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.