SB Nation User Blog: Travis Hughes

Fun Facts From the Flyers Media Guide

Travis Hughes — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:29:43 -0000

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

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.
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.

Flyers reportedly looking to deal

Travis Hughes — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:34:34 -0000

According to a report by Sam Carchidi of the Inquirer, Paul Holmgren and company are looking to trade, and another source says they have been sniffing the waters since before Peter Laviolette was hired. Carchidi writes that an absurd number (16) of scouts were in attendance for last night's game against the Senators, and if they weren't lulled to sleep by the game, they may have been able to take a look at some possible trade pieces.

Most of the Carchidi piece is purely speculation, but The Fourth Period added some more certainty to the report.

Here's TFP's David Pagnotta:

The Flyers have been looking to make a change well before they fired John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. Holmgren's looking for a fix up front, and while I understand why they believe they're ok between the pipes, if Emery comes back and can't get his game together, Philly will have to look for outside help between the pipes.

Nothing we're not really aware of, but still, it puts a definitive stamp on things for us. The Flyers are looking for help.

Poll

Should the Flyers make a move?

Another game, Another shutout: Flyers lose 2-0

Travis Hughes — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:30:03 -0000

[TSN Recap] - [Boxscore] - [Ottawa Reaction]

Final - 12.10.2009	1	2	3	Total
Ottawa Senators	0	0	2	2
Philadelphia Flyers	0	0	0	0

Complete Coverage >

Six games, three shutouts. Watch America's Most Wanted this weekend and maybe we can find out who kidnapped the Philadelphia Flyers offense. With the exception of one game against the New York Islanders, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, and Danny Briere have been invisible over the last month.

I don't know what to think and I don't have answers, but this team just can't score. They have absolutely zero confidence. Maybe a trade is necessary to shake up the offense. Maybe they just need Simon Gagne, Blair Betts, and Darroll Powe back in the lineup. Maybe we overrated them and they're just bad. I simply don't know. With the amount of games coming up in the next few weeks -- really, up until the Olympic break -- they can't afford to continually give up points like this. It's frustrating, not to mention depressing.

They outworked the Senators tonight. They had more chances and they had an almost full length five-on-three power play. Their goalie performed like the starter he was in 2000. And yet, empty net goals not withstanding, they still lost a 1-0 defensive struggle.

Credit is due to the Senators. Brian Elliott played quite well. They did a great job of clogging the middle of the ice with bodies, not allowing the Flyers to do much on the power play. Still, Ottawa is not really a good hockey team. They've played over their heads thus far this season. They're relying on a goaltender right now who has only played 47 NHL games.

You've gotta win these games. The Flyers keep on proving that they're incapable of that.

After the jump, a few more notes on this one, lowlights, questions with answers, and the comment of the night.

Some assorted thoughts...

If I were Brian Boucher, I'd be furious. He's playing excellent hockey in the absence of Ray Emery, but he can't get a win because his team can't put the puck in the other net. At the same time, it's a reassuring sign that things aren't totally lost with Emery down. If the offense can get a damn goal.
The orange and black may have scored a goal at one point during this one, but the score sheet wont say that. The puck was lodged under Elliott's pads, and he seemed to be in the net with it. He was pushed by Scott Hartnell, though, so the officials, despite heading over to the table, didn't even send the play to Toronto for review.
The power play showed excellent puck movement, but unlike Tuesday against the Isles, the passing lanes across the middle of the ice didn't exist tonight. That forces the shots to come from the outside, and Elliott had an answer every time the Flyers challenged him down below the faceoff circles. When shots came from the point, especially via the stick of Chris Pronger, they rarely even made it through to Elliott.
Matt Carkner delivered a cheap shot to Mike Richards late in the third period, giving the Flyers some hope with a PP. On that ensuing PP, it was the same story.
Braydon Coburn's giveaway to Jesse Winchester leading up to the game-sealing empty net goal was just terrible.
The Flyers took several penalties tonight, but Peter Laviolette said after the game that they weren't the same kind of undisciplined penalties that he punished the team for during Wednesday's practice.
On the bright side, the penalty kill did a good job killing off Ottawa's PP chances.
This was, by far, the most boring hockey game in quite some time. Sens fans and Flyers fans agree.
Oddly, the CSN broadcast was the only one of this game tonight. It was simulcast on TSN 2 in Canada, as well as around the country on various CSN affiliates.
On that same note, Jim Jackson reportedly lost his glasses prior to the game (I didn't know he wore glasses?) and was forced to wear prescription sunglasses while calling the game. Jim Jackson wears his sunglasses at night.

Questions With Answers

Can the Flyers keep themselves out of the penalty box for prolonged stretches tonight? No, but it didn't hurt them like it did on Tuesday.
Will the power play sustain the success they had on Tuesday night? They held the puck well, but anything more than that is apparently too much to ask for.
Does the top line continue its sexy-looking play? Not even a little bit.
Can Boucher keep up his hot play? Definitely. Solid games are becoming the norm for Boosh.
How successful are the Flyers in keeping the Sens big guns off the score sheet? Fisher had an assist, but Alfreddson, Spezza, Michalek, and Cheechoo were all held off.
Does Jarkko Ruutu kill a guy? No, but he did receive a cross-checking minor in the second.

Comment Of The Night

At least he’s scoring somewhere

>> JpH89, on Carter getting some tail at the club

Lowlights

Game 29, Preview and Open Thread: Keep On Winnin', Ottawa Senators at Philadelphia Flyers

Travis Hughes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:03:24 -0000

#7 Ottawa Senators (14-11-4, 32 pts) at #11 Philadelphia Flyers (14-13-1, 29 pts)
Wachovia Center - 7:00 PM EST - Philadelphia, PA
TV: CSN Philly HD, TSN 2 HD
Radio: 610 WIP, XM 205
This is the open game thread.
Behind Enemy Lines: Silver Seven

When the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Ottawa Senators a little under a month ago, it was their fifth straight win. Since then, the Flyers have won just four games, but they'll try to start another win streak tonight as the host that team from that other Nation's Capital.

That night in November, the Flyers dictated the pace throughout, outworking the Sens on their way to a decisive 5-1 victory. It's clear that since then, those attributes have been much less than a certainty, but with their new coach trying to beat an identity defined by hard work and discipline into his team, tonight is a good night to continue on with that theme.

The hard work part was pretty evident against the Isles on Tuesday night, and they even showed it against Montreal on Monday. The discipline part, on the other hand, has been a different story, and in one stretch of the second period against New York, the wheels came off that bus. It allowed Tavares and Company to get back in to an otherwise lopsided game and, more often than not, that will come back to bite a team in the ass.

Luckily, it didn't hurt the Flyers on Tuesday, but Peter Laviolette certainly took notice, skating his team hard at Wednesday's practice. Let's hope they got the message and that we don't see a similar occurrence tonight. Dan Carcillo is still out of the lineup, helping the disciplined cause, of course.

Another major theme the Flyers must carry over from Tuesday night's win lies with the top two lines. They did the goal scoring against the Islanders, and they'll have to do continue to do that throughout the season. If Arron Asham and Ian Laperriere, no offense to those guys, are the best players on the ice for the Flyers throughout the rest of the season, this team will go nowhere.

Meanwhile, Ottawa comes in with a whole host of their own issues. They've lost five of their last six and have been called out publicly by the general manager and their owner. Some of their top scorers, notably Jason Spezza and Alexei Kovalev, aren't scoring. Their best defenseman is probably Filip Kuba, which goes to show you how good they are on defense. They have a goals for/against differential of minus-7. And their starting goaltender is out of the lineup because his own teammate hit him in the head with a puck while he was on the bench during a game.

Still, the Senators are in a playoff position, much more than the Flyers can say right now. They also have Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher, and Milan Michalek, who have all been very successful with the putting the puck in the net thing so far this season.

Watch out for Jarkko Ruutu tonight if you're heading down to the Center. He's a dirty SOB.

After the jump, Flyers line combinations, questions to answer, this evening's starting goaltenders, and of course, our in-game open thread.

Flyers Line Combinations - no changes from Tuesday

Hartnell - Richards - Giroux
JVR - Carter - Briere
Laperriere - Pyorala - Asham
Nodl - Kalinski - Laliberte

Starting Goaltenders - tale of two Brian's

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Brian Boucher	9	474	3	5		20	2.53	207	187	.903	0

	GP	MIN	W	L	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Brian Elliott	15	856	6	6		43	3.01	412	369	.896	0

Questions To Answer

Can the Flyers keep themselves out of the penalty box for prolonged stretches tonight?
Will the power play sustain the success they had on Tuesday night?
Does the top line continue its sexy-looking play?
Can Boucher keep up his hot play?
How successful are the Flyers in keeping the Sens big guns off the score sheet?
Does Jarkko Ruutu kill a guy?

Tonight's game will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly, nationally across Canada on TSN 2, and locally on radio on 610 WIP. As always, join us here for the conversation, and LET'S GO FLYERS!

The NHL, in conjunction with Mayor Menino and the City of Boston, announced plans to extend the...

Travis Hughes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:22:50 -0000

The NHL, in conjunction with Mayor Menino and the City of Boston, announced plans to extend the celebration of the New Year's Day outdoor game by creating a free fan festival -- the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza -- outside the walls of Fenway Park.

On Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. and Jan. 1 at 9 a.m., the parking lot at Brookline Avenue and Yawkey Way will transform into an outdoor hockey and entertainment festival for fans of all ages.

During the celebration, fans will be able to enjoy a game of air hockey, have a photo taken through "Fanfoto" in the food and beverage tent sponsored by Bud Light and purchase officially licensed 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic merchandise in the NHL retail area.

-- NHL press release

Now seems like a good time to ask: Who's going to the Winter Classic?

Pronger to Tavares: 'Keep Your Head Up'

Travis Hughes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:24:08 -0000

"I hit him in the first [Islanders-Flyers] game. He told me, 'Keep your head up.' I didn't realize he meant the whole season."

>> John Tavares, speaking about Chris Pronger (via Lighthouse Hockey)

Welcome to the NHL, kid.

Chris Pronger gave the first overall draft pick a less-than-legal shove to the back on Tuesday night, causing the wunderkind to knock his skull into the glass, chipping a tooth. Islanders fans across the hockey world were furious at the hit, egged on by Pronger's little smirk as he skated away from the scene of the crime.

Yes, it was a crime. Pronger was given a two minute penalty on the play, but nothing more. Did he deserve a suspension? Do Isles' fans have a gripe? Sure, but they'll be over it in a week. Is Tavares going to keep an eye out for Pronger when the Isles play the Flyers between now and 2017? You bet.

Stealing A Page From Major League Baseball: The NHL Summer Meetings?

Travis Hughes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:35:15 -0000

Pierre LeBrun at ESPN.com has a fascinating proposal this morning.

I suggest we gather all 30 NHL front office staffs, player agents and media in a hotel June 29-July 3 and let the fireworks go off baby. Buzz city!

[...]

The start of NHL free agency is July 1, but there is a lot of chatter on June 29-30 as teams try to re-sign players before the market opens.

Somebody please tell me how this is isn't a great idea?

This is basically identical to what Major League Baseball is doing this week with their widely publicized Winter Meetings. The hype and attention that the event brings to baseball is second to none. During an otherwise quiet time of the baseball year, SportsCenter and the Internets are abuzz with MLB rumors. I mean, seriously, major news outlets are liveblogging the events. Why shouldn't the NHL steal a page from baseball's book and start up the "NHL Summer Meetings?"

Gary Bettman and company would be smart to give themselves a similar platform. Besides, it's no secret that, as one agent told LeBrun, "the best way to consummate deals is, and always has been, face to face." Putting everybody in the same hotel for three days would likely boost the amount of activity surrounding the opening of free agency on July 1, and hockey could gain some exposure at the same time.

Mr. Lebrun, it is a great idea.

Thursday Morning Fly By: Winter Classic Rink Under Construction

Travis Hughes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Browse more photos »

Your daily dose of Philadelphia Flyers news...

Last night's NHL scores... BUF 3, WSH 0 - TOR 3, NYI 2 - NJD 4, CAR 2 - CBJ 3, FLA 0 - EDM 3, TBL 2 - STL 1, DET 0 - CHI 2, NYR 1 (OT) - MIN 1, COL 0 - CGY 3, ATL 1 - LAK 5, SJS 4 (OT)
The Flyers host the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Wachovia Center. Previews from NHL.com, Bill Meltzer, and the Ottawa Citizen. Be sure to check out Silver Seven, part of the SBN Hockey family, for their coverage of the Sens.
More scouting of the Sens...
... Spezza and Kovalev aren't performing to their potential [Citizen] ....
... and they're also their own worst enemies [Citizen] ...
Ray Emery had successful surgery on his rectus abdominus yesterday. I just wanted to type rectus abdominus. [CSN Philly]
Accountability. Peter Laviolette makes it happen. [Inq] - [DN] - [CSN]
Winter Classic hype alert. An interview with Eddie Olcyzk, partly about the Winter Classic. [Hockey Wilderness]
The ice is under construction beginning today at Fenway Park [NHL.com] ...
... and you can watch it all via a LIVE! (it's actually delayed 15 minutes) webcam from the storied baseball cathedral. [NHL TV]
The ice truck made a stop at ESPN yesterday [NHL].
Baseball has its Winter Meetings. Should hockey have Summer Meetings? [ESPN]

BSH Radio, Episode 4 - The Tale of Two Peters: Laviolette Coaches, Raaymakers Talks Senators

Travis Hughes — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:46:14 -0000

On Wednesday night's edition of Broad Street Hockey Radio, myself, Ben, and Geoff were joined by Peter Raaymakers of SilverSevenSens.com, as we talked about the Sens and tomorrow night's game with Ottawa at the Wachovia Center.

We also held a roundtable discussion on the current issues surrounding the team.

Peter Laviolette in, John Stevens out. We chatted about the implications the move will have on the team.

Is this team just bad? Have we over valued them?

How much of the Flyers 6-2 win over the Islanders was the result of New York just not being a good hockey team?

The Dan Carcillo suspension. Deserved or not? What about Chris Pronger's hit on John Tavares on Tuesday night? Should the NHL have suspended Pronger?

The archived podcast should be available within the next few hours.

BSH Radio - Special night, tonight at 7 PM Eastern

Travis Hughes — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:37:25 -0000

BSH Radio - Special night, tonight at 7 PM Eastern

Join myself, Ben, and Geoff and we discuss Flyers hockey on another edition of Broad Street Hockey Radio, tonight from 7 to 8 PM Eastern. There's been a lot to break down over the last week, as I'm sure you know, so tune in and hear us give our take.