Philadelphia Flyers News

Happy homecoming for Timonen, Hartnell
Comment
March 17
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"For Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell, last night was a homecoming as they played in Nashville for the first time since they were dealt from the Predators to the Flyers in 2007. "We got here Sunday night, and on the bus ride to the hotel, it brought back a lot of memories," Timonen said before the game. Hartnell agreed, though he added that the fans in Nashville and Philadelphia varied greatly. "Probably the biggest difference is they're a hockey market out there," he said, referring to Philadelphia. After the morning skate, the shaggy-haired Hartnell was greeted by fans displaying a life-size cardboard cutout of him wearing a Predators uniform and a short haircut that made him look much ..."
Flyers salvage a point
Comment
March 17
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"After a listless effort in their previous game, the Flyers played a different tune in Music City last night. Despite losing goalie Michael Leighton to an ankle injury early and facing a two-goal deficit with less than nine minutes left, they salvaged an important point with a 4-3 shoot-out loss to Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena. Martin Erat scored the game-winner in the shoot-out, deflecting a shot off goalie Brian Boucher. Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and Mike Richards failed to connect in the shoot-out for the Flyers, who fell one point behind sixth-place Montreal in the Eastern Conference. "I thought we played a good game; we just ran into a hot goalie" in Pekka Rinne, Briere said ..."
With shootout loss to Nashville, Flyers penalized in standings
Comment
March 17
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Flyers coach Peter Laviolette is almost always his team's biggest critic. But trailing by two goals when last night's game was barely 10 minutes old, Laviolette couldn't harp on his team's effort. Just the score. "We outchanced them 2-to-1," Laviolette said. "We just didn't like the score. We were physical, we were banging and we had the puck in their end. "But I thought our guys really stuck with it." Jeff Carter beat Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne on the game's first shot, just 1:21 into the game, but it took the Flyers another 50 minutes and 30-plus shots to solve him again. But once they did, the Flyers erased the two-goal deficit in 3 minutes to tie Nashville late in the third period ..."
Leighton suffers a high ankle sprain in loss to Preds
Comment
March 17
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The Flyers' season may hinge on goalie Michael Leighton's injured left ankle. The goalie, a waiver-wire wonder this season, suffered a high ankle sprain early in Tuesday's 4-3 shoot-out loss to Nashville. He will have an MRI Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. "I just went out to get the puck and it got away from me, and I kind of went back on my leg and felt my leg pop, my ankle," Leighton said. "It's just the way I fell backwards. I felt something pop and it didn't feel good." Brian Boucher replaced Leighton and played admirably, allowing one goal the rest of the way and helping the Flyers salvage an important point. "Once he has settled in, he has played really ..."
For Flyers, 14 defining games
Comment
March 16
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The Flyers have 14 games to get their unpredictable act together, to regain the swagger and sharpness they displayed before the Olympic break. They have 14 games to determine where they will be seeded in the Eastern Conference playoffs - if they get there. Tonight, as their last extended road trip of the season continues, they will play formidable Nashville. The trip includes games in Dallas and Atlanta, teams that desperately need victories to keep their playoff hopes alive. "We need to get back on track and start this part of the road trip with a win," said coach Peter Laviolette, focusing on tonight's matchup against the Predators. "Just keeping things in the short term, this game is ..."
All Flyers GM Holmgren can do is watch as playoffs approach
Comment
March 16
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror and just 14 games separating his team from the April 11 finish line, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren can do little more than sit and wait. The Daily News caught up with Holmgren yesterday for his thoughts on the state of the Flyers: Daily News: How do you personally handle this time of year? You are limited in what you can change with the roster and moves. Is it tough for you to sit back and watch? Paul Holmgren: You're right, there's not a whole lot that we can do with the current team. It is what it is. We just have to hope for the best. There's a lot of college free agents, and looking at some of our junior guys that we might have to ..."
Long travel day adds to woes
Comment
March 15
Camden Courier-Post
 
"No one used it as an excuse, but the Flyers' lack of energy in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Rangers may have been more than just an emotional letdown following their thrilling last-second victory over the Chicago Blackhawks the day before. The exhilaration of Saturday's win was drained by a nightmarish train ride from Philadelphia to New York that had the team arriving in Manhattan close to midnight. The Flyers' travel ordeal began when they parked their cars at Atlantic Aviation at Philadelphia International Airport and caught a bus to 30th Street Station for what is normally a 70-minute commute to New York's Penn Station. Instead, the team's train broke down in Metuchen and sat for nearly ..."
Avery a thorn to Flyers
Comment
March 15
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Include the Flyers on the long list of NHL teams that have no respect for Sean Avery. After seeing the trash-talking, agitating forward score two goals on Sunday to lead the New York Rangers to a 3-1 win in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that spent much of the game chanting his name, the Flyers took a few bare-knuckled shots at Avery through the print media. "I played with the guy and dislike the guy," said Flyers winger Ian Laperriere, who played parts of two seasons with Avery when both were members of the Los Angeles Kings. "I think he does cross the line all the time. "Those people (in New York) are getting fooled by his act because I know he's the worst teammate I played with ..."
Pair of goals by Avery lift Rangers over Flyers
Comment
March 15
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"So much for the theory that the Flyers would receive a momentum jolt. One day after a shocking comeback win in the closing seconds, the enigmatic Flyers were outplayed by the New York Rangers and dropped a 3-1 decision yesterday at Madison Square Garden. Super-pest Sean Avery, benched in the previous game because of his poor play, scored two goals in the tight-checking matchup, in which the Flyers managed just 18 shots. The Flyers were coming off a stirring 3-2 victory over Chicago. In that game, they scored twice in the final 2 minutes, 4 seconds, including Chris Pronger's winner with 2.1 seconds left. The emotion did not carry into yesterday. "It's always tough when you're on such a high ..."
Rangers, Avery get under Flyers' skin in loss
Comment
March 15
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Ian Laperriere was quick and to the point. He didn't have much to say. But his commentary about Rangers pest Sean Avery - someone he played with in Los Angeles 6 years ago - resonated, considering that this is Laperriere's 15th NHL season. Not to mention the circumstances leading to Avery's exit from Dallas midway through last season. With the Stars, the controversial Avery was so unpopular with teammates and management that he was waived 23 games into a 4-year, $15.5 million contract. Avery signed with the Rangers and played the final 18 games of last season. At Madison Square Garden, they love his agitating ways. "He gets in your mind all the time,'' Laperriere said, shaking his head. ..."
Flyers lineup vs. Rangers was all bluster, no bite
Comment
March 15
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Rangers coach John Tortorella was surprised, not scared, when he first glanced at the NHL's lineup card handed to him before the game. He looked down to see the Flyers' Ville Leino and Darroll Powe crossed off. In their place were two players who didn't factor into Saturday's thrilling, 3-2 win over Chicago at the Wachovia Center. Riley Cote and Arron Asham didn't even dress for that game. Tortorella's eyes likely jumped off the page. When asked after the game about Cote's minimal impact on the game, Tortorella was his usual forthright-self. Cote was a healthy scratch for 33 consecutive games before yesterday's matinee at Madison Square Garden, won by the Rangers, 3-1. "I wish he played ..."
Rangers need to up the intensity against Flyers
Comment
March 14
Bergen Record
 
"As much as the Rangers can't dwell on losses, they need a short-term memory when it comes to wins as they make a desperate push for the playoffs. Friday's 5-2 win at Atlanta, which snapped a four-game losing streak, was a baby step because of the intensity and desperation the ninth-place Rangers showed. But it will be meaningless without a follow-up performance today against the Flyers, battling the Canadiens for sixth in the Eastern Conference. "The challenge is we have to forget it and get ready for [today]," left wing Vinny Prospal said. "We've just been inconsistent throughout the [season]. We have to play with this level of desperation for more than two games in a row. We're running ..."
New York Rangers keep their eye on playoffs despite grudge against Philadelphia Flyers
Comment
March 14
New York Daily News
 
"A Rangers-Flyers game with bad blood and enduring grudges is nothing new, and never gets old. But given the peril in which the Rangers find their playoff hopes, how much can they afford to settle the kinds of scores that don't lead to points? The Flyers' visit to the Garden Sunday marks the first meeting between these bitter rivals since their Jan. 21 affair in Philadelphia erupted into some mismatched fisticuffs that had the Rangers swearing they would harbor long memories of it all. That was when Flyers agitator Daniel Carcillo dropped the gloves with Marian Gaborik and proceeded tothe Rangers' superstar with a quick series of right hands, an act that John Tortorella said afterward had ..."
Defending blows-to-head penalty
Comment
March 14
Camden Courier-Post
 colulmnist Chuck Gormley
"First things first. I'm old-school when it comes to playing physical hockey. I like fighting if it has a purpose. I like shot blockers, crease crashers and players without teeth. And I love open-ice hits. But I also agree whole-heartedly with the NHL's proposal to curb blows to the head by implementing harsher penalties to offenders. Forty of the league's 750 players have been sidelined this season with concussions and that's far too many. Some suggest the increase in concussions is the result of players getting bigger and the game getting faster. The truth is that too many players have lost respect for their opponents and have forced the league to take action. Assuming the rule change ..."
Leighton leads surging Flyers
Comment
March 14
Camden Courier-Post
 
"For two-and-a-half glorious hours on Saturday afternoon Michael Leighton, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger allowed Flyers fans to dream big dreams. How big? Stanley Cup Finals big. "It would be a great playoff matchup," Leighton said after a spectacular 39-save effort in the Flyers' thrilling 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Wachovia Center. When he was reminded the obvious -- that the only way the Flyers and Blackhawks could meet again was in the Stanley Cup Finals -- Leighton nodded his head. "I know that. We just showed we can play with one of the best hockey teams in the league. I don't think I've heard a building that loud my whole life." In a wildly ..."
Flyers pick up an entertaining win over Chicago
Comment
March 14
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Midway through the third period of perhaps the Flyers' most entertaining game of the season, a dark thought crept into the mind of struggling Scott Hartnell. "You think negative thoughts when you're in a slump," the left winger conceded yesterday after the Flyers made a stunning comeback to pull out a 3-2 win over Chicago on Chris Pronger's goal in the final 2.1 seconds. "I'm thinking, 'Jeez, it's going to be another game without scoring a goal.' " No Flyer was as desperate as Hartnell to flick on the red light. He had gone 13 consecutive games without a goal and had scored only three in his previous 39. But the one he scored yesterday at the Wachovia Center gave him more satisfaction than ..."
Flyers' goal with 2.1 seconds left sinks Hawks
Comment
March 14
Chicago Tribune
 
"Chris Pronger scored with 2.1 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Blackhawks at Wachovia Center. Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa scored in the third for the Hawks. Cristobal Huet suffered the loss in goal despite a strong effort for much of the game."
Laviolette rips inept defense
Comment
March 13
Camden Courier-Post
 
"There will come a time when the Flyers tire of Peter Laviolette's harsh and demanding coaching style, a time when words like "terrible" and "unacceptable" will be met with defiant rolls of the eyes. That time is not now. And if you listen closely to some of the Flyers veterans, Laviolette's no-nonsense approach might be exactly what his team needs to shed its reputation as being as consistent as the weather. "I think we need that," Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen said Friday after Laviolette juggled two of his forward lines in preparation for today's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. "We still have a lot of young guys, and sometimes I feel like maybe we take things too lightly and maybe ..."
Coach Peter Laviolette will shake up Flyers' lines
Comment
March 13
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"With the Flyers struggling since the Olympic break, coach Peter Laviolette is making some line changes for today's 1 p.m. game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Wachovia Center. Center Jeff Carter will have two new wingers, Ville Leino will be added to the lineup, and slumping Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere are expected to be dropped to the third unit. Leino, who was impressive in the two games he has played since being acquired from Detroit, will be on a line with Carter and left winger James van Riemsdyk. "We're trying to get more balanced scoring," Carter said after yesterday's short practice in Voorhees. "I'm just happy to be in," said Leino, who played well on a line with Carter ..."
Struggling Flyers work to straighten lines
Comment
March 13
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THREE WEEKS ago, today's game against the Chicago Blackhawks was circled on the Flyers' calendar. Chicago was supposed to provide a true Stanley Cup contender's measuring stick for the Flyers - who were one of the hottest teams in the NHL, thanks to a four-game winning streak prior to the Olympic break. Both teams enter today's game with a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games, but couldn't be going in more different directions. Chicago is enjoying an eight-point cushion in second place in the Western Conference and the Flyers are just two points away from sliding to the eighth and final playoff spot, thanks to a 3-2-1 record since the break ended. And rather than being able to use today's ..."
Holmgren backs high-hit penalties
Comment
March 12
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Back in October, after Flyers captain Mike Richards nearly decapitated Florida Panthers forward David Booth with a shoulder to the head, Florida general manager Randy Sexton lobbied for Richards to be suspended, calling the hit late and dirty. At the time, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren defended his captain and smugly suggested Sexton "should watch more hockey games." Thursday, after three days of "pretty intense" discussions about cracking down on blind-side hits to the head, Holmgren acknowledged having to change his tune. "If Mike is faced with that situation next year, if this (rule proposal) goes through, we're not saying he can't hit the guy," Holmgren said before Thursday ..."
'Poor effort' dooms Flyers
Comment
March 12
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Any sense of security the Flyers built during their recent 7-1-1 stretch evaporated Thursday night with a shoddy performance against the resilient Boston Bruins. Facing each other for the first time since the Jan. 1 Winter Classic in Fenway Park, the Bruins outplayed the Flyers in all three zones and chased goaltender Michael Leighton, handing the Flyers a 5-1 loss in front of 19,673 fans at the Wachovia Center. "There is no sense of security," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said after the loss. "We can't approach it like that. We need points and we need a better effort than tonight in my opinion." The loss was the Flyers' first on home ice since Jan. 28,snapping a five-game win ..."
Leighton could turn out to be bargain buy for Flyers in goal
Comment
March 12
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Since he arrived in December, Michael Leighton has never looked at the Flyers as a permanent stop - or solution - for his long and well-traveled career. In early January, after an 8-1-1 run, Leighton assumed he wouldn't stay in Philadelphia long. Ray Emery had just returned from abdominal surgery and Brian Boucher was already back from a lacerated finger. If Boucher didn't injure his finger on Dec. 21 while Leighton was his backup, there's a good chance Leighton would be back in the AHL by now. Leighton said early on that he was just looking to "take advantage of this opportunity" to set himself up for next season. Instead, he is the Flyers' next anointed No. 1 for the remainder of this ..."
Bruins expose Flyers' troubling weaknesses
Comment
March 12
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"IN THEIR last two games, the Flyers have skated around and plugged the various cracks and holes in their game like Clark Griswold tried to do at the Hoover Dam in National Lampoon's "Vegas Vacation." The Flyers squeaked out wins against Toronto and the New York Islanders, the two teams bringing up the rear in the Eastern Conference, with two shoddy performances. But there are only so many holes you can plug before that dam will break. And last night, there was a deluge at the Wachovia Center. No wad of chewing gum would have held this one together. Boston, skating without third-leading scorer Marc Savard and with the league's lowest-scoring offense, flooded the Flyers, 5-1. The Flyers made ..."
Fired-up Bruins show punch in win
Comment
March 12
Boston Globe
 
"Before last night's game against the Flyers, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli felt it was time to address his players. Chiarelli, who was discouraged by his team's lack of response Sunday after Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke flattened Marc Savard, wouldn't disclose his message. But it was clear in the wake of Savard's injury, the Bruins' failure to respond, the NHL's non-action on Cooke, and the news that Savard's season might be over, that passion and commitment were major themes of the GM's speech. "It's behind closed doors, so that's between us and him,'' said right winger Blake Wheeler. "What I can say is that everyone was inspired. He touched on the things that everybody has to take ..."
Bruins enjoy Philly-buster
Comment
March 12
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins rarely have their wishes granted in this unexpectedly angst-ridden season. But last night at the Wachovia Center, the B's got just what they needed: a laugher. Against a pretty good team that had been playing well, the Bruins scored four consecutive goals to blow out the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-1, and increase their lead over the ninth-place Rangers to five points. The Flyers came into the game with wins in seven of their previous nine. For the second game, the line of Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm produced a goal for each player. In addition to that, the David Krejci line got into the act as well, with Krejci and Blake Wheeler each notching a goal. Tuukka Rask ..."
Rejected Krajicek happy with Flyers
Comment
March 10
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Six week ago, Flyers defenseman Lukas Krajicek was a man without a future. Frustrated by a demotion to the AHL Norfolk Admirals and angered by the Tampa Bay Lightning's lack of communication, he voluntarily walked away from hockey. After playing 15 games for the Admirals he left the team while it was in Hartford. In hindsight, it was a risk worth taking. "I thought I'd play a lot (in Tampa) and they didn't play me right from the start," Krajicek said. "Once I started playing again they threw me on waivers out of nowhere. The GM (Brian Lawton) told me he wasn't going to send me down and two days later he sent me down. They didn't let me or my agent know." A former first-round pick of the ..."
Disciplined Flyers rally
Comment
March 10
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Defenseman Lukas Krajicek was the first to head to the trainer's room when he took a Frans Neilsen wrist shot to the forehead just 3:23 into the game. But he came back. Right wing Dan Carcillo was next in line when he awkwardly collided with Tim Jackman, cutting his left leg just above his knee at the 7:30 mark. But he came back. By the time rookie left wing James van Riemsdyk got caught in the chin with an errant puck, he had to take a number to get his face stitched. But he came back. And so did the Flyers, rallying from a two-goal deficit with consecutive goals from Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and Simon Gagne to register a hard-fought 3-2 win over the New York Islanders Tuesday night in ..."
Betts and mates no ordinary fourth line for Flyers
Comment
March 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Flyers coach Peter Laviolette likes to say that his team's fourth line brings "sandpaper" to the ice. In other words, they do the dirty work in the corners, win board battles, and shut down opponents with their pesky, in-your-face defense. For most of the season, the fourth unit has been composed of Ian Laperriere, Dan Carcillo, and Blair Betts - or the LCB Line, Part II. Those players had a combined plus-17 rating entering last night - the best of any Flyers line. Betts (plus-9) had the top rating among the team's forwards, while Carcillo (plus-7) was tied for No. 2 with James van Riemsdyk. Laperriere was plus-1. Carcillo recently moved to Mike Richards' line, and has been replaced on the ..."
Flyers rally to beat Islanders for 15th straight time
Comment
March 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The streak lives. Somehow. Overcoming three injuries and a two-goal deficit, the Flyers set a franchise record with a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders last night at the Wachovia Center. It was the Flyers' 15th straight victory over the Islanders, a club record against any team. Simon Gagne's power-play goal snapped a 2-2 tie with 6 minutes, 6 seconds left to give the streaking Flyers their first lead of the night. Scoring on a shot from the right corner that deflected off defenseman Mark Streit's stick, Gagne continued his revival, notching his fifth goal in the last six games. Afterward, Gagne admitted he was trying to thread a pass to Mike Richards. Instead, it turned into the ..."
Flyers rally to keep streak against Islanders intact
Comment
March 10
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"WITH TIME running out and two points hanging in the balance, Claude Giroux was tired of waiting. He knew the Flyers wouldn't get many more opportunities. Their 14-game winning streak over the Islanders was the least of his worries. Giroux took a cross-ice pass from Mike Richards just inside the Islanders' blue line and went in unimpeded on Dwayne Roloson - a goaltender the Flyers inquired about at last week's trade deadline - and made Mark Streit pay for a boarding penalty. Giroux's top-shelf, power-play backhand goal knotted the game for the first time since the first period and rallied the Flyers from a two-goal deficit to beat the visiting Islanders, 3-2. The Flyers extended their ..."
Carter speaks with his stats
Comment
March 9
Camden Courier-Post
 
"When Flyers center Jeff Carter learned on Dec. 23 he had been left off the Canadian Olympic hockey team, he tightened his chin strap and went on a defiant point-scoring spree that re-established his reputation as one of the NHL's top snipers. "It looked like he got shot out of a cannon," Scott Hartnell said Monday, after watching his linemate crack the 30-goal mark in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. "I definitely think he wanted to show the league, show Team Canada, even himself, that he should have been there and wants to be the leader of this team and take us a long way in the playoffs." Since being left off the Canadian Olympic team, Carter has 26 points in 26 games (16 ..."
Flyers seek 15th straight over Isles
Comment
March 9
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Line mates Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell are going in different directions. One can't miss the net; the other can't find it. After a slow start that probably cost him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team, Carter has been one of the league's top scorers in the season's second half. The 25-year-old center, coming off a career-best season in which he finished second in the NHL with 46 goals, has 16 goals in his last 18 games. He has eight goals in his last eight games, pushing his season total to 30. "I give him credit because, to me, he never lost his confidence," assistant coach Craig Berube said after helping run yesterday's practice in Voorhees because head coach Peter Laviolette was ill. ..."
Hartnell admits, it's been a tough season
Comment
March 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"SCOTT HARTNELL is a veteran of 661 games at hockey's highest level. Having played in the league since he was drafted as an 18-year-old in 2000, Hartnell has essentially grown up in the NHL. For him, few periods of his career have been as trying as the first 63 games of this season. Hartnell is on pace for 15 goals, his worst output since 2003. Hartnell has not scored in 11 straight games and has the lowest shooting percentage of any Flyers forward other than Ian Laperriere. After finishing fourth on the Flyers in scoring last year - posting a career high in goals (30), assists (30) and points (60) - this is hardly the season Hartnell, or any of the Flyers' brass, expected. He was supposed ..."
Flyers finding their game
Comment
March 8
Camden Courier-Post
 
"A year ago, when presented with a similar opportunity, Dan Carcillo might have fought Colton Orr three times in the same game and been showered before the game ended. It didn't happen Sunday. Now a mainstay on the Flyers' top line, Carcillo proved discretion might be the better part of valor when he allowed Orr to sit and stew in the penalty box while the Flyers methodically picked apart the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 3-1 victory to open a crucial four-game homestand. "That guy, I'm never going to fight him," Carcillo said. "He doesn't really do anything unless someone fights him. I knew he was going to run me. I sucked him into a few (penalties) and, luckily, we scored a little later. We ..."
Bartulis sits out as Parent plays
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Oskars Bartulis received medical clearance to play last night against Toronto, but the Flyers' rookie defenseman was not cleared by the guy who matters most - coach Peter Laviolette. Laviolette's decision came down to Bartulis or Ryan Parent, and he went with Parent. "It's important to get Ryan in there and get him back into shape," Laviolette said. "I think he's gotten better every game and he'll go back in." Bartulis missed the three previous games with a groin pull and the flu. Although he was at minus-10 in the plus-minus rating, the third-round draft pick in the 2005 draft had shown flashes of promise in the 46 games he played. But the Flyers have more invested in Parent and are ..."
Gagne boosts Flyers past Maple Leafs
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Restricted by the salary cap and lack of attractive draft picks, the Flyers watched last week's trade deadline pass without adding some pop to their offense, leaving them to quietly wonder if Simon Gagne would address the problem by rekindling the scoring touch that once ranked him among the NHL's elite finishers. In a 3-1 win over sad-sack Toronto last night at the Wachovia Center, the veteran left winger offered some hope by continuing his modest surge. From the Flyers' perspective, Gagne's second-period goal had to be one of the more positive developments in a dreary contest that was hardly a rousing return to their home ice for the first time in 23 days following the break for the ..."
Flyers feature Powe factor against Maple Leafs
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Watching his teammates battle in Buffalo on Friday night while he sat out with a bruised foot, Darroll Powe witnessed newcomer Ville Leino make his mark on the Flyers' first line with Jeff Carter and Danny Briere. There was little he could do. Powe, who had been firmly entrenched in the lineup all season, was the excuse Leino needed to get into the lineup. Leino's line combined for 12 shots and was easily the Flyers' most potent attack against a struggling Buffalo defense. Seemingly, Powe's spot in the lineup was in jeopardy for the first time since last season. The Princeton graduate (sociology degree) wasn't even a question mark in training camp. And he isn't a question mark for coach ..."
Gagne recovering his blast from past for Flyers
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Rich Hofmann
"BRIAN BOUCHER came and went and came back, but Simon Gagne is the only one who really bridges the Flyers' generations. He was here when Eric Lindros and John LeClair and Eric Desjardins were stars who ended up star-crossed. He is here now as a young nucleus led by Mike Richards and Jeff Carter works to hit the proper notes and hit them consistently. He just turned 30, but Gagne has been here forever. This has been a terrible year for him, frankly. After a solid, 34-goal season in 2008-09, there was reason for optimism. But surgery in early November to repair tears in Gagne's abdominal wall, as well as a hernia, put everything in doubt. Even when he came back on Dec. 19, it was without his ..."
Carcillo contributes discipline, of all things
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"SINCE HE PLAYED his first game as a Flyer around this time last year, Dan Carcillo has been pegged as a no-skill tough guy with a brain that rivals the Scarecrow from the "Wizard of Oz.'' Given that he led the NHL in penalty minutes last season, it's fair to say Carcillo didn't always hold back from taking a careless penalty. That's changed. Since he arrived as the Flyers' coach on Dec. 4, Peter Laviolette has turned Carcillo into the most unlikely of first-line players. Juxtaposing Carcillo's first game under Laviolette - where he took a retaliatory, 9-minute penalty that cost the Flyers in an 8-2 loss to Washington on Dec. 5 - to last night's stoicism shows how far Carcillo has come. It ..."
Flyers return home looking to end skid
Comment
March 7
Camden Courier-Post
 
"If it seems like weeks since the Flyers have played a game at the Wachovia Center, it's because it has. Tonight the Flyers will reacquaint themselves with their home rink and their home fans when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first home game since Feb. 12. The four-game homestand continues with games against the Islanders Tuesday, the Bruins Thursday and the Blackhawks Saturday. Of those four teams only the Blackhawks have a better record than the Flyers, who have lost two straight. "I've told the players not to look too far ahead because the minute you start picking out a game down the road, and look past Toronto because they may not make the playoffs, then you're going to ..."
Inside the Flyers: Flyers' lack of trades could pay off if . .
Comment
March 7
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"When they play to their capabilities, the Flyers are a very good team. Their record since Dec. 23 - 18-8-1 entering the weekend - attests to that. But are they good enough to win their first Stanley Cup since 1975? That was the question facing Paul Holmgren at Wednesday's trade deadline. Based on the number of hours he spent on the phone during the days and nights leading to the trade cutoff, it's fair to say the Flyers' general manger felt the team could have used some improving. No matter how you spin it. After failing to make a deal, Holmgren, whose options were limited by cap space, a lack of high draft picks, and some highly questionable no-trade clauses he handed out, said he was ..."
Sabres notebook: Leighton solves Flyers' problems in goal
Comment
March 6
Buffalo News
 
"Prevailing wisdom around the NHL was that the Philadelphia Flyers would get a goalie at the NHL trade deadline now that Ray Emery is done for the year and headed for hip surgery. But a deal didn't happen and former Sabres farmhand Michael Leighton is going to be the man. Leighton, a December waiver pickup from Carolina, has been doing the job well for nearly two months so the Flyers clearly think they can stay with him. The Buffalo Sabres found out why Friday night as Leighton made 33 saves and nearly stole a victory for the visitors before Buffalo rallied for its 3-2 victory on Tim Connolly's overtime goal. The loss broke Leighton's five-game winning streak and dropped him to 13-4-1 since ..."
Sabres end two-game losing streak
Comment
March 6
Buffalo News
 
"Tim Connolly got mad. He didn't get even, though. He did something better. He got ahead. Connolly shook off an egregious error Friday night, allowing the Buffalo Sabres to shake their losing streak. The center scored with 2:29 left in overtime, giving the Sabres a 3-2 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. The goal completed Buffalo's rally from a late 2-1 deficit that Connolly created. The slumping Sabres have been finding various ways to lose, so they appeared to be in big trouble with 8:51 left in regulation when the Flyers took advantage of Connolly's major gaffe. The center got the puck at his own blue line and tried a cross-ice pass for Adam Mair. The Flyers' Mike Richards ..."
Flyers' Leino benefits from strong debut
Comment
March 6
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"It didn't take long for forward Ville Leino to get a promotion. After being a healthy scratch for the first six games after he was acquired from Detroit, Leino scored a goal in his Flyers debut Wednesday, then was moved onto a top line for last night's game in Buffalo. Inserted because of an injury to Darroll Powe , Leino scored on a fancy move and backhander in a 7-4 loss to Florida on Wednesday. In that game, the onetime phenom in Finland was the left winger on a checking line with Blair Betts and Ian Laperriere . Last night, he played right wing on a unit with Jeff Carter and left winger Danny Briere . "We're going to try it and see," coach Peter Laviolette said before ..."
Flyers fall to Sabres in overtime
Comment
March 6
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Michael Leighton likened it to a chess match. Each strategic move had a response. No lead was safe. And there was quick back-and-forth action, impeded only three times with penalties throughout the course of game. "It was a chess game," the Flyers goalie said. "We were kind of just waiting to see who was going to make the mistake." Last night, it was Leighton's teammates. The Flyers squandered a 2-1 lead in the final 6 minutes. Unfortunately for Leighton, the strong spotlight from the rafters of a sold-out HSBC Arena danced around him when Tim Connolly's rebound shot bounced off both goal posts and in to give Buffalo a 3-2 victory 2:31 into overtime. Checkmate. "It's disappointing. I saw ..."
Flyers-Sabres could be playoff preview
Comment
March 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"A lot of things can change in the final five-plus weeks of the regular season, but tonight's meeting between the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres could be a first-round playoff preview - and a goalie matchup between an Olympic hero (Ryan Miller) and a waiver-wire wonder (Michael Leighton). Buffalo stands fifth in the Eastern Conference and has 75 points, six more than the sixth-place Flyers. Despite going 1-6-2 in their last nine games, the Sabres are in position to climb past Ottawa and win the Northeast Division title - and finish as the conference's third seed. The third and sixth seeds meet in the opening round. The Flyers are 1-2 against the Sabres this season, including a 5-2 win against ..."
One man should know: Emery will play again after surgery
Comment
March 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Jeff Slanker is not a doctor. And he did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But Slanker thinks Flyers goalie Ray Emery, who announced Tuesday that he will have surgery for a hip injury that could be career-threatening, will skate again in the NHL. If anyone in the Philadelphia area would know, it would be Slanker, who had a similar surgery 17 years ago to cure the same avascular necrosis. While he wasn't a professional athlete, Slanker - 25 at the time - played in two men's hockey leagues, skated three times a week, golfed, surfed and lifted weights several days a week. "I almost fell off my chair," Slanker said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I don't know all the ..."
One man should know: Emery will play again after surgery
Comment
March 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Jeff Slanker is not a doctor. And he did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. But Slanker thinks Flyers goalie Ray Emery, who announced Tuesday that he will have surgery for a hip injury that could be career-threatening, will skate again in the NHL. If anyone in the Philadelphia area would know, it would be Slanker, who had a similar surgery 17 years ago to cure the same avascular necrosis. While he wasn't a professional athlete, Slanker - 25 at the time - played in two men's hockey leagues, skated three times a week, golfed, surfed and lifted weights several days a week. "I almost fell off my chair," Slanker said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I don't know all the ..."
Flyers stand pat at trade deadline
Comment
March 4
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Paul Holmgren spent most of Wednesday trying to lure defenseman Dan Hamhuis away from the Nashville Predators, and when that fell through so did his attempts at improving the Flyers before the clock struck 3, signaling the NHL trade deadline. A total of 24 trades involving 41 players and 18 draft picks took place Wednesday -- far short of the 45 deals that transpired on deadline day a year ago. But while the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins strengthened themselves for the stretch run, the Flyers did nothing. "We wanted to add without subtracting and nothing came up that made sense," Holmgren said in a conference call with reporters. "We're marching forward." They'll do so ..."