Jeff Carter reportedly in tonight, Ville Leino out

by Travis Hughes on Apr 9, 2010 1:38 PM EDT in News

We wrote yesterday afternoon about the news that Ville Leino was going to be sitting out tonight's crucial game with the New York Rangers, and the quote CSN's Tim Panaccio got from Leino on the situation.

"We need more fighters," Leino said.

This sparked a bit of outrage, mostly due to the quote and not the sitting of Leino. Sure, he's been good, but if Jeff Carter is ready to come back, he's more important that Leino. That's just fact. But if Big Ville Style was being shut out of the lineup for 'more fighters,' than that would likely mean Riley Cote would be playing. A problem, to say the least.

It appears Leino was wrong with his perception that "more fighters" were being inserted in place of him. According to CSN, Jeff Carter is expected to play tonight in place of Leino. The Flyers leading goal scorer only skated for a few minutes during the morning skate at Madison Square Garden today, throwing most of the NY media into a frenzy like a seagull on a hot dog at the beach in July.

There are a couple schools of thought on playing Carter, though. Most people are less than confident in the way the Flyers handle injury situations (and you can't really blame those people either), and these people generally feel that Carter should sit until it's absolutely necessary -- read: until the playoffs.

Others think he should sit tonight and only play if the season is on the line come Sunday. Others think the Flyers should just ice the best team they can at all times, and whether that means Carter plays tonight or not, that's how the decision should be made.

None of the opinions matter anymore, though. It appears Carter will be in the lineup tonight, and there's no denying the boost that this could give a club that can clinch a playoff berth with a win this evening.

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I take the quote from Leino as being he meant that they didn’t sit Asham, or Hartnell, or Carcillo or any of the current “fighters” that are playing to insert Jeff. That he was being sat and the “fighters” were not. That’s just my take and pretty much what I thought when I read it yesterday, along with “smoke and mirrors”.

"Chris Pronger sneaked in the back door...banged it home."

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by Psy09 on Apr 9, 2010 1:48 PM EDT reply actions

I knew it.

Laviolette wouldn’t make the same mistake twice re: playing Cote for 3 seconds.

I hope Jeff is okay and can contribute.

Big Ville Style? Eeewwww.

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

by mikefive on Apr 9, 2010 1:48 PM EDT reply actions

Sit Hartnell

I don’t know why they continue to play hartnell when he’s been playing horrible pretty much all season.

by BryanG on Apr 9, 2010 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

Because JVR, Asham and Powe are all playing worse.

by EREX21 on Apr 9, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Which then raises the “Why don’t they sit Powe” question.

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by Geoff Detweiler on Apr 9, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

sit one of them then…doesn’t matter to me, i’m just a little disappointed that leino will be sitting out when others have been playing some bad hockey of late

by BryanG on Apr 9, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he contributes more than we see on the ice.

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by Travis Hughes on Apr 9, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed. He’s had a lot of fire in his belly over the last two weeks in particular.

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

by mikefive on Apr 9, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe Hartnell should learn from Dan Carcillo. Stop TAKING penalties and start DRAWING penalties.

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

by Geoff Detweiler on Apr 9, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

hartnell took a stupid penalty at the end of the leafs game which could have very well cost them the game. he does stuff like that and there are no repercussions (at least that we can see)

by BryanG on Apr 9, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Besides Giroux shoving him, of course.

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

by Geoff Detweiler on Apr 9, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions

well, of course lol

by BryanG on Apr 9, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he contributes more than we see on the ice.

I have to laugh at that one. Not exactly screaming in confidence. I hope Powe’s agent doesn’t try that line during his contract negotiation. We have 4 centers Richards, Briere, Carter, Betts and Powe is not nearly as good as a winger as Leino. I hope they don’t go back to old lineup with Danny on the wing with Carter and Hartnell and Giroux back to center. We won 2 in a row and played really good against MTL to change all 4 lines seems like a bad idea.

by chrislanci on Apr 9, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions

48 hours ago my fist second reaction to the argument to skate Carter or not would be to sit him until Sunday (only if we lost tonight)
Now I am so happy to know Cote isn’t playing I cant be too mad at the risk of further injuring Carter playing him too soon.
Also Im on board with the notion, win tonight, and he can sit Sunday.
Lets finnish this Tonight!

by Prometheus74 on Apr 9, 2010 1:56 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe the Flyers need to have a blanket party for Hartnell just like in “Full Metal Jacket”!!! I’m sure Claude would be the first one up.

by rvd420pete on Apr 9, 2010 2:22 PM EDT reply actions

Not a bad idea, but I don’t think it would be a very good idea, considering what happened after that.

Oh, This is bound to be good
You can't, but you thought that You could

by jello44 on Apr 9, 2010 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

OTHANKSWEETBOURBONCHRIST-GOD

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

by psudrozz on Apr 9, 2010 2:33 PM EDT reply actions

Gee, all this stuff going on tonight, with Carter, and everything that’s riding on the game….guess I’ll just watch the Sixers since the Flyers AREN"T ON MY FUCKING CABLE NETWORK! Motherfucker, that pisses me off….

by Vansteel on Apr 9, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

It’s on Versus now, if you get that.

by ohnickels on Apr 9, 2010 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it blacked out in Philly, though? Probably…

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by Travis Hughes on Apr 9, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure, just checked my guide on my TV, and Versus’s has “Regional Coverage” for hockey at 7. Would that be the Flyers I guess? God, I hope so

by Vansteel on Apr 9, 2010 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I have Comcast and my guide says “Philadelphia at New York Rangers or Atlanta at Washington”

You’ve gotta think that the Philly market is getting ATL/WSH, regardless of tv provider.

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by Travis Hughes on Apr 9, 2010 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Vansteel

what cable do you have? I live in the lehigh valley and have to go to a bar that has service electric cable to watch the game or stream it online.

by cosmicblue on Apr 9, 2010 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

How do you guys not have Comcast they cover pretty much the entire country.

by chrislanci on Apr 9, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

comcast is not available up here. we have rcn, service electric, or blue ridge, which is what i have. the only one that carries TCN is service electric. we used to get CN8 on blue ridge but when they changed it to TCN and will not pick it up.

by cosmicblue on Apr 9, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I live on the outskirts of Bethlehem and have RCN.

by Vansteel on Apr 9, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope we get the Flyer game here in Oregon

by The Legend on Apr 9, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

vansteel- a couple of us are probably going to pj’s at walbert (309 and walbert ave) for the game, we watched the leafs game there on tuesday, very hockey friendly.

by cosmicblue on Apr 9, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, that’s a bit far for me to go drinking. I’m actually Lower Saucon, but I have a Bethlehem address. (I’m a bit south of Starters on 378.) I might hit MacGrady’s on the South Side, it’s pretty close to me. Thanks for the invite though

by Vansteel on Apr 9, 2010 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions

good deal. i actually live up towards slatington, so walbert is one of the closest that will have the game for me. MacGrady’s is a good time, my friend matt is a bartender there.

by cosmicblue on Apr 9, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Matty? I know him pretty well. I dated a very good friend of his, Lisa, for a long time.

by Vansteel on Apr 10, 2010 7:23 AM EDT up reply actions

I like Carter playing. lets be honest here, if the team takes the approach that they should sit Carter until the playoffs, that message will reverberate throughout the locker room and the rest of the team will decide that they too should ‘sit’ until the playoffs…thus missing them all together. I know that sounds stupid, but I think we all know this team by now. any indication from the powers that be that they are saving anything for the playoffs will make the team feel like theyve already made the playoffs and dont need to play with as much urgency.

we really have nothing to lose here. Now im just ready for this damn game to start already…3 and a half hours from now is too long haha

by njh3293 on Apr 9, 2010 3:31 PM EDT reply actions

re-injury

Bone fracture is not a groin pull, back spasms, sports hernia etc.. the odds of re-injury are low. A shot to the foot that re-injuries that fracture is probably just as likely to fracture a healthy bone same goes for a slash. Can’t worry about re-injury if he can skate he can play.

by chrislanci on Apr 9, 2010 4:15 PM EDT reply actions