Merry Christmas!!!

Here's hoping you got everything you wished for yesterday. Me, I got exactly what I wanted...a day to sleep in until 10:00 before my one-year old twin cousins dropped by for a visit. Actually, only one of them was able to come as the other one was sound asleep back home. Probably for the best.

Anyhoo...yes, it's been a while. And I did promise I would do a follow-up after every Flyers game this season. Two things here. One, things are ridiculously busy at the job. And two, with the way the Flyers have been playing, what else is there to say? We've got scoring, we've got defense, we've got special teams, and we've got two goalies who I assume will split time for the rest of the year. There's really nothing to gripe about or get all worried about. I can't believe I'm saying this about a Philadelphia sports team, but at the moment I am...content with my hockey team.

Flyers start their six-game, cross-continent road trip tonight in Chicago.

Flyers 2, Hurricanes 1 (OT)

(AP photo)

I wonder if we can petition the league to move down to the Southeast division.

The Flyers, who seem to be playing the Hurricanes every other day, got a nice 2-1 victory in overtime off of Jeff Carter's 19th goal of the season. Which means more fantasy points for yours truly and moves us two points behind Pittsburgh in the East. Carter got the game's first star, but really it should have gone to Antero Nittymaki, who stopped 35 shots and looked much more confident in goal than Biron has recently. And before you ask, no, there is no goalie controversy in Philly. If Nitty's playing better, start him. Mike Richards scored the opener in the first, getting his 11th of the year and netting another shorty for this team, which is remarkable seeing as how the special teams guru known as Terry Murray is out in LA. One negative that stood out for me last night was how the Canes were able to completely dictate the play after they tied the game. The Flyers couldn't clear the puck, couldn't keep Eric Staal in check and let Sergei friggin' Samsonov skate rings around them. Other than that, it was a good win on the road.

Islanders up next.

Flyers 4, Bolts 3 (OT)

(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Well, that was...interesting. I missed a good part of the third period because I was holding my hands in front of my eyes, but here are some key observations I had from last night:

- Scott Hartnell owes Marty Biron a steak dinner. For the rest of the year. My goodness, could you imagine if Ryan Malone had scored on that penalty shot?
- Jeff Carter may be a sleeper pick for the Richard Trophy if he keeps this up.
- Get rid of the black sweaters. Keep the orange.
- I am starting to notice a slight decrease in attendance at the Wac lately. I know that no one really gets jazzed up for the Lightning around here, but you have to wonder if ticket prices are becoming out of reach for more and more people. Just a thought...
- Putting Luca Sbisa on the ice against Vinnie Lecavalier may have seemed like a good idea, but there were a couple of times where the young boy got schooled. All part of the learning process, I guess.
- Finally, you knew that third Tampa goal was coming the minute Biron failed to control the rebound. I swear, failure to control rebounds has been the downfall of every Flyers goalie in my lifetime. Unbelievable.

New Jersey up next.

Weekly musings again...

Seeing as how this blog is turning into a weekly thing every time work gets busy and I can't watch the Flyers, and since this week was Thanksgiving here in the States, I'd though I would take the time to look back and go over all of the things I'm thankful for. So here goes...

I'm thankful for...
1. Jeff Carter finally playing up to his potential
2. Simon Gagne recovering from his concussion to become one of the leading scorers in the NHL
3. Whoever thought it was a good idea to reintroduce the orange jerseys. Love it.
4. The person in the NHL Marketing office who brought up the idea of the retro 3rd jersey. In no particular order, my top five are Philly, Buffalo, Edmonton, Toronto, and Pittsburgh.
5. Having enough of a passion for this game and this team to be motivated to share my feelings about them in public. I really feel bad for those who go through life without experiencing the highs and lows of a deep Stanley Cup run, even if it ends in heartbreak. Show me someone who doesn't get a rush watching a Game 7 and I'll show you someone who needs medical attention.
6. Speaking of heartbreak, thanks to the Phillies.
7. Alex Ovechkin, Jarome Iginla, Mike Richards, Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo, Jason Spezza, Gagne, and all of the other players I love watching night after night.
8. Hockey Night in Canada. And NHL On The Fly. And After Hours. And the Hot Stove. And Coach's Corner.
9. CNN...for giving me the double dose of Robin Meade and Kiran Chetry in the morning. Plus, Kiran Chetry's a Maryland grad, so I got that going for me.
10. Finally, thanks to all the little things that make hockey awesome. A breakaway goal. A well-timed fight. Faceoff strategies. Playoff beards. That last gasp rush up the ice with the goalie racing to the bench. Guys sacrificing their health to block a 95-mph shot. The Whale. The Spectrum. The vintage games on NHL Network. Hearing Gene Hart's call "Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyers...are going to win...THE STANLEY CUP!!!" over and over.

Despite losing last night to the Toronto Maple Burkes 4-2, the Flyers are still on a pretty decent run. We're finally ahead of New Jersey in the standings, and are starting to play more consistently. The aforementioned Carter and Gagne are leading the team offensively, and even more encouraging, the Flyers are one of the best special-teams clubs in the league. Next up, former Flyer Rick Tocchet and the Lightning come to town on Tuesday, followed by home match with New Jersey and a weekend trip to Carolina (again!). If the Flyers can put together a strong December, it should set them up in good position in the East.

Sweet

The Flyers officially unveiled their new 3rd jerseys this week during a Meet-And-Greet with season ticket holders. We got an early look at what they might look like during the summer, but this was the real deal. And I have to say, I like it. A lot. It's good to see actual color returning to the ice (too many black jerseys), plus the white nameplate on the back? Awesome. Here's the slide show from the Flyers' website. The jerseys won't go on sale until the 28th at the Wachovia Center Fan Zone, and the team will wear them against Carolina on the same day.

My Christmas list is now complete.

Flyers 2, Canadiens 1

(AP photo)

Now that's a bit more like it.

This is what can happen when the Flyers decide to play the full sixty minutes. I never expected them to shut out the Habs in Montreal (who, incidentally, got away with some cheap hits tonight), but to hold the Canadiens to one goal in their barn deserves a special mention. Everyone on the defense played well, even though Braydon Coburn looked out of sorts in the first period. Matt Carle and Andrew Alberts came up with some key blocks towards the end of the game when Montreal started to pick it up, Scottie Upshall and Jeff Carter (fantasy points!!) got the two goals necessary for the win, and Martin Biron made 24 stops to secure the win. I have to say, Biron does get his fair share of abuse in Montreal, doesn't he? I understand that French-Canadian players are supposed to be the eternal property of the Montreal Canadiens, but good luck to any who don't wear the colors. Lord knows Daniel Briere gets hammered when he goes to Quebec.

Anyway, the important thing is tht the Flyers got the two points. The Rangers won in a shootout, the Devils won after Alex Ovechkin tied it with a second left (that was sick, by the way), the Penguins were winning last I looked, so this win was important in the standings. The Flyers play again tomorrow aginst the Thrashers, who have been playing well as of late, but it's the Thrashers, so I'm not worried.

Wow, that was quick

Apparently Barry "The Mullet" Melrose is out as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I guess now he can head on back to ESPN for some more hard-hitting hockey analysis, provided ESPN can fit it in between the World Series of Poker broadcasts. I can't see how firing a coach this early in the season can do any good for a team. I know that Bruce Boudreau came in and basically lifted the Washington Capitals into the playoffs, but how often does that happen? Tampa is currently 5-7-4 and sitting fourth in the Southeast, a division that, to be fair, ins't all that difficult to make up ground in. Why not keep him for the year and see what happens? Hey, whatever, it's not my team (although good luck to former Flyer Rick Tocchet, who gets to take over that circus), so I can't get too worried. I guess this also means one less Carrie Milbank commercial on the NHL Network. See, now THERE'S your tragedy.

Penguins 5, Flyers 4 (SO)

(AP photo)
Due to the ongoing conflict between DirecTV, Comcast, and my laziness in not heading to the bar tonight to watch this game, I listened online. And after the Pens went up 3-0 in the second and John Stevens called a timeout, I figured it would be a good time to do something more constructive with my time...like staring at the walls and re-reading the Sports Illustrated Phillies World Series Commemorative Edition for the 59th time. And then wouldn't ya know it, it's 4-3. And I'm thinking, you know, it's time to put the baseball season to an end. Clearly the Flyers know that I'm back and are doing everything they can to ease my re-entry into hockey by beating the little cousins from Pittsburgh. They deserve my attention again. Heck, the only thing that could spoil this reunion party would be a shootou...

...figures.

Seriously, at least they're showing some fight. Unfortunately, it's not showing up on the scoreboard or the win column. It won't get any easier Saturday night in Montreal, even if they just got destroyed by Boston 6-1 tonight. Hate to say it, but I really think this team is missing both Jason Smith and Derian Hatcher. Maybe if things get worse for Ottawa they'll be willing to trade him back.

Jeez, it's been over a week...

since I last posted. Let's see what's happened since then:

Oh, those Flyers. I swear, if this team ever got consistent, they'd be among the elite. If it wasn't for the gift that keeps on giving in the New York Islanders, this team would be the bottom of the East. Inconsistent goaltending, a leaky defense, and uneven scoring are the most glaring issues, not to mention the on-and-off injuries to Daniel Briere (I think the latest injury is a groin pull. I had one of those in high school and let me tell you, it's the worst. I could be playing soccer in the Premier League or pitching for the Red Sox if it wasn't for that groin pull. Ah well...), and let's not forget the news that Brendan Shanahan may be coming to town. Right now the O&B are down 1-0 to Pittsburgh at the end of the 1st. At least they're not getting outshot.

I have to be honest with you. Ever since the Phillies won the World Series, coupled with Barack Obama winning the presidency, my angst and frustration level has gone to...well, nil. Heck, normally I would be screaming from the rooftop after watching a mediocre hockey team and the Eagles get thoroughly stomped on Sunday, but now...not so much. I guess this all comes when your team finally pulls it out. If the Flyers ever win the Cup, you could hit me with a dumptruck and I wouldn't feel it.

Lastly, I do apologize for not being around. This new job's got me working pretty hard, so hopefully after this week I should be back to the usual routine.

Just voted

Yup, just got done doing my civic duty. To be honest, I'm kinda glad all of this is coming to an end. Now we can focus on more important issues, like Brendan Shanahan having a cup of coffee with Paul Holmgren.

Plus I still have to upload my pics of the Phillies parade. Lots to do.

A new beginning

I should be a weatherman.

On Monday, I told some of my co-workers that if the Phillies won Game 5, the following morning would be the most beautiful, sunniest day they've ever seen. Of course, it rained its tail off for two days straight, so my theory didn't quite work out. Last night, as you might have guessed, the Phils finally won the World Series. And sure enough, today is easily one of the prettiest Thursdays you ever wanted to see. Not a cloud in the sky, except for the smoldering bonfires set last night on S. Broad St. I never could figure out why people feel the need to destroy property following a championship win, as some Philly fans did last night. Maybe it's the 25 years of pent-up frustration coming out, or the six or seven beers diluting common sense, but it did get a bit out of hand. It's not like we're the only city to celebrate like this (see: Detroit, LA, heck, even Montreal after winning a first round series).

For years, we Philadelphia fans have been known for being overly bitter, angry people who aren't exactly the best hosts when guests come calling. Most of that is attributed to a lack of championship teams (we've had great teams in this town, just not a lot of trophies), and the ingrained inferiority complex that comes from living in between New York and Washington. Now, that's changed. This is the first time that I can remember waking up knowing that my team, and my city, are on top. Champs. No more "Wait 'til next year". No more grousing about how the Phils don't spend any money, or why the Flyers can't solve their goaltending issues, or why the Eagles can't seem to win after New Year's. No more. That sting of losing is finally gone, hopefully forever. And to be honest, I wonder what will become of us as a fanbase and a city. Will we stop being so negative and hostile? Probably not. Will we become arrogant and even more obnoxious like Boston fans after 2004? Will we start to get some national (and international) respect and praise? Can we FINALLY stop talking about Santa Claus, batteries at J.D. Drew, the '64 collapse, and Joe Carter's HR? Who knows. All I know is that after 25 years of being looked down at and ridiculed, we're finally champions. And I gotta tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous outside.

Parade's tomorrow starting at 12:00. It'll go from 20th and Market, head down Broad St. and end up at the Sports Complex. Hopefully I'll be in a good enough spot to get some photos.

2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're number...five???

One sure thing about the Philadelphia Flyers - they will never go broke.

According to Forbes magazine, the O&B were the 5th most valuable team in the NHL last year, coming in with a value of $275 million. The Maple Leafs were first (again), followed by the Rangers, Montreal, and Detroit. And, thanks to the unexpected run to the conference finals, the Flyers brought in about $102 million in revenue, most of that from me and my crippling need for beer during games. One worrying factoid from this survey was that the Flyers had a negative operating income of -$1.3 million, which means that either they'll have to cut costs or I'll need to stop filling up on food before I watch a game. It's the little sacrifices that make it all worth it.

Daniel Briere underwent surgery a couple days ago to repair not one, but two abdominal tears in his chest, which will put him out of action for about a month. The team's playing really well, so it's not like we desperately need him on the ice right now. He should be back in late November along with Randy Jones.

Coming up next, a quick check on the Phantoms. For now, it's time to win the World Series.

Flyers 7, Thrashers 0

(Photo/AP)

Now here's an interesting theory proposed by none other than my own mother: since Sarah Palin, the self-proclaimed "hockey mom" who wants to be vice president, dropped the puck for the Kings-Blues game last Friday, the Flyers have won three straight games. The Blues, however, lost their starting goalie when he slipped on the red carpet she walked out on and ended up losing to L.A. 4-0. Apparently, the Palin Curse is not only real, it's transferable. Huh.

Tonight marked the 11th time in a row the Flyers have taken Atlanta's lunch money, this time walking away with a 7-0 win. It appears that the Flyers have finally broken out of their early season slump and found a way to get past their defensive struggles, which is always encouraging. Joffrey Lupul, Mike Knuble and Simon Gagne each netted two goals tonight, with Glenn Metropolit scoring the all-important seventh goal for the extra point. Antero Nittymaki got the shutout for his first win of the year, my man Mike Richards got me a couple of assists for my fantasy team, and to top it off, I think it's snowing outside. Good times.

Luca Sbisa, who seems to get better with every game, is now certain to remain with the team after the ten-game cutoff period for rookies. It's very rare that the Flyers play someone like Sbisa a lot in their first year, but then again we haven't had a defenseman this young this good in quite some time. I know a lot has to do with the injuries to Randy Jones and Derian Hatcher, but if Sbisa can put in a solid first season, the sky's the limit for him.

Speaking of the sky, a big thumbs down to Mother Nature for spoiling what could have been the greatest street party in the Western Hemisphere since Germany surrendered. I'm telling you, last night felt like Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and your 21st birthday all rolled into one. Everything was in place for the Phillies: a raucous home crowd, the ace pitcher on the mound, Tampa Bay reeling from the 10-2 whupping last night, and an entire city already planning the parade. Which, in retrospect, was the problem. Let this be a lesson, kids. Never plan the parade before the game is played. I have a feeling this rain delay was mostly the work of the baseball gods punishing us for looking too far ahead and believing that the Series was over. And I'll admit, I had planned on calling in sick the rest of the week (no need since my entire office cleared out around 3:00 on Monday). So, on behalf of Philly fans, I apologize and promise never to do that again. At least until the Flyers are up 3-1 in the Cup. Then all bets are off.

Flyers are back in action on Thursday to face the Islanders, then host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

A weekend to remember...

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

Let's see...

- The Flyers finally get back on track by sweeping the Devils...
- The Phillies win a wild one early this morning and get to do it all over in about three hours...
- The Eagles just beat Atlanta...
- Penn State looks to be on track for a Big Ten championship...
- And my Maryland Terrapins won the homecoming game against NC State...

Not a bad 72 hours in Philly, if I do say so myself.

Sharks @ Flyers tonight

7:00 @ the Wachovia Center

There's really no need explaining the importance of tonight's game. The Flyers have to win, plain and simple. San Jose is one of the best teams in the NHL, and the Flyers matched up pretty well against them this past weekend in a 5-4 overtime loss, but now it's time to get the W. Tonight is going to require the full 60-minute effort from everyone. Nittymaki will get the nod in goal tonight over Marty Biron, while Andreas Nodl will start his first NHL game and play on the third line with Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall, according to Bill Meltzer of Hockeybuzz. The one silver lining for the O&B so far this season is that the entire city has been focused on the Phillies, who start the World Series in Tampa tonight. Usually, going 0-4-1 would have made the front page of the papers by now, but since it's all baseball, the Flyers have gotten a break from the media. However, if there was any time to get a win, it's now, especially with the home-and-home against New Jersey coming this weekend.

It's Tuesday, which means...

absolutely nothing's going on. So, in order to kill some time in between tomorrow night's World Series opener and the Flyers-Sharks game, let's take a look at some other hockey news:

- Perhaps the most interesting news today came out of The Globe and Mail, who reported that the NHL Board of Governors met informally and discussed the possibility of placing a second team in Toronto. (Side note: how exactly do the Board of Governors meet informally? What, did they run into each other at Dunkin' Donuts or something? "Hey, here to get some coffee?" "You bet! Say, why don't we put another team in Toronto?" "Another one? I didn't know they had a first one! HAR HAR HAR!!!") Anyway, the story goes on to say that RIM CEO Jim Balsillie, who wanted to move the Predators to Hamilton, may get an expansion team for southern Ontario; however, one governor is quoted as saying that expansion would make the NHL "the laughingstock of professional sports". I think if New York and Los Angeles can support multiple NHL teams, Toronto shouldn't have a problem whatsoever. I'm sure the Leafs will still sell out their games without losing too many fans.

- The Flyers announced that their game against New Jersey on Saturday will be rescheduled for 4:00 to loosen congestion down at the Sports Complex. Besides hosting an NHL game, an NFL game, and games 3 and 4 of the World Series, the Sports Complex will also have Celtic Thunder and The Who performing this weekend. Three words for all of you planning on attending: TAKE. THE. TRAIN.

- Steve Downie was sent to the Phantoms this week to make way for Andreas Nodl. Downie hasn't really been contributing all that much this season (the same can be said for a lot of players), so hopefully he can get back on track in the minors.

Let's see, what else...

- Marian Gaborik looks to be on the way out in Minnesota...Sean Avery returned to New York last night with Dallas, with the Stars winning 2-1. Apparently, Rangers fans booed him, but I'm sure they were just booing the uniform. After all, who could boo Sean Avery? That's sarcasm for all you humor-challenged out there...According to NHL.com, my CenterIce Online account should have been automatically activated on October 14. As of yet, it has not. Strike one, Mr. Bettman...

- Finally, I'd like to welcome the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL as the newest affiliate for the Flyers. The Sea Wolves are based in Biloxi, won the Kelly Cup in 1999 under current Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, and will start their season on the 24th against the Charlotte Checkers. I guess if you're going to get demoted in the NHL, Biloxi's not a bad place to be. You got the Gulf, casinos, beaches. I'll be keeping an eye on the Sea Wolves.

- Last but not least, everyone and their brother is picking the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series. We're the underdogs to Tampa Bay. Phils in six.

Not gonna panic...

Unfortunately I wasn't around to recap the last two "games" for the Flyers, but I am here to proudly say that I am not hanging my head yet. Nope, it's just a little speed bump on the road to better days ahead. Every team goes through it; heck, better to get the losing out of your system now, right? Remember last season when we went winless ten games in a row which cost us first place overall in the East? Now, we got our winless streak out of the way early! Everything's fine!!!

...right?

Flyers @ Colorado tonight

9:00 @ The Pepsi Center in Denver

Lost in the euphoria that was last night's National League clinching win by the Phillies is the fact that the Flyers are 0-3. Yeah I know they got a point in Pittsburgh, but that still doesn't make up for dropping their first three games for the first time since 1994. The Avalanche are also 0-3 and need a win, but I can't worry about them.

Flyers coach John Stevens announced today that he will be shaking up the lines tonight, putting Joffrey Lupul at center along with Steve Downie and Scott Hartnell. Glenn Metropolit will center the fourth line with Riley Cote and Aaron Asham on his wings. Lupul is usually a second-line wing player, so we'll see how well he adjusts to playing in the middle tonight.

Martin Biron will be back in net while Antero Nittymaki, who did pretty well in Pittsburgh, sits out with the flu. That's all we need right now, the flu bug going around the locker room.

**Now that the Phillies have booked their spot in the World Series, Game 3 will be next Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. However, the Flyers are scheduled to host the New Jersey Devils at 7:00 at the Wachovia Center, which is right across the street for all you not familiar with the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. This means that if the Flyers game is moved to 1:00 (I'm guessing it will), the parking lots are going to be an absolute madhouse. It'll be even worse on Sunday when the Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons with all the tailgaters in attendance. Man, I'd hate to be a Philly cop working on Broad Street that weekend.

HOLY ****!!!!

2008 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Penguins 3, Flyers 2 (OT)

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

This team just can't catch a break nowadays. I give them a lot of credit for coming back with two goals at the end of the second period to tie the score, but somehow they couldn't hold on for another ten seconds to go to a shootout. The powerplay was atrocious (what was it, like 0-6 or something?), and there seemed to be lengthy intervals where Pittsburgh just dominated the neutral zone. A couple of times, it looked like the Pens had more players out there, probably due to better positioning on their part. The Flyers once again couldn't get it done on a 5-on-3, and honestly looked like a team still getting the kinks out of the system.

A few highlights:

- Luca Sbisa looks really good out there for someone his age. I would have thought that Stevens would send him to the Phantoms, but he's holding his own out there. He even showed up on special teams tonight. If he keeps this up, I can see him becoming a top-6 offensive defenseman real soon.
- Simon Gagne scored again, though he still makes me cringe every time he goes into the corner.
- Riley Cote and Erik Godard got into a pretty decent heavyweight bout in the first. I'm all for fighting and letting your enforcers go at it, but isn't there an unwritten rule about removing your helmet first? No sense in breaking your hand in a fight, plus it evens up the odds. This weekend, when Jarome Iginla and Willie Mitchell fought, both guys took their helmets off. Good veteran move. Iggy straight dropped Mitchell with a left hook. Beautiful.
- To be honest, the Pens didn't impress me all that much save for their superior work in the neutral zone. I still think we can come out ahead of them come April and take the division, but right now the Flyers need to play the full 60 minutes.

Flyers head out to Denver to play the Avalanche, then to California to face the San Jose Sharks. Speaking of Cali, the Phils are one game away now from the World Series. ONE. I know it's breaking all the hearts over at Fox Sports since they won't get their precious Dodgers-Sox matchup (Tampa's killing Boston right now 11-2 in the eighth). Ah well.

Seriously, the Phils win tomorrow night and this place will go nuts.

Flyers @ Pittsburgh

Flyers will start Antero Nittymaki tonight, giving Martin Biron the much-needed night off to get his head straight. This isn't a must win game in terms of the standings, but in terms of momentum the Flyers need this win. Game's on Versus for all you in the States, TSN2 in Canada.

Canadiens 5, Flyers 3

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

I didn't do a recap of Saturday night's season opener in order to avoid a long political rant. Tonight, however, is a different story. I know it's early and the Flyers still have some issues on the blueline (which they attempted to fix by acquiring Andrew Alberts from Boston today), but I have some cause for concern after the boys got beat 5-3 against the Habs. First off, Martin Biron just looks shaky. Mike Komisarek's goal never should have bounced in the way it did. I know it's only the second game and we have to look ahead to tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, but giving up seven goals in two games is not exactly confidence-building. The Flyers had their opportunities to put Montreal away with the powerplay, only to go 2-7 including a 5-on-3 where absolutely nothing happened. On a positive note, it is good to see Simon Gagne getting his scoring touch back.




On a tragic note, I was shocked to hear that Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov collapsed and died today while playing for his club Avangard Omsk in the KHL. He was only 19. According to the news report, he suffered a heart attack and collapsed during the third period. The team doctors tried to revive him, but he passed away in the hospital. From what I've read about him, he had world-class talent. The fact that he slipped all the way down to the 17th spot for New York to grab him in 2007 was surprising. My condolences to his family.

(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

In the words of the late, great Heath Ledger...

"And...here...we...GO"

Tonight the Flyers finally get to drop the gloves (sorry, puck) for real as they open the season against New York at the CoreStates/First Union/Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center in South Philly. I really have high expectations for this team this year, and it would be nice to start with a win over the Rangers, who already have two games under their belt after their European road trip with Tampa. The Rangers will go with Henrik Lundqvist in goal, while Martin Biron will hopefully improve on last season and establish himself as a true #1 in the NHL.

Most of the talk surrounding this game tonight has been about the makeshift defense John Stevens is putting on the ice tonight. Luca Sbisa, who had a fantastic preseason, will be on the team due to Randy Jones and Ryan Parent's surgeries and subsequent recovery time. As of now, the Flyers have six defensemen dressed for tonight, which makes me wonder if they won't bring back Bryan Berard for insurance. It's a little unsettling since the D is kind of young, but I think they'll get through tonight.

The other big news is that Sarah Palin, self-professed hockey mom and vide-presidential candidate, will be dropping the puck before the game. Gotta be honest, I don't like it. One, it sends the message that the Flyers are endorsing a candidate. Wrong move. Secondly, this is one of the most Democratic, blue-collar, union cities in the nation. Sending out someone who represents the exact opposite of that is a bad move. Plus, there's no way she doesn't get booed, which is something I don't think she's used to hearing. In fact, this may move Santa Claus out of the top three best moments for Philly fans. I was looking forward to hockey to take my mind off of this ridiculous election (no matter who wins, we're heading for hard times), so I'm not on board with this. Play the game and keep your politics out of my rink.

Oh yeah, the Phillies are two games away from the World Series. Two games. This hasn't happened since 1993, but I can't get too excited yet. We have this annoying habit of blowing series leads, so I'm not going to get too jumpy until the Phils close out the Dodgers. And speaking of which, this article in the Los Angeles Times came out prior to Game 1. Pretty much your typical boilerplate "Philly fans are bad" garbage. I will say, there is some irony in a writer hailing from the gang capital of America calling us thugs. Yes, Philadelphians booed Santa. Los Angelenos would have shot him for wearing red in the wrong neighborhood. Phils-Sox in the Series.

Drop...The...Puck.

I've been a bad blogger

Sorry. Things have gotten seriously busy since the last time I posted (including possibly moving to a new job once all the paperwork comes through), so I missed out on the rest of the preseason. I will be doing my quick Flyers preview before Saturday's opener against New York.

Until then, GO PHILS!!!

Road trippin'...plus cut day news

Time - 7:00 @ Scotiabank Place, Ottawa

Tonight the O&B travel up north to Canada to face the Senators. The game will be broadcast on 610 tonight since the Phillies still need to finish up Atlanta. The Flyers took 32 players to Ottawa after the first round of cuts were made. John Stevens announced that a lot of the younger guys who saw some action Monday will either be sent to the Phantoms (who are 2-0 in the preseason after beating Lowell the other night), or head back to their junior teams. Luca Sbisa, who I thought played fairly well, will head back to Lethbridge. Andreas Nodl, Matt Clackson, and John Kalinski will suit up for the Phantoms. Stevens said he was impressed by the young kids, but I doubt any of them will actually be with the senior squad when the Flyers meet the Rangers.

The biggest news today is that Simon Gagne will suit up and play Saturday against the Hurricanes at the Spectrum. This will be his first game since getting knocked out last season, so hopefully he'll be able to take some hits. I don't see Stevens playing him any more than a period or so, but it will be good to see him out there and to see if he and Danny Briere can regain their chemistry.

The Flyers will remain in Ontario this week when they play their annual game in London tomorrow against the New York Islanders.

Flyers 4, Devils 1

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)


OK, I'll admit, I missed most of the first period due to dinner, but I did catch enough of the next two periods to come away fairly impressed with the young kids tonight. Particularly with Steve Downie, Luca Sbisa, and Matt Clackson, who dropped his mitts just like I thought. Downie, who is basically pegged as a mindless thug by the entire hockey world, showed that he does have a scoring touch, bagging one each in the first and second period and looked comfortable centering the third line with Asham and Kalinski. New captain Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell scored the other two goals, giving the Flyers the 4-1 win. Marty Biron played fantastic, stopping all 20 shots he faced. Sbisa, who's a better puck handler than I thought, didn't look too out of place for an 18-year old and showed that he could handle playing in a physical division. He's too young to make this team for this campaign, but he'll give Holmgren and Stevens a good reason to consider a call-up should someone get hurt. The lone Devils goal came off a giveaway by Claude Giroux right in front of the Flyers net, otherwise the defense played virtually a perfect game. Overall, not a bad first start. It's New Jersey, so I didn't expect a shootout. But if Downie and the rest of the younger players keep progressing, this will be a good team for a long time.


Next up - Flyers travel to Ottawa to face the Senators, who lost 2-1 to the Rangers in New York tonight. MSG is broadcasting all of the Rangers preseason games, and apparently they're playing four games in four nights this week. Guess they wanted to get them out of the way...

Gamenight - Flyers vs. Devils

Time - 7:00 @ Wachovia Center

Yes. It's time. Yeah, I know these games don't count, but WHO FRIGGIN' CARES?!?!?! After what had to be the longest summer in recorded history, the Flyers finally get to drop the puck against the Devils tonight. The game will be broadcast over the Internet on the Flyers web site and can be heard on 610 WIP radio.

The lines for tonight's game will be (from the Daily News):
Nodl-Richards-Hartnell
Upshall-Carter-Giroux
Kalinski-Downie-Asham
Cote-Pow-Clackson

Coburn-Vaananen
Sbisa-Eminger
Parent-Curry

Biron (first 2 periods)
Ouellet (third period)

Downie, Asham, Clackson, Pow, and Cote will no doubt drop the gloves tonight. Goodness knows they know how to, and I wouldn't expect any game between these two teams to go without at leats one fight. Simon Gagne, who did practice this weekend, will be held out of tonight's game, along with other veterans who don't need to play every game (NHL rules state that at least eight veterans must dress in the preseason). I'm really interested in getting a look at how Luca Sbisa plays tonight. He really wants to make the team this year, so I suspect he'll be one of the young kids hitting everything that moves.

DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!!!!

Rookies Update - Gee, how do I put this...

they got smacked around. There. That should sum it up.

The Flyers rookies went down 7-0 against Washington today at the Kettlers Capitals Complex in Virginia. The game was streamed live on the Caps official site, but seeing as how I was unaware of this, I missed it. Just as well, I guess. This was more of a preview for the Phantoms than the Flyers, so we shouldn't be too worried.

Flyers sign J.S. Aubin - 1 yr. deal

(photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Just in case we don't have enough goaltenders in camp, the Flyers announced today that they have signed free agent Jean-Sebastien Aubin to a one-year deal. Aubin spent most of his time last season with the Portland Pirates and Manchester Monarchs in the AHL and played 19 games in the NHL with Los Angeles, going 5-6-1 with a 3.19 GAA. Given that Nittymaki needs some time to get his hip going, it doesn't hurt to bring in another NHL-tested veteran backup for Biron in goal. I would suspect that Aubin could be the third goalie coming out of camp, especially if Holmgren and Stevens determine that prospects Scott Munroe and Michael Teslak need more time in the AHL.

Holmgren also gave an update on the status of Derien Hatcher, and it looks as if he'll be starting the season on the injured reserve list. As is typical with the Flyers' organization and the way they treat their veterans, the team will allow Hatcher to make his own decision regarding his future rather than force him into retirement. Plus, this allows the front office to take his salary off the books ($3.5M) which could be useful if the team needs a short-term player. Even though Hatcher has clearly lost a step due to his age and his knee problems, he's still a pretty commanding player on the ice. He may not be able to keep up with faster opponents, but he can still put their heads through the glass, and that's a good trait for a defenseman to have, isn't it?

Get better, Hatch.

No surprises here, Richards gets the C

(Getty Images)

In my last post, I stated that the Flyers wouldn't name a captain until late in training camp. Out of the possible choices, I thought that Mike Richards was the best fit after last season. Well, we didn't have to wait long. The Flyers made it official today and named Richards the 17th captain in team history. The team website stated that Kimmo Timonen and Simon Gagne will be the alternates this season. It sounds as if Mike is more than ready to step into his new position:

“It’s obviously a privilege to be part of such a traditional organization, and be captain of it,” he said. “I am going to do my best to do it. We have a lot of great team leaders right now on our team, and you don’t have to change anything. I think everybody really helps out around the dressing room. There are so many leaders, you just kind of have to do your own thing and more worry about yourself and help out where things are needed.”

It's nice to know they got this done before camp starts on the 20th. It's one less distraction and it gives Richards the opportunity to get used to his role as captain in exhibition games rather than giving him the "C" during the regular season.

- Speaking of camp, the rookies will head down to Virginia tomorrow to face the Caps.

- The full camp roster is up on the team website. The two-day tournament to kick off camp is a pretty cool idea and a good way to get some friendly competition early on. And a small note to the NHL: Naming divisions after famous former players is a GOOD thing.

Tuesday News

First things first, last night's game between the Eagles and Cowboys was one of the best I've seen in a while between the two. Yeah, we came up on the wrong end of a 41-37 final, but I can't complain too much. We went 12 rounds with the best team in football on their field and nearly walked out with a W. Couple bonehead plays (DeSean Jackson) and bonehead playcalling (a lateral? Seriously? What is this, backyard football??), but otherwise a good showing for Week 2. Now, on to serious business...

The Flyers will be going into next week's training camp down a goalie as Antero Nittymaki will be out 4-6 weeks after undergoing hip surgery. According to Paul Holmgren on the Flyers website, Nitty got some fluid drained (eww) from his left hip and needs some time to recover. Bill Meltzer from HockeyBuzz reported that the Flyers will invite former prospect Maxime Ouellet to camp for a tryout. Ouellet was with the team a few years ago but was traded to the Capitals for...Adam Oates. Yup, 'cause THAT trade worked out for us. He'll most likely be used as a replacement #2 behind Marty Biron until Nitty gets back to 100%, though I don't see him making the team.

I finally picked up my copy of the 2008-09 yearbook from The Hockey News and I have to say, I think they nailed it on the Flyers' outlook this year. THN has us as the 4th team in the East behind Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Washington, giving us a first-round playoff matchup with the Ottawa Senators. Not too sure about Ottawa finishing 5th, but who knows with that team? Holmgren has a great quote in the preview, saying that the Flyers "really didn't do anything" last season, even though they went to the conference final, and was way too inconsistent, which has been the problem for this franchise for years. Heck, that's been the problem for just about every Philly team since I've been alive. Now that Simon Gagne's back, the first unit with Danny Briere and possibly Claude Giroux has got to be more consistent with scoring. Of course, the Flyers are bringing back seven 20-goal scorers from last year, but adding Gagne will only help.

Now that Jason Smith is off playing with the aforementioned Senators, the Flyers will enter camp without a named captain. And it looks like it doesn't bother them one bit. Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News reported today that the team will take its time in choosing a new captain and may not make a decision until the season starts. Kimmo Timonen, Mike Richards, and Gagne were mentioned as possible candidates. I would be happy with any of them, but I think that Richards earned the spot last season after the way he stepped up after Gagne went out, especially in the playoffs. Timonen was the captain in Nashville, but I think this is Richards's team.

Big shoutout to the NHL Network for airing the Traverse City Rookie Tournament and giving me hockey to watch that doesn't involve the 1992 Chicago Blackhawks. Nothing against the Hawks, mind you, it's just that I need a new fix. Also, the September 27th exhibition game at the Spectrum will also be televised, so all of us who weren't able to get tickets will at least be able to watch it. And speaking of TV, Comcast announced that all games will be broadcast in super-duper HD. This includes all Flyers, Sixers, and Phillies games. Wonder why they didn't do that before? Oh well.

Lotza news coming up...

I'll get to it after the Eagles - Cowboys game tonight, but suffice to say it revolves around Flyers' training camp and a certain goalie needing hip surgery.

Plus I'll go into The Hockey News's preview of the Flyers.

Go Birds.

Rookie Camp Update

The Philadelphia Inquirer today reported that the Flyers have invited all of their young prospects to the SkateZone in Voorhees for a four-day camp starting next week. This one is official; no more informal scrimmage stuff. According to the report, the camp will end in Virginia with a game against the Washington Capitals rookies on Thursday. You can see who will be attending in the story, and I can almost guarantee that this will be Claude Giroux's last rookie camp before heading up to the senior team. Ryan Parent, Tim Ramholt, and Steve Downie should also be with the Flyers on opening night, though it may be tough for Downie to get a lot of ice time unless John Stevens needs an extra agitator for certain opponents. The camp is open to the public, so I'm definitely going to find some way of sneaking down to South Jersey during the afternoon to check out the young kids.

UPDATE - More info on rookie camp from Bill Meltzer of HockeyBuzz...

Gettin' closer

Training camp's a-comin' soon. It's finally starting to cool down around here and I swear I saw some leaves already changing. Be gone with you, summer!!

It's been known for quite some time now that the Flyers are introducing a new third jersey for the upcoming season. A lot of of other teams are as well (Carolina broke their new duds out today), and a few of them seem quite nice. The Flyers decided to bring back the old 1967-style sweaters, which will be primarily orange with white shoulder piping. According to icethetics.com (an awesome hockey site), the new jerseys will be unveiled on November 28 in time for the Flyers' home game against, you guessed it, Carolina. Also right on time for the Christmas rush. Some good marketing folks down there on Broad St.

This was already going to be a nostalgic season in Philly with the Spectrum finally closing its doors. Bringing back the original orange will only add to that feeling, and it's unfortunate they won't be worn during the two exhibition games. However, it's nice to see teams going back to more traditional uniforms instead of pushing black jerseys as a way to capture the "urban demographic" made popular by the LA Kings in the 90's. ***Just for the record, I do own a black Flyers jersey. I was in fact for the the black sweater before I was against it.*** Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Boston, and the New York Islanders are all going with the retro look. Also, Montreal announced that they would showcase some of their old sweaters in recognition of the club's 100th anniversary. I still say the NHL should take the next step and use the original division and conference names. Even if there are two more divisions, I'm sure the NHL can find two historical hockey figures worthy of getting their own. But whatever. Give me the retro orange and I'm happy.

Confirmed - Flyers vs. Phantoms @ The Spectrum

I mentioned this before, but seeing as how the Flyers have made it public, here's the official press release from the team:

Due to overwhelmingly popular demand to see the Philadelphia Flyers
one more time in their former home, the Wachovia Spectrum, the Flyers have added an additional preseason game to their schedule and will face their American
Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, in an exhibition game at the
Wachovia Spectrum on Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 pm. Tickets, as low as $19.67,
in honor of the opening year of the Wachovia Spectrum, 1967, will go on sale on
Wednesday, September 10 at 10 a.m.

It's pretty cool that the ticket prices start at $19.67, though I would imagine they will go for ten times that on the open market. If demand is anything like the game with Carolina, these tickets will be gone in a hurry.

NHR - Eagles 38, Rams 3. God, this was fun to watch. The start of the football season, combined with the baseball pennant races coming to a close, are a clear sign of one thing:

FLYERS VS. NEW JERSEY IN EXACTLY 14 DAYS.

Labor Day Musings (albeit a day late)

It is entirely too friggin' warm right now to be thinking about hockey, but here goes...

- Lindros Snubs Flyers return to Spectrum - The Flyers plan on bringing back all the former captains for the Sept. 22 game against Carolina in the old arena. Everyone, that is, except Eric Lindros, who has decided not to show up. Apparently he has a previous engagement, and if that's the case, then that's the case. The Lindros-Clarke affair was a soap opera to say the least, and I have to say, the two of them out on the ice together would have been a bit...tense. Eric was a huge part of the '97 Cup run and a fan favorite for years, but ultimately he and his agent/father crossed swords with then-GM Bob Clarke and lost. With Clarke mostly out of the picture these days, I would think that the animosity between Lindros and the organization has faded.

- Also mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Flyers will play their AHL affiliate Phantoms in an exhibition game at the Spectrum on October 7. The game against the Hurricanes wasn't enough, so another Spectrum game was added. I still think they could work in a regular season match to close out in style.

- Maryland 14, Delaware 7 - Meh. I say again, meh.

- Bill Meltzer, an excellent beat writer for the Flyers, reported on Hockey Buzz that informal training sessions have begun down at the Flyers SkateZone in Voorhees, NJ. I correct my initial remark. It's NEVER too warm to be thinking about hockey.

NHR - This is...

...beyond words.

Seriously, this is on a level of awesome I haven't seen in, like, EVER.

Wow how many defensemen do we need?

Following up on the news that Bryan Berard's been invited to camp (I still think it was a good idea to bring him in for a tryout), it would now appear that the Flyers have upwards of twelve players battling it out for a spot on the blue line. Competition is good, it brings out the best in people and means that we start the season with the six or seven best guys from camp. But, wow, twelve guys?

On September 20, the Flyers will start training camp with these players at the back, plus my prediction of where they'll end up by October 11:
Kimmo Timonen (lock)
Braydon Coburn (lock)
Randy Jones (lock)
Ossi Vaananen (lotta a's in that name...lock)
Tim Ramholt (Phantoms)
Danny Syvret (Phantoms)
Steve Eminger (lock)
Derian Hatcher (it looks as if he's going on LTIR because of his knees)
Lasse Kukkonen (most likely will be a healthy scratch, but should play a lot this year)
Ryan Parent (Phantoms. Not quite ready yet)
Mike Rathje (LTIR. Flyers can't cut him, they'll eat what's left of his salary)
Bryan Berard (I'll say lock. Hard to see him not making this team)

I got a top six defensive corps of Timonen, Coburn, Jones, Eminger, Vaananen, and Berard with Kukkonen as a scratch. Parent will get called up, maybe Ramholt if the injury bug hits. My line pairings would be:

Timonen - Coburn
Eminger - Berard
Vaananen - Jones

Of course, we'll find out during camp what will become of Berard's tryout. Like I said, I can't see him not making this team, especially if he can contribute on the PP unit along with Kimmo.

...oh yeah, Joe Sakic is coming back for his 20th season with Quebec/Colorado. 20 years with one franchise is simply amazing, especially with free agency, so big kudos to Joe. According to the Denver Post, Sakic will make $6 million with a no-trade clause.

Non-hockey related...2008-09 UM Terps Football

Seeing as how the only hockey news worth mentioning today was something I already mentioned, allow me to switch gears for a sec...

This weekend marks the kickoff to the 2008 college football season. And as you can see by the big-ass "M" logo, I'm a proud Maryland Terrapin. Now, I'll be the first to admit, my college football loyalties are a bit...lacking. For starters, I grew up a Penn State fan, my dad was a Marine which meant I also supported Navy, and I went to the University of Maryland, giving me three teams to divide my allegiance. Most people would find this sort of behavior sacrilegious, but I don't care. I'm an Eastern Pennsylvania son of a United States Marine who attended Maryland. End of story.

Anyway, the Terps get things going this weekend at home against the University of Delaware. Normally I look down upon big Division I schools who play smaller cupcakes in their opener, but not this time. Heck, if Maryland won this game 72-3, I'd be ticked Delaware got close enough for the field goal. Of course, by saying this I have just doomed the Terps to an upset. I should probably stop now.

Here's the rest of the schedule as taken from the team's official site:
09/06 @ Middle Tennessee State (if you can find it, you get a free ticket)
09/13 vs. Cal (this is normally our rival game against WVU, but the Mountaineers had bail hearings all that week, so we had to get a replacement team.)
09/20 vs. Eastern Michigan
09/27 @ Clemson (two of my best friends went to Clemson. We will not be speaking this week.)
10/04 @ Virginia (rival game. I can't stand these guys. Probably because UVA rejected my application.)
10/18 vs. Wake Forest
10/25 vs. North Carolina State (Homecoming. Never understood the big deal behind Homecoming, but that's mostly due to the fact that my high school didn't have a football team.)
11/06 @ Virginia Tech (this will be a loss. Again. On national TV. Joy.)
11/15 vs. North Carolina
11/22 vs. Florida State
11/29 @ Boston College (Season done)

Hopefully we do enough to get a postseason game. It'd be nice if they could get down to Florida or someplace warm so all us old alumni can get hammered on pina coladas and mojitos down on South Beach. Plus it's a nice diversion from throwing soft items at my TV during Flyers games. I plan on never being like those insane 45-year old men who still paint themselves in school colors and name their kids after past coaches, but it would be nice to see my school do well. Just be glad Maryland doesn't have a D-I hockey team. Good Lord, my head would explode.

Bryan Berard's in town

(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

According to the Delco Times, the Flyers are bringing in Bryan Berard for a tryout during camp. You may remember Berard as the guy who nearly lost an eye while playing for Toronto back in 2000. Last season with the Islanders, he posted 22 points in 54 games with five goals and seventeen assists. Fifteen of those points came on the power play, so he would be a welcome 2nd blueliner next to Kimmo Timonen should he make the squad. With all of the injuries the Flyers suffered last season on defense, adding another veteran makes perfect sense. Derian Hatcher isn't 100% and his knees will most likely prevent him from playing any more than 50 or so games. Timonen had that blood clot during the playoffs which really hurt us against Pittsburgh. Plus, it's a tryout contract, so at most it'll only cost Philly a million. I like this move and I hope it works out for Bryan.

Our new 'do

I'm experimenting with some cosmetic changes to Cafe Noire here, so bear with me for a bit. I think the old look was too dark, so I'm going with this for a while.

Has this been the longest off-season or what??

Flyers 2, Old Swedish players who can't make up their minds 0

Apparently Paul Holmgren came to his senses and is playing down the idea of Sundin in the O&B this year. Which makes sense. We've got nowhere to play him, we can't pay him what he wants, and it completely goes against the whole youth movement that Holmgren and (THN Coach of the Year) John Stevens swear by. I could see making a move for Sundin if, say, Mike Richards wasn't ready or if Jeff Carter got traded or Daniel Briere wasn't here. The Flyers don't need Sundin, and that's a good thing. To be in a position where someone as good as Mats is wanted but not needed on your team is a sign of how well things are going. Vancouver needs a player like Sundin. Toronto needs a player like Sundin. We, on the other hand, could use another top 6 blueliner.

That's all I'm going to say about Mats Sundin. This has turned into Farve On Ice and I'm not contributing anymore to it. No more. Done.

Oh for the love of...part 2

Mats Sundin in Philly??????

Granted this is coming from that bastion of truth known as the New York Post, but seriously? I'm trying to figure out both why Paul Holmgren would want an aging vet like Sundin, let alone pay him what he's looking for. Plus, we already have solid centers in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter (unlike other Flyers fans, I think we're better off keeping Carter for the long-term). An addition like Sundin is certainly fun to entertain, but no thanks.

Here's the money quote:

The Post said that Sundin's second choice, behind the Rangers, is to join the Philadelphia Flyers. The salary cap is a problem for both those teams. New York only has about $2 million (all figures U.S.) in room, certainly not enough to land Sundin, while the Flyers have already exceeded the cap and will have to pare salary.

No thanks.

If I could change the NHL...

Greg Wyshynski over at Puck Daddy has a segment on his blog asking various people to list five changes they would make to the NHL. Some have been good, some not so much. Figured I'd give it a crack, if only to waste more time on an already boring Wednesday. Here goes:

1. Get rid of the trapezoid behind the goal - Pointless, useless, and utterly ridiculous. Let the goalies roam. Hell, I'd be in favor of the goalies joining the attack every now and then to really throw off the other team.
2. Contract down to 28 teams - Unlike many "traditional" fans who want every team south of New York eliminated, set up some benchmarks to determine who gets to stay and who gets the axe. If a team can't average at least 90% capacity, they make the list. This means that strong Southern and non-traditional markets like Dallas keep their teams while putting more pressure on Atlanta and Miami (I say Miami because Tampa Bay seems to do pretty well). Take two teams and move them to Winnipeg and Hamilton or some other Northern locale, and contract the others. If that won't work, at least try this...
3. Division re-alignment - There is no logical reason why Minnesota is in the Northwest division. The last time Minnesota was considered to be in the Northwest, we conned the French into selling a third of the continent for about fifty bucks. I know it may not be easy, but here's my idea: Two conferences with two divisions each, an eight-team division and a seven-team division. Bring back the old names (interesting how the names Smythe and Patrick are old-fashioned, but an outdoor game is an instant classic). And go back to the 80's-style divisional playoff format instead of basing everything around conference standings. It may look like this:

ADAMS - BOS, MTL, TOR, OTT, BUF, CLB, PIT
PATRICK - NYR, NYI, PHI, NJD, WAS, CAR, ATL, FLA
NORRIS - DET, CHI, STL, DAL, MIN, NSH, TB
SMYTHE - VAN, CGY, EDM, COL, SJ, LA, ANA, PHX

Now here's the deal - move NSH to Hamilton, PHX to Winnipeg (thus bringing Wayne Gretzky back to Canada), and contract FLA, ATL, and you have four seven-team divisions. Switch HAM and CLB to create a ridiculous rivalry between Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Montreal. Keep the 'Peg in the Smythe to produce a similar four-team Canadian beatdown out West. In other words:

ADAMS - BOS, TOR, HAM, MTL, OTT, BUF, PIT
PATRICK - NYR, NYI, PHI, NJD, WAS, CAR, TB
NORRIS - DET, CHI, STL, DAL, MIN, CLB, COL
SMYTHE - VAN, CGY, EDM, WPG, SJ, LA, ANA

Not perfect, I know, but it's an idea. I did all I could to keep Pittsburgh in with the Flyers, but this set-up could produce a Flyers-Pens or even a Caps-Pens conference final. And won't the NHL muckety-mucks love that!!! Rounding out the list, I have:
4. Let'em fight - Enough said. And to anyone who picks a fight and then either turtles or hides behind the ref, two minutes for unsportmanslike conduct.
5. NBC gets the Saturday night games - I have to admit, Football Night in America, which is a blatant rip-off of Hockey Night in Canada, is by far the best NFL broadcast. Give NBC the Saturday night game. It's not like there's much to do on a Saturday night in the winter anyway, unless you happen to live in South Florida, Arizona, or SoCal. Let NBC pick a game, broadcast it nationally, and start it from Day 1 of the season. The downside, obviously, is that NBC would be going directly up against college football, but they only show Notre Dame games and those are in the afternoon. This could work.

There ya go.

More notes from the farm

Here is the 2008-2009 schedule for the Phantoms. They will open the season on October 10 against Bridgeport and close down the Spectrum on April 12 when the Norfolk Admirals come to town.

NHL Network just showed the '89 Wales Conference final between the Flyers and Montreal. I caught the tail end of Game 6 when Ron Hextall went axe murderer on Chris Chelios. See, kids, it's not whether you win or lose. It's how many of them you take out that counts.

Notes from the farm

Just after the Flyers announced that Craig Berube will be joining John Stevens' staff behind the Flyers bench, the Phantoms have named former Ottawa Senators boss John Paddock as the new coach. Paddock has been with the organization before, back when the Hershey Bears were the AHL affiliate. Not a bad move, especially considering this could be the last season for the Phantoms in Philly once the Spectrum is gone.

And speaking of the Spectrum, the 76ers released their new schedule for the upcoming season. In March, the Sixers will play the Chicago Bulls in the last-ever basketball game at the old barn. If it's anything like the final Flyers game, there should be tons of old Sixer players and officials present. My question is: if the Sixers can get a regular-season game, why not the Flyers? With all due respect, I'd rather see the Flyers take on someone like Boston, New York, or Pittsburgh in a game that counts rather than a preseason match against Carolina. At least let the Hurricanes wear the old Whaler jerseys to get some nostalgia back.

Get ready to feel old...

This was 20 YEARS AGO.

I remember finding out about this in the Orlando airport coming back from my family's Disney World vacation. At the time, I couldn't really understand it because at that age, things weren't supposed to change. All your friends would be back in September, all your favorite cartoon shows would come on at the same time, and your favorite athletes would be back every year with the same jerseys on. Even if Gretzky and the Oilers beat the Flyers twice in three years for the Cup, I still liked the guy, and as a result, had a decent amount of respect for Edmonton. Seeing no. 99 in that blue and white with the orange trim pretty much defined my best sports memories growing up, along with Dr. J, Mike Schmidt, and Ron Hextall. Gretzky in L.A.? Never looked right, never felt right. Of course, it wasn't the earth-shattering event for me like it was for Canadians, so I can't complain too much.

20 years ago...

Friday Flyers news

Inquirer Staff Photo Richard M. Titley


Oh, now this should be fun. It's too bad they couldn't schedule a regular season game at the old place, but this game will be fun. I think it's cool they're inviting all of the old captains back for one last hurrah. We'll get to see guys like Dave Poulin and Bobby Clarke, though I wonder what kind of reception Eric Lindros will get. Provided he doesn't hit his head or something. I know, bad joke.

Not that this was a surprise, but Flyers D Jaroslav Modry is heading back to Europe to play in the Czech league. Speaking for all O&B fans, I'd like to wish Modry safe passage back to his homeland and thank him for his, um...uh...you know what, just stay over there.

That's about it for now.

Take the shot, Ice!!!!

...that's a Top Gun reference for all you young kids out there.

I've been following this whole Mats Sundin saga, or at least trying to, and I figured it was my time to chime in. There's no denying the fact that Sundin is a guy you wouldn't mind on your team. Even at 37, he's still got enough presence down low to make a difference when it counts. I'm not saying he's going to be a 100-point player, but he's probably still good for 15 or so over 70 games. Ask any Leaf fan what he's meant to their team, and you'll get bombarded with nothing but good memories with a few negatives scattered in for balance. It's kind of like asking Flyers fans to remember Keith Primeau or even Eric Lindros. It's a shame that a player like Sundin has never been to a Stanley Cup final, so you can understand why he wants one last shot to win it. It's not like other athletes haven't done the same (see Ray Bourque in Colorado), so this shouldn't surprise anyone. Of course, if you're a Leafs fan, you wanted to see him win it in Toronto, but that ain't happening.

That being said, $20 million? Who turns down $20 million over two years? Look, I know that Vancouver isn't exactly a Cup contender and will most likely struggle to even make the playoffs. And if Sundin is really putting a Cup over money, then I commend him. But for crying out loud, make a decision! Vancouver fans must be drinking coffee like crazy trying to keep up with any news coming out of Sweden, and this emotional roller coaster is no fun for anyone, even less so when it's your team.

I really think, and this is my opinion, that Sundin was bummed Detroit didn't give him a call. If he wanted to get his shot at the Stanley Cup, the Wings were his best option. Unfortunately, Detroit either felt they didn't need him or decided to spend the money on guys like Marian Hossa. Montreal basically gave up getting him, plus the sight of Sundin in a Canadiens sweater would just be wrong. The Rangers blew their money, no one else can afford him, and now he's down to either returning to a Leafs team in rebuild mode or a mediocre Canucks team. Or he could just retire. But he needs to make a decision, or else this could drag on into the season and turn into another Forsberg-Niedermayer-Selanne affair.

For the record, my money's on Sundin returning to Toronto.

That's our boy

This didn't come as a surprise to us Flyers fans, but The Hockey News just named Flyers' coach John Stevens as the 2006-2007 NHL Coach of the Year. Citing the Flyers' remarkable turnaround and subsequent run to the Eastern Conference finals, THN's Jason Kay gave Stevens kudos for his "slick touch working with his youthful lineup". Of course, the Jack Adams award winner was Washington's Bruce Boudreau, but who cares??? HOCKEY NEWS, BABY!!!!

Speaking of that "youthful lineup", TSN has reported that right winger Joffrey Lupul has signed a four-year extension with the O&B, keeping him in Philly until 2012. This, combined with the Jeff Carter extension, means that the current Flyers set-up should be intact for quite some time.

October 11 can't get here fast enough.

Mark your calendars - 2008-09 schedule released

The good people in the NHL front office have finally graced us with the 2008-2009 NHL schedule. The major changes for this year will be that all teams play each other at least once, meaning that fans on the West coast will get a chance to see my Flyers in their barn. Plus, instead of playing each team in the division eight times, it's been pared down to six meetings. Some may think that this will hurt divisional rivalries, but I don't.

I'm not going to post the entire schedule (I do have things to do today), but I will point out some of the highlights as I see them:

Oct. 11 vs. New York Rangers - Frankly I would have liked to see us open against Pittsburgh.
Oct. 14 @ Pittsburgh - I put the over/under on Flyer penalty minutes at 60 for this game.
Dec. 26 - Jan. 6 - The Flyers' annual New Year's road trip. My buddy out in LA will be pleased to get two back-to-back games against Anaheim and the Kings.
Jan. 8 vs. Minnesota - This game will be fight-filled, believe me.
Mar. 17 @ Detroit - Talk about insult to injury. The Toronto Maple Leafs get to watch the Wings raise the Cup banner on opening night.
Any game after March 1 - This is the playoff push. As long as they can avoid another ten-game slump like last season, we should be fine.

I like this schedule format. It lessens the monotony of playing the Devils and Islanders sixteen times a year and we get teams like San Jose and Colorado coming to town (the latter made more interesting if Peter Forsberg is healthy). I don't see this team taking any step backwards from last year, so I'm thinking the top four teams in the East stay the same (Pittsburgh, Montreal, Philly, Washington) with the Devils, Rangers, Bruins, and Lightning rounding out the rest. At least I hope they don't regress. Otherwise, those last Phantom games at the Spectrum will start to look pretty good.

Just checking in...

I think this is the first time in a while that I've really missed hockey. Usually, once the Flyers season ends in playoff misery, I and everyone else in Philly turn our attention to the Phils and the upcoming Eagles preseason. This year, however, has been different. I guess maybe it's because I devoted this blog to the Flyers and I really have nothing to write about once the Cup finals are done. Or it could be that we were so close last season that I want next season to hurry up and get here. Or it could be that I'm just really bored. Eh, who knows.

Since the Flyers didn't have the cap space necessary to go after the big-name free agents, no major players are coming to South Philly this summer. Unless Paul Holmgren pulls off a big trade, that is. And I'm fine with that. To be honest, this off-season has been just a notch short of insane. Seriously, $22 million for Cristobal Huet? $14 million for Jeff Finger??? WHO THE HELL IS JEFF FINGER??? I'm really glad the NHL and the NHLPA took the time during the lockout to impose a salary cap and all, otherwise we may see players like Mark Streit get $20 million or some outrageous number like that! Can you imagine? Oh, hang on...

Anyway, I'm glad Holmgren was able to get Jeff Carter, Riley Cote, and Randy Jones settled into their new contracts. Ossi Vaananen should be a decent top-6 defenseman, and I really like picking up Aaron Asham, 'cause that guy can throw down. Plus, apparently he's always wanted to play here, and we aim to please. I think training camp doesn't begin until late August (the Eagles start up in ten days, just in case you haven't been listening to Philly sports talk radio for the past seven months), so hopefully I'll have something more of substance to post later.

Go Soul.

Meet the new Flyers

Right, now that I've got a little free time, it's time to recap the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The most glaring need for the Flyers going into next season was on defense, so naturally Paul Holmgren and co. decided to look in that general direction. Along the way, we picked up a couple of goalie prospects and a center, not to mention trading for Caps blue-liner Steve Eminger. Apparently, we did Steve a favor by getting him out of DC. Anyway, here are the newest Flyers:

1. Luca Sbisa, D - 6'2", 190, Lethbridge (WHL)
2. Marc-Andre Bourdon, D - 6'0", 206, Rouyn-Noranda (QJMHL)
3. Jacob DeSerres, G - 6'2", 195, Seattle (WHL)
4. Zac Rinaldo, C - 5'11", 169, Mississauga St. Michael's (OHL)
5. Joacim Eriksson, G - 6'1", 189, Brynas Jr. (Sweden Juniors)

I wouldn't expect to see any of these guys wearing orange and black for at least three years, if that. Holmgren and John Stevens are true believers in allowing young players to fully develop in the minors before getting thrown into the mix. Sbisa would be the logical choice to be the first one called up to the NHL, especially if Derian Hatcher decides to call it quits. The one major worry I have is that these guys aren't exactly big. Granted, six feet and two hundred pounds is nothing to sneeze at, but there's no one here that can be called intimidating. I hope that the organization isn't leaning to far towards the mobile puck-moving defenseman and too far away from the big, knock-you-on-your-butt bruiser we've been known to have around.

Rumor out of South Philly is that the Flyers are close to re-signing both Riley Cote and Jeff Carter. It sounds like Carter's deal is just waiting for a final dollar amount. I'm hoping this goes OK because I don't want this dragging on past July 1, when another GM can raise Carter's asking price knowing that we're pressed as far as the cap is concerned. There has been talk on message boards that Philly is looking at veteran D-men such as Brian Campbell, Mark Streit, and John-Michael Liles, but that all depends on how much cash Holmgren has to work with. Campbell's going to want a lot of money, plus I think we're done raiding the Buffalo Sabres for their best players.

Now that the draft is over and Pierre Mcguire can stop gushing over EVERY SINGLE PICK THAT EVERY TEAM MADE (Seriously, how can you like all 211 players?), we now get a bit of a break until the silly season kicks off on the 1st. The cap is projected to be around $56 million, so we've got some wiggle room, but not much.