Philadelphia Flyers (12-5-1, 25 pts) at Phoenix Coyotes (12-9-1, 25 pts)
Jobing.com Arena - 8:00 PM ET - Phoenix, AZ
TV: CSN Philly HD
Radio: 1210 WPHT, XM 205
This is the open game thread.
Behind Enemy Lines: Five For Howling
After a disappointing result last night, the Flyers look to get back to their winning ways tonight in Phoenix. Last night's loss dropped them to 7-2 in their last nine games, still rather impressive. The Coyotes meanwhile, are 3-5-1 in their last nine, fresh off an overtime loss to St. Louis on Thursday night.
In years past, any trip out to the desert would yield plenty of talk about former Flyers. Now, only two former Flyers are currently in Phoenix - James Vandermeer and Scottie Upshall. Most people are still upset about the Upshall trade, but he only has eight points in 20 games so far. He is, however, tied with Jeff Carter at seven goals on the year. Vandermeer meanwhile, is getting the seventh most ice time per game among Phoenix blueliners. Neither appear to be integral pieces of this Coyotes team, which currently sits 7th in the Western Conference.
As Five For Howling said in their preview:
And Those Guys That Got Traded...: Yeah, everyone still remembers that Scottie Upshall got traded to the Coyotes for Daniel Carcillo and a Second Round pick. Half of the things I've seen around the net are about "Danny Coming Back!" and what not. I can honestly say I don't really care. I'm not angry, It's just not important to me. Sure, he was a fan favorite when he was here, but we traded him for a player that has done really well for us this year (Tied for the team lead in goals) and for more picks. I liked the trade when it happened and still do. I get the player loyalty, but I guess I just moved on. Probably see many a Carcillo Jersey around the Arena tonight too, hopefully in the old Coyote colors and not the black and orange.
Look for Ray Emery in net again tonight (via Panaccio) against Ilya Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov is having a great year, with a GAA of 2.09 and a S% of .920. As far as Darroll Powe goes, I haven't seen anything concrete about his injury, just that he's "Questionable." If you watch The League, no one knows what that means. If you found something that I didn't, please post it in the comments. Obviously, if he can't go, Riley Cote will be inserted into the lineup and many a shuffle will ensue.
After the jump, some Questions to Answer.
Questions to Answer:
- Five For Howling expects a good reception for Dan Carcillo tonight. Can he outplay Upshall?
- Just how many fans show up tonight? How many are wearing orange?
- How does the team rebound after giving up the most goals against all year?
- The Coyotes not only don't score a lot of goals (2.46 gpg), they also don't give up a lot (2.46 gapg). Is the Flyers' offense better than the Coyotes' defense?
Apparently, even Coyotes fans hate Chris Pronger. This might be the most interesting thing in these west coast games. Join us for the game thread, and LET'S GO FLYERS!