End of the year post!!!

Barring a sudden change in the schedule that moves the next Flyers game to tonight, this will be the final post of 2007. Not sure why everyone makes a big deal out of the last _____ of any year, seeing as how they'll be doing the same thing tomorrow, but here you go. It was a pretty hectic year for the O&B to say the least. The Flyers, along with the other 1967 expansion teams, celebrated their 40th year in the NHL by finishing dead last with 56 points. Bobby Clarke was fired as GM, Ken Hitchcock was let go and ultimately ended up in Columbus, and the organization set about rebuilding this team through trades, free agent signings like Briere and Martin Biron, and developing the young guys on the Phantoms. I can't say I'm complaining too much, although the inconsistent play is killing this team. They did manage to squeak out a 1-0 win over Florida yesterday, with Derian Hatcher scoring the only goal and Antero Nittymaki earning his third shutout of his career. This gives the Flyers a nice three-game streak going into the game at New Jersey on Friday. By the way, I know I've said it before, but winning games in New Jersey is crucial if the Flyers want to get back on top of the Atlantic division. The Devils have owned us recently, so any win is nice, but a victory in their shiny half-empty arena would be extra sweet. And making Martin Brodeur cry. Always fun.

It's New Year's Eve in Philly and that means two things. One, meaningful football in Eastern PA is done until August, and the Mummers Parade is set to go. For those of you who don't know what the Mummers Parade is, it's a Philadelphia tradition that started a couple hundred years ago and involves lots of string bands, horns, and enough booze to refill Lake Erie, all culminating with the big party on Two Street (South 2nd Street). Basically, it's a socially acceptable reason for Philadelphians to get drunk in public without a sporting event going on (and in the years when the Eagles have a game at home on either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day...you could not PAY me to be a cop that weekend).

And with that, I leave you with last year's Two Street party. Have fun, be safe, go Flyers!!!

Flyers 4, Lightning 2

(AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Remind me to send Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers a thank-you card for the gift of Joffrey Lupul. Seriously, this kid is on fire. He scored his 10th goal in about nine games this afternoon, putting a penalty shot past Tampa Bay G Marc Denis and got two assists in the win over the Lightning down in Florida. The Flyers were outplayed pretty handedly in the first two periods, but got some timely goals by Mike Knuble and Scott Hartnell. This win puts the O&B back into the playoff mix with 40 points, five points behind the Rangers who face Toronto tonight in the game that Canadians will no doubt be forced to watch.

I remember people around here complaining when we picked up Lupul in the trade that sent Joni Pitkanen to Edmonton last year, but it turned out to be a sweet deal. As of today, Lupul has 13 goals, 17 assists, and 6 PP goals. Pitkanen, who just didn't seem to fit into the role the Flyers had hoped for, is sitting on 5 G, 4 A for 9 points on the year. Granted, Joni plays defense and obviously wouldn't have the same scoring stats as a winger unless he turns into Paul Coffey, but this is beginning to look like a move that will benefit the Flyers. Until Simon Gagne can fully recover from his concussion (what is it with this franchise and concussions??), we'll need a scoring threat from the wing. Lupul and Hartnell will do just nicely.

Today's game started a six-game road trip for the Flyers, which continues tomorrow in Miami against the Panthers. Still not sure what genius thought a hockey team in South Florida was a good idea, but then again, these are the same geniuses who still believe in the instigator rule and bigger nets. Anyhoo, the game tomorrow is a 5:00 start, so hopefully the Eagles' game will be over with and done by then.

There we go...Flyers 4, Maple Leafs 1

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

OK, everyone, breathe out...

Maybe the Christmas break was just what the team needed, because they looked pretty darn good tonight against a tired Toronto club. Joffrey Lupul scored twice, Mike Richards got a point in his 16th consecutive home game tying Bobby Clarke for the franchise record, and the Flyers finally ended a six-game losing streak. Danny Briere also added one for Philly, while Mats Sundin scored for Toronto. I'll admit, Toronto definitely wasn't on their game for this one, and it's easy to say that the Flyers simply ran into a tired team. But these are the types of games that we have dropped in the past (remember the game against a tired Capitals squad that beat us in OT), so to win this game is big. And any win against Toronto is always fun. I'm thoroughly convinced that Toronto is the Notre Dame of the NHL. They have a glorious past, fanatical support, a media empire, and they haven't won anything significant in decades. Yes, the Flyers haven't won the Cup since 1975 but at least we've gotten to the finals since then. The last time the Maple Leafs played for the Cup, Gary Roberts was 25 years old.

OT - I had a job interview today down in Baltimore. I got started on the wrong foot since I didn't arrive until 2:20 for a 2:00 appointment due to traffic (Note: for all you after-Christmas shoppers, it's called Internet shopping. Look into it). But I made it, and I think it went well. I hope. I'll let you know...

Flyers are off until Saturday when they head to the Sub-Prime Mortgage State to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. They should have a healthy team going into Saturday, although Simon Gagne won't be ready until January, which is next week if you can believe that. This year really flew by for me, though you won't see me sentimental about 2007 coming to a close. 2008 should be fun, what with a rejuvenated Flyers squad, Spring Training for the Phils, the presidential election (I'm throwing my support behind the dark horse candidate, None Of The Above), and the annual playoff meltdown of the New York Giants. Yep, should be good times.

Sabres 6, Flyers 5 SO...Sabres 3, Flyers 2

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

My high school baseball coach had this saying about errors. He said that once is a mistake, twice is a trend, and three times is a problem.

I guess six times means women and children first.

The Flyers, who started this season oh so well, have now dropped six straight after losing the back end of a home-and-home against Buffalo last night, falling 6-5 in the unrecognized shootout loss. Thomas Vanek scored with 7 seconds left after an absolutely horrendous icing call late in the 3rd period, and after the Flyers failed to score on a bunch of powerplay opportunities, Ales Kotalik scored in the shootout. Which, by the way, is the eighth straight shootout loss for Philadelphia. This means that at the Christmas break, the O&B find themselves in the bottom of the Atlantic division. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards each got two goals, including a shorthanded goal by each, but it still was not enough as the Flyers continue to let teams stay in the game. I don't know about you, but it seems like this team hasn't been playing strong hockey ever since the NHL issued its warning. Earlier this season, the Flyers wore teams down by playing physical, hard-hitting hockey. Now, opposing teams are skating at will around our defenders and into Martin Biron without any fear of retaliation. There would be no way that a player like Maxim Afinogenov could get away with sweeping Scottie Upshall if this team wasn't under the microscope of Colin Campbell, who is unworthy of the boldface type. Hopefully the team can right the ship over the break and come out with some fight against Toronto on Thursday.

Well, that's it for now. Given that it's Christmas and the Flyers are off until Thursday, so long for now...

Catch-up time

Once again, I apologize for missing a few games. Been kinda lazy recently...

In Flyerland, the O&B have successfully broken their streak of win-lose-win by losing their last four in a row to Montreal, Carolina, New Jersey, and Phoenix. Against the Hurricanes, the Coyotes, and the Canadiens, the Flyers lost by one goal, with the Carolina loss coming in a shootout (which we here at Cafe Noire do not officially recognize). The New Jersey loss was...just awful.

Ben Eager, who you may remember from his elbow introduction to Big Georges Laraque during the Pittsburgh game, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for former Flyer Jim Vandermeer. Eager had been a healthy scratch the past four games, wasn't really a factor on the team, and probably wasn't going to contribute much this season, so a change of scenery to Chicago may be good for him. Vandermeer was with the organization until 2004, when he was sent to Chicago for Alexei Zhamnov.

In other Philly hockey news, the Philadelphia Phantoms continue to kick butt and take names this season, so far posting a record of 19-8-1. They lost their last game against Wilkes-Barre by a score of 3-2, but are still three points ahead of the Albany River Rats in the standings. I really should get to a Phantoms game this season, seeing as how Flyers tickets are once again hard to come by. The last Phantoms game I attended was the Eastern Conference final when they beat Providence and went on to win the Calder Cup. Current Flyers' head coach John Stevens was in charge of that team, so at least he knows what it's like to win in this town. And with the way things are going, it looks like either the Flyers or even the Phillies will win a championship within the next five years or so. I hope.

Next up for the Flyers is a home-and-home against the Buffalo Sabres starting on Friday, with the first game at the HSBC Arena. It's the first game back in Buffalo for Daniel Briere and Martin Biron, so no doubt the thirty or so Sabres fans left will be in full throat. The Flyers have had a few days off to practice and hit the malls for some Christmas shopping, so they should be ready for the game. And this time, I PROMISE to do my recap right afterwards.

Canadiens 4, Flyers 1

(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)

My apologies for being late with this recap, but things have been...well, a bit strange around here.

Anyway, after thoroughly stomping Pittsburgh and looking like they might be able to finally break the win-lose-win-lose cycle, the Flyers...lost to Montreal 4-1. I don't get it. I can't explain it. However, by losing on Thursday, it means that we are all but assured a win tonight against Carolina. And it also means we will probably lose to New Jersey next week. At least we're consistent.

In other Flyers news, congrats to Mike Richards on getting himself a nice, fat, 12-year contract extension worth about $69 million. If I were Mike, I'd ask for it in euros, or loonies at this point...

In case you've been living under a rock (and with the mortgage crisis, that might not be a bad idea), the Mitchell Report was released on Thursday, detailing how Major League Baseball players are bad people and should always think of the children. In any case, it highlighted how between 5% and 7% of baseball players, including some big names like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, and Eric Gagne were at some point on the juice. And speaking for myself, I have to say that I am absolutely not surprised. It wasn't just a few bad apples, it was an entire culture of steroid and HGH use. It was interesting to see how many of players got their drugs from the same trainers and clubhouse attendants. You'd think that clubs wouldn't want their trainers talking to opposing players, but I guess you can't control what someone does outside the ballpark. Now that these names have come to light, I do wonder how history will treat a player like Barry Bonds, who was basically turned into the public face of the problem by the media, fans, and MLB. Now that we know this problem extends far beyond him, I wonder if people will lay off him a bit. He made a stupid decision, no doubt, but he wasn't the only one, and I do think it was unfair for him to take all of the heat while other players were spared. Of course, it would have been different had he not broken Hank Aaron's all-time HR record, and I still believe that if MLB was so intent on protecting the sanctity of the game, it should have suspended Bonds before he even got close to Aaron. But hey, Bonds put people in the seats, especially on the road. He may be a cheater, but the owners got their money off him. And that's my two cents.

Flyers host Carolina tonight in what is guaranteed to be a victory. Should be good times.

Now THAT was fun...Flyers 8, Penguins 2

(AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

I knew the Flyers wanted to get back to winning at home, but my goodness. This game was a blowout from start to finish; even if the Pens tied it at 2-2, they were never in it. The Flyers simply outskated, outshot, and outmuscled Pittsburgh like rabid Christmas shoppers going after the last Guitar Hero 3 at Best Buy. To make matters even better, Pittsburgh attempted to play rough towards the end, and they failed at that. When it was all said and done, the Flyers ended up with 58 PIM, while the Pens had a whopping 98. Coach John Stevens called out Pittsburgh in his press conference, calling them "undisciplined". The take-out slide on Martin Biron by Big Georges Laraque was one of the stupidest things I've seen in a hockey game. I guess it was retaliation for getting hit by Ben Eager, which was also stupid, but go after one of our enforcers if you want to throw down. Not that Biron can't fight, mind you. He went a round with Ray Emery of the Senators last season and got flattened. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, I suppose.

Flyers get tomorrow off before hosting the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday in a game I like to call "The City I Love vs. The City I'd Love To Move To". Except in the winter, 'cause I hear that sucks up there.

Onward to .500!!! - Avalanche 2, Flyers 1

(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Tonight's game was on the CW57, a network who apparently haven't gotten around to upgrading their cameras to digital yet. Might as well been watching on the old school Prism channel.

Anyway, the Flyers were just a bit slower than the Avs tonight, losing 2-1 when Milan Hejduk scored a power play goal with about :03 left in the 2nd. Had the Flyers gone into the dressing room tied 1-1, I think they stood a good chance of winning. You could tell Colorado had most of the momentum in the 3rd period, although the Flyers' penalty kill did its job by killing off four of five penalties with the fifth being...well, you know.

It is now officially Hoth cold here in southeast PA, and snowing just enough to make the ground look pretty but not enough to close the schools, which always frustrated me growing up. Either snow hard or don't snow at all. You can't even have a decent snowball fight - by the time you get enough snow to make a good-sized ball (small enough to throw, big enough to sting, that's the rule), you've used up all the snow in the yard, and unless you had the throwing accuracy of Joe Montana, it's a waste.

Looking now at the Atlantic division, the Flyers are in what will most likely be a dogfight until at least the All-Star break:
NJD - 34 pts.
PHI - 32 pts.
NYR - 32 pts.
PIT - 30 pts.
NYI - 28 pts.

That's six points separating the entire division. Jersey won their ninth straight tonight against the ECHL Washington Capitals, both New York teams lost, and the Pens and Flyers play on Tuesday. If the Flyers want to create some breathing space, they have to start playing better, especially at home. I think three teams will come out of the Atlantic for the playoffs, and there's no time like now to get going on a run.

Flyers 3, Wild 1

(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)

I guess being on the road helps. The Flyers won their fourth straight game away from Philadelphia by beating Minnesota 3-1. In the process, the Flyers killed off not one, but two 5-on-3 power plays by the Wild, Nittymaki was solid in goal, and aside from some real shaky officiating, the game went pretty well. It should have been 3-0 since I don't think anyone believed Demitra scored that goal. How the referee even saw the puck cross the line is beyond me. Something tells me the Flyers are going to be targeted by the refs in every game for the rest of the season. Warranted, perhaps. But when the officials are looking for calls against us and missing calls against our opponent (Todd Fedoruk's elbowing call, for example, should have been a five-minute major), I don't think the NHL is really doing anyone any good. Teams will be teeing off on us if they feel they can get away with it. Say what you want about the suspensions and dirty hits, we got deservedly punished for each and every one of them.

Carter, Upshall, and Coburn scored for the Flyers, and Steve Downie in his first game back logged 4:39 of ice time. The Flyers now travel to Colorado to take on the Avalanche and it would be nice to keep up with the Rangers, who were idle last night. The Atlantic division is getting tighter by the day, and the Flyers can't afford to cool off now.

Lock yer doors, Minnesota

Steve Downie, who was suspended for hitting Ottawa's Dean McAmmond into last March, was recalled by the Flyers and will be available for the team's upcoming game against the Wild. No word yet on whether or not Downie will see any ice time, but if he does, we here at Cafe Noire think it may look something like this (warning - NSFW):


Downie is a Class 2 felony on skates. And after being warned by the commissioner, what do we do? We bring him back.

"Hey Joe...who owns the Chiefs?"

Downie does, that's who...

Suspension update

Riley Cote received three games for a hit to the head of Mat Niskanen of the Dallas Stars during Saturday's loss. NHL ruiner-of-all-things-holy Gary Bettman officially warned the organization, telling GM Paul Holmgren to speak with the team. Holmgren then told Bettman to take a hike.

I wish...

In all fairness, five suspensions for one team is out of hand. Like I've said before, I understand that the Flyers were embarrassed last season and pushed around by every other club in the league. It's easy to see how the team would want to show a higher level of intensity and start pushing back. Hits to the head, however, are unacceptable, even if the play seemed routine at the time (see: Hartnell, Jones). My biggest worry is that the Flyers are going to go into their next game looking over their shoulder at the refs and think twice about finishing a check or going hard into the corners. Not to mention the incentive for opposing players to embellish a foul or even fake an injury to draw the penalty (see: Crosby). The Flyers are good enough this year to win games without resorting to cheap shots, and clearly have more pressing issues to deal with than getting redemption against opponents. Keep up the intensity, by all means, but cut back on some of the cheap hits. AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, GET A WIN STREAK GOING YA BUMS!!!

Stars 4, Flyers...oh, never mind

Seriously, forget it. I'm not even going to comment on last night...

Looks like Riley Cote will be suspended for an elbow to the head, making it five suspensions for the Flyers this year. They should know by now that any suspicious hit will warrant an investigation by the league at this point. Heck, a dirty look will get you five games. It'd be nice if we could bring Peter Forsberg back to Philly, but I think that money may be better used for bail payments at this point.

UPDATE - Seahawks 24, Eagles 20 - Congrats to the Eagles who continue to find new ways to lose at the end. This time, AJ Feeley threw his fourth INT of the game after a 64-yard punt return by Brian Westbrook got the Birds inside the Seahawks' 20. This all but ends their chance at the playoffs this season, unless seven other teams completely fold. Nice job, guys.

Notes from the farm - Phantoms update

The Philadelphia Phantoms, who are also reaping the benefits of GM Paul Holmgren's rebuilding, notched their second straight 6-0 win tonight after beating the defending Calder Cup champion Hamilton Bulldogs. Right now the Phantoms have the second-best record in the AHL and are looking a lot like the team that won the Cup in 2005. For all the compliments Holmgren is getting for retooling the Flyers, he deserves equal credit for stacking the minor teams as well. Bob Clarke was a bit too impatient with the young players and traded away a lot of talent to go for the quick fix, which works if you get the right players. Often, he didn't, and those young players came back to bite us. Now, with Holmgren in charge and with the salary cap issue to deal with, I think Holmgren will decide to stay in-house and call up a good number of these Phantoms to play across the parking lot one day (if you don't get the parking lot reference, the Phantoms play at the Spectrum while the Flyers play at the Wachovia Center, which is - get this - across the parking lot. Nice, huh?).

I should have mentioned this before, but I do want to express my sympathies to the family and teammates of Washington Redskin safety Sean Taylor, who was murdered in his home during a burglary attempt. I don't need to remind you how senseless this is, even if he wasn't a famous athlete. ESPN reported that four people were arrested today in connection to his death, and for his family's sake I hope the got the guys who did this. As an Eagles fan, I usually root against the Skins, but that takes a backseat for this.

And finally, RIP to Evel Knievel, who died today at the age of 69. If he tried this today, the man would be hounded by every parents' group in the country on charges of "giving the kids the crazy ideas" or something:


Flyers vs. Stars tomorrow night @ the Wac. I should be here to recap it.

Flyers vs. Hurricanes (hopefully suspension-free)

(photo courtesy of The Canadian Press)

Philly heads down to the RBC Center to face off against the Hurricanes tonight. 610 WIP is having problems with its internet feed, so I'll have to listen to the venerable Hurricanes Radio Network for the first period. I've sufficiently calmed down from the Hartnell incident, though I'm sure it will be the main topic of discussion tonight. We need a complete, 60-minute effort tonight, that's for sure. No more of this win one, lose one that seems to be our MO recently.

Derien Hatcher is finally back after missing some time from knee surgery, which gives us a bigger presence along the blueline. Biron's in the net...not too sure what's been going on with him lately, but if we can get a couple of quick goals early, that should take the pressure off him...

UPDATED - Another win for the O&B, this time a 3-1 win. Mike Knuble had himself a three-point night with a goal and two assists, and the aforementioned Hatcher got himself a goal as well. We improved to a decent 8-6 on the road this year, which is light years ahead of last season. Hopefully they can get back on a winning streak and beat Dallas Saturday night.

In other sports news, we have ourselves a full-fledged quarterback controversy in Philadelphia following A.J. Feeley's remarkable performance against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Personally, I think A.J. should get the start for the Seattle game, but Andy Reid has put his big ol' foot down and is sticking with McNabb. Also, Arsenal remained undefeated in the English Premier League by beating Wigan 2-0, Maryland beat Illinois 69-61 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge tonight in College Park, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. That is all...

Bruins 6, Flyers 3

Never mind the fact that we can't string together two wins in a row. Never mind the fact that we seem to take the night off after a big win. Never mind the fact that Martin Biron couldn't stop a beach ball right now. Yes, we lost the game. Yes, the Bruins were undoubtedly the better team. But the only thing you'll hear about is this. Yes folks, the Broad Street Bullies are back, the Flyers are nothing more than goons and are primarily responsible for the breakdown of the family unit in North America, and the team should be stripped of its NHL status and forced back to the Federal League where it belongs. Blah, blah, blah.

Look, I'm not saying that Scott Hartnell was innocent. The hit was poorly timed and aimed at Alberts' head. However, can someone explain to me why Alberts felt the need to go to his knees and attempt to stop the puck at the blue line? He put himself in a vulnerable position and got hurt as a result. Mark Messier said it plainly a few weeks ago, you cannot expose yourself to injury like that in this game and not expect to get hurt. The only way to avoid getting a potentially serious injury is to not put yourself in harm's way. I hope that Bergeron gets better and I hope that Alberts gets better. But I am getting really tired of the media calling the Flyers a bunch of thugs anytime we check someone too hard.

Here's the highlights courtesy of TSN:


The NHL gave Hartnell a two-game suspension without pay, which is more than fair. All the knuckleheads on TSN message boards calling for 20+ games, shut up. It wasn't boarding, he wasn't injured, it wasn't intent to injure. Crikes, I thought Canadians liked tough hockey. Proved me wrong, that's for sure.

My first GDT!! - Flyers vs. Senators

The game is being shown on CW57, which means I can finally see the game instead of listening on the radio. DirecTV is great, but not being able to watch the local teams because Comcast doesn't want to broadcast sports programming over satellite in Philadelphia stinks...

I got back a little late from Wawa's after picking up a couple of sandwiches and came in just in time to see Dany Heatley smoke one past Nittymaki to make it 2-1 Sens. Apparently it's been a fast-paced period, with chances coming at both ends. Umberger scored for the O&B to tie it at 1-1, but then came Heatley's goal. Not a bad start, let's see if both teams can maintain the pace.

Onto the 2nd...

GOAL - Hartnell (0:58) just ripped it past Gerber. Good way to start the period (PHI 2-OTT 2)

GOAL - Schubert (3:30) banked it off of Nittymaki to give Ottawa the lead again. This is turning into a good game (PHI 2-OTT 3)

GOAL - Mike Richards (7:51) with a sweet goal on the rebound from his own shot makes it 3-3. And apparently John Paddock has seen enough and has pulled Gerber for Ray Emery. I didn't think Gerber was doing that poorly, unless Paddock has some serious perfection issues (PHI 3-OTT 3)

GOAL - Daniel Briere (13:11) finishes off a nice passing sequence with Braydon Coburn and Scott Hartnell. Flyers are simply outskating the Senators right now in all aspects. You really have to question why the Ottawa coach pulled Gerber, especially in a close game. If it was 6-1, then yes, pull him, but why now? (PHI 4-OTT 3)

End of the 2nd, Flyers lead 4-3. They should have scored on the last PP, but that was a great period...

And with the start of the 3rd period, we have a problem. It just so happens that Battlestar: Galactica Razor is airing right now, and as I am a huge BSG fan as well as a Flyers fan, this creates a dilemma. I'll keep tabs on the game, so don't you worry...

4:00 left in the third, Flyers still holding on to a 4-3 lead. Good PK and neutral zone forechecking is keeping Ottawa at bay. Oh, and Battlestar Galactica is the best show on TV. No contest.

GAME - Philly wins 4-3 in Ottawa. One of the best games of the season so far. John Stevens must've said something to the team during the ride up, because this was a total effort. Either that or they read my last post. Big win for the Flyers, who come back to play Boston on Monday. Now if you'll excuse me, back to the Sci Fi.

Absolutely frustrating...Capitals 4, Flyers 3 (OT)

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Maybe it was too much turkey. Maybe it was not taking the Capitals seriously. I don't know, but this was a frustrating loss today against the worst team in the NHL. It was 3-0 Caps before the Flyers decided to start playing. At one point in the 2nd period, we had a 5-on-3 PP that should have resulted in at least one goal. All we succeeded in doing was losing the puck in the neutral zone and testing Kolzig's chest protector. Briere, Carter, and Richards tied the game and made it interesting, but a pass from Ovechkin to a wide open Backstrom gave Washington a win they deserved. Since firing their coach (who lasted much longer than I thought he would), I'm thinking the Caps could be poised to go on an Atlanta-like run of wins, which seems to happen a lot when new blood gets behind the bench. Apparently the new coach was with the Hershey Bears AHL team, so he's not a coaching newbie. As for the Flyers, this game should serve notice that you cannot, CANNOT, fail to play hard for the full 60 minutes of a game. Start slow, you get burned. Ease up at the end and let the opposing team back into it, you get burned. If they play this way tomorrow against the best team in the league, the Senators will run them out of the rink.

That being said, compare this game to similar games last season and it's night and day with this team. Last year, the Flyers would have just put their heads down and let the other team skate all over them. This year's team has a much better attitude, much better leadership, and never appears to be completely out of a game, the recent NJ game aside. Yes, I am frustrated we dropped one against the Caps, but we still have 12 wins on the year as of Thanksgiving weekend. Last season, the Flyers had 22 wins total. I'll take that any day.

Eagles update...the New England Patriots, who are running through the NFL like Patton's Third Army, are 24-point favorites against the Birds for Sunday night. Which means that if the Eagles scored 21 points, the final score is expected to be 45-21. And if you bet money that Philly would cover, you'd win. We. Are. Going. To. Be. DESTROYED.

Flyers go to Ottawa tomorrow to face the Sens. Let's hope they show up.

EDIT - the Eagles are now 22-point underdogs. Respect the Birds, yo.

Back on the winning track...Flyers 6, Hurricanes 3

(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

After two tough losses against the Rangers and Devils, one of which never happened since I don't recognize the shootout, the Flyers finally put one in the win column with a 6-3 win in Raleigh. Daniel Briere scored a hat trick for goals 8, 9, and 10, Kimmo Timonen finally got me some fantasy points, and we kept up the pace with NY for top spot in the division. The Rangers beat Tampa 2-1 while the Devils beat the Crosbies by the same score. The NHL Network broadcast the NJ-Pittsburgh game and unfortunately showed the Pittsburgh video feed. I swear, Sidney Crosby could stab an opposing player with a samurai sword and the announcers would gush "There's our boy Sid! Ain't he swell??". I understand a bit of homerism is expected, but my goodness. I actually found myself cheering for the Devils to win tonight, which I believe carries a charge of high treason in Philly. I'll have to check on that.

In non-hockey news, congratulations to our boy Jimmy Rollins for winning the NL MVP award yesterday. He's the second Phillie in a row to win it (Ryan Howard won last year) and is the first shortstop to receive the award since Barry Larkin won it in 1995. Rollins said at the beginning of the season that the Phillies were the team to beat this year, and he backed it up by posting a .296 average with 30 HR, 41 SB, 38 2B, and 94 RBI. If you don't know what those stats mean, apparently they equal MVP. Plus, he won the Gold Glove for shortstop as well. All in all, a nice way to end a good season for the Phils.

The O&B get Thanksgiving off before hosting the Capitals and one of my favorite non-Flyers, Alexander Ovechkin (who scored the only goal tonight against Atlanta in a 5-1 loss), and then head up to snowy Ottawa to face the league-leading Senators. The Ottawa game will be a huge test for us, and to take a point from the Sens in their building would be an enormous boost. Of course, that's easier said than done, and I'm sure Ottawa will still be a little steamed over the Downie-McAmmond incident, but we'll see.

Devils 6, Flyers 2

The trend of late seems to be that whenever the Devils need a big win to break out of a slump, we always come up next of the schedule. New Jersey lost 5-0 to Pittsburgh, they come back to beat us. And again, New Jersey got shutout by the Islanders and then proceed to whomp the Flyers the following game 6-2. Biron had an off-game, which thankfully is rare for him, and I am concerned about our lack of shots, but overall, the team is still doing remarkably well. Even if we did give up the division lead to the Rangers by two points, the Flyers are well above what many people expected, including me. Next up, the Hurricanes...

Rangers 4, Flyers 3

(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)


I will never embrace the shootout. Never. When two teams are evenly matched and the game ends in a draw, it's OK to walk away with the tie. The game last night between Edmonton and Vancouver (my adopted Canadian team) was outstanding, even if it ended 0-0. Both Luongo and Garon made impressive saves, and there were enough offensive chances to keep the game going back and forth. Of course, I'd be singing a different tune if the Flyers had scored in the shootout, but not by much. I will man up and take back what I said about Lundqvist. The kid can flat out play. If the Rangers make the playoffs, and they should, he's the reason why, because Lord knows they can't outscore anyone. Anyway, it was another loss to New York for the O&B tonight. Nice to see Tolpeko get his first goal in the NHL, but it wasn't enough as the Flyers failed to get one past Lundqvist in overtime. It was good game between two teams that will be fighting for top spot in the Atlantic all season since the Penguins, Isles, and Devils can't seem to keep up. Still, we remain unbeaten in regulation at home (6-0-1), so we got that going for us.

We did beat the Islanders, by the way. 3-2. Scottie Upshall finally got it going, putting in two goals. Mike Richards chipped in with the game winner on the penalty kill. Honestly, how he didn't make it onto the All-Star ballot is beyond me. He's by far the team MVP up to this point. Scoring goals, setting up teammates, believe me, he'll be wearing the C in no time. I still believe the decision to give the captaincy to the veteran Jason Smith was the right idea. Sometimes your best leader isn't always your flashy scorer (are you listening, Pittsburgh?!?!?). Take the Washington Capitals, for instance. Clearly their best player is Alexander Ovechkin, one of the few non-Flyers I would pay good money to see in person. Who's the captain of the Capitals? Anyone? Anyone? Well, as a matter of fact, it's...

hold on, let me Google it...

hold on...

...it's this guy. Yeah, I have no idea who he is, either.

Alright, time to go. I promise to be around for the game against the Newark Devils on Saturday. Lates.

My apologies

I completely forgot about the game against the Islanders on Monday. A couple things came up regarding jobs and such and it just slipped my mind. Promise I'll be back later to wrap up tonight vs. the Rangers...

Very nice - Flyers 5, Crosbies 2

(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)


I really like this Flyers team. No, I mean really like. Last year's team would've be both awestruck by Malkin and Crosby and pushed around by the Penguins' heavyweights, if there were any. Now, they're the ones doing to the pushing, just like the old days. Well, not exactly the old days. Anyone comparing this team to the 1972-76 Broad Street Bullies era is wrong. That team, while good enough talent-wise to win two Stanley Cups, was ten times rougher than the Flyers today. Of course, the league was rougher back then as well. Everyone loves to bring up the Bullies, but no one seems to remember that the Flyers built that team to respond to the Big Bad Bruins who pushed everyone around, including the Flyers. I certainly don't condone the Downie and Boulerice incidents, and I don't believe for a second that Stevens or Holmgren are actively encouraging their players to injure someone. Both of them have been around this game long enough to know that it will come back on you one day, and with Simon Gagne out with concussion-like symptoms already, that's not a chance I think they would take.

Anyway, here's the recap from last night's game. I wasn't able to see it, of course, but thank goodness NHL.com radio is still free. The best part of the broadcast was hearing the Flyers' announcers calling out Crosby after Smith slashed him. They did bring up a good point, however - because Crosby falls down and complains constantly, how can the refs honestly know when he's hurt? It sounded like he went to the bench to get ice for his wrist, then was back out there a few minutes later. Well, are you hurt or not? What also surprised me was the way the Penguins did absolutely nothing to retaliate for their star player getting smacked around. If that was Briere, the Flyers would respond. If it was Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators would respond. Jagr, the Rangers would fight back, and so on. Maybe Crosby's own teammates are getting sick of his antics, who knows. But hey, it's not my team. We got the win. That's what matters in the end.

In other news, congratulations to former Flyer Jeremy Roenick for scoring his 500th goal in his career last night. Only the third American-born player to do in the league. I can't say I remember all of his goals, but I do remember this one:

Apologies to all you Maple Leafs fans out there. I'm surprised I didn't get written up for a noise violation when he scored that goal.

For the first time in a while, I'm indifferent on the game today between the Eagles and Redskins. There's talk in town of replacing Donovan McNabb, but that's been going around for a while now, so nothing new there. Oh well. Flyers won, Maryland beat Boston College, Arsenal (lest I forget) is going to the second round of the Champions' League, and after five days of gloom, the sun is shining in southeastern PA. All good here.

Devils 4, Flyers 1

One day after a big win in Pittsburgh, the Flyers give it back after tonight's stinker in Newark. Read about it here. Apparently the Devils' coach was upset about losing 5-0 in their last game, so he made them do insane amounts of sprints to teach them a lesson. Can't say I blame him. I am worried that we seem to be drifting back into our usual win one-lose one routine which usually gets us into trouble later in the season. The road trip is finally over, so hopefully they can string some wins together at home.

Flyers 3, Crosbies 1

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)


Remember how we got embarrassed by Pittsburgh last year? Yeah, me neither...

And, lest you think I'm forgetting about our 76ers (to be honest, since I can't stand the NBA anymore, I haven't been keeping up with the team), they beat Charlotte tonight 94-63. For a city with such a rich basketball tradition from the Big Five to high school, it's a shame the Sixers don't get the attention that they used to. Course, some of that may be contributed to a projected last place finish and the Iverson trade last year, so there you go. I'll be sure to give them some love this season, assuming I check the scores every now and then.

So long, Eric

It looks like former Flyers captain Eric Lindros is finally calling it quits. He is officially retiring tomorrow after trying to give it a go with Dallas. I remember all of the hype that surrounded him when he came to Philly (and the griping about who we gave up to get him, including one Peter Forsberg before his major foot problems.) Watching him on the Legion of Doom line with Renberg and LeClair (who just got a DUI, by the way) was one of the great joys of being a Flyers fan in the 90's. The 1997 Cup run was fantastic, until we ran into the Red Wings and got swept. The drama between the Lindros family and Bobby Clarke led to Lindros being traded to New York (of all places!), but not before he developed his concussion problems. I still believe the hit by Scott Stevens in the 2000 ECF was illegal, and don't try to convince me otherwise. Watch it yourself:


Anyway, good luck Eric. Wish him all the best.

GO-Sweep

Looks like the GOP held firm in Chester County last night. Mostly incumbents won, which isn't surprising.

In tonight's NHL action, the Flyers are playing St. Sidney and the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Pens went 8-for-8 against the O&B last season, and I'm kind of hoping they take us lightly tonight. The game's on CSN, but since we have DirecTV, and Comcast hates DirecTV, I can't watch. Once again, I'll be reduced to listening online and catching highlights on the NHL Network (which rules, by the way). We need to come out quick against Pittsburgh and not give up the first goal, which we do wayyy too often.

Other games tonight include:
Boston - Buffalo
Nashville - Detroit
Florida - Tampa Bay
Columbus - Chicago
Edmonton - Colorado
Phoenix - Anaheim
Dallas - San Jose

Be back later...

And the winner is...

Michael Nutter. This wasn't even close.

Still waiting for the suburban results to come through. Check back tomorrow.

Speaking of winning, congratulations to Aaron Rowand and Jimmy Rollins for being named Gold Glove winners for 2007. These two earned it this year, especially Rollins, who I think will come up short for MVP since Matt Holliday and the Rockies went to the Series. Please, please, please sign Rowand to a nice long-term deal...

Voting update

The best thing about off-year elections is that it's so much easier to vote. I remember waiting almost three hours in Gaithersburg, MD for the 2004 presidential election, and I arrived EARLY. The bad thing about off-year elections is that for the most part, I have no clue who I should vote for. Other than Judge Seamus McCaffrey (who got my vote simply because he's a Marine, and there's nothing like a Marine dispensing justice), I'll admit I chose the candidates who I think I've heard of, but ask me to pick them out of a crowd and I'm stumped. I mixed up my ballot between Democratic candidates and Republican candidates, giving about a 60-40 edge to the Dems. I'm sorry, but the Republican commissioner for Chester County had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the war in Iraq, so why punish them for it? That's the best part about being a registered independent, I think. You choose candidates based on their past performance and merit, and not simply along party lines. Or, you choose them because you happened to catch their campaign ad during the MNF game and thought it was catchy. Democracy in action...

It wasn't in any doubt, but it appears that Michael Nutter is the new mayor-elect for Philadelphia. For those of you unfamiliar with politics in this corner of the world, the Democrats control Philly, while the Republicans hold the suburbs. That will definitely hold true tonight in the city, but the suburban races will be tight. Philly, on the other hand, is no contest. In fact, the Inquirer ran a front-page story about the concern many people had about the low turnout today because of the huge lead Nutter had going into this morning. Even if the outcome of a vote is certain, I still feel it's our duty to participate. Let's face it, there are still many people around the world who would die to vote as freely as we do. Some things just should not be taken for granted, and this is one of them. Besides, there are other issues on the ballot in Philadelphia that deserve to be addressed. Get out there and vote.

Way to pick me up guys...

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)


I think we'll just focus on hockey for a while, cause the Eagles...well, you saw the game.

And how do the Flyers help to bring up my hopes? By losing to our hated rivals. Thanks fellas.

In retrospect, I don't think anyone was scoring against Lundqvist tonight. The kid is good, not Vezina good like the announcer on Versus was talking about. Mike Richards needs to hit the Blue Horizon if he's going to be fighting every night. Especially against a guy like Avery, who looks like a man possessed in this picture. He still dating that Cuthbert girl?

Anyway, you win some, you lose some, but whatever you do, DO NOT LOSE TO NEW YORK. This should be on the contract of every Philadelphia athlete when they sign here.

Uhh, what????

Dallas 38, Philly 17.

The heck happened here?

Remember, remember, the 5th of November...

Since I have a little bit of time before Pats-Colts and Eagles-Boys, I figured I'd get in some posting...
(picture courtesy of GEORGE BRIDGES / McClatchy Tribune)


Went down to DC this weekend to check out the Flyers against the Caps on Friday. The Flyers usually get a good crowd down from Philly, but this night was especially rowdy. I don't know if was the upcoming football game or the fact that it was college night, but boy, that game was fun. Course, it also helped that the boys won the game 3-2. Briere, Mike "Mad Dog" Richards, and Umberger scoring for the Flyers, Ovechkin and some bit player for the Caps. I still can't figure out how the Caps still aren't able to sell out their arena even though they have one of the best players in hockey. I give Ovechkin one more year, then it's off to Toronto, Montreal, or Detroit. God, imagine him in orange and black alongside Forsberg and Gagne? Sick.

In politics, it's finally time to pick a new mayor for Philadelphia. Whoever it is (what am I saying, it's gonna be Nutter), they'll have their work cut out for them. In case you haven't heard, we lost a 25-year veteran police officer this week. He was the third officer shot in 48 hours. I tell you, I love Philly, but this is getting out of hand. And what's worse, no one seems to have any good ideas on how to stop the violence, or at least get it under control. We'll never live completely free of crime, but this needs to be priority no. 1 for the new guy in City Hall.

Oh yeah, the job search: I'll be sending out a ton of resumes this week. Hopefully, someone will bite, but I'm not getting too optimistic. Of course, the White House is claiming victory for 166,000 new jobs added in October. Guess they weren't in PA...

Alrighty, time for the game. I'm thinking Colts 38, Pats 35. And congrats to the Naval Academy for beating Notre Dame for the first time since '63. Then again, I could round up 10 kids at a YMCA and beat ND this year. Anyway, good game.

UPDATE - New England 24, Indy 20. Colts let that one get away...

Aimless ramblings...

I think the hardest part about starting one of these blogs is figuring out what exactly I want to do with it. Do I make it political, and if so, should it be just local Philly politics or national? Do I dare tackle the present administration or the war and risk not being able to get on another airplane ever again? How personal should I be? I've heard that potential employers Google your name when they do the background check. What if they Google me and find out that I think the Vice President is really the Sith Lord Darth Sidious? Will that keep me from the cubicle of my dreams? Of course, if they did Google me, they'd probably come up with this fellow. Helluva player, so I've heard.

Anyway, I've decided that this will be more or less a weekly recap of everything that's passed by me during the week (condensed, of course). I'll be giving my view on everything from politics to sports to my current on-going job search, just to give whoever reads this (and if there are readers, God bless) a different perspective. Not promising the second coming of Dailykos or anything, but hey, it's a start.

So, to recap:

Flyers 2, Bruins 1 - No doubt, this was ugly. Thank goodness Bergeron is fine and moving. It's unfortunate that people seem to just focus on incidents like this and not on the fact that this team is really good, but that's the media for you.

This is just fantastic. It was only a matter of time before the war in Iraq spilled over the borders. The worst part is that apparently, Kurdish Iraq was doing well. Or, at least that's what we've been told. It'd be interesting to see how exactly this incursion is spun in the MSM, if it even gets mentioned over here.

Link of the week belongs to my friend Anthony McMahon and his baby. Definitely liked the pictures with the birthday cake. The Mets uniform, not so much. At least he's too young to remember this season, poor guy.

That's it for now. As I said, this will get better. I hope...

Bears 19, Eagles...oh boy...

Still having trouble over this one.

I give Andy Reid a lot of credit for trying to get through what has got to be one of the most difficult thing any parent can face. And, to be fair, he wasn't the one who let Mushin Muhammed get behind the defense and catch the winning score from Brian F*$%#* Griese. But I do believe that he needs to step aside for awhile and get things in order. We'll understand, hell anyone would given the situation. It'd be nice if the players would step up and say "Hey, let's take some of the heat off Andy and go beat teams we're better than instead of going three and and out and letting Brian F*&&^$* Griese drive 97 yards with less than 2:00 left and NO TIMEOUTS REMAINING." Be nice, wouldn't it? Unbelievable, first Kaz Matsui kills my Phillies and now this. Normally I'd pin my hopes on the Flyers at this point, but I'm not jinxing this yet.

And away we go...

Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a bit late to the whole blog thing. Never really saw the need for one, I suppose. But I figured since I spend most of my time reading other people's opinions, it was time to get mine out. So here goes...

I'm Jay. My full name is Jason, but that sounds too formal, like something my parents or professors would use. So, just Jay. I'm living outside of Philly for the moment. Used to live in Maryland while going to school there, but circumstances forced me back into the old country (more on that later). It's a bit weird being back here, I don't mind telling you. It's hard to put into words, but after living away from home for so long, I don't really feel like this is me anymore. It was great growing up as a kid out here, but those days are done. And there's no sense in trying to redo them or relive them.

This blog will basically be your window into one of the most complicated, convoluted, and cynical minds of the 21st century. Given that the century is only eight years old, that's not saying much. However, I do feel that there's not enough young, black, certifiably insane voices out here on the Interwebs, so I figured I'd add mine to the mix. Let's just get some basics out of the way...

Sports - Anything Philly, plus the Maryland Terrapins, Arsenal FC
Politics - Independent and proud of it, son...
Occupation - None at the moment. You'd think it would be easy for a history major to find meaningful work. I mean, everyone loves history, right? Right??? Do you want the tall latte or the grande?

Anyway, that's the bare bones of it. This will get better, I promise. And if it doesn't, well, go read someone else's blog, why doncha?