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Flyers shut down Flames in stellar road victory

 

A solid road win is defined by controlling possession of the puck, limiting chances for the opposition, being opportunistic offensively, and overall just not being too fancy in your game. When you're in a city like Calgary, which sits 3,399 feet higher in the sky than Philadelphia, these tenets become even more necessary as you try to adapt to the change in altitude.

The Flyers put together a perfect formula on Monday night as they defeated Flames 3-0. Ray Emery was fantastic, despite only needed 18 saves in the shutout. That number tells you just how good the defense was in limiting the Flames offense, which admittedly is slightly in-flux these days.

It was a pretty boring game, to be honest, although the camera positions in Calgary are closer to the ice, which makes the game seem a little faster and therefore a little more entertaining. But there's certainly nothing wrong with boring when the Flyers get the two points. Besides, there's enough drama in the Calgary organization the last few days to go around for everybody, right?

Mike Richards: two goals, including his 100th career. Hopefully this gets him out of his slump. The top line on the whole looked pretty awake tonight, as Simon Gagne had some legs and several chances himself.

Lukas Krajicek had a nice Flyers debut. He's played around 18-20 minutes per night throughout his NHL career, and despite not skating at all for three days prior to joining the Flyers on Sunday, Peter Laviolette clearly didn't feel uncomfortable playing him for 18:25 tonight. He looked very strong on his skates, he moved the puck well and he didn't seem hesitant to jump into the offensive zone.

Krajicek had the privilege of starting the game with paired with Kimmo Timonen, instead of Oskars Bartulis, who wound up playing with Braydon Coburn. Krajicek earned the right to stay with Timonen the entire game with his solid play, and because of it, he wound up with more ice time than both Coburn and Bartulis.

He was nothing spectacular but he was serviceable, which is much more than can be said for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. If he can continue to eat up those kind of minutes, he'll give the Flyers just what they need.

After the jump, an updated look at the playoff race, questions with answers and the comment of the night.

Star-divide

Playoff Race - only two games affecting things tonight. Flyers win, Florida loses.

  • 5th: Ottawa - 56 GP, 66 pts (didn't play)
  • 6th: Philadelphia - 54 GP, 59 pts (won tonight)
  • 7th: NY Rangers - 56 GP, 57 pts (didn't play)
  • 8th: Florida - 56 GP, 57 pts (lost tonight)
  • 9th: Atlanta - 54 GP, 56 pts (didn't play)
  • 10th: Montreal - 56 GP, 56 pts (didn't play)
  • 11th: Boston - 53 GP, 55 pts (didn't play)
  • 12th: Tampa Bay - 54 GP, 55 pts (didn't play)
  • 13th: NY Islanders - 56 GP, 54 pts (didn't play)

Questions With Answers

  1. Braydon Coburn's hometown is Calgary.  Does he celebrate the homecoming by doing something expected (scoring a hat trick in the opening five minutes) or something more expected (having three Calgary goals bank in off his skates in the opening five minutes)? Is playing on the bottom pairing what his hometown fans expected?
  2. This Krajicek guy -- he any good? As mentioned above, he's not too shabby thus far.
  3. Has Ray Emery learned to control a rebound yet? He didn't see much work, but Emery looked quite strong tonight in the limited time he did have to punch the clock and show up. Rebound control didn't seem to be an issue.
  4. Do the cameras catch anybody in the arena wearing an Atlanta Flames throwback jersey? No, but lots of Flyers jerseys.
  5. Are the Panthers and Flyers still tied at the end of the night? Nope! Flyers win, Panthers lose. 

Comment of the Night

i was gonna say it’s weird seeing a #2 that can skate.

>> psudrozz, referring to such defensive stalwarts as Derien Hatcher & Eric Weinrich

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Good win for the boys, beat a team they should have beat. They need to win the next 2 on this road trip because we ain’t sweepin’ Jersey, so it’d be nice to hopefully build up a points cushion.

by You don't have to be sweet, to be good on Feb 2, 2010 2:05 AM EST reply actions  

I’ll take serviceable as long as he can be consistent. I’d rather have a guy who’s consistently decent than someone who’s great one game, then delivers a stinker the rest of the week.

"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"

by The Dark on Feb 2, 2010 7:14 AM EST reply actions  

I am thinking that I should go to bed half way through the first period for all the Flyers games from now on out if this is going to be the result when I do!

by flyrsfrk05 on Feb 2, 2010 7:31 AM EST reply actions  

i did the same thing, kinda. i fell asleep in the beginning of the 2nd in my lazyboy.

you callin me a know-nothin? sir, i'll have you know i happen to know very little.

by hockey punk on Feb 2, 2010 8:52 AM EST up reply actions  

I know OKT didn’t set the bar very high, but Krajicek looked like he belonged on the 2nd pairng and Coburn and Bartilus didn’t have me crapping bricks everytime they jumped on the ice. I know it’s only one game, but hopefully it continues.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Feb 2, 2010 9:00 AM EST reply actions  

I totally agree. Krajicek looked very comfortable, like he has been with the team all year. And i think i only crapped bricks once when Coburn did one of his bone head plays. He has not been the same since he took that slapshot in the face 2 years ago in the playoffs.

by rvd420pete on Feb 2, 2010 9:21 AM EST up reply actions  

Who wants to see Carbomb vs. Sex Panther…how many more times do we play the Rangers this year?

by j reed on Feb 2, 2010 9:49 AM EST reply actions  

krajicek

lukas looked comfortable out there because he refused to force a a play.

for example: in the mid second period, a bouncing puck came at him and he had two flames barreling down on him at the blue line in the offensive zone. he had two options-play it through the defenders down low, or take it out of the zone, maintain posession in a 1 goal game, and regroup. he chose the latter.

while he did have one bad slipup in the first, he made the safe play. even more importantly, when he had no options at the point he put the puck on net.

and i think that’s what this team needs on the blue line right now. not saying he’s the answer, just that he had a good start and didn’t get himself into any trouble.

Eat what the monkey eats, then eat the monkey. -U.S. Navy survival guidance

by psudrozz on Feb 2, 2010 10:20 AM EST reply actions  

yes, I saw the same thing you did. He was smart with the puck unlike I’ve seen some out of the other scrubs at D this season. Another play like you mentioned, happened in the third. He got the puck at the half wall in our zone. He looked up ice and there was a Flame standing at the boards and another at center ice. Instead of throwing it up the boards directly at the player at the blue line hoping it would get out of the zone (which is what would have happened in the past) he calmly turned around and shot it all the way back around the boards to the defenseman coming off the bench from the change.

Managing Editor - HockeyOutsiders.com

by HockeyOutsiders on Feb 2, 2010 10:35 AM EST up reply actions  

saw that-he recognized and changed direction

Eat what the monkey eats, then eat the monkey. -U.S. Navy survival guidance

by psudrozz on Feb 2, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions  

You’re absolutely right about those lower camera angles in Calgary making things more exciting. It was a huge upgrade in my mind—everybody should do it.

The Daily Forehand -- SB Nation's Tennis Destination.
Broad Street Hockey.

by Ben Rothenberg on Feb 2, 2010 10:47 AM EST reply actions  

Another item for note is that not after many games do I come away thinking the Flyers got the benefit of the calls. That trip on Coburn by Mayers was stupid obviously the refs haven’t seen Coburn skate much this year. And the interference on the stick break seemed to be just the other way around. But all in all it was a 60 minute well played road game. It is somewhat comforting to see other teams that also can’t seem to get their shit together.

by M from Pdaddy on Feb 2, 2010 1:34 PM EST reply actions  

That was unquestionably the most entertaining game of the year to me. I miss that style of hockey.

by MarioD on Feb 2, 2010 1:37 PM EST reply actions  

Question for you:

If the Flyers can play that way for the rest of the year – i.e., sticking to Lavi’s “attack” system while severely limiting opposition scoring chances – are you happy with a guy like Emery in the nets?

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Feb 2, 2010 2:41 PM EST up reply actions  

They played a really really bad offensive team with four new pieces and two pieces who knew they were being traded in three hours, so your question is misleading. Even if they play the same way, I think at least 25 other teams in the league would’ve generated more offense.

by MarioD on Feb 2, 2010 2:44 PM EST up reply actions  

No it isn't.

Surely a number of teams would have generated more chances. But I’m not talking about the Flames per se, or any other team in the league. I’m just talking about the Flyers. Even though other teams would have generated more chances, the Flyers could theoretically limit their quality if they play the way they did last night.

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Feb 2, 2010 4:12 PM EST up reply actions  

I agree but playing Devil’s advocate I could and using some arguments people have brought up this year.

Calgary is ahead of the Flyers in the standings and is playing in a much stronger conference so it is a good win.

Either way if it was a game they were supposed to win they did it in quite stellar fashion.

by chrislanci on Feb 3, 2010 10:08 AM EST up reply actions  

I will answer for myself. No. I know you didn’t ask me but hey what the hell.

by M from Pdaddy on Feb 2, 2010 2:57 PM EST up reply actions  

The Philadelphia Flyers traveled to Calgary to take on the Flames Monday night.
 The game was dreadful. It was utterly plain and lacked the intensity you’d expect from two teams fighting for their playoff lives – Rory Boylen, THN website

by ToddtheFox on Feb 2, 2010 5:35 PM EST reply actions  

Wow

Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 2, 2010 6:05 PM EST up reply actions  

Funny, a lot of the Flyers beat writers seemed to share that thought on Twitter.

Apparently defensive hockey is boring.

Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Travis Hughes on Feb 2, 2010 6:32 PM EST up reply actions  

This is what’s wrong with sports. Defense, which makes for good play, is boring. Offense is all that matters. Remember how everyone said that early season game between the Flyers and Caps was an instant classic? The final score (in the SO) was like 9-8 or 8-7 (can’t remember) with no defense whatsoever? Yeah, those are the games people like.

They can have them. I’ll take last night over that kind of game any day of the week.

"Tortorella’s got it all wrong ... Gaborik shouldn’t be messing with our skilled player." -Peter Luuko

by doubleh on Feb 2, 2010 6:38 PM EST up reply actions  

I agree, although I do enjoy shootouts (lots of goals, not the Bettman gimmick) and free-wheeling offense just the same too.

As long as a game isn’t downright sloppy on all sides of the puck, I’ll enjoy it.

Broad Street Hockey - SB Nation's Philadelphia Flyers Blog. Makin' it look mean since 1967.

by Travis Hughes on Feb 2, 2010 6:54 PM EST up reply actions  

I really enjoyed that game as well with that style of hockey. It wasn’t like the Devil’s games of hold and we just sat back in the neutral zone. We attacked the Flames at their blue-line and on the forecheck they had no easy outs and couldn’t establish any offense. They played us pretty well limiting our chances and Mika made some nice saves but that wasn’t boring neutral zone trap hockey of the mid 90’s.

by chrislanci on Feb 3, 2010 10:08 AM EST up reply actions  


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(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)

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