SB Nation - Kimmo Timonen

Building Blocks: Flyers earn solid victory in Boston

Travis Hughes — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:57:23 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Look at that face.

[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Boston Reaction]

The Boston Bruins hadn't lost a game all season after scoring the first goal, the best mark in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers had a 2-11 record when allowing the first goal of the hockey game, the worst mark in the NHL. So you can imagine how fans of the orange and black felt when Vladimir Sobotka scored a lucky, ugly goal in the latter stages of the second period to break a scoreless dead lock.

Same old story, right? It didn't matter that the Flyers had worked hard all game, or that the offensive pressure was there, or that the defense had been quite solid throughout, or that Brian Boucher continued to play like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Nope, bad luck would bite them this time, and a cheap goal would lead this ill-fated team toward yet another loss.

That's what overreacting sounds like when, in the end, the opposite actually happens.

The Flyers didn't give up. When the third period started, they continued to apply the pressure, not giving up. Hard work by Claude Giroux forced a power play, which they were unable to capitalize on, but you could feel it coming. Boston couldn't get out of their end except for a few futile little rushes the other way, which were quickly stomped out by the Flyers defense. With Philly again pressing in the Bruins end, Arron Asham was able to feed James van Riemsdyk in the slot, where he poked the tying goal through the pads of Tim Thomas.

The Flyers didn't stop there, though, continuing to control the pace for the next eight minutes, until a drive from Kimmo Timonen at the point deflected off a Bruin and found its way behind the net. And just like that, Philadelphia had a third period lead. Hard work rewarded.

Scott Hartnell would take a dumb penalty in the waning minutes, but on the ensuing kill, Kimmo Timonen lifted a shot from the far corner all the way down the ice into an empty net to seal the victory. It doesn't get any easier tomorrow in Pittsburgh, but this was an excellent victory tonight. Baby steps. Building blocks.

After the jump, a few more thoughts on this solid Flyers victory, questions with answers, highlights & pressers, and the comment of the night.

Some assorted thoughts...

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen left the game after the first period with a knee injury. He's reportedly going to be out two to three weeks, and Danny Syvret is on his way to Pittsburgh to meet the team. He'll play tomorrow night.
Boston fans are livid about a few questionable calls in this one, proving that everybody -- not just a select few Flyers fans -- believes the NHL is out to get them. Here's a quote from the game thread at Stanley Cup of Chowder...

Stuff like that makes me wonder. With the Classic coming up and Philadelphia clearly not being up to snuff as a team, it’s a little convenient that a game would be called this bad, with much of it in their favor, in the last matchup before the big one.

...you can snuff out the absurdity there, I'm sure. The commenter is referring to a non-goal call in the first period. The Bruins crashed the net and the puck wound up in it. There was no review, justified by the officials because Boucher never had a chance to make a plau. Jack Edwards probably had a heart attack on NESN, and if we can get a clip of that, we'll pass it along.
The Flyers peppered the Bruins with 38 shots, a nice little picture of how much offensive pressure they created. Not all of them were quality, but still.
The power play still looks terrible, though. They're not generating any movement, not getting creative with passes, and opting to take only low-percentage shots through traffic. It has to change.
There was a reported brawl during the Mites on Ice game in the first intermission at TD Garden. And they say we like fighting in Philly. If we get video, we'll be sure to pass it along as well. If you have video, please shoot us an email ASAP, because this has to be hilarious.
JVR broke a 12-game goal-less drought.
Giroux and Hartnell showed a ton of chemistry, and Carcillo looked really strong on the top line. In fact, the entire team put in an excellent effort tonight. They truly earned this one.
Hartnell did take a ton of penalties, though, and you can be sure Peter Laviolette will make him pay in practice.

Questions With Answers

Tim Thomas hasn't won a game since the 2nd and hasn't been great this season. Can the Flyers take advantage? Thomas didn't look particularly weak tonight.
Claude Giroux has scored the Flyers' last three goals. CAN SOMEONE ELSE SCORE, PLEASE? Giroux played fantastic hockey again, but yes! JVR and Timonen had Flyer goals.
Can the Flyers get the first goal and gain some momentum early? No, but they certainly stole the momentum out of the gate in the third and rode it to victory.
Power play. Goals? Nah, don't ask too much, now...
How's Tollefsen look now that he's back in the lineup? Poor guy. Another injury. It's almost funny, in a sick sort of way.
Does Carcillo noticeably hold back at all, fresh off his four game suspension? He didn't take any dumb penalties and even drew one or two, but from an aggressiveness standpoint, he didn't seem to hold back. He put together a nice little game.

Comment of the Night

Everyone remember what clothes they have on RIGHT NOW so you can wear them again tomorrow…

>> NoalB

Highlights

Laviolette Press Conference

Boucher, JVR, & Timonen Post Game

Marty Turco Trade Rumors Heating Up?

Brandon Worley — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:45:17 -0000

More photos » by Darryl Dyck - AP

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Mark Stepneski has a couple of tidbits from Philadelphia and Ottawa news sources, both stating that the Flyers and Senators are perhaps interested in inquiring about the availability of Marty Turco via trade.

What's interesting is that both stories essentially say that a trade really wouldn't make much sense for the Stars.

The Stars are looking for a top defenseman and again, the Flyers aren't going to part with Kimmo Timonen or Chris Pronger, so this doesn't make a lot of sense from the outside. What the Flyers need most right now is scoring help.

Expect this to happen about once a week or so as the trade deadline nears. Turco is in the last year of his contract, and the Stars could be looking to get value for him before losing him via free agency, and teams are constantly going to be checking in on his availability. Just don't expect a trade to happen while the Stars are still in the playoff hunt.

[Update by Brandon Worley] Here's the scoop on any trade that might happen regarding Marty Turco: Even if the Dallas Stars do tank in the next few months, and even if they decide to see what they might get for Turco on the trade market, it will take one hell of a return for them to ship him off. Some use Turco's large salary as a deterrent for any potential trade, but the reality is that he will have just $1.2 million left on his contract after the trade deadline. A lofty price for just a few months of work for sure, but not completely out of the question for any team that has cap space and in desperate need for a goaltender.

Make no mistake about it; despite Turco becoming a potential free agent over the summer, the Stars have all of the bargaining chips in any trade scenario. It is rare indeed that a goaltender of Turco's talent and track record are available for a team that is in desperate need of a goalie and still in the playoff hunt.

The Stars won't be looking to just get a veteran, aging defenseman or another potential free agent forward either; a trade for Turco would have to include players or prospects that would benefit the Stars after the 2009-2010 season. This makes a perfect storm leading up the trade deadline and while it's possible something happens, the chances of such a trade happening are very unlikely.

Fun Facts From the Flyers Media Guide

Travis Hughes — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:00:18 -0000

The Flyers media guide never seems to disappoint when it comes to interesting or funny facts.

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As every pro and college sports team does, the Philadelphia Flyers put out a media guide each season. In addition to all those interesting stats TV broadcasters hand out, the book includes profiles of every player on the roster, every member of the organization, and other fun little tidbits. I took a chance to page through the guide recently, and I share some of the best facts with you below.

The bar at the AT&T Pavilion in the Wachovia Center is the largest in-arena bar in the world.
Assistant GM Barry Hanrahan has a labradoodle named Meatball.
VP of Sales Jim Willits might be the reason the Phoenix Coyotes fail in the desert. In his first four years as director of ticket sales for the Coyotes, the arena filled to 94 percent capacity. Since he left in 2002, that number has substantially dropped.
On February 6, 1997 against Montreal, the Legion of Doom -- John LeClair, Eric Lindros, and Mikael Renberg -- scored 16 points in a game, the most by a line in one game in franchise history. 20 days later in Ottawa, they repeated the feat.
The names of Arron Asham's kids: Dexter, Azilyn, and Oceane.
If Matt Carle could have dinner with anybody, he would choose to dine with Santa Claus.
Ed Snider has 14 grandchildren.
Fred Shero holds the highest win percentage of any coach in team history, with a .642 mark. Terry Murray holds the best playoff win percentage for a coach at .609.
Brian Boucher loves Spongebob and wont eat sushi.
The Flyers went undefeated against the Penguins at home in 42 consecutive games from February 7, 1974 to December 8, 1988.
Darroll Powe would like Norm MacDonald to play him in a movie about his life.
You know how you know Ian Laperriere is gay? He listens to Coldplay before games. Linked video NSFW.
Chris Pronger's first car, a 1983 Ford Ranger, was held together by rust.
Mike Richards dreams of being on stage at an Eminem concert.
Los Angeles couldn't beat the Flyers from October 22, 1974 until February 5, 1983 -- 32 games.
Among goalies with at least 1,000 minutes played, Roman Cechmanek holds the best GAA mark -- 1.96. At the opposite end of the spectrum (no pun intended), Bobby Taylor had a GAA of 4.05 in 44 games.
Ray Emery is allergic to cheese.

More after the jump...

The most points the Flyers have compiled against one team? 299 against Pittsburgh all-time, an 132-76-30-5 all-time record.
Simon Gagne's favorite numbers are 4 8 15 16 23 42.
Philadelphia has only played Columbus eight times. Ever. 4-1-3-0 in those games.
Craig Berube has a son named Nashota.
The orange and black scored two goals in seven seconds in the first period against St. Louis on December 27, 1988. They scored three goals in 35 seconds in the eighth minute of the second period against Boston on March 1, 1979. They scored four goals in one minute, 22 seconds against Pittsburgh in the third period on October 11, 1981.
Kimmo Timonen has a thing for Robert DeNiro. He'd like to have dinner with him and he'd also select him to play him in a movie about his life.
The Flyers have never allowed a goal on a penalty shot in the playoffs, despite four chances by opponents.
Ian Laperriere, movie star. He played Montreal Canadiens great "Boom Boom" Geoffrion in Maurice Richard, a movie about another Habs legend.
Despite winning the Stanley Cup in 1974/75, the Flyers scored just 61 goals at home that season, the low mark in team history.
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is listed as "single" but he also "got married over the summer to his wife, Guro."
In his one game as a Flyer goaltender, Martin Houle had a GAA of 30.00. He allowed one goal in two minutes of ice time.
The Flyers are 29-4-3-1 all time against Atlanta.
Scott Hartnell's favorite cartoon character is Darkwing Duck.
Prior to this season, the Flyers had sold out 1,054 of their 1,621 home games.
Raw onions don't get along with Braydon Coburn.
The Flyers have a winning record against every team in the NHL, with the exception of the Boston Bruins, who they are 59-80-21-5 against all-time.
Danny Briere's first car was an Izuzu Impulse.

Sominex, The First Star, As Canadiens Down Flyers

Robert L — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:19:37 -0000

I thought that the Canadiens through the first 30 games of the season were lacking identity, but having seen the Flyers mess I feel just a little better.

It wasn't a grand game by any stretch that the teams played on Monday. It was an uninspired Philadelphia team that the Canadiens beat but a win is a win is a win, as they say.

For a while it seemed like the game was at best destined to set a record for the least shots on goal by two teams in one game, which is remarkable in a way, considering the composition of the teams.

The yawnfest was an anti-classic brought to life by some glaring mistakes (Gomez, Andrei) on the Canadiens side and some lame goaltending by Brian Boucher on the Philly side. Boucher allowed 3 goals on thirteen shots, the same as he did on Saturday after releiving Ray Emery. That's hardly what the Flyers are hoping for in the search for consistent goaltending.

Carey Price only needed to be solid, not spectacular for the Canadiens. Daniel Briere, on a breakaway in which he seemed to be hogtied and floored, was the only Flyer to beat Price. If the Canadiens' goalie appeared to be surprised by the shot that eluded him, it testified to the strange nature of the goal.

Boucher, at the other end, was beaten by an Andrei Kostitsyn flutterball, after a nice feed to the slot from Tomas Plekanec.

The game had one veritable highlight, one of those ultra rare two on ones the Canadiens generally fail to complete. On the play, Maxim Lapierre retrieved a loose puck from inside the Canadiens blue line and broke away with Mike Cammalleri dashing to the net. Holding onto the puck just long enough for Flyers' defenseman Braydon Coburn to commit himself with a flat on the stomach cross slide, Lapierre pulled back and hesitated a second before handing a perfect feed to an open Cammalleri.

A power play blast from the point by Marc-Andre Bergeron made the score 3-1 midway through the third.

That pretty much sums up the game, one that needed to be watched upright for the most part.

Some notable stats from the game...

The Canadiens had 8 missed shots and 11 blocked.

Ten Habs failed to get a shot on goal.

The line on Scott Gomez for the game: No shots on goal, no shots missed, none blocked, 2 hits given, 1 giveaway (flagrant, and I saw more than one!) , 3 blocked shots, 6-5 in the faceoff circle and about $43,712.00 wasted from the Canadiens payroll.

Lapierre, who started the game centering Georges Laraque and Bergeron saw 7:58 of ice time.

Max Pacioretty lead the team with three shots on goal, 2 blocked, 2 misses and four hits - all team highs on the night.

Glen Metropolit was 15-8 (65%) in faceoffs.

The Canadiens blocked 27 shots during the game. Other than the 3 by Gomez, there were 3 blocked by Lapierre, 2 each for Spacek and Bergeron, 1 for Plekanec, Mara, D' Agostini and Gill.

Oh yeah, and Roman Hamrlik blocked another 10 himself. Whoa!

I'm heading to Ottawa tonight to take in the Canadiens in the nation's capital. This is the first time I see the Habs play somewhere other than the Forum and the Bell. Much thanks and appreciation to Kevin van Steendelar of Ya! The Habs Rule for the tix. I promise to yell "Sens Suck! at least a dozen times in his honour!

This should be cool and I should will take some pictures. Can't wait to see all the Habs fans there!

If any Sens fans want to visit, slap me for making fun of Bryan Murray or diss me for pissing all over Spezza since forever, I'll be in section 323 with a can of mace.

About Last Night...

Lions In Winter

Broad Street Hockey

Flyers vs Canadiens boxscore

No more excuses: Flyers fall below .500 with loss in Montreal

Travis Hughes — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:44:49 -0000

More photos » by Paul Chiasson - AP

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[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Montreal Reaction]

Final - 12.7.2009	1	2	3	Total
Philadelphia Flyers	1	0	0	1
Montreal Canadiens	0	2	1	3

Complete Coverage >

13-13-1. This Philadelphia Flyers team, once with so many expectations, now sits below the .500 mark, a sad shell of their potential. Out of a playoff spot in the East, behind both New York teams in the division, and unspeakably behind the class of the Eastern Conference, a group they should be a part of.

Two wins in their last ten. 0 for their last 19 on the power play. Two goals or less in their last six games. These are the numbers of a hockey team in free fall. They've fired their coach and still can't seem to get out of this slump. But are there any signs of hope? Any at all?

It's tough to say. If Peter Laviolette can turn this team around, it's not going to happen over night. The Flyers did show more effort tonight, especially considering the work put in on Saturday against Washington. But the same old problems came back -- inconsistency.

In stretches, the Flyers established their fore-check and showed the teachings of their new coach while doing it. They were very aggressive on the puck, and defensemen routinely jumped up into the offensive zone. But they didn't keep the pressure on for the entire game. In the second period, for example, they completely fell on the heels for the latter 10 minutes. You're not going to get anywhere with a less-than-complete effort.

Montreal's second goal was an example of how Laviolette's style could go wrong. The puck was jammed along the side boards in the offensive zone, about five feet from the blueline. Several players fought for it along the wall, including Kimmo Timonen, who jumped into the play. When it bounced free to Maxim Lapierre, Kimmo was caught, leaving Braydon Coburn back to fend for himself on a two-on-one. Coburn played it miserably, allowing a pass to a wide-open Michael Cammalleri, who easily put it by Brian Boucher.

That play is a bit of an anomaly, though, considering there was a puck battle along the wall so close to the blueline. The defenseman is always going to jump up there, regardless of the system the coach has the team running. The key here, is that when defensemen pinch and nobody is there to cover, you can't afford to play the ensuing odd-man rush as haplessly as Coburn did.

You've gotta credit Montreal a bit in this one, too. They took advantage of their chances (3 goals on 13 shots), got solid goaltending, and most of all, they didn't allow the Flyers to get comfortable in the offensive zone. The Habs blocked 27 Philadelphia shots. Twenty-seven! Roman Hamrlik blocked 10 by himself. It's tough to win when more than half your shots don't get through to the net.

Regardless of the reasons, though, this is getting old. We're sick of the excuses. We're sick of trying to justify it. Pretty soon, if not already, we're going to start questioning if this team can really do anything this season.

After the jump, questions, lowlights, and the comment of the night.

Questions With Answers

Elements of the slump bust: power play. Can they turn it around? 0-for-4, including a goose egg on a key PP in the third period while still only down a goal. Montreal took a dumb too many men penalty and the Flyers couldn't score on the ensuing PP. On the flip side, Montreal gets a PP minutes later and capitalizes. Turning point in the game.
Element two: goaltending. How does Boucher perform? The stats look bad, but he was pretty solid tonight. The first two goals weren't really his fault, and the third was just a blistering shot nobody would've stopped.
Element three: lifeless hockey. The Flyers have looked lazy for weeks. Does that stop? In stretches, yes. Need that full effort, though... *sigh*
Element four: the system. Is it obvious that Laviolette has already put in some tweaks to the offense, and if said tweaks are obvious, do they seem to work? As mentioned above, some of the tweaks were clear. Defensemen pinching, forwards rotating back toward the blueline to cover, aggressive toward the puck carrier in the offensive, defensive, and neutral zones.

Comment Of The Night

Carter couldn’t make the Egyptian team right now.

>> JpH89

Lowlights

From Chris to Oskars: Meet Your Philadelphia Flyers 2010 Olympic Hopefuls

Travis Hughes — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:40:04 -0000

Chris Pronger skates for Team Canada at the Salt Lake City games in 2002.

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If you ever poke around at the new SBNation.com (and if you don't, then what are you doing with your life?), you've no doubt noticed SBN Hockey's running feature over the last week or so. Each site on the network has taken a look at their respective team, noting which players are locks to make their national teams and which players have outside chances at traveling to Vancouver next month.

While most of the Flyers are Canadian -- seriously, it's absurd the number of Canadians on this roster -- and will have trouble cracking a stacked roster, there are some who will make it. Of course, there are also other players who will make the squad in other countries, and you might be surprised at who has a shot.

After the jump, we'll break down the Flyers roster and see who has a chance at representing their country in Vancouver this February.

Team Canada

The pressure is on for the host country. After a disappointing showing in 2006 at Turin that saw Canada come home without a medal, anything less than the gold will be unacceptable north of the border.

Chris Pronger: There's absolutely no doubt that Pronger will be representing Canada in Vancouver. He's an experienced Olympian, winning the gold with Canada at Salt Lake City in 2002. He also played for his country in the 2006 Turin games and the 1998 Nagano games, as well as in the 1997 World Championships and the 1993 World Junior Championships. Pronger, along with former Anaheim teammate Scott Niedermayer, will be expected to lead the Canadian blueline. Packing His Bags.
Mike Richards: It's hard to see how Canada could keep Richards off the roster. The captain of the Canadian team that won the World Junior Championship in 2005, Richards has played internationally on three different occasions. Packing His Bags.
Jeff Carter: While not as strong a lock as Richards, Carter still has a very strong shot at making the team this year. He's versatile, obviously proven in the NHL, and he's got international experience, winning the WJC gold with Richards in '05. A Solid Bet.
Simon Gagne: It appears that Gagne will be held out by injury. He was probably about as likely to make the team as Carter prior to sustaining his injury during the Flyers season, but considering he won't be playing hockey when Team Canada announces their roster this month, it's hard to imagine Gagne will get another chance to represent his country. It's a shame, too, considering he played for Canada in the 2006 and 2002 Games. Staying Home.
Also staying home: Arron Asham, Blair Betts, Danny Briere, Dan Carcillo, Riley Cote, Claude Giroux, Ray Emery, Scott Hartnell, Ian Laperriere, Jon Kalinski, Darroll Powe, Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent

Team USA

USA is expected to ice a much younger team than they have in recent Olympic games. Only six players over the age of 30 were invited to their summer camp, and there's no guarantee that all of those players will make the team. Guys like Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk, and Brian Rolston were left out of camp as general manager Brian Burke tries to create a younger team that can bring USA Hockey back to the summit.

There are only three Americans on the Flyers roster. They'll announce the roster on NBC during the Winter Classic.

James van Riemsdyk: JVR wasn't invited to USA's summer camp and he wasn't even expected to make the Flyers this season. But to say the 19-year-old has been impressive in the early stages of his pro career is an understatement, and there's no doubt he's at least opened some eyes with the USA brass. Will that get him a roster spot, though? It's tough to say. It's true that the youth movement on the team is here to stay, but it might be a little too early for JVR. He's got a lot of other players to beat out, but he deserves consideration and he'll likely get it. 50/50.
Matt Carle: He wasn't invited to the summer orientation camp either, but when you lead NHL defenseman in plus/minus, you'll open some eyes as well. He'd be a dark horse candidate for sure, and he could be dismissed as a player padded by playing with Chris Pronger. But when you look at some of the other players that attended the summer camp -- Tom Gilbert, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, -- you could see Carle getting a spot over some of those guys. A Possibility.
Staying home: Brian Boucher

Team Finland

Led by goaltender Antero Niittymaki, Finland won the silver medal at Turin in 2006, beating Canada in the process. They aren't favorites to medal in Vancouver, but to say they couldn't surprise would be severely underestimating the Fins.

Kimmo Timonen: Kimmo is an absolute lock for Team Finland. He's their best defenseman, no doubt. There's really not much else to say. He's to Finland as he is to the Flyers -- a solid rock of a defenseman that can be counted on to play huge minutes. Packing His Bags.
Mika Pyorala: He made the preliminary roster over the summer, and making the Flyers certainly helps his chances to make the Olympic roster. He's not a lock at this point, but general manager Jari Kurri has been to Philadelphia to watch Pyorala play and has said good things about his play -- "he's a smart player at both ends of the ice," "you know what you are getting with him." Solid endorsements. Wouldn't Be Surprised.
Former Flyers To Watch: Antero Niittymaki, Joni Pitkanen, Ossi Vaananen, Sami Kapanen

Team Latvia

Probably the weakest team in the Olympics, NHL.com didn't even bother to preview them in their series over the summer. It's understandable, though. They have very little NHL talent on their roster, but one of those players does play for Philadelphia.

Oskars Bartulis: Even as an AHL player, Bartulis was one of the best Latvian players in North America. Now that he's in the NHL and playing solidly, it seems as though Bartulis will suit up for his country in February. He's played in pre-tournament games for Latvia, but didn't play in the World Championships. Things have changed now that he's made the jump to the NHL, and you can be sure that the Latvian brass won't let Bartulis go unnoticed. A Strong Bet.

Team Norway

They surprised by qualifying for Olympics, but could they stage an upset or two? There is only one Norwegian in the NHL. He plays in Philadelphia.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen: Tollefsen has been injured for most of the season, but he is expected to be fine by February, so it would be an utter shock if he wasn't named to Team Norway. Packing His Bags.
Former Flyers To Watch: Patrick Thoresen

Team Sweden

Former Flyers To Watch: Peter Forsberg

Adiose, Devils. Bring On The Flyers!

Sean Zandberg — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:04:45 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

Burrows deflects the puck past Marty Sucky Brodeur in Period 1 of the Devils-Canucks game. What followed was pure bliss.

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GAME TIME: 4:00 PST

TV: Canucks PPV

THE BULLIES: Broad Street Hockey

Update: 12:30 PM PST: Roberto Luongo will start again tonight, leading some to speculate that Andrew Raycroft will start against the Hurricanes on Saturday "morning". I'd say that is a fair assessment.

Update: 12:05 PM PST: There is a lot of pressure on the Flyers right now. They had a 4-7-1 record in November after storming out of the gates with an 8-2-1 record in October. Personally, I think they'll snap out of it and make some noise soon.

Update: 9:32 AM PST: Danny Briere, who has missed time with the flu, will return to the Flyers' lineup tonight. Simon Gagne (abdominal -hernia surgery) is still about 3 weeks away from returning.

************************

How about that game against the Devils? The Canucks have to be joyous on the quick plane trip to Philly right now. They put on a hell of a clinic against the Devils.

- 5 points for the Sedins and Burrows combined.

- 1 goal and 2 assists for Alexander Edler.

- Sami Salo scores his first goal of the season!

- 1 goal in 12:14 played for Jannik Hansen. Well played, sir.

- Roberto Luongo was better than Martin Brodeur, but don't let that taint your Team Canada starting goalie prediction.

- Martin Brodeur allowed 5 goals against for the first time since the Devils' first game of the season against......the Philadelphia Flyers. True story. How ironic.

- Shane O'Brien did NOT take even 1 minor penalty but was a -1. Still, I thought he played well.

- Patrick Elias: 0 points. Zach Parise: 0 points. So many other goodies here.

The Canucks improved to 5-8-0 on the road, and are now only 1 point away from 8th spot in the West. Now comes a huge test for them: playing the Flyers in a back-to-back situation, where they are 2-3 this season.

-The Flyers have had 4 days off.

- Brian Boucher will play in their net instead of Ray Emery. The Flyers are saying they are "riding the hot hand" by playing him. From the Flyers' site: Boucher played just once in the Flyers’ first 17 games, losing 4-1 to San Jose on October 25 at the Wachovia Center. Since then, he has led the team to a 3-2 win in Los Angeles on Nov. 18; stopped 13 of 14 shots in relief of Emery on Nov. 23 in Colorado; and made 28 saves on 29 shots in a 2-1 win over the Islanders on Nov. 25 in addition to last Saturday’s performance. In his last 4 games played, Boucher has a 2.01 GAA and a .930 save percentage. He is 2-3 in his 5 starts for Philadelphia this season.

- the Flyers are 2-4 in their last 6 games played. They are 1 point out of a playoff spot as well.

- The Canucks went 0-for-1 on the PP against the Devils. New Jersey went 0-for-2. New Jersey, like I mentioned before, don't have a great blueline presence. The Flyers do. Like him or not, Chris Pronger has 4 goals and 18 points with his new team this year. Watch out for him, plus Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle on the D.

- The Flyers are rough and tough, so I would expect that Alain Vigneault ices the same lineup against Philly, keeping team toughness intact.

Vancouver started their road trip with a bang. Now...can they keep it up? We shall see. More updates to come.

Ten NHL Players Who Should Shoot the Puck More Often

Rafal Ladysz — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:09:29 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

24 days ago: Buffalo Sabres' Tim Connolly, right, works the puck for a goal against Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ray Emery in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. Buffalo won 4-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you talk about Tim Connolly? Honestly, it could be a handful of things like smooth skater, crafty stick-handler, terrific play-maker or the obvious one being injuries. But a facet of his game that's often overlooked is the center's shot primarily because he hesitates to use it.

When he does decide to pull the trigger, his release and accuracy can surprise goaltenders. Connolly, who leads the Buffalo Sabres with 21 points after 23 games, is utilizing it increasingly and is on pace for a career year in all categories if he stays healthy.

This got me thinking about some of the other players like Connolly who would be wise to throw the puck at the net substantially. The last thing I suggest is that they listen to me because they are the athletes who are earning millions of dollars for their skills.

Suggestions aren't frowned upon however. At least, I hope they aren't because these athletes are competent to score. If all else fails, put the disc towards the goal.

10) Ales Hemsky (Edmonton Oilers)

Out for the remainder of the season, Edmonton's playoff aspirations are all but finished without the services of their talented winger. Hemsky was supplying a point per game and reaching new peaks offensively before he ran into shoulder issues

The patience he has can outlast goaltenders in close and his snap shot should be taken more seriously by defensemen.

9) Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)

Playing with Alexander Ovechkin, the Swede is better served as an assist provider to a world-class shooter. But that doesn't signify it as the only option. Should Ovechkin be covered, Backstrom would be smart to attempt picking a corner like he's capable of.

Although he doesn't pack the meanest power, he's got fearful accuracy which is at times more vital to finding the back of the net.

8) Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings)

Frolov is a two-time 30-goal man and has all of the tools to be an elite star for years. The frightening statistic is that the Russian hasn't fired 200 or more shots in a full season making you wonder how many more he could record if he did.

My estimate is that Frolov is worthy of 40 to 45 goals once he shoots first and asks questions last. Whether it actually happens is beyond me.

7) Tomas Kaberle (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Remember who won the accuracy challenge at the 2008 NHL All Star Game Skills Competition? Yes, Kaberle was the fourth player ever to hit all four targets requiring that many attempts. A fantastic set-up defender, his passing is right on the tape of recipients making him a marquee powerplay quarterback.

With 23 of his 25 points this year coming by way of assists, Kaberle will continue to do what's worked best for him. An unexpected shot is still threatening.

6) Kristian Huselius (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Huselius' shot count has grown each year since 2006 and with ten goals in 21 games, his wrister is truly emerging. The 31-year-old scored on 23 occasions as a rookie oozing confidence from the beginning of his career and has the gift to make the linemates around him superior.

Most likely, Rick Nash will lead the Blue Jackets in scoring and Huselius will be next in line.

5) Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia Flyers)

Some players, no matter what they do, seem to be under the radar constantly. Kimmo Timonen is an example of that and with the arrival of Chris Pronger, that won't change. Like Kaberle, this veteran can run the man-advantage with ease and provides plenty from the back-end.

And also similar is his shot which isn't the strongest but precise. If only Timonen would utilize it.

4) Eric Fehr (Washington Capitals)

I've seen this kid's potential and his scoring touch is abundantly clear. While going to the net and digging for rebounds is what Bruce Boudreau wants from his young winger, Fehr is capable of letting it go from beyond past a netminder.

It's easy to forget about him with the plethora of stars Washington has but he wasn't a first round selection for nothing.

3) Ryan Suter (Nashville Predators)

Both Suter and Shea Weber can create injuries for opposing players attempting to block their shots. The difference is the latter won't mind launching one-timer after one-timer until something good happens. For some reason, Suter isn't as quick to unload his heavy shot which he does own.

Whatever it is, 24 shots in 25 games leads you to believe that he's a little trigger shy.

2) Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal Canadiens)

A ~~huge~~ bit of an enigma, Kostitsyn`s best assets are his his explosive wrist shot and his aptitude at dangling by defensemen. After scoring 49 goals in two campaigns, the Belarussian has lit the lamp twice in 24 games adding to the laundry list of problems Montreal carries.

Kostitsyn was beginning to gain confidence before a leg injury sidelined him a few days ago.

1) Lubomir Visnovsky (Edmonton Oilers)

Visnovsky wasn`t shy about shooting in Los Angeles yet seems uncertain at times these days. One thing is for certain: the one-timer he carries with him can bank 20 goals easily. In order for that to happen, he`s got to deliver more pucks on net.

If not for himself, then for the sake of Edmonton`s postseason chances.

A Statistical Look at the Flyers, through 16 Games

Geoff Detweiler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:45:09 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

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Once again, I was able to get Tom Awad of Puck Prospectus to give me his most recently compiled data on GVT.

(Here's the link to my earlier story breaking down the VUKOTA projection based on GVT).

The data's most recent update was from Sunday, November 15th, so last week's games against the Devils, Kings, Sharks, and Coyotes are not included. Obviously, last night's game against the Avalanche is also not included.

Needless to say, there are some positives and some negatives through 20% of the schedule. Most interesting is just how good James van Riemsdyk has been, how well Ray Emery has played, and another look at The Pronger effect.

Follow after the jump for the findings.

Here is the table of Tom's results for the Flyers:

	Name	Team(s)	P	GP	G/GAA	A/GA	Pts/SA	+-/Sv	OGIT	DIT	RPM	Val OG	Val D	Val S	Total

1	Ray Emery	Philadelphia Flyers	G	15.2	2.24	34	431	0.921	8.8	1.3	0	6	0.1	0.6	6.7
2	Chris Pronger	Philadelphia Flyers	D	16	4	13	17	13	8.6	7.9	11.2	3.8	2.5	0	6.3
3	Matt Carle	Philadelphia Flyers	D	16	2	10	12	17	8.2	6.8	14.7	2.1	2.6	0	4.7
4	James van Riemsdyk*	Philadelphia Flyers	F	13	4	11	15	7	4.7	3.9	5.1	3.1	0.7	0	3.8
5	Jeff Carter	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	7	12	19	2	7.5	6	-1.1	3.5	0.3	-0.2	3.6
6	Mike Richards	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	8	8	16	2	6.9	7.5	0	3.1	1	-0.7	3.4
7	Claude Giroux	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	1	7	8	5	4.4	3.8	4.4	0.7	0.8	1.1	2.5
8	Kimmo Timonen	Philadelphia Flyers	D	16	1	11	12	-2	8.5	9.1	-5.4	1.8	0.5	0	2.3
9	Scott Hartnell	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	5	7	12	0	5.6	4.3	-1.7	2	0.1	0	2.1
10	Braydon Coburn	Philadelphia Flyers	D	16	3	4	7	-3	7	8.9	-6.5	1	0.4	0	1.3
11	Danny Briere*	Philadelphia Flyers	F	12	7	3	10	-2	5.6	4.4	-4	1.6	-0.1	-0.5	1.1
12	David Laliberte*	Philadelphia Flyers	F	4	2	1	3	4	1.1	1	3.5	0.7	0.4	0	1.1
13	Blair Betts	Philadelphia Flyers	F	9	1	1	2	3	1.8	2.9	2.4	0	0.7	0	0.7
14	Simon Gagne	Philadelphia Flyers	F	9	1	4	5	2	2.9	2.8	1.4	0.4	0.4	-0.2	0.6
15	Daniel Carcillo	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	2	1	3	4	2.7	2.5	2.9	0	0.5	0	0.5
16	Arron Asham	Philadelphia Flyers	F	13	3	1	4	-1	2.9	2.8	-2.7	0.4	0	0	0.4
17	Darroll Powe	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	5	0	5	-2	4.4	4.6	-4.8	0.4	0.1	0	0.4
18	Ryan Parent	Philadelphia Flyers	D	8	0	2	2	-1	1.6	2.4	-1.8	0.3	0.1	0	0.4
19	Ian Laperriere	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	1	3	4	-1	4	5.2	-3.3	-0.3	0.4	0	0.1
20	O. Tollefsen	Philadelphia Flyers	D	9	0	2	2	-1	2.2	2.5	-2.4	0.1	-0.1	0	0.1
21	Mika Pyorala*	Philadelphia Flyers	F	16	0	1	1	3	3.4	4.1	1.4	-1.1	0.7	0.5	0.1
22	Riley Cote	Philadelphia Flyers	F	4	0	0	0	0	0.3	0.3	0	-0.1	0	0	-0.1
23	Oskars Bartulis*	Philadelphia Flyers	D	2	0	0	0	0	0.5	0.6	-0.3	-0.1	0	0	-0.1
24	Danny Syvret	Philadelphia Flyers	D	13	0	2	2	-3	2.9	3.6	-4.7	0	-0.2	0	-0.2
25	Brian Boucher	Philadelphia Flyers	G	1	4	4	28	0.857	0.6	0.1	0	-1	0	0	-0.9

First, you can figure out most of the stat categories, but OGIT is offensive/goalie ice time, while DIT is defensive ice time. RPM is Puck Prospectus' adjusted plus/minus, an explanation of which can be found here. Val OG is offensive/goalie GVT score, while Val D and Val S are GVT defensive score and shootout score, respectively.

Second, who gets the credit for three of the Flyers four best players being off-season acquisitions? Having Ray Emery, Chris Pronger, and James van Riemsdyk at the top of this table might be a surprise, but not to anyone who has been watching the Flyers this season.

As the table shows (and you could see for yourself), James van Riemsdyk has been one of the team's best players so far. Using GVT, he's the fourth best Flyer so far this season, and the best forward. At a total GVT of 3.8, van Riemsdyk finds himself tied for 56th place in the entire NHL. For a guy who wasn't even a lock to make the team, that's quite an accomplishment. As far as rookies go, he is listed as the third best behind Washington goaltender Semyon Varlamov and Colorado forward Ryan O'Reilly.

Another pleasant surprise this season has been the play of Ray Emery. Many are still not convinced (and that's understandable) but his performance through the Flyers first 16 games was not easily topped. He was ranked the 10th best player in the NHL - tied with Marian Gaborik - with a 6.7 total GVT. Among goalies, he came in 7th. He also came in 7th for save percentage and was tied for third in goals against average. It may be a small sample size, but these rankings are relative to every other goalie, and he tied for the 10th most ice time in the league. You may have noticed that he gained points for his performance in the shootout - stopping 7 of 9 shots against - in which he is tied for 26th among all NHL players, and tied for 10th among goalies. Now, the skeptical amongst you can point to Antero Niittymaki's stats (8.8 total GVT) which are as good, if not better than Sugar Ray's. They would be right. However, Martin Biron is only at 1.7 total GVT, so... call it even?

Another hard to miss development in the table is Chris Pronger and Matt Carle sitting second and third. Obviously, this is where The Pronger effect shows the extent of its reach. Before the season, most people predicted that Chris Pronger would elevate the play of his partner. But to hear "Matt Carle" and "Olympic team" (let alone "Norris Trophy") in the same sentence is still unusual. Personally, I've always been a fan of Carle's, but not many people would argue that he is in fact, this good. For this one, I'm just going to use bullet points.

Overall, Pronger is ranked as the 16th best overall player in the NHL with Carle tied for 33rd. This equals 1st and 6th, respectively, among defensemen.
Pronger's offensive contributions rank him tied for 20th in the NHL with Joe Thornton, and just above Jeff Carter. No, that's not a typo. Pronger is contributing offensively at the same rate as Joe Thornton.
On the defensive side, Pronger is 5th in the NHL while Carle is tied for 2nd.
GVT ranks Pronger as the second best two-way player in the NHL, while Carle is tied for 12th. Perspective: Anze Kopitar is in 1st, Pavel Datsyuk is tied with Carle, and Sidney Crosby is tied for 18th.
They were first and second in all of the NHL in plus/minus, with Pronger falling from second to third in Relative Plus Minus. Carle maintained his lead in that category.
Carle was tied for 11th in scoring among defensemen.

I think it's safe to say Chris Pronger has a lot to do with how well Matt Carle is playing. Aware that this is probably getting a little long, I'll finish it up with a few assorted thoughts. (More bullet points!)

Claude Giroux is known as a good defensive player, and it shows in his defensive GVT - second best among Flyer forwards at 0.8. And while you may have guessed Blair Betts (0.7) was third, he is tied with two others: James van Riemsdyk and Mika Pyorala. I can hear your surprise.
Darroll Powe's offensive value through 16 games was equal to Simon Gagne's through 9. That speaks more to Gagne's injury than Powe's ability, but it's still interesting.
David Laliberte's offensive value through 4 games was equal to Claude Giroux's through 16. That will happen when you score twice as many goals in a quarter as many games.
We can mostly agree that Danny Syvret played his way out of the Flyers lineup. But Steve Eminger, Luke Schenn, Hal Gill, and Nick Schultz were tied with him in total GVT and Brett Lebda, Ruslan Salei, Andrej Sekera, Jeff Woywitka, Luca Sbisa, Brendan Mikkelson, Andrew Ference, Aaron Ward, and Jack Johnson were all worse.
For those wondering, Randy Jones through three games has a GVT of 0.5, but only a 0.1 defensive rating; the same defensive value as both Darroll Powe and Ryan Parent.
Lastly, remember that clamoring for Mike Komisarek in the off-season? He's tied for the third worst skater in the league with a total GVT of -1.3. Also, Jay Bouwmeester is tied for 190th with a 1.8.

Much thanks to Tom Awad for giving me this data again. Hopefully, this will become available more frequently and with less hassle. Any questions, just ask. I have his entire spreadsheet if there's anything you want to look at.

Late comeback not enough as Flyers fall 5-4 in Colorado

Travis Hughes — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:47:01 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Claude Giroux reacts as time runs out in the third period of Colorado's 5-4 victory Monday night. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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[TSN Recap] - [Full Boxscore] - [Colorado Reaction]

Final - 11.23.2009	1	2	3	Total
Philadelphia Flyers	1	1	2	4
Colorado Avalanche	2	3	0	5

Complete Coverage >

It shouldn't have even come to this.

The Philadelphia Flyers should have walked all over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night in Denver. Instead, they fell to a 5-4 decision after trailing by as many as three goals with under 10 minutes remaining. The Flyers would pepper Avalanche goaltender Craig Anderson with 19 shots in the third period alone, but in the end it was an embellished penalty call that would up doing Philadelphia in.

But before we get to the pulse-pounding comeback attempt, we must recount a game that the Flyers simply did not deserve to win. They played sloppy, lazy, even uninspired hockey throughout most of a contest that they, quite frankly, deserved to lose. That doesn't mean Colorado deserved the 'W', however.

No, the Avalanche tried throughout to cough this one up. After jumping all over a shaky Ray Emery early in the first, they began to sit back with a two goal cushion -- in the first period. Danny Briere made them pay with less than a minute to go in the first twenty to cut the lead in half and give the Flyers the momentum. It was clear they possessed it when the second period began, as right off the opening draw they began to apply pressure. Within thirty seconds, they'd be hammering away at a loose puck in front of Anderson -- a puck that Jeff Carter would eventually bang home to tie the game at two.

At this point, a defeated Avalanche team that had lost its last two games by squandering two-goal leads should have been knocked out for the count. Instead, the Flyers sat back and allowed Colorado to gain some confidence. Before long, the Avs would score two more goals to replenish their lead, and Emery would be headed to the showers.

His replacement, Brian Boucher, would allow a goal, but he didn't necessarily play poorly. He only saw 14 shots, thanks to the Flyers third period efforts. Really, they decided to turn things up following Briere's second goal -- a beautiful one-timer over the shoulder of Anderson -- gave them some life with about nine minutes left. Philadelphia kept up the pressure as time continued to tick away and Colorado could certainly feel it.

Nerves must've set in on the Avalanche bench as someone jumped over the boards too quickly, causing a too-many-men penalty that gave the Flyers a late power play. Carter would score his second of the night on the ensuing man advantage to cut the lead to 5-4 with 4:39 left. But that's as close as the Flyers would get.

Still applying pressure late, Scott Hartnell would play a little too close to Anderson. Trying to avoid an errant shot, Hartnell would jump and collide with the Colorado goaltender, who fell backwards toward his net like he had taken a bullet to the chest. Hartnell was already seated in the penalty box long before Anderson even attempted to get up, but much to the surprise of nobody, he was able to stay in the game unharmed. What should have been a 4-on-4 situation with an added diving call turned into an Avalanche power play, effectively sealing the game for the home team.

The Flyers should have run away with this one in the second period, but in reality, they had no business even making this one close. Despite their efforts in the final nine minutes of play, Philadelphia earned a loss tonight, making a long, lonely, injury-laded Western road trip a lot more painful to swallow.

After the jump, we'll have a few more assorted thoughts on the tough loss, we'll answer our pregame questions, take a peek at the highlights, and hand out a comment of the night.

Some more thoughts on the loss....

During the late Colorado power play, the Flyers pulled goaltender Brian Boucher and almost had some success. By the time Hartnell left the box with nine seconds left, Philadelphia was swarming in the Avalanche zone yet again. But with three seconds left and the Flyers seemingly on the verge of a last second tie, Jeff Carter was whistled for interference after knocking down a Colorado defender in front of the net. For the record, it was a cross-check and the Avalanche player embellished on that one, too.
Down two in the second, the Flyers tried to kick up the rough stuff in an attempt to get some mojo back. Hartnell initiated some activity with several Avalanche players right after their fourth goal, and a few minutes later, Dan Carcillo, Mika Pyorala, and Ian Laperriere stepped up in front of their goalie and took a few Colorado players to task. Laperriere, still a Denver fan-favorite, received a roughing and an unsportsmanlike conduct call for his role.
Claude Giroux got in a fight with Marek Svatos. It's not as weird as Briere versus Marc-Edouard Vlasic, but still. Who would've thought? Don't believe it? Video here.
Kimmo Timonen only took two shifts in the third period. Nobody in the Philadelphia media in Denver seems to know the deal. Maybe we'll learn something on Tuesday. No more injuries, please.
The special teams were vastly improved tonight. The penalty kill held the Avs scoreless on eight attempts, while the power play went one for two.
The AHL line, made up of David Laliberte, Jared Ross, and Andreas Nodl, was probably the only line with any semblance of energy throughout much of the first period.
With the loss, Wednesday night's game on Long Island becomes critical. The Flyers need to prove to themselves and to us that this three game skid is just a bump in the road, not a defining factor of the season. A crucial game against the Isles in November? Crazy sport...

Questions With Answers

How many minutes does the AHL line log tonight? Nodl played 12:11, Ross played 9:44, and Laliberte played 8:51. All three saw their minutes cut as John Stevens went to a shorter bench in the third period.
Can Mika Pyorala have the same kind of chemistry Blair Betts did with Laperriere and Carcillo? Pyorala had an excellent chance in the second period that would've tied the game at three, but an excellent, somewhat lucky, flailing save by Anderson kept it out of the net. It's hard to say how much chemistry he had with his linemates, though, considering most of the team had zero chemistry for most of this one.
Can the special teams get back on track tonight? Tough to say with a limited PP sample size, but the PK certainly did its job.
Do the line changes adversely effect players who seemed to be benefitting from the old order, namely James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux? Again, hard to say. Just about every line struggled for the first 52 minutes.

Comment of the Night

Whatever you do, just DON’T TOUCH THE BASEBALL CAP.

>> Ben Feldman, after Emery took a seat on the bench

Highlights