The Hockey Stop

The Dirty Low Down

2010-01-05T17:34:00.002-05:00

So, it's 2010 and I've been neglecting things here once again. There are several reasons:

1) We've had more responsibilities with less people at work so there's not enough time to play around once stories come out

2) I've spent so much time at work that I don't feel like sitting in front of a computer to ferret out stories on the web and create new material -- even though I've got a lot of hockey-related things on my mind through the first half of the season.

3) Finally...FINALLY, this trivia book which I've been quietly promoting for the last 8 1/2 months is nearing the final stages of completion. More editing and more questions forthcoming, and since we's gonna get PAID for this, whatever energy and creativity I feel now will be devoted to finishing this bastard off.

As such, I will most likely end up linking this site (still as my own personal domain) with that of the site of the group as whom we are writing said trivia book.

Beyond a simple biography and a ton of questions, people who travel over from the main link will be able to flip through the archives and see what kind of semi-professional hockey nerd I am.

Flyers begin preseason, lose to Red Wings

2009-09-17T16:20:00.002-04:00

James vanRiemsdyk's first professional goal was the lone offense the Flyers mustered in an exhibition-opening 3-1 loss to the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday.

In his Flyers debut, Ray Emery stopped 23-of-25 shots.

Philly plays the Toronto Maple Leafs in London, Ontario on Thursday.

Hedican retires

2009-09-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

Veteran defenseman Bret Hedican, who spent last season with the Anaheim Ducks, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

Hedican posted just one goal and six points in 51 games for Anaheim in 2008-09, after six-plus seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.

"After 17 years of playing, I have decided to move on to the next chapter of my life," Hedican said. "I'm proud to have played this game for as long as I have and I'm leaving with no regrets."

The 39-year-old was a 10th-round selection of the St. Louis Blues in 1988, and made his NHL debut late in the 1991-92 season. After appearing in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, Hedican was dealt along with Pavel Bure in a blockbuster deal to Florida in January, 1999.

Hedican was shipped to the Hurricanes early in the 2001-02 campaign, and posted some of his best years with Carolina, setting a career-high in goals with seven in 2003-04, then posting 27 points in 2005-06 when the 'Canes won the Cup.

In 1,039 total regular-season games with five clubs, the St. Paul, Minnesota native had 55 goals, 294 points and 893 penalty minutes. He added four goals and 26 points in 108 playoff contests.

Devils troubled even before season starts

2009-09-17T16:17:00.000-04:00

New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias is expected to miss 3-to-6 weeks with groin issues.

The club announced on Wednesday that Elias, who was set to begin his 13th season with the team, had a procedure to break up scar tissue in his groin which had built up over the last four seasons. The Czech native underwent groin surgery during the 2005-06 campaign which limited him to 38 contests.

Last season, the 33-year-old tallied 31 goals to go with 78 points in 77 games, breaking John MacLean's long-held franchise points record in the process.

New Jersey begins its preseason slate by hosting the New York Rangers Wednesday, then commences the 2009-2010 season October 3 against Philadelphia.

Bruins broadcaster Cusick passes

2009-09-17T16:16:00.003-04:00

Fred Cusick, who was the voice of the Boston Bruins for more than four decades, passed away Tuesday.

Cusick, who was 90 years old, broadcast Bruins hockey on radio and television from 1953 until his retirement following the 1996-97 season.

"Those fortunate enough to inherit the position Fred Cusick created are merely playing on the land he cleared," said current Bruins television voice Jack Edwards. "None of us will ever have the impact he had in generating the fan base for this team. We have lost a great pioneer."

During his tenure, the Bruins won Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972, also appearing in eight other Cup Finals. Following his retirement from the Bruins, Cusick also called games for the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters until 2002.

Late news but big news nonetheless

2009-09-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

The San Jose Sharks won the Dany Heatley lottery as the team acquired the left wing from the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

In exchange for the 28-year-old All-Star, the team sent right wing Jonathan Cheechoo and left wing Milan Michalek along with San Jose's second-round pick in the 2010 draft to Ottawa. San Jose also got a fifth-round pick in the 2010 draft from Ottawa.

On the opening day of training camp, Ottawa shipped out the unhappy winger as he felt he wasn't being used properly on the team. He had earlier refused to waive his no-trade clause in a possible deal to Edmonton.

A dazzling offensive talent, Heatley has twice eclipsed the 100-point plateau in his seven-year career.

Last season, he finished 10th in the league in goals with 39 and added 33 assists while playing in all 82 games. However, the point total was his lowest since the 2003-04 season when he totaled just 25 points in 31 games due to injuries he sustained in a traffic accident that killed his then Atlanta teammate, Dan Snyder.

In his career, the second overall pick of the 2000 draft has appeared in 507 games with Atlanta and Ottawa and has 260 goals and 283 assists. He won the Calder Trophy in 2002 and has been voted into five All-Star games.

Cheechoo is a six-year veteran and has played all 440 NHL games with the Sharks. He has 165 goals and 126 assists during that time.

His best season came during the 2005-06 campaign when he set career highs in points (93), goals (56) and assists (37).

Michalek has played all five of his NHL seasons with San Jose. Over 317 games he has 91 goals and 123 assists.

An Appraisal

2009-09-07T13:05:00.002-04:00

I think the only thing more screwed up than the NHL right now is the state of our government with respect to health care and the latent racism it has brought out in these town-hall meetings.

I hate to say it, because I love the league so much, but I see more and more negatives in the sport than positives. Sometimes I pass it off as the accumulation of an average of three games a night in season for the last three years per my job; that's often balanced out by knowing that very often, what I've seen is at least very close to reality.

First of all is this ridiculously drawn-out process with the Coyotes.

I really don't know who to blame but it's hard to defend a power structure which locks out the one person in the whole process who is tailor-made to end the drama. Jim Balsillie can move the team to Hamilton, upgrade Copps Coliseum to NHL standards, pay the transfer fee, pay the indemnity fee to Toronto and Buffalo, AND pay off Jerry Moyes' creditors - THEN still have money left over to run the club on more than a functional level.

But it won't happen because the cabal in charge (30 owners and Gary Bettman) don't want to have that New Money smell hanging around their Old Money ways.

Other than causing a burp in the divisional alignments, the only problem I can see in Balsillie's ownership is that Hamilton itself does not represent the growth potential the league set out in its business model once teams drifted away from small-market Canada in the mid 90's. I'd imagine that the retraction of a team from a metro area of 4 million into one of a million-plus does not look good for the pablum they're trying to push down our throats about hockey being a national and international game.

However, the hockey-readiness of Hamilton far outstrips that of Phoenix even as the Valley of the Sun has been involved in the NHL game for almost 15 years. This is what I want to see in my league, not a ton of bullshit about growth potential and reaching new fans, because that's what got us in the predicament in the first place with Columbus and Atlanta and the 'Yotes.

The second thorn is this tomfoolery with the NHLPA.

Not even a sniff of anything was covered in the United States all summer, but the dominoes have fallen like this: Ombudsman Eric Lindros "tendered his resignation" at the position in the late Spring over constant battles with NHLPA head Paul Kelly and the union. Some guy named Buzz, apparently on more friendly terms with Kelly, got the job.

About a month ago, rumblings out of Canada reported that the players' reps were so dissatisfied with Kelly that they were gathering to decide whether or not to vote him out; that happened early last week.

Then, three days later, NHLPA director of player affairs Glenn Healy quit his post, amidst gossipy recriminations from within. Healy and Kelly were apparently very close, and it was logical that if the players deposed Kelly, Healy wasn't going to last very long.

I understand the core issue was the stark contrast between Kelly's public persona of someone committed to better relations between the union and NHL management and his private distance to the players and his seemingly-growing cabal within his own sphere of influence that grew a little bit too close to Bettman.

Now, Lindros, the uber-sensitive former Golden Child has come out smelling like a rose for putting up with Kelly as long as he did, and the players' union itself is in total disarray having to come up with its fourth head in six years.

The next annoyance is one of fashion.

There has not been too many good-looking third jerseys, or regular jerseys for that matter, released since the NHL went to Reebok Edge unis two years ago. Plus, I'm sick to death of this whole dark-at-home, white-on-road crap that's been going on for seven years.

Calgary this year is joining Edmonton, Buffalo, Philadelphia, the Islanders and Vancouver for whom the third jersey is an almost dead-on replica of beloved classic design. Of these, only Calgary, Edmonton and Buffalo really capture the essence of their former duds. Of all, I'm dismayed that they have to be remade into dark (home? road?) colors only to be worn at home.

By and large since the dark-hued revolution of the 90's, not a lot of jerseys have inspired me. There's in general a lack of color, imagination, jersey design and logo creation. Maybe that has to happen for the evolution in graphic design and most importantly, merchandising, but there's a reason why teams are being smart enough to go retro - while they have to buy in to the corporate merchandising philosophy, they also implicitly agree with a segment of traditional fans that the current designs and colors don't cut it when compared to the old style.

Regardless of what four-toned nightmare gets fronted for what club, I have to renew my assertion that it will help fans new and old in the long run if the league goes back to white at home and dark on the road.

It's been occurring a bit more year after year since the cancelled season, but no more than 10-15 games. It's gotta be all the time. I'm tired of trying to figure out who's home and who's away based on jersey color, especially when I have multiple games going on at work at the same time. I'm tired of my parents and less-tuned-in friends constantly questioning if the Flyers are home when they've been trained to know that dark colors means road game.

Last, is the general blandness of the games anymore.

The day that Sean Avery was demonized and ostracized by his teammates and the league in general over some off-color comments, was the day the old NHL, the fun NHL, died.

Bettman and his boys have constantly missed the forest for the trees, content with the rising impact of concussions, stick fouls, and debilitating injuries to extremities while trying to eradicate the one thing which affords players the chance to police themselves. With the Avery situation in Calgary last December, it's clear that the appearance of propriety above all else is what matters to protect the integrity of the league. Funny, because image concerns is such an 80's thing, and the league was probably at it's zany, brawling, high-scoring peak.

With the retirement of Jeremy Roenick, there are exactly zero players left in the league with anything resembling a personality. There are roughly 600 skaters who are trained automata, programmed in 45-second bursts to do anything within their means to get the puck and score. And the officials do little to back it up.

Where's the good old-fashioned spearing penalty? Willingness to put a team in a hole early/late/whatever with a deserved major for high-sticking, boarding, cross-checking? Any time a brawl erupts with skaters on the ice, four sets of eyes and hands usually combine to do nothing more than put one team down for two minutes, instead of having the stones to

The respect factor is just about gone, and players pretty much feel like they can do anything they want all over the ice (including barreling into the crease because the nets come off faster than a high school slut's prom dress) and they'll get at most a four-minute penalty. That takes away from any drama and tension as to when the inevitable explosion of a line brawl will take place.

On the whole, the best thing I can say is that the games go faster than ever before.

Using the hurry-up facoff rule from Salt Lake City in 2002 on really cut a ton of the petty bullshit surrounding the draw. Even with the extra crutch of a shootout, the average time for a game is a shade under 2 1/2 hours - perfect for people like me who have to write multiple game wraps per night and good for the fans who don't have to alter post-game plans away from the arena.

I never thought I'd get to a 4-to-1 ratio in terms of pro and con with the sport and the NHL in general, but it's sad it's come to this only four years after things were supposedly set right again.

Training camps and preseason games start next week, and that's a good warming up period, albeit not one which will provide many answers as to how the season will progress.

Things are about to get ugly, and I can't help but feel in that cinematic, Coen brothers sort of way with all the intertwining story lines.

Kelly out after short reign as NHLPA head

2009-08-31T15:46:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

The NHL Players' Association voted to dismiss executive director Paul Kelly on Monday less than two years after he was hired for the job.

The NHLPA executive board, comprised of 30 representatives from each of the league's teams, announced the move at their annual meetings in Chicago and released a statement.

"Following the Executive Board's review of the overall operation of the NHLPA, it was decided that Paul Kelly should no longer continue to serve as Executive Director. We appreciate Mr. Kelly's service to our Association."

Kelly was named the fourth executive director in NHLPA history in October of 2007. A search for his replacement will begin immediately.

The former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts was involved in the investigation of former NHLPA leader Alan Eagleson and was chosen to replace Ted Saskin, who was fired amid allegations he ordered the spying of NHLPA player e-mail related to his initial hiring.

At the time, it was felt that Saskin's actions might have given away an alliance between he and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, particularly during negotiations to bring an end to the stalemate which wound up cancelling the 2004-05 season.

Kelly was brought on board under the guise of propriety and professing more solidarity with the players, but, according to reports out of Canada, Kelly's ouster may have come as a result of his perceived closeness with Bettman relative to the union which he represented.

This is interesting...

2009-08-28T11:39:00.001-04:00

According to Canada's TSN, NHLPA head Paul Kelly may not have the mandate he seems to enjoy based on favorable reaction since his installment two years ago.

Read on...

Former Flyer Sillinger retires

2009-08-26T19:43:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

New York Islanders veteran center Mike Sillinger announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Wednesday.

"To play the sport of hockey, something I've had a passion for all my life, at the professional level for the past 17 years and to be able to support my family has been a dream come true," said Sillinger. "From playing this game I have met some of my best friends and will cherish the memories we made forever."

The 38-year-old played three of his 17 seasons for the Islanders, tallying 42 goals and 45 assists over 141 games, while serving as the club's alternate captain.

"Mike has and always will be a tremendous ambassador for this game," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "He is a born leader in everything he does and on behalf of the New York Islanders I wish him and his family the very best in the future."

Sillinger, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 1989 NHL draft by Detroit and played for an NHL record 12 teams. He was also traded nine times, tied for most in league annals with Brent Ashton.

In 1,049 career games, the gritty forward recorded 240 goals and 308 assists for 548 points with Detroit, Anaheim, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa, Columbus, Phoenix, St. Louis, Nashville and the Islanders.

More College Hockey

2009-08-22T13:25:00.001-04:00

I seriously don't know how I missed this, but there's going to be a documentary released very shortly about the history of the Boston College-Boston University war on ice.

This is definitely on my Christmas list if it comes out by then, and possibly a late 32nd birthday present if later in 2010.

Read on...

Hockey East 2009-2010 Schedules Finally released

2009-08-22T13:19:00.002-04:00

For those of us steeped in the tradition of college hockey, this time of year is key because schedules are finally released and road trips can finally be planned while we sweat profusely in the boring, eerily quiet August heat.

My alma mater gets their season rolling in earnest on October 17 at Vermont. Other key games are October 23 at Notre Dame (part of BC-ND weekend, this year at South Bend); a two-game set at Maine November 20-21 at the always tough Alfond Arena; the January 8 BC-BU battle outdoors at Fenway and the seemingly ever-present gauntlet of a season-ending home-and-home set against New Hampshire March 5-6.

For all other team schedules, head over to Hockey East Online.

Marleau stripped of captaincy

2009-08-19T11:55:00.002-04:00

The San Jose Sharks reported late Tuesday that Patrick Marleau, who has worn the "C" since January, 2004, has been stripped of the rank.

Sharks head coach Todd MacLellan is leaving open the possibility that he can regain the status prior to the start of the regular season on October 1, but the title is there for the taking as part of MacLellan's attempted re-shaping of the franchise.

San Jose won the Presidents' Trophy in 2008-09 but were embarrassed to a first-round exit by division rival Anaheim. Since reaching the Western Finals in 2004, San Jose has not made it past the conference quarterfinals in four straight seasons despite being one of the league's elite during the regular season.

In addition, the associate captain title is also up for grabs.

Joe Thornton and Mike Grier held that position a year ago, but free-agent Grier went unsigned and returned to Buffalo earlier in the month, and Thornton continues to be an enigma as far as leadership capabilities are concerned - a label which has haunted him since the early part of the decade in Boston.

Rangers bring in Prospal

2009-08-18T13:44:00.001-04:00

The New York Rangers on Monday agreed to terms with free agent forward Vinny Prospal.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the New York Post reported Sunday that the contract is for one year.

The native of the Czech Republic posted 19 goals and 45 points in 82 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008-09, his third tenure with the club.

"Vinny is a highly-skilled player with good offensive instincts and the ability to play on the wing or at center," said Rangers general manager Glen Sather. "We think he will give us added flexibility and brings a veteran presence to our lineup."

A veteran of 12 NHL seasons with the Flyers, Senators, Panthers, Lightning and Ducks, Prospal has collected 198 goals and 599 points in 874 contests, while adding nine goals and 34 points in 60 postseason games.

College Hockey comes to Fenway

2009-08-13T15:45:00.001-04:00

Word out of Boston, albeit from late last night, is that there will be a college hockey doubleheader at Fenway Park on Friday, January 8.

The marquee matchup will be Boston College-Boston University, with a women's game to follow.

Read on from the Boston Herald...

Flyers sign four

2009-08-11T16:49:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have signed defenseman Danny Syvret to a one-year contract, center Zac Rinaldo to a three-year entry-level contract and goaltender Nicola Riopel and defenseman David Sloane to one-year American Hockey League contracts, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

Syvret, 24, recorded new career highs in points (57), goals (12) and assists (45) in 76 games with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, this past season. He led the Phantoms in assists and finished third on the team and led the defense in points, which also ranked second among AHL defensemen. He represented the Phantoms in the AHL All-Star Classic, while also appearing in two games with the Flyers.

A native of Millgrove, Ontario, Syvret has accumulated 117 points (18G,99A) in 258 regular season AHL games and over parts of three seasons with the Flyers and Edmonton Oilers (2005-06 to 2006-07; 2008-09), he has one assist and 12 penalty minutes in 28 regular season NHL games.

Rinaldo, 19, completed his second full season in the Ontario Hockey League, where he posted 30 points (10G,20A) and 201 penalty minutes in 56 games. He split time between the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, recording 13 points (6G,7A) and 112 penalty minutes in 34 games prior to being traded to the London Knights, where he posted 17 points (4G,13A) and 89 penalty minutes in 22 games.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Rinaldo has posted 44 points (17G,27A) and 394 penalty minutes in 125 regular season games in the OHL. He was selected by the Flyers in the sixth round (178th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Riopel, 20, was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft after finishing a three-year career with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In 2008-09, he posted a 43-15-0 record with a 2.01 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 59 appearances, including five shutouts. He was awarded the Michel Briere Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the QMJHL and Jacque Plante Trophy for having the best goals-against average (2.01 – new QMJHL record), and was also named to the QMJHL’s First All-Star Team.

A native of St. Pie De Bagot, Quebec, Riopel spent three seasons of play in Moncton, where he compiled a record of 75-56-0 with a 2.67 GAA, .915 save percentage and seven shutouts in 143 appearances. He also has a 6-8 career postseason record with a 2.76 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts in 14 games.

Sloane, 24, made his NHL debut, appearing in one game with the Flyers (April 9 at NY Rangers) in 2008-09 after spending the previous four seasons at Colgate University, where he posted four assists and 37 penalty minutes in 35 games in his senior season and was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.

A native of Ambler, Pennsylvania, Sloane appeared in 129 career games at Colgate, recording 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points and 100 penalty minutes. He also played for the Phantoms this past season, recording two penalty minutes in one contest.

Flyers change ECHL affiliate

2009-08-05T15:50:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

The Philadelphia Flyers reached a minor league affiliation agreement with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL for the 2009-10 season, the NHL team announced.

"We are pleased to have the Kalamazoo Wings as our ECHL affiliate and look forward to a strong working relationship with them," Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said.

"I am excited and looking forward to enhancing the development of the Flyers prospects and working with such a successful organization," said Paul Pickard, Wings Stadium and Kalamazoo Wings President.

The Wings replace the Mississippi Sea Wolves as the Flyers' ECHL affiliate.

Numminen brings 20-year NHL career to a close

2009-08-05T13:46:00.001-04:00

Teppo Numminen, a 20-year NHL veteran who played the last four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, made his retirement official on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old returned from missing the 2007-08 season due to heart surgery and posted two goals and 17 points in 57 games last year for the Sabres.

"I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play with and against the best players in the world for so many years," Numminen admitted. "Playing hockey in the NHL and also for my country was very enjoyable. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, fans, and the media for all the great years."

Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the 1986 draft, Numminen made his NHL debut during the 1988-89 season. In 1,372 regular-season games with the Jets/Coyotes, Stars and Sabres, he racked up 117 goals and 637 points.

He participated in more NHL games than any other Finnish-born player, surpassing Hall of Fame forward Jari Kurri in November, 2006. In addition, Numminen represented Finland in four Winter Olympic games (1988, 1998, 2002, 2006), five World Championships, and two World Cup of Hockey tournaments.

A slick, puck-moving defenseman with a deceptive shot from the point, Numminen's best statistical campaign came in the Jets' final season in Winnipeg in 1995-96, with 11 goals and 54 points in 74 games. However, it was not until 1999 that he received an All-Star nod, and was selected to the mid- season contest for three straight seasons from 1999-2001.

He served as captain of the Coyotes from 2001-03, and was an alternate captain with the Sabres.

"I'm certainly going to miss playing the game," Numminen added. "I appreciate everything the game has given me, and now I look forward to spending more time with my family."

Roenick set to retire

2009-08-04T15:36:00.001-04:00

According to a press release from the San Jose Sharks, the club is set to make an announcement on Thursday afternoon (eastern time) regarding Jeremy Roenick.

Though nothing is official, it is expected that the always ebullient JR will finally announce his retirement.

NHL barking up wrong tree with contract examinations

2009-08-04T13:21:00.003-04:00

Now that official word came down from the NHL that it will also investigate Chris Pronger's seven-year contract with the Flyers, it makes the Blackhawks look way less suspicious and the league more paranoid.

As far as I have read, not one source of the story, either from the league itself or from reported outlets, has quoted a violation of any league rule with respect to the way the money in both deals is spread out.

What I did hear was that Gary Bettman was upset that Chicago and Philly violated the "spirit" of the salary cap with some creative accounting.

Oh, their bad...I guess.

NHLPA head Paul Kelly also chimed in over the weekend, telling Tim Panaccio that both deals were well within the parameters of the existing rules behind the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Granted, Kelly is a lawyer acting on behalf of these athletes that get paid and don't care how the money is presented (as long as they get all of it), but again, if his legal acumen and research proves that no rules were broken, the NHL itself will be hard pressed to quote a chapter or verse in defense of their investigation.

As long as there will be former hockey players or businessmen in charge of purse strings or contracts, the competitive nature of capitalism will have free rein. If there's a loophole to be found because these people are not smart enough to fit every contract under the cap by straightforward means, there will be GMs and owners who will find it and exploit it.

Perhaps that's why Bettman is reacting like an angry schoolmarm in sending his G-Men to suss out the situation - the back-room dealing which marks his legal upbringing was once again exposed for the benefit of someone else other than what he controls.

But still...no rules were actually broken.

I can see how "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" agreements being exposed are not good PR for a league still struggling with relevance, but that's the price of business across the globe.

If Bettman wants changes to be made, the current CBA expires in two years, and I'm sure he can build a consensus working with the players' association to make appropriate changes and/or compromise.

Instead, he's got a PR nightmare on his hands as in both Hossa and Pronger's cases, as the facts for both have seemingly been presented as if there was untoward cheating behind each contract and not the usual manipulation to save the Hawks and Flyers financial headaches down the line.

The story behind the story really is, why are general managers in the NHL loading up players near the end of their careers with long multi-year contracts in the first place?

These are contracts based on pure speculation, and apparently not based on prior experience.

In reality, everyone needs to find out what is the actual benefit of enticing players to end their careers with any club if there's the guarantee of a front-loaded deal. Why is there the sudden fear that players near the end of the line with some impact won't sign with a team unless they're showed the money up front?

The supposed effect is for short-term cap pain, there is more cap space to be gained on the back end in the future.

Of course, that future can get very cloudy based on the year-to-year fluctuation in the actual salary cap number, never mind the changing fortunes of the team on the ice which is guaranteed to predicate some emergency moves which might involve unreasonable amounts of cash.

Maybe it's this style of thinking which locks teams into this cyclical problem in the future anyway, and it's easy to see how it might occur again, especially if neither Hossa nor Pronger decide to hang up the skates at a time which each man's team might have expected.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that neither Dale Tallon nor Paul Holmgren committed any kind of fraud or broke any rule in creating these deals, however you may feel about the contracts themselves.

It'll just be an embarrassing mess when the league, just to save face, makes up some ridiculous token penalty which may or may not act as a deterrent.

Meanwhile, with one door of opportunity closing, the remaining 28 general managers and owners will get to work on finding another loophole in another rule to get what they need.

Crackhawks, Part Duex

2009-07-31T16:20:00.002-04:00

As if the Dale Tallon mail fraud from around July 1 wasn't bad enough, read this piece from Canada's TSN about Marian Hossa's contract...

How dumb do you have to be to get this stuff leaked to the press? I imagine that the Wirtz family built foot-thick solid oak walls and durable wood paneling in each and every office in the United Center to seal up all that backroom dealing for good.

Even if not, who in the organization could have lips this loose?

On the surface, the alleged agreement is hardly newsworthy. However, when you factor in the length of the contract and, you know, those pesky...rules...the whole thing stinks to high heaven.

Suffice to say the Blackhawks organization is like one of those houses on stilts in the Outer Banks, and the high tide from the coming hurricane is just about ready to erode the supports.

Flyers sign Norwegian defenseman; prelude to Jones' departure?

2009-07-30T17:25:00.002-04:00

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to a one-year contract on Thursday.

Tollefsen appeared in only 19 games in 2008-09 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and recorded one assist and 37 penalty minutes.

A native of Oslo, Norway, Tollefsen is just the fifth Norwegian-born player to play in the NHL -- and the second to do so with the Flyers. Patrick Thoresen appeared in 21 regular-season games and 14 playoff contests for the Flyers two seasons ago.

Over parts of four NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, Tollefsen has collected four goals, 10 points and 273 penalty minutes in 145 career games. He was originally selected by Columbus in the third round of the 2002 draft.

The move may presage the buyout/release of defenseman Randy Jones, whose play has deteriorated over the last two seasons due to hip problems and subsequent surgery which may or may not have healed properly.

Thanks to Chicago, Coyotes apparently staying in Phoenix

2009-07-30T13:15:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

The National Hockey League's board of governors approved an application by Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf to purchase the financially-strapped Phoenix Coyotes.

Meeting in Chicago, the board of governors also rejected the bid of billionaire Jim Balsillie, who was set to move the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement Wednesday attesting to the approval of Reinsdorf's bid to assume ownership. Reinsdorf, who owns the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, has told the league he would keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

"There were three applicant groups that were interviewed by the executive committee and considered by the board. One was Jim Balsillie's. The second was a group headed by Anthony LeBlanc, involving Mr. LeBlanc, Keith McCullough, Todd Jordan and Daryl Jones. And the third group, headed by Jerry Reinsdorf, included as well Tony Tavares and John Kaites," said the commissioner.

"Mr. Reinsdorf's application was unanimously approved by all those Board members present and voting, subject to the league's completion of its due diligence and review of the final transaction," added Bettman. "In Mr. Balsillie's case, it was the unanimous vote of all members present and voting that his application not be approved. With respect to the LeBlanc group, it was determined that, at this stage, since they've only recently begun the process, the application was incomplete and could not yet be acted on by the board. However, the executive committee reported favorably on the LeBlanc group's interview and endorsed the group's continued efforts to complete a bid to purchase the franchise.

Last month, bankruptcy court Judge Redfield T. Baum rejected a proposed sale of the team to Balsillie.

In May, Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 reorganization with a proposed sale of $212.5 million to PSE Sports & Entertainment LP, which would have moved the team to southern Ontario.

Since moving to the desert in 1996 from Winnipeg, the team has consistently lost money and has had trouble drawing a fan base. The Coyotes have only made the playoffs five times since going to the desert and have never made it past the first round. Also, the team has had just one winning season since last making the playoffs in the 2002-03 season.

Prospal no longer a Bolt

2009-07-29T13:18:00.002-04:00

Several sources, including the St. Pete Times, are reporting that Vaclav "Vinny" Prospal was bought out of the remaining three years of his four-year deal sometime between last night and this morning.

For the right (read low) price, could he be headed back to Philly for a third time? He did show excellent chemistry with Danny Briere during the late stages of the '08 regular season and playoffs - but made it explicitly clear he didn't want to remain a Flyer.

That shouldn't deter Paul Holmgren, who is determined to fill his forward-line gaps with salary castoffs from other teams and countries.

Gilbert named Phantoms head coach

2009-07-28T19:37:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have named Greg Gilbert as the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren. He is the sixth head coach in Phantoms franchise history.

“We are pleased to add Greg to our organization as head coach of the Phantoms,” said Holmgren. “He has a wealth of coaching experience at many levels and has shown a unique ability to work well with younger players.”

“I am very honored to be a part of the Philadelphia family and organization,” said Gilbert. “I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to working with the young players in this organization. I am a patient coach. I have spent a lot of time working with young players and teaching them the game and helping them hone their skills and become better individuals. I am also looking forward to teaching them what it is like to be a part of a team and what the expectations and accountabilities are.”

Gilbert, 47, joins the Phantoms after spending the previous three seasons as head coach of the Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, where he compiled a 123-89-10-18 record, including a 39-29-5-7 mark in 2008-09. In just his second season as head coach of the Marlies, Gilbert finished the regular season with a 50-21-3-6 record and led the team to the Western Conference Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

He also spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the Calgary Flames (2000-01 to 2002-03), where he compiled a 42-56-23 record in 121 games. Prior to his days in Calgary, Gilbert spent four seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Worcester IceCats (1996-97 to 1999-2000), compiling a 145-121-37-17 record in 320 regular season games, and was awarded the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as outstanding head coach in the AHL for the 1996-97 season. Overall, Gilbert has a career head coaching record of 268-210-47-35 in 560 games in the AHL.

In addition to his head coaching experience, Gilbert has appeared in over 800 games, over parts of 15 seasons (1981-82 to 1995-96) as a player in the National Hockey League. He was a member of three Stanley Cup Championship teams, helping lead the New York Islanders to the title in 1982 and 1983, while winning his third Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.

Gilbert has recorded a total of 150 goals and 228 assists for 378 points and 576 penalty minutes in 837 regular season games with the Islanders (1981-82 to 1988-89), Chicago Blackhawks (1988-89 to 1992-93), Rangers (1993-94) and St. Louis Blues (1994-95 to 1995-96). He has also recorded 50 points (17G,33A) and 162 penalty minutes in 133 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Gilbert was originally selected by the Islanders in the fourth round (80th overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

U.S. Hockey Hall gets new members, including inventor of ice-smoothing equipment

2009-07-28T12:20:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of NHL.com

With the 2010 Winter Olympics right around the corner, there's no better time for the United States Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee to announce its star-studded Hall of Fame Class for 2009.

This year's inductees, made official Tuesday, include the 1998 women's Olympic hockey team, former U.S. Olympic medalists John LeClair, Tony Amonte and Tom Barrasso and inventor Frank Zamboni, who'll be inducted posthumously.

The U.S. women's ice hockey team, coached by Ben Smith, won the sport's inaugural Olympic gold medal by going undefeated and twice beating the favored Canadians. The women's team will join the 1960 and 1980 men's Olympic teams as the only groups to be enshrined into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

Cammi Granato, captain of that '98 U.S. Team in Nagano, Japan, was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last year. Behind Granato's 4 goals and 4 assists in six games, the Americans earned the gold while outscoring the opposition, 36-8. The United States would defeat Canada, 3-1, in the gold-medal game on Feb. 17, 1998.

"I've never been on a team where everyone realized their role and sort of gave up their pride and said, 'OK, I'm not on the power play, but can handle it and I'll do my job the best I can,' and that's difficult to find," Granato said of her '98 Olympic teammates. "We hadn't won a world championship previously and were completely dominated by Canada, more psychologically speaking than anything else. So how were we going to beat them on the biggest stage ever? As one of the leaders of the team, that's what I had to figure out and we worked really hard at that. When you get that recipe, it often leads to something great and you could feel that building within our team."

LeClair, Amonte and Barrasso were teammates on the silver-medal winning men's team at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

"We hadn't won a world championship previously and were completely dominated by Canada, more psychologically speaking than anything else. So how were we going to beat them on the biggest stage ever? As one of the leaders of the team, that's what I had to figure out and we worked really hard at that. When you get that recipe, it often leads to something great and you could feel that building within our team."
-- Cammi Granato, captain of the 1998 U.S. Women's Ice Hockey Team
LeClair, of St. Albans, Vt., became the first American-born NHL player to post three consecutive 50-goal seasons -- all with the Philadelphia Flyers. He played for the Flyers for 10 seasons, totaling 333 goals, and finished his 17-season NHL career with 406 goals in 967 games. He represented the United States in the 1998 Olympics, '96 World Cup and the '88 and '89 World Junior Championships.

LeClair finished second in scoring among all players in the '96 World Cup, helping the Americans to a memorable performance with 6 goals and 10 points in seven games. He was also part of the "Divine Line" at the '02 Winter Olympics, skating alongside Brett Hull and Mike Modano -- the highest-scoring trio (9 goals, 21 points in 6 games) in the tournament. He was drafted 33rd by the Canadiens in 1987 and would win a Stanley Cup in Montreal in 1993. LeClair spent his final two seasons in Pittsburgh.

Six-time NHL All-Star Amonte played for Team USA in the 1998 Olympics, the '96 World Cup, the '91 and '93 World Championships, the '90 Goodwill Games and the '89 and '90 World Junior Championships. The Hingham, Mass., native scored the game-winner for Team USA in the decisive third game of the best-of-three championship series against Canada in the '96 World Cup.

Drafted 68th in 1988 by the New York Rangers, Amonte placed third in the balloting for the Calder Trophy in 1991-92 after scoring 35 goals and 69 points. Following three seasons with the Rangers, Amonte was traded to Chicago where he scored at least 30 goals five times. He also had a string of playing in all 82 regular-season games five straight seasons (1997-98 through 2001-02) with the Blackhawks. Amonte played for five teams -- the Rangers, Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Flyers and Calgary Flames -- before retiring in 2008 with 416 goals and 900 points in 1,174 NHL games.

Boston native Barrasso, the first American-born goalie to reach 300 wins, was originally drafted fifth by the Buffalo Sabres out of Acton-Boxborough High School in the 1983 Entry Draft -- at the time the highest a goalie had ever been selected at the draft.

Barrasso made his NHL debut with the Sabres straight out of high school the following season, going 26-12-3 with a 2.84 goals-against average to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie and the Vezina Trophy as the League's top goalie. He represented the United States at the 1984 and '87 Canada Cups and the '86 IIHF World Championship. Barrasso retired in 2003 after an 18-year NHL career, during which he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues. He compiled a career regular-season record of 369-277-86, with a 3.24 goals-against average and 38 shutouts in 777 career NHL games.

It was in 1949 that Zamboni, born in Eureka, Utah, invented the first self-propelled ice resurfacing machine that you now see at every hockey rink throughout the world. He did this by modifying a tractor -- adding a blade that shaved the ice smooth, swept up the shavings into a tank and rinsed the ice while leaving a very thin layer of water. The Zamboni family maintained the business following Frank's death at the age of 87 in 1988. The company has plants in Los Angeles, Ontario and Switzerland.

Crackhawks Once More

2009-07-24T14:45:00.002-04:00

For all the Chicago Blackhawks did to get to where they are, they just can't help themselves fumbling the ball with the game on the line.

First, it was this ridiculously lame 12-year, multi-bazillion dollar contract given to Marian Hossa. Then, the revelation of former GM Dale Tallon's last-straw foul up/mail fraud trying to deliver qualifying offers to restricted free agents. Now, earlier this week they find out that Hossa hurt his shoulder during the playoffs and is undergoing surgery that will put the start of next season in jeopardy.

I love the line (and I wish I could find the source so I'm paraphrasing here) that said Hossa sure as hell didn't hurt it lifting trophies...

Maybe this shows just how far from the dregs the franchise needs to be lifted even after rocketing so far in just four years. Maybe this shows that the Blackhawks will always have more than a little bit of Cubs in them no matter which Wirtz child runs things.

All I know is, the team took huge steps backward when possibly on the cusp of many years of relative prosperity.

Am I saying they're legitimate Cup contenders? No, despite being in the NHL's final four last season. They were a young team that didn't know they were supposed to be there, and were totally outclassed by a better Detroit squad.

I am saying that a little more organizational stability and brains could have been the perfect motor to keep the momentum going.

Now they have a new GM in Stan Bowman, who though trained in the club for nearly a decade, is going to eventually have to swing things his own way. That may mean further internal shakeups, player dealings and (gasp) coaching changes if (when?) the Hawks don't get off to the scorching start they enjoyed in 2008.

Hossa for Havlat, at best, was swapping high-scoring but ineffective-when-it-counts European players. With the surgery, there's a question of recovery time and readiness for the regular season. There's no Nikolai Khabibulin, lost to free agency in Edmonton, and there's going to be a goaltending carousel in trying to determine where Cristobal Huet, Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi fit into the starter-backup roles.

A saving grace may be the maturation of Kane, Toews, et al, hopefully helped along by Brian Campbell. It doesn't seem like enough.

As of now, it looks like the Blue Jackets and Predators will get a jump by Christmas for the coveted second-place spot in the Central behind the weakened Red Wings. That doesn't bode well for the status quo.

Biron goes to the Islanders

2009-07-22T19:00:00.003-04:00

Despite the talk that Martin Biron's best fit, even though he's priced himself out of most of the league was Colorado, news came down minutes ago that he's signed with the New York Islanders.

Terms are one year for $1.4 million.

That causes a soon-to-be unpleasant goaltending logjam between Marty, Dwayne Roloson (two-year deal) and oft-injured 15-year contract stud boy Rick DiPietro. Also in the wings for this mess are Yann Danis and Joey McDonald.

Taking any and all bets on the first Flyers-Islanders game that Emery and Biron will brawl...Remember this?

Why I Prefer Legitimate Sources

2009-07-19T11:35:00.002-04:00

The apology by Eklund yesterday for erroneous reporting of Alex Tanguay's non-signing in Florida moved me to explain one peeve of mine with the business of reporting.

I work at a wire service, and the information which we compile to go out on our site has to be culled from primary sources, i.e. newspaper, TV, team websites and such. That means something official has either been leaked to a primary source, or the primary source has finalized the information and deemed it ready for publication.

After that, we steal it, re-work it in our own words, and send it to our site, which is then picked up by all our clients. Once it's out there, you can defend your work by saying "X legitimate site" reported this, either in the body of the story or verbally to the boss...and you're off the hook if something gets retracted or changed.

The business of rumor milling really clouds and bastardizes the whole process.

My very good friend is a hockey fan board nut. He follows a ton of them for the Flyers and other teams, and very often he'll text me with a story about a player or coach which I intend to put on here or look for to do a story on at work.

Most often, the source he cites is one of those sites or boards, and I can't do anything with it because the source isn't really recognized as legit or it's in fact second/third/fourth hand information wrecked by the internet's version of "Whisper Down the Lane."

The story MAY in fact be true and MAY be scooped before any major media get to it, but independent fan discussion forums with MAYBE one person connected to a legit source STILL won't ever be fully trusted, I don't care how big internet plays a role in news from now until time immemorial. The checks and balances which ensure major media are doing their job are still not there on the world wide web.

One time he did come up big for me is when he led me to the Peter Zezel death story in late May. I can't recall where he got the original info, but that original tidbit led him to an AM radio site in Toronto - from which I was able to legitimize the story and run with it.

See the difference?

While most HockeyBuzz writers are bloggers sanctioned by their respective clubs, I have a hard time understanding why anyone really follows the head man as a legitimate source.

I understand he's supposedly got people ferreting out news at the team and league level, but he's even admitted that 97 percent of his rumors never even lead to bona fide news!

I also understand that his source in Florida reported in so many words that a deal is done, but even by skeletal journalistic standards, you can't slap an arbitrary high-level code on something and report it as solid news - especially when you readily admit your percentages are low.

In hockey as in life, the first person to go blab a rumor as fact usually is the first person to get majorly burned when it gets back to them. Hence his major front-page apology yesterday.

He at least did a solid by doing his mea culpa and at least did another solid by not diming out his source. But that leads me to wonder - who exactly are his sources at the team level?

Lord knows why people would pay for this, because all it is, is an endless push-and-pull, will-he-won't-he soap-opera of quasi-truths. Then to quantify all this juicy stuff with a pale take on the old Terror Level threat system makes the mistake even more absurd.

I can even understand the race to be first and correct and to beat the competition, but can it really be that even in the blogosphere, it's better to be first and wrong then retract, than it is to be safe and second and right?

I would really like to know the process by which he vets his information, but I assume that probably falls under the secret provisions of source-reporter protocol.

So, the point here is that while I do enjoy reading HB and other independent fan sites and message boards, I'll always remember that it's more a conduit for discussion and venting from the fan base, and can never be a primary tool to distribute legitimate news.

Oh, and by the way, lest you think I'm being some sort of media snob, I felt this way long before I got involved in this crazy business, because as a practical lad, I always valued the facts and how they got there than mere endless discussion of possibilities. Like ESPN before whoring out and bastardizing Patrick and Olbermann's shtick and converting the whole franchise to what it is now.

It's why I have shifted to writing as a media career, instead of winding up on radio as a sports talk host. There's a big difference between thinking you know something and convincing others it's the way it is, and knowing you know something - and knowing how you know it.

Accept no substitutes.
As far as this blog is concerned, it's either opinion or fact, and when it's a rumor I'll try to give a source for the rumor but won't pass it off as solid fact.

I was wrong 2 weeks ago about Antero Niittymaki going to Russia because he went and signed with Tampa, but, well, I'm not trying to get my name out there. This is just a little ol' blog for personal use. Still, you click on the link and see the source.

Flyers news

2009-07-15T16:46:00.008-04:00

Um...Woo-Hoo?

The NHL finally got around to officially revealing one of its worst-kept secrets EVER, and announced to a bored hockey world that the Flyers will indeed play the Bruins on January 1 at Fenway Park in the league's third-annual Winter Classic.

Perhaps more importantly, the NHL released schedules for each of its 30 teams for the upcoming season today. I really like this, because it used to take until mid-August to pin the whole thing down years ago and it was torture to have to sit through 3 weeks of Eagles training camp news before official word came down.

Here is the Flyers' 2009-2010 schedule...

Fri Oct 2, 2009 Flyers Hurricanes 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 3, 2009 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Tue Oct 6, 2009 Capitals Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Oct 8, 2009 Penguins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 10, 2009 Ducks Flyers 7:00 PM
Fri Oct 16, 2009 Flyers Panthers 7:30 PM
Thu Oct 22, 2009 Bruins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 24, 2009 Panthers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sun Oct 25, 2009 Sharks Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Oct 27, 2009 Flyers Capitals 7:00 PM
Sat Oct 31, 2009 Hurricanes Flyers 1:00 PM

Mon Nov 2, 2009 Lightning Flyers 7:00 PM
Fri Nov 6, 2009 Flyers Sabres 7:30 PM
Sat Nov 7, 2009 Blues Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Nov 12, 2009 Senators Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Nov 14, 2009 Sabres Flyers 7:00 PM
Mon Nov 16, 2009 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Nov 18, 2009 Flyers Kings 10:30 PM
Fri Nov 20, 2009 Flyers Sharks 10:30 PM
Sat Nov 21, 2009 Flyers Coyotes 8:00 PM
Mon Nov 23, 2009 Flyers Avalanche 9:00 PM
Wed Nov 25, 2009 Flyers Islanders 7:00 PM
Fri Nov 27, 2009 Sabres Flyers 1:00 PM
Sat Nov 28, 2009 Flyers Thrashers 7:00 PM

Thu Dec 3, 2009 Canucks Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 5, 2009 Capitals Flyers 7:00 PM
Mon Dec 7, 2009 Flyers Canadiens 7:30 PM
Tue Dec 8, 2009 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Dec 10, 2009 Senators Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 12, 2009 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Mon Dec 14, 2009 Flyers Bruins 7:00 PM
Tue Dec 15, 2009 Flyers Penguins 7:00 PM
Thu Dec 17, 2009 Penguins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Dec 19, 2009 Rangers Flyers 1:00 PM
Mon Dec 21, 2009 Panthers Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Dec 23, 2009 Flyers Lightning 7:30 PM
Sat Dec 26, 2009 Flyers Hurricanes 7:00 PM
Sun Dec 27, 2009 Flyers Islanders 5:00 PM
Wed Dec 30, 2009 Flyers Rangers 7:00 PM

Fri Jan 1, 2010 Flyers Bruins (Fenway Park) 1:00 PM
Sun Jan 3, 2010 Flyers Senators 3:00 PM
Wed Jan 6, 2010 Maple Leafs Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 7, 2010 Flyers Penguins 7:30 PM
Sat Jan 9, 2010 Lightning Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Jan 12, 2010 Stars Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 14, 2010 Flyers Maple Leafs 7:00 PM
Sun Jan 17, 2010 Flyers Capitals 3:00 PM
Tue Jan 19, 2010 BJ's Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Jan 21, 2010 Rangers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Jan 23, 2010 Hurricanes Flyers 1:00 PM
Sun Jan 24, 2010 Penguins Flyers 3:00 PM
Thu Jan 28, 2010 Thrashers Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Jan 30, 2010 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM

Mon Feb 1, 2010 Flyers Flames 9:30 PM
Wed Feb 3, 2010 Flyers Oilers 9:30 PM
Sat Feb 6, 2010 Flyers Wild 8:00 PM
Mon Feb 8, 2010 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM
Wed Feb 10, 2010 Flyers Devils 7:00 PM
Fri Feb 12, 2010 Canadiens Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Feb 13, 2010 Flyers Canadiens 7:00 PM

Tue Mar 2, 2010 Flyers Lightning 7:30 PM
Wed Mar 3, 2010 Flyers Panthers 7:30 PM
Fri Mar 5, 2010 Flyers Sabres 7:30 PM
Sun Mar 7, 2010 Maple Leafs Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Mar 9, 2010 Islanders Flyers 7:00 PM
Thu Mar 11, 2010 Bruins Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Mar 13, 2010 Blackhawks Flyers 1:00 PM
Sun Mar 14, 2010 Flyers Rangers 3:00 PM
Tue Mar 16, 2010 Flyers Predators 8:00 PM
Thu Mar 18, 2010 Flyers Stars 8:30 PM
Sat Mar 20, 2010 Flyers Thrashers 7:00 PM
Sun Mar 21, 2010 Thrashers Flyers 7:00 PM
Tue Mar 23, 2010 Flyers Senators 7:30 PM
Thu Mar 25, 2010 Wild Flyers 7:00 PM
Sat Mar 27, 2010 Flyers Penguins 1:00 PM
Sun Mar 28, 2010 Devils Flyers 7:00 PM

Thu Apr 1, 2010 Flyers Islanders 7:00 PM
Fri Apr 2, 2010 Canadiens Flyers 7:00 PM
Sun Apr 4, 2010 Red Wings Flyers 3:00 PM
Tue Apr 6, 2010 Flyers Maple Leafs 7:00 PM
Fri Apr 9, 2010 Flyers Rangers 7:00 PM
Sun Apr 11, 2010 Rangers Flyers 3:00 PM

Jacq is Back

2009-07-13T15:19:00.001-04:00

Lest you think the Flyers are the only team in the division struck by feelings of nostalgia for the old days, the New Jersey Devils just welcomed back Jacques Lemaire.

As in, master of the Neutral Zone Trap, Ruiner of the NHL, and former Devils head coach from 1993-94 to 1997-98.

Read on.

Niittymaki goes to Russia

2009-07-08T20:30:00.001-04:00

Thanks to this site, we now know where eternal backup Antero Niittymaki will head to play next season.

Don't act so shocked...

Koivu officially departs Montreal; joins Anaheim on one-year deal

2009-07-08T16:53:00.001-04:00

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Wednesday that the club has signed long-time Montreal Canadiens captain and free agent forward Saku Koivu to a one-year contract.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Montreal Gazette reported the deal is worth $3.25 million.

"I'm very excited to join the Ducks this coming season," Koivu said in a conference call. "I'm looking forward to a full season with Teemu Selanne as a teammate.

The 34-year-old posted 16 goals and 50 points in 65 games in 2008-09, his lowest point total since 2001.

Koivu departs the Canadiens, the only NHL club he's known, after 792 regular- season games since the 1995-96 season.

The native of Turku, Finland was the Habs' 21st-overall pick in the 1993 draft, and rose to become the first European captain of the club, named so prior to the 1999-2000 season. He held the post until the end of last season, the second-longest serving captain in franchise history next to Hall of Fame forward Jean Beliveau.

Over 13 seasons, he's racked up 191 goals and 641 points, adding 16 goals and 48 points in 54 playoff contests.

He will join countryman Selanne, who recently signed with the Ducks for another season, trying to provide Anaheim some magic which the two conjured up when Finland captured the Silver Medal in 2006 at Torino.

"Coming from Montreal to sunny beautiful California is going to be different," added Koivu. "It's been nothing but hockey in Montreal for the last 14 years. I'm fairly confident I'm going to like that."

Koivu was named the Bill Masterton Trophy winner in 2002, after courageously battling against lymphoma, and also took home the 2007 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his dedicated work with cancer patients in the Montreal area.

Sakic to make retirement official on Thursday

2009-07-07T18:59:00.002-04:00

The Denver Post reported on Tuesday that Colorado Avalanche franchise icon Joe Sakic will officially hang up his skates after 20 NHL seasons on Thursday.

Sakic has been derailed by groin, hamstring and back troubles over the last two seasons, and posted career lows in games, goals, assists and points last year.

Full story when the press conference happens.

Flyers, Pronger agree on multi-year extension

2009-07-07T18:04:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Flyers signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a multi-year contract extension on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but multiple sources report that the pact is worth $35 million over seven years.

"We are pleased to have one of the NHL's premier defensemen in our organization and under contract long term," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren.

The Flyers acquired Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks on June 26 with prospect Ryan Dingle for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Luca Sbisa, two first-round draft picks and a conditional third-round selection.

Pronger, the second overall pick of the 1993 draft by the Hartford Whalers, played in all 82 games last season with the Ducks and scored 11 goals and added 37 assists.

Over his 15 seasons in the NHL, Pronger has appeared in 1,022 games and compiled 142 goals and 464 assists. He is a career plus-153 and has 1,457 penalty minutes. In addition to Anaheim, who he won a Stanley Cup with in 2007, he has also played for Edmonton, St. Louis and Hartford.

"I am very excited to be able to retire a Philadelphia Flyer and am looking forward to many years with the Flyers logo on my chest," Pronger said.

The native of Ontario took home the Norris Trophy as top defenseman and the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player for the 1999-2000 season and is a five-time All-Star.

Pronger deal nears

2009-07-07T16:04:00.003-04:00

According to sportsnet.ca, the Flyers and Chris Pronger are close to a seven-year contract worth $35 million.

The money will be front-loaded to avoid a serious cap hit.

Details to follow.

AHL reveals realignment for 2009-2010

2009-07-07T15:30:00.001-04:00

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)
Lowell Devils (NJ)
Manchester Monarchs (LA)
Portland Pirates (BUF)
Providence Bruins (BOS)
Springfield Falcons (EDM)
Worcester Sharks (SJ)

East Division
Adirondack Phantoms (PHI)
Albany River Rats (CAR)
Binghamton Senators (OTT)
Hershey Bears (WSH)
Norfolk Admirals (TB)
Syracuse Crunch (CBJ)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)

Western Conference
North Division
Abbotsford Heat (CGY)
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)
Hamilton Bulldogs (MTL)
Lake Erie Monsters (COL)
Manitoba Moose (VAN)
Rochester Americans (FLA)
Toronto Marlies (TOR)

West Division
Chicago Wolves (ATL)
Houston Aeros (MIN)
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)
Peoria Rivermen (STL)
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)
San Antonio Rampage (PHX)
Texas Stars (DAL)

The 2009-10 regular season will begin on Oct. 2. The complete schedule will be announced later this summer.

AHL rescinds Chops franchise

2009-07-07T15:22:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of the American Hockey League

The Iowa Chops American Hockey League franchise has been involuntarily suspended for the 2009-10 season by the league’s Board of Governors, effective July 6, 2009.

"The Iowa franchise has unfortunately been unable to remedy certain violations of the provisions of the league's Constitution and By-Laws," said American Hockey League President and CEO David Andrews.

There will be no further statement from the league at this time.

Free Agency: The Whole Wrap

2009-07-01T12:36:00.006-04:00

No shock here, but the Sedin Twins each signed spanking-new five-year deals to stay with the Canucks.

VanCo was unable to keep stalwart veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund, who used to possess one of the hardest shots in the NHL. He goes to Tampa Bay for seven years at $24.5 million.

Jay-Bo signed a five-year pact with the Flames.

Radek Dvorak re-ups for two years with Las Panteras.

Andy Greene returns to patrol the back line for Los Diablos.

BLOCKBUSTER: Marian Hossa leaves Detroit to sign a 12-year, $62.4 million deal with the Blackhawks.

Craig Anderson leaves South Florida for the west-midwest, two years with the Avalanche.

David Booth will remain on fire in Sunrise, inking his qualifying offer of six years, $25.5 million.

Matt Walker leaves Chicago for Tampa Bay.

Ty Conklin leaves Detroit for...St. Louis? Good luck, bud. The curse of UNH hockey is upon you. Better live out of that suitcase from now on...

BREAKING NEWS --- Mike Knuble departs Philly for Washington, $2.8 mil over 2 years.

Nikolai Khabibulin goes to freeze his nuts off in Edmonton, four years $15 million.

Dwayne Roloson heads to Long Island, 2 years, $5 million.

Steve Montador skips town, out of Boston for Buffalo.

He'll take over for Jaroslav Spacek, who bolted the Buff for Montreal.

Scott Niedermayer (dead!) re-ups with the Ducks, $6 million for one (final?) year.

Donald Brashear takes his violence act to the Rangers.

Brian Boucher comes back to Philly, and Ian Laperriere also arrives, three years at $3.5 million.

Erik Cole stays where he belongs, in Carolina, $5.8 mil over two years.

Scottie Clemmensen leaves his cushy backup job and takes over for Anderson in Florida, three years at $3.6 million.

Brian Gionta flees the swamp for Montreal, a five-year pact, and brings in Mike Cammalleri for another five-year deal. The Habs wrested Mike Komisarek from the Leafs for a five-year, $22.5 million deal.

Martin Havlat goes to Minnesota?..six years, $30 million.

He replaces Marian Gaborik who heads to Broadway for five years at $7.5 million per.

DAY TWO

Dashing very many orange and black dreams, Mark Recchi re-ups with the Bruins, one year, $1 million.

The Leafs bring back Mikhail Grabovski at $8.7 mil over three years.

I don't have to hate Rob Scuderi anymore, as he departs Pittsburgh for Los Angeles - four years, $13.6 million.

Karlis Skrastins goes to Dallas for two years.

The Atlanta Thrashers bring in Nik Antropov for a deal the club doesn't see fit to reveal, then bring back Chris Thorburn.

Chad LaRose returns to the Hurricanes, two years totalling $3.4 million.

Frederick Meyer IV remains in the desert, back with the Coyotes for one year. Adrian Aucoin leaves Calgary for Phoenix, $2.25 million for one season.

John Madden...off to Chicago for one year, $2.75 million.

Pens bring back piece of Cup puzzle

2009-06-29T17:19:00.000-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Craig Adams to a two-year deal on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Adams only recorded one assist in nine regular-season games after being
claimed off waivers from Chicago on May 4, but added three goals and five
points in 24 playoff games for the Stanley Cup champions.

Born in Brunei, the 32-year-old has posted 37 goals and 90 points over 507
games with Carolina, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

The two-time Cup titlist was set to be an unrestricted free agent as of
Wednesday's deadline.

Blues buy out McKee's contract

2009-06-29T16:25:00.000-04:00

The St. Louis Blues announced Monday that they have bought out the final year of defenseman Jay McKee's contract.

The 31-year-old backliner and defensive specialist posted one goal and eight
points in 69 games for the Blues last season, his third with the club.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the club will be responsible for
two-thirds of the $4 million due next year to the 12-year veteran, which is
scheduled to be paid out over a two-year period. The original terms of the
deal were four years, $16 million, when the Blues inked McKee as a free agent
from the Buffalo Sabres in 2006.

In 740 NHL games, the Ontario native has posted 20 goals, 115 points and 568
penalty minutes with Buffalo and St. Louis.

Weekend Draft Trade News

2009-06-28T15:52:00.004-04:00

The Flyers dealt away Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, their first-round pick this year and first-round pick next year, plus a conditional choice...all for Chris Pronger and some guy named Dingle.

The Flames won the Jay-Bo sweepstakes, getting him from Florida for a pittance, namely Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick.

You tell me who got the better deal of the two, and who managed to keep some dignity on the other end...it definitely raises a lot of questions in my mind.

Not that Jay Bouwmeester would be worth what the Flyers eventually gave up for Pronger, but if Florida was willing to send away a chronically-injured second-pairing defenseman and a second-tier draft choice to Calgary, why couldn't the Flyers have worked a deal?

Does this have anything to do with the Flyers' traditional trade practice of blatantly trying to steal players for nothing?

Is there any way Paul Holmgren could have parted with less, since a hard-ass like Brian Burke was no longer in control of the Anaheim front office?

Where will four of the needed bottom six forwards come from?

Does Holmgren really believe some Phantoms (JVR for instance) are ready to assume a role on the big club, or is he still intent on filling spots with bargain-ready ex-NHLers to save on the cap?

Is signing Mike Knuble to keep him away from the aggressive Penguins' offer going to put a damper on the plans to fill those needs given the club is just $5 million under the cap?

Let's be clear...I am a fan of the deal in that it provides a need. Pronger, even at 34 and with 15 years in his pocket, brings the right kind of size, attitude, violence and scoring touch the Flyers have needed in forever.

However, why couldn't Homer convince Bob Murray to take Randy Jones, Andrew Alberts or even Ryan Parent? Sbisa showed more promise and potential in his call-up than the above three players displayed in actuality. Did he feel some kind of weird moral obligation to restock the Ducks with what he offered?

Factor in the Ray Emery signing, and you get a picture that is akin to a Jackson Pollock painting: throw everything to the wall and see what sticks. There seems to be no real plan of action except this fragmented belief that if the club signs a bunch of bargain-basement players they will successfully fill out a roster ready for Cup contention.

This couldn't be further from the truth...on paper as well as in perception. I shudder to think what's going to be missed out on and explained away come Wednesday.

Minor increase for 09-10 Salary Cap

2009-06-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of NHL.com

For the first time since the NHL returned from the work stoppage in 2005-06, the League will not see a significant increase in the salary cap.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed Friday -- on the same day the Entry Draft will take place in Montreal -- to set the cap number for 2009-10 at $56.8 million, up just $100,000 from $56.7 million in 2008-09. The floor is $40.8 million and the mid-range limit is $48.8 million.

When the League first introduced the cap in 2005-06, teams were forced to keep salaries under $39 million. That figure rose to $44 million the following season and jumped to $50.3 million in '07-08 before rising again for the just-concluded season.

With the cap ceiling remaining almost where it was last season, general managers will be trying to find ways to improve their teams without the benefit of the extra room they've enjoyed in previous years. Teams expected to have more space to maneuver -- such as the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders -- could have a decided advantage over teams up against the cap -- such as the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins -- when free agency gets under way July 1.

Claude Lemieux becomes American citizen

2009-06-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

Interesting news out of NBC Sports...

Holmgen on the draft

2009-06-25T23:01:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers

Q: Where are you at going into tomorrow, has there been any movement up or down, or anything close to it?

Paul Holmgren: Nothing. A lot of that stuff is just ‘would you have an interest in moving up or down’. A lot of that happens kind of as you get closer to your pick, or the teams you’re talking to as they get closer to theirs, the teams that are ahead of us. They may have a certain player or two players identified who are no longer on the board, so they might be in a position to move back, and we might be in a position to move up. Similar with us, as we get closer to our pick, we might say to whomever, do you have interest in this pick for something later on.

Q: Do you have any preference one way or the other, moving up or down?

PH: Well, to move up it usually costs additional assets or something, and when you’re moving back you’re usually gaining assets. Right now in picking at 21, the odds of us moving up probably aren’t very good. I would say there’s probably a better opportunity to move back. I’m not saying that will happen or not. There are two or three guys we like that we think will be there, but you just never know. Nobody has a crystal ball that’s that clear.

Q: The team has had a lot of success over the years with picks 21 or later – Mike Richards, Gagne, Claude Giroux, Justin Williams, and probably a few other ones. Do you see anyone in this draft that has their ability that those guys had when they were that age?

PH: We think it’s a good draft, just like last year. There’s guys we like there. Are they going to be guys who can come in and play? You don’t know. It’d be hard pressed to say yeah, but you never know what’s going to happen. The league continues to get younger. I’m confident we’re going to get a good player at 21 if we do exercise our pick there.

Q: Who would have the potential for a bigger impact in the NHL in the long run, Tavares or Hedman?

PH: You’re arguing different positions. I think they’re both going to make a tremendous impact probably right away. Hedman’s a great big defenseman who’s been playing with men here for two years, and Tavares is just one of those guys… you ask what he does, and he scores. He scores at every level he’s played at, and he’ll continue to do that. I think his progress, I would suspect it’ll be a little slower because he hasn’t been playing at the level Hedman’s been at. But I don’t know. You’d like to have either of those young players, that’s for sure.

Q: Is the trading going to be that active this year?

PH: Well, there’s a lot of talk right now. So I would suspect there’s going to continue to be more and more talk, and sooner or later there’s going to be a deal that goes down, and that usually starts a domino effect of things. I think the potential for a lot of moves is there right now. I think there’s going to be moves made.

Q: Are you optimistic that you can make a deal for a free agent’s rights over the weekend?

PH: Not really. Right now, you might be better off in any of those scenarios of players that we’ve looked into, it’s a lot for an unknown, whether you can even make any headway. We’ve done this in the past with Nashville, and we just had a clear picture going in, and probably more cap space too. Right now, [being] Thursday, and I’d just as soon wait on those guys that we do have interest in until July 1st.

Q: Do you think you’re still in the [Bouwmeester] movement?

PH: I don’t know. I can say I’ve talked to Florida a number of times, and he hasn’t done anything with them yet to my knowledge, [concerning] his rights, so I’m not sure what that means. It’s only Thursday.

Q: Have you put more hours into this than the deal with Nashville?

PH: I don’t know about more. I would say not more. It’s getting close though. (laughs) I spent a lot of time talking to David (Poile) leading up to that. We obviously didn’t make the playoffs that year and his team got beat in the first round, so we had the month of May, basically, to talk about it, and before it was done, it was June. As I recall, anyway.

Q: You said before you’d have to be creative in order to do something to improve your roster. When you say “creative”, do you think you’re talking about players on your roster now that you might have to give something up in order to get that player to come back in?

PH: Either that, or get creative with a long-term contract, I guess.

Fedorov goes home

2009-06-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

Sergei Fedorov has decided to leave the NHL after 18 seasons.

Due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, the Washington center has signed a two-year contract with Russian club Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.

The 39-year-old registered 11 goals and 22 assists in 52 regular-season games for the Capitals in 2008-09, then compiled a goal and seven assists in 14 playoff contests.

A six-time All-Star, Fedorov is the NHL's all-time leader in games played (1,248), goals (483), assists (696) and points (1,179) among Russian-born players.

Originally selected by Detroit in the fourth round (74th overall) of the 1989 draft, Fedorov donned the winged wheel for 13 seasons, capturing Stanley Cup titles in 1997, '98 and 2002. He also played for Anaheim (2003-05) and Columbus (2005-2008).

Fedorov was awarded the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1994.

Flyers-Bruins at Fenway...details to come

2009-06-23T22:31:00.001-04:00

According to Anthony San Filippo of the Delco Times, the Flyers and Bruins will be the marquee New Year's Day matchup at Fenway Park.

Official news to come possibly tomorrow.

Another Sutter returns to Calgary as Flames reshape coaching staff

2009-06-23T17:57:00.001-04:00

The Calgary Flames announced their new coaching staff on Tuesday, led by new head coach Brent Sutter.

Sutter, who had resigned earlier in the off-season from his post with the New Jersey Devils due to family reasons, will have former NHLers Ryan McGill, Dave Lowry and Jamie McLennan by his side, having been named assistant coaches.

Sutter, brother of Flames general manager Darryl Sutter, posted a 97-56-11 mark over the last two seasons as head coach of the Devils. The 47-year-old also spent eight seasons behind the bench with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League prior to his jump to the NHL.

The native of Viking, Alberta spent 18 years as a player with the Islanders and Blackhawks from 1980-98, racking up 829 points in 1,111 games, and winning a pair of Stanley Cups with New York.

McGill had been an assistant with the Flames' American Hockey League farm teams in Quad City and Omaha over the last four seasons. The 40-year-old Alberta native recorded 19 points and 391 penalty minutes in 151 NHL games from 1991-95 with three teams.

Lowry, who finished his 19-year NHL career with Calgary in 2004, comes to the club after serving as head coach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen last season. He was an assistant and associate coach there from 2005-08.

McLennan has been promoted to assistant after serving last season as a scout for the Flames. This will be his first coaching job. The native of Edmonton and former goaltender played in 57 games for Calgary over parts of three seasons during an 11-year pro career.

Hall of Fame Class of 2009 announced

2009-06-23T17:45:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

The 2009 inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame were announced on Tuesday and a star-studded cast of four players and one front office stalwart will be inducted come November 9 in Toronto.

Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille were among the players honored while current New Jersey Devils CEO, president and general manager Lou Lamoriello was elected from the "builder" category.

Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille all won a Stanley Cup together in 2002 while playing for Detroit.

The Hall of Fame's 18-member selection committee permits four player inductees per year. Players eligible are those that have been retired for three seasons.

Yzerman, a 43-year-old who grew up in a suburb of Ottawa, played his entire NHL career for Detroit, leading the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships. He retired as the sixth all-time leading points scorer in NHL history with 1,755.

A nine-time All-Star and winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy (1998) for best play in the postseason, "Stevie Y" as he was affectionately known, compiled 692 goals and 1,063 assists during his 22-year career. His best season came in 1988-89 when he recorded 65 goals and 90 assists. He's currently the vice president of the Red Wings.

Hull joins his father, Bobby, in the Hall of Fame. They are the only father- son combination in NHL history to each score 1,000 points. The younger Hull, who is currently the executive vice president of the Dallas Stars, ended his career with 741 goals and 650 assists while playing for Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix. He has a pair of Stanley Cup championships.

An eight-time All-Star, the 44-year-old Brett Hull was named the MVP of the league with the Hart Trophy in 1991, the year he notched an amazing 86 goals, which today stands as the third-most ever in a single season, only behind Wayne Gretzky (92 in 1981-82, 87 in 1983-84).

Leetch was a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league's top defenseman. He ended his career with 247 goals and 781 assists in 1,205 games playing mostly for the New York Rangers, although he finished his career in Boston (2005-06). Leetch also played for Toronto and was a fixture on the U.S. Olympic team, participating in three Winter Games. Last year, Leetch was inducted in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

The most-noted team accomplishment for the 41-year-old Leetch came in 1994 when he helped the Rangers end a 54-year title drought with a Game 7 Stanley Cup win over Vancouver. He was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Award, and is still the only American-born winner of the honor.

Leetch, the seventh-highest scoring defenseman in NHL history, is also the last blue liner to reach 100 points in a single season, which occurred in 1991-92 when he compiled 22 goals and an incredible 80 assists. An 11-time All-Star, he is the career assists leader for the Rangers. Not only that, but Leetch is the only player other than Bobby Orr to win the Calder Trophy, the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Robitaille called it quits after the 2005-06 season, but by then he was the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history with 668 goals and 726 assists over 1,431 games with the Kings, Penguins, Rangers and Red Wings, in an incredible 19-year career.

The 43-year-old Robitaille, a native of Montreal, broke into the NHL as the top rookie, winning the Calder Trophy in 1987 with Los Angeles after notching 45 goals and 39 assists. He went on to become the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer with 557, seven more than Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne.

Lamoriello, in his 21 seasons guiding the Devils' front office, orchestrated New Jersey's three Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003 after spending 20 years at the collegiate level with Providence College -- first as a player, then as head coach and athletic director. He joined the Devils organization in 1987-88, also having served as head coach for 53 games from 2005-07.

Thoughts on Ovechkin/Crosby

2009-06-22T15:11:00.003-04:00

It became evident during the NHL awards ceremony last Thursday in Las Vegas...the rivalry between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby is rapidly becoming this generation's hockey version of Russell-Chamberlain.

Ovechkin picked up his second consecutive Hart Trophy as the league's MVP (and best overall player).

Crosby did not stand as a victor of any lesser piece of metal, but had his day with the Stanley Cup on June 12.

Ovechkin has a slight overall points edge (420 to 397) to Crosby, and has been named to more post-season all-star selections over their first four years - including 2009 when Crosby didn't even appear on the first or second teams.

Crosby has been surrounded by better players, and hasn't had to outshine the rest to singlehandedly dominate other clubs.

The Penguins have held a strange dominance in playoff matchups with the Capitals, winning seven of eight tries; rebounding from 3-1 series deficits twice, and winning three Game 7's in America's capital among those seven series triumphs.

The parallels are beginning to be laid out in eerie fashion, although the final analysis won't be complete until both men hang up the skates.

Still, it's clear that Crosby and the Pens fill the role of the Celtics and Ovechkin and his Caps seem doomed to play the second-fiddle 76ers. Which means, JUST ONCE, the Caps will have their day while the Pens build consistent winners around the one road block.

This kind of thing has happened before to lesser degrees throughout NHL history: first with the post-50's dynasty Red Wings falling prey continually to the surging Canadiens and Maple Leafs in the 60's as Gordie Howe got older, then with the Bruins of the 70's never able to beat the Bowman-era Canadiens, next as the gritty Flyers of the 80's couldn't eclipse the Oilers' Hall-of-Fame lineups.

On a personal level, you can also read the Gretzky-Lemieux axis of the 80's and 90's in a similar way - Gretz came first and reshaped league history, then Mario followed and the hockey gods seemed to have a huge hand in keeping 66 perpetually second to 99even though Lemieux was a better player overall and had to shoulder a burden by himself for a number of years.

Of course, that story had a semi-happy ending as though the Oilers won four Cups with The Great One, the Pens won twice before fate threw a monkey wrench into the works.

If anything can be said from a supposed neutral writer's perspective, both Crosby and Ovechkin are needed, and are needed to do what they uniquely do to re-shape the league into what it was from roughly 1975-96.

However, from a personal rivalry standpoint which fuels partisanship, Ovechkin clearly takes the cake.

Aside from his wrecking-ball-sized passion every shift (which threatens to take down opposing players and his own teammates, he possesses infinitely more charm and takes himself far less seriously than does Crosby.

He's making throat-slitting gestures at 87 during nationally-televised games and feuding with fellow Russian Malkin, but he's not out of line or crossing lines of taste when doing so...He's making nice with other Washington sports legends and other current stars in other sports like Bron-Bron...He's living the immigrant's dream of being adored for playing a kid's game and treats it all like such.

Conversely, there's ample personal and video evidence that Crosby has little respect for anything outside his own personal circle of influence.

The whining to the refs from Game One of his rookie year...The taint punch against Atlanta this year...the pummeling of Brett McLean during a blowout loss this year...The complaining to the refs in the Washington series that the game was being delayed because home fans greeted Ovie's hat trick with - gasp! - hats...The refusal to stay in line and shake every Red Wings' hand a couple weeks ago...I hope the list doesn't go further than this but it clearly will in successive years.

It's sad, because in previous generations, the worst we had to say about Lemieux is that he shouldn't whine so much because he was 6-4, 230 and could take care of himself. We were in respectful awe of his talent and his perseverance, though, and left the derisive whistles and vulgar chants for Jaromir Jagr.

Same thing for Gretzky. I think I once saw a Flyers fan with half a Gretzky doll whose bottom half was Barbie waist and legs, with a noose around it's neck. We wanted him to stop whining so much while surrounded with all the talent in the universe and goons to spare, but we feared and respected him every two-minute shift of his career.

Crosby, unfortunately, doesn't have the like or respect of many in the NHL, a significant portion of fans in the hockey-savvy cities, and perhaps not of all in his own locker room.

Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, with perhaps the quietest 36points I can remember from one player in a winning year. Maybe it's because he doesn't know English yet and hasn't cut his teeth doing anything else but playing, but he's all business when the skates are on.

He's the Bob Cousy to Crosby's Russell, the cool head against the raging spirit.

And what does Ovechkin have? Nothing yet. Nobody who really complements his style, who is of equal skill and draws some heat so he can freely do what he does best. Imagine if that were so...he'd be a threat to put up early-90's Brett Hull numbers without the wear and tear.

Wilt had Paul Arizin as a Warrior, then for one brilliant season the cast of the 1967championship in Philly. He found himself in the middle of Elgin Baylor and Jerry West as a Laker but only won once in three tries, done in by the better balanced Knicks on two occasions.

It may just be that the Capitals franchise is simply doomed, while the Penguins are charmed.

Think about it...one team is bailed out of bankruptcy not once but thrice, is saved from moving twice, manages to snag two players tagged The Next One roughly 20 years apart, and wins titles during crucial phases in the development of the city and the team itself.

The other got Dale Hunter.

So, please, wise lawyers who control the NHL, now that you've given the Steel City their title, let's start tilting the ice towards a silver chalice with some red, blue and white smudges.

Back on the Block

2009-06-22T14:52:00.002-04:00

Yes, I know it's been a while since I shared my thoughts on the NHL, but the vacation I had 2 weeks ago was too good and the Summer started creeping in and I just care a little bit less about daily content until free agency.

Nevertheless...

I'm dead split on my opinion about the Stanley Cup Finals, particularly Game 7 in Detroit two Fridays ago.

One part of me says it's a great tribute to the balance the club has on its forward lines as well as to the new coaching style of Dan Bylsma that the Pens did not freeze in a deciding game on the road.

It wasn't Sid or Geno or even Guerin who lifted the club to victory, but a pair of goals from, of all people, Max Talbot. That, and the oft-promised but never-shown brilliance of Marc-Andre Fleury - demonstrated at no greater time than when he smothered Nik Lidstrom's open chance from the left circle with four seconds remaining.

The team itself played disciplined, tough, patient and opportunistic hockey, all without resorting to a blatant trap. And yes, they had a suspicious amount of luck on their side, as in, not having a shorthanded situation until the third period or...that deflection with 2 1/2 minutes left that clanked off the crossbar behind a frozen and unaware Fleury.

But...the other part says the defending Stanley Cup champions unleashed a choke job unlike any I've seen since I started watching hockey in 1984. A Game 7, on home ice, to defend a title that was well within reach, and Detroit came up very small. It was the first time since 1971 that a team with home-ice lost in a Cup Final Game 7, but that club, the Chicago Blackhawks, was far inferior to the Canadiens of the period. These Wings had a similar high-powered, stocked roster, the comfort of Hockeytown, the confidence of a title from the previous year, and the knowledge of the same team they beat and couldn't pull it off.

Chris Osgood might really never live down his rep as a choker, since both goals he let up were ugly. The first, he could have closed any part of his body to stop Talbot's wraparound. On the second, he hugged the near post, but left exactly ALL of the far side open for Max to roof it.

I think the edge really goes to the regime change behind the Pens' bench. Michel Therrien probably would have called everyone some mangled Franglish names to the media after losing that horrid Game 5. Instead, Bylsma instituted the same kind of calm one-for-all approach (the kind John Stevens probably is too un-self-aware to wish he possessed) which produced the last two narrow wins.

Oh, yeah, and...forget about Marian Hossa. His "spurning" of the Pens for a one-year deal with the Wings was not the real storyline. Rather, it was his continued, yearly shrinkage into the rink ads which defines his true measure as a player. You can't tell me he wouldn't have been equally useless to Pittsburgh if he had remained on the other side.

Canadiens close to being sold back to brewing giants Molson

2009-06-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

Current Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett, Jr. has reached an agreement in principle with the Molson family to sell the club back to the renowned brewing giants.

The announcement was made on Saturday that Gillett will sell his majority stake in the Canadiens and their home arena, the Bell Centre. A news conference will be held as soon as the details of the agreement are finalized.

"Our family has been very proud to be associated with the Montreal Canadiens over the past eight years and particularly to be a part of their Centennial season," Gillett said in a statement. "I am fully confident that the Molson brothers, who have been a great part of the heritage of the club, will ensure the preservation and development of this great sports institution."

The Montreal Gazette quoted a report from French-language channel RDS that the sale will be completed for over $500 million.

Gillett had purchased an 80.1 percent stake in the storied franchise as well as a 100 percent share on what was then called the Molson Centre on January 31, 2001, but with a promise that the American-born businessman would not move the team.

Molson Breweries of Canada, Ltd. had been the owners of the NHL's longest- tenured team since August, 1978 until Gillett's successful bid. The Molson family also owned the team from 1957 until 1971.

"This is an exciting time for our family and we are grateful to the many people and organizations who came forward to offer their collaboration in the development of our proposal," said Geoff Molson, family spokesperson.

Finalizing the terms of the sale are contingent upon approval by the league's Board of Governors, which is not expected to happen until late August.

Despite a restocked roster with some bona-fide talent from the province of Quebec, the Canadiens stumbled in their 100th season to a 41-30-11 record and a first-round playoff exit in a four-game sweep to bitter rival Boston.

Whalercanes welcome back Maurice with new contract

2009-06-15T13:55:00.002-04:00

The Carolina Hurricanes announced Monday that they have signed head coach Paul Maurice to a three-year contract.

Terms of the deal were not released.

In addition, the club announced that Ron Francis will return as associate head coach and become the director of player personnel, while Tom Barrasso will become an assistant coach after previously serving as goaltending coach.

The 41-year-old Maurice returned this past season for his second tour of duty as the Hurricanes' head coach. In the final 57 games of the 2008-09 season, Carolina went 33-19-5 and earned a trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

He was the first head coach for the Hurricanes after the team moved from Hartford, becoming the head coach of the Whalers during the 1995-96 season at the age of 29.

Maurice remained in charge until 2003-04, when he was fired after 30 games as the team was in a rebulding phase. He then coached for two seasons with the Maple Leafs (2006-08) before returning to the Hurricanes this season.

The one-time draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers is the all-time winningest coach in franchise history, with 301 wins in 731 games coached with the Whalers/Hurricanes.

Hatcher finally calls it quits

2009-06-15T13:52:00.001-04:00

Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday and was subsequently named Philadelphia's new player development coach.

Hatcher, who missed all of this past season due to a right knee injury that eventually required knee replacement surgery, takes over a role previously held by Eric Desjardins. Another former Flyers defenseman, Desjardins vacated the role to pursue other business interests.

"We are pleased to add Derian to our coaching staff in this very important capacity," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "Derian will spend valuable time with the young players throughout our organization, working on their on-ice game as well as helping these young players deal with the issues playing and/or preparing to play professional hockey."

The 37-year-old had spent parts of the last four seasons with the Flyers and was named their 14th captain in team history on January 29, 2006, a role he held until September of that year. Hatcher also won a Stanley Cup title with the Dallas Stars in 1999, becoming the only American-born player to captain a club to a Stanley Cup championship.

In 1,045 career regular-season games, Hatcher posted 80 goals, 251 assists, 331 points and 1,581 penalty minutes with Minnesota/Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia. He also had 33 points in 133 career playoff games.

The Michigan-born defender was drafted eighth overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1990 and is a two-time Olympic skater with the United States.

On Hiatus...

2009-06-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

On vacation at least through the 14th...need to get away from writing for a bit.

Back next week with my thoughts on the Flyers and the Stanley Cup Finals.

It's all over but the signing as Flyers set to bring in Emery

2009-06-04T19:09:00.002-04:00

According to Panaccio's latest story, the Flyers are easing their goaltending situation and saving money on the salary cap by bringing in the exiled Ray Emery.

All that remains is the waiting game during negotiations between Emery's agent and the ever-so-secretive Flyers top brass.

No wonder any potential deal would wait until July 1 -- clearly a move to boost PR amongst a fan base which is understandably edgy after last season's salary cap debacle and first-round exit -- while making it look like the club pulled off a steal behind the backs of the other 29 clubs.

Avs continue to reshape franchise, introduce Sacco as head coach

2009-06-04T19:07:00.001-04:00

The Colorado Avalanche needed just one day to find a new bench boss as the team hired Joe Sacco as the new head coach.

The team announced the hiring of Sacco and also named Sylvain Lefebvre as the assistant coach.

The move comes just one day after Greg Sherman was named the new general manager of the team and that previous head coach Tony Granato had been fired.

The 40-year-old Sacco has spent the past two seasons with Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. Last season his team went 34-38-3-5 and finished with 76 points, but failed to make the playoffs.

Sacco will become the fifth man to hold the post and sixth head coach since the franchise relocated from Quebec City to Denver prior to the 1995-96 season.

"The American Hockey League has proven to be a valuable training ground for NHL head coaches and we're confident that Joe's experience at that level will be vital to his success with our organization at the NHL level," said Sherman. "Our franchise has gone that route very successfully in the past."

Colorado finished with the worst record in the Western Conference last season, going 32-45-5. General manager Francois Giguere was the first to go in the shakeup on April 13.

"I'm very honored and grateful to the Avalanche organization for giving me this opportunity," said Sacco, who is the franchise's 13th head coach. "This organization has provided me with all the necessary tools and support to be successful and grow as a coach. I'm confident in my abilities and believe the experience I've gained will help me succeed in this new challenge."

A native of the Boston suburbs, Sacco was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1987. Over a 13-year NHL career, he also played for Anaheim, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Islanders. In 738 games he scored 94 goals and added 119 assists.

Lefebvre, 41, will begin his third season with the organization in a coaching capacity. He's served under Sacco as an assistant coach in Lake Erie the last two seasons.

A veteran of 945 NHL games spanning 14 seasons with Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Colorado and the New York Rangers, Lefebvre was part of the Avalanche's first Stanley Cup championship in 1996.

Stars make changes to front office, tab Nieuwendyk as sole GM

2009-05-31T17:01:00.000-04:00

The Dallas Stars named long-time NHL forward Joe Nieuwendyk as general manager on Sunday.

The 42-year-old Ontario native takes over for the two-man team of Brett Hull and Les Jackson, who shared GM duties since their hiring on November 13, 2007. Nieuwendyk will be formally introduced at a Monday press conference.

"We are very excited to secure Joe Nieuwendyk as the general manager," said team owner Tom Hicks. "These moves are all about helping this club take the proverbial 'next step.' Joe is a leader and has been a winner in everything he has done. He is ready for this opportunity and has a bright future. We want that future to be with the Dallas Stars."

Nieuwendyk, who played in Dallas from December, 1995 until March, 2002, racked up 564 goals and 1,126 points over 1,257 games with five teams over 20 seasons. The former second round pick of the Calgary Flames played collegiately at Cornell before making the leap to the pros with the Flames at the end of the 1986-87 season.

He won three Stanley Cups as a player, in 1989 with Calgary, 1999 as a member of the Stars and in 2003 with New Jersey. Upon retirement in the fall of 2006, Nieuwendyk served as special assistant to Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin. He also served in that capacity for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.

"I am very excited about returning to the Dallas Stars as general manager," said Nieuwendyk. "I am ready for this opportunity. I have great memories from my playing days with the Stars and look forward to helping this team win."

The franchise is looking to recover from several missteps taken last season. After a trip to the Western Conference finals in which it fell to eventual Cup champion Detroit in 2008, Dallas tumbled to a 36-35-11 mark in 2008-09, and failed to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.

In addition, the club had to deal with a major distraction in renowned pest Sean Avery, signed last off-season on Hull's suggestion to a five-year contract. After several on-ice incidents early in the season, Avery was eventually released by the club after an off-ice incident in December regarding derogatory comments about an ex-girlfriend and Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Hull and Jackson will remain with the Stars, but in different capacities. Hull will now serve as executive vice president and alternate governor, and Jackson returns to his previous post as director of scouting and player development.

Gagne has surgery

2009-05-28T16:43:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne had successful surgery on Thursday to repair damage in his right hip.

Dr. Thomas Byrd performed the surgery in Nashville, to remove a bone spur and
adhesions which had built up in the area.

The 29-year-old posted 34 goals and 79 points in 79 regular-season games for
the Flyers in 2008-09, adding three goals and one assist in six playoff
contests.

Gagne will begin rehab tomorrow and is expected to be fully recovered in four-
to-six weeks.

RIP #25

2009-05-28T16:35:00.002-04:00

Quinn named Oilers head coach

2009-05-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

The Edmonton Oilers named former NHL defenseman and long-time bench boss Pat Quinn to the club's head coaching post on Tuesday, adding former Rangers head man Tom Renney as an associate coach.

The 66-year-old Quinn becomes the eighth man so named in franchise history. He takes the helm from Craig MacTavish, who was fired in mid-April after 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.

"I'm certainly aware of the history of the Oilers. I'm fully aware of the passion that the fans have for the team, and of the work ethic within the organization," Quinn said at a press conference. "I think we have a real terrific opportunity to create a team that can win. I want to do everything possible to make you proud that you welcomed me to the organization."

Quinn had most recently led the Toronto Maple Leafs as head coach from 1998-2006 and as general manager from 1999-2003. Edmonton is his fifth stop behind the bench since taking his first head coaching position with the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 1978-79 season.

With the Flyers (1979-82), Kings (1984-87), Canucks (1990-95) and Maple Leafs, Quinn has racked up a 657-481-26 record with 154 ties over 1,318 regular- season games. In 183 playoff contests, he holds a 94-89 mark, including two unsuccessful trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, one with Philly in 1980 and the other with Vancouver in 1994. He was also the head coach for Team Canada's gold-medal winning effort in the 2002 Olympics.

The native of Hamilton, Ontario is also a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL's best coach, earning the honor in both 1980 and 1992. He played 606 games over nine seasons as a defenseman in the NHL.

Renney, 54, led the New York Rangers from the end of the 2003-04 campaign until February 23 of this past season. Over 428 games with Vancouver and New York, the British Columbia native was 203-170-46 with nine ties.

"I'm very excited that he accepted the job as head coach," said Oilers owner Darryl Katz of Quinn. "The luxury we now have is of two men who have extensive experience behind the bench."

Kelly Buchberger, a former Oiler, was also added to Quinn's staff as an assistant.

In other news...

2009-05-26T12:51:00.002-04:00

According to various blogs located in Canada, Pat Quinn is the hot choice to become the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

A 2 p.m. (et) press conference at Rexall Place will reveal the facts.

Zezel reportedly fighting for life in Toronto hospital

2009-05-26T12:31:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my own inside source, a website for a Toronto AM news station is reporting that former NHLer and Philadelphia Flyer Peter Zezel is close to death in a hospital due to a rare blood disease.

Update...According to CTV.ca, Zezel slipped into a coma during surgery to remove his spleen to alleviate the effects of the blood disease. In a chilling parallel with former teammate Pelle Lindbergh's death, Zezel is expected to be taken off life support by the end of the day.

Weekend Roundup...

2009-05-24T14:48:00.002-04:00

On Friday alone in a span of 25 minutes, the Wild named a new general manager and Mike Keenan probably still has no clue why he was fired by the Calgary Flames.

The media throng asked about 10 different versions of the same question: Does this mean the Wild will leave behind their traditionally trap-based defensive system? To his credit, Fletcher came up with about eight separate ways to dodge the question before getting super-annoyed with it.

By the way, my money is on "No," Gaborik or no Gaborik.

Keenan, as usual, was given the keys to the kingdom and both of the large protruding ears of GM Darryl Sutter and still managed to spin his wheels over two unsuccessful playoff seasons.

From what was said on TSN and what I read in various reports online, Keenan basically hasn't changed his coaching style and philosophy in 20 years. He's mellowed considerably to match the fact that he no longer is in charge of young players.

That hasn't prevented him from constantly pushing and prodding beyond all normal tolerance to get the players he needs and to get people out of the way who question his methods. I think this goes to show just how special and talented his Flyers and Rangers teams were. Those are the only two stops where you can say he left a favorable mark and attained success.

Then, on Saturday, in a game which I was glad I did not have the opportunity to watch, the Penguins put a stranglehold on a trip to the Stanley Cup finals, blitzing the Canes for three late goals in a 6-2 decision. Yech.

Good for the Penguins, I guess. Bad for Carolina, which is putting up less of a fight in this series than any given cross-section of the French during any major wars of the past 100 years.

Let's hope the Blackhawks don't fold like a cheap card table despite missing two big pieces of their rebuilding puzzle.

The Strange Saga of Betty and the (ex)Jets

2009-05-20T16:45:00.002-04:00

I admit, I have no friggin clue what is really going on between the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes, other than the franchise is $30 million in the hole and something needs to be done about it.

I do know that I either a) don't trust anything Gary Bettman says, or b) have to constantly shift my logic to that of the legal profession to accept that everything going on right now really is above board.

Which it hardly seems like, because everything has now been dragged out into the papers and into the courts with the Coyotes' former owner, the league, and the possibility of new ownership all coming together in one nexus of insanity.

I guess, since Bettman and his cronies are trained lawyers, he can reasonably say that this is a good thing for the league because the whole mess will eventually be settled through legal maneuvering -- something in which the Commish made his bones before getting hooked on with sports.

But...

To the rest of the universe, and that includes the fans of the Coyotes and other students of the game, it's yet another useless legal opera. We have it all, from the denials, to the leaked information, to the league's plausible deniability, to the slick sound bites from all corners, to the impending shocking revelation to come.

Up next is the romantic part of the score, the inevitable push of "will-they, won't- they" between former Phoenix owner Jerry Moyes, Bettman, Jerry Reinsdorf and the inescapable Jim Balsillie.

As I always have been, I am in favor of a scenario which places the Coyotes in a different market, one with a hockey background, with ownership and financial footing waaay more secure than things are now.

Whether the 'Yotes end up in Kansas City, Hamilton, Winnipeg, or wherever, I also don't feel sorry for Wayne Gretzky, his friend and ex-GM Mike Barnett, and the slew of ex-teammates and ex-Soviets who he brought into the fold to try and turn things around over the past five years.

To them I say: you have all failed, and that's part of life. Fifty percent of all businesses fail, and even The Great One cannot be immune. It's also a part of business that any potential owner sweeps out the old and brings in his new staff to get a handle on things.

It is about time that this whole mess gets solved, and the franchise is relocated in time for next season. To keep the team in limbo underneath an excess of suits, countersuits, backroom dealing and legal politics is a shame. It's even more of a PR blow to the league than it was when the Nordiques and Jets failed to stay in Canada in the mid 90's and fled for greener pastures because of quarrels over tickets and new arenas with luxury suites.

And the biggest shame of all is that the man ultimately in charge thinks this is an A-OK manner in which to resolve the whole issue.

I predict that nobody will be happy with what goes down, but that is the essence of compromise.

As for the cities up for grabs in the Coyote sweepstakes, here's a little give-and-take on each:

Winnipeg: Already had the Jets from 1979-95, couldn't hack it when the league's salaries exploded and the Canadian dollar lagged far behind the American. Having the bandbox that was the Winnipeg Arena didn't help either. Winnipeg does now have a better rink, the MTS Center, but as it was built for high minor-league hockey without the possibility of wooing an NHL team, it still is not up to current standards.

Aside from that, the people might give multiple extremities to meet the ticket demand and price to get a pro team back. Realignment can be easy here with minimal movement of teams.

Kansas City: OK, so the Scouts failed miserably, but that was 33 years ago and KC is not so much a cowtown with former AHL glory anymore. It has the new Sprint Center which was used to lure the Penguins out of Pittsburgh, and will split the difference on the I-70 corridor between St. Louis and Denver. Plus, if White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf gets any piece of a potential move, KC is close to Chicago but not in Canada.

Realignment might be a bit of a problem here, but if the league is intent on returning to a four-division set-up, not so much. KC goes in the Central.

Hamilton: Well, the NHL tried smaller markets in Canada to little avail, but the advantage of Canada's steeltown is it's just 90 minutes from Toronto and 60 from Buffalo, in a corridor with about 1 million fanatical hockey fans. Unlike the Devils moving into NY-NJ back in 1982, I don't think a Hamilton team will suffer from a slow siphoning off of Leaf and Sabres fans because the city clearly has its own identity and history as opposed to the North Jersey suburbs 25 years ago.

As Balsillie said, there needs to be massive upgrades to Copps Coliseum in order for it to conform to current NHL guidelines. Realignment is a problem because there will be six teams in the Northeast which creates an imbalance.

If anything, we should just pray for a swift and just end to the mess, with the team ending up somewhere it can't fall pray fairly quickly to tight-fisted finances, bad parking-lot leases, and hour-long commutes across flat expanses of nothing. Unless they really ARE intent on coming back to Manitoba.

Hard luck Chicago; Detroit wins in OT, goes up 2-0

2009-05-19T23:42:00.000-04:00

Mikael Samuelsson's goal 5:14 into overtime sent the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of their Western Conference final series from Joe Louis Arena.

Samuelsson started a rush off a giveaway by Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell, pushing the puck ahead through the neutral zone to Jiri Hudler. It quickly became a 3-on-1 as Valtteri Filppula joined on the right wing. Hudler dished to Filppula, who turned and fed back to Samuelsson for a bullet one-timer inside the left post.

Dan Cleary and Brian Rafalski also tallied for the Red Wings, who assumed a two-games-to-none series advantage.

Chris Osgood made 36 saves for his 10th win of this postseason.

Jonathan Toews posted both goals for the Blackhawks, who look for their first win in the series in Game 3 on Friday at United Center.

Nikolai Khabibulin was solid in the loss, stopping 35-of-38 shots.

The Hawks failed to convert a brief 5-on-3 advantage just after the midway point of the first period, but cashed in on the one-man power play with 7:11 to go.

Martin Havlat held the puck in the right circle, then found Toews along the goal line to the right of the Wings net. Toews attempted a cross-crease pass to Patrick Sharp, but the puck hit Osgood's pads and bounced in.

Detroit knotted the contest with 3:17 remaining in the first stanza. Pavel Datsyuk won a left-circle draw back to Nicklas Lidstrom, who dished back to Rafalski for a floating point shot which dodged a pair of Detroit players on its way past Khabibulin.

Play was spirited throughout the second period and Detroit outshot Chicago by a slim 9-6 margin and picked up the only goal in the middle 20 minutes. Cleary converted a breakaway, his third goal of the series and fourth in three games, with under six minutes remaining.

Both sides continued to trade close calls throughout the third period, before Toews forged a 2-2 deadlock, as he deftly redirected a low left-point shot from Kris Versteeg coming with 7:40 to play in regulation.

Game Notes

The game-winner was Samuelsson's first career playoff overtime tally...The Red Wings have allowed a power-play goal in 11 consecutive postseason games, a franchise record and longest streak since the Pittsburgh Penguins equalled the mark in 1989...Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook briefly left the game in the second period after being hit directly in the chest with a shot...Sharp also left the game but returned after hitting his upper back and head on the ice...Osgood improved to 10-3 in the 2009 playoffs, while Khabibulin slipped to 8-6.

Crosby shines, Caps choke in Game 7

2009-05-14T13:17:00.002-04:00

Sidney Crosby rose to the occasion in his first career playoff Game 7, recording two goals and one assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals with a convincing 6-2 decision over the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center.

Crosby finished the series with eight goals and 13 points, and currently leads all players remaining with 12 total playoff goals.

"He can elevate his game on a big stage like this," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said of Crosby. "He works tirelessly on his game. He really enjoys competition and laying it on the line. You play the game to lay it on the line and he's prepared for it, he's got a steely resolve when the time comes around."

Craig Adams, Bill Guerin, Kris Letang and Jordan Staal also lit the lamp for the Penguins, who took the semifinal series four games to three and will be among the final four teams to compete for the Stanley Cup for the second time in as many seasons.

The club will rest until opening the Eastern Conference finals this weekend against either the Bruins or Hurricanes, whose own Game 7 takes place in Boston on Thursday.

Marc-Andre Fleury was rarely tested for his eighth win of this postseason, needing to make just 19 saves.

Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich scored for the Capitals, who have dropped two of their last three series-deciding games on home ice and were denied the franchise's third trip to the conference finals.

"There was a lot of uncharacteristic play by our guys throughout the game," lamented Capitals captain Chris Clark. "Especially playing so hard and so close for the entire series. Nobody expected this. It's one step closer to where we want to be but it's obviously disappointing."

The setback continued Washington's franchise-long playoff hex against Pittsburgh, as the Caps have lost seven of eight playoff series against the Pens and have also failed to claim victory in three Game 7s.

Rookie netminder Simeon Varlamov had his worst game as a professional in defeat, victimized for four goals on 18 shots in just over 22 minutes of play. Jose Theodore completed the contest by allowing a pair of scores on 12 shots.

Fleury flashed the glove to stop Ovechkin on a breakaway a little more than three minutes in, which proved to be an omen of things to come for the Capitals.

Pittsburgh was awarded the first power play of the game and cashed in with 7:24 left in the first period. Crosby got a good carom off a double-deflection from a point shot by Sergei Gonchar, and was alone at the right post to tap the puck home.

Only eight seconds later, Adams doubled the Pens' advantage with a shot through Varlamov's pads. The two goals were the fastest scored by one team in any Game 7 in NHL history.

"We spent an awful lot emotionally after winning Game 6," said Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. "The shots early on were close. But...we took two penalties, and when you don't give your best guys a chance, and people are standing around, it'll cost you. It was a good first period until that point."

Varlamov was sharp from there, making 14 saves in the first period, but saw a quick exit early in the second period as the Penguins doubled their advantage.

Guerin ripped a one-timer from Crosby 28 seconds in, then Letang crushed a shot from the bottom of the right circle at 2:12 which signaled the rookie's departure for Theodore.

The lead eventually grew to 5-0 with 8:23 left in the second as Staal tapped in a centering feed by Miroslav Satan.

Ovechkin picked up his eighth goal of the series with 1:51 left in the period, as Fleury played a clearing attempt right to him for an easy wraparound goal.

Crosby drew a double minor for high-sticking when he was hit in the face by Laich early in the third period, and scored on a breakaway for a 6-1 game at 2:02.

Laich did poke a loose puck past Fleury at the right post at 6:36, but the visitors expertly checked away the remainder of the game and rolled into the next round.

"We wanted to make sure we were pressuring the puck in all situations, and we did that," Bylsma admitted. "We were lucky to get that early lead, and from there able to dictate play for the rest of the contest."

Game Notes

Ovechkin finished with 11 goals and 21 points in 14 playoff games...Pittsburgh improved to 6-4 all time in Game 7s, while Washington fell to 2-6...Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Satan each posted two assists...Five of the first six games in the series were decided by one goal, with three ending in overtime...The Capitals have not reached the conference finals since 1998 and have only done so one other time in franchise history (1990), and the Penguins have reached the final four six times (1991-92, 1996, 2001, 2008-09)...Gonchar returned to the lineup for the first time since a leg injury sidelined him during in Game 4...All three playoff series in which Ovechkin participated ended in a Game 7...The four-goal margin was the largest for a winning team on the road in a Game 7 since Edmonton topped Colorado in a 1998 Western quarterfinal...The Penguins did not commit a penalty the entire game.

Kane's trifecta lifts Hawks over Canucks, closes out series

2009-05-12T12:13:00.001-04:00

by Jeff Kruczynski
The Sports Network

Patrick Kane recorded his first career playoff hat trick and added an assist, as the Chicago Blackhawks closed out this bruising Western Conference semifinal series with a wild 7-5 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 at United Center.

Jonathan Toews registered two goals and a helper for the Blackhawks, who wrapped up another chapter in their remarkable season of resurgence.

"Tonight was a great night," Kane said. "It's a great feeling. It was an awesome game. We've got an awesome group of guys here and we bounced back. We're so happy to (advance). From where we were at the beginning of last year, we've made so much progress."

After failing to win a series during just two playoff appearances since the 1996-97 campaign, Chicago now moves on to the conference finals for the first time since 1995, and will face either Detroit or Anaheim, the last two clubs to skate off with the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings lead their best-of- seven set, 3-2, and can eliminate the Ducks Tuesday in Anaheim.

Kris Versteeg and Adam Burish also scored for Chicago, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 33 saves for the win.

Daniel Sedin scored twice for the Canucks, who never seemed to recover following a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 4. Vancouver was aiming to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, but the resilient Blackhawks tied the game with less than three minutes remaining in the third period and scored early in the extra session.

Mats Sundin had a goal and an assist, with Mason Raymond and Shane O'Brien also tallying for Vancouver. Roberto Luongo allowed all seven goals on 30 shots in defeat.

"I didn't help my team tonight," Luongo said. "I didn't make the saves. We had our chances early and I didn't help enough."

After erasing a two-goal deficit in the second period, Sundin put Vancouver ahead 4-3 at 3:43 of the third period, letting a shot go from the slot that found room in the far side of the net.

Burish drew the home team even 1:58 later, collecting a loose puck in the slot and firing a shot through traffic that beat Luongo on the glove side.

The Canucks went back in front on Sedin's power-play marker, but the lead lasted only 45 seconds as Kane scored on a wrap-around with exactly seven minutes left.

O'Brien committed an ill-timed hooking infraction 26 seconds later and Chicago wasted little time on the power play. Toews held the puck along the goal line at the right side of the net and had his intended cross-crease pass to teammate Patrick Sharp deflect off the left skate of Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler and behind a stunned Luongo with 6:11 remaining.

Kane completed the trifecta and added some insurance, coming down the left wing, cutting to the middle and unleashing a wicked backhander off the post and past Luongo with 3:43 to play.

"It's just been a great season and it's not over yet," said Sharp. "At the start of the year, no one thought we would ever be a final four team."

For the fifth time in the series, Vancouver notched the first goal of the game, capitalizing on a misplay by the Blackhawks. Sundin led an odd-man rush, then handed off to Raymond and he fired a wrister from the right circle through the legs of Khabibulin with 8:47 remaining in the opening frame.

Chicago had an answer two minutes later. Kane came down the right wing and Mattias Ohlund tried to stand him up at the blueline. Kane, though, skated around the Swedish defenseman, drifted to the faceoff circle and fired a shot that beat Luongo on the short side.

"We gave (Chicago) a lot of chances and just didn't play defense the way we wanted," Ohlund said. "We didn't create enough the last three games and pushed too hard for offense tonight. They're a great team, but we were not at our best."

Luongo made some big stops early in the first period. He got a right pad on Dave Bolland's wrap-around bid, then denied Martin Havlat on the breakaway, getting his glove on a backhander.

The Blackhawks built a two-goal lead in the second period, but it withered away.

Canucks forward Rick Rypien took a careless interference penalty early in the middle stanza and Versteeg ripped a rising shot over Luongo's left shoulder for a power-play goal at the 3:54 mark.

Chicago struck again with the man advantage after Willie Mitchell was sent off for hooking. The Blackhawks rotated the puck to the right side of the net. Luongo turned away Toews' initial shot, but the Chicago captain picked up his own rebound and stuffed it behind the Vancouver netminder with 9:43 remaining.

Facing a must-win situation, the Canucks mounted a comeback.

Sedin beat Khabibulin with a shot labeled for the right corner of the net less than a minute later, and O'Brien provided the equalizer, launching a quick wrister from atop the left circle with 5:11 to go in the second.

Game Notes

Havlat and Brian Campbell both recorded two assists for Chicago...Ohlund and Kevin Bieksa each finished with two helpers for the Canucks...The Blackhawks finished 3-for-4 on the power play, while Vancouver was 1-for-5...The last Blackhawk player to post a playoff hat trick was defenseman Gary Suter on April 24, 1994 against Toronto...The seven goals are the most Chicago has scored in a series-clinching win since 1990, when the Blackhawks defeated the St. Louis Blues, 8-2, in Game 7 of the Norris Division finals.

Steckel's OT goal sends Caps over Pens, sets up Game 7

2009-05-12T12:12:00.002-04:00

David Steckel's goal 6:22 into overtime lifted the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-4, in Game 6 of a stellar Eastern Conference semifinal series from Mellon Arena.

From below the right circle, Brooks Laich lofted a shot towards the net which clipped the edge of Steckel's stick and dipped past Marc-Andre Fleury for the game-winner.

"It's been a long time since we won an overtime game in Pittsburgh. We've been hearing about it for the last two days, so it's a nice feeling," admitted Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. "The message (after the third period) was 'it's our turn,' who is going to get that break to give us the advantage? Who's gonna get the bouncing puck, the deflection off the stick?"

Viktor Kozlov tallied twice for the Capitals, whose win forced a deciding Game 7 at Verizon Center in America's capital on Wednesday.

Alexander Semin added a goal and one assist while Tomas Fleischmann also lit the lamp for the Caps, who face an ultimate game in a best-of-seven series for the third time in franchise history against the Penguins. Pittsburgh won both previous Game 7s, in 1992 and 1995.

Alex Ovechkin contributed three assists and Simeon Varlamov recorded the win with 38 saves, his first career postseason victory beyond regulation.

Sidney Crosby posted a goal and a helper for the Penguins, who have not seen a Game 7 since the 2001 Eastern semis against the Buffalo Sabres. Bill Guerin, Mark Eaton and Kris Letang also scored, while Evgeni Malkin recorded three assists in the loss.

"Playoff hockey is about giving people the opportunity to become heroes," said Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma about the shifting nature of the series. "If you play a certain way over 60 minutes, have 45 shots, you give yourself an opportunity to win. We'll try to pepper their goaltender the same way in the next game and see how it all shakes out."

Marc-Andre Fleury suffered his first career overtime playoff defeat, allowing five goals on just 24 shots.

"This is great for the game, with the best players shining on the brightest stage," Boudreau said. "I just wish this was for the Cup."

The home team looked poised to put the game away early, and Guerin provided a finished off a 2-on-1 with Crosby by burying a wrister from the right circle 5:55 into the contest.

Washington survived a two-man disadvantage just after the midway point of the first period, but failed to generate offense on its lone power play. Varlamov made 17 saves alone over the first 20 minutes as the Pens outshot the Caps 18-5.

Kozlov finally got the visitors on track, tying the game at the 6:27 mark of the second period, beating Fleury with a quick wrister under the crossbar.

Semin was dragged down on a breakaway with 5 1/2 minutes left in the period, and on the delayed call, Fleischmann tapped in a loose puck from the crease for a 2-1 Caps edge at 14:42.

"I would have liked that period to keep going, and skip the intermission," Bylsma admitted. "We were missing opportunities thereafter. You've got to give them credit, they used their defensemen well to choke off the passing lanes and second chances."

Momentum took another swing back towards the Penguins as Brian Pothier was sent off for interference later in the second, and Eaton evened the game on a power-play score with 34 seconds to play, finding a loose puck in the slot and firing a shot home.

Just nine seconds after Steckel went to the box for slashing, Letang fired in his second career playoff goal from the left faceoff dot 4:40 into the third period for a 3-2 Pittsburgh lead.

However, the Capitals immediately went to the advantage and Semin's shot from the left circle changed direction off the inside of Laich's right leg for a 3-3 deadlock at 5:38.

Only 29 seconds later, Kozlov followed up an errant shot and beat Fleury from along the goal line and Washington assumed a one-goal edge.

The Pens were unbowed and Crosby knocked down Brooks Orpik's point shot in the low slot, followed his own rebound, and tucked in the game-tying goal with 4:18 left in regulation.

Laich was called for slashing with 2:02 left in the third, and Varlamov held firm against a furious Penguins series inside their attacking zone to send the game into the extra session.

"He has one hand on the stick and drops it with two minutes left in regulation," said Boudreau about Chris Kunitz, who was fouled on the play. "They had scored on the previous power play, so I was concerned about the momentum shift. It was a real gut-check for all the guys out there."

Game Notes

It was Washington's first playoff OT win after losing seven straight, dating back to a 4-3 decision on April 18, 2001 against Pittsburgh in Game 4 of an Eastern quarterfinal...The Capitals are just 2-5 in Game 7s, while the Penguins are 5-4...Varlamov improved to 1-2 in overtime games, while Fleury fell to 5-1...Caps defenseman Shaone Morrisonn collected a secondary assist on Kozlov's score, his first career playoff point...Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar missed the game and continues to be day-to-day with a leg injury caused by a knee-to-knee hit with Ovechkin during Game 5.

Former Flyer Tocchet named head coach in Tampa

2009-05-11T20:51:00.001-04:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning elevated Rick Tocchet to head coach on a full-time basis Monday by agreeing on a multi-year contract.

Tocchet, who had been hired as an assistant last offseason, took over in Tampa on an interim basis just 16 games into the 2008-09 season after the abrupt firing of Barry Melrose. He becomes the seventh head coach in the franchise's 17-year history.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 45-year-old Ontario native began his coaching career in 2002-03 with the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant under Tony Granato. He spent 1 1/2 seasons with the Avs before joining Wayne Gretzky's staff in Phoenix as an assistant in 2005.

However, his tenure there was abbreviated as he spent two years away from the game for his involvement in a massive betting ring based in southern New Jersey before re-entering the league with Tampa Bay.

The Lightning endured a complete franchise turnover and totally revamped their lineup after finishing 2007-08 with the worst record in the league. They selected Steven Stamkos with the first overall pick of the draft, signed franchise centerpiece Vincent Lecavalier to an 11-year contract and brought in a slew of offensive talent from elsewhere.

All that change went for naught, as the Bolts would up with the league's second worst record at 24-40-18 and lost their final nine games. Under Tocchet's guidance, Tampa Bay was 19-33-14.

Tocchet competed in 1,144 career games for six teams over 18 NHL seasons and is one of only three players in the history of the league to record 400 goals and at least 2,500 penalty minutes. Overall, he posted 440 goals, 952 points and 2,972 penalty minutes while also appearing in 145 playoff games and netting 52 goals with 112 points and 471 penalty minutes.

Flyers taking a serious look at Emery

2009-05-05T12:44:00.003-04:00

The Ottawa Sun today reports that the Flyers have made overtures toward former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery, who played last season in Russia after his unceremonious and acrimonious departure from the NHL in 2008.

With Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki both free agents now, the club would be wise to investigate how to revamp their situation in the crease.

Despite all the BS about Emery's discipline problems two years ago, this makes sense from several standpoints:

1) As he did not play in the NHL last season, he does not have a contract, which means that...

2) The Flyers can sign him to any amount of money, for as many years as they wish, because...

3) They will be rid of some salary because of the cap's shrinkage for next season and with both current netminders slated to be unrestricted, they're going to look for someone to fill at least one spot on the cheap.

4) That means some other goaltenders, who can be gotten in either body-for-body trades or body-for-pick deals, won't get much notice from the club.

It's always been standard operating procedure that fleecing another team equals fair value for the club, but now with Comcast holding the reins, the ledger's gotta be clean and that means Holmgren will be looking at the scrap heap.

Unless Biron really loves it here and is willing to take a pay cut or a new deal with a lot more on the back end, he's gone. I expect the Flyers will begin negotiations by lowballing him, which might grease the skids for his exit.

I also don't think anyone in the front office is dumb enough to try and give Niittymaki a shot to be the starter - not when they apparently think the team is "close" to Cup contention. He may still wind up the number two choice, and a relatively solid one at that.

I like Emery. I like his fire, I like his competitiveness and his drive and his technical but passionate style of goaltending. Plus, he's got Stanley Cup experience

I don't know what really precipitated his fall from grace performance-wise, but the way he structured his exit from Ottawa two seasons ago tells me things were really screwed within the organization and he felt he had to go the dirty path to escape it.

The Flyers may be wise to sign him to either a one-or-two year deal if they are concerned that his passion will get the best of him. Otherwise, I don't see the club making a serious run at anyone else, save Jean-Sebastien Giguere or Carey Price.

Conference Semifinal Predictions

2009-05-04T15:50:00.006-04:00

Eastern Conference

(6) Carolina vs (1) Boston

Losing Game 2 at home in a shutout shifts some momentum away from the Bruins. I think that overall, Cam Ward has outperformed Tim Thomas in the first two games because he's had more work. From the start, I never underestimated the Canes, who have a little more than half of their roster still on the team from the 2006 Cup win.

Still, the Bruins are the most complete and balanced team of all remaining in the East, and Carolina is going to have to work that much harder if it comes down to another Game 7 on the road - one which the Bruins will win because they don't have the dinosaurs the Devils did.

Bruins in seven.

(4) Pittsburgh vs (2) Washington

This is a nightmare scenario for the league as only one team can make the next round and there's no guarantee the winner makes it to the Cup. Despite the Capitals taking a 2-0 series lead, I imagine that the officiating will be biased for the Pens in Games 3 and 4, and also Game 6. That means it's another gruelling Game 7 for the Capitals, who have done a good job learning what it takes to push on through.

The main factor in this series will not be how the superstars fare, but how the main supporting cast does. How will Evgeni Malkin and Bill Guerin stack up against Sergei Fedorov and Michael Nylander? So far, the Caps have the edge but that will change with home ice.

Washington in seven.

Western Conference

(6) Anaheim vs (1) Detroit

Don't let the Ducks fool you. They will give the speedy Red Wings all they can handle for as long as they can keep throwing their weight around. The fact that Anaheim played close in Game 1 then stole Game 2 probably won't be a factor as to how the next batch of games play out; the Wings can turn on the juice whenevere they want, and the Ducks are enough of an inconsistent club that once their guard is down, Detroit will motor all over them.

Chris Osgood is also just enough of a tested goaltender to outplay Jonas Hiller.

Detroit in six.

(4) Chicago vs (3) Vancouver

Personally, I hope this series never ends. I want it to be best of 37. Both teams fit together like opposite sides of a dovetail joint. Both have youth and speed and grit and goaltenders who can steal games.

Ultimately, Chicago might steal this thing because they have more players who can do more things on the front two lines.

Chicago in six.

The Song Remains The Same

2009-05-04T15:35:00.001-04:00

A 44-win season - two more than last year. Tied for second place with 99
points - two places higher and four more points than a year ago.

No season-wrecking 10-game losing streak in February. A higher seed in the
playoffs than the previous season.

But then, yet another inexplicable collapse in front of the home crowd in an
elimination game unfolded, one week ago.

And something even more alarming, passed along by the internets Sunday
morning: General manager Paul Holmgren says head coach John Stevens will
return next season.

And then...Flyers chairman Ed Snider says the Flyers "absolutely do not" need
to make major off-season changes.

Once again, in black and white. The organization is not very concerned with
winning the Stanley Cup.

They're satisfied that interest is high and the horrid season of 2006-07 is
far in the rear view mirror. Speaking of rears, plenty of them make contact
with the ample seats and entertainment pavilions at Wachovia Center game after
game, now sated that the club is back on the winning side of the ledger.

They're also content to believe that the good soldiers, the John Stevenses and
Craig Berubes of the hockey world, will lead the club to greatness just for
having passed through the ranks on the way to The Show.

If winning the whole thing is the true goal, endorsements of the head
coach and his staff by a general manager whose season might best be termed
as "embattled," could never be issued less than 24 hours after yet another
collapse in a do-or-die playoff game on home ice.

Ed Snider, once the firebrand and primary mover behind the success of the
franchise, could never dream of making such a defensive comment in public when
all logic dictates otherwise.

It takes a lot of guts to stay the course after such a dramatic exit in what
can be viewed as a failure of a season. After all, it's a pattern the club has
seen before.

Mike Keenan led the 1985 team to the Finals, only to lose in the first round
to the fourth-place Rangers the next season due to Pelle Lindbergh's death and
John Vanbiesbrouck. The next season, it took until the third period of Game 7
against Edmonton to subdue their charge.

Terry Murray was at the helm for the 1995 conference finals run, then presided
as the Florida Panthers trapped their way to victory in the second round in
1996. One year later, he oversaw the run to the Cup before that exploded in a
four-game sweep.

Common factors here? Overachieving in Year One, followed by underachieving in
Year Two, then taking those lessons and going for glory in Year Three.

What else links those two eras? Ultimately, not capturing the supposed prize.

Naturally, over the course of the past week, the slow leak of injury news
emerged.

Mike Richards had two torn labrums, one in each shoulder, requiring surgery
and rehab. Kimmo Timonen played with a concussion. Jeff Carter somehow managed
to dodge the knife.

And there you have the primary silent message to the masses: we do not use
injuries as excuses for poor play, but how can you judge the team as truly
underperforming when key players were so banged up?

Nice little heart-tugging paradox isn't it? That particular brand of hockey
"logic" fits right in with the usual front-office protocol when the result
doesn't come near expectations.

And so it goes, year after year. The corporate slogan for each season may
change, but the song remains the same.

Why I Waited This Long to Recap the Flyers' Season

2009-05-02T18:39:00.003-04:00

A) It's still a shock to me how the Flyers continue to come up lame in elimination games, particularly at home.

B) Per organization policy, it takes at least 72 hours before we start hearing all the secret, debilitating injuries which kept the best players from performing.

C) There are other better series happening.

D) It's still a shock to me how quickly Holmgren and Snider publicly came out in defense of the team.

E) It's May. I wanna be outside looking at the girls and enjoying my neighborhood, instead of being locked inside constantly updating the blog.

Capitals take Game 1 from Penguins

2009-05-02T18:37:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of the Sports Network

Tomas Fleischmann scored the game-winner in the early stages of the third period, as the Washington Capitals edged the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2, in Game 1 of this star-studded Eastern Conference semifinal from a roaring Verizon Center.

It's a match-up boasting two of the most recognizable names in the NHL -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Washington's Alex Ovechkin, the last two players to capture the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

Ovechkin and Crosby's teammate, Evgeni Malkin, who led the league with 78 assists and 113 points during the regular season, are two of the three finalists for the prestigious award this year, with the indelible Ovechkin vying to become the first player to claim the honor in back-to-back seasons since Dominik Hasek accomplished the feat over a decade ago.

Ovechkin and David Steckel also lit the lamp for the second-seeded Capitals, who battled back from a three-games-to-one hole in the first round to vanquish the Rangers, the franchise's first playoff series triumph in 11 years. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom both recorded two assists.

Unheralded rookie Simeon Varlamov continued his outstanding work between the pipes for the Southeast Division champs. Varlamov, who supplanted Jose Theodore after a less-than-stellar effort in Game 1 against New York, earned the victory with 34 saves, none bigger than a fabulous stop on Crosby late in the second period and with the score tied.

"No disrespect to the Rangers, but (the Penguins) come at you. We have to be ready," said Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau. "There's no chance if we had got down 2-0 at home, we would have been able to do the same thing and duplicate it. So we knew how important this (game) was."

Crosby and Mark Eaton found the net for the fourth-seeded Penguins, who needed six games to eliminate Philadelphia in the opening round. Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 26 shots in defeat.

Game 2 of this best-of-seven set is scheduled for Monday in the nation's capital.

With the score deadlocked at two through 40 minutes of play, Fleischmann struck early in the third period to restore the lead for the home team. Semin slowed up just inside the blueline and faked a shot before sending a cross-ice pass to Backstrom. Meanwhile, Fleischmann was all alone at the right side of the net. He settled down a feed from the young Swede and lifted a shot over Fleury's shoulder at the 1:46 mark.

Pittsburgh failed to cash in on a pair of power plays in the final frame and pulled Fleury with a little over a minute to play, but the equalizer never materialized.

Crosby staked the visitors to an early 1-0 lead. The Pittsburgh captain took a feed from Bill Guerin, came down the right wing, cut to the middle and fired a shot from the high slot past Varlamov's glove 4:09 into the contest.

Washington, though, overcame its slow start and held a one-goal lead after the opening frame. Steckel drove the net and slipped the rebound of a Matt Bradley shot through the pads of Fleury with 6:10 remaining.

The Capitals then used perfect execution on an extended two-man advantage to pull ahead, as Ovechkin one-timed a pass from Semin past Fleury with 2:57 left in the first period.

Pittsburgh tied the game at two when Eaton's slap shot from the left point caught Varlamov's glove and trickled in with 7:06 remaining in the middle stanza. The Russian netminder had a clear view of the puck, but simply misplayed the shot.

However, Varlamov atoned for the gaffe with a couple phenomenal saves to keep the game tied. He slid across to deny Petr Sykora with the left pad on an odd- man rush, then reached back with the paddle on the goal line to rob Crosby, who had raised his arms in apparent triumph but was denied.

"We had chances to get some more goals," said Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma. "(Varlamov) obviously made the huge save there with the open net."

Game Notes

Pittsburgh finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while Washington was 1- for-2...This series marks the eighth time the Capitals and Penguins have clashed in the postseason, with Pittsburgh having won six of the previous meetings. They last met in the opening round of the 2001 playoffs and the Pens skated away with a six-game series victory. Washington's only playoff triumph over the Pens came in six games during the 1994 conference quarterfinals.

C'Mon Party Like It's Your Birthday

2009-04-29T13:40:00.003-04:00

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.

Flyers get new AHL affiliate

2009-04-28T15:17:00.002-04:00

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.

Richards nominated for Selke

2009-04-28T14:16:00.001-04:00

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.

Caps force Rangers to Game 7 in Washington; Brashear railroaded, won't play

2009-04-27T16:29:00.002-04:00

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.

Schadenfreude

2009-04-26T11:40:00.001-04:00

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.

Flyers waste three-goal lead, eliminated by Pens

2009-04-25T18:36:00.000-04:00

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.

Take a Deep Breath

2009-04-24T15:26:00.002-04:00

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.

Biron keeps Flyers alive in Game 5 road triumph

2009-04-23T22:36:00.000-04:00

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.

So Much To Discuss

2009-04-23T15:40:00.002-04:00

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.

Well, that was nice...

2009-04-20T18:00:00.002-04:00

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.

Gagne scores twice, Flyers cut series deficit to 2-1

2009-04-19T18:48:00.001-04:00

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.

Some thoughts before the game

2009-04-19T14:35:00.002-04:00

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...

Rangers sign Hobey winner Gilroy

2009-04-17T16:18:00.001-04:00

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.

Carcillo suspended, Flyers fined

2009-04-17T12:58:00.001-04:00

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.

Carcillo to meet with NHL brass in NYC

2009-04-16T13:30:00.000-04:00

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.

Pens draw first blood against listless Flyers

2009-04-16T13:29:00.001-04:00

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.

Oilers give Crazy Craig the heave-ho

2009-04-15T16:07:00.000-04:00

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.

What Now?

2009-04-13T16:45:00.000-04:00

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.

Flyers come up lame in season finale, lose to Rangers; Pittsburgh gets fourth seed

2009-04-12T20:10:00.000-04:00

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.

Pain...just...horrible, horrible pain...

2009-04-12T00:17:00.001-04:00

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.

BU's Gilroy wins Hobey Baker

2009-04-10T20:14:00.001-04:00

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.

BU, Miami set to meet in NCAA hockey final

2009-04-10T18:02:00.002-04:00

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.

Bruins to host 2010 Winter Classic?

2009-04-09T13:47:00.001-04:00

Read on...

Senators give Clouston two-year deal

2009-04-08T16:42:00.000-04:00

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.

Huzzah!

2009-04-07T22:07:00.000-04:00

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.