Flyers vs. Sabres preview: Points vital as playoff race tightens

by Travis Hughes on Feb 16, 2012 1:58 PM EST

The big storyline heading into tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres is that Ville Leino makes his first trip back to Philadelphia since he signed in there over the summer. Wait, what? We're still talking about the guy who has 15 points in 45 games this year? I guess it's still pretty hilarious, but there are more important things at hand tonight ...

7 p.m. tonight at Wells Fargo Center in South Philly
TV: CSN Philly, MSG Buffalo | Radio: 94 WIP [feed]
First Bank of Pegulaville: Die By The Blade
Tickets: Starting at $27, average price $78

... like, for example, how the Flyers can't seem to win a hockey game. Go over to the NHL Standings right now. It's not pretty, but just do it. The Flyers are tied with the Penguins for second place in the Atlantic -- and thus, are barely hanging on to 4th place in the Eastern Conference, needed for home ice. All of the sudden, the Flyers are TEN POINTS behind the Rangers, who are running away with the division title.

Scarier, though, is that the Devils are closing in on the Flyers as well. They sit just a point back, and are probably in a better position than Pittsburgh given that they've played one fewer game than the Pens. Things are tightening way up, and while there's an extremely fair argument to be made that finishing in the No. 6 spot might be more beneficial than finishing in the No. 4 or No. 5 spot, it's still gonna take some losing for that to happen.

Losing isn't good. It's not fun. But the Flyers have been doing plenty of it over the last few weeks. Will it stop tonight?

Well, the Sabres are pretty awful in just about every way you can imagine. They've lost their last two games, but they've also beaten the Bruins 6-0 this month and they took they shutout the Rangers before losing in the shootout on Feb. 1, so it's not as if they're completely inept.

This really all comes down to what the Flyers do tonight, though. Forget the opponent: It's about the Flyers getting back on track in all departments. It starts with Ilya Bryzgalov, who's recovered from the flu and expected to be back in goal for the first time since a shootout loss to the Islanders on Feb. 7. It's been a while, so we'll have to see which version of Bryz we get tonight.

Jaromir Jagr is reportedly out with the flu, and Eric Wellwood's been called up again from the Phantoms. Zac Rinaldo will serve the first game of his two-game suspension, so Jody Shelley will play for the first time since Feb. 4 against the Devils.

The worst part about this rough stretch is that the Flyers haven't been playing all that poorly. It's little things that have killed them, primarily: brain farts in the defensive end, taking too many penalties and looking awful on the PK, bad performances in the shootout. They've been pretty solid at 5-on-5 against some really good teams in the Rangers and Red Wings, and they've probably deserved better fates in a few of these last six games.

Maybe a few days off is what they needed to shake off the rust. Let's hope so, because the race for playoff positioning is getting awfully tight. Game thread tonight at 5 p.m., action on CSN and WIP. MSG if you're lucky enough to be in Buffalo.

Tweet Comment 77 comments | Add comment | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Nobody’s lucky to be in Buffalo.

by roadrunnerdrummer on Feb 16, 2012 2:17 PM EST reply actions

that was the joke.

Visit the BSH Store :: Get us on Twitter :: facebook, too!
Broad Street Hockey - Covering the Philadelphia Flyers. Have you accepted Ilya Bryzgalov as your savior?

by Travis Hughes on Feb 16, 2012 3:01 PM EST up reply actions

Which is false because most people in Buffalo don’t currently get MSG as it’s only on one cable provider currently.

OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.

by Ubiquitous on Feb 16, 2012 3:12 PM EST up reply actions

oh that just about does it, time warner. i don’t care if you inconvenience your own customers, but now you’re gonna go and mess with my buffalo jokes?!

Visit the BSH Store :: Get us on Twitter :: facebook, too!
Broad Street Hockey - Covering the Philadelphia Flyers. Have you accepted Ilya Bryzgalov as your savior?

by Travis Hughes on Feb 16, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

Time warner, dish, and soon to be directtv.

OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.

by Ubiquitous on Feb 16, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Lines, then?

Let’s just throw some ideas around here.

19-28-24
17-48-10
93-27-47
32-14-45 (vomit)

As I’ve complained about before, I’d love to see Couturier up on the second or third line or even that first line wing—ideally, in this case, we could just switch him with Talbot—but this seems likely.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 2:22 PM EST reply actions

19-28-93
17-14-24
27-48-10
32-47-45

by LeJclair1 on Feb 16, 2012 2:34 PM EST up reply actions

obviously the last line is getting VERY little run in this situation and I can also see switching voracek and schenn

by LeJclair1 on Feb 16, 2012 2:36 PM EST up reply actions

Voracek up with the top line? Interesting. I know they’ve put Read up there before and he’s done well, as has Schenn (which you just mentioned) and I think even Couturier and Talbot have got time with those guys. Voracek would be interesting. And I feel like you want to leave 17-48-10 alone with the success that Wayne and Schenn have had recently.

I would also love to see that fourth line, but it probably won’t happen.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 2:46 PM EST up reply actions

I really honestly think that voracek and giroux are perfect fits for each other. Have a very small pre-season sample size to back this up, but yea I’ve been wanting those two on a line all year.

by LeJclair1 on Feb 16, 2012 7:58 PM EST up reply actions

Voracek is playing tonight?

Hadn’t read that, but been unusually busy at work. If so, it’ll be good to see him what with Jagrmeister out.

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 3:35 PM EST up reply actions

about to ask the same question. he was listed as questionable as was mezzy last i checked.

by Jokes & Burns on Feb 16, 2012 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

Baicker says:

Voracek says he’s a game-time decision, but is all smiles after the morning skate. Best guess is he’s in tonight.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 4:14 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks

Checked the Twitterers an hour or so back but no word at that time.

Happy to see Jake back in the game!

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

Anyone know for sure?

I may be wrong but didn’t sestito play center in previous years/time in the AHL? why not put him in the middle of that line flanked with shelley and wellwood?

by Jokes & Burns on Feb 16, 2012 3:47 PM EST up reply actions

also, this...

19-28-24
17-48-10
93-14-27
47-32-45

I made a hybrid of the previous two ideas and i like it.

by Jokes & Burns on Feb 16, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions

I just don’t understand is why would wellwood be on the third line over juicy. Juicy has been up with the big squad all year long. You would think lavi would bump him up on a line and put wellwood down there on the goon squad line. You would think he earned it.

-bob

by Rrainone on Feb 16, 2012 3:11 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I’m betting a lot of it has to do with needing a center on the fourth line.

But all that does is make us ask “Why Wellwood and not Holmstrom?”

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 16, 2012 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Bingo.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 4:11 PM EST up reply actions

True, but the team does have an abundance of centers, 10,14,24,27,28,48. I know Read prefers to play wing. But I guess with seniority of the others, you would have to keep him down on the fourth line.

-bob

by Rrainone on Feb 16, 2012 4:18 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

wait i thought we traded away our 2 best centers so we didnt have a log jam that made us trade away promising talent becaus ethey wouldnt make the big club?

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 4:23 PM EST up reply actions

Exactly.

Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor

by Geoff Detweiler on Feb 16, 2012 4:25 PM EST up reply actions

Buffalo going to goon it up like last time?

by rugbyrowe on Feb 16, 2012 2:33 PM EST reply actions

Curious to see if they go after Bourdon since he concussed Gerbe in that game and didn’t face any discipline for it.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 2:37 PM EST up reply actions

No worries. Just let Shelley dress for the game and all our players will be safe.

Sarauj, Latvija!

by LVHokejs on Feb 16, 2012 3:12 PM EST up reply actions

All I recall is Leino throwing his elbow at Scooter’s head — like, “how dare you succeed where I have failed so miserably.”

by Lesion of Doom on Feb 16, 2012 4:59 PM EST up reply actions

I could care less if the Flyers get home ice. As long as they finish 4,5,or 6 I don’t care. No need to be worried about home ice. Hey this team has been bad all year at home. Not that it matters much when the playoffs role around but give me 4 thru 6 and I would be happy.

I also want to see Cooter getting some minutes other than on the fourth line. I mean come on he has to be frustrated playing with them bums.

by Mattx on Feb 16, 2012 3:09 PM EST reply actions

didnt have home ice in 2010..booyaka shaka!

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

also totally agree with the cooter needs better guys around him

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

Yea no doubt about it. Now with Schenn on Danny B’s line maybe he could move to 3C with Voracheck and Talbot.

by Mattx on Feb 16, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

+1 Cooter would rack up more points on a higher line. Of course, he is “defensively responsible” so I can see why Lavy might want to keep him around Shelley, Rinaldo, Harry Z, etc… (because they aren’t particularly defensively responsible)

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

Yea I agree with “defensively responsilbe” but they also got to reward a kid who has played great all year despite having el crapo to play with.

by Mattx on Feb 16, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Also when they put him with decent players he produces.

by Mattx on Feb 16, 2012 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

Question about NHL Center Ice

Forgive me for being dense, but after Googling for an answer, I’m more confused than ever. I want to subscribe to NHL Center Ice to watch the Flyers. I live in Alaska, so I’m definitely “out of market.” I will generally watch it with an Apple TV or on my MacBook. (If that makes any difference…from what I can tell it seems to vary with Direct TV, etc.)

So if I cough up $79 for the rest of the year, will I get to watch Flyers games from the CSN feed called by JJ, Coatesy, and the gang? Or will I be stuck with other feeds? If I am stuck with other feeds, how often will that occur?

Your advice and comments are much appreciated. I want to pay up and quit watching pirate streams, but I also want to hear the game called by the announcers I like. Can I have my cake and eat it too?

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 3:20 PM EST reply actions

both feeds are generally provided, but not always.

OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.

by Ubiquitous on Feb 16, 2012 3:21 PM EST up reply actions

it sounds like you’re talking about gamecenter live, not center ice. gamecenter live

Visit the BSH Store :: Get us on Twitter :: facebook, too!
Broad Street Hockey - Covering the Philadelphia Flyers. Have you accepted Ilya Bryzgalov as your savior?

by Travis Hughes on Feb 16, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

…. is better. (hooray for finishing sentences!)

Visit the BSH Store :: Get us on Twitter :: facebook, too!
Broad Street Hockey - Covering the Philadelphia Flyers. Have you accepted Ilya Bryzgalov as your savior?

by Travis Hughes on Feb 16, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

I agree. GCL is better. I only got 1 game a night in HD on Center Ice so I decided to go with GCL. Both feeds are normally there, though for some reason the Philly feed has a tendency of being difficult at times. You can normally get pretty close to HD streams, though for some reason I get lots of stutters in my playback.

Best part of it is that it runs on everything. I watch it on my Android devices and my PS3 as well as my Laptop when I travel.

And all I've done for want of wit, To mem'ry now I can't recall.
So fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all.

by PyropenguinX on Feb 16, 2012 3:27 PM EST up reply actions

Highly recommend GCL. Being in college, I still suffer from blackouts when they’re on NBCSN or NHLN but otherwise I love it. Listening to the Flyers announcers really is a huge plus, so being able to chose is great.

by ryan1 on Feb 16, 2012 3:32 PM EST up reply actions

You seem to be feeling very lower-cased today, Travis.

by everybodyhitswoohoo on Feb 16, 2012 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

Ooh, it’s down to $79 now? I might get it for the end of the season since I’m done with school.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
"I think there is virtue in pissing off idiots." - Fehr and Balanced

by hintzy64 on Feb 16, 2012 3:33 PM EST up reply actions

Yep. $79 for the rest of the year. It’s not exactly a sale or anything since a little over 1/2 the season is gone and it’s a little over 1/2 off the original price, but anyway, I’ll take it…

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

Well since I knew I was too busy in the fall to be worth buying the whole season back then, this makes me happy.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
"I think there is virtue in pissing off idiots." - Fehr and Balanced

by hintzy64 on Feb 16, 2012 4:36 PM EST up reply actions

If it's DTV and CenterIce...

…You will almost never get a Flyers feed out of market. Extremely rare. CSNPhilly does not provide their feeds to DTV as a rule.

If you’re getting GameCenterLive, I expect you’ll be better off in that regard.

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 3:39 PM EST up reply actions

I thought the terrestrial exemption was done with forever? or is that next year?

OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.

by Ubiquitous on Feb 16, 2012 3:40 PM EST up reply actions

No idea. All I know about this is that in Georgia, we almost NEVER get a Flyers feed. This is my third season with CenterIce and it’s always been that way.

For a time, I assumed it was because of the feud DirecTV and Comcast were having. But CSNChicago and the CSN for San Jose always have their feeds available.

I suppose YMMV on CSNPhilly feeds in out-of-market.

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 3:43 PM EST up reply actions

The terrestrial exemption is what CSNPhilly, MSG (and a few other channels build on 1995 technology) use to make it so they don’t have to sell their channels to satellite providers.

I was under the impression that they finally ended that exemption but apparently not.

OPERATION TANK IS A GO. It’s the only explanation for Mike Weber. He’s on a secret mission.

by Ubiquitous on Feb 16, 2012 3:50 PM EST up reply actions

The always scholarly Wikipedia explains the situation rather succinctly:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast_SportsNet_Philadelphia#Availability

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

Must depend on the market..

.. as I am in Los Angeles w/ DTV / CenterIce and usually get both feeds for all games, in HD

by joeysimms on Feb 16, 2012 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

Well that’s weird. They’ll send the signal to DTV in LA, but not in ATL? And wikipedia doesn’t offer any insight into why that might be.

I am planning to get a laptop with HDMI output so that I can end this nonsense with GameCenterLive, and also make myself more impervious to losing DTV-HD in bad weather (ie, thick clouds). Next season.

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 4:45 PM EST up reply actions

the nonsense isn’t with GCL, I will end the nonsense by using GCL. Horrible sentence.

by Georgia_Flyer on Feb 16, 2012 4:45 PM EST up reply actions

I assumed that this was still ongoing. Perhaps I’m wrong.

On July 28, 2010, it was reported that Comcast is in talks with DirecTV and Dish Network for carriage of CSN Philadelphia. 4 Two days later, after accusing Comcast of refusing to negotiate in good faith, Dish Network said it will file a complaint with the FCC. 5 6 The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the original FCC’s ruling on June 10, 2011.

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 4:57 PM EST up reply actions

Thank you to everyone!

I subscribed to Game Center Live, not Center Ice. I cut the cord and don’t have any cable or dish TV. Since the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave a bunch of $$$ and wired up Alaska quite nicely, I don’t need cable or dish. I watch Netflix, MLB.TV, and now NHL Game Center. I keep up with a couple of shows via iTunes, and that does it for me!

Again, thank you to everyone for chipping in with your comments.
BSH is cool like that!

by alaskalovestheflyers on Feb 16, 2012 4:33 PM EST up reply actions

I live in Wisconsin and have had Center Ice for years. I hate it and I will be switching to GCL next year. I have yet to miss a game this year, but 85% (or so) of the time I have the other teams feed. 50% of the time I get HD. Go with GCL.

by midwestflyers on Feb 16, 2012 5:54 PM EST up reply actions

only time you MIGHT get the flyers broadcast is if they’re on the NHL network and they’re playing a team from canada. NHL network is free with d-tv service and isn’t part of center ice.

by hbcivicsi93 on Feb 16, 2012 6:30 PM EST up reply actions

i have center ice for d-tv. it’s not bad, i don’t have an HDtv in my living room so not worried too much about getting a game in HD. only thing i hate about it is not being able to watch the flyers broadcast and listening to the idiots from other teams talk about how questionable a penalty call is for their team and a flyer does the same thing and “yup that’s 100% a penalty”. gets annoying at times but to watch my team, i guess i have to put up with it.

by hbcivicsi93 on Feb 16, 2012 6:28 PM EST up reply actions

If you’re talking about Center Ice (as opposed to Game Center Live), I don’t think there’s a way to know for sure unless you talk to someone in your area with the service. I live in the DC area and I have Verizon FIOS and I have been very lucky that just about every Flyers game I watch on Center Ice is offered with the Flyers announcers, but others here on BSH living in other parts of the country have stated that they never get the Flyers announcers.

Sarauj, Latvija!

by LVHokejs on Feb 16, 2012 3:25 PM EST reply actions

reply fail, meant to reply to the Center Ice question.

Sarauj, Latvija!

by LVHokejs on Feb 16, 2012 3:26 PM EST up reply actions

Man…..one more year of Jody Shelly…..why couldn’t we have singed Zherdev for 3 years!!

by blimblam on Feb 16, 2012 3:32 PM EST reply actions

because his p/60 was way to high for lavvy’s liking

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Tonight, it all comes down to which team has more swagger.

Lightning strikes once, Hextall strikes twice!
"I think there is virtue in pissing off idiots." - Fehr and Balanced

by hintzy64 on Feb 16, 2012 3:36 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

im just praying homer doesnt trade our 1st or second round pick, i want he to take the best d man left and hyka in the second if he is still available

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 4:10 PM EST reply actions

I dont follow the NHL draft as much as the NFL draft, but is there any good d man there could be a rookie starter (assuming we dont trade for another d man and Pronger cant play)?

by Anders Jensen on Feb 16, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

if we trade up there a a few d men they may already be ready for the nhl they are saying right now we are slated to grab koekkoek which from what ive red is anywhere from a number 2 d man down depending on how he matures but will need time in juniors/ahl

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 4:33 PM EST up reply actions

wow so many errors where do i start…are* read* etc etc

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 4:39 PM EST up reply actions

ty for the respons. I dont worry to much about grammar, as Im not perfect my self even in my native language (Danish)

by Anders Jensen on Feb 16, 2012 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

As a side note, do you know any great drafting sides for newbies like me? I really wish there was a Flyers equivalent to Tommy Lawlor

by Anders Jensen on Feb 16, 2012 4:50 PM EST up reply actions

scouting report.com, nhl.com hockey prospectus, all have decent scouting reports..although right now they are all from around september except what i see from nhl.com mid season report

Beets,Bears,Battlestar Galactica.
MICHAEL!

Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.

Bob knows the Save-ty Dance!

"I got a crosscheck to the face and lost a bunch of teeth. You battle through it. That’s the way hockey players are made." - Claude Giroux

by reaper1221 on Feb 16, 2012 4:59 PM EST up reply actions

too late, just traded them both!

by hbcivicsi93 on Feb 16, 2012 6:31 PM EST up reply actions

Anyone up in the Lehigh Valley?

Anyone up my way that has Service Electric as their cable provider? I have RCN, and they don’t off TCN, so I miss 8 or 9 games a year. I just noticed that Service Electric now offers TCN, so I want to switch, but I had Service Electric 5 or 6 years ago, and they were awful. Just wondering if they’ve improved any….

I'm kind of a dick.

by Vansteel on Feb 16, 2012 4:16 PM EST reply actions

Shaun:

My trade will go back on the table, but I want to know a little more about the extent of Zetterberg’s injury before I pull the trigger.

Keeping alive the old Vaudeville joke, "I'd rather be dead than play Philadelphia."

by Snevik on Feb 16, 2012 4:28 PM EST reply actions

I didn’t see your offer. Or do you just mean we’ll resume negotiations when you hear more?

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.
Broad Street Hockey: 582 comments on the waiving of Andreas Nodl. We aren't for the faint of heart.

by KreiderDesigns on Feb 16, 2012 4:40 PM EST up reply actions