Ding Dong, the Rangers are dead...
Nice one(s), Marty...
I'm going to petition the ruling body of Philadelphia hockey fans to have April 28 hereby declared a holiday.
Imagine, having both New York-area teams eliminated, in Game 7s. New York blows a 3-1 series lead to a superior opponent in the final minutes of regulation. New Jersey allows two goals in the final 80 seconds and blows Game 7 at home.
My heart has been lighter than a feather for the last 16-plus hours. I had a front row seat for both games at work last night. I wrote the Rangers game, then sat back not watching the Red Sox and yelled my ass off for the 'Canes.
I'm sad because the Devils really had a legit shot to win the Cup. All they had to do was not give up a one-goal lead in the final minutes. They could have had an easy time using the Capitals as a rag doll and I liked their chances against either Boston or Pittsburgh. The Martin Brodeur of old would have come up with the saves. The Devils of old never could have allowed Carolina the puck movement they enjoyed throughout what should have been a tighter-checking contest.
You can't really pin the loss on the Devils more open style of play. You can't pin it on Marty, really, since it was mano-a-mano with the shooter on both goals and the goal-scorer managed to thread it into places good goal-scorers do.
I'm not sad because the Rangers lost. There was no real reason they should have won three games in the series in the first place, then they went out and played as they did all season with Tom Renney behind the bench in losing the last three.
Sean Avery was not the reason New York bombed, despite his attention-grabbing behavior. Henrik Lundqvist wasn't either. John Tortorella, maybe, for forcing his psychologically-taxing method of coaching on this team of underachievers so late in the year. They just weren't going to jell the right way fast enough.
In the end, the result is that the better teams won both series because they came up with the right solution at the right time.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Flyers get new AHL affiliate
The American Hockey League announced on Tuesday that three new cities will play host to affiliates for current NHL clubs in 2009-2010.
Among those named was Glens Falls, New York, once the home of the Adirondack Red Wings for almost three decades. There has been no AHL presence there since the Wings pulled their support back in 1999.
As of yet, there is no word on whether the Phantoms name will be retained or a new one will be chosen for the club.
Among those named was Glens Falls, New York, once the home of the Adirondack Red Wings for almost three decades. There has been no AHL presence there since the Wings pulled their support back in 1999.
As of yet, there is no word on whether the Phantoms name will be retained or a new one will be chosen for the club.
Richards nominated for Selke
Courtesy of NHL.com
Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards and Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk are among the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's best defensive forward.
Richards led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals and finished the year with 30 goals overall and 80 points. He also had a plus-22 rating, tied for the NHL lead among forwards with 90 blocked shots and was third among front-line players with 83 takeaways.
Datsyuk won the honor for the first time last year and is joined as a finalist this year by Philadelphia's Mike Richards and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler.
In addition to finishing fourth in the NHL in scoring with 97 points, Datsyuk was second in the league with 89 takeaways and third in plus-minus with a rating of plus-34. He also won 56 percent of his faceoffs to finish ninth in the NHL.
Kesler had a plus-eight rating with two shorthanded goals and finished with 26 goals and 59 points. He played on both a checking line as a center or on the wing of Vancouver's top line, ranking seventh among forwards with 70 blocked shots and tied for seventh with 74 takeaways while winning 54 percent of his faceoffs.
The winner will be announced during the NHL's season-ending awards ceremony on June 18 in Las Vegas.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards and Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk are among the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the NHL's best defensive forward.
Richards led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals and finished the year with 30 goals overall and 80 points. He also had a plus-22 rating, tied for the NHL lead among forwards with 90 blocked shots and was third among front-line players with 83 takeaways.
Datsyuk won the honor for the first time last year and is joined as a finalist this year by Philadelphia's Mike Richards and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler.
In addition to finishing fourth in the NHL in scoring with 97 points, Datsyuk was second in the league with 89 takeaways and third in plus-minus with a rating of plus-34. He also won 56 percent of his faceoffs to finish ninth in the NHL.
Kesler had a plus-eight rating with two shorthanded goals and finished with 26 goals and 59 points. He played on both a checking line as a center or on the wing of Vancouver's top line, ranking seventh among forwards with 70 blocked shots and tied for seventh with 74 takeaways while winning 54 percent of his faceoffs.
The winner will be announced during the NHL's season-ending awards ceremony on June 18 in Las Vegas.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Caps force Rangers to Game 7 in Washington; Brashear railroaded, won't play
The New York Rangers turned in an absolutely stellar effort on Sunday in Game 6 at home. With a chance to topple the Southeast Division winners, the Blueshirts instead got down 3-1 after one and 5-1 late before falling 5-3.
So, a quarterfinal Game 7 returns to Verizon Center for the second consecutive season.
I wonder if the Caps have learned anything from last year's 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers in that deciding game, after rallying from a 1-3 series deficit. They basically failed to close things out after tying the score late in the third, then wasting a power-play chance in OT before Joffrey Lupul ended things.
The pain from that defeat plus the determination they showed in winning the last two games, should be the two biggest motivating factors in what I expect should be a Washington victory.
That, and the fact that the Rangers looked visibly tired and defeated through most of the final 20 minutes yesterday. John Tortorella seems more bent on evaluating his team and suggesting how it should be ripped apart rather than coaching them and trying to squeeze out a playoff series victory.
One player who will not be joining the Caps for their potential advancement is Donald Brashear, who got slammed with a six-game suspension for two incidents from yesterday's game: one during the pre-game when he "made contact" with New York's Colton Orr, then five games for levelling Blair Betts with a shoulder hit when Betts had his head down and turned in the opposite direction.
Give us all a break, please, Commish.
NO ONE should be penalized for gamesmanship before the drop of the puck unless it incites both sides to convene.
Also, NO ONE should be hit with a ban as high as five games for that. True, Brash led with the elbow/shoulder, but Herr Betts was dumb enough not to be looking in that direction and was looking at the ice when the hit occurred. It's a shame he basically suffered a concussion, but, as we all saw with Eric Lindros, let the head-hanger beware in open ice.
I clearly dispute Colin Campbell's version of events as portrayed in his quote with the NHL's story on the suspension. Betts' head was not "targeted" any more than Lindros' head was when Scott Stevens' elbow met it in Game 7 of the 2000 East finals.
On that basis alone, maybe a one-gamer would be sufficient in this era of ever-PC sportsmanship foisted on the players by this cadre of lawyers and sycophants. The fact that Brashear was not initially penalized, AND that this no longer precludes a suspension upon a review after the fact, is totally ridiculous.
Whatever. Brash won't join his teammates until a potential Game 6 of the Eastern semis, should the Red reach that far. The Caps have plenty of guys who can stick up for Ovie and Semin et al. so it won't be a man-power or protection problem for them.
So, a quarterfinal Game 7 returns to Verizon Center for the second consecutive season.
I wonder if the Caps have learned anything from last year's 3-2 overtime loss to the Flyers in that deciding game, after rallying from a 1-3 series deficit. They basically failed to close things out after tying the score late in the third, then wasting a power-play chance in OT before Joffrey Lupul ended things.
The pain from that defeat plus the determination they showed in winning the last two games, should be the two biggest motivating factors in what I expect should be a Washington victory.
That, and the fact that the Rangers looked visibly tired and defeated through most of the final 20 minutes yesterday. John Tortorella seems more bent on evaluating his team and suggesting how it should be ripped apart rather than coaching them and trying to squeeze out a playoff series victory.
One player who will not be joining the Caps for their potential advancement is Donald Brashear, who got slammed with a six-game suspension for two incidents from yesterday's game: one during the pre-game when he "made contact" with New York's Colton Orr, then five games for levelling Blair Betts with a shoulder hit when Betts had his head down and turned in the opposite direction.
Give us all a break, please, Commish.
NO ONE should be penalized for gamesmanship before the drop of the puck unless it incites both sides to convene.
Also, NO ONE should be hit with a ban as high as five games for that. True, Brash led with the elbow/shoulder, but Herr Betts was dumb enough not to be looking in that direction and was looking at the ice when the hit occurred. It's a shame he basically suffered a concussion, but, as we all saw with Eric Lindros, let the head-hanger beware in open ice.
I clearly dispute Colin Campbell's version of events as portrayed in his quote with the NHL's story on the suspension. Betts' head was not "targeted" any more than Lindros' head was when Scott Stevens' elbow met it in Game 7 of the 2000 East finals.
On that basis alone, maybe a one-gamer would be sufficient in this era of ever-PC sportsmanship foisted on the players by this cadre of lawyers and sycophants. The fact that Brashear was not initially penalized, AND that this no longer precludes a suspension upon a review after the fact, is totally ridiculous.
Whatever. Brash won't join his teammates until a potential Game 6 of the Eastern semis, should the Red reach that far. The Caps have plenty of guys who can stick up for Ovie and Semin et al. so it won't be a man-power or protection problem for them.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Schadenfreude
Courtesy of NHL.com
NHL Suspends Tortorella for one game
NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League announced Saturday that New York Rangers coach John Tortorella has been suspended for one game for squirting a fan with water and throwing a water bottle that struck a fan during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series with the Washington Capitals on April 24 in Washington.
The incident occurred 6:33 into the third period.
Tortorella will miss the Rangers' game Sunday afternoon against Washington at Madison Square Garden.
"While it is a difficult decision to suspend a coach at this point in a playoff series, it has been made clear to all of our players, coaches and other bench personnel that the National Hockey League cannot -- and will not -- tolerate any physical contact with fans,” NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said. "We do not take this action lightly. It is the result of an entire day of investigation and evaluation that included the retrieval and review of videotape of the incident and discussions with Mr. Tortorella, other Rangers' bench personnel and a number of other people, including the security personnel at the Verizon Center.
"That investigation revealed that Mr. Tortorella squirted a fan with water before Mr. Tortorella was doused with a beverage.
"While, in these circumstances, it always is easy to allege mitigating circumstances, the fact is we do not tolerate contact with our fans in this manner. That is communicated before each season in a memo that is issued by the League to all of the management, coaches and players of every team.
"The Sept. 8, 2008, memo, entitled 'Supplementary Discipline Reminders for the 2008-09 Season,' included the following section regarding Contact With Fans:
Even where a fan is verbally abusive, intoxicated, or profane, club personnel should either ignore the conduct or, where appropriate, seek the assistance of police or security personnel at the arena. This prohibition extends to all forms of physical contact, whether it be direct physical contact, the throwing of objects (including hockey sticks and other equipment) or even the squirting of water. While the latter form of conduct may have, in the past, seemed to be of a minor or harmless character, such conduct may serve only to incite and provoke an unruly fan and may ultimately lead to unforeseen consequences.
Accordingly, please be on notice that all Club personnel (management, coaches, trainers, and/or players) who engage in any form of physical contact with fans, including the squirting of water, will, on a going forward basis, be subject to discipline in the form of a suspension. The Club involved will also be subject to a fine.
The suspension was issued pursuant to the Commissioner's authority under Section 6.3(j)(1)(a) of the NHL Constitution.
NHL Suspends Tortorella for one game
NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League announced Saturday that New York Rangers coach John Tortorella has been suspended for one game for squirting a fan with water and throwing a water bottle that struck a fan during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series with the Washington Capitals on April 24 in Washington.
The incident occurred 6:33 into the third period.
Tortorella will miss the Rangers' game Sunday afternoon against Washington at Madison Square Garden.
"While it is a difficult decision to suspend a coach at this point in a playoff series, it has been made clear to all of our players, coaches and other bench personnel that the National Hockey League cannot -- and will not -- tolerate any physical contact with fans,” NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said. "We do not take this action lightly. It is the result of an entire day of investigation and evaluation that included the retrieval and review of videotape of the incident and discussions with Mr. Tortorella, other Rangers' bench personnel and a number of other people, including the security personnel at the Verizon Center.
"That investigation revealed that Mr. Tortorella squirted a fan with water before Mr. Tortorella was doused with a beverage.
"While, in these circumstances, it always is easy to allege mitigating circumstances, the fact is we do not tolerate contact with our fans in this manner. That is communicated before each season in a memo that is issued by the League to all of the management, coaches and players of every team.
"The Sept. 8, 2008, memo, entitled 'Supplementary Discipline Reminders for the 2008-09 Season,' included the following section regarding Contact With Fans:
Even where a fan is verbally abusive, intoxicated, or profane, club personnel should either ignore the conduct or, where appropriate, seek the assistance of police or security personnel at the arena. This prohibition extends to all forms of physical contact, whether it be direct physical contact, the throwing of objects (including hockey sticks and other equipment) or even the squirting of water. While the latter form of conduct may have, in the past, seemed to be of a minor or harmless character, such conduct may serve only to incite and provoke an unruly fan and may ultimately lead to unforeseen consequences.
Accordingly, please be on notice that all Club personnel (management, coaches, trainers, and/or players) who engage in any form of physical contact with fans, including the squirting of water, will, on a going forward basis, be subject to discipline in the form of a suspension. The Club involved will also be subject to a fine.
The suspension was issued pursuant to the Commissioner's authority under Section 6.3(j)(1)(a) of the NHL Constitution.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Flyers waste three-goal lead, eliminated by Pens
Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of goals and Sergei Gonchar netted the deciding score early in the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a three-goal deficit to down the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Wachovia Center.
Ruslan Fedotenko and Mark Eaton provided the other tallies for the Penguins, who won the best-of-seven series four games to two and dismissed their cross- state rivals from the playoffs for the second straight season.
Evgeni Malkin provided a pair of assists for Pittsburgh, which advances to the conference semifinals but will have to wait and see who will be its next opponent.
The outcomes of the yet-to-be decided Capitals-Rangers and Devils-Hurricanes series will eventually determine who the Penguins face in the upcoming round.
Marc-Andre Fleury overcame an early Philadelphia burst but recovered to make 22 saves for the win.
Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul and Danny Briere scored for the Flyers, who netted the game's first three goals but suffered the crushing loss and failed to advance past the first round for the second time in their last three postseason appearances.
Philly also bowed out in the Eastern quarterfinals back in 2006, a six-game defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.
Following a 28-save shutout win to keep his club alive in Game 5, Martin Biron was tagged for four goals on 34 shots in defeat.
Only 29 seconds after Briere's tally put the visitors in a three-goal hole, Pittsburgh got on the board as Fedotenko pushed a loose puck through traffic and past Biron's outstretched right pad for a 3-1 game with 4:35 played in the second period.
Eaton then bunted a rebound out of mid-air and in for a one-goal contest at 6:32, and Crosby tied the game with 3:01 remaining when he managed to bat the puck home from the right post after Biron misplayed a shot with his glove.
The beleaguered Flyers netminder had to be sharp to stop Chris Kunitz on a backhander from in close inside the final 30 seconds, finishing with 17 stops despite allowing three scores.
Gonchar then took a feed from Malkin and rifled a shot from the right circle to give the Penguins their first lead of the game, 4-3, at 2:19 of the third period.
Philly saw two good chances later go by the wayside. Mike Richards saw an open net from the left circle but had the puck swept away just prior to the midway point, and Claude Giroux hit the outside of the cage with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.
Lupul was turned away by a quick Fleury pad save with under five minutes left, and Braydon Coburn's deflected point shot from a faceoff win two minutes later found the crook of Fleury's arm.
Biron was pulled for the extra skater with a minute to go, and Crosby hit the empty net with 27.6 seconds on the clock.
The Flyers picked up the game's first goal with 2:12 left in the first period. Richards broke free of a check in the slot and pushed a shot on net. Fleury kicked it back out, but Knuble, trailing the play, lifted a backhander into an open net.
Lupul made it 2-0, hitting the short-side high to Fleury's glove side 51 seconds later. Giroux set up the play by carrying down the left wing before sliding a cross-ice pass for Lupul, who scored his first goal of this postseason.
Simon Gagne fed Briere with a long lead pass, and the latter converted with a wrister from 15 feet out for a power play score and a 3-0 Philadelphia edge 4:06 into the second.
Game Notes
Malkin finished with four goals and five assists in six games...Crosby posted four goals and eight points in the series...Richards and Giroux each posted a team-high five points for the Flyers, with Gagne recording the most goals for the club with three...Penguins forward Petr Sykora missed his second straight game...Pens defenseman Kris Letang returned after a one-game absence...The Flyers have never rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win a series (0-14), and only extended a series to seven games three times when down by that margin...Fleury's playoff record improved to 8-3 against the Flyers over the last two seasons, while Biron sunk to the opposite mark.
Ruslan Fedotenko and Mark Eaton provided the other tallies for the Penguins, who won the best-of-seven series four games to two and dismissed their cross- state rivals from the playoffs for the second straight season.
Evgeni Malkin provided a pair of assists for Pittsburgh, which advances to the conference semifinals but will have to wait and see who will be its next opponent.
The outcomes of the yet-to-be decided Capitals-Rangers and Devils-Hurricanes series will eventually determine who the Penguins face in the upcoming round.
Marc-Andre Fleury overcame an early Philadelphia burst but recovered to make 22 saves for the win.
Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul and Danny Briere scored for the Flyers, who netted the game's first three goals but suffered the crushing loss and failed to advance past the first round for the second time in their last three postseason appearances.
Philly also bowed out in the Eastern quarterfinals back in 2006, a six-game defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres.
Following a 28-save shutout win to keep his club alive in Game 5, Martin Biron was tagged for four goals on 34 shots in defeat.
Only 29 seconds after Briere's tally put the visitors in a three-goal hole, Pittsburgh got on the board as Fedotenko pushed a loose puck through traffic and past Biron's outstretched right pad for a 3-1 game with 4:35 played in the second period.
Eaton then bunted a rebound out of mid-air and in for a one-goal contest at 6:32, and Crosby tied the game with 3:01 remaining when he managed to bat the puck home from the right post after Biron misplayed a shot with his glove.
The beleaguered Flyers netminder had to be sharp to stop Chris Kunitz on a backhander from in close inside the final 30 seconds, finishing with 17 stops despite allowing three scores.
Gonchar then took a feed from Malkin and rifled a shot from the right circle to give the Penguins their first lead of the game, 4-3, at 2:19 of the third period.
Philly saw two good chances later go by the wayside. Mike Richards saw an open net from the left circle but had the puck swept away just prior to the midway point, and Claude Giroux hit the outside of the cage with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.
Lupul was turned away by a quick Fleury pad save with under five minutes left, and Braydon Coburn's deflected point shot from a faceoff win two minutes later found the crook of Fleury's arm.
Biron was pulled for the extra skater with a minute to go, and Crosby hit the empty net with 27.6 seconds on the clock.
The Flyers picked up the game's first goal with 2:12 left in the first period. Richards broke free of a check in the slot and pushed a shot on net. Fleury kicked it back out, but Knuble, trailing the play, lifted a backhander into an open net.
Lupul made it 2-0, hitting the short-side high to Fleury's glove side 51 seconds later. Giroux set up the play by carrying down the left wing before sliding a cross-ice pass for Lupul, who scored his first goal of this postseason.
Simon Gagne fed Briere with a long lead pass, and the latter converted with a wrister from 15 feet out for a power play score and a 3-0 Philadelphia edge 4:06 into the second.
Game Notes
Malkin finished with four goals and five assists in six games...Crosby posted four goals and eight points in the series...Richards and Giroux each posted a team-high five points for the Flyers, with Gagne recording the most goals for the club with three...Penguins forward Petr Sykora missed his second straight game...Pens defenseman Kris Letang returned after a one-game absence...The Flyers have never rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win a series (0-14), and only extended a series to seven games three times when down by that margin...Fleury's playoff record improved to 8-3 against the Flyers over the last two seasons, while Biron sunk to the opposite mark.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Take a Deep Breath
OK, this series comes back to Philadelphia for Game 6 tomorrow.
The Flyers turned in a very workmanlike effort to win last night, doing several things they failed to do for most of the first four contests:
1) Clogged up all passing lanes
2) Clogged up the middle, specifically within a 10-foot radius of Martin Biron.
3) Actually hit people
4) Scored first, second, and third
5) Completely neutralized Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (with the exception of the kicked-in goal)
6) Gave Biron plenty of time to set himself for the few challenging shots he faced
7) Didn't take foolish penalties
8) Won on the road
It should be noted, however, that this was not a spectacular or inspiring effort by any means; after the first period, the Pens seemed more content to let the action come to them.
Also, and I will keep harping on this for as long as it takes to sink in, John Stevens' line-switching was not even close to the cure. He might have done some changes differently, but that's pretty much all he has in the arsenal once things don't work.
In fact, I believe the pressure remains on the Flyers, and it will be an even bigger monkey on their collective backs on Saturday. The Penguins have one road win in the series in their pocket, need only one more win to ice the series, plus Stevens has already complained in the past about how "distracting" playing in front of a home crowd can be, with all their "expectations" to see "passionate" hockey being played.
Just like last season, Stevens has only altered his game plan once; in 2008, the club was already down 3-0 before emotion and adrenaline took precedence over his system for the one win. This year, Stevens only relented in Game 3 and the Flyers posted their best win and most thorough game in weeks.
He will be wise to let the cascade of emotion from the home crowd dictate how his team comes out to play from the drop. If it's anything like Sunday, this baby's going back to Pittsburgh for a Game 7 which transfers a tremendous burden on the Penguins to win. If he insists on plowing ahead with the same plan, the outcome will most likely bear a negative result.
The fact still remains that the Flyers have only gotten three series to a seventh game after trailing 3-games-to-1. Those came in 1968, 1981 and 1987 - and the orange and black have lost all three times, twice at home.
The Flyers turned in a very workmanlike effort to win last night, doing several things they failed to do for most of the first four contests:
1) Clogged up all passing lanes
2) Clogged up the middle, specifically within a 10-foot radius of Martin Biron.
3) Actually hit people
4) Scored first, second, and third
5) Completely neutralized Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (with the exception of the kicked-in goal)
6) Gave Biron plenty of time to set himself for the few challenging shots he faced
7) Didn't take foolish penalties
8) Won on the road
It should be noted, however, that this was not a spectacular or inspiring effort by any means; after the first period, the Pens seemed more content to let the action come to them.
Also, and I will keep harping on this for as long as it takes to sink in, John Stevens' line-switching was not even close to the cure. He might have done some changes differently, but that's pretty much all he has in the arsenal once things don't work.
In fact, I believe the pressure remains on the Flyers, and it will be an even bigger monkey on their collective backs on Saturday. The Penguins have one road win in the series in their pocket, need only one more win to ice the series, plus Stevens has already complained in the past about how "distracting" playing in front of a home crowd can be, with all their "expectations" to see "passionate" hockey being played.
Just like last season, Stevens has only altered his game plan once; in 2008, the club was already down 3-0 before emotion and adrenaline took precedence over his system for the one win. This year, Stevens only relented in Game 3 and the Flyers posted their best win and most thorough game in weeks.
He will be wise to let the cascade of emotion from the home crowd dictate how his team comes out to play from the drop. If it's anything like Sunday, this baby's going back to Pittsburgh for a Game 7 which transfers a tremendous burden on the Penguins to win. If he insists on plowing ahead with the same plan, the outcome will most likely bear a negative result.
The fact still remains that the Flyers have only gotten three series to a seventh game after trailing 3-games-to-1. Those came in 1968, 1981 and 1987 - and the orange and black have lost all three times, twice at home.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Biron keeps Flyers alive in Game 5 road triumph
Martin Biron stopped all 28 shots he faced as the Philadelphia Flyers staved off elimination with a 3-0 decision over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal from Mellon Arena.
Biron posted his second career postseason shutout for the effort, the first time the Flyers have blanked the Penguins in a playoff game in their five- series history.
Arron Asham, Claude Giroux and Mike Knuble lit the lamp for Philadelphia, which cut its series deficit to 3-2 and return home for Game 6 on Saturday.
Following a 45-save performance in a Game 4 victory on Monday, Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 26 shots for the Penguins.
Giroux gave Philly a two-goal edge 3:25 into the third period. Matt Carle fluttered the puck from the point into the slot for Darroll Powe, who tipped it over to the rookie winger for an easy tap-in at the left side.
It was 3-0 for the Flyers with 6:48 left in regulation. Fleury kicked out a scorcher by Mike Richards from the left circle, but Knuble followed up by burying the rebound from the right wing.
A Penguins power play coupled with Fleury's removal for an extra attacker briefly gave the home team a 6-on-4 advantage inside the final two minutes, but the home team failed to hit the net despite strong play in their attacking zone until the buzzer.
The win was especially sweet for the visitors, who suffered an embarrassing, series-ending 6-0 defeat last May against a much more potent Pittsburgh club in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Following a scoreless first period which saw the Penguins hold a 15-5 shot advantage, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead 6:32 into the second. Dan Carcillo, who potted the Flyers' lone score in Game 4, left a drop pass for Asham, who hammered a shot over Fleury's shoulder.
Pittsburgh could have tied the game at 8:25, but Evgeni Malkin was ruled to have kicked the puck from the right side of the crease past a sliding Biron.
Game Notes
Biron's first playoff whitewash came in Game 2 of last year's Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Washington on April 13, 2008...Carle registered two assists...Biron's playoff mark improved to 3-7 against Pittsburgh... Philly's last road playoff win came on May 3, 2008, in Game 5 of the Eastern semifinals at Montreal, a series-clinching victory...Penguins forward Petr Sykora missed the game with a shoulder injury, replaced by Miroslav Satan. Also, Pens defenseman Kris Letang missed the game, replaced by Philippe Boucher...The Flyers have never won a series in which they trailed three games to one, but the Penguins infamously wasted a 3-0 series deficit into a loss against the New York Islanders in 1975.
Biron posted his second career postseason shutout for the effort, the first time the Flyers have blanked the Penguins in a playoff game in their five- series history.
Arron Asham, Claude Giroux and Mike Knuble lit the lamp for Philadelphia, which cut its series deficit to 3-2 and return home for Game 6 on Saturday.
Following a 45-save performance in a Game 4 victory on Monday, Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 26 shots for the Penguins.
Giroux gave Philly a two-goal edge 3:25 into the third period. Matt Carle fluttered the puck from the point into the slot for Darroll Powe, who tipped it over to the rookie winger for an easy tap-in at the left side.
It was 3-0 for the Flyers with 6:48 left in regulation. Fleury kicked out a scorcher by Mike Richards from the left circle, but Knuble followed up by burying the rebound from the right wing.
A Penguins power play coupled with Fleury's removal for an extra attacker briefly gave the home team a 6-on-4 advantage inside the final two minutes, but the home team failed to hit the net despite strong play in their attacking zone until the buzzer.
The win was especially sweet for the visitors, who suffered an embarrassing, series-ending 6-0 defeat last May against a much more potent Pittsburgh club in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Following a scoreless first period which saw the Penguins hold a 15-5 shot advantage, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead 6:32 into the second. Dan Carcillo, who potted the Flyers' lone score in Game 4, left a drop pass for Asham, who hammered a shot over Fleury's shoulder.
Pittsburgh could have tied the game at 8:25, but Evgeni Malkin was ruled to have kicked the puck from the right side of the crease past a sliding Biron.
Game Notes
Biron's first playoff whitewash came in Game 2 of last year's Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Washington on April 13, 2008...Carle registered two assists...Biron's playoff mark improved to 3-7 against Pittsburgh... Philly's last road playoff win came on May 3, 2008, in Game 5 of the Eastern semifinals at Montreal, a series-clinching victory...Penguins forward Petr Sykora missed the game with a shoulder injury, replaced by Miroslav Satan. Also, Pens defenseman Kris Letang missed the game, replaced by Philippe Boucher...The Flyers have never won a series in which they trailed three games to one, but the Penguins infamously wasted a 3-0 series deficit into a loss against the New York Islanders in 1975.
So Much To Discuss
On Tuesday, the Flyers were able to break out the "ran into a hot goalie" excuse as Marc-Andre Fleury made 45 stops in the Pens' 3-1 win, giving them a 3-1 lead in the series and a chance to close things out tonight in Pittsburgh.
You could just see how hopping mad they were after the game that nobody except Dan Carcillo was able to put one past that leaky cement foundation of a goaltender.
The 100th season of the Montreal Canadiens came crashing down around them in a steaming pile of putrescence after the Bruins' 4-1 win in La Belle Province on Wednesday gave Boston a four-game sweep.
All may once again be right with the world as the Red Wings look to sweep the Blue Jackets out of the playoffs in Game 4 at Ohio's capital tonight. A win will strike a final blow the Ken Hitchcock coached club, which has decided to play like it's 1999 and try to clog the Wings' offensive bursts with something resembling a neutral zone trap.
The Flames and Blackhawks series may be the best one of the entire quarterfinals in either conference, and whoever blinks first, home ice or not, will end up losing. It's a perfect meeting of equal but opposite gameplans: Chicago's youth and exuberance against Calgary's experience and strength.
You could just see how hopping mad they were after the game that nobody except Dan Carcillo was able to put one past that leaky cement foundation of a goaltender.
The 100th season of the Montreal Canadiens came crashing down around them in a steaming pile of putrescence after the Bruins' 4-1 win in La Belle Province on Wednesday gave Boston a four-game sweep.
All may once again be right with the world as the Red Wings look to sweep the Blue Jackets out of the playoffs in Game 4 at Ohio's capital tonight. A win will strike a final blow the Ken Hitchcock coached club, which has decided to play like it's 1999 and try to clog the Wings' offensive bursts with something resembling a neutral zone trap.
The Flames and Blackhawks series may be the best one of the entire quarterfinals in either conference, and whoever blinks first, home ice or not, will end up losing. It's a perfect meeting of equal but opposite gameplans: Chicago's youth and exuberance against Calgary's experience and strength.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Well, that was nice...
The only thing that's truly decisive about the first three games of this opening round series is that the home crowd has been the single biggest motivating factor for either side.
Game 1 in Pittsburgh and Game 3 yesterday here are the primary exhibits. In both contests, the winning team used a spike in confidence and energy from the fans to boost their own energy levels and assume control of the contest.
The Flyers, perhaps even more motivated by their 0-2 series deficit, seized the momentum more quickly and decisively than the Pens did in their first two wins last week.
However, what the orange and black didn't do, unlike their opponents, is keep the pressure on and prevent their foes from striking back.
It's totally conceivable now that this series will go the seven-game limit, with each team winning all their games on home ice. That, of course, leaves the Flyers one game short.
But if that ends up being how the script is written, at least it provides a better result than all the doom and gloom for certain quarters after the club went down 0-2 after Friday's OT loss.
At least logically speaking, if you're a team down 0-2, who wins your two games at home, wouldn't the momentum be on your side despite going away for Game 5?
Still...the Flyers have never won a series when losing the first two games on the road. They have only rebounded from 0-2 deficits twice, in 1977 against Toronto and 2000 against Pittsburgh - both times after losing the first two on home ice before reeling off four straight wins.
It's rare anymore that the home team dominates in each and every game in front of a friendly crowd, but right from the first drop of the puck, the masses in both cities have had serious influence. This is the way it should be with two young clubs.
Now that the Flyers are playing to a 2-1 deficit, things automatically look brighter, but it's not a lock by any means that the Pens are sunk.
Remember January 13? Or February 21? Crushing losses at times when the Flyers let Pittsburgh dictate play instead of using home ice to greater advantage. Crosby et al are perfectly capable of doing so again.
Take away the empty netter and the early two goals and the Penguins played to a 3-3 tie during the middle stretches - the times which are really more important than all the cliched shop talk about not allowing a goal in the last minute, or first minute of any period, or whenever it's a bad omen to see the other team score.
All it takes is one dumb mistake, one hitch in the on-ice communication, for things to come crumbling down and see a 2-2 series become 3-1.
If the Flyers are smart, they will find a way to let the emotion of the opening minutes bleed into the rest of the game. The Penguins have too many game-changing skaters for them to let up at any time.
As far as my prediction for the series goes, this is the most likely time for Philly to pick up that second win.
Game 1 in Pittsburgh and Game 3 yesterday here are the primary exhibits. In both contests, the winning team used a spike in confidence and energy from the fans to boost their own energy levels and assume control of the contest.
The Flyers, perhaps even more motivated by their 0-2 series deficit, seized the momentum more quickly and decisively than the Pens did in their first two wins last week.
However, what the orange and black didn't do, unlike their opponents, is keep the pressure on and prevent their foes from striking back.
It's totally conceivable now that this series will go the seven-game limit, with each team winning all their games on home ice. That, of course, leaves the Flyers one game short.
But if that ends up being how the script is written, at least it provides a better result than all the doom and gloom for certain quarters after the club went down 0-2 after Friday's OT loss.
At least logically speaking, if you're a team down 0-2, who wins your two games at home, wouldn't the momentum be on your side despite going away for Game 5?
Still...the Flyers have never won a series when losing the first two games on the road. They have only rebounded from 0-2 deficits twice, in 1977 against Toronto and 2000 against Pittsburgh - both times after losing the first two on home ice before reeling off four straight wins.
It's rare anymore that the home team dominates in each and every game in front of a friendly crowd, but right from the first drop of the puck, the masses in both cities have had serious influence. This is the way it should be with two young clubs.
Now that the Flyers are playing to a 2-1 deficit, things automatically look brighter, but it's not a lock by any means that the Pens are sunk.
Remember January 13? Or February 21? Crushing losses at times when the Flyers let Pittsburgh dictate play instead of using home ice to greater advantage. Crosby et al are perfectly capable of doing so again.
Take away the empty netter and the early two goals and the Penguins played to a 3-3 tie during the middle stretches - the times which are really more important than all the cliched shop talk about not allowing a goal in the last minute, or first minute of any period, or whenever it's a bad omen to see the other team score.
All it takes is one dumb mistake, one hitch in the on-ice communication, for things to come crumbling down and see a 2-2 series become 3-1.
If the Flyers are smart, they will find a way to let the emotion of the opening minutes bleed into the rest of the game. The Penguins have too many game-changing skaters for them to let up at any time.
As far as my prediction for the series goes, this is the most likely time for Philly to pick up that second win.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Gagne scores twice, Flyers cut series deficit to 2-1
Simon Gagne netted a pair of goals, as the Philadelphia Flyers posted a strong 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Wachovia Center.
Claude Giroux contributed a goal and assist for the Flyers, who climbed back into the series after dropping the first two games in Pittsburgh.
Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Jared Ross also hit the net for Philadelphia, and Martin Biron stopped 26 shots for the win.
Evgeni Malkin tallied twice for the Penguins, who dropped their first road playoff contest since Game 2 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit.
Rob Scuderi added a goal while Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of helpers. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed five goals on 29 shots in defeat.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Ross opened the scoring in the third with his first career playoff tally. Andrew Alberts didn't get all of his slap-pass from the point, but the puck came to the Alabama native at the right post and he flipped it home at 3:42 and the Flyers were ahead 5-2.
While on an extended power play due to a double minor for high sticking to Danny Briere, the Pens got back within two as Malkin ripped a shot through traffic and off the far post 8 1/2 minutes in.
Fleury went to the bench for an extra attacker with just under two minutes to play and Gagne hit the empty net at 18:24 to seal the win.
Carter put the Flyers on the board 2:59 into the contest, taking a Joffrey Lupul feed in the high slot, faking a Pens defender then beating Fleury with a backhander.
Philly went up 2-0 on the power play at 5:14, as Gagne set up a screen just outside the slot to mask a Richards shot which slid through Fleury's pads.
Malkin got a goal back for the Pens with a sizzling one-timer off a Ruslan Fedotenko dish only 12 seconds before the end of the first, and Scuderi's point drive along the ice tied the game 13 seconds into the second period.
Giroux put the orange and black back on top at 4:32, when he broke free from a checker and was wide open to tap in a spinning feed from Briere.
He helped make it 4-2 for the home team while shorthanded, keeping possession deep in the Penguins zone and circling the net from right to left until finding Gagne at the side of the net for a tip-in at 8:58.
Game Notes
Gagne's score was the first short-handed tally thus far in the entire postseason...In a 2000 Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Penguins won the first two games but Philadelphia reeled off four straight wins to take the series...Flyers forward Dan Carcillo returned from serving his one-game suspension for an incident in Wednesday's Game 1...Briere posted two assists for the Flyers...Each side was whistled for 11 penalties...Penguins forward Jordan Staal and defenseman Sergei Gonchar each finished minus-three.
Claude Giroux contributed a goal and assist for the Flyers, who climbed back into the series after dropping the first two games in Pittsburgh.
Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Jared Ross also hit the net for Philadelphia, and Martin Biron stopped 26 shots for the win.
Evgeni Malkin tallied twice for the Penguins, who dropped their first road playoff contest since Game 2 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit.
Rob Scuderi added a goal while Sidney Crosby picked up a pair of helpers. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed five goals on 29 shots in defeat.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Ross opened the scoring in the third with his first career playoff tally. Andrew Alberts didn't get all of his slap-pass from the point, but the puck came to the Alabama native at the right post and he flipped it home at 3:42 and the Flyers were ahead 5-2.
While on an extended power play due to a double minor for high sticking to Danny Briere, the Pens got back within two as Malkin ripped a shot through traffic and off the far post 8 1/2 minutes in.
Fleury went to the bench for an extra attacker with just under two minutes to play and Gagne hit the empty net at 18:24 to seal the win.
Carter put the Flyers on the board 2:59 into the contest, taking a Joffrey Lupul feed in the high slot, faking a Pens defender then beating Fleury with a backhander.
Philly went up 2-0 on the power play at 5:14, as Gagne set up a screen just outside the slot to mask a Richards shot which slid through Fleury's pads.
Malkin got a goal back for the Pens with a sizzling one-timer off a Ruslan Fedotenko dish only 12 seconds before the end of the first, and Scuderi's point drive along the ice tied the game 13 seconds into the second period.
Giroux put the orange and black back on top at 4:32, when he broke free from a checker and was wide open to tap in a spinning feed from Briere.
He helped make it 4-2 for the home team while shorthanded, keeping possession deep in the Penguins zone and circling the net from right to left until finding Gagne at the side of the net for a tip-in at 8:58.
Game Notes
Gagne's score was the first short-handed tally thus far in the entire postseason...In a 2000 Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Penguins won the first two games but Philadelphia reeled off four straight wins to take the series...Flyers forward Dan Carcillo returned from serving his one-game suspension for an incident in Wednesday's Game 1...Briere posted two assists for the Flyers...Each side was whistled for 11 penalties...Penguins forward Jordan Staal and defenseman Sergei Gonchar each finished minus-three.
Some thoughts before the game
The Flyers have never won a series in franchise history after dropping the first two games on the road.
The only two times they have rebounded from an 0-2 deficit came when they lost two in a row at home to start a series then won four straight: In a 1977 quarterfinal series against Toronto, and in the 2000 Eastern semis against Pittsburgh.
Should Philly go down 0-3, they have no shot to win. Only the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders have pulled off the feat. The Flyers have never even gotten a series to six games after losing three straight to begin a playoff matchup.
On the officiating thus far...
In a preview I wrote for my another website, I listed the NHL's obvious officiating slant towards the Penguins as a positive intangible for the club because they have two of the four top players in the league, and, were called a "model franchise" by commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week.
It's not your father's or Ed Snider's old fashioned anti-Flyers bias so much as it is a pro-Penguins and pro-Crosby-and-Malkin bent.
Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen sheds some light into the workings so far in today's Inquirer...
The only two times they have rebounded from an 0-2 deficit came when they lost two in a row at home to start a series then won four straight: In a 1977 quarterfinal series against Toronto, and in the 2000 Eastern semis against Pittsburgh.
Should Philly go down 0-3, they have no shot to win. Only the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders have pulled off the feat. The Flyers have never even gotten a series to six games after losing three straight to begin a playoff matchup.
On the officiating thus far...
In a preview I wrote for my another website, I listed the NHL's obvious officiating slant towards the Penguins as a positive intangible for the club because they have two of the four top players in the league, and, were called a "model franchise" by commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week.
It's not your father's or Ed Snider's old fashioned anti-Flyers bias so much as it is a pro-Penguins and pro-Crosby-and-Malkin bent.
Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen sheds some light into the workings so far in today's Inquirer...
Friday, April 17, 2009
Rangers sign Hobey winner Gilroy
Courtesy of the New York Rangers
New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with 2009 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Matt Gilroy.
Gilroy, 24, captured the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in collegiate hockey, and was named as a First Team All-American on April 10. He became the second player in Boston University history to win the Hobey Baker Award, as Rangers’ Captain Chris Drury won the award in 1998. He is also the first defenseman in Hockey East history to be honored as a First Team All-Star three times.
Captain of the Hockey East regular season and playoff champion Boston University Terriers, Gilroy registered eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points in 45 games this season. He led the Terriers to their fifth NCAA championship, assisting on the game-tying goal with 17 seconds remaining in regulation in the championship game on April 11, after entering the tournament as the #1 seeded team.
The senior defenseman established career-highs in games played (45), assists (29) and points (37). In addition, the North Bellmore, New York native led all Hockey East defensemen in scoring and ranked third among all defensemen in the nation.
The 6-2, 205-pounder skated in 160 career Hockey East games with the Boston University Terriers, recording 25 goals and 67 assists for 92 points, along with 46 penalty minutes. He led all BU defensemen and tied for second on the team overall with a plus-21 rating as a walk-on freshman during the 2005-06 season. Gilroy established a career-high with nine goals in 2006-07 en route to capturing Second Team All-American honors.
In 2007-08, he was named to his second consecutive All-America team (First Team), and was also honored as a Hockey East First Team All-Star for the second straight year. Gilroy finished his collegiate career appearing in 146 consecutive games.
New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with 2009 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Matt Gilroy.
Gilroy, 24, captured the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in collegiate hockey, and was named as a First Team All-American on April 10. He became the second player in Boston University history to win the Hobey Baker Award, as Rangers’ Captain Chris Drury won the award in 1998. He is also the first defenseman in Hockey East history to be honored as a First Team All-Star three times.
Captain of the Hockey East regular season and playoff champion Boston University Terriers, Gilroy registered eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points in 45 games this season. He led the Terriers to their fifth NCAA championship, assisting on the game-tying goal with 17 seconds remaining in regulation in the championship game on April 11, after entering the tournament as the #1 seeded team.
The senior defenseman established career-highs in games played (45), assists (29) and points (37). In addition, the North Bellmore, New York native led all Hockey East defensemen in scoring and ranked third among all defensemen in the nation.
The 6-2, 205-pounder skated in 160 career Hockey East games with the Boston University Terriers, recording 25 goals and 67 assists for 92 points, along with 46 penalty minutes. He led all BU defensemen and tied for second on the team overall with a plus-21 rating as a walk-on freshman during the 2005-06 season. Gilroy established a career-high with nine goals in 2006-07 en route to capturing Second Team All-American honors.
In 2007-08, he was named to his second consecutive All-America team (First Team), and was also honored as a Hockey East First Team All-Star for the second straight year. Gilroy finished his collegiate career appearing in 146 consecutive games.
Carcillo suspended, Flyers fined
Courtesy of NHL.com
The NHL has suspended Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo one game and fined coach John Stevens $10,000 for his actions at the end of Wednesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Pittsburgh, a game won by the Penguins, 4-1.
Carcillo got involved with the Penguins' Max Talbot during a faceoff with seven seconds left in the game. Carcillo appeared to use the butt-end of his stick to strike Talbot in the head at the end of the regulation time. Talbot did not sustain an injury and no penalty was assessed.
"We had a conference call Monday with the General Managers and Coaches of playoff teams and told them explicitly we would not tolerate attempts by clubs to 'send a message' late in a game when the outcome had been determined," said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Executive Vice Presidents of Hockey Operations. "Organizations – players and coaches – will be held accountable for such actions."
He will miss Friday's Game 2 between the Flyers and Penguins in Pittsburgh.
The NHL has suspended Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo one game and fined coach John Stevens $10,000 for his actions at the end of Wednesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Pittsburgh, a game won by the Penguins, 4-1.
Carcillo got involved with the Penguins' Max Talbot during a faceoff with seven seconds left in the game. Carcillo appeared to use the butt-end of his stick to strike Talbot in the head at the end of the regulation time. Talbot did not sustain an injury and no penalty was assessed.
"We had a conference call Monday with the General Managers and Coaches of playoff teams and told them explicitly we would not tolerate attempts by clubs to 'send a message' late in a game when the outcome had been determined," said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Executive Vice Presidents of Hockey Operations. "Organizations – players and coaches – will be held accountable for such actions."
He will miss Friday's Game 2 between the Flyers and Penguins in Pittsburgh.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Carcillo to meet with NHL brass in NYC
Courtesy of NHL.com
The NHL will hold a hearing with Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo at 3 p.m. ET Thursday to discuss an incident that took place during the Flyers' Game 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-1, Wednesday night.
The NHL spoke with all coaches and general managers prior to the start of the playoffs informing them there would be no "message sending" during the latter stages of games. Carcillo got involved with the Penguins' Max Talbot near the end of the game.
The Flyers acquired Carcillo, 24, at the trade deadline in exchange for Scottie Upshall and a 2011 second round draft pick. He scored 3 goals and 11 assists in 74 games this season, picking up 254 penalty minutes.
The NHL will hold a hearing with Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo at 3 p.m. ET Thursday to discuss an incident that took place during the Flyers' Game 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-1, Wednesday night.
The NHL spoke with all coaches and general managers prior to the start of the playoffs informing them there would be no "message sending" during the latter stages of games. Carcillo got involved with the Penguins' Max Talbot near the end of the game.
The Flyers acquired Carcillo, 24, at the trade deadline in exchange for Scottie Upshall and a 2011 second round draft pick. He scored 3 goals and 11 assists in 74 games this season, picking up 254 penalty minutes.
Pens draw first blood against listless Flyers
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26-of-27 shots, as the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1, in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Mellon Arena.
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby each posted a goal and one assist for the Penguins, who have won five of the last six playoff meetings against the Flyers dating back to last season.
"I thought we did a pretty good job," said Crosby. "I thought there were times where we might have gotten away from our game for a couple of shifts. Certainly I think we're pretty happy we played a full 60 minutes."
Tyler Kennedy and Mark Eaton also tallied for Pittsburgh, which won four of six regular-season meetings against Philly.
Simon Gagne picked up the lone goal for the Flyers, who avoided being blanked in back-to-back playoff games. Fleury and the Pens closed out the 2008 Eastern Conference finals with a 6-0 rout in Game 5 last May 18.
Martin Biron allowed all four goals on 33 shots in defeat.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins were awarded the game's first power play and converted just 4:41 into the contest, as Malkin's stuffer from the goal line was followed up by Crosby, who appeared to kick the puck forward off the far post and in. A review upheld the goal after it was determined there was no distinct kicking motion.
"We got behind the eight-ball right away," said Flyers coach John Stevens. "We took an undisciplined penalty and on the power play they scored right away. It's a worst-case scenario coming out to start in their building."
Seconds later, Biron stopped Jordan Staal on a clean breakaway, but the Pens went back on the man advantage. The Flyers survived that and killed off another Pittsburgh power play but trailed by one at intermission after failing to convert their lone full two-minute edge with an extra skater.
The home team benefited from a lucky break early in the second period, when Kennedy flubbed his shot on a 3-on-1 break, but it squeezed through Biron's pads for a 2-0 edge at 1:39.
The Penguins went up by three 6:28 into the third period. A Flyers defenseman attempted to clear behind the net, but the puck hit the boards at an odd angle, bouncing in front. Malkin was there, and spun a backhander along the ice past a sprawling Biron for the score.
It was 4-0 at 10:27, as Crosby won a left-circle draw back to Kris Letang, who fed Eaton for a long shot near the blue line which slipped by Biron.
Philly finally got on the board via the power play with 4:35 left in regulation. Mike Richards' shot from the slot rang off the post and bounded into the crease, where Gagne shoveled it home to cap the scoring.
Game Notes
The clubs have met four previous times in the playoffs, with the Flyers winning three (1989, 1997, 2000) and the Penguins taking the last meeting, in the 2008 Eastern finals...Philly forward Jeff Carter, who finished second in the league with 46 goals, was held scoreless on eight shots in 17 minutes of ice time...There were 18 penalties in the contest, 12 to the Flyers...Pittsburgh converted 1-of-9 power plays, and Philadelphia went 1-for-4.
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby each posted a goal and one assist for the Penguins, who have won five of the last six playoff meetings against the Flyers dating back to last season.
"I thought we did a pretty good job," said Crosby. "I thought there were times where we might have gotten away from our game for a couple of shifts. Certainly I think we're pretty happy we played a full 60 minutes."
Tyler Kennedy and Mark Eaton also tallied for Pittsburgh, which won four of six regular-season meetings against Philly.
Simon Gagne picked up the lone goal for the Flyers, who avoided being blanked in back-to-back playoff games. Fleury and the Pens closed out the 2008 Eastern Conference finals with a 6-0 rout in Game 5 last May 18.
Martin Biron allowed all four goals on 33 shots in defeat.
Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins were awarded the game's first power play and converted just 4:41 into the contest, as Malkin's stuffer from the goal line was followed up by Crosby, who appeared to kick the puck forward off the far post and in. A review upheld the goal after it was determined there was no distinct kicking motion.
"We got behind the eight-ball right away," said Flyers coach John Stevens. "We took an undisciplined penalty and on the power play they scored right away. It's a worst-case scenario coming out to start in their building."
Seconds later, Biron stopped Jordan Staal on a clean breakaway, but the Pens went back on the man advantage. The Flyers survived that and killed off another Pittsburgh power play but trailed by one at intermission after failing to convert their lone full two-minute edge with an extra skater.
The home team benefited from a lucky break early in the second period, when Kennedy flubbed his shot on a 3-on-1 break, but it squeezed through Biron's pads for a 2-0 edge at 1:39.
The Penguins went up by three 6:28 into the third period. A Flyers defenseman attempted to clear behind the net, but the puck hit the boards at an odd angle, bouncing in front. Malkin was there, and spun a backhander along the ice past a sprawling Biron for the score.
It was 4-0 at 10:27, as Crosby won a left-circle draw back to Kris Letang, who fed Eaton for a long shot near the blue line which slipped by Biron.
Philly finally got on the board via the power play with 4:35 left in regulation. Mike Richards' shot from the slot rang off the post and bounded into the crease, where Gagne shoveled it home to cap the scoring.
Game Notes
The clubs have met four previous times in the playoffs, with the Flyers winning three (1989, 1997, 2000) and the Penguins taking the last meeting, in the 2008 Eastern finals...Philly forward Jeff Carter, who finished second in the league with 46 goals, was held scoreless on eight shots in 17 minutes of ice time...There were 18 penalties in the contest, 12 to the Flyers...Pittsburgh converted 1-of-9 power plays, and Philadelphia went 1-for-4.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Oilers give Crazy Craig the heave-ho
The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Craig MacTavish just three days after the end of another disappointing season.
The Oilers finished the 2008-09 campaign with a mark of 38-35-9, which was good for just 11th in the Western Conference. It marked the third straight season that the team missed the playoffs.
Since taking over behind the bench as the eighth coach in team history at the start of the 2000-01 season, he amassed a record of 301-252-103 and a 19-17 mark in the playoffs. He ranked second among Edmonton coaches in games coached, wins, losses, ties/overtime losses and winning percentage.
"On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Craig and his family for their outstanding commitment to the Edmonton Oilers and the city of Edmonton over the past 10 years," said Edmonton general manager Steve Tambellini.
The most successful season the team had under MacTavish's leadership was in 2005-06, when the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals as the eighth seed and eventually fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
During that run, Edmonton's first appearance in the finals since 1990, the team defeated Detroit, which won the Presidents' Trophy that season, San Jose and Anaheim.
MacTavish had the rare distinction in the league of being one of the top tenured coaches. He ranked third and was behind just Barry Trotz, who has been the coach of Nashville since its inaugural season of 1998-99, and Lindy Ruff, who has been in Buffalo since the 1997-98 campaign.
The last player to skate in the NHL without a helmet, MacTavish totaled 213 goals and 267 assists in 1,093 career games with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton. He won four Stanley Cups, three with the Oilers and one while in New York, before retiring after the 1996-97 season.
The Oilers finished the 2008-09 campaign with a mark of 38-35-9, which was good for just 11th in the Western Conference. It marked the third straight season that the team missed the playoffs.
Since taking over behind the bench as the eighth coach in team history at the start of the 2000-01 season, he amassed a record of 301-252-103 and a 19-17 mark in the playoffs. He ranked second among Edmonton coaches in games coached, wins, losses, ties/overtime losses and winning percentage.
"On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Craig and his family for their outstanding commitment to the Edmonton Oilers and the city of Edmonton over the past 10 years," said Edmonton general manager Steve Tambellini.
The most successful season the team had under MacTavish's leadership was in 2005-06, when the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals as the eighth seed and eventually fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
During that run, Edmonton's first appearance in the finals since 1990, the team defeated Detroit, which won the Presidents' Trophy that season, San Jose and Anaheim.
MacTavish had the rare distinction in the league of being one of the top tenured coaches. He ranked third and was behind just Barry Trotz, who has been the coach of Nashville since its inaugural season of 1998-99, and Lindy Ruff, who has been in Buffalo since the 1997-98 campaign.
The last player to skate in the NHL without a helmet, MacTavish totaled 213 goals and 267 assists in 1,093 career games with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton. He won four Stanley Cups, three with the Oilers and one while in New York, before retiring after the 1996-97 season.
Monday, April 13, 2009
What Now?
With a resounding thud, the Flyers ended the 2008-09 regular season on Sunday with a stupefying 4-3 regulation home loss against the hated-rival New York Rangers.
All they needed was one point. One point to break a deadlock between them and cross-state enemy Pittsburgh and lock up home-ice advantage during the first round of the playoffs.
One lousy, stinking point. And they failed.
In this day and age when points are given out more freely than candy hearts at Valentine’s Day, the team that is supposedly “Hungry For More” couldn’t even repay the sellout crowd with a loss in overtime or a shootout.
The Rangers, on the road and already locked into the seventh seed in the conference, had nothing to play for, and still took it to the Flyers like first place was on the line.
Trailing 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, it was the visitors, coached by John Tortorella - that walking-talking human burr-in-the-saddle with the grating New England voice – who snapped back to attention and seized control of the contest.
And what does it say that the best chance for the team to tie the game came with just over five minutes left, when third-line grinder Arron Asham missed a wide-open net?
Sure, there’s six 25-goal scorers stacking up the top two lines, but what after that? What happens when the primary directive to clamp down on Carter, Richards, Hartnell, et al is successful? I bet you’d love to have Scottie Upshall back, salary cap be damned.
Along with the bomb against the Blueshirts, examining the other New York club should be an excellent barometer to predict where the Flyers are relative to some other potential postseason partners, heading to Mellon Arena on Wednesday night for Game 1.
The Islanders finished with the worst record in the NHL. In their final four games, they lost to the Hurricanes, Penguins, Flyers and Bruins – all four now striving for the Stanley Cup.
Carolina slaughtered them, 9-0. Pittsburgh merely turned in a clock-punching 6-1 decision. Boston embarrassed them, 6-2.
The Flyers? They won, but it was a 3-2 death struggle which was in doubt until the final buzzer sounded.
Which of the four might not appear like a team geared up for a playoff run?
After the game, Richards and Danny Briere in particular affected a disaffected stance on the loss and the way it went down when questioned by reporters.
Maybe they have a point. Over the last decade, it really hasn’t mattered who gets home-ice advantage because lower seeds have pulled off some shocking upsets. Maybe, since they’re the ones fully ensconced in the day-to-day, the ones who are ultimately responsible for the final, they can see what’s ahead and won’t dwell on one piece of a long journey.
But maybe it’s a resounding negative, to see the players in actions and in words, win or lose, lack passion and emotion with so much on the line. They might think they can beat the Penguins, but the gap between thinking and doing has gotten wider now that Dan Bylsma has provided a boost as head coach that Michel Therrien couldn’t.
Ah, yes. As always it does come down to coaching this time of year. When the effort of the players falters, it’s up to the man behind the slats to outfox his counterpart. It is yet another speed bump to success – in this series and beyond.
Go through each of the other six head coaches who will lead their club into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and tell me that John Stevens has any kind of edge over a single one of them.
Claude Julien of Boston? Engineered an upset of the Bruins as head coach of a less-talented Montreal team in 2004. Brent Sutter from New Jersey? A wash at best, because he also embraces a bull-headed approach to simple systematic hockey. Washington’s Bruce Boudreau? Let’s ‘em play but his method is to focus all the talent and emotion.
Paul Maurice? He’s got most of the horses back from the Cup run of 2006 and knows when to use a light touch. Tortorella? Stanley Cup winner who out-thunk and out-complained Ken Hitchcock. Bob Gainey of the Canadiens? Five-time Cup winner as player, one title as GM.
For the third consecutive playoff appearance, the same questions have gone unanswered: goaltending, scoring balance, defense, and coaching. Were any of them close to being answered at any time down the stretch?
How about these: Are the Flyers really poised to shock the world again, or will they run into a team which basically has their number? How is it that it benefits the Flyers to open the playoffs with two games on the road? Has the organization learned yet that you need to build a team capable of beating all opposition, instead of simply casting your lot to fate?
The fun begins on Wednesday night in the Igloo.
If anything, all these unanswered queries should heighten the drama.
All they needed was one point. One point to break a deadlock between them and cross-state enemy Pittsburgh and lock up home-ice advantage during the first round of the playoffs.
One lousy, stinking point. And they failed.
In this day and age when points are given out more freely than candy hearts at Valentine’s Day, the team that is supposedly “Hungry For More” couldn’t even repay the sellout crowd with a loss in overtime or a shootout.
The Rangers, on the road and already locked into the seventh seed in the conference, had nothing to play for, and still took it to the Flyers like first place was on the line.
Trailing 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, it was the visitors, coached by John Tortorella - that walking-talking human burr-in-the-saddle with the grating New England voice – who snapped back to attention and seized control of the contest.
And what does it say that the best chance for the team to tie the game came with just over five minutes left, when third-line grinder Arron Asham missed a wide-open net?
Sure, there’s six 25-goal scorers stacking up the top two lines, but what after that? What happens when the primary directive to clamp down on Carter, Richards, Hartnell, et al is successful? I bet you’d love to have Scottie Upshall back, salary cap be damned.
Along with the bomb against the Blueshirts, examining the other New York club should be an excellent barometer to predict where the Flyers are relative to some other potential postseason partners, heading to Mellon Arena on Wednesday night for Game 1.
The Islanders finished with the worst record in the NHL. In their final four games, they lost to the Hurricanes, Penguins, Flyers and Bruins – all four now striving for the Stanley Cup.
Carolina slaughtered them, 9-0. Pittsburgh merely turned in a clock-punching 6-1 decision. Boston embarrassed them, 6-2.
The Flyers? They won, but it was a 3-2 death struggle which was in doubt until the final buzzer sounded.
Which of the four might not appear like a team geared up for a playoff run?
After the game, Richards and Danny Briere in particular affected a disaffected stance on the loss and the way it went down when questioned by reporters.
Maybe they have a point. Over the last decade, it really hasn’t mattered who gets home-ice advantage because lower seeds have pulled off some shocking upsets. Maybe, since they’re the ones fully ensconced in the day-to-day, the ones who are ultimately responsible for the final, they can see what’s ahead and won’t dwell on one piece of a long journey.
But maybe it’s a resounding negative, to see the players in actions and in words, win or lose, lack passion and emotion with so much on the line. They might think they can beat the Penguins, but the gap between thinking and doing has gotten wider now that Dan Bylsma has provided a boost as head coach that Michel Therrien couldn’t.
Ah, yes. As always it does come down to coaching this time of year. When the effort of the players falters, it’s up to the man behind the slats to outfox his counterpart. It is yet another speed bump to success – in this series and beyond.
Go through each of the other six head coaches who will lead their club into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and tell me that John Stevens has any kind of edge over a single one of them.
Claude Julien of Boston? Engineered an upset of the Bruins as head coach of a less-talented Montreal team in 2004. Brent Sutter from New Jersey? A wash at best, because he also embraces a bull-headed approach to simple systematic hockey. Washington’s Bruce Boudreau? Let’s ‘em play but his method is to focus all the talent and emotion.
Paul Maurice? He’s got most of the horses back from the Cup run of 2006 and knows when to use a light touch. Tortorella? Stanley Cup winner who out-thunk and out-complained Ken Hitchcock. Bob Gainey of the Canadiens? Five-time Cup winner as player, one title as GM.
For the third consecutive playoff appearance, the same questions have gone unanswered: goaltending, scoring balance, defense, and coaching. Were any of them close to being answered at any time down the stretch?
How about these: Are the Flyers really poised to shock the world again, or will they run into a team which basically has their number? How is it that it benefits the Flyers to open the playoffs with two games on the road? Has the organization learned yet that you need to build a team capable of beating all opposition, instead of simply casting your lot to fate?
The fun begins on Wednesday night in the Igloo.
If anything, all these unanswered queries should heighten the drama.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Flyers come up lame in season finale, lose to Rangers; Pittsburgh gets fourth seed
Sean Avery and Blair Betts scored in the third period to lift the New York Rangers over the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3, in the season finale for both teams at Wachovia Center.
Brandon Dubinsky tallied twice for the Rangers (43-30-9), who ended the season with three straight wins and, as the seventh seed in the conference, begin the playoffs at Southeast champion Washington.
Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves for his 38th win of the season.
Danny Briere posted a goal and assist for the Flyers (44-27-11), who dropped three of their final five games and failed to lock up the fourth seed in the East.
Philadelphia needed just one point to move ahead of the Penguins, but instead will open the postseason on the road at Pittsburgh, which registered one more regular-season victory.
Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also lit the lamp, but Martin Biron was denied his 30th win of the season and 200th career victory, taking the loss after allowing all four goals on 31 shots.
Avery one-timed a Scott Gomez feed from the left wing 4:35 into the third for a 3-3 deadlock, then Betts knocked home his own rebound for a 4-3 Rangers lead at 9:02.
Arron Asham missed a wide-open net with just under six minutes left in regulation, and several other close calls for the home team went by the wayside.
Biron went to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:12 to play, but Lundqvist and the Rangers defense managed to shut down the Flyers the rest of the way.
Giroux took a cross-crease feed by Briere and slid the puck home from along the goal line at 5:26 of the first. The Rangers equalized via the power play, as a Derek Morris drive from the point hit Dubinsky's skate in front and trickled in at 8:07.
Carter used a laser-precision wrister inside the right post for a power-play goal and a 2-1 Flyers lead at 12:36, but Dubinsky netted a shorthanded goal a little more than two minutes later.
Briere put Philadelphia back on top by deflecting an Andrew Alberts floater from the point 2:19 into the second. Biron kept New York off the board with 10 stops in the frame.
Game Notes
The Rangers won four of six meetings this season...Dubinsky's second score was the first shorthanded goal given up by the Flyers this season. The club had not allowed a goal while on the power play in 103 games...Carter finished the season with 46 goals, second in the NHL to Alex Ovechkin (56)...Philly was denied a chance to reach the 100-point plateau for the 18th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2005-06.
Brandon Dubinsky tallied twice for the Rangers (43-30-9), who ended the season with three straight wins and, as the seventh seed in the conference, begin the playoffs at Southeast champion Washington.
Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves for his 38th win of the season.
Danny Briere posted a goal and assist for the Flyers (44-27-11), who dropped three of their final five games and failed to lock up the fourth seed in the East.
Philadelphia needed just one point to move ahead of the Penguins, but instead will open the postseason on the road at Pittsburgh, which registered one more regular-season victory.
Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also lit the lamp, but Martin Biron was denied his 30th win of the season and 200th career victory, taking the loss after allowing all four goals on 31 shots.
Avery one-timed a Scott Gomez feed from the left wing 4:35 into the third for a 3-3 deadlock, then Betts knocked home his own rebound for a 4-3 Rangers lead at 9:02.
Arron Asham missed a wide-open net with just under six minutes left in regulation, and several other close calls for the home team went by the wayside.
Biron went to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:12 to play, but Lundqvist and the Rangers defense managed to shut down the Flyers the rest of the way.
Giroux took a cross-crease feed by Briere and slid the puck home from along the goal line at 5:26 of the first. The Rangers equalized via the power play, as a Derek Morris drive from the point hit Dubinsky's skate in front and trickled in at 8:07.
Carter used a laser-precision wrister inside the right post for a power-play goal and a 2-1 Flyers lead at 12:36, but Dubinsky netted a shorthanded goal a little more than two minutes later.
Briere put Philadelphia back on top by deflecting an Andrew Alberts floater from the point 2:19 into the second. Biron kept New York off the board with 10 stops in the frame.
Game Notes
The Rangers won four of six meetings this season...Dubinsky's second score was the first shorthanded goal given up by the Flyers this season. The club had not allowed a goal while on the power play in 103 games...Carter finished the season with 46 goals, second in the NHL to Alex Ovechkin (56)...Philly was denied a chance to reach the 100-point plateau for the 18th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2005-06.
Pain...just...horrible, horrible pain...
Colby Cohen tallied with 8:13 remaining in the first overtime as Boston University rallied from a late two-goal deficit to defeat Miami-Ohio, 4-3, in the NCAA men's hockey national championship at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Cohen used a turn-around shot from the left circle, which deflected off RedHawks' skater Kevin Roeder and dropped behind a stunned Cody Reichard to end the contest.
Zach Cohen, Chris Connolly and Nick Bonino also tallied for the Terriers (35-6-4), who earned the fifth title in school history and first since 1995. Kieran Millan allowed three goals on 32 shots for the win.
The victory finished off a near-perfect season for BU, which won the Beanpot as well as Hockey East regular season and playoff titles, finishing the year as the top-ranked school in the nation. The school also garnered the overall top seed for the tourney and gained its first championship contest since 1997 by besting Ohio State, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Tommy Wingels, Gary Steffes and Trent Vogelhuber scored for the RedHawks, who were denied a chance to win the first national crown in any sport in school history. Reichard suffered the hard-luck loss with 28 stops.
Out of the CCHA, Miami-Ohio (23-13-5) gained the first national hockey final in program history after toppling Denver, Minnesota-Duluth and upstart Bemidji State.
After failing on a late power play, Miami-Ohio took a 3-1 edge when Vogelhuber drilled a shot inside the far post with just over four minutes to play.
Millan was pulled for an extra skater three times in the final 3 1/2 minutes, and the move miraculously paid off twice. Cohen's backhander found space through Reichard with just under one minute left, and Bonino tied it with 17.4 remaining.
BU scored the first goal of the contest, with 4:45 left in the opening period. A point shot from David Warsofsky deflected off a Miami-Ohio player toward the net, and Connolly was there to poke the puck home before Reichard could get his glove down to cover.
Steffes equalized for Miami at 2:01 of the second period, as he slipped a loose puck home from the edge of the crease.
Wingels deposited the rebound of Carter Camper's initial shot with 7:29 left in regulation and the RedHawks led 2-1.
Game Notes
Boston University defenseman and Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy picked up an assist...There were 13 prior overtime title games, with the last coming in 2002, as Minnesota topped Maine.
Cohen used a turn-around shot from the left circle, which deflected off RedHawks' skater Kevin Roeder and dropped behind a stunned Cody Reichard to end the contest.
Zach Cohen, Chris Connolly and Nick Bonino also tallied for the Terriers (35-6-4), who earned the fifth title in school history and first since 1995. Kieran Millan allowed three goals on 32 shots for the win.
The victory finished off a near-perfect season for BU, which won the Beanpot as well as Hockey East regular season and playoff titles, finishing the year as the top-ranked school in the nation. The school also garnered the overall top seed for the tourney and gained its first championship contest since 1997 by besting Ohio State, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Tommy Wingels, Gary Steffes and Trent Vogelhuber scored for the RedHawks, who were denied a chance to win the first national crown in any sport in school history. Reichard suffered the hard-luck loss with 28 stops.
Out of the CCHA, Miami-Ohio (23-13-5) gained the first national hockey final in program history after toppling Denver, Minnesota-Duluth and upstart Bemidji State.
After failing on a late power play, Miami-Ohio took a 3-1 edge when Vogelhuber drilled a shot inside the far post with just over four minutes to play.
Millan was pulled for an extra skater three times in the final 3 1/2 minutes, and the move miraculously paid off twice. Cohen's backhander found space through Reichard with just under one minute left, and Bonino tied it with 17.4 remaining.
BU scored the first goal of the contest, with 4:45 left in the opening period. A point shot from David Warsofsky deflected off a Miami-Ohio player toward the net, and Connolly was there to poke the puck home before Reichard could get his glove down to cover.
Steffes equalized for Miami at 2:01 of the second period, as he slipped a loose puck home from the edge of the crease.
Wingels deposited the rebound of Carter Camper's initial shot with 7:29 left in regulation and the RedHawks led 2-1.
Game Notes
Boston University defenseman and Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy picked up an assist...There were 13 prior overtime title games, with the last coming in 2002, as Minnesota topped Maine.
Friday, April 10, 2009
BU's Gilroy wins Hobey Baker
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Executive Committee announced Friday that Boston University senior defenseman Matt Gilroy was named the 29th winner of college hockey's most prestigious individual honor.
Named after a legendary Princeton hockey player who died in World War I, the award recognizes strength of character in players both on and off the ice.
Gilroy, who is captain of the Terriers, has posted eight goals and 36 points in 43 games. He led all Hockey East backliners in points and also ranks third in the nation in point total.
He is the second player in Boston University history to earn the honor, after current New York Rangers captain Chris Drury was named in 1998.
Gilroy is the first Hobey winner with a chance to lead his team to a national championship since Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold did so in 2002. That year, the Golden Gophers topped Maine in overtime for the title.
He is also the first player from Hockey East to win since Boston College senior defenseman Mike Mottau won in 2000.
Brad Thiessen, junior goalie from Northeastern, and Colin Wilson, sophomore forward and Gilroy's teammate from BU, were the other two finalists.
University of Michigan forward Ryan Porter took home the award last season.
Named after a legendary Princeton hockey player who died in World War I, the award recognizes strength of character in players both on and off the ice.
Gilroy, who is captain of the Terriers, has posted eight goals and 36 points in 43 games. He led all Hockey East backliners in points and also ranks third in the nation in point total.
He is the second player in Boston University history to earn the honor, after current New York Rangers captain Chris Drury was named in 1998.
Gilroy is the first Hobey winner with a chance to lead his team to a national championship since Minnesota defenseman Jordan Leopold did so in 2002. That year, the Golden Gophers topped Maine in overtime for the title.
He is also the first player from Hockey East to win since Boston College senior defenseman Mike Mottau won in 2000.
Brad Thiessen, junior goalie from Northeastern, and Colin Wilson, sophomore forward and Gilroy's teammate from BU, were the other two finalists.
University of Michigan forward Ryan Porter took home the award last season.
BU, Miami set to meet in NCAA hockey final
The Miami-Ohio RedHawks ended the cinderella dream of Bemidji State in the national semifinal on Thursday with a 4-1 victory, giving the tiny midwestern CCHA school entry to its first-ever hockey title contest.
Boston University, on the other hand, survived a good ol'fashioned fight against Hockey East rival Vermont in the second semi, scoring twice late to steal a 5-4 victory and gain the national final for the first time since 1997.
Hobey Baker finalist Colin Wilson netted the game-winner late in regulation for the Terriers, who seek their first championship since 1995.
Given that BU is the last best team remaining, I wonder if parity has already struck after the tournament field was recently expanded to 16 from 12, eliminating byes for the top two teams in the former two regions.
There were a disproportionate amount of upsets and surprising scores over those three days two weeks ago, and as a result, I don't know even close to as much about Miami-Ohio as I do about my alma mater's mortal enemies.
My guess is, this is Jack Parker's year after his BU teams traditionally were the best in Boston but couldn't stack up against the teams who were built to win on a national stage; I recall a Terriers squad in 2000 poised for success before being derailed in quadruple overtime by St. Lawrence of all schools.
I think that team, with freshman sensation Rick DiPietro in net along with an unspectacular but rock-solid roster, was the best team BU had until this one.
Still, Miami comes from the CCHA, which is a conference that still prizes a more open, fluid game that demands skill at all positions. From what little I saw, it looks like they will have to work harder than BU and keep control of the puck to have success; a hallmark of all recent Hockey East teams who advance to the Frozen Four is their work-ethic, particularly in backchecking.
Therefore, minimizing mistakes, particularly in long passes, is a key for success for the RedHawks. Other than that, I don't see any glaring weaknesses that BU can exploit.
Boston University, on the other hand, survived a good ol'fashioned fight against Hockey East rival Vermont in the second semi, scoring twice late to steal a 5-4 victory and gain the national final for the first time since 1997.
Hobey Baker finalist Colin Wilson netted the game-winner late in regulation for the Terriers, who seek their first championship since 1995.
Given that BU is the last best team remaining, I wonder if parity has already struck after the tournament field was recently expanded to 16 from 12, eliminating byes for the top two teams in the former two regions.
There were a disproportionate amount of upsets and surprising scores over those three days two weeks ago, and as a result, I don't know even close to as much about Miami-Ohio as I do about my alma mater's mortal enemies.
My guess is, this is Jack Parker's year after his BU teams traditionally were the best in Boston but couldn't stack up against the teams who were built to win on a national stage; I recall a Terriers squad in 2000 poised for success before being derailed in quadruple overtime by St. Lawrence of all schools.
I think that team, with freshman sensation Rick DiPietro in net along with an unspectacular but rock-solid roster, was the best team BU had until this one.
Still, Miami comes from the CCHA, which is a conference that still prizes a more open, fluid game that demands skill at all positions. From what little I saw, it looks like they will have to work harder than BU and keep control of the puck to have success; a hallmark of all recent Hockey East teams who advance to the Frozen Four is their work-ethic, particularly in backchecking.
Therefore, minimizing mistakes, particularly in long passes, is a key for success for the RedHawks. Other than that, I don't see any glaring weaknesses that BU can exploit.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Senators give Clouston two-year deal
The Ottawa Senators have rewarded head coach Cory Clouston with a two-year contract through the 2010-11 season.
Clouston took over the for the fired Craig Hartsburg on February 2 with the Senators mired in last place in the Northeast Division at 17-24-7. While Ottawa will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign, the team has responded to the coaching change by producing a mark of 19-10-3 under Clouston.
The announcement comes after the Senators extended their home winning streak to nine games with a 3-2 win over Boston on Tuesday night. Ottawa has won its last three games overall -- beating playoff contenders Philadelphia and Montreal in addition to Tuesday's triumph -- and will close the season with games against New Jersey on Thursday at home and at Toronto on Saturday.
Clouston was in his second season as head coach of Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton when he got the call to take over behind the parent club's bench. He had a record of 59-48-12-8 with Binghamton after spending five years as head coach at Kootenay of the Western Hockey League.
Clouston took over the for the fired Craig Hartsburg on February 2 with the Senators mired in last place in the Northeast Division at 17-24-7. While Ottawa will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign, the team has responded to the coaching change by producing a mark of 19-10-3 under Clouston.
The announcement comes after the Senators extended their home winning streak to nine games with a 3-2 win over Boston on Tuesday night. Ottawa has won its last three games overall -- beating playoff contenders Philadelphia and Montreal in addition to Tuesday's triumph -- and will close the season with games against New Jersey on Thursday at home and at Toronto on Saturday.
Clouston was in his second season as head coach of Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton when he got the call to take over behind the parent club's bench. He had a record of 59-48-12-8 with Binghamton after spending five years as head coach at Kootenay of the Western Hockey League.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Huzzah!
Jeff Carter scored the game-winner early in the third period, as the Philadelphia Flyers locked up a playoff berth by edging Florida, 2-1, at Wachovia Center.
Joffrey Lupul picked up the other goal for the Flyers, who have won two of three and earned their third trip to the postseason in the last four seasons. Coupled with the Hurricanes' rout of the Islanders, Philly and Carolina are still deadlocked for the fourth seed at 97 points. The Flyers have one game in hand on the Hurricanes, however.
Martin Biron made 29 stops for the win, his 28th of the season.
Brett McLean provided the lone offense for the Panthers, who have dropped two of three and slipped into ninth place in the East, two points behind New York after the Rangers topped Montreal.
Tomas Vokoun was strong in the loss with 28 saves.
Carter put the Flyers ahead at the 7:32 mark of the third period, hitting the net from a sharp angle along the goal line with a shot that appeared to trickle through a small space between the left post and Vokoun's equipment.
Philadelphia's defense was able to clamp down with the lead, allowing just five Panther shots over the final 20 minutes.
Vokoun was called to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:14 to play, and the only time Biron was tested came with 10 seconds left, as he was quick to stop a backhander by David Booth by closing his pads.
Florida picked up the first goal of the contest. Michael Frolik beat a Flyers defenseman to a dump-in and dished into the slot for McLean for a glove-side wrister exactly 4 1/2 minutes into the second period.
Lupul was credited with the tying goal with 4:15 to play in the second. Matt Carle carried to the goal line on the right wing and dished into the crease, where the puck hit Lupul's skate, clipped the left post and settled in.
Game Notes
Carter has 12 game-winning tallies on the year, tops in the NHL, and also moved into second place in the NHL's goal-scoring race, one ahead of Devils forward Zach Parise who was blanked in Toronto's 4-1 win...The clubs split four meetings this season...Philly defenseman Ryan Parent suffered a lower- body injury in the second period and did not return...Flyers forward Riley Cote was lost for the remainder of the season following surgery on his right ring finger on Tuesday.
Joffrey Lupul picked up the other goal for the Flyers, who have won two of three and earned their third trip to the postseason in the last four seasons. Coupled with the Hurricanes' rout of the Islanders, Philly and Carolina are still deadlocked for the fourth seed at 97 points. The Flyers have one game in hand on the Hurricanes, however.
Martin Biron made 29 stops for the win, his 28th of the season.
Brett McLean provided the lone offense for the Panthers, who have dropped two of three and slipped into ninth place in the East, two points behind New York after the Rangers topped Montreal.
Tomas Vokoun was strong in the loss with 28 saves.
Carter put the Flyers ahead at the 7:32 mark of the third period, hitting the net from a sharp angle along the goal line with a shot that appeared to trickle through a small space between the left post and Vokoun's equipment.
Philadelphia's defense was able to clamp down with the lead, allowing just five Panther shots over the final 20 minutes.
Vokoun was called to the bench for an extra attacker with 1:14 to play, and the only time Biron was tested came with 10 seconds left, as he was quick to stop a backhander by David Booth by closing his pads.
Florida picked up the first goal of the contest. Michael Frolik beat a Flyers defenseman to a dump-in and dished into the slot for McLean for a glove-side wrister exactly 4 1/2 minutes into the second period.
Lupul was credited with the tying goal with 4:15 to play in the second. Matt Carle carried to the goal line on the right wing and dished into the crease, where the puck hit Lupul's skate, clipped the left post and settled in.
Game Notes
Carter has 12 game-winning tallies on the year, tops in the NHL, and also moved into second place in the NHL's goal-scoring race, one ahead of Devils forward Zach Parise who was blanked in Toronto's 4-1 win...The clubs split four meetings this season...Philly defenseman Ryan Parent suffered a lower- body injury in the second period and did not return...Flyers forward Riley Cote was lost for the remainder of the season following surgery on his right ring finger on Tuesday.
Shenanigans
The Flyers really can kill two birds with one stone tonight.
All they need to do is lose in overtime or a shootout, and they will
A) Clinch a playoff berth, while...
B) Letting Florida (possibly) vault over the Rangers into the eighth seed in the East and deal the Rangers a blow to their playoff hopes.
Of course, the Rangers will have something to say about it because they're at home against a ripe-for-the-picking Montreal club which lost two of its defenseman for the long term.
The Flyers...well, why not engage in a bit of shadiness? The Penguins set their entire playoff run from last year in motion by tanking at the end, so why can't the orange and black help themselves a little bit extra by laying down?
Winning puts a nice little ribbon clinching the playoff berth, since this year it comes without all the white-knuckle drama. But losing and manipulating the ridiculous system which awards points for losses beyond regulation, and at the expense of a hated rival, is too good to pass up.
Come on now, you can't realistically think that it won't cross the mind of someone on the team today. They're just not going to say that in public.
They're also not going to throw in a real stinker - that was last Wednesday - so it'll come off like a great effort which came up a bit short.
Whatever the case, it'll at least be two clubs in very nasty moods, each vying for something very important.
All they need to do is lose in overtime or a shootout, and they will
A) Clinch a playoff berth, while...
B) Letting Florida (possibly) vault over the Rangers into the eighth seed in the East and deal the Rangers a blow to their playoff hopes.
Of course, the Rangers will have something to say about it because they're at home against a ripe-for-the-picking Montreal club which lost two of its defenseman for the long term.
The Flyers...well, why not engage in a bit of shadiness? The Penguins set their entire playoff run from last year in motion by tanking at the end, so why can't the orange and black help themselves a little bit extra by laying down?
Winning puts a nice little ribbon clinching the playoff berth, since this year it comes without all the white-knuckle drama. But losing and manipulating the ridiculous system which awards points for losses beyond regulation, and at the expense of a hated rival, is too good to pass up.
Come on now, you can't realistically think that it won't cross the mind of someone on the team today. They're just not going to say that in public.
They're also not going to throw in a real stinker - that was last Wednesday - so it'll come off like a great effort which came up a bit short.
Whatever the case, it'll at least be two clubs in very nasty moods, each vying for something very important.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Carter's first career hat trick key, as Flyers outlast Maple Leafs
Courtesy of the Sports Network
Jeff Carter notched the first hat trick of his career and added an assist, as the Philadelphia Flyers outlasted the Toronto Maple Leafs, 8-5, in the back end of a home-and-home set at the Wachovia Center.
Danny Briere had a goal and three assists while Claude Giroux added a goal and two helpers for the Flyers, who had dropped three of four coming into the game. Marty Biron stopped 27 shots in the win.
Philadelphia now has 94 points on the season and moved into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Carolina. Also, the Flyers have a game in hand on the Hurricanes and play in Ottawa on Saturday.
Nikolai Kulemin had a goal and two assists while Luke Schenn and Jamal Mayers each added a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three of their last four. Martin Gerber and Curtis Joseph each saw time in net, with Gerber giving up six goals on 30 shots and Joseph allowing two goals on five shots.
On Wednesday, Ian White netted the game-winner in the second period and Joseph was solid with 32 saves to help Toronto to a 3-2 win over Philly.
The Flyers assumed a large lead in the first period, scoring five times while blanking the Leafs for the opening 20 minutes.
Randy Jones got things started, as he backhanded a loose puck into the net just 4:24 in, and Giroux made it 2-0 at the 7:48 mark when he slammed the puck in from down low.
Philadelphia made it 3-0 on the power play, as Mike Richards sent a pass from the left point to the slot where Simon Gagne kicked it from his skate to his stick and wristed the puck through a screen at the 9:02 mark to chase Gerber from the net.
Joseph, though, fared no better, as Scott Hartnell got his 30th goal of the season when his shot from the top of the left circle went off the stick of Pavel Kubina and snuck into the net with 3:37 left in the frame.
Carter completed the barrage 1 1/2 minutes later as he was sprung on a breakaway and lifted a backhand into the top of the net.
Carter notched his second goal of the game 6:48 into the second period, as he redirected a Briere pass at the left side of the net.
Toronto was not subdued, as it notched three goals on three straight shots in the latter portion of the second period to cut its deficit in half.
On the power play, Schenn notched his second goal of the season, as his shot from the right point went through a screen, and Boyd Devereaux scored 1:37 later when his one-timer went past Biron's glove
Mikhail Grabovski made it a 6-3 game with 11.4 seconds left in the frame, as his turnaround slap shot beat Biron.
Carter went on to complete the hat trick 4:37 into the third period, when his shot from a sharp angle at the left side squeezed past Gerber.
Toronto got a goal back at the 7:32 mark, as Biron left a lazy rebound in front and Kulemin wristed it home.
Less than three minutes later, Giroux hit Briere with a perfect pass in the slot and Briere fired it home for the club's eighth goal of the contest. It was the first time Philly registered that many goals against Toronto since March 19, 1989 in an 8-6 victory.
Toronto got a goal from Mayers with 8:21 to play to account for the final score.
Jeff Carter notched the first hat trick of his career and added an assist, as the Philadelphia Flyers outlasted the Toronto Maple Leafs, 8-5, in the back end of a home-and-home set at the Wachovia Center.
Danny Briere had a goal and three assists while Claude Giroux added a goal and two helpers for the Flyers, who had dropped three of four coming into the game. Marty Biron stopped 27 shots in the win.
Philadelphia now has 94 points on the season and moved into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Carolina. Also, the Flyers have a game in hand on the Hurricanes and play in Ottawa on Saturday.
Nikolai Kulemin had a goal and two assists while Luke Schenn and Jamal Mayers each added a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three of their last four. Martin Gerber and Curtis Joseph each saw time in net, with Gerber giving up six goals on 30 shots and Joseph allowing two goals on five shots.
On Wednesday, Ian White netted the game-winner in the second period and Joseph was solid with 32 saves to help Toronto to a 3-2 win over Philly.
The Flyers assumed a large lead in the first period, scoring five times while blanking the Leafs for the opening 20 minutes.
Randy Jones got things started, as he backhanded a loose puck into the net just 4:24 in, and Giroux made it 2-0 at the 7:48 mark when he slammed the puck in from down low.
Philadelphia made it 3-0 on the power play, as Mike Richards sent a pass from the left point to the slot where Simon Gagne kicked it from his skate to his stick and wristed the puck through a screen at the 9:02 mark to chase Gerber from the net.
Joseph, though, fared no better, as Scott Hartnell got his 30th goal of the season when his shot from the top of the left circle went off the stick of Pavel Kubina and snuck into the net with 3:37 left in the frame.
Carter completed the barrage 1 1/2 minutes later as he was sprung on a breakaway and lifted a backhand into the top of the net.
Carter notched his second goal of the game 6:48 into the second period, as he redirected a Briere pass at the left side of the net.
Toronto was not subdued, as it notched three goals on three straight shots in the latter portion of the second period to cut its deficit in half.
On the power play, Schenn notched his second goal of the season, as his shot from the right point went through a screen, and Boyd Devereaux scored 1:37 later when his one-timer went past Biron's glove
Mikhail Grabovski made it a 6-3 game with 11.4 seconds left in the frame, as his turnaround slap shot beat Biron.
Carter went on to complete the hat trick 4:37 into the third period, when his shot from a sharp angle at the left side squeezed past Gerber.
Toronto got a goal back at the 7:32 mark, as Biron left a lazy rebound in front and Kulemin wristed it home.
Less than three minutes later, Giroux hit Briere with a perfect pass in the slot and Briere fired it home for the club's eighth goal of the contest. It was the first time Philly registered that many goals against Toronto since March 19, 1989 in an 8-6 victory.
Toronto got a goal from Mayers with 8:21 to play to account for the final score.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Thunder Comes Down From On High...
Take a gander at this piece from Panaccio, from CSN today.
It's just another angle of the somewhat rambling and philosophical piece I had going earlier.
Exactly why is it that the veterans (if they are really dogging it) are called out? Why is the warning nothing more than just a strong plea for more "attitude?"
And does Holmgren really understand (coaching change and coaching style which gets more out of players/trades which upgraded the roster) the reasons behind the Pens' resurgence? Both of the reasons in parentheticals, by the way, are two chief reasons the Flyers could have avoided this budding mess, but here we are...
Panaccio says the Pens have been playing with a sense of "urgency," Well...DUH! They're in the same position the Flyers were a year ago. It's natural to have to make a charge if you're out of the picture in late February.
Other than Simon Gagne (who I will admit to their credit that several of my non-professional friends said disappeared in the last 6 weeks), Holmgren has no basis to call anyone out. What more can Mike Richards and Jeff Carter do? What more can Knuble and Hartnell do? Holmgren and the cap mismanagement left them with two top lines and two lines of mush.
How about lighting a fire under the rear end of Dan Carcillo, supposedly the bargain replacement for Scottie Upshall? Or Riley Cote, to stop fighting after Carcillo fights, and maybe pump in a goal every 50 games or so instead of trying to save his job as fourth-line goon?
Maybe Paul Holmgren isn't as progressive as we thought. Maybe he's still a relic, albeit a less-weathered one, of the Clarke-Barber past, in that he thinks publicly lashing players for a nebulously logical "attitude change" is enough.
Maybe, somewhere behind those cold brown Nordic eyes, he recognizes that with Comcast controlling the purse-strings, he's hamstrung in terms of moves and therefore the only bullets left in the arsenal is to go to the press with a 5,000 volt shock to his troops.
If so, he'd better have some private meetings with the coaching staff, because that's where it all starts.
I never have, and never will buy the philosophy that says "A professional shouldn't have to have an outside source motivate him when the time comes to deliver."
Tell that the Montreal Canadiens of the 1970's. Multiple players have spoken some variation of this quote about former head coach Scotty Bowman:
"We hated him 364 days out of the year, but on Day 365, we got our Stanley Cup rings."
The Habs from 1972-79 were the last great dynasty, without a weakness from forward to backup goaltender. And yet, Bowman cajoled them into the realm of Hockey Gods with five Cups in seven years due to his curious brand of tinkering.
To push your players beyond where they think they can go, unlocking some extra-special talent and toughness in the process, is the mark of an intelligent, driven, successful bench boss.
Mike Keenan was a master motivator, a real hands-on psychological case who had every one of his players figured out within a week. Ken Hitchcock, though of the head-coach-handing-down-orders-from-the-throne sort, also kept his players on edge.
Both have won Stanley Cups, by the way, by taking some great talent and pushing it beyond their collective limit.
John Stevens, Craig Berube, Jack McIlhargey and Joe Mullen are the ones who really should bear the brunt of this potential tempest.
In short, you have a career AHL defenseman, two fighters and a 500-goal scorer who worked their way up the Flyers' ladder to where they are today. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success, eh?
Especially not when the staff's idea of getting these Sleeping Beauties back into the game last night was to pull Martin Biron with four minutes left and constantly mash up lines.
Some nights since Stevens' ascension in 2006, it's like Coaching For Dummies out there and you can't lay this at the feet of the players. Not when today's NHLer has been indoctrinated since juniors at age 15 to think, react and play systematically.
Simply, if you direct these guys to go somewhere, they will only go to that specific place with specific motions at a specific time. If the coaching staff doesn't change their own approach, or their motivational techniques, you eventually have a bunch of empty vessels in skates wandering around, low on physical and psychological fuel, waiting for direction when the usual method fails.
That's a recipe for disaster.
It might not be a stretch then, to think that certain veterans' "disappearances" or need for "attitude" adjustments may be the first public indication that the Stevens method of operation isn't sitting well.
But thinking is not the strong suit when you're fronting an NHL franchise. It's still an old boys' club, with a similar way of scheming and conducting business and a stock way to motivate the players you're shoveling money toward. Ken Dryden, Hall-of-Fame goaltender for Montreal, the resident deep thinker for the game and owner of a Juris Doctor basically got laughed out of the ranks, his relatively unspectacular era as Maple Leafs GM aside, for being book smart and not hockey smart.
True, there are only so many former head coaches out of a job who might be able to manage this special group of Flyers but you've got to admit that whoever they are, they are all of a better stock than Stevens et al.
Marc Crawford for one. He has experience as a young coach turning the young Nordiques/Avalanche franchise around in the mid 1990's. He also turned the Canucks from a smoking wreckage into the West Coast Express from 1999-2004. He'd bring the right mix of fire, hockey IQ, and ultimate success that could drive this engine and prevent its sputtering at inopportune times like this.
But all that is for the future, which we know will include hockey beyond April 12.
For now, you have a riddle of a team not yet solved by conventional minds, prodded along by a figurehead in a way that's reminiscent of the apes trying to smash open the Monolith with huge bones.
I can only hope when the femur lands on Paul Holmgren's head, it jolts his mind and eyes to see things more clearly.
Going down the path of exhorting your players to do better, work harder, or adjust their attitudes just doesn't cut it. Like when they're really not to blame.
It's just another angle of the somewhat rambling and philosophical piece I had going earlier.
Exactly why is it that the veterans (if they are really dogging it) are called out? Why is the warning nothing more than just a strong plea for more "attitude?"
And does Holmgren really understand (coaching change and coaching style which gets more out of players/trades which upgraded the roster) the reasons behind the Pens' resurgence? Both of the reasons in parentheticals, by the way, are two chief reasons the Flyers could have avoided this budding mess, but here we are...
Panaccio says the Pens have been playing with a sense of "urgency," Well...DUH! They're in the same position the Flyers were a year ago. It's natural to have to make a charge if you're out of the picture in late February.
Other than Simon Gagne (who I will admit to their credit that several of my non-professional friends said disappeared in the last 6 weeks), Holmgren has no basis to call anyone out. What more can Mike Richards and Jeff Carter do? What more can Knuble and Hartnell do? Holmgren and the cap mismanagement left them with two top lines and two lines of mush.
How about lighting a fire under the rear end of Dan Carcillo, supposedly the bargain replacement for Scottie Upshall? Or Riley Cote, to stop fighting after Carcillo fights, and maybe pump in a goal every 50 games or so instead of trying to save his job as fourth-line goon?
Maybe Paul Holmgren isn't as progressive as we thought. Maybe he's still a relic, albeit a less-weathered one, of the Clarke-Barber past, in that he thinks publicly lashing players for a nebulously logical "attitude change" is enough.
Maybe, somewhere behind those cold brown Nordic eyes, he recognizes that with Comcast controlling the purse-strings, he's hamstrung in terms of moves and therefore the only bullets left in the arsenal is to go to the press with a 5,000 volt shock to his troops.
If so, he'd better have some private meetings with the coaching staff, because that's where it all starts.
I never have, and never will buy the philosophy that says "A professional shouldn't have to have an outside source motivate him when the time comes to deliver."
Tell that the Montreal Canadiens of the 1970's. Multiple players have spoken some variation of this quote about former head coach Scotty Bowman:
"We hated him 364 days out of the year, but on Day 365, we got our Stanley Cup rings."
The Habs from 1972-79 were the last great dynasty, without a weakness from forward to backup goaltender. And yet, Bowman cajoled them into the realm of Hockey Gods with five Cups in seven years due to his curious brand of tinkering.
To push your players beyond where they think they can go, unlocking some extra-special talent and toughness in the process, is the mark of an intelligent, driven, successful bench boss.
Mike Keenan was a master motivator, a real hands-on psychological case who had every one of his players figured out within a week. Ken Hitchcock, though of the head-coach-handing-down-orders-from-the-throne sort, also kept his players on edge.
Both have won Stanley Cups, by the way, by taking some great talent and pushing it beyond their collective limit.
John Stevens, Craig Berube, Jack McIlhargey and Joe Mullen are the ones who really should bear the brunt of this potential tempest.
In short, you have a career AHL defenseman, two fighters and a 500-goal scorer who worked their way up the Flyers' ladder to where they are today. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success, eh?
Especially not when the staff's idea of getting these Sleeping Beauties back into the game last night was to pull Martin Biron with four minutes left and constantly mash up lines.
Some nights since Stevens' ascension in 2006, it's like Coaching For Dummies out there and you can't lay this at the feet of the players. Not when today's NHLer has been indoctrinated since juniors at age 15 to think, react and play systematically.
Simply, if you direct these guys to go somewhere, they will only go to that specific place with specific motions at a specific time. If the coaching staff doesn't change their own approach, or their motivational techniques, you eventually have a bunch of empty vessels in skates wandering around, low on physical and psychological fuel, waiting for direction when the usual method fails.
That's a recipe for disaster.
It might not be a stretch then, to think that certain veterans' "disappearances" or need for "attitude" adjustments may be the first public indication that the Stevens method of operation isn't sitting well.
But thinking is not the strong suit when you're fronting an NHL franchise. It's still an old boys' club, with a similar way of scheming and conducting business and a stock way to motivate the players you're shoveling money toward. Ken Dryden, Hall-of-Fame goaltender for Montreal, the resident deep thinker for the game and owner of a Juris Doctor basically got laughed out of the ranks, his relatively unspectacular era as Maple Leafs GM aside, for being book smart and not hockey smart.
True, there are only so many former head coaches out of a job who might be able to manage this special group of Flyers but you've got to admit that whoever they are, they are all of a better stock than Stevens et al.
Marc Crawford for one. He has experience as a young coach turning the young Nordiques/Avalanche franchise around in the mid 1990's. He also turned the Canucks from a smoking wreckage into the West Coast Express from 1999-2004. He'd bring the right mix of fire, hockey IQ, and ultimate success that could drive this engine and prevent its sputtering at inopportune times like this.
But all that is for the future, which we know will include hockey beyond April 12.
For now, you have a riddle of a team not yet solved by conventional minds, prodded along by a figurehead in a way that's reminiscent of the apes trying to smash open the Monolith with huge bones.
I can only hope when the femur lands on Paul Holmgren's head, it jolts his mind and eyes to see things more clearly.
Going down the path of exhorting your players to do better, work harder, or adjust their attitudes just doesn't cut it. Like when they're really not to blame.
The Song Remains The Same
So, how about those games in hand, eh?
They've really prevented the Flyers from landing in the same situation from last April, right?
After last night's less than urgent 3-2 win over the definitely-not-making-the-playoff Toronto Maple Leafs, then a monster 6-1 Penguins torching of New Jersey...the Flyers are locked in a battle for home-ice.
Philly and Pittsburgh have 92 points, and are both idle. Carolina, in sixth spot with 91 points, may very well vault over both into fourth spot with a home triumph against the equally-driven New York Rangers. Should the Blueshirts win, they tie Carolina for sixth with 91 points.
John Stevens and his boys now have exactly one tiny margin for error, in that final game-in-hand against the other three clubs breathing down their collective necks. They have confoundingly gained two freakin' points on the Devils as the Horned Ones have dropped a season-worst six games in succession but still lead the Atlantic Division.
They must play like the team which surged to the conference final round...every shift of every period from now on. If not, they're clearly going to land further down the ladder.
But we've been down this road so many times before with the last two Stevens-coached teams that it really doesn't matter how we question things, does it? They happen how they happen and nothing much changes, like tiny waves of liquid in a container, sloshing against each other but never spilling over the brim. It's a bizarre kind of equilibrium.
Maybe we all should just be happy they're going to play beyond April 12, and let the chips fall where they may, because that's what the front office is banking on. Play your way into the postseason and anything goes if you get hot at the right time.
Never mind about the talent, the system and the execution being better or worse than your opponent. Blind luck is the guiding force to get your club to the Stanley Cup Finals, if you drink the orange Kool-aid.
Last year, at least you had the deadline deals to spur the team for the rest of the season after that hideous 10-game losing streak in February. They had to do it to survive, then carried the momentum into two playoff rounds.
This year, the club was supposedly better, more seasoned. As was the head coach and his staff. But it's basically the same destination, gained by a different route. Where is the progress then?
I can't even say that Friday home against the Leafs and Saturday on the road against spoiler Ottawa will go any way towards explaining how the team operates. They could lose both, then rip off four straight wins to end the schedule and end up comfortably in fourth.
One thing I can definitely say about this weird run is that the Flyers better figure out a way to lose beyond regulation - even if it takes a tiny bit more effort.
As ridiculous as I believe the OT loss/shootout loss points to be, they are the most valuable kind of points besides the two for a win, and it is not beneath the franchise to impress upon their charges that every last point counts. There is no honor in losing in regulation, especially when there's a bona fide stinker like last night at Air Canada Centre.
I guess the toughest part for all of us watching the drama unfold is that we have to suffer through six more mini soap operas. The Flyers must be cool knowing that they need maybe one or two more wins to earn the right to start over come April 15.
They've really prevented the Flyers from landing in the same situation from last April, right?
After last night's less than urgent 3-2 win over the definitely-not-making-the-playoff Toronto Maple Leafs, then a monster 6-1 Penguins torching of New Jersey...the Flyers are locked in a battle for home-ice.
Philly and Pittsburgh have 92 points, and are both idle. Carolina, in sixth spot with 91 points, may very well vault over both into fourth spot with a home triumph against the equally-driven New York Rangers. Should the Blueshirts win, they tie Carolina for sixth with 91 points.
John Stevens and his boys now have exactly one tiny margin for error, in that final game-in-hand against the other three clubs breathing down their collective necks. They have confoundingly gained two freakin' points on the Devils as the Horned Ones have dropped a season-worst six games in succession but still lead the Atlantic Division.
They must play like the team which surged to the conference final round...every shift of every period from now on. If not, they're clearly going to land further down the ladder.
But we've been down this road so many times before with the last two Stevens-coached teams that it really doesn't matter how we question things, does it? They happen how they happen and nothing much changes, like tiny waves of liquid in a container, sloshing against each other but never spilling over the brim. It's a bizarre kind of equilibrium.
Maybe we all should just be happy they're going to play beyond April 12, and let the chips fall where they may, because that's what the front office is banking on. Play your way into the postseason and anything goes if you get hot at the right time.
Never mind about the talent, the system and the execution being better or worse than your opponent. Blind luck is the guiding force to get your club to the Stanley Cup Finals, if you drink the orange Kool-aid.
Last year, at least you had the deadline deals to spur the team for the rest of the season after that hideous 10-game losing streak in February. They had to do it to survive, then carried the momentum into two playoff rounds.
This year, the club was supposedly better, more seasoned. As was the head coach and his staff. But it's basically the same destination, gained by a different route. Where is the progress then?
I can't even say that Friday home against the Leafs and Saturday on the road against spoiler Ottawa will go any way towards explaining how the team operates. They could lose both, then rip off four straight wins to end the schedule and end up comfortably in fourth.
One thing I can definitely say about this weird run is that the Flyers better figure out a way to lose beyond regulation - even if it takes a tiny bit more effort.
As ridiculous as I believe the OT loss/shootout loss points to be, they are the most valuable kind of points besides the two for a win, and it is not beneath the franchise to impress upon their charges that every last point counts. There is no honor in losing in regulation, especially when there's a bona fide stinker like last night at Air Canada Centre.
I guess the toughest part for all of us watching the drama unfold is that we have to suffer through six more mini soap operas. The Flyers must be cool knowing that they need maybe one or two more wins to earn the right to start over come April 15.
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