvantage goals.
Although the Flyers still lead the league in shorties, it had been roughly two months since they tallied while at least a man down. It's fair to say that it was the goal which started to break the Blueshirts' collective backs because it was very quickly 5-0 from there.
To be fair, both games were far from perfect.
The Islanders outshot the Flyers and if not for the weird 67-second burst in the third period, the game could have gone either way. Stevens and company still have to impress upon the leaders of the team that they have to keep working. A lot of teams fighting for a playoff spot or who are out of the race will just work hard for 60 minutes to play the spoiler. The Islanders, regardless of position, always force teams to work. Philly has two more games with the injury-wracked club from Nassau County and they won't be any picnic.
Sunday's game saw the Rangers play a poor first period then wake up over the last 40 minutes, only to see every single turnover they committed end up behind Henrik Lundqvist and Steve Valiquette. Games where you're up by five goals a little more than halfway through are few and far between, and it would have been nice to see the orange and black bear down more instead of letting the Rangers skate around them for the rest of the contest.
At this juncture of the season, a full effort is more valuable than the margin of victory. So begrudgingly, I'll take a 3-1 or 3-2 win with max effort than a 5-2 decision where you coast the final 25 minutes.
This week's home games (Buffalo on Thursday and Pittsburgh in a Saturday matinee) offer unique opportunities to feast on playoff contenders who are not playing up to snuff. Wonder how the Pens will fare now that Michel Therrien got the axe and Dan Bylsma(?) is the interim head coach.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Bruins radio future in doubt?
According to this story in the online version of the Boston Globe, the Bruins' may not be on bellwether AM station WBZ after this season.
I, for one, would miss that. WBZ is one of the few multi-thousand-watt giants that can be heard for hundreds of miles around on clear nights. It was my one concrete connection to the area after I left school and came back to Philly.
I've probably heard at least 20-30 B's games a year for the last eight seasons thanks to the magic of radio, and now that the club is one of the NHL's elite, it would be sad for a long-distance fan like myself to miss out. Without it, I'll only have fading memories of the late 90's when Bob Neumeier nearly had a coronary for every goal call during the Pat Burns era.
There are a zillion outlets that would love to have the hockey team, I'm sure, and I'd imagine that WEEI and WTKK are tops on the list. There's also the ESPN affiliate along with WRKO in the mix.
The article cites the possibility of a simulcast with NESN's broadcast team, and would that be so bad, especially since WBZ has cut and may not be done cutting staff?
Honestly, Jack Edwards is a bit much and has gotten louder and more excitable in the last two years. Brick is solid, not spectacular. Where's Tom Caron or Dave Shea when you need them?
Regardless, simulcasting does have its unintended benefits. After years of keeping Gene Hart and Bobby Taylor separate between TV, cable and radio, the Flyers combined the feeds in a cost-cutting move from 1984-88 and that just so happened to coincide with the team's resurgence. In the era before widespread cable access and national hockey exposure, nobody was cheated out of great calls from exciting clubs by a Hall-of-Fame broadcaster.
I, for one, would miss that. WBZ is one of the few multi-thousand-watt giants that can be heard for hundreds of miles around on clear nights. It was my one concrete connection to the area after I left school and came back to Philly.
I've probably heard at least 20-30 B's games a year for the last eight seasons thanks to the magic of radio, and now that the club is one of the NHL's elite, it would be sad for a long-distance fan like myself to miss out. Without it, I'll only have fading memories of the late 90's when Bob Neumeier nearly had a coronary for every goal call during the Pat Burns era.
There are a zillion outlets that would love to have the hockey team, I'm sure, and I'd imagine that WEEI and WTKK are tops on the list. There's also the ESPN affiliate along with WRKO in the mix.
The article cites the possibility of a simulcast with NESN's broadcast team, and would that be so bad, especially since WBZ has cut and may not be done cutting staff?
Honestly, Jack Edwards is a bit much and has gotten louder and more excitable in the last two years. Brick is solid, not spectacular. Where's Tom Caron or Dave Shea when you need them?
Regardless, simulcasting does have its unintended benefits. After years of keeping Gene Hart and Bobby Taylor separate between TV, cable and radio, the Flyers combined the feeds in a cost-cutting move from 1984-88 and that just so happened to coincide with the team's resurgence. In the era before widespread cable access and national hockey exposure, nobody was cheated out of great calls from exciting clubs by a Hall-of-Fame broadcaster.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Around the Rink
Note to Stevens: Coaching Required
This past weekend was pure luck, nothing more.
On Saturday, the Bruins pretty much stopped taking the play to the Flyers
after going up 3-1, and the flukiest of all fluky bounces off a wild shot from
Randy Jones in overtime proved to be the game-winner.
On Sunday, the club's personal punching bag (Atlanta) decided to mail it in
for the first 46 minutes and watched Philly take a 3-0 lead before snapping
back and almost tying the game.
A win is not just a win anymore, my friends, not in the final two months. Not
when the New Jersey Devils have snapped back to attention after riding the
wave from the signing of Brendan Shanahan.
Since the ageless wonder came out of the mothballs in mid-January, Los Diablos
have merely gone on a 10-2-0 tear to rise from fourth to first in the
Atlantic, a comfortable six points ahead of the Flyers as of Monday.
In an 82-game season, it does pay to be lucky. But it pays even more to be
good, and the Flyers haven't been since the turn of the year.
Injuries or not, simplified system executed well or not, if the Flyers
continue to play as inconsistently as they have since the All-Star break, they
will play themselves out of a decent seed. And maybe out of the postseason
altogether.
Sounds like last year, doesn't it?
Maybe Martin Biron's distracted play means he's saving it for the end of the
season. Maybe that's the lessons the rest of the team took away from last
March and April - you need to turn it on late just when everyone else is
gassed - and come out ahead.
Whatever the reason, John Stevens has to assume more control over his club and
he needs to do it now. He's gotta be the one cracking the whip in practice,
skating and drilling his club to death until they get the message that
February is no time to take mental vacations and that stupid penalties will
cost.
One thing that is within his grasp at this point is the way to handle Biron.
Antero Niittymaki has played well in games where he's not facing the
Thrashers, and keeping him in net more down the stretch is a sure way to
reestablish Biron's focus and test his sense of professional pride.
For the players, the suggestion that they be fined or otherwise punished for
taking dumb penalties was laughed off last week, according to several sources.
It's a perfect opportunity for Stevens to do something drastic and snap his
boys back to reality.
Otherwise, all that's left to say is "Congratulations to the New Jersey
Devils, Atlantic Division champions."
Earth to Forsberg: Give It Up
Too often, an athlete's ego and drive blinds him to certain facts
of life obvious to others around the athlete. A simple fact of life in any
business, even professional sports, is that you rarely get to call your own
shots on the way out.
Peter Forsberg is sadly now one of the marked.
Forsberg "officially" ended his "comeback effort" for this season last week
after he didn't like the way his surgically-repaired ankles responded to
skating.
I don't know what he's waiting for, but it's a pretty good indicator that if
you don't feel comfortable in a boot specifically molded to your exact
contours and foot size after successful surgery, it's never going to be right.
Don't get me wrong, this may end up to be a story with a similar ending
like the one Claude Lemieux is writing in San Jose after 5 1/2 seasons away;
however, while Lemieux was clever enough to inflict damage on others,
Forsberg's cannonball-like playing style has wrecked his own body.
It looks like the parabolic path of the tail end of Foppa's career is going to
look more like Mario Lemieux than Steve Yzerman: a rousing comeback at an
unknown future date suddenly derailed by another freakish set of injuries
related to previous ones.
He has played in a grand total of 66 NHL games over the last three years. That
gangbuster start to his last comeback with Colorado in March ended in
frustration with groin problems as the Avs collapsed in the playoffs.
Beyond his competitive desire, Forsberg doesn't have anything to prove
anymore. He has a Calder Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, two Stanley
Cups and an Olympic Gold medal. What else can there be to push him except pure
hubris?
And that's infinitely more dangerous than any physical malady.
Celebrating the Underrated
In the spirit of the month, I decided to look up a list of all current
players of African descent. There are an all-time high of 26 skating in the
league or in the AHL affiliates of NHL clubs: 16 forwards, eight defensemen
and two goaltenders.
Below that was the list of former players. Names like Willie O'Ree, Grant Fuhr
and Sandy McCarthy stood out for obvious reasons, but I managed two whom I
genuinely forgot about - two players from the 1980's who made their mark not
only for their background, but also for their skill - Tony McKegney and Dirk
Graham.
McKegney was an African-Canadian who was adopted and raised in Montreal. He
was a second-roiund pick of Buffalo in 1978 who broke in with the Sabres later
that year. In the most stable stretch of his career, from 1978-83, McKegney
scored 127 goals with 268 points in 363 games.
Over the next eight seasons, though, he spent time with six teams including
two stints with the Quebec Nordiques. His longest stretch came in parts of
three seasons with the North Stars (1984-87), scoring 15 times in his lone
full season there, and his best statistical campaign overall happened with St.
Louis in 1987-88, with 40 goals and 78 points.
In parts of 13 years in the NHL, McKegney posted 320 goals and 639 points in
912 total games, collecting 20-or-more tallies in nine seasons.
Graham made his bones as a tough, leadership-minded player as a fifth-round
choice of Vancouver in 1979. It took him 10 years from the start of his junior
career in Saskatchewan to reach the NHL, done in 1984 with Minnesota.
He finally hit his stride in his last year with the North Stars in 1986-87,
scoring 25 goals with 54 points on a last-place club. Midway through the next
season, Graham was shipped to Chicago and his career took off. Then-head-coach
Mike Keenan recognized Graham's ability to persevere and lead a down-on-its-
luck club led to his being named captain, a post he held through his
retirement at the end of the lockout-shortened 1995 year
A 33-goal, 78-point year in 1988-89 was his best statistical year for a
fourth-place team, and he recorded 219 goals and 489 points over 772 career
games, but his value with the "C" superseded his numbers.
As his mother was half of African-Canadian descent, it made Graham the first
player in the NHL of such ancestry to be named a team captain. During that
tenure, the Hawks had long playoff runs in 1990, 1992 and 1995, bowing in the
Stanley Cup Finals to Pittsburgh in 1992 and in the conference finals the
other two years.
Hearts on Fire
Five years ago this coming Saturday, the Flyers topped the Rangers, 6-2, at
Wachovia Center in what is known in some circles as the Valentine's Day
Massacre.
Patrick Sharp (remember him?) posted his first-ever multi-goal game and won a
fight, Donald Brashear pounded Matthew Barnaby and Chris Simon, while Danny
Markov got a game misconduct for beating the daylights out of an unwilling Dan
LaCouture.
Oh yeah, the Flyers built a 6-1 lead after two periods and cruised to victory,
one game removed from a contest where Keith Primeau was lost with a concussion
and Jeremy Roenick suffered a broken jaw and other facial cuts when hit
squarely in the face with a puck.
Let's hope the club has something similar up its sleeve for Saturday's matinee
against the sinking New York Islanders.
This past weekend was pure luck, nothing more.
On Saturday, the Bruins pretty much stopped taking the play to the Flyers
after going up 3-1, and the flukiest of all fluky bounces off a wild shot from
Randy Jones in overtime proved to be the game-winner.
On Sunday, the club's personal punching bag (Atlanta) decided to mail it in
for the first 46 minutes and watched Philly take a 3-0 lead before snapping
back and almost tying the game.
A win is not just a win anymore, my friends, not in the final two months. Not
when the New Jersey Devils have snapped back to attention after riding the
wave from the signing of Brendan Shanahan.
Since the ageless wonder came out of the mothballs in mid-January, Los Diablos
have merely gone on a 10-2-0 tear to rise from fourth to first in the
Atlantic, a comfortable six points ahead of the Flyers as of Monday.
In an 82-game season, it does pay to be lucky. But it pays even more to be
good, and the Flyers haven't been since the turn of the year.
Injuries or not, simplified system executed well or not, if the Flyers
continue to play as inconsistently as they have since the All-Star break, they
will play themselves out of a decent seed. And maybe out of the postseason
altogether.
Sounds like last year, doesn't it?
Maybe Martin Biron's distracted play means he's saving it for the end of the
season. Maybe that's the lessons the rest of the team took away from last
March and April - you need to turn it on late just when everyone else is
gassed - and come out ahead.
Whatever the reason, John Stevens has to assume more control over his club and
he needs to do it now. He's gotta be the one cracking the whip in practice,
skating and drilling his club to death until they get the message that
February is no time to take mental vacations and that stupid penalties will
cost.
One thing that is within his grasp at this point is the way to handle Biron.
Antero Niittymaki has played well in games where he's not facing the
Thrashers, and keeping him in net more down the stretch is a sure way to
reestablish Biron's focus and test his sense of professional pride.
For the players, the suggestion that they be fined or otherwise punished for
taking dumb penalties was laughed off last week, according to several sources.
It's a perfect opportunity for Stevens to do something drastic and snap his
boys back to reality.
Otherwise, all that's left to say is "Congratulations to the New Jersey
Devils, Atlantic Division champions."
Earth to Forsberg: Give It Up
Too often, an athlete's ego and drive blinds him to certain facts
of life obvious to others around the athlete. A simple fact of life in any
business, even professional sports, is that you rarely get to call your own
shots on the way out.
Peter Forsberg is sadly now one of the marked.
Forsberg "officially" ended his "comeback effort" for this season last week
after he didn't like the way his surgically-repaired ankles responded to
skating.
I don't know what he's waiting for, but it's a pretty good indicator that if
you don't feel comfortable in a boot specifically molded to your exact
contours and foot size after successful surgery, it's never going to be right.
Don't get me wrong, this may end up to be a story with a similar ending
like the one Claude Lemieux is writing in San Jose after 5 1/2 seasons away;
however, while Lemieux was clever enough to inflict damage on others,
Forsberg's cannonball-like playing style has wrecked his own body.
It looks like the parabolic path of the tail end of Foppa's career is going to
look more like Mario Lemieux than Steve Yzerman: a rousing comeback at an
unknown future date suddenly derailed by another freakish set of injuries
related to previous ones.
He has played in a grand total of 66 NHL games over the last three years. That
gangbuster start to his last comeback with Colorado in March ended in
frustration with groin problems as the Avs collapsed in the playoffs.
Beyond his competitive desire, Forsberg doesn't have anything to prove
anymore. He has a Calder Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, two Stanley
Cups and an Olympic Gold medal. What else can there be to push him except pure
hubris?
And that's infinitely more dangerous than any physical malady.
Celebrating the Underrated
In the spirit of the month, I decided to look up a list of all current
players of African descent. There are an all-time high of 26 skating in the
league or in the AHL affiliates of NHL clubs: 16 forwards, eight defensemen
and two goaltenders.
Below that was the list of former players. Names like Willie O'Ree, Grant Fuhr
and Sandy McCarthy stood out for obvious reasons, but I managed two whom I
genuinely forgot about - two players from the 1980's who made their mark not
only for their background, but also for their skill - Tony McKegney and Dirk
Graham.
McKegney was an African-Canadian who was adopted and raised in Montreal. He
was a second-roiund pick of Buffalo in 1978 who broke in with the Sabres later
that year. In the most stable stretch of his career, from 1978-83, McKegney
scored 127 goals with 268 points in 363 games.
Over the next eight seasons, though, he spent time with six teams including
two stints with the Quebec Nordiques. His longest stretch came in parts of
three seasons with the North Stars (1984-87), scoring 15 times in his lone
full season there, and his best statistical campaign overall happened with St.
Louis in 1987-88, with 40 goals and 78 points.
In parts of 13 years in the NHL, McKegney posted 320 goals and 639 points in
912 total games, collecting 20-or-more tallies in nine seasons.
Graham made his bones as a tough, leadership-minded player as a fifth-round
choice of Vancouver in 1979. It took him 10 years from the start of his junior
career in Saskatchewan to reach the NHL, done in 1984 with Minnesota.
He finally hit his stride in his last year with the North Stars in 1986-87,
scoring 25 goals with 54 points on a last-place club. Midway through the next
season, Graham was shipped to Chicago and his career took off. Then-head-coach
Mike Keenan recognized Graham's ability to persevere and lead a down-on-its-
luck club led to his being named captain, a post he held through his
retirement at the end of the lockout-shortened 1995 year
A 33-goal, 78-point year in 1988-89 was his best statistical year for a
fourth-place team, and he recorded 219 goals and 489 points over 772 career
games, but his value with the "C" superseded his numbers.
As his mother was half of African-Canadian descent, it made Graham the first
player in the NHL of such ancestry to be named a team captain. During that
tenure, the Hawks had long playoff runs in 1990, 1992 and 1995, bowing in the
Stanley Cup Finals to Pittsburgh in 1992 and in the conference finals the
other two years.
Hearts on Fire
Five years ago this coming Saturday, the Flyers topped the Rangers, 6-2, at
Wachovia Center in what is known in some circles as the Valentine's Day
Massacre.
Patrick Sharp (remember him?) posted his first-ever multi-goal game and won a
fight, Donald Brashear pounded Matthew Barnaby and Chris Simon, while Danny
Markov got a game misconduct for beating the daylights out of an unwilling Dan
LaCouture.
Oh yeah, the Flyers built a 6-1 lead after two periods and cruised to victory,
one game removed from a contest where Keith Primeau was lost with a concussion
and Jeremy Roenick suffered a broken jaw and other facial cuts when hit
squarely in the face with a puck.
Let's hope the club has something similar up its sleeve for Saturday's matinee
against the sinking New York Islanders.
Monday, February 09, 2009
There is no goaltending controversy...I repeat...there is no goaltending controversy
Sometimes it's the little things that kill.
Like an inane throwaway suggestion by Howard Eskin on Sports Final last night on Channel 10. The Wolfman seemed to imply that because Antero Niittymaki was in goal against Atlanta after subbing for Martin Biron on Saturday, that there is a goaltending controversy with the club.
At the very least, Eskin's factually inaccurate. Niittymaki was in goal for Sunday's 3-2 win because he's never, ever, ever lost to the Thrashers in his career. That's just the correct way to keep the hockey gods appeased and good hockey sense to pick up a road win against a weak opponent. Golf clap for John Stevens.
BUT...
Any sense of a "controversy" would be played up by Stevens himself, in the decision to take Biron out of the game after the first period of Saturday's comeback win in Boston. Biron had given up three goals in the first period, including two in an eight-second span late and the Flyers were in a 3-1 hole.
It seemed to me that the insertion of Niittymaki didn't really serve to give the team a wake-up call. It also seemed that Biron really couldn't have wanted the two bad goals back, as on Marc Savard's he was partially screened and then Chuck Kobasew just beat him with a wrist shot. Sometimes, you have to count on the ability of the player with the puck and not blame the goalie for every goal that isn't totally screened.
Biron has NEVER been good with lateral motion, a fact borne out when you see some of the horrifically inept wraparound goals he gives up. Plus, I believe Kobasew managed to put his shot either through a small hole in his leg pads or in the six-hole between the arm and body - each the mark of a skilled shooter and not a lazy netminder.
Besides, as far as Niitty is concerned, of course the backup is going to look fantastic if you keep playing him against doormats like Atlanta, the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay and such.
Just for reference and don't read too much into the comparision - in the Avalanche's first Cup year of 1995-96, Patrick Roy had a very poor record (something like 22-15-1) after coming over from Montreal to Colorado. His backup Stephane Fiset, who had been the starter prior to Roy's arrival, ended that season with a 22-6-7 mark. Still, it was clear that Roy was the Number One.
We should see by now how Biron is not a world-beater. It's not likely he'll ever ascend to the pantheon of Roy-Brodeur-Belfour and such, but he can easily be part of that second-tier of goaltender who managed to get credit for strong play during a Stanley Cup win: Tom Barrasso (1991-92); Chris Osgood (1998, 2008); Nikolai Khabibulin (2004); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2007 and loser w/Conn Smythe in 2003), and even Cam Ward (2006).
Look at his play in the first two rounds against Washington and Montreal last year and that should be a great indicator of how he can impact a game and series. Leave out the Pittsburgh loss because he was by-and-large abandoned by an injury-weakened defense plus the Penguins' speed and forechecking that was able to anticipate the Flyers' simplified system.
If the Flyers are going to experience any kind of slump on the magnitude that fouled up last February and almost cost the team a playoff spot, it won't be Biron's, Niittymaki's fault or the fault of any "controversy" in net. It'll fall squarely on the coaching staff and the skaters.
Like an inane throwaway suggestion by Howard Eskin on Sports Final last night on Channel 10. The Wolfman seemed to imply that because Antero Niittymaki was in goal against Atlanta after subbing for Martin Biron on Saturday, that there is a goaltending controversy with the club.
At the very least, Eskin's factually inaccurate. Niittymaki was in goal for Sunday's 3-2 win because he's never, ever, ever lost to the Thrashers in his career. That's just the correct way to keep the hockey gods appeased and good hockey sense to pick up a road win against a weak opponent. Golf clap for John Stevens.
BUT...
Any sense of a "controversy" would be played up by Stevens himself, in the decision to take Biron out of the game after the first period of Saturday's comeback win in Boston. Biron had given up three goals in the first period, including two in an eight-second span late and the Flyers were in a 3-1 hole.
It seemed to me that the insertion of Niittymaki didn't really serve to give the team a wake-up call. It also seemed that Biron really couldn't have wanted the two bad goals back, as on Marc Savard's he was partially screened and then Chuck Kobasew just beat him with a wrist shot. Sometimes, you have to count on the ability of the player with the puck and not blame the goalie for every goal that isn't totally screened.
Biron has NEVER been good with lateral motion, a fact borne out when you see some of the horrifically inept wraparound goals he gives up. Plus, I believe Kobasew managed to put his shot either through a small hole in his leg pads or in the six-hole between the arm and body - each the mark of a skilled shooter and not a lazy netminder.
Besides, as far as Niitty is concerned, of course the backup is going to look fantastic if you keep playing him against doormats like Atlanta, the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay and such.
Just for reference and don't read too much into the comparision - in the Avalanche's first Cup year of 1995-96, Patrick Roy had a very poor record (something like 22-15-1) after coming over from Montreal to Colorado. His backup Stephane Fiset, who had been the starter prior to Roy's arrival, ended that season with a 22-6-7 mark. Still, it was clear that Roy was the Number One.
We should see by now how Biron is not a world-beater. It's not likely he'll ever ascend to the pantheon of Roy-Brodeur-Belfour and such, but he can easily be part of that second-tier of goaltender who managed to get credit for strong play during a Stanley Cup win: Tom Barrasso (1991-92); Chris Osgood (1998, 2008); Nikolai Khabibulin (2004); Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2007 and loser w/Conn Smythe in 2003), and even Cam Ward (2006).
Look at his play in the first two rounds against Washington and Montreal last year and that should be a great indicator of how he can impact a game and series. Leave out the Pittsburgh loss because he was by-and-large abandoned by an injury-weakened defense plus the Penguins' speed and forechecking that was able to anticipate the Flyers' simplified system.
If the Flyers are going to experience any kind of slump on the magnitude that fouled up last February and almost cost the team a playoff spot, it won't be Biron's, Niittymaki's fault or the fault of any "controversy" in net. It'll fall squarely on the coaching staff and the skaters.
The Pot of Beans at the End of the Rainbow
One of the major drawbacks personally and career-wise of returning to Philadelphia is that college hockey is a virtual non-entity.
Sure, all the local colleges have programs, but they are on Division III to club level and the competition just isn't there like it is in the Boston area.
Some of my best (and worst) sporting memories from my time at BC go back to those first two Mondays in February when the four major programs in the city play for bragging rights.
By the time I got to the Heights in 1996, the Beanpot had become the exclusive property of the BU Terriers, and about that time the superior attitude of their fans started seeping out into the public. In my four years up there, the Eagles lost in the Finals twice (both to BU); twice in the opening round (to Harvard in 1998 and BU in 1999) and both OT losses coming in games which BC could have and should have won.
I remember screaming at the TV as BC blew leads of 3-0 and 4-2 and lost to the Crimson, 5-4, in overtime in '98, then doing the same as Jerry York's boys tried unsuccessfully to sit on a 2-1 lead against the Terriers the next year and fell in OT.
I remember thinking that the BU goaltender in the 2000 game wasn't really anything special even though BC outshot his club in a 4-1 Terries win. He'd go on to be the Number 1 draft pick later that year after leaving school as a freshman, and, well...how does Rick DiPietro and his ultra-million-dollar contract with gimpy knees and hips look now, Islanders fans??
The one bizarre thing to spring from all that early February frustration from an Eagles fan standpoint, was the amazing runs the team made in the national brackets after faltering in the local tournament.
In 1998, BC did not lose another game from the Harvard loss until the crushing national finals defeat in early April in Boston against Michigan. The next year, there were two road losses before another playoff run got them as far as the national semifinals where they lost to eventual champion and conference rival, Maine.
After losing in the 2000 Beanpot final, there was an inexplicably bad home loss to UMass-Amherst and a shocking late-second setback to Maine in the Hockey East title game before another winning burst got them to a heartbreaking defeat to North Dakota in the national final.
The Eagles went on to become Boston's best hockey team in 2001, 2004, and 2008 - and in both bookend years the Beanpot victory proved to be just another step along the way to mowing down the competition towards a national championship.
Meanwhile, BU has been consistently left in the dust no matter how many times the Beanpot banner hangs in Walter Brown or Agganis Arena. And I can't hide the fact that I love it. Let the provincial BU fans have allll the local bragging rights, as long as BC gets the national attention.
Since the Terriers last went to an NCAA final in 1997 (which they lost to North Dakota), BC has been to the NCAA title contest six times and won the whole thing twice.
This year, I was shocked to see that not only had Northeastern beat BC in the opening round last Monday, but that it was by a 6-1 count. This year must be one of the rare seasons that the Huskies decided not to be doormats, and their #3 national ranking bears that out. I just don't like to see these things at the expense of my alma mater.
Nonetheless, Jerry York does an excellent job of teaching what it means to recover from these losses right before the important stretch run. It's a lock that they won't be too thrilled to play the 5 pm game at TD Banknorth Garden tonight, but it's a guarantee they'll take it as seriously as any other game on their slate.
As for the two combatants in the marquee matchup, BU has won a whopping 28 Beanpot titles including the one two years ago and the three before that. Northeastern can claim just four titles, hasn't been to the final game since 2005, and hasn't won the thing since a 6-3 decision against BU back in 1988.
In fact, all four Huskies wins came in the 1980's (1980, 84-85, 88), not coincidentally the best single stretch in program history.
Sad as it is to say, despite the hot streak Northeastern is on during the rest of the season, the city still belongs to the Terriers: BU 5, Northeastern 3
Sure, all the local colleges have programs, but they are on Division III to club level and the competition just isn't there like it is in the Boston area.
Some of my best (and worst) sporting memories from my time at BC go back to those first two Mondays in February when the four major programs in the city play for bragging rights.
By the time I got to the Heights in 1996, the Beanpot had become the exclusive property of the BU Terriers, and about that time the superior attitude of their fans started seeping out into the public. In my four years up there, the Eagles lost in the Finals twice (both to BU); twice in the opening round (to Harvard in 1998 and BU in 1999) and both OT losses coming in games which BC could have and should have won.
I remember screaming at the TV as BC blew leads of 3-0 and 4-2 and lost to the Crimson, 5-4, in overtime in '98, then doing the same as Jerry York's boys tried unsuccessfully to sit on a 2-1 lead against the Terriers the next year and fell in OT.
I remember thinking that the BU goaltender in the 2000 game wasn't really anything special even though BC outshot his club in a 4-1 Terries win. He'd go on to be the Number 1 draft pick later that year after leaving school as a freshman, and, well...how does Rick DiPietro and his ultra-million-dollar contract with gimpy knees and hips look now, Islanders fans??
The one bizarre thing to spring from all that early February frustration from an Eagles fan standpoint, was the amazing runs the team made in the national brackets after faltering in the local tournament.
In 1998, BC did not lose another game from the Harvard loss until the crushing national finals defeat in early April in Boston against Michigan. The next year, there were two road losses before another playoff run got them as far as the national semifinals where they lost to eventual champion and conference rival, Maine.
After losing in the 2000 Beanpot final, there was an inexplicably bad home loss to UMass-Amherst and a shocking late-second setback to Maine in the Hockey East title game before another winning burst got them to a heartbreaking defeat to North Dakota in the national final.
The Eagles went on to become Boston's best hockey team in 2001, 2004, and 2008 - and in both bookend years the Beanpot victory proved to be just another step along the way to mowing down the competition towards a national championship.
Meanwhile, BU has been consistently left in the dust no matter how many times the Beanpot banner hangs in Walter Brown or Agganis Arena. And I can't hide the fact that I love it. Let the provincial BU fans have allll the local bragging rights, as long as BC gets the national attention.
Since the Terriers last went to an NCAA final in 1997 (which they lost to North Dakota), BC has been to the NCAA title contest six times and won the whole thing twice.
This year, I was shocked to see that not only had Northeastern beat BC in the opening round last Monday, but that it was by a 6-1 count. This year must be one of the rare seasons that the Huskies decided not to be doormats, and their #3 national ranking bears that out. I just don't like to see these things at the expense of my alma mater.
Nonetheless, Jerry York does an excellent job of teaching what it means to recover from these losses right before the important stretch run. It's a lock that they won't be too thrilled to play the 5 pm game at TD Banknorth Garden tonight, but it's a guarantee they'll take it as seriously as any other game on their slate.
As for the two combatants in the marquee matchup, BU has won a whopping 28 Beanpot titles including the one two years ago and the three before that. Northeastern can claim just four titles, hasn't been to the final game since 2005, and hasn't won the thing since a 6-3 decision against BU back in 1988.
In fact, all four Huskies wins came in the 1980's (1980, 84-85, 88), not coincidentally the best single stretch in program history.
Sad as it is to say, despite the hot streak Northeastern is on during the rest of the season, the city still belongs to the Terriers: BU 5, Northeastern 3
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Bruins beat flu-ridden Flyers
David Krejci netted the game-winning goal in the third period as Boston slipped by Philadelphia, 3-1, at Wachovia Center.
Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman also tallied for the Bruins, who have won three in a row and eight of their last 11 overall. Boston has also reeled off 10 wins in their last 11 games on the road.
Tim Thomas made 25 saves for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, who improved to 38-8-6 on the season for 82 points, five ahead of San Jose for the best record in the NHL.
Scott Hartnell provided the only goal for the flu-ridden Flyers, who missed forwards Mike Richards and Scottie Upshall along with defenseman Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia has dropped three of its last four games and missed a chance to tie the idle Rangers for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Martin Biron took the loss despite handling 30-of-33 shots.
After surviving several Flyers chances early on, Boston went up by a goal 5:48 into the third as Krejci chopped at a floating shot from Shane Hnidy and the puck got past Biron.
Only 35 seconds later the Bruins capitalized on another fluke, when Wideman's right-point blast slowed after it hit Jeff Carter's skate and slid into the net for a 3-1 lead.
The Flyers couldn't muster much offense for the remainder of the contest despite several rushes and Boston walked away with its 19th road win of the season.
Thomas kept his club in the game early, making a spectacular stop with the shaft of his goal stick as Carter shot to an empty net from the left circle. He made 14 saves in all over the opening 20 minutes, his busiest period of the contest.
The visitors broke the scoreless tie on Ryder's deflection of Wideman's wrister from the right point at 3:07 of the second, but Hartnell tied the game at 5:24, sneaking up the left side and tipping home a cross-ice feed from Joffrey Lupul.
Game Notes
The Bruins have won seven of the last 10 meetings and five of the last six in Philly...Philadelphia hasn't scored a home victory over Boston since March 10, 2007...Wideman has posted four goals and four assists in seven-game point streak...The clubs are set to meet again, in Boston, on Saturday...The Bruins
play at Ottawa on Thursday.
Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman also tallied for the Bruins, who have won three in a row and eight of their last 11 overall. Boston has also reeled off 10 wins in their last 11 games on the road.
Tim Thomas made 25 saves for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, who improved to 38-8-6 on the season for 82 points, five ahead of San Jose for the best record in the NHL.
Scott Hartnell provided the only goal for the flu-ridden Flyers, who missed forwards Mike Richards and Scottie Upshall along with defenseman Braydon Coburn. Philadelphia has dropped three of its last four games and missed a chance to tie the idle Rangers for second place in the Atlantic Division.
Martin Biron took the loss despite handling 30-of-33 shots.
After surviving several Flyers chances early on, Boston went up by a goal 5:48 into the third as Krejci chopped at a floating shot from Shane Hnidy and the puck got past Biron.
Only 35 seconds later the Bruins capitalized on another fluke, when Wideman's right-point blast slowed after it hit Jeff Carter's skate and slid into the net for a 3-1 lead.
The Flyers couldn't muster much offense for the remainder of the contest despite several rushes and Boston walked away with its 19th road win of the season.
Thomas kept his club in the game early, making a spectacular stop with the shaft of his goal stick as Carter shot to an empty net from the left circle. He made 14 saves in all over the opening 20 minutes, his busiest period of the contest.
The visitors broke the scoreless tie on Ryder's deflection of Wideman's wrister from the right point at 3:07 of the second, but Hartnell tied the game at 5:24, sneaking up the left side and tipping home a cross-ice feed from Joffrey Lupul.
Game Notes
The Bruins have won seven of the last 10 meetings and five of the last six in Philly...Philadelphia hasn't scored a home victory over Boston since March 10, 2007...Wideman has posted four goals and four assists in seven-game point streak...The clubs are set to meet again, in Boston, on Saturday...The Bruins
play at Ottawa on Thursday.
NOOOOOO!!! Part 2
Comcast-Spectacor, the parent company of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to sell the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League to a group of investors from Pittsburgh.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed per company policy, but it was revealed that the buyer was the Brooks Group, owners and investors of minor hockey and baseball clubs.
With the agreement, the Phantoms will be able to operate through the end of the 2008-09 season, but their future fate is still unknown.
"This was a very difficult decision for us to make," said Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko. "When we decided to close the Spectrum we explored many alternatives for relocating the Phantoms and this really became the best scenario.
"We want to thank the thousands of fans who supported the Phantoms over the past 13 seasons," Luukko added. "We had two Calder Cup championship teams and many wonderful memories."
The Brooks Group owns the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one-time shared affiliate of the Flyers.
"We have been involved in professional sports for many years, and this particular opportunity is very exciting to us," said Rob Brooks. "We plan on announcing the long term plans for the Phantoms in the next few weeks and look forward to continuing the team's great tradition of excitement, winning and providing great family entertainment."
The American Hockey League originally granted the Flyers their own AHL franchise back in December, 1995. The Phantoms began play in 1996-97, at the Wachovia Spectrum, the year after the Flyers vacated the venue for the what is now called the Wachovia Center. Prior to then, the club operated its main farm club in Hershey, PA from 1984-96.
The Phantoms won the AHL title in 1998 and 2005, topping the Saint John Flames and Chicago Wolves, respectively.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed per company policy, but it was revealed that the buyer was the Brooks Group, owners and investors of minor hockey and baseball clubs.
With the agreement, the Phantoms will be able to operate through the end of the 2008-09 season, but their future fate is still unknown.
"This was a very difficult decision for us to make," said Comcast-Spectacor president Peter Luukko. "When we decided to close the Spectrum we explored many alternatives for relocating the Phantoms and this really became the best scenario.
"We want to thank the thousands of fans who supported the Phantoms over the past 13 seasons," Luukko added. "We had two Calder Cup championship teams and many wonderful memories."
The Brooks Group owns the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one-time shared affiliate of the Flyers.
"We have been involved in professional sports for many years, and this particular opportunity is very exciting to us," said Rob Brooks. "We plan on announcing the long term plans for the Phantoms in the next few weeks and look forward to continuing the team's great tradition of excitement, winning and providing great family entertainment."
The American Hockey League originally granted the Flyers their own AHL franchise back in December, 1995. The Phantoms began play in 1996-97, at the Wachovia Spectrum, the year after the Flyers vacated the venue for the what is now called the Wachovia Center. Prior to then, the club operated its main farm club in Hershey, PA from 1984-96.
The Phantoms won the AHL title in 1998 and 2005, topping the Saint John Flames and Chicago Wolves, respectively.
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