SB Nation - Philadelphia Flyers

VIDEO: Panthers - Flyers - but mostly Panthers Highlights

Whale4ever — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:51:41 -0000

about 3 hours ago: Florida Panthers' Michael Frolik (67), of the Czech Republic, gets a shot past Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton (49) in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in Philadelphia. Florida won 4-1. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Final - 12.21.2009	1	2	3	Total
Florida Panthers	1	1	2	4
Philadelphia Flyers	0	0	1	1

Complete Coverage >

So, how 'bout them Eagles?

Weiss, Vokoun lead Panthers to physical victory on road, smack Flyers 4-1

Whale4ever — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:41:33 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

about 4 hours ago: Philadelphia Flyers' Daniel Carcillo (13) is sent flying after being checked by Florida Panthers' Jason Garrison (52) and Mike Duco (68) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Points aplenty by the end of this one: Stephen Weiss (career-high 4 points), Michael Frolik (3), and Nathan Horton (2 goals) led the Florida offense over a confused and mentally battered Flyers club which displayed neither a semblance of confidence nor a peek at the realistic talent which is being paid top dollar.

Yes, the game got physical, as ~~hoped for~~ expected: Gregory Campbell and Ian Laperriere with fighting majors just 1:48 in, captains Bryan McCabe and Mike Richards at 3:42, and Mike Duco taking on a rather spry Laperriere at 13:26. Of the first period.

It settled down, however, as both teams gained - or lost - their legs in front of 19,323 paying patrons: a two-goal Florida lead going into the third frame was expanded upon (rather quickly) as the Cats banged in another duo within the opening six minutes.

Bottom Line: Panthers kept cool, resilient, and open to adjustment (rumors say that's what winning teams do) on a strange, bizarre evening. So much was expected: defending the honor of ~~Charlestown~~ Sunrise is never a short order, but this bunch made it look good (Laperriere's 30 minutes in penalties didn't hurt, yet keep in mind Dennis Seidenberg burned 17 of his own on a terrific night with 22:08, 1 assist, and a +1). Coach Pete DeBoer - again - kept his troops on-topic during what might have degenerated into bedlam with the entire league watching. Left Wachovia with the win, a healthy roster, and heretofore unbeknownst confidence...a combination hardly believable just days ago.

For the curious: Steve MacIntyre, understandably expected to log a healthy block of time, clocked 2 minutes on the ice (1 shot). Mike Duco got the lion's share of attention, logging 6:29 (5 pim) while garnering a boatload of money shots via Fox Sports Florida. Bryan Allen was a sparkplug as well (4 pim, 3 shots, 20:12 TOI).

Notes: Florida scored three power play goals. Philadelphia netminder Brian Boucher (hand injury) was yanked after allowing two goals on 13 shots; recent Carolina castoff Michael Leighton replaced him, stopping 15 of 17. Final SOG: PHI over FLA 31-30. McCabe, Allen, Seidenberg, and Duco all had at least 4 pim for the Cats, while Laperierre, Mike Richards ('member him?), and Danny Briere did the same for the Flyers.

Next up: Rangers on Wednesday.

Boucher hurt as Flyers lose again

Travis Hughes — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:18:21 -0000

The Panthers scored four times. The Flyers scored once, but by then, it didn't even matter. Brian Boucher busted his finger, and while he returned to the bench with what looked to be ice on his hand, there's no word on how long he'll be out of the lineup. The power play was anemic like usual, and the parade to the penalty box continued on and on and on into the night. The fans booed. A lot.

There's your game recap. I won't bore you with stats or anything similar, because logic doesn't seem to work with this team anymore. As one of the FSN Florida broadcasters said after Nathan Horton's second goal of the night, "this is just too easy." That tells the story quite simply.

The Flyers will go on the road now for the next six games, including New Years Day at Fenway Park in Boston. That is, if the NHL and NBC don't retract the invitation.

In other news, congrats to Martin Brodeur, who broke the record for most shutouts in NHL history tonight with his 104th.

Normally I would apologize for the short recap, but when the same problems are the cause of the loss game after game, it's miserable having to write these. It's miserable being a fan of this team right now. After the jump, questions with answers, comment of the night, and your thoughts on yet another tally in the loss column.

Questions With Answers

Simple question: how long does it take a Panther to take a run at Mike Richards, and does it end in an all-out bloodbath? 3 minutes, 42 seconds. Bryan McCabe, captain of the Panthers, challenged Richards to a bout, and the Flyers captain obliged. That's hockey.
If that happens, can the Flyers use it as something to pump them up? Nothing else seems to work. If it doesn't happen, can they find any other motivation? No and no.
Do the Flyers dress Cote to counter Florida's goon duo, and how much ice time do any of these goons get? Cote saw 1:04 of ice time, Florida's MacIntyre saw 2:00 even, and Mike Duco played 6:29.
We all know the other questions like they're a broken record by now. Scoring, power play, penalty kill, goaltending. What's the deal tonight? All noted above, all atrocious like usual.

Comment of the Night

Why would you ruin Vokoun’s chance at a shutout?

>> Chocula78, after the Flyers lone goal

Forbes: Flyers Fans 3rd Best in NHL

Travis Hughes — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:51:29 -0000

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I know the Forbes name has a lot of caché, and their team valuations are always spot on. But when it comes to lists like these -- the best and worst NHL fans of the year -- I'm not so sure they're the right people to be making the call.

Then again, they're Forbes, so we'll listen.

Top top five (or six or seven) fan bases in the NHL last season, please.

Top Five:

1. Pittsburgh
2. Toronto
3. Philadelphia
4. Montreal
5 tie. Chicago
5 tie. Minnesota
5 tie. Detroit

I think it's kind of obvious the beef we may have here, so there's really no sense in saying it. I just have one question. I know it's a list of the top fan bases of the year, not the decade or the century or whatever, and that it's all according to numbers, but doesn't recent history matter even a little bit? Does the fact that Pittsburgh and Chicago were practically hockey ghost towns as little as five years ago (or two years ago in Chicago's case) mean anything?

On the flip side, does it matter that Toronto and Montreal are the two most rabid hockey cities in the world, and that no city in America, as much as it may hurt to admit it, will ever reach that level of hockey heaven?

Discuss it in the comments, of course.

Monday Caterwaul - Panthers Open Forum - "We Didn't Forget" Edition

Whale4ever — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:26 -0000

"I don't know if we're just going to run around and try to fight everybody we see,"

- Defenseman Keith Ballard, presumably joking, via the Sun-Sentinel

So, what's the topic of discussion for today? Weather sure is delightful...

Poll

A bloodbath tonight?

Top 10 New Jersey Devils Moments of the Decade: Part 1, Honorable Mention

Steve Lepore — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:00:18 -0000

It's been an eventful decade here in the Garden State when it comes to hockey. Two Stanley Cups, three Prince of Wales trophies, five Atlantic Division titles, seven 100-point seasons. Oh, and the Devils' goalie cemented his name in the conversations of "Greatest to ever play the game". Starting this Tuesday, I will countdown the 10 best moments since 2000, but first, a look at some of the things that didn't make the cut.

Devils Hire Larry Robinson as Head Coach... The First Time (March 23, 2000)

The Devils gave then-future Hockey Hall of Famer Larry Robinson his first shot in the coaching ranks, when former Montreal Canadiens teammate Jacques Lemaire brought him as an assistant coach when he took over the Devils in 1993. Robinson, blessed with a defensive unit that included another future Hall of Famer in Scott Stevens as well as veterans Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver, helped bring along a budding All-Star in young Scott Niedermayer, and meshed together a defensive unit that helped New Jersey win it's first Stanley Cup in 1995.

From there, Robinson got his first head coaching job with the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of that year. After only four playoff games in the next four years, Robinson left the franchise, only to return to the Devils as an assistant for then coach Robbie Ftorek. Everything seemed to be headed in the right direction for New Jersey toward another playoff run. From December 26, 1999 to February 15, 2000, the Devils went a mind-blowing 17-3-3. But then things took a turn for the downright bizarre.

Starting with a 5-5 tie against the Colorado Avalanche on February 17th, the Devils went 5-10-2, culminating in a 5-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello clearly saw Ftorek as losing the team (no, the bench-throwing thing isn't on this list) and leading it toward another first-round playoff exist (the Devils had exited in Conference Quarterfinals the last two seasons). He fired Ftorek on March 23, 2000, in favor of the assistant Robinson. Larry lead the Devils to an 8-2 win over the Isles and a 4-4 record the rest of the way. However, it'd be the post-season where Robinson would prove why he was fit to run this team.

Devils Trade Brendan Morrison and Denis Pederson to Vancouver for Alexander Mogilny (March 14, 2000)

Looking for some added scoring touch to support the budding A-line of Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott, Lou did what was seen as unprecedented at that time in Devils circles: he brought in a bona fide offensive talent during what you'd call arguably the prime of his career (Mogilny was 31 when acquired by New Jersey). The addition of Mogilny did something that no one previously had: He made the Devils a team you feared offensively every night.

Mogilny has also long been credited with making then-rookie centerman Scott Gomez into the player that later bolted for the Rangers, though that can be argued, as Gomez had fewer points in the full season AlMo spent with Jersey (2000-01) than in his 70-point rookie season. That said, despite a sub-par post-season in 1999-00, Mogilny put up points in that 2000-01 season that were almost unheard of previously for a New Jersey team, with 43 goals and 40 assists, second behind Elias' 96 points, giving the Devs unheard of scoring depth.

Despite chipping in 16 points in the post-season, the Devils would go on to lose the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. Mogilny signed with Toronto that off-season, only to return for an aborted, half-season stay with New Jersey in 2005-06. He was sent to Albany to make room for Elias' return from Hepatitis, and for all intents and purposes, never heard from again. Devils fans will always remember Mogilny, however, for once and for all proving that the Devils were no mere defensive juggernaut.

Patrik Elias Signs Seven-Year Contract with Devils (July 2, 2006)

Before the lockout, Patrik Elias was well on his way to becoming the offensive version of Martin Brodeur for New Jersey: putting up terrific numbers every year, but largely being taken for granted by a fanbase that wants to win the Stanley Cup every year, rather than see another 40-goal season. The young winger from the Czech Republic had put up his third 35-goal plus season in 2003-04 (38-43-81) and was one of the few Devils that showed any life in New Jersey's five-game playoff defeat to Philadelphia (3-2-5 in the series).

It was the time during the lockout that gave everyone a scare. While having a good season Mettalurg Magnitigorsk in Russia, Elias contracted Hepatitis A from food eaten in the country. The disease, chronicled largely in an NHL Network special that primarily focused on Elias' UNICEF ambassadorship, severely weakened the then 28-year old forward and kept him out of hockey for a while.

Elias didn't return to the game until January 3, 2006, with the Devils playing the Florida Panthers. Put on a line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta (The "Egg" Line), Elias looked as if he hadn't missed a beat. He scored eight points in his first four games, 45 points in 38 games that season, and led the Devils to an unheard of 15-game winning streak, combining the last 11 games of the season and first four of the playoffs, to lead New Jersey to a shocking Atlantic Division title on the campaign's final night in Montreal.

Elias continued a torrid pace in the playoffs. He had two goals and four assists in Game 1 of the Devils series with the New York Rangers, and went on to score 16 points in nine games that post-season. It made people notice Elias as an elite forward in this league. It also certainly drew attention to the fact that his contract was up that summer.

There were a lot of fears in Devils-land the Patrik would sign with another team. The Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were reported to have made serious offers. Though the real fear was that he'd sign with the Rangers. Elias alleviated those fears by agreeing to a 7-year, $42 million deal with the Devs the day after the UFA period began in 2006. He's worth every penny, and put up another 30-goal season just this past campaign. Elias will likely be a Devil for life, and hopefully never taken for granted again.

Brian Gionta Breaks the Devil Record For Goals in a Season, Devils Culminate 11-game Win Streak and Division Title With Shocking, Comeback Victory Over Montreal on the Season's Final Night (April 18, 2006)

Coupled with the 1999-00 season, the 2005-06 campaign has got to go down as one of the strangest of the decade. Head coach Larry Robinson said so himself. Robinson, re-hired by the Devils after it was announced that Pat Burns could no longer continue, had to step down after 32 games (14-13-5) when he told Lou Lamoriello at the team's annual Christmas party that the club was making him ill. Happy holidays, for sure.

More changes still were announced after a December 17, 2005 loss to Carolina. All three of the Devils major acquisitions over the off-season (Alexander Mogilny, Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakhov) were either sent down to AHL Albany, or "retired" under mysterious circumstances. The Devils were, to put it lightly, kind of a mess. They were still figuring out how to make do with life minus Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko on the backline, so this was sort of the beginning of a "new generation" of Devils, if you will.

After Robinson quit at the halfway point, longtime GM Lou Lamoriello took over as coach. A week or so later, forward Patrik Elias returned from Hepatitis A, and the team caught fire. A nine-game winning streak to start the new year let everyone know that the Devils would not suffer in the post-lockout NHL. It was an 11-game winning streak to end the season, however, that made the Devils onto every hockey writer's shortlist for Stanley Cup contenders.

A young forward named Brian Gionta emerged as the team's top scorer that season with Elias out. A small winger, known mostly up to that point for his willingness to go to the front of the net and personal rivalry with gargantuan and polar opposite on the height scale Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, Gionta broke out in 2005-06, his style tailor made for the "New NHL". On March 28, 2006, he became the first Devil to hit 40 goals in a season since Elias and Mogilny in 2001. Going into the NHL and the Devils season's final night, he was tied with Pat Verbeek's all-time single-season goal scoring record of 46.

Now, the Devils were in Montreal that night, and could to the surprise of almost everyone, win the division title after struggling so much for the first half of the season. Everything worked out in their favor, as the Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers both lost shortly before. Two points and the Devils get the division over the Flyers (who would have the same amount of points, 101) by virtue of having more wins, as well as #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The only problem was... well, the Devils didn't show up for the first 40 minutes of that game. The Habs had a 3-0 lead on the Devils at home with three minutes to go in the second period, and only Brodeur keeping things from getting out of hand.

Then, with 2:42 to go, Gionta scored a goal that would personify the type of player he was. A Scott Gomez shot popped high off of Montreal goaltender Cristobal Huet. Gionta gloved the puck out of the air, down onto his stick, and put the puck home to break Verbeek's record, and give the Devils hope going into the third period. Of course, neither the Devils nor Gio were done yet.

Not much was going on early in the third, but nine minutes to go, the Habs took a penalty and the Devils went on the power play. Some slick passing and a Brian Rafalski shot gave Gionta another close-in rebound and a 48th goal that season, just for some distance. All that, and the Devils were within a shot of tying it. Three minutes later, Patrik Elias scored a georgeous goal off a pass from Gomez, who'd made a brilliant rush up the eyes, to tie the game with five minutes left.

With 2:30 to go, Habs forward Alex Kovalev took a shot that Marty Brodeur kicked away, right to a Devil defender, who passed it to Jamie Langenbrunner. He raced it in on a three-on-one against the Canadiens and Huet. Langenbrunner looked over the options, called his own number and ripped a shot by Huet to give the Devils a 4-3 lead. New Jersey hung on and won the division. It was one of the best regular season nights for Jersey's team I've ever seen, and it didn't even make the top 10 list. Ill be back on Monday with part one of that. Meanwhile, leave your own thoughts in the comments and your suggestions for my Top 10.

NJ Devils & Atlantic Division Weekly Snapshot: 12/20 - 12/26

John Fischer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:34:52 -0000

The performances weren't pretty, but in a results-oriented business, there can be no complaints. The New Jersey Devils won all three games last week to now stay at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins also won all three games, so they share the same amount of points. For a second consecutive week, the Devils lead based on having two games in hand on Pittsburgh. As a whole, the best stay better with the Devils and Penguins expanding the gap over third place New York Rangers to 16 points. The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders had poor weeks and fell further behind - all the better for the Devils and Penguins. Remember all this when those bottom three teams scramble for points in, say, March.

Atlantic Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
New Jersey	34	25	8	1	51
Pittsburgh	36	25	10	1	51
New York Rangers	35	16	16	3	35
New York Islanders	36	13	16	7	33
Philadelphia	34	15	17	2	32

(updated 12.20.2009 at 8:21 AM EST)

Basically, the Atlantic Division is a two-team race right now: New Jersey and Pittsburgh. They are the hottest teams in the league with a 4 game and 5 game winning streak, respectively. There are only two intra-division games this week and the big one is this Monday when the Devils travel to Pittsburgh. The Devils are in a favorable spot because even if they lose the game, they still have two games on hand to make up the difference. As for the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers, each plays one more game than the Devils and Penguins this week, so the Devils keep games in hand on everyone by next week. Another advantage for NJ.

	Potential Points	Last Week	Conf. Position
NJD	4	3-0-0	1st
PIT	4	3-0-0	4th
NYR	6	2-1-1	9th
NYI	6	1-3-0	13th
PHI	6	1-2-1	14th

One of the bottom 3 Atlantic teams that could be figuring things out are the Rangers. With an angry coach and a GM who may or may not be on the hot seat, they've clawed back up into ninth place. Good for them, I suppose. But they aren't far ahead of the five teams that make up 10th through 14th so they can't relax. The Islanders and Flyers should follow their lead soon. Here's how the upcoming week looks for the division.

	12/20	12/21	12/22	12/23	12/24	12/25	12/26
NJD		@ PIT					@ WSH
PIT		vs. NJ		vs. OTT
NYR		@ CAR		vs. FLA			vs. NYI
NYI		vs. TB		vs. TOR			@ NYR
PHI		vs. FLA		@ TB			@ CAR

On paper, this week has two pretty tough games for Devils. Then again, who isn't a tough opponent in today's NHL? Even Carolina can "bring it" if given a chance. On the other hand, the Devils have beaten the Penguins twice already and this Saturday could see the Devils sweep the Washington Capitals this season. So this week is a toss up. Depending on how Monday's game goes and how the Penguins do on Wednesday will determine whether the Devils go into the last week of 2009 in first in the Atlantic (and possibly the conference - to that end, cheer on Buffalo on Wednesday to beat the Caps).

Though, to be honest, I am very pleased where the Devils currently are. Even if they drop both games this week, the Devils won't be too far behind Pittsburgh.

Another Day, Another Loss: Rangers 2, Flyers 1

Geoff Detweiler — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:17:45 -0000

More photos » by H. Rumph Jr - AP

Boucher looks at the puck behind him after noticing none of the Flyers had shown up to play yet. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

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Final - 12.19.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Rangers	1	1	0	2
Philadelphia Flyers	1	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

[Box Score] - [Full Coverage] - [NYR Reaction]

No words. I have no idea what to say. I'm getting sick of having to write stories about how badly the Flyers played, how they didn't deserve to win, and how they still can't score. How bad are the Flyers? They scored one goal against a team that has been giving up 2.91 per game, good for 9th most in the league.

The Rangers won the battle at even-strength, outscoring the Flyers 2-0 at 5-on-5 play. How rare is this? The Rangers have a -8 goal deferential at 5-on-5 play. Yet the Flyers can't get a goal at even strength. The power play wasn't any better, going 1 for 5.

One of the most telling things in this game was Peter Laviolette calling a timeout after the Rangers first goal. Just over 5 minutes into the game, the Rangers had already outshot the Flyers 5-1 when Claude Giroux had a pass from his knees get picked off in his own zone. Chris Drury put the turnover in the net and Laviolette called a timeout. Not a good start to the game.

In his post-game press conference, Peter Laviolette was clearly not happy:

"It was a poor start, there's no excuse for it. I can't think of one reason why we would come out flat, but we did. We needed the time out to try and refocus. I would have thought we would have ripped the hinges off the gate tonight to get on the ice. We were so far from that in my opinion, to start the game, and we got what we deserved."

The game-winning goal was scored by Artem Ansimov, as his centering pass went off of Ryan Parent's shin pad and past Boucher. It was a lucky bounce, but Ryan Callahan won the battle against Parent in the corner, then beat Parent for positioning in front of the net. They earned their luck, something the Flyers haven't been doing.

After the jump, Random Thoughts, Questions with Answers, highlights, and the Comment of the [Afternoon].

Random Thoughts:

Mika Pyorala only played 5:05 tonight, but he had as many shots on goal as Danny Briere (1) who played 19:45. And it was a scoring chance at that.
With that in mind, I think it's safe to say Pyorala will be a scratch when Darroll Powe returns to the lineup.
Speaking of returning to the lineup, Simon Gagne was rather impressive in his first game back. He logged 20:16 of ice time, had a key assist on Pronger's goal, and showed a lot of jump in his skates. It's good to have him back.
This team's offensive plan is rather predictable. I have a hard time believing the opposing team is surprised by anything the Flyers do in the offensive zone. That makes it easy to defend.
This was mentioned in the game thread by Prometheus74, but the Flyers have now scored 17 goals in their last 11 games. Only twice have they scored more than two goals in that time period, both of them wins. They have only scored 8 goals in their last 9 losses.
The Flyers won the faceoff battle (53%), the shot battle (37-24), and the penalty battle (5-2), but not the war.
District 5.

Questions with Answers:

How does Gagne perform now that he's back in the lineup? He only had one goal in the nine games he played this season, if you remember. He played very well. No goals, but an assist to go along with a strong forecheck.
Do Hartnell and Carter carry over the chemistry they displayed on Thursday? I wasn't impressed with Hartnell at all today, but the Carter-Hartnell-Briere line was the best today.
Can the Flyers successfully stop Marian Gaborik? Yes. Just under 21 minutes of ice time, no points and only 1 shot.
How many people actually make it to the game today? Eh. Two-thirds capacity? I'm obviously not sure. Anybody have a better answer?

Highlights:

Comment of the Night:

Pronger can’t shoot from the point (said two minutes before Pronger scores the tying goal)

JpH89

Rangers Recap: Rangers clip Flyers 2-1

Joe Fortunato — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:26:43 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

4 days ago: New York Rangers, including Michal Rozsival (33), congratulate right wing Ryan Callahan (24) after he scored the first of the Rangers goals in their 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders in the first period of their NHL hockey game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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John Tortorella made headlines the other day by making the statement that he would enforce all of the changes that we were promised when he was hired less than a year ago. He employed his new roster two days ago against the Islanders and it resulted in a 5-2 romping, filled with energy and the type of play you hope to see from a good hockey team. That continued last night where the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 for their second straight win.

The first period started out well for the Rangers with Chris Drury notching his second goal in two games (2 in his previous 27 games before Thursday). The Rangers surrendered the lead shortly after on a Chris Pronger power play goal after an Enver Lisin boarding penalty. Although the Rangers took four penalties, they played a solid road period and kept the Flyers pretty much in check.

The second period was more of the same from the Rangers, relying on a few great Henrik Lundqvist saves before Artem Anisimov scored his second goal in as many games to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Marian Gaborik continued to be kept without much space, mainly due to some fantastic defending from Pronger (who really played a great game). The Rangers had their chances to break this one open in the second but Christopher "fanned on the puck" Higgins, well, fanned on a few scoring opportunities. And Ryan Callahan couldn’t find a way to bang his alone in the slot chance, shooting directly into Brian Boucher’s chest.

The third period was pretty much dedicated to tons of defense from both teams—which incidentally lead to tons of offensive chances. The game went back and forth and if wasn’t for some spectacular Henrik Lundqvist saves this game might have easily gone in a different direction. Overall though the Rangers played a pretty composed, and solid road game.

I would still have to say that the Rangers have been taking too many penalties; they just didn’t pay for it today. And while Marian Gaborik was kept off the score sheet he was still very noticeable. Defensively he broke up Flyers outlet passes, lifted stick to stop scoring chances, and didn’t take any crap from Flyers who were simply looking to get under his skin. Have I mentioned that I love him yet?

Oh by the way Gaborik has 24 goals the same amount that Markus Naslund had all of last year.

Empty netters:

Michael Del Zotto quietly played one of his better games this year. He was very physical against a big and tough Flyers team, plus he was all over the ice offensively and ran the power play pretty effectively.
Henrik Lundqvist played his best game of the year. Good to see him back to his old form.
Artem Anisimov is beginning to blossom before our very eyes. The 21 year-old was spectacular today and really seems to have figured out the speed of the NHL. He physically imposed the Flyers all night and was a monster in the offensive zone. Watch him shield the puck with his body, it’s beautiful to watch.
Drury also had one of his best games of the year. Think that goal against the Islanders boosted is confidence? Good for him we need him to get going.
Man Chris Higgins seems to do everything right. He gets the puck, he shields away defenders, he makes space and then he finds ways not to score. I feel for him but he needs to start scoring, he is starting to hurt this team.
We said it in the live thread but I have Chris Pronger with a fiery passion, and would give up quite a bit to have him in Ranger blue. Great move for the Flyers in my opinion.
As much as I hate to say it Micahel Rozsival played his second consecutive great game. Maybe benching Wade Redden was the right move by Torts.
Speaking of John Tortorella he better continue keeping Ales Kotalik and Wade Redden on the bench, things are working right now no need to rock the ship.
Ryan Callahan also played a great two way game, playing great defense and making a few offensive chances as well.
I also think that Ilkka Heikkinen played a great game tonight. He was solid on his own end, threw a few nice hits and didn’t seem out of place at all. I hate to say it but I think he is making more of a difference right now then Matt Gilroy was.

Also Brian Boyle was injured, we will keep an eye on it and keep you posted when we learn more. The Rangers got a huge win today and are finally playing their brand of hockey. Thoughts guys?

Rangers Analysis: Is change in the air?

Joe Fortunato — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:23:50 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

4 days ago: New York Rangers, including Michal Rozsival (33), of Czech Republic, congratulate right wing Ryan Callahan (24) after he scored the first of the Rangers goals in their 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders in the first period of their NHL hockey game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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So they finally won. It had to happen eventually. And although the victory (a victory that might have saved Glen Sather’s job—although I doubt it) was impressive and the opponent was hated in the end what does it prove?

A win against the Islanders should not be exciting it should be expected. Scoring more than two goals in a game should not be unusual it should be just another day at the office. And finally playing a game that doesn’t make your fans want to puke should be the norm, not unexpected.

Look, we have danced this dance before. The Rangers take you out to eat, show you a good time, buy you flowers and make you feel special. They show you how good they can treat you, how they have everything you want, and how if you just stay patient they will give it to you. But when it comes time to take the next step in the relationship they become distant, turn into another person, don’t answer your calls, and eventually you end up resenting them. Until they finally call you back, and then the cycle starts again.

Last night’s win—albeit an impressive one—means nothing unless they can build on it. Fortunately for the Rangers, there is no better time than now to do just that. Their next five games include one more against the Islanders, two again the Flyers and one against the Hurricanes. I have no problem in saying that I fully expect the Rangers to win all five of those games. The time for excuses is over, and if John Tortorella was really serious about making changes then it started yesterday.

Keep Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik out of the line-up. No, Redden doesn’t deserve to be benched; but Michael Rozsival played a pretty good game yesterday. Maybe he knows that this is his last chance to see some serious ice time, or maybe was just lucky. Either way I don’t want to see either of them in the line-up until they replace someone who isn’t working.

Join me after the jump for what Gross had to say.

Regardless the Rangers need to start winning games, and there is no better time to do it than in this next stretch of games. Let’s hope that Tortorella is keen on keeping this up, and as per Andrew Gross he is. Here are the highlights from his full story:

As if John Tortorella hasn’t put his team on notice already by benching veterans Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik, he upped the ante today by declaring there will be no more sense of entitlement around the team and that his coaching staff and general manager Glen Sather will no longer continue to play underachieving veterans, preferring, instead, to go through "bumps in the road" from young players, possibly players who will soon be called up from Hartford (AHL).

"This isn’t to make an example out of Wade Redden, Wade Redden hasn’t played well enough to be in the lineup," Tortorella said. "I’m not interested in making examples out of people. A coach’s responsibility is to put the best lineup on the ice. I felt I did that last night. It will be the same lineup going into Philly (tomorrow afternoon). For 25-30 games we tried to stay with him, we tried to bring confidence in with him and go about it that way and it hasn’t worked. It’s still trying to gain confidence but there’s going to be no entitlement around here. I think it kind of stinks of that around here. We’ve got kids and this coaching staff and manager want to infuse some kids into our lineup becase we feel that’s going to be the best way to build it. We’ll go through some bumps in the road with kids but not with underachieving veterans. I just don’t but it and it’s not going to work that way."

Well some of you have been screaming for some AHL injection, you might see it soon. Good to see that Glen Sather is on board with this--maybe Dolan is putting the squeeze on Sather finally. Let's hope that its true. Let's hope that change is in the air. Hell let's just hope that we actually see some change.