Flyers hold off goony Rangers, wrap up road swing with 3-2 win

by Travis Hughes on Jan 16, 2011 10:38 PM EST in Philadelphia Flyers Game Recaps - 10-11

[Box Score] - [Wire Recap] - [SBN Game Page] - [New York Reaction]
[Shift Charts] - [Head-to-Head TOI] - [Corsi and Fenwick] - [5-on-5 Faceoffs]

It all started off according to plan. The Flyers came out in the final game of an unbelievable stretch of road games on fire, lighting up the New York Rangers for two goals in the first period.

The Rangers didn't really have a prayer, either. From puck drop to the horn of the first period, the Flyers were all over the New York end of the ice. Puck control, winning battles, solid passing, tons of chances, complete domination. It carried over into the second period, when the Flyers added a third goal on a perfectly executed shorthanded 2-on-1 between Claude Giroux and Mike Richards.

And then the game turned into Sunday Night Fights. We're going to have a full breakdown in the morning of the mess that was the 8:32 mark of the second period, but for now, all we need to know is that it completely turned the game around. The Rangers were down and out of the game, they gooned things up, and from there, they had jump. They pressed the issue. They controlled the puck. They made the Flyers look silly.

Throughout the entire second half of the game, the Flyers were on their heels, apparently standing in some type of quick sand. I know the MSG ice was worse than usual tonight, but it wasn't so soft you could get stuck in it. The Rangers simply imposed their will, and if it weren't for some magnificent play from Brian Boucher, the Flyers would've blown their three goal lead.

Instead, they were able to hold the Rangers to just two. As a result, tonight feels like a pretty crappy win, but at the same time, it feels like a pretty ballsy win. They had to dig deep in that third period, and while they shouldn't have been in that position in the first place, it's a win over the Rangers. We'll take it.

After the jump, some bullets, questions with answers and the comment of the night.

- Dude, James van Riemsdyk is a boss. He's a legitimate power forward all of the sudden. He skates with power, he guards the puck with power, he hits with power, he wins puck battles with power, he runs over Martin Biron with power. Keep at it, Jimmy.

- Jody Shelley was mouthing off to Sean Avery after the whole fight thing. He said after the game that even though the game was 3-0 at that point, it was still a game and it's important not to do anything stupid. As much as we wanted to see Avery get his, Shelley's right. And there's plenty of season left, too.

- The Flyers three third period shots were the fewest they've had in a period all year. Yikes.

- Matt Walker actually seemed to be settling in there for a while tonight, but he didn't see the ice after the 10 minute mark of the third. Not particularly surprising given the way the Flyers were pinned in their own end. As a result, Coburn put in his second busiest night of the season with 23:50 of ice time.

- MSG scorers give out hits like candy, but the Flyers had 33 tonight.

- Richards needs two more shorties to tie Mark Howe on the Flyers All-Time list.

- Avery sucks.

Questions with Answers

What does Wojtek Wolski bring to the Rangers' top line? I don't care. His name is stupid. (He scored the Rangers bizarre first goal.)
Can the Flyers beat an old friend in Martin Biron? Many, many times.
The yet-to-be-named line. Continued awesome, right? Briere didn't score, but yes, Leino did and he also assisted on Carter's goal. Leino's goal was basically Meszaros' fault, actually, but still.
Sean O`Donnell had perhaps his best (definitely his most noticeable) game as a Flyer on Friday in Atlanta. More from him? Wasn't nearly as noticeable, but he was good.
The Rangers think they can hang with the Flyers and Penguins in the Atlantic Division. Do the orange and black put them in their place, or do the Rangers prove that hey, maybe they do belong? They really had no business being in that game from a hockey standpoint. The Flyers are clearly the better team, but they just didn't seem to care after those fights. Which is weird. The Rangers deserve some credit, but I don't think this game proved that they can hang.

Comment of the Night

The Earth's wobble changed up the zodiacs, but not Avery's doucheness.

>> JasonB

Tweet Comment 165 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Is this the turnaround for Shelley? Maybe he’ll start earning that contract from now on.

T.G.O.D.

by Daniel Solomon on Jan 16, 2011 10:43 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, I’m dumbfounded. He scored a goal. A nice one. And now he states the importance of keeping your head and not doing anything stupid that would jeopardize the game. If he keeps this up, I just might start to like the guy.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 9:43 AM EST up reply actions

I always liked Shelley the guy, but I also will always hate the Shelley contract. He’s a very likable guy if you ever listened to the NHL channel on XM and heard him talk on any of the shows there.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 9:46 AM EST up reply actions

That’s cool, I haven’t heard any of that.

My dislike goes back to the season opener, when he stepped on the ice, ignored the hockey game going on at the other end, and made a beeline for the Penguins net to take a run at Fleury. To be fair, Fleury was wearing a Penguins jersey, so he had it coming, but still. Since that was the first time I saw Shelley in a Flyers uniform, it left me with the impression of “great, this guy is barely going to get any ice time, and when he does, he’s just going to go goon it up and take stupid penalties.” I like that the Flyers play tough and physical, but there’s a line, and I had it in my mind that Shelley was on the wrong side of it. Contract and personality aside, I didn’t like the way he played. Now, that has the potential to change if he keeps up this streak of being smart and playing hockey.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions

He has always had a reputation of being a team first guy, and would police while being smart. The start to his Flyers career didn’t really match his reputation, but maybe it was him being over eager to make an impact for this organization in that role, and he just got a little over zealous. He is very well respected from everything I had heard from him and about him before he was ever a Flyer, but none the less, I hate that contract haha.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

BTW, Don, I saw you Bob’d a Bruins troll the other day, and it confused him. I wanted to give you props for it there, but didn’t want to give away the joke (despite the fact that we came up with that idea earlier in the same thread). That completely cracked me up. Well done.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

A link for those that missed it.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 10:03 AM EST up reply actions

Haha thank you…yeah I figured, since he was trolling he wouldn’t bother reading the rest of the thread, or Bob’s in the thread to understand it.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 11:30 AM EST up reply actions

Hmm, good point. But this proves that it was an effective troll-deterrent and we should put this plan into action immediately.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 11:31 AM EST up reply actions

Claiming JVR

I’ve had this .sig for a couple of weeks – I’ve intended to claim JVR as Geoff has Boosh, Don has Nodl and Mike has Powe.

(Note to self: need to watch to see if he suddenly tanks on hearing who is claiming him :-)).

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 16, 2011 10:44 PM EST reply actions

haha, apparently players are going like crazy around here.

M has Shelley, Ben has Oskars, cillo has Carcillo… Not many will be left soon.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 16, 2011 10:52 PM EST up reply actions

Well, I’m calling dibs on G then, before he’s taken

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 10:53 PM EST up reply actions

Damn, then I’m callin dibs on Richie.

Guess I better think of something good to add to my tagline.

#1 Flyers Fan in New York

Good bye #12, you will always bleed Orange and Black.

by Lindbergh 31 on Jan 16, 2011 10:56 PM EST up reply actions

“You’re Awesome, Mike!”

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 10:56 PM EST up reply actions

Haha! I know what that’s from…

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 16, 2011 10:57 PM EST up reply actions

Haha I know that too

by phinally on Jan 17, 2011 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

And if I have somehow missed somebody claiming Richie, I stake my 2nd choice for Danny Boy.

#1 Flyers Fan in New York

Good bye #12, you will always bleed Orange and Black.

by Lindbergh 31 on Jan 16, 2011 10:57 PM EST up reply actions

Briere is mine, lol. I’ll sucker punch you Sean Avery-style for him.

Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.

by doubleh on Jan 16, 2011 11:08 PM EST up reply actions

Ok, Richie it is! (ducks and runs for life)

#1 Flyers Fan in New York

Good bye #12, you will always bleed Orange and Black.

by Lindbergh 31 on Jan 16, 2011 11:11 PM EST up reply actions

Lappy and Leino for me!

Cause one’s not currently playing and Don already took Noodles.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 16, 2011 11:17 PM EST up reply actions

You know what?

I want Pronger.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 16, 2011 11:59 PM EST up reply actions

Leino is mine.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Jan 17, 2011 12:09 AM EST up reply actions

Giroux is mine.

Is Paul Holmgren really bad at managing the salary cap? Does Matt Stairs enjoy getting his ass hammered by guys?
Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Jan 17, 2011 12:14 AM EST up reply actions

Sorry, already had dibs

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 17, 2011 12:15 AM EST up reply actions

Damn. So does this mean Michael Leighton is the only one left?

by Justin F. on Jan 17, 2011 12:23 AM EST up reply actions

You can still get SOD, I think.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jan 17, 2011 12:23 AM EST up reply actions

I’m actually going for Matt Walker and whoever the 2011 fourth rounder (TB) turns into.

Or not.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 12:26 AM EST up reply actions

We’ll trade it before the draft to persuade someone to take one of our players in a salary dump.

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 17, 2011 12:29 AM EST up reply actions

Hartnell’s still up.

Carle? Coburn?

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 12:30 AM EST up reply actions

Heck, has everyone forgotten about Kimmo?

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 12:30 AM EST up reply actions

KIMMO’S MINE!

by Justin F. on Jan 17, 2011 12:31 AM EST up reply actions

Too late, Justin. DG already claimed Kimmo.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 12:32 AM EST up reply actions

Missed that. Too many words

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 12:33 AM EST up reply actions

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

Hartnell for me, then.

by Justin F. on Jan 17, 2011 12:33 AM EST up reply actions

Is there any point taking someone just for the sake of it?

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 12:34 AM EST up reply actions

Laughs?

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 17, 2011 12:35 AM EST up reply actions

That’s just degrading the sports-mancrush.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 12:36 AM EST up reply actions

You’re right. I want to be mancrush_in_waiting for Giroux, then.

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 17, 2011 12:39 AM EST up reply actions

mancubine?

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 17, 2011 12:40 AM EST up reply actions

I can never keep up with all your posting. I am always late to everyone. So I will just claim Nicholas Luukko now and hope for the best. (Besides, he’ll be playing up here at UVM soon)

personally
I think the Devils and Kovalchuk should now sue the NHL for age discrimination. They’re essentially saying he CAN’T play until he’s 44.

Go Devils
by FrankG929 on Aug 9, 2010 5:15 PM PDT

by 02h32m01s on Jan 17, 2011 12:43 AM EST up reply actions

But I want to fit in! I want to be cool!

by Justin F. on Jan 17, 2011 12:47 AM EST up reply actions

What if it’s not a mancrush?

(BTW I claim dibs on Nodl for when Don can’t be around.)

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 12:55 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I guess in this case (as in mine) it’s just a crush-crush, but that would imply puck bunny, and I loathe that descriptor and everything that it implies.

Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.

by doubleh on Jan 17, 2011 12:58 AM EST up reply actions

(responding to doubleh cause I think we’ve reached the point where you can’t tell whose post is a response to whose)

Yeah it’s a bit different when most of the people on here are guys.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 1:00 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t think having a favourite player on the team you love makes you a puck bunny.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 1:09 AM EST up reply actions

Good.

Puck bunnies are one of the things that makes me sad in this world.

And I have three favorites anyway.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 1:12 AM EST up reply actions

Unfortunately, according to some men, when you are a female fan and you have a favorite player it can be interpreted as such. It’s a complex issue. I mean, if I admit I find him cute, it belittles my admiration of his play.

Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.

by doubleh on Jan 17, 2011 1:14 AM EST up reply actions

Some men are stupid.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 1:21 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah. I mean, I find some athletes cute. But I also find some athletes to be incredibly skilled and awesome at their sport. It’s when you have the former without the latter that’s when you cross into Puck Bunny territory.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 1:51 AM EST up reply actions

Oh really? Blah.

My top choices are either taken, taken, or probably not playing again.

Prongerrrrrrrrrr. Seriously people.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 12:15 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I mean it’s never been explicit but ever since that RockStar22 article he’s been my boy. If we don’t sign him I’m going to be pa-issssed.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Jan 17, 2011 12:17 AM EST up reply actions

It’s fine.

I get Pronger. I’m happy.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 17, 2011 12:19 AM EST up reply actions

I’ll take FritoLay Znigma!

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 17, 2011 12:31 AM EST up reply actions

Owner of the patented “slack check”.

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 17, 2011 12:36 AM EST up reply actions

I got dibs on Carter because no one else will want him.

"Want a donut go to dunkin donuts, want a linebacker go to Penn State."
- Cris Carter, NFL Draft, 4/25/09

twitter: @princessblueezy

by kmblue on Jan 16, 2011 11:30 PM EST up reply actions

And the hair

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:33 PM EST up reply actions

Don shouldn’t be able to protest since he’s already claimed Nodl all to himself, but I’m calling dibs on Kimmo (I don’t believe anybody else already has). I may not use the broken record routine as often as some people around here, but I think I’ve mentioned my love for Kimmo’s steady consistent play more than enough times. Now I’ve really gotta finish coming up with a tagline, too..

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 16, 2011 11:47 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah I can’t protest he is my favorite Flyer, and was my favorite Dman when he was in Nashville, but I thought claiming players was reserved for the not as popular ones. You know Boosh, Powe, Nodl…guys that don’t get a ton of love in general. But I guess we’ve moved on to claiming anyone. As long as I can still be second in line for Kimo should anything ever happen to you, I’m cool with it haha.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:39 AM EST up reply actions

I think popularity went out the window at the beginning of the discussion… And Kimmo still doesn’t get enough love anyway, especially outside of BSH.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 8:48 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah I saw that, that’s kind of why I brought it up…but those were the rules I pretty much stuck to…of the players mentioned, Kimo probably gets the least amount of love anyway.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:51 AM EST up reply actions

Yep, he’s still too underrated.

But speaking of under-appreciated players, you know who I’m surprised wasn’t scooped up in this discussion? Betts.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 8:56 AM EST up reply actions

Me too actually, I thought for sure someone would have said his name. Maybe b/c he isn’t having as good of a season.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:57 AM EST up reply actions

Which isn’t entirely on him, since even though he’s fallen off somewhat, I think in his role he’s going to be judged by the 4th line and the success of the PK as much as he’s judged by his individual effort. But he’s still super steady back there, so even though his faceoffs have dropped, I don’t think the level of effort he brings has changed.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 9:12 AM EST up reply actions

Effort hasn’t changed obviously, but the PK has been a disappointment, though you can’t pin that all on him, however the faceoffs have been very disappointing.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 9:18 AM EST up reply actions

Maybe it’s because he misses Lappy

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 17, 2011 11:25 AM EST up reply actions

Thta’s kind of what I am implying, that Lappy was the key to that PK unit.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t know that Lappy was the key, or if it was just the magic of how well they worked together. I think the synergy of the two of them together was the real trick to it all.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 7:04 PM EST up reply actions

I think they did work very well together, but Lappy always struck me as the key, the way he got in lane was uncanny…honestly I think anyone he was paired with would benefit, he just played lanes so effectively, which is key on the PK.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 7:19 PM EST up reply actions

We agree to disagree, I guess. I felt it was a case where they both made the other better, because the whole was greater than the sum of it’s parts. We miss Lappy either way, though.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 8:00 PM EST up reply actions

Dibs on Bob.

(like that’s a surprise to anyone here)

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jan 16, 2011 11:55 PM EST up reply actions

Darn, I was just about to say “Wait, maybe Bobs instead.”

Damn you, Don for taking laying such early claim to Nodl.

Ian Laperriere (EE-an luh-PAIR-ee-YAIR), proper noun
Definition: Bad-assery on skates

by Chemistry66 on Jan 16, 2011 11:57 PM EST up reply actions

I claimed Nodl at St. Cloud.

Ranford is still up for grabs, might as well take an early shot at him haha.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:36 AM EST up reply actions

Son of a bitch! I was just going down the comments thinking “nobody has claimed Bob yet!!!”

And there you are.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 9:45 AM EST up reply actions

I’m waiting for Bertilsson or Backlund.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 16, 2011 11:59 PM EST up reply actions

Backlund??

Shit, I’ll wait for Eriksson. But I have far too many as it is, and the relationships need to develop organically. I’ll stick with Boucher and Calvert (2 NHL goals in 5 games) for now.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

Been crushin on G since his first stint here when he had his first few shifts and looked like Forsberg with some of his moves

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 17, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions

Cookie?

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 12:46 PM EST up reply actions

Why, yes, I’d love one.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 17, 2011 12:50 PM EST up reply actions

I’ll admit, I’m looking forward to the goaltending duo of Joe and Bob. I realize you’ll be crushed when Boucher is no longer a Flyer, but he’s not getting any younger, and the potential for both goalies to have such casual nicknames amuses me.

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 17, 2011 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

I seriously didn’t mean to start a war right there.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

Too bad Danilo Ilić, you started it and I fear it won’t end well.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Jan 17, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions

Hmmm I wonder who mine is….

Laperriere is my hero
Carcillo's my lover
Bobrovsky's my savior
Hockeys my life

by Cillo stache on Jan 17, 2011 8:59 AM EST up reply actions

Let me guess, the guy who in a month will be traded away for a draft pick?

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 10:19 AM EST up reply actions

If you’re interested in a former Flyer who has a >$5M cap hit, a mere 6 goals on the year, a stout -21 rating and is fragile as a tiny tea cup, I can interest you in a certain forward currently playing for the Lightning.

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 10:25 AM EST up reply actions

Dude, you’re going on The List as soon as Kat reads this. You’ll be #2, right behind Homer.

Bob.

by The Dark on Jan 17, 2011 12:00 PM EST up reply actions

He’s on mine.

Gagne’s 6 goals in TB means nothing. If he were here, where he has chemistry and prior bonds with his players, he’s probably one of our 9 players with 10 goals.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Jan 17, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions

Perhaps ~~- but the huge cap hit, long stretches of injury and horrible +/~~ rating wash out any hypothetical jump in goal production he would have had wearing orange and black. Gagne’s a great guy, and I thought at the time Holmgren was stupid for unloading him for such a pitiful return. But the more I think about that trade now, Holmgren did the right thing.

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 12:18 PM EST up reply actions

FYI no matter how logical and smart your argument is I won’t listen to you b/c Gagne was my favorite Flyer of all time and he should have never left the orange and black until he left the league. He was is and always will be a Flyer.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Jan 17, 2011 12:26 PM EST up reply actions

Gagne’s on-ice shooting percentage is 4.32. His on-ice save percentage is 0.850.

If he were on the Flyers, we’d be arguing whether his 8.23 on-ice save percentage (Zherdev) and 0.913 save percentage (Giroux) were keeping him from better minutes.

In other words: His plus/minus is shit. He has the worst luck of anybody in Tampa, about 15% of which he can control. And when he’s getting the second best zone starts and STILL driving the play forward, you can’t really shit on him for stuff out of his control.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:29 PM EST up reply actions

Can I shit near him?

But seriously, I still don’t think it was the right move necessarily, but who knows. Maybe both this team and that potential team could win the cup, maybe neither could, we have no idea. But from a Cap perspective, I would have preferred one of my alternatives which involved keeping Gagne, and signing a more reasonable 3rd pairing guy.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 12:33 PM EST up reply actions

What I’m saying is: Gagne is not having a bad year.

I’m not even getting into the “Homer was right/wrong”, the “Flyers would be better/are better”, or any other arguments.

Right now, I’m seriously flirting with the idea of writing an article on Gagne. He’s almost an advanced stats argumentative dick’s dream. Look at his popular stats, and he sucks. Look at his advanced stats, and he’s just fine.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

Oh I know exactly what you are saying, that didn’t need to be explained to me. And I was just continuing on the line of thought that brando starts about Homer doing the right thing by trading Gags.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

haha, I’m going to avoid that road today, thank you.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

Fair enough…I was just making a joke, and trying to provide Shaun with a decent counter argument besides his love of Gagne.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

I think we’ve hijacked this argument…

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 17, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions

Regardless of how you feel about this argument, one thing to me is certain — the Flyers would not have been able to acquire both Meszaros and Zherdev if Gagne was still on the team. Of course, there are all other types of hypothetical moves that could have been made to improve defense and scoring from the right wing while managing to keep Gagne’s cap hit, but I don’t see how the team could have acquired Meszos and Z with Gags on the team. So my question is: Is Gags worth more than both Meszos and Z?

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

I can link it if you want, I had Z and Gagne, and a legitimate 3rd pairing Dman.

So the question is, do you need your 3rd pairing to be this good, or would you rather have a more normal 3rd pairing plus Z and Gags.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 2:12 PM EST up reply actions

Fair enough, but while I was doubtful at first, I think Meszos is worth what he’s making and makes the Flyers a better team. If the Flyers were not leading the conference, I might think that Gags should’ve been kept. Because the Flyers are winning without him—plus Gags’ $5M+ cap hit, injury history and limited production—I argue that the Homer was right to trade him. Just my opinion.

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah but that’s $5.25 mil you have in cap space next year when gagne comes off the books after this season.

Also, I don’t think Meszaros is earning that money given the competition he is fighting. Even though he plays in all situations and is playing decent minutes, his use at ES is as a 3rd pairing Dman in terms of the competition he faces. No 3rd pairing Dman is worth $4mil. Has Meszaros player very well this season, of course, but to have 5 top 2 pairing Dmen, makes one of them poor value by default. Meszaros, as we move on to the next 3 season of his contract, and we trade/lose Dmen, will have the chance to earn that paycheck. However, based on team needs in the off season, he was an over spend and luxury, and makes the cap situation moving forward very difficult with out trading one of our current Dmen.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

Hartnell-Briere-Leino
Z-Carter-JVR
Gagne-Richards-Giroux
Powe-Betts-Nodl

Sploosh.

by Snevik on Jan 17, 2011 2:39 PM EST up reply actions

With Pronger injured, where would the Flyers be without Meszos? Playing O’Donnell 20+ minutes a night, probably.

by memphisbrando on Jan 17, 2011 3:19 PM EST up reply actions

I would say probably playing Timonen and Coburn closer to 30 minutes a night, playing Carle and other perfectly capable 3rd pairing guy that could play 2nd pairing minutes when needed during injury 25 minutes a game, and OD and Bartulis being shielded. Go look at the FA Dmen that signed this summer, there are plenty of players to play the fill in this role for far less. Unless it was a season ending injury, you can’t justify that $4mil. And even if he was out for the season, there are always trade avenues. You are assuming that the other 3rd pairing guy is a scrub, which is just incorrect.

So I would say the Flyers would be pretty close to where they are now, but that’s just my opinion.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 3:31 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe they’d lose a few points in the regular season. But they are toast without Pronger in the playoffs either way.

by Snevik on Jan 17, 2011 3:33 PM EST up reply actions

Toast>Bread.

Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Jan 17, 2011 3:38 PM EST up reply actions

Warm, fresh bread>Toast>Bread

by Snevik on Jan 17, 2011 3:45 PM EST up reply actions

Ooh, this.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 4:40 PM EST up reply actions

There’s a first time for everything.

by Snevik on Jan 17, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions

I got home after the fights so I only saw the lousy half of the game.

Zherdev sucks defensively. I give the guy credit for trying, but he chases the puck too damn much. See the second Ranger goal, when he went running after the puck behind the net when both Flyer defenders were back there. Then Zherdev’s man is wide open in front and capitalizes.

It’s not that the guy DOESN’T WANT TO play defense, it’s like he CAN’T. Man-to-man coverage in your own end unless no one else on your team is anywhere near the puck! Communicate!

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 10:47 PM EST reply actions

So do the Z for Upshall rumors make sense?

Note: I’m guessing the rumors have no basis in fact, I’m just trying to figure out if it’s a good idea, other than for nostalgia. The cap hits are very close.

Of course, unless the cap goes WAY up, you could not sign both Leino and Upshall after the season.

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 16, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions

I take back my criticism of Zherdev after watching the replay. Stepan was Coburn’s man since Zherdev had gone behind the net after the puck in the first place.

Still though, once he got back there he was almost like, “Wait, now what do I do?” I maintain my position that Zherdev tries to play defense but fails.

Never heard Z for Upshall rumors so I can’t comment there.

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, was looking for that comment after seeing the replay and him being back there before the 2nd Dman went back. And in his defense, he gets back there in traffic, the puck comes out and the shot is taken. Not much he could do.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:46 PM EST up reply actions

The problem was, when Z laid down that first hit, the Ranger he knocked down went down right in front of Coburn, who had to jump to clear him and lost his stride. It wasn’t really either of their faults, it was just a guy going down in exactly the wrong place.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jan 16, 2011 11:57 PM EST up reply actions

It’s quite possible Lavi will NOT interpret the play in this way.

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 17, 2011 12:13 AM EST up reply actions

It’s entirely possible that Lavi will see it differently, that’s just what I thought I saw in real time, and definitely saw on the replay. Z hit the Ranger, the Ranger went down right in front of Coburn. As Z chased the puck behind the net, Coburn had to jump the Ranger and seemed to stumble as he landed, leaving both of them out of position.

Honor is no substitute for victory.

by The Dark on Jan 17, 2011 12:21 AM EST up reply actions

well that’d be dumb.

by j reed on Jan 17, 2011 12:50 AM EST up reply actions

Glad to see it change, but in general, I’m just glad people are recognizing that Z is giving the effort, he just isn’t great at it. He does get lost in coverage in the Dzone, which is the same type of a weakness of a forward that cannot create or find the open space in the Ozone…but no one ever complains about those types of layers as long as they are solid defensively. Still boggles my mind, but whatever.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:42 AM EST up reply actions

To his credit, he did look appropriately disappointed when the puck went in….

I'm kind of a dick.

by Vansteel on Jan 17, 2011 8:43 AM EST up reply actions

But as long as he’s actually trying, he’ll hopefully start to get the hang of it by the end of the season. He’s definitely trying more now than he used to be, hopefully Lavy is recognizing that.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 8:50 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I’m still hopeful on him. His scoring is so sweet, I’d hate to throw that away because he’s still a work-in-progress on defense.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!

by hintzy64 on Jan 17, 2011 9:47 AM EST up reply actions

Good write up, looking forward to the write up on the fights. Btw Travis, 2nd sentence, you have “om” instead of “on”.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 10:48 PM EST reply actions

Flyers looked like they were out of gas and overly cautious on the lousy ice as the game went on. That said, I’m wary of the team’s defensive efforts in two of the last three games. Maybe they just need a break, which they’ll get starting next Wednesday. But whatever works. They need to tighten up back there.

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 10:52 PM EST reply actions

Don’t know that it was all their fault, there was lots of dumb passes going on, taking the puck backwards, cutesy stuff at the opposing blue line. They just didn’t take care of the puck at all.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 10:55 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t have a problem with them moving the puck backwards if they’re maintaining possession and not seeing anything developing up-ice. But on a surface like MSG, you’ve got to be careful.

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 10:58 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I gotcha, and they unfortunately weren’t. The possession game they have been able to play for most games this year reminds me of Detroit when they were killing teams. When they can keep that up, they are almost unstoppable.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:02 PM EST up reply actions

Hey Travis, that part about Richie needing a couple of shorties to tie Howe on the Flyers’ all-time list, was that for first? If so, that’s pretty incredible. I mean, I knew he was on an amazing pace, but…wow.

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 16, 2011 10:54 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, that’s all time, they showed the stat during the game

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 10:56 PM EST up reply actions

The Road Trip

Since the Florida ~~game~~ debacle, the Flyers had 9 of 10 games on the road. After starting 1-2 on the West Coast, they went 6-1. Very, very nice. I predicted before the roadtrip they might have a letdown game (um, Boston) but it’s good they kept it to one.

Now, their goofy schedule this year has them playing 8 of 10 at home. Gotta keep it going at WFC. No reason they could not go 7-3 or 8-2 overall.

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 16, 2011 11:04 PM EST reply actions

Nice there's no winter swoon this season

by Skip-O-Matic on Jan 16, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions

Shut your mouth

It usually happens in February.

Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement.

by doubleh on Jan 16, 2011 11:13 PM EST up reply actions

In 1984-85, they had a pretty nice February. They started out 0-2-1, then won 8 in a row and lost their last game of the month. So they went 8-3-1 then.

But other years… yeah. February is a cruel month. 3-5-1 in 1987. 5-7-0 in 1989. 4-8-2 in 2008.

"Darroll can't see it, blind to the eyes;
He came up in your face OOPS POWE SURPRISE!"
Man-crushin' on #36 since he hit his "absolute ceiling" as a rookie in 2008.

by mikefive on Jan 16, 2011 11:54 PM EST up reply actions

Dubinsky / Richards

Not sure why Dubinsky jumped on Shelley’s back during the melee. Had he left Jody alone perhaps we would have been down a man for two minutes.

I agree that the possession game in the 3rd period was astounding. No confidence…..and it led to more than a few good NYR scoring chances.

Flyesr Shorthanded goals: Clarke 32 / Barber 31 / Poulin 27 / Howe 24 / Richards 23

by Skip-O-Matic on Jan 16, 2011 11:08 PM EST reply actions

Thanks, Skip, that makes more sense. Still damned impressive, of course…

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it.

by Jody_Shelley's_Frankenstein on Jan 16, 2011 11:19 PM EST up reply actions

Hear about the big trade? Guess who’s back!
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470170

by Justin F. on Jan 16, 2011 11:17 PM EST reply actions

Following DGB’s advice?

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:19 PM EST up reply actions

Is this for real?

And if so, why?

I have stated that Homer is a “collector of talent”. This player does not count in this category.

Also this would take us to 9 defensemen (not even including DSOD). Is Homer getting hints from RAJ about how many players are needed?

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 16, 2011 11:20 PM EST up reply actions

Before any one freaks out too much:

DownGoesBrown Weird NHL web glitch: Any player who previously played for a team will still show up on that team’s web site for the current season.

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:22 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks.

Hey, DG: looks like there might be another job opportunity for you…as nhl.com webmaster (you could probably do this in your spare time after serving as Cap Czar).

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 16, 2011 11:25 PM EST up reply actions

Seriously, I miss the game thread and I’m being volunteered for more work? Bad enough I missed it because I already spend too much time on here, but if I’m going to be given more assignments because I’m not here I guess it’ll never be safe to take a day off.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 16, 2011 11:46 PM EST up reply actions

Hey, I was thinking about a paid gig at nhl.com. But on second thought, maybe they don’t pay and maybe that’s why it has problems sometimes.

Set your JVR in 2011.
Merry Cliffmas and Happy Halladays....Phils toys that will be used all year.

by Bud in TN on Jan 17, 2011 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

Haha, maybe. But again, just like the theoretical capologist position, I’d get fired right away for mouthing off about something…. “Fix the CBA”, or “I’m not posting another article about Crosby, we’ve already put up 3 new ones today”, etc etc.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 12:18 AM EST up reply actions

Well thanks for ruining my fun!

Now I need to do this at Blueshirt Banter with the Rangers and Scott Gomez…..

by Justin F. on Jan 16, 2011 11:28 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, sorry, couldn’t let it go and have everyone flip out. Too late for that

G, the second coming of Foppa.

by JerseyDriver on Jan 16, 2011 11:29 PM EST up reply actions

I did it

by Justin F. on Jan 16, 2011 11:35 PM EST up reply actions

But you can get to anybody’s Flyers player page for practically forever, anyway. You just have to go through the all-time roster link to get there…. Like here’s Forsberg, Upshall, Umberger… It looks just like it did when they were here, except their stats continue to update.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 16, 2011 11:59 PM EST up reply actions

OT

Someone tweet “Durkin’s at Diversey and Halsted” to tpanotch

by Snevik on Jan 16, 2011 11:20 PM EST reply actions

The comments at hockeyfights.com

Hard to say which was worse… Avery’s spot-picking slash ground-punching, or Newbury’s cheap shot on Walker, as he squared to fight.

Avery gets in the only shot taking down Carle, I won’t get into what he did after his takedown. I’m a Ranger fan and I didn’t like it too much…

Avery is a complete puke!

Sean Avery again showing how much of a * he is fighting and cheap shotting a non fighter.

At least the community sees it pretty clearly.

by Eric T. on Jan 16, 2011 11:57 PM EST reply actions

Aaaaaayyyyeeeeeeee ! Ref C’mon ! Whaddaya mean Avery Sucker Punched Carle Ooooh !

FLYERROB ! YOU STAY AWESOME FLYERS FANS ! www.naawayland.com Robert Wilson

by FLYERROB on Jan 17, 2011 12:52 AM EST reply actions

It might be really premature but not knowing a lot about walker I was led to believe he was a joke but without going overboard he has played nicely. I like his physical game and he is not a horrible skater. He could be a legitimate long term odonnel who I like and isn’t top four but really nice to have on the corps. This could always change but he is not a waste of time.
Also I need two say after a couple recent games it has become more evident that someone finally convinced JVR that he can get to the net because he is bigger then most guys and it is not as scary as it seems. Over the last month he has added a net crashing, getting his face washed in the crease aspect to his game which is truly inspiring me to believe he might be getting to know his capabilities and potential. That is very encouraging.
The team got a little tired and bored with toying around with the rangers last night but I really never believed the rangers could win. Good road win last night against an antagonizingly mediocre team that can beat you if you are not careful.

Just Call Me "M"!

by MJDII on Jan 17, 2011 6:02 AM EST reply actions

I don’t know about you, but I’ve actually enjoyed the fact that JVR has been getting some goaltender interference penalties lately, because at least it means he’s been going to the net hard.

by Phalange on Jan 17, 2011 8:17 AM EST up reply actions

The criticism about Walker is his contract versus role.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:46 AM EST up reply actions

Can’t forget to mention that hit Timmo took late in the game to get the puck out of the zone….big play.

I'm kind of a dick.

by Vansteel on Jan 17, 2011 8:45 AM EST reply actions

He got crushed.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:47 AM EST up reply actions

Which seems to happen all too often at the end of close games, unfortunately.

by DragonGirl0583 on Jan 17, 2011 8:52 AM EST up reply actions

I would like to see him get some rest at some point before the playoffs. Hopefully the team puts themselves in a position where he can take a few games off without it being a big deal.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:56 AM EST up reply actions

Meszaros Grading

So I was torn on what to give him, everyone seemed to play really well, and really not so well at some point in this game, I settled on a 3/5.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 8:47 AM EST reply actions

Curious, as a D-Man, your take on the first Rangers goal. If I remember correctly, he got beat pretty bad to the outside? A soft goal that shouldn’t have gone in, but it seemed like the Ranger flew right by him

I'm kind of a dick.

by Vansteel on Jan 17, 2011 9:16 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, it seemed like he wasn’t really moving his feet, and Wolski breezed right around him without much effort, but he kept the play moving to the outside in theory (not sure if that wasn’t just Wolskis decision). I didn’t get to see the lanes, so I hope he was deciding to stay in one, forcing the weak angle shot. I didn’t really put that one on him given the angle of the shot, though he looked very awkward on the play.

And I no longer play D, just at our pick up games haha. I remember during one game in Pee Wee, I got moved to forward for a period b/c of an injury, and I scored 2 goals, the next year, I was a forward. Though all my youth camps and first years in competitive hockey were spent at D, but I moved to forward and stayed there. Though I always played 2 leagues, and not all of them were competitive, so the less competitive ones I would move back to D.

Geoff has Boosh, Mike's got Powe, Nodl is all mine!
Is this the right room for an argument?

by DLJr on Jan 17, 2011 9:20 AM EST up reply actions

I agree with the 3. I only specifically noticed him once on offense and once on defense, during a goal for each team. But the feed was choppy for me, so grain of salt.

by Snevik on Jan 17, 2011 10:42 AM EST up reply actions