Today's open discussion thread, complete with your daily dose of Philadelphia Flyers news...

• The players were asked about Ilya Bryzgalov and gave some predictable answers: [delcotimes.com] [CSNPhilly] [Inquirer]
• Marc-Andre Bourdon is back and recovered from his concussion: [CSNPhilly]
• Arguing that, regardless of what you think about Matt Carle, it's unlikely that the Flyers can afford him: [Orange and Black Pack]
• As a quick counter to that, a fairly simply look at how the Flyers could afford Carle, Grossmann, Jagr, and Voracek. Assumptions: $3 million cap increase & bonus cushion: [CapGeek]
• The Phantoms fell to Syracuse in a shootout, 2-1: [Post Star] [Phantoms Forum]
• Johan Backlund stopped 34 of 35 and Niko Hovinen stopped 23 or 26 as Backlund's Karpat took a 3-1 series lead: [euroflyers]
• NHL Power Rankings for Week 23 show Buffalo's playoff surge and San Jose's move to the top of the Pacific: [SB Nation Philly]
• There is no such thing as protection on the ice, for star players or anyone else: [OilersNation]
• How much are the richest of teams spending? More than they were 3 years ago: [Driving Play]
• A fantastic look at why watching the games alone isn't enough, with scientific studies to prove it. Also, you could literally miss the gorilla in the room: [The Wages of Wins Journal]