Hartnell and the Caveman

Here is a picture from the Flyers twitter page.

Hartnell is the one on the right.

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Carcillo vs Thornton at the Winter Classic

In case you missed it. Here is the fight from the winter Classic at Fenway. The Flyers may have lost the game but Carcillo get the better of thornton



hockeyfights
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Stevens Out, Laviolette In

Today the Flyers fired head coach John Stevens and will hire Peter Laviolette as his successor. Turnover like this is common in hockey as Stevens was the 2nd most tenured coach in the conference at 3+ years. Not sure why it is the coaches fault this team cannot score goals but what do I know.

Laviolette is not known as a players coach like Stevens so maybe this will give them a spark. He recently coached Carolina to a Stanley Cup win in '05-'06 but was fired after missing the playoffs the next 2 seasons.

(700level)
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Philly Tonight

Bobcats at 76ers 7pm: Charlotte looks to snap their 5 game losing streak tonight against the Sixers, who themselves have lost 2 straight. Should be a good one!

Flyers at Kings 10:30pm: Here is a better matchup. Flyers have won 5 of 6 and the Kins, 2 straight. The Flyers are 80-37-16 all-time against the Kings including 38-22-8 in L.A. (broadstreethockey)
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Flyers Preview

The Flyers look to continue to beat up teams in the East tonight and Saturday as they take on Ottawa (8-5-2) and Buffalo (10-4-1). Both teams are 1st and 2nd respectively in the Northeast Division. The Flyers are currently 9-4-1, and are 5 points behind the Devils in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers have won 4 in a row and look to stay hot against the Senators tonight. Leading the way for the Flyers are Carter and Richards with 15 points each on the year. The huge addition of Pronger is already paying off as he has 14 points on the year with a +11, which is 4th in the NHL.

The Flyers are looking to climb their way up in the standings in a tough Atlantic Division. The key to the Flyers success is to stay physical and keep hitting people. They have the speed to skate with any team in the NHL. Ryan Emery has played pretty well for the Flyers going 9-2 with a 2.27 GAA. Look for the Flyers to come out tonight and take it to the Senators, and then to the Sabres on Saturday. The Flyers just beat the Sabres in Buffalo last week.
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Front End...

Of a back to back for your Philadelphia Flyers tonight as they travel up to Buffalo to skate with the Sabres. The Sabres have jumped out to one of the best starts in the league with a 9-2-1 record. The Flyers are 7-4-1.

Goalie Ryan Miller has anchored the league’s best defense, which is allowing 2.0 goals per game, and the veteran netminder’s 1.69 goals-against average is nearly a goal better than his career mark. Mike Richards leads the Flyers with 8 goals and 15 points while rookie James Van Riemsyk leads the team with 11 assists and is coming off of his first 3 point game. The Flyers swept Buffalo last season.

On the Back End, tomorrow the Flyers host 5-6-1 St Louis Blues

Look for the Flyers to pull off a weekend sweep. Go Flyers


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Fly Guys

With all the distractions going on this time of the year, (World Series) I have not had the opportunity to sit down and actually watch a Flyers game all year. In fact the closest I have come to having anything to do with the Flyers this year was seeing Richards, Emery, and Carter standing in line for Game 1 of the Division Series against the Rockies. Last night I was getting sick and tired of listening to the MLB Network sucking off A-Rod (My thoughts on him coming later today), so I flipped over to the start of the Flyers and Capitals game. Now I have heard that the Flyers were pretty good this year, but like I said I haven't really watched so I didn't know first hand.

Although they lost 4-2 to the Caps, I was pretty freakin impressed with how good the Flyers are. I mean when was the last time you can remember when the Flyers were in the top ten in the league in penalty kill, or on the power play? This year they are top ten in both. (5th in Penalty Kill) I was shocked at how fast this team is, they won almost every loose puck, and they can hit hard. Are the Broad Street Bullies back? This is a tough physical team that can skate with anyone in the league. They have goal scorers on every line, and Pronger really helps out on defense. For the last couple of years one of the Flyers major weaknesses was the ability to play defense. This year, with Pronger, Timmonen, and Coburn holding down the defense this team can be real dangerous. Forget last nights loss, hockey is a long season. I mean everyone pretty much makes the playoffs anyway. This team will definitely be one of the contenders for the cup.
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Sharks 4 - Flyers 1

No Offense for the Flyers tonight. Manny Malhotra scored 2 goals and Danny Heatley added another as the Sharks knocked the Flyers off today in philly. Darroll Powe scored the Flyers goal.

Thanks for the pic, Spider Rico. Tough game by Brian Boucher allowing 4 goals on 38 shots. Coburn and Timonen were both -3 on the night.

Go Flyers

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Richards knocks out Booth

The Flyers beat the Panthers 4-1 last night behind Danny Briere's 2 goals but the game will be remembered and talked about due to this hit. David Booth brought the puck into the Flyers zone. Mike Richards had him lined up and when Booth looked back to make a drop pass, Richards leveled him. Richards was given a 5-minute major and a game misconduct.

Dirty? Legal? What do you think?
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Flyers open with 2-0 Shutout

The Flyers were all over the Hurricanes last night in a 2-0 win. Ray Emery made 28 saves and is the first flyer since Jeff (can't) Hackett to earn a shutout in the opener. Jeff Vanbiesbrouck and Bernie Parent are the only 2 others to have season opening shutouts.

The Flyers were 2 for 5 on the power play and killed all 8 Carolina Power Plays. Jeff Carter and Mike Richards scored the PP goals 22 seconds apart in the 2nd period. At the Devils tonight at 7pm. Go Flyers
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Flyers Preview

Last season: 44-27-11 (99 points), third place in the Atlantic Division, fifth place at the Eastern Conference and ninth in the overall standings.

Newcomers: D Chris Pronger (Anaheim), G Ray Emery (Europe), D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Philadelphia), RW Ian Laperriere (Colorado) and G Brian Boucher (San Jose).

Gone: G Martin Biron (N.Y. Islanders), RW Joffrey Lupul (Anaheim), D Luca Sbisa (Anaheim), D Andrew Alberts(notes) (Carolina), G Antero Niittymaki (Tampa Bay), RW Mike Knuble (Washington) and D Derian Hatcher (retired).

Captain: Mike Richards



Offense: Jeff Carter had a breakout year with 46 goals and 38 assists and Mike Richards added 30 and 50. Two others, Hartnell and Gagne also scored 30+. This team should not have trouble scoring goals. Can Briere live up to his contract or at least stay on the ice? He leads the team in goals this preseason. Can Giroux develop into an impact player? What can be expected from rookie JVR? If there are positive anwers to these questions – it could be a good year at the Wachovia Center. Well, at least on the ice – the hardwood might be a different story.

Defense: Newcomer Chris Pronger looks like he has been paired with Matt Carle during camp, and they seem to be meshing well. Timonen and Coburn should continue to be one of the top units in the league. It seems that these two units were put together with the Crosby and Malkin lines in mind. Highly touted Ryan Parent, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, and Danny Svyret will be among those who fill the rest of the spots.

Goalie: Ray Emery returns to the NHL after being banished to Europe for a season - I think the reason was, that he was absolutely nuts. Emery was 33-16-6 a couple of years ago for Ottawa, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals. After several meltdowns, and poor play, he was released. Emery put up good numbers - a 22-8 record with a 2.12 goals-against average in the wider Russian rinks before he lost his mind again. Goalie will once again be the deciding factor on how far the Flyers go.

The Flyers have some of the most loyal fans in all of sports and this team has the “potential” to be elite. Yet I am not feeling an overwhelming anticipation for Friday's opener. Let's get some Flyers talk going!

The O/U for comments is set at 1, based on previous hockey posts.

Go Flyers

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THN.com: Flyers to Win the Cup

The Hockey News have made their prediction on the 2009-10 season and they predict that the Flyers will hoist the Cup, this coming June. So here it is, the Three-Star case for the Flyers as Stanley Cup champions - as Sam McCraig of THN.comBlog sees it.

1. The Pronger Effect
Not only is Chris Pronger still one of the most dominant, devastating defensemen in the game today. There might not be a Niedermayer equivalent in Philadelphia, but Pronger joins Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Ryan Parent for a very impressive top-four on the blueline and the depth combination of Matt Carle and Randy Jones offers a nice blend of offense (Carle) and grit (Jones).

2. Flyers Fine Up Front
If you’re a Philadelphia Flyers forward these days, you’re one of two things: talented or tough. And quite possibly, you’re both. Simply put, the Flyers have a formidable cast of forwards and they can win with skill or they can muck it up.

They’ve got two-way dynamo Mike Richards, a Bobby Clarke clone, and 46-goal scorer Jeff Carter as the Nos. 1 and 2 centers. Shifty Daniel Briere can play the middle, but on this team he’s better suited as a right winger on one of the top two lines. Plus, that allows up-and-coming center Claude Giroux, who was one of the team’s best forwards in the 2008 playoffs, to man the third line.

Simon Gagne is the Flyers’ top left winger – and one of the best in the league when he’s healthy, which was the case last season after playing just 25 games in 2007-08. Behind Gagne is Scott Hartnell, who delivered his most impressive season to date last year when he potted 30 goals and 60 points to go along with his sandpaper play.

There’s also rookie James van Riemsdyk on the left side, should he make the team, and he’s a power-forward-in-progress with the draft pedigree (second overall in 2007) to be a top-line force.


3. Ray Emery, Stanley Cup finalist
Yes, it’s true. One of the main reasons the Flyers signed Emery was because they could get the goalie with the checkered past on the cheap (one year for $1.5 million). After deciding that last year’s tandem of Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki wasn’t going to cut it, Philadelphia’s options were very limited. Emery didn’t single-handedly deliver the Senators to the final – or win them the Cup, as it turned out – but he was a valuable piece of that team. On the ice, anyway.

And whatever you think of Emery’s off-ice shenanigans, from missed practices and flights to fighting with teammates to highway incidents to Mike Tyson mask tributes, the guy does recognize he’s getting a second chance in the NHL after a year in Siberia (OK, Russia, but you know what we mean…).

He’s going to be on his best behavior, at least for a while, and he’ll be in a dressing room with a strong leadership presence (Pronger, Richards and Timonen, for starters). We should see the best Emery has to offer, and that effort has already been enough to take another club to the final.

This time, it might be enough to win a championship.

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Flyers, Pronger Agree on 7 Year Extension

Chris Pronger and the Philadelphia Flyers agree on a 7 year, $34.9 million contract extension, only a couple of weeks after they acquired the 34 year old veteran. Pronger will earn $6.25 million next year,$7.6 million the next two and a whole lot more after that.

Pronger had 11 goals and 37 assists last year with Anaheim and will look to help the Flyers compete with the Penguins (among others). 7 year deal to a 34 year old? These hockey guys are nuts. I could have sworn the Flyers were up against the Cap. I hope Homer knows what he is doing..Lets hope Pronger can let Philly drink from the cup.
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The Morning After

Rays 7 Phillies 1: A pitchers duel through 7+ innings, the Rays opened the game up when Jimmy Rollins made a rare defensive mistake missing trying for a tough force out at second when Pat Burrell was running to first. Joe Blanton pitched very well only to be outdueled by Matt Garza. Pat Burrell had 3 RBI's including a 2-run homer, only his second as a Ray. Jimmy Rollins has zero base hits since Thursday. It is time for Chalie to send him a message. The NL East is tightening as the Mets and Marlins both won.

LSU 11 Texas 4: LSU wins the 2009 CWS! It is their 6th National Title, tied with Texas for second most of all-time. LSU took a 4 run lead with the help of Jared Mitchell's 3 run home run but Texas quickley tied it up. LSU scored 5 in the sixth to wrap it up. Mitchell, the CWS MOP and a first round pick of the Chi Sox, adds to his 2007 NCAA Football title. Congratulations to LSU!

U.S. 2 Spain 0: The US advance to its first men's FIFA Final since starting play in 1916. Spain, a -1100 favorite (cough...whatever that means..cough), was the European champion and had won 15 straight international games, the most since Brazil won 35 straight betwenn '93 and '96 (was that the Baggio days?). Spain had not lost since November '06. Jozy Altidore scored the first goal in the 27th minute and Clint Dempsey put it away in the 74th. Hopefully we have soccer readers that can comment on this game because I am not doing the win justice.

NFL: Julius Peppers signed a 1 yr, $16.7 million tender with the Carolina Panthers.5 months ago Peppers made it clear that he would not sign a long term deal with Carolina but after he signed a 1 yr deal which will give him over 1 million per GAME, he seems willing to sign long term.

Flyers: Sources say that the Flyers will accept an invitation to play the Boston Bruins on New Years day at Fenway Park. Very cool, though I would still like to see a Flyers v Penguins game at State College.

Wimbledon: 2004 Champ Maria Sharapova loses 6-2,3-6,6-4, to Gisela Dulko in the second round. Damn it!

NBA: The Cavs acquired Shaq O'Neal from the Suns for a couple of expensive basketballs and a late draft pick. Read More

Flyers looking at Emery

With all three of the organizations top goaltenders' free agents, the Flyers are reportedly closing in on a deal with Ray Emery, formerly of the Ottawa Senators. He cannot sign a contract until July 1. Just 2 years ago Emery went 12-3 in the playoffs to reach the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to Anaheim in 5 games. His career derailed after that with rumors of drug use and partying and maybe a slight anger problem. "I'm not drinking excessively, that's for sure", said Emery when confronted about his behavior - or was that me last weekend when I was asked about my behavior. He has admitted on television that he has been stopped by the police over 30 times.

This past season Emery played for the Atlant Mytischi of the Kontinental Hockey League and is on a 2 years contract there with permission to seek an NHL job between seasons. Incumbent starter Marty Biron must see the writing on the wall if the Flyers are not only looking to replace him but replace him with a guy who kicked his a$$ a few years back.

Ray Emery, huh? It's a good thing the Flyers are going after character guys now. No seriously, if this guy can keep his head on somewhat straight, he could be one of the better goalies in the league. Yes that is aking a lot. The Flyers are also looking at Florida Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester who would significantly bolster the blue line.

Can you imagine Sean Avery playing those games that he was playing against Brodeur in the playoffs, against Emery? Could be entertaining but they may want to find a decent backup to fill in for the suspensions. Read More