3/26/11: Flyers Isles Notes

New York Islanders (5th in the Atlantic)
at
Philadelphia Flyers (1st in Atlantic and East)
7:00pm EST on CSN Philly

3/24/11: Shutdown in the Shootout

Final - Shootout

Pittsburgh Penguins 2
Philadelphia Flyers 1

Goal: Richards (21)
OTL: Bobrovsky
Penguins 5-0 in the SO vs the Flyers.

The Flyers had what captain Mike Richards called a "let down" after losing to the Penguins in their fourth shootout in their past four games. The winning goal in the shootout was scored by Chris Kunitz over an hour after Tyler Kennedy tied the game in the early minutes of the 2nd period.

3/24/11: Flyers Pens Notes

Pittsburgh Penguins (4th in the East, 2nd in the Atlantic, 92 points)
at
Philadelphia Flyers (1st in the East, 1st in the Atlantic, 97 points)
7:00 EST from The Wells Fargo Center

-Storylines-

Banged Up
The Pens will be without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin tonight, just as they have been for the past couple months. Malkin has been virtually shut down for the season and Crosby has been skating lightly lately but no timetable is set for a return. However the real story is how this team has been winning. Youth dominates this roster but the Pens hang their hat on a strong defensive corps and world-class goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury.

Division Battle
The Flyers and Penguins are one and two in the Atlantic Division with the Flyers holding a five point lead in the standings. As Jordan Staal said this week "it's a four point swing." Meaning that whoever wins will be getting a win tied on with their chaser's/chasee's loss. Both of these teams need these points.

Who's more Desperate?
The Flyers have been blowing late game leads like they know nothing else. This was the story on Tuesday's battle with the Caps. Now the Flyers have another chance to step out of their own grave and bury the Pens on home ice. In the opposite locker room, the Penguins are fighting for a playoff spot and chasing the Flyers for first in the Atlantic Division.

-Who To Watch-

The guy to watch on the Pens is Jordan Staal. He has yet to play against the Flyers this year and could go off tonight. He's been a model of consistency with points in 6 of the last 7 and has 5 goals against the Flyers in the past 2 years.

Switching it up, the guy to watch on the Flyers is Peter Laviolette. The Pens lack a top heavy lineup unlike what the Flyers are used to. Look forward to seeing how Lavy handles his lines and matchups. To pick a skater, Jeff Carter. He has been rolling and when he's playing like this is a burden for any matchup.

-Projected Line Combos-

JVR Richards Versteeg
Nodl Giroux Carter
Leino Briere Hartnell
Powe Betts Carcillo

Timonen Coburn
Meszaros O'Donnell
Carle Boynton

Boucher Bobrovsky

Puck drops just after 7 EST on CSN Philly or NHL NET (US). Recap will be up following the action, be sure to check in later tonight. Thanks for Reading and Lets go Flyers!

Tying Loose Ends: The Ray Emery Phenomenon

As tweeted by Tim Panacchio, The Flyers have had 27 different goalies since Ron Hextall hung up the skates. This in addition to the current Flyers goal tending struggles leads me to think about what could have been if Ray Emery could have stayed healthy.

Location, Location, Location

In the past year Jeff Reese has dealt with a slew of goalies being the Flyers goalie coach, but the hardest test may be in their most promising. Sergei Bobrovsky has been reticuled about his positioning since coming into the league and with his average play recently it has drawn the spotlight. As far as Bobrovsky's positioning goes, it doesn't go far.

Bob has seen a lot of bad shots pass him by and light the lamp and his positioning is to blame one-hundred percent. The 22 year old sits very far in his crease and gives the shooter way to much to look at while selecting his shot (above). Recently Bob has been changing his approach and coming out the the top of the crease, but the transition hasn't been easy. Last night, Backstrom took a weak shot that trickled through Bob while he stood at the top of his crease(1), i would relate this to his comfort level sitting out there.


With confidence flailing and uncomfortable positioning Bobrovsky has struggled recently. But Bob can look to a fellow Flyer for advice. Michael Leighton was acquired midway through the season last year and was a work in progress. Leights stood way to far out(right) leaving his prone to goals that were results of east-west passing(2).

Reese worked with Leighton and helped turn him into the force he had become in only a few short weeks. Bobrovsky can look to this for and added bit of hope as he gears up for his first run at Lord Stanley's Cup.

(1) Capitals first and second goal in last night's game. Backstrom goal is the top one.
(2) east-west passing is passing from one side of the ice to the other in the attacking zone. Example being Nodl's pass to Giroux last night. Neuvirth, like Leighton, was playing at the top of his crease.

Video: 6 ABC interviews Lappy

Got this off of @FlyerGuy_18's Youtube.

Some great quotes in there about how he's feeling and his future. My personal opinion: he's played his last game, but then again, you can never count this guy out. He may make a comeback late spring.

3/22/11: Same Sight Different Night

The Flyers managed to kill what was being looked at as their best comeback of the decade. Well it's only been three months, but that's beside the point.

After giving up three weak goals in the first twenty-two minutes of the game the Flyers found themselves starring at a new top seed in the Eastern Conference. This led to Lavy pull the hook and Bobrovsky was relieved by Brian Boucher early in the second.

Unsettled by the game, Kris Versteeg took matters into his hands and put the puck in the back of the net to propel the Flyers comeback hopes. With the Flyers swarming it was Andreas Nodl who found a wide-open Claude Giroux to make it a one goal game in the dying seconds of the 2nd period.

Heading into the 3rd the Flyers were carrying all of the momentum and quickly went to work with it. The run was capitalized when Andreas Nodl scored his 11th goal of the season and second since 2010.

With spirits high, the Flyers kept pushing but now with hopes to take the lead. After numerous chances, it was Danny Briere who have the Flyers a late 3rd period lead on a deflected shot off the stick of Kimmo Timonen.

Flyers fans have seen this play out too many times as of late and they were not eager to see it again. The Flyers legs seemed to stop working as they played very relaxed at both ends of the ice. The Caps took advantage and with less than five minutes left in the 3rd period they tied it up at 4.

Nothing was settled in overtime and to the shootout we went. This was the Flyers third straight game in a shootout,going 1-1 over that span. The Caps had their way with Bouch, lighting him up with all three shots they had sent his way. The Flyers could not match the Caps ways but did manage to get two by in the shootout. And so the game ended with the Capitals taking the final meeting of the regular season, tying the teams with 2 wins a piece.


The Spotlight is on...

The net play and this loss adds to the Flyers goal tending worries. First Bob gave up two bad goals as he still has yet to master positioning that will make him successful. Then Boucher let a bad goal in to allow the Caps back into the game and followed it up with a terrible shootout showing. With confidence dwindling in both of these guys, which one will step up? What about Mike Leighton?


Final - Shootout
Washington Capitals 5
Philadelphia Flyers 4

Flyers Goals: Versteeg(19) Giroux(24) Nodl(11) Briere(32)
OTL: Boucher (Relieved Bobrovsky in 2nd)

East Standings (Games Remaining - Points)
1)PHI 10-97
2)WSH 8-96
4)PIT 9-92

Next Game: Thursday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Intermission Special: Flyers Powerplay Problems

Had to try hard to correct myself every time i typed Flyers PP Problems. Lets go Flyers, take this one home!

Thanks for Visiting!
- Cody

3/22/11: Flyers vs Caps Notes

Washington Capitals (2nd in East, 94 points)
at
Philadelphia Flyers (1st in East, 96 points)

Wells Fargo Center
7:30pm EST
VS Network

Storylines

No Ovi
The Caps will be without their superstar Alex Ovechkin as he is shut down for 7-10 days with a minor nagging injury. Ovi leads the Caps with 29 goals and 77 points this season.

Capitalizing on Competition
Since the beginning of March the Caps have gone 9-1 with their only loss coming to the Detroit Red Wings last Wednesday. Six of the ten teams they have faced have been out side the playoff race and unlike the Flyers, the Caps are winning the games they should. With an added 18 points since start of March the Caps are nipping at the Flyers heals for first place in the east.

From Clinched to Pinching
With Tampa Bay only five points behind the Caps for the Southeast division lead, Washington is trying to grab every point possible. On the other hand the Flyers could pull away and clinch the Atlantic Division title with two wins this week. Currently the Flyers are they only team to have clinched a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Statement Time
With a bevy of bad losses and unimpressive wins the Flyers have gotten the hockey world wondering if they can turn it around come playoff time. With games versus the Pens and Caps this week the Flyers can start their march into spring's never-ending tournament that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For more,, read over Monday's Primer: Ovi out Tuesday, what can the Flyers expect?

Who to Watch

For the Capitals it has to be their smooth operator Nick Backstrom. He can make something out of nothing and in a hurry. Without Ovechkin he could substitute his need for a Russian scorer with Alex Semin. Two abilities like that can have instant chemistry and could be havoc tonight.

Flyers fans should be ready for their captain to tear out of his slump with a big game. Mike Richards scored his first goal since February 24th in the Flyers last game versus the Stars and there is no reason to believe that he won't start another streak. Richards has torched the Caps before and is due after only scoring one goal against them in three games this season.

Projected Flyers Lines

Nodl Richards Vesteeg
Leino Briere Hartnell
Carter Giroux JVR
Powe Betts Carcillo

Timonen Gustafsson/Boyton
Meszaros O'Donnell
Coburn Carle

Bobrovsky Boucher

Follow my blog on twitter and chat during games @Iceonbroadst or @Codygris. Thanks for reading and LETS GO FLYERS!

Jody Shelley out Four Weeks

During Monday's practice at the Voorhees Flyers Skatezone Jody Shelley took a puck to the eye. Reports say he left the ice very agitated and later it was found out that he had suffered a broken orbital bone in his cheek. Surgery will be required and the Flyers will be without their lead boxer for atleast four weeks. Now the Flyers IR welcomes another, currently holding Ian Laperriere (PCS), Chris Pronger (Hand Surgery), and now Jody Shelley.

Sometime in the next few days I will examine the argument for and against the thought that visors should be being made mandatory by the league. Until then I am sending my wishes to Jody Shelley on a speedy recovery and as always thanks for reading!

Ovi out for Tuesday's Game, What can the Flyers expect?

Tomorrow the Flyers take on their rising rival the Washington Capitals. However this time the Caps will be without their captain and leading scorer Alexander Ovechkin. The team reports he will be out 7-10 days recovering from a 'minor-nagging' injury. Nearing the finish line the Caps saw their stretch of one game in six nights a good time to give Alexander the Great a break.

Now who do the Flyers focus on?

The answer can be found in another budding Russian winger, Alex Semin. Semin is the caps second leading scorer with 25 goals and has proven himself worthy of the hype. He will most likely find a warm welcome next to Nick Backstrom, who prides himself on his outstanding play making ability and is always in the discussion of the league's top passers.

Another route to shutting down the 2nd place team in the East in their defense. The Caps have been reticuled time and time again for their offense-first style at all ends of the ice. Now without having to hang three guys high to double team Ovechkin, the Flyers can focus on shutting down the Caps breakout scheme. Mike Green is always a wildcard with his skating ability and now the Flyers can always have a spy on him, in place of Ovi.

Off Year

Ovechkin and the Caps have less than ten games left on their schedule and their top gun is aimed for a career low total in goals. His 29 goals are 17 shy of his previous career low set in 06-07, his sophomore year. Despite his decline the Caps have once again managed to stay amongst the top of the league and are putting up a fight for the 1 seed in the East, once again.

Without Jose Theodore or Cristobal Huet there has been more of a spotlight on the Caps youth. Semyon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth, and Braden Holtby have been the main contributors between the pipes this season, with no goalie making a stand and becoming the clear number one.


On the other end of the spectrum Washington has been shutout eleven times. They have only 198 goals for this season, down from last year's league leading 318. Even against the Flyers this Caps team has been different, their goals for - goals against has dropped from 22-13 in four games versus each other to 9-10 through three games this season.

Don't Relax

You heard me, don't get comfortable sitting in your suede couches watch Pre-Game Live on Tuesday. The Capitals have won nine of their ten games this month, most recently shutting out the red hot New Jersey Devils in enemy territory. Washington also sits just merely behind the Flyers by two point for first in the Eastern Conference.

The game will be on Versus Network. A 7:30 EST puck drop from The Well.

There will be a short preview with depth chats and who to watch for up tomorrow around game time. Thanks for reading!
Pictures from Fantasysportsday.com and thegoalieguild.com.

The Flyers Powerplay: The Umbrella

This is the umbrella, a common powerplay formation used in the NHL and most notably by the Flyers.

These are a few plays that the umbrella is made to allow. you will see a similarity to the plays shown and many of the plays that the Flyers run. Look out for these the next time the Flyers, or any team, plays. Thanks for Reading/Viewing!

Video created by Cody Gray and posted on youtube.com.

Fresh Ice Cuts: Getting Caught Up

Ups, Downs, and Shut down
Over the past month the Flyers have faced their fair share of adversity. March started with the Flyers dropping four straight games to teams well below them in the standings. The pinnacle came during a nationally televised game versus the New York Rangers where the Flyers got completely out played and lost 7-0. This lit a spark, and the Flyers have won four of their last six games. However no game has show resemblance of what the Flyers have shown they can do. Three times over this streak the Flyers have blown a lead and gone to overtime because of it, twice Atlanta came back to beat them in a shootout.

In Addition to their uncharacteristic play as of late, the Flyers received news late week that Chris Pronger could potentially miss the rest of the regular season. Pronger had hand surgery earlier this week, he and the organization are optimistic about a speedy recovery.

Where's Nick Boynton?
After swiping Nick Boynton off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks, the Flyers newest addition went to work filling in for Pronger. However after 3 games and a -2 rating Nick Boynton has found the club boxes. The 32 year old played 41 games with the Hawks this season where he logged 1 goal and 7 assists.

Come to the Flyers aid is a 22 year old swede by the name of Erik Gustafsson. Gus had spent time with A'dack Phantoms before being called up. Former Flyers defenseman turned scout, Rory Fitzpatrick, actually spotted Gustafsson playing at Northern Michigan University and the Flyers pursuited quickly after he finished his 3rd season with the Wildcats.

Gustafsson's size is compared with great compliment to Tobias Enstrom of the Atlanta Thrashers. His game matches as well ,playing five games with the Phantoms last season Gus posted seven points.

Burke's Bust
After trading for Kris Versteeg this past summer, Toronto's GM Brian Burke decided that Kris didn't mesh well with the Maple Leafs style and deemed him as not part of their future. This lead Flyers GM Paul Homgren to get awful wide-eyed and snag the 24 year old winger at a recession special.

Versteeg has played well at times with the Flyers posting four goals and one assist in sixteen games. Keep in mind that the Flyers are playing some of their worst offensive hockey of the season. Versteeg ultimately projects as a first or second line winger with 30 goal potential and the ability to both kill penalties and log powerplay minutes.

Chemistry has been Versteeg's biggest issue, he has mostly played with captain Mike Richards who has been lagging due to the flu. Once this team gets rolling, watch out Versteeg scored 20 goals for the Blackhawks last season and added six in the post season.

Fresh Ice Cuts are written by Cody Gray, just as every other post on this blog. If you want to talk Flyers or just say what's up HMU on twitter @CodyGris or Email me at codygray@live.com. Thanks for reading!

Flyers makes the Playoffs with Shootout Win, Again

.
This playoff clinching win wasn't as gut-wrenching as their last but nonetheless kept Flyers fans in stitches. With another year comes a new hero, this time it was Bobrovsky who survived the Stars dekes and duds to bring the Flyers their 44th win of the season.

After blowing another late lead they Flyers were able to get points in their 6th straight game. With the win the Flyers also wrap up a playoff seed and begin the fight for 1st in the East. Their most worthy adversary comes in the form of an eagle. The Washington Capitals sit just two points back of the Flyers with two more games played. Keep in mind the Caps are winners of 9 of their last 10 games and won the Presidents Trophy last season.

The Flyers still have a few things to be decided in the final weeks of their season. The goal tending situation, which was once a bright spot, is now the Flyers biggest flaw. Neither Boucher nor Bobrovsky has emerged as the clear cut starter and the Flyers will have a big decision on who to start come playoff time. If neither goalie looks strong enough to backstop an Eastern Conference Champion team then the spotlight may turn to Micheal Leighton. Leighton has spent all of this season with the A'dack Phantoms.

Another ugly spot on this bolstered roster has been the production, or lack thereof, of the Flyers powerplay. The Flyers powerplay operates at a painful 16%, after being tops in the league over the past few years, averaging around 20%. Come post-season your squad's play with the man advantage can make or break them. To make matters worse the Flyers will be without their PP quarterback , Chris Pronger, until the playoffs.

The Flyers next game is Tuesday on VS Network versus the previously mentioned 2nd seed in the East, Washington Capitals. The Flyers will also play Pittsburgh on Thursday on CSN Philly. With two huge win the Flyers could seal up the 1st playoff seed in the east.

HMU on Twitter @CodyGris or Email me at codygray@live.com Thanks for reading!

The 5 Most Delicious Potential Playoff Matchups for The Flyers

5) The Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs and Flyers have had some great series in the past decade, but due to the Leafs' lack of relevance they haven't met in years. Their last post season meeting was in 2004 but Flyers fans better remember their 2002 meeting. The series went a grueling 7 games where Flyers fans fell in love with Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi. It was Jeremy Roenick who clinched the game winner late in game seven at ACC.
Both teams have rebuilt since then and are on the upswing. Toronto currently sits 4 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

4) The Los Angeles Kings
Those Flyers fans who haven't recently jumped on the bandwagon may get a warm feeling when hearing names like John Stevens, Micheal Handzus, and Justin Williams. From their GM to their 4th line the LA Kings are 'Flyers West'.
Disregard old friendship, these two have been nasty towards each other this season. The Kings bolster a squad led by hard-hitting Dustin Brown that features some of the hardest working, blue collar players in the league.

3) The Buffalo Sabres
To return the the history theme, the Buffalo Sabres have been a thorn in the Flyers side for what seems like an eternity. The Sabres have seemed to have the Flyers number for the past decade. Three times the Flyers have been crossed out of the bracket in the conference quarterfinals by the Sabres.
The Flyers have had success however, remember 1975? Anywho. No matter what happens to the Sabres they always find a way to squeeze into the playoffs and this year is no different they sit in the eighth seed with only a few weeks left in the season.

2) The Pittsburgh Penguins
Without Sid the Kid or Evgeni Malkin one would think the Pens don't stand a chance to make a run, wrong. They are loaded with young talent and are backstopped by one of the best in the league in Marc-Andre 3000. Regardless, if you're a Flyers fan you want to meet these Penguins in the playoffs and sent them packing with a postcard Philly.
Oh how sweet it would be. The Penguins have outed the Flyers in two of the last three years and believe me, that doesn't sit well with Flyers fans.

1) The Chicago Blackhawks
With a reasonable better line-up, head to toe, than last year's runner up the Flyers want to dish out some revenge. The Blackhawks shocked everyone even their own players when they clinched game six of last year's Stanley Cup Final's when Patrick Kane accidentally scored in overtime.
This past summer the Flyers went out shopping for exactly what they felt was necessary to get to the same position and change the outcome. The Blackhawks, on the other hand, had a recession special sending many of their playoff heroes packing shortly after they passed the cup. One of those cup winners is now a Flyer, Kris Versteeg.
If a Flyers fan could ask for anything it would be a rematch against their latest rival, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sorry for the blog being down this season. Between my first semester in college and playing hockey i've been all tied up. I will be blogging for the rest of this season and for the post season as well. Thanks for your patience and i hope you enjoyed and look forward to checking back often.
-Cody Gray