Top 11 Flyers Moments

Its been awhile since I posted, but I've been busy finishing school and working for other websites and this blog has been my lowest priority so I put it on the back-burner. With the alumni game and Winter Classic coming up fast, I thought a good way to bring this back would be to count down my favorite Flyers moments ever. These are not the best moments in team history, rather my personal favorite moments. I wanted to do a top 10 list, but I just couldn't figure out which moment to leave off, so let's get this started with number 11.

11. Feb. 12, 2007, Keith Primeau Night, Flyers 6 vs. Red Wings 1
The first of several moments on this list to include Keith Primeau was one of the few bright spots from the 2006-07 season, the worst in franchise history. Few represented Flyers hockey the way Primeau did for six seasons. He was never the most skilled player, but always one of the hardest working and his play during the 2004 run to the Eastern Conference final is the stuff legends are made of. When he was forced to retire due to concussions, the Flyers lost a great leader and they honored him before a game against the Red Wings, the team that drafted Primeau third overall back in 1990, two spots ahead of Jaromir Jagr. The Red Wings would tie Buffalo for the league lead with 113 points that season, 57 ahead of the last place Flyers. But you would not have known that on this night.

It was an emotional game from the get-go thanks to Primeau's pre-game speech. As tough a player as there is, he had a hard time making it through the entire speech and the crowd gave him several standing ovations. Michael Leighton was in net for the Flyers as part of a four-game stint with the team that season and I remember hoping he would never have anything to do with the Flyers again. Funny how things turn out sometimes. The score was knotted at one going into the third period and my thought process was Hey, as long as we don't get annihilated, its a good game for us. Then there was a third-period explosion of offense as the Flyers played probably their best period of the season, putting five goals behind Joey MacDonald. Capping the offense was this beauty by Todd Fedoruk.

10. Jan. 1, 2010, Winter Classic, Flyers 1 @ Bruins 2, OT
Every Winter Classic has been special, but this one was an almost perfect setup. My favorite team growing up playing just down the road from where I went to school. It was an amazing atmosphere, probably the best weather at any Classic so far and it was a highly physical game. Having the Dropkick Murphys play "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" was a great sight as well. It may be odd that a game as epic as a Classic isn't higher on the list, but this is not a list of the best hockey moments, it's the best Flyers moments and, well, they lost.

The game was highlighted by the first fight in Winter Classic history as Dan Carcillo took on Shawn Thornton before drawing the ire of the crowd by giving them a rocker salute on his way to the box. There was also Danny Syvret's first career goal which was fortunate as Tim Thomas was too busy dealing with Hartnell in front of the net. It was an off season for Thomas who dealt with hip issues all year, but he showed up big for that game and stymied the Flyers shooters all game. It was former Flyer Mark Recchi who tied the game, allowing Marco Sturm to score the overtime winner.


9. April 17, 2004, Conference Quarterfinal Game 5, Flyers 3 vs. Devils 1
This was a really nerve-wracking game even though the Flyers had controlled the series to that point. But this was the Devils and, after losing the two previous series against them, including blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2000 Eastern Conference final, this series was huge. Even without Scott Stevens, the Devils still had Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez, all in their prime.

The game was tied at one with just over five minutes remaining when Danny Markov, who combined with fellow mid-season acquisition Vladimir Malakhov to form the Flyers' best defensive pairing of the playoffs, threw an innocent wrist shot on net from just inside the blueline that fooled Brodeur, when off the pipe and in. It wasn't enough that they just won the series, it was that they finally exorcised their demons and beat the Devils in the playoffs.


8. April 22, 2003, Conference Quarterfinal Game 7, Flyers 6 vs. Maple Leafs 1
This remains the only Game 7 I have ever been to. This series was an epic battle that featured three multi-overtime games and was one of the longest series ever played in terms of total minutes. It was a physical battle and there were some odd moments including a goal allowed by Roman Cechmanek where he was trying to put his glove back on, a penalty shot by Robert Reichel who blasted a slapshot straight into Cechmanek's chest and a freak injury to Alex Mogilny which ended up helping the Flyers as he had the hottest stick in the series.

Anything can happen in a Game 7, especially when Cechmanek is your goalie, but I never thought the game would be such a drubbing. Justin Williams, Recchi and, figure this one out, Claude Lapointe each had three points and the Flyers won 6-1. For a team that had been eliminated in embarrassing fashion in the two previous Springs, it was great to see them win a round so convincingly.


7. Feb. 15, 2001, Meeting Dave Schultz, Flyers 5 vs. Maple Leafs 2
This one makes me laugh every time I think about it. For those of you who don't know, this is Dave Schultz. Before the game, which honestly I hardly remember and can't find a boxscore to, there was an alumni signing. I was only 11 at the time, so I didn't recognize anyone yet, other than Bernie Parent who is at every Flyers game. So I'm going through the line and I get to the third guy. I hand him my program and that's when I notice he has two Stanley Cup rings on. Two! So naturally I ask "Hey, can I have one?" I didn't get an answer, just a dirty look as he signed my program. Sheepishly I start walking away when he called me back.

"Hey kid. You can have the ring if you can get it off my finger."

Well Dave, if the offer still stands, I think I'm ready to take you on now.


6. May 12, 2010, Conference Semifinal Game 6, Flyers 2 vs. Bruins 1
When this series started, I was just hoping it would last long enough to be able to go to a game. The way the schedule worked, I would be driving home during Game 5. Both teams were so evenly matched I though for sure I would get to go to at least one game during the playoffs. Then they went down 3-0 and the best I could really hope for was they didn't get swept. Simon Gagne helped me out a lot by potting the overtime winner in Game 4, then I was able to listen to the Flyers beat the Bruins 4-1 in Game 5 while driving home, one of only two game during the series that was decided by more than one goal.

The Philly faithful was rocking all night and even though the comeback was only half complete to start the game, everyone in the building could sense the series would not end that night. Mike Richards opened the scoring just under seven minutes into the game on a scramble in front and Danny Briere netted the winner on a snipe over Tuukka Rask's glove in the second period. Leighton played a spectacular game, including a big save on a Trent Whitfield breakaway when the score was still 1-0 and not allowing a goal until there was a minute to go in the game. Yes, the Bruins got their poetic justice the next season, sweeping the Flyers out of the playoffs in convincing fashion, but that series will always be a lasting memory.


5. May 24, 2010, Conference Final Game 5, Flyers 4 vs. Canadiens 2
This may be the best game Mike Richards ever played in a Flyers uniform. His entire shift that led to the first Flyers goal was absolutely brilliant and he was physical all game long. Arron Asham also played great, getting several quality scoring chances and was a force on the forecheck all game. Really, I may have been more nervous heading into that game than any other I have been to. Jaroslav Halak was playing out of his mind in the first two rounds and there was no reason to think he wouldn't be able to stymie the Flyers like he did the powerhouse Capitals and Penguins; I simply was not going to be satisfied until the series was over.

The game seemed to take forever, but there was a huge wave of relief when it was over and Richards lifted the Prince of Wales Trophy. Sure, many say you shouldn't touch it, but it really doesn't matter when half of the teams that refuse to touch the conference championship trophy lose anyway and this was a long time coming. It was the Flyers' fourth trip to the conference final since 1997 and they had yet to get back to the final.


4. Feb. 21, 2004, Fan Appreciation Day, Flyers 5 vs. Thrashers 4
It's funny, I didn't see the entire third period of this game and I could only listen to the crowd roar as Simon Gagne won the game on a penalty shot with 1:01 remaining. The game was pretty exciting, especially seeing Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk work their magic. But it was after the game that made this day so memorable. It was fan appreciation day and among the many prizes given out was a chance to win a game-used jersey after the game during a shirt-off-the-player's-back ceremony. As luck would have it, my seat was called during the game and me and 20 other winners got to watch from a private area before heading to the bowels of the Wachovia Center.

When the game ended the red carpet was rolled out and the winners headed onto the ice after given a card we would all open later to see which player's jersey we had won. I was the third person in line and when it was my turn, Lauren Hart asked me my name (listening to her try to repeat my last name was the first time I though maybe I should just start going by my first name only) and told me to open the card. Sure enough, there was a big 25 there. I won Primeau's jersey. The captain, the leader, the heart and soul of the team.

The only downside was he wasn't playing that day; he wasn't even at the game because of consussions so Recchi skated over with a jersey that would be mailed to me later when Primeau was finally able to sign it. I have the jersey hanging in my basement right now, easily one of the coolest things I own. The only bad thing wasn't that I didn't get a freshly worn (and by fresh I mean sweaty) jersey, it was that I was never able to thank him for it. I really hope to meet him one day, just to give him the thanks he deserves, not just for the jersey, but for everything he did for the franchise.


3. May 20, 2004, Conference Final Game 6, Flyers 5 vs. Lightning 4, OT
That jersey was great by itself, but it certainly jumped in value during the 2004 playoff run. Primeau had seven goals in 54 regular season games that year and just nine in 110 playoff games in his career. He would dominate in the postseason, recording nine goals and 16 points in only 18 games. He hit everything that moved, recorded three game-winning goals, two shorthanded goals and was a plus-11. Everything culminated for him in that Game 6, a must-win for the Flyers to force Game 7 in Tampa Bay.

The game didn't go smoothly as three of the four Tampa Bay goals should have been stopped by Rob Esche, but that allowed for one of the most dramatic endings in Flyers history. Primeau's goal to tie the game at four was astounding. He danced around the net like a gazelle, slamming home the deflection off his own foot. That in turn set up the game-winner by Simon Gagne. I was nine rows behind that net and when I saw the puck drop behind the goal line, I just went nuts. Unfortunately the Flyers would lose Game 7 in Tampa Bay, but that does nothing to diminish what an amazing game it was. It was easily the best game of Primeau's career and has to be considered one of the best individual performances of the past decade.


2. June 2, 2010, Stanley Cup Final Game 3, Flyers 4 vs. Blackhawks 3, OT
The Stanley Cup final, there is no better spectacle in pro sports. The Flyers lost the first two games in Chicago and they weren't about to try and work their way back from 3-0 down again, so this was a must-win Game 3.

Briere opened the scoring, but it was a brilliant pass from Scott Hartnell who threw the puck to the open side of the net while falling down (what else is new?) that set up the play. Duncan Keith scored on a laser from the point just a few minutes before Hartnell put the Flyers back on top on a strange power play goal. He deflected a shot in front of the net and the puck just barely made it across the goal line, but since the ref didn't see it, play continued on for a few more minutes. When there was finally a stoppage in play, they were able to look at it again and determine the puck did cross the line. It just barely did, but sometimes just barely is good enough. Things looked good for the Flyers, but Brent Sopel scored at the end of the period on another long shot. Patrick Kane took all of the air out of the crowd when he scored on a breakaway to put the Hawks up 3-2 just 2:50 into the third, but the place erupted when Ville Leino tied the game just 20 seconds later, putting home a rebound off the rush.

Chris Pronger was as physical as ever, leveling Jonathan Toews in the first period and Leighton, despite giving up three goals, kept the Flyers in the game for long stretches as the Blackhawks dominated play. Giroux almost single handedly got the Flyers back in the series with three points, including the overtime winner, tipping in a shot from Matt Carle by Antti Niemi. It was a picture-perfect finish to a Stanley Cup final game and it gave the Flyers new life in the series. The overtime was short, but thrilling as Gagne almost won the game when he snapped a shot off the post that trickled across the goal line, but never crossed it. It was only a few minutes later they won the game for real.


1. March 10, 2011, Postgame, Flyers 3 @ Maple Leafs 2
The game itself wasn't anything special, a pretty good regular season game, but the only memorable play was the bad goal allowed by James Reimer. Rather it was after the game that made this so special.

I was interning with The Hockey News at the time so I was able to watch from the pressbox. And as if that wasn't cool enough, I was also able to go to the locker room after the game and talk to the players for an issue of Fully Loaded. It was an amazing experience seeing these guys off the ice, from the sarcasm and good-natured (well, sort of) ribbing from Pronger to THN senior writer Ken Campbell before the game to the fire, passion and enthusiasm of Carcillo who wanted nothing more than to get back at Mike Komisarek who boarded him just a few minutes into the game. Unfortunately for Carcillo, Komisarek also received a game misconduct in addition to his major for boarding, so he would have to wait for their next meeting to get his revenge.

One-on-one, I was able to talk to Brian Boucher, Briere and Hartnell. Boucher was pretty humble, almost surprised I wanted to talk to him for the magazine. I was trying to find out what players did in their spare time in the summer, what hobbies or big toys they might have. Briere was a good interviewee, he gave me some pretty good content and was happy to talk to me. And of course there was Hartnell's reaction to me wanting to interview him, giving me a minute to talk to him before changing his mind and giving me 30 seconds instead. Fortunately I was able to get everything I needed from them, though only Briere's comments actually made it into the magazine.

Of course, I have to give an honorable mention to Jeremy Roenick dressing up as Bobby Clarke for Halloween back in 2002. Each moment was amazing in its own way, but nothing beats being able to interview the guys you grew up cheering for. There are going to be two more moments added to this list in the next week, it's just a matter of how high they go. That of course depends on the score and tone of the game, but there shouldn't be any problem with that as it will certainly be a physical game, maybe the toughest battle of any Classic yet.

Another Failure, Another Blow-Up In Philly

Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is going to have to learn some patience. If every plan of his doesn't work out in the first few tries, Philly fans are going to see an entirely different team hit the ice every three or four years.The first time, it was completely warranted. He took over a last-place team in early 2006-07 that was horribly mismanaged after the lockout and went to the conference final in 2008 and the Stanley Cup final in 2010. But they collapsed after a strong start and were swept from the playoffs for the first time since the 1997 Stanley Cup final. Changes were expected, but a complete overhaul was completely unexpected.

Eight players from their final game against Boston are gone now. Regardless of how you feel about the players traded, it is alarming complete rebuilds are becoming the norm for the Flyers' GM. Like I said the first one was completely necessary as the Flyers were too slow to compete in the new NHL. So out went Peter Forsberg, Kyle Calder, Randy Robitaille, Alexei Zhitnik, Peter Nedved and Freddy Meyer during the season and Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson, Todd Fedoruk, Mike York and Rob Esche in the off season.

They were replaced by Danny Briere, Scott Hartnel after winning the Presidents' Trophy, Kimmo Timonen, Brayden Coburn, Joffrey Lupul, Scottie Upshall, Jason Smith, and Martin Biron. Holmgren did such a good job turning this team into a contender and Ken Campbell praised his work in the May 16 issue of The Hockey News. Campbell said of Holmgren:

When you look at the Flyers as presently constituted, you can trace them directly back to the moves Holmgren made at the moment in time when things looked most bleak....But it was amid that scorched earth that Holmgren did his finest work.

He made some tweaks, sure. They were an offense-heavy team, so they were able to trade youngsters R. J.Umberger and Joffrey Lupul and added Chris Pronger. That addition alone nearly led to a championship, but the Flyers were still a few part away. They seemingly fixed that by acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov and a trade was certainly needed to clear cap space, but a total overhaul did not appear on the horizon. First was Carter, who I thought should be traded. I was about to write an article for The Hockey Writers about why he should be traded when he was. Then, following Carter was Richards, Kris Versteeg, Ville Leino, Darroll Powe, Dan Carcillo, Sean O'Donnell and Brian Boucher in favor of Jaromir Jagr, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, Max Talbot and Andreas Lilja.

Campbell praised Holmgren for his ability to turn around a franchise so quickly when it takes some teams years. But is he going to be making a habit of it? It's really disappointing when a good team fails to reach the ultimate goal, but you need to give them some time to play together and work towards that goal. Being a consistent contender is pretty much the best you can hope for in this league and if you can break through and win the Stanley Cup, all the better.

Look at San Jose. They failed to get past the second round of the playoffs the first four years after the lockout, even falling in the first round to Anaheim in 2009 after winning the Presidents' Trophy. But instead of blowing the team up and starting over as many pundits said they should, they stuck with their course and have been to the conference final in each of the past two years.That consistency is largely to due with the fact they have been kept together. The Flyers are going to have trouble developing good team chemistry if they keep changing their key players every few years.

NHL Awards and Draft

The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup over a week ago, but the season has still been going strong. There were the NHL Awards, a few big trades and the draft. Let's start with the awards.

Here are the winners, along with who I had picked.
Award - Winner - My Pick
Norris - Nicklas Lidstrom - Shea Weber
Selke - Ryan Kesler - Ryan Kesler
Jack Adams - Dan Bylsma - Barry Trotz
Calder - Jeff Skinner - Jeff Skinner
GM - Mike Gillis - Steve Yzerman
Ted Lindsay - Daniel Sedin - Corey Perry
Masterton - Ian Laperriere - Ray Emery
Lady Byng - Martin St-Louis - Nicklas Lidstrom
Vezina - Tim Thomas - Tim Thomas
Hart - Corey Perry - Martin St-Louis
Messier Leadership - Zdeno Chara
Jennings - Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider
Art Ross - Daniel Sedin
Rocket Richard - Corey Perry
King Clancey - Doug Weight

There are no really surprises here, other than Perry winning the Hart Trophy. While I wanted St-Louis to win, I wrote a post on that a while back, I expected it to go to Sedin. He was consistent all season while Perry got the majority of his points in the final quarter of the season and I think being there all season is more important than being there for the stretch run. Though that is not to say that wasn't important, because he was a huge reason the Ducks went on a last-season surge and were able to take hold of the fourth spot.

I was also surprised to see Laperriere win the Masterton Trophy since he didn't play at all this season. But I'm really happy he won it. If there is one person who is more dedicated to hockey more than anyone else, its Lappy. Why else would he get right back out every time he got hit with the puck or punched in the face. But he is more than a role player, he is a consumate professional and one of the best teammates in all of sports. Wayne Fish said of him in 2009 "You get a lot of P's with Ian Laperriere: Penalty-killer. Pest. Physical force. Perfect teammate." He was so loved in Philadelphia after just one season, his introduction led to one of the best moments of a thrill-a-game 2010 playoff run.


One final thought about the awards. Having random celebrities at the show is fine, but they should try to keep it more hockey related. Are there really that many people out there who like hockey and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? It seems unlikely to me, so let's get someone who is capable of remembering the correct pronunciation of three names. Pronouncing Martin St-Louis' name Saint Lewis isn't the worst thing ever, but it shows they really weren't interested in being there. Even the host, Jay Mohr, wasn't perfect saying WHYzerman instead of EYEzerman when talking about Best GM nominee Stevie Y.

The Flyers shocked me a few days later, trading Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, two first-round picks from what is going to be one of the best draft classes ever. I thought they should get rid of Carter, but I never thought they would trade, or even be able to trade, Richards. I was upset over that, but the more I look at the return, the better the trades look. They now have top-rated prospect Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and three picks in the draft, including the eighth overall which they used to select Sean Couturier (Full draft results can be found here). These trades have caused a major stir in the forward unit so let's take a look at what the line could look like next season.

van Riemsdyk    Giroux    Voracek
    Hartnell        Briere       Leino
  Simmonds       Schenn    Versteeg
    Carcillo         Betts     Powe/Nodl

I was expecting Adam Larsson to go first overall to the Edmonton Oilers, but they went with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins allowing Larsson to be taken by the Devils in the fourth slot. This worked out great for the Devils as they now have a solid prospect to rebuild their defense around. It was a strength of theirs before the lockout, but has since been pulled apart, mainly through free agency and retirement, and the talent level now is nowhere near what it was. Larsson is certainly as good a start as any to become a dominate defensive team again.

Consequences Of A Long Night

The Vancouver-Nashville game last night looked as though it would go on for a long time before Matt Halischuk found a hole in Roberto Luongo's armor. It wouldn't have been a surprise to see these two teams, led by Vezina-nominee goalies and strong defenses that helped Vancouver finish first in goals-against average in the regular season and Nashville third, play in one of those classic marathon games that causes fans to sleep at the rink and local pizza parlors to get a surprise spike in business at two in the morning.

Winning those games is one of the toughest thing for a team to do. They are well beyond their usual physical fatigue levels and their mental fatigue is catching up quickly. They get through their shifts by sheer willpower and equipment managers work harder than ever in an effort to keep their equipment dry. The winning goal doesn't just mean a celebration for the win, it brings relief that the game is over and they can finally begin to rest as their next game is less than two days away.

Those long games go a long way towards helping to win a series. Both teams are equally exhausted, but the wining team gets a huge mental boost while the losers are dejected as the loss becomes too much to handle. Of the 10 longest games in NHL history, nine of the winners have gone on to win the series, proving there is a short-term boost from winning those games. It isn't until the next series that the games start to take a toll as those nine winner are a combined 4-5 in the following series and 4-7 through the rest of the playoffs. No team would ever throw a game on purpose, but in the long run it may be better to lose the game early in the overtime and have more reserves going forward than to win a long game and be too tired to continue the playoff run. Here are the results of what happened after the 10 longest games in NHL history:

Date: Round, game of series; winner-score over loser-score in time taken; how the winner fared in series; how they fared in series after.

3/24/36: 1, 1 of 5; Red Wings-1 over Maroons-0 in 2:56:30; won series 3-0; won next series (Cup final) over Maple Leafs 3-1.

4/3/33: 1, 5 of 5; Maple Leafs-1 over Bruins-0 in 2:44:46; won series 3-2; lost next series (Cup final) to Rangers 3-1

5/4/00: 2, 4 of 7; Flyers-2 over Penguins-1 in 2:32:01; won series 4-2; lost next series (conf. final) to Devils 4-3.

4/24/03: 2, 1 of 7; Mighty Ducks-4 over Stars-3 in 2:20:48; won series 4-2; won next series (conf. final) over Wild 4-0; lost next series (Cup final) to Devils 4-3.

4/24/96: 1, 4 of 7; Penguins-3 over Capitals-2 in 2:19:15; won series 4-2; won next series (conf. semifinal) over Rangers 4-1; lost next series (conf. final) to Panthers 4-3.

4/11/07: 1, 1 of 7; Canucks-5 over Stars-4 in 2:18:06; won series 4-3; lost next series (conf. semifinal) to Ducks 4-1.

3/23/43: 1, 2 of 7; Maple Leafs-3 over Red Wings-2; lost series 4-2

5/4/08: 2, 6 of 7; Stars-2 over Sharks-1 in 2:09:03; won series 4-2; lost next series (conf. final) to Red Wings 4-2

3/28/30: 2, 1 of 3; Canadiens-2 over Rangers-1 in 2:08:52, won series 2-0; won next series (Cup final) over Bruins 2-0.

4/18/87: 1, 7 of 7; Islanders-3 over Capitals-2 in 2:08:47; won series 4-3; lost next series (conf. semifinal) to Flyers 4-3.

The team that won the game have a combined 14-8 record (.636 winning percentage) in the rest of the series following the win, not counting the three series in which that win was in the deciding game. In the 11 series after the one featuring the game, the record drops to 29-29 (.500) for a total record of 43-37 (.538). This shows marathon games take too much out of teams to continue their runs to the Cup.

One of the biggest examples of this is with the Flyers. The third-longest game help them tie their second round series against the Penguins at 2-2 after they lost the first two games at home. Then, after building a 3-1 series lead against their arch-rival Devils, they managed only three goals in the final three games of the series and missed out on the Stanley Cup final.

The Devils benefited from an opponent's marathon again in 2003. After the Mighty Ducks won their series against the Stars, they swept their way through the Western Conference final against the Wild, only allowing one goal in the four games. But then they got the the Stanley Cup final and were shutout three times in a grueling series including a 3-0 loss in Game 7.

The Islanders won the Easter Epic against the Capitals on Pat LaFontaine's turn-around shot from the blueline, then faced the Flyers in round two. That series went the full seven games and of the first six, five were decided by two goals or fewer. They would lose Game 7 5-1. The Stars also wrapped up a series with a history-making game, then dropped the first three games of the 2008 Western Conference final against the Red Wings. They battled back to force Game 6, but lost that game 4-1.

Even though the Canucks lost the game, surrendering home-ice advantage to the Predators in the process, the fact they didn't play all night may have helped them in the long run. Ultra-long overtime games just don't leave enough in the tank to continue playing at a high level

Saturday Recap - 4/30

Boston at Philadelphia
First Period
1:52: David Krejci scores the first goal of the series early in the game. Last year it was his injury, coupled with Simon Gagne's return, that swung the series in the Flyers' favor. Brian Boucher bit too early and Krejci was easily able to go around him for the goal. Milan Lucic, while he didn't get an assist on the goal, started it with strong play down low which is a good sign for Boston as he was largely invisible during the first round against Montreal. The crowd which was raucous just moments ago is really quiet at the moment.

11:02: Danny Briere answers back, putting home a rebound for his seventh of the playoffs, going around Tim Thomas for a goal similar to the Krejci one. Ville Leino made a nice play entering the zone, leaving the puck at the blueline for Braydon Coburn to pick it up and get a shot on net.

12:20: Leino proves he doesn't let anyone get in the way of a loose puck as he knocks down the referee on his way to the corner.

12:55: Thomas makes a great save on James van Reimsdyk on a pass from Claude Giroux and the Flyers have been putting on a lot of pressure since the Briere goal. Those two are starting to become one of the top duos in the league as they gain more and more experience.

16:06: The Flyers kill off a goalie interference penalty on Zac Rinaldo who is playing in his first career NHL game. It was a curious call as both Rinaldo and Dennis Seidenberg both ran into Thomas on a rush it it looked as if Rinaldo was trying to stop, but couldn't because Seidenberg was draped all over him.

19:24: Nathan Horton continues his strong play during his first career playoff run with his fourth goal in the dying seconds of the first period. Seidenberg made another great pinch as he did on the first goal. Horton was given plenty of room to get two whacks at the puck before scoring and the Flyers defense aren't working the front of their net with their usual bravado.

End of period: Both teams spent the period feeling each other out. Neither team was rushing or trying to force plays that weren't there and there weren't any big hits. Both goalies were alright, all three goals were on rebounds and scrambles in front of the net.

Second Period
 2:34: Mark Recchi gets enough on a shot to put the puck just over the goal line. The Flyers do not look good in their own zone as nobody was able to pick up Recchi or clear any rebounds. Right now they are on pace for their fourth goalie change of the playoffs.

5:11: Kris Versteeg takes an unnecessary slashing call as the Bruins are starting to dominate Game 1. The Flyers have no sense of urgency whatsoever and the Bs are taking advantage.

7:42: The Flyers kill off the penalty as the Bruins power play continues to be their weak spot. But they are right back on it as Briere takes another bad penalty, this time for tripping Seidenberg in the Flyers zone. The Flyers don't appear to be focused and it is hurting them right now.

9:58: Briere gets a great chance coming out of the box, but shoots just wide. The Flyers penalty kill is doing a great job as the Bruins are having trouble entering the zone and cannot get set up. They will now get their chance on the power play that went 5-for-35 against Buffalo as Brad Marchand takes a slashing call.

12:37: The penalty is killed off as Thomas was strong, making four tough stops. The Flyers get another power plays Johnny Boychuk high sticks Nikolay Zherdev.

15:26: Boucher doesn't even react as a shot by Adam McQuad that is going well wide is deflected by Horton back towards the net and in. Right now the build is as quiet as it can get as nothing is going right for the Flyers.

17:14: Brad Marchand seals the deal in the second period. He scores on a rebound and he was left open in front as the Bruins have been all game. The Flyers are flat and Sergei Bobrovsky comes in to see his first action since Game 2 of the Buffalo series.

17:30: van Reimsdyk scores right off the faceoff on a wrist shot over Thomas' glove. It was a clean win by Giroux and a nice little pass by Sean O'Donnell to put the puck right in the wheelhouse for the quick snipe.

End of period: The Flyers looked absolutely horrendous this period. Their forwards were ineffective and their defense looked lost. The Bruins have buried all of their chances and aren't giving the Flyers anything right now. The Flyers have taken a lot of stupid penalties and have been careless in their own zone. They have been making everything easy for the Bruins.

Third Period
3:50: Bobrovsky makes a good glove save on a Seidenberg shot from in close as he gets into the game. Best thing for the Flyers to see is he made it look easy and was able to hold on to it.

8:30: Giroux show some amazing stickhandling as he turn Chris Kelly inside out and sends van Reimsdyk in alone then almost scores himself before being hauled down by Andrew Ference who takes a hooking penalty.

10: 57: The Bruins kill off that penalty easily as neither team has threatened at all. the Flyers PP unit goes back to work as Krejci takes a slashing call.

12:01: The Flyers will have plenty of room as Marchand takes a penalty to give them a 5-on-3.

13:02: Mike Richards gets his first of the playoff just after the first penalty expires. He walks out of the corner then rips a short-side shot by Thomas. The Flyers are playing much better this period, showing the Bruins Game 2 will not be nearly as easy as this one. It is his first goal since April 5, a span of 10 games.

14:59: Marchand scores a goal as the puck is cleared from the crease before Patrice Bergeron knocks the puck off a defenseman's stick right to Marchand for the tap in.

Greg Campbell scores to make it 7-3. Coburn does nothing to tie up Campbell's stick as he glided in unimpeded.

Final score: Boston-7 Philadelphia-3

Story of the game: The Flyers did not play smart at all today. Almost all seven of the Bruins goals were on player where the goalscorer was able to get behind the defense without anyone noticing. Even when there were four Flyers in deep, they didn't seem to communicate with one another and spent a lot of time running aorund instead of playing the sound positional game they need to in front of the goaltending backing this team. They were also undisciplined, taking five slashing calls away from the play. Even though the Bruins power play has been dreadful throughout the playoffs, this didn't allow the Flyers to get any consistent attack.


Player of the game: Dennis Seidenberg made two risky pinches early in the game and they both led to Boston goals as they got the advantage early. He quietly played very well in his own end, leading all players with a plus-4. David Krejci did a lot of the scoring with two goals and four points, but a lot of that was getting lucky bounces while Seidenberg was consistently making his own plays and getting the puck away from danger.

Nashville at Vancouver
First Period
7:19: Martin Erat records the Predators fifth shot on goal which is as many as they had the entire first period of Game 1. The Preds are doing a much better job forechecking and taking the puck to the net, showing the urgency that was lacking the first game when they seemed to forget you can't win if you don't score at least one goal.

10:30: Nashville gets Roberto Luongo scrambling as they send a flurry of shots on net and were getting to the rebounds. They had two shots on net, one blocked and a few just wide for their best scoring chances of the series so far.

15:07: Vancouver kills of an interference penalty on Mikael Samuelsson. After getting a number of quality chances early in the game, Nashville has a hard time just entering the zone. When they did get a clean entry, Vancouver was winning all the battles and clearing the puck every time.

19:36: Patric Hornqvist takes a hard hit from Alex Edler, but doesn't let it faze him as he gets right back up and get a shot on net.

End of period: Once again, there were no goals at the end of one period. Nashville has looked way better and has as many quality chances in period one as they did in Game 1. They outshot Vancouver 12-6, more shots than they had the first two periods of Game 1 when they were out shot 16-5 in the first and 30-20 in the game.

Second Period
2:00: Alex Burrows opens the scoring shorthanded. He went on with Ryan Kesler, tried to center a pass only to have it go off a skate and take a fortunate bounce right back to him. Pekka Rinne was sliding across to take the shot from Kesler only to leave the side of the net wide open.

2:35: Martin Erat takes a Shea Weber shot off the side of the head after it deflects off a stick while he was jumping out of the way. To give you an idea of how much that sucks, watch this.

2:56: Vancouver gets another chance shorthanded, this time on a 3-on-1, but the puck slid off Keith Ballard's stick and the chance was nullified. Vancouver gets a third chance as the penalty expires, but Kesler shoots it high as the penalty benefits Vancouver more than Nashville.

7:33: Jordin Tootoo takes a bad tripping penalty and Ballard is lucky he wasn't seriously hurt on the play. Going back for the icing call, Tootoo taps the back of ballard's knee just enough to send him crashing into the base of the boards. Nashville likks off the penalty however to keep the deficit at one.


19:18: Rinne makes a fantastic save on Kesler on a wraparound, getting to the glove side of the net in an instant as Kesler made a quick turn and got off a pretty good shot.

End of period: A much closer period saw Nashville out shoot Vancouver for the third consecutive period, but they have yet to score. Vancouver had plenty of chances to extend their lead with Kesler leading the charge most times, but a lot of their shots were blocked or sent wide.

Third Period
5:41: Luongo makes a great glove save on Blake Geoffrion. The line of Tootoo, Nick Spaling and Jerred Smithson has been the best of the game so far and they had a great shift right before and their strong forechecking is leading to some quality chances.

10:46: The Preds go in offside after the best shift of the game. They has possession of the puck inside the Vancouver zone for about a minute and had all their players running around. The Sedins looked awful and they haven't done much all game. Meanwhile the line of Mike Fisher, Sergei Kostitsyn and Patric Hornqvist were making plays at will.

11:15: Tootoo gets a breakaway and Luongo answers with a great leg save. A very similar play to the Fisher breakaway in Game 1.

18:53: Ryan Suter finally scores for Nashville on a goal Luongo would love to have back. With Rinne pulled, Suter went into the corner and in desperation, threw the puck to the front of the net where it when off Luongo's stick, caromed off his left skate and into the net.

End of period:Nashville outplayed Vancouver all period and it finally broke through for them. The shots were 15-5 in the period, 36-15 in regulation and the way Rinne and Luongo are playing, the fans in Vancouver better get comfortable. The edge going into overtime definitely goes to Nashville who have been by far the better team and they will certainly get a jump from the tying goal.

Overtime 1
0:18: Kevin Bieksa takes a hit from Kostitsyn and goes down awkwardly, jamming his hand into the boards. This could be bad because not only is he a quality shut-down defenseman, but if they have to play only five D-men they will get tired much quicker and mental fatigue leads to a lot of overtime goals.

4:18: Rinne makes an amazing save on Daniel Sedin on his best opportunity of the game. A takeaway at the blueline by Henrik led to the glorious chance at the doorstep on a rebound.

6:57: Nashville gets the power play when Vancouver has too many men on the ice. In overtime penalties are rarely called as refs generally let the players decide things, but this is one they have to call.

17:45: Rinne makes one of the best save you will ever see, this rivals the Thomas save in overtime of Game 6. Daniel Sedin fakes a slapshot then sends the puck over to Bieksa for the one-timer. He had the whoile cage to shoot at, but Rinne manages to get his stick on that. Even ESPN has to give him credit for that one on tomorrow's top 10. But it's hockey so they probably won't.

End of period: Both goalies came up big a few times as we have now played 80 minutes without a winner. Vancouver had the better chances, out shooting Nashville for the first time in five periods. They could have had even more chances, but they had a lot of offside calls against them as they seem too eager to try and get those 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 rushes. The Sedins have played their best hockey of the series in that period. The Nucks will need them to be better if they hope to solve Rinne more than once a game.

Overtime 2
5:45: Rinne channels his inner Dominic Hasek, rolling on his back and getting a glove on a shot by Daniel who went around the crease and had a wide open net.

6:20: Vancouver takes another penalty the referees have to call. It is a delay of game for flipping the puck over the glass. This is one rule I really wish they would get rid of. It should really be treated as an icing call as both plays are made for the purpose of resting tired players on the ice. Why one gets the player two minutes is beyond me.

14:51: When it was looking like both goalies were in a zone and this game may not come to a conclusion anytime soon, Matt Halischuk ends the game, firing a wrist shot into the top corner. Luongo doesn't make a good play on the goal at all as he was on his knees before the puck was even shot, leaving Halischuk plenty of room over the glove to put it where mom hides the cookies.

Final score: Nashville-2 Vancouver-1


Story of the game: For the second straight game, it's the goalies. They combined for a .962 save percentage this game and are .969 in the series (.970 for Luongo, .968 for Rinne). While each team played well on the defensive side of the puck, they each had their chances to put the game away, especially Nashville who had two power plays in the extra frames.  As strong as Luongo was, he made two mistakes that cost the Canucks a 2-0 series lead by letting a shot go in from behind the goal line and biting way too early on the overtime goal. The Predators now have home ice advantage as they need three more wins and they have three games at home. The Sedins showed up for the series in overtime, but they will have to be much better at creating chances and finishing as scoring is going to come at a premium. Like Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos and every other sniper, they have to learn to crash the net and score on scrambles in front. They can score those pretty goals in the regular season, but it doesn't work often in the playoffs.


Player of the game: It was Ryan Kesler through regulation who despite not scoring a goal, got an assist on the Burrows goal and created chances throughout the game. He was solid defensively, giving the Predators little room to work with in the Vancouver zone. He deserves a mention, but Rinne stole the show in overtime as the Canucks had four or five opportunities where they could have easily ended the game. He faced nearly as many shots in overtime (11) as he did in regulation (15) and they were much better quality, especially once the Sedins got going.

Flyers/Bruins Roster Changes And Ruff Times Continues in Buffalo

I'm channeling my inner NHL.com puns with that headline.

Some are wondering if the Boston Bruins' historic collapse to the Philadelphia Flyers last year will have any effect on their semifinal series this year. That would be the case if the same two teams were playing each other, but that is not the case as there have been 16 roster changes between Game 7 last year and the end of the series this year including 10 for Boston.

The core of the Flyers is still the same, but the have added even more depth. Their third pairing has been upgraded from Ryan Parent and Lukas Krajicek to Sean O'Donnell and Andrej Meszaros. Up front they lost veteran sniper Simon Gagne and grinder Arron Asham who have been replaced by Kris Versteeg, who came out on the right side of Game 6 last year, and inconsistent (that's being generous) Nikolay Zherdev. In goal, Michael Leighton finished up the series after Brian Boucher went down with an injury, but it is Boucher who will once again be starting the series.

The Bruins have made many changes throughout the roster. They have replaced an injured and largely ineffective Marc Savard with Nathan Horton who had three goals including two overtime winners in his first playoff series. There is a lot more sandpaper on the forward lines as Vladimir Sobotka, Miroslav Satan and Blake Wheeler were replaced by Greg Campbell, Chris Kelly and Brad Marchand, players who are much better at mucking it up and winning battles in the corners which is exactly what you need to win in the playoffs. Tim Thomas brings his experience back to the net over Tuukka Rask.

There are some similarities too. Both teams have a monstrous defenseman to punish anyone willing to get into their territory. But while Chris Pronger is coming into the series relatively rested and is still one of the meanest and nastiest players to go up against while Zdeno Chara doesn't use his size to his advantage nearly enough and tries to poke check too often when he could easily take the body. Mike Richards and Milan Lucic have both underachieved as neither have a goal so far in the playoffs after showing how clutch they can be last year.

The Bruins will certainly remember the collapse last year, but they have had enough turnover so that it doesn't matter as this is a completely revamped team.


Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has received a contract extension. Ruff, while failing to lead the Sabres to the Stanley Cup, has gotten a lot out of his teams. Only once in 14 years have the Sabres gone below 82 points. That was the 2002-03 season when only one player who finished the season in Buffalo had more than 35 points. With the exception of the first two season after the lockout, he has had little offense to work with, but the Sabres have remained competitive. Their leading scorers in each year and their finish since Ruff took over goes as follows:

• 1998-98: Miroslav Satan - 46 points - 89 points, third in division, lost conference final
• 1998-99: Miroslav Satan - 66 points - 91 points, fourth in division, lost Stanley Cup final
• 1999-2000: Miroslav Satan - 67 points - 85 points, third in division, lost round 1
• 2000-01: Miroslav Satan - 62 points - 98 points, second in division, lost round 2
• 2001-02: Miroslav Satan - 73 points - 82 points, fifth in division, missed playoffs
• 2002-03: Miroslav Satan - 75 points - 72 points, fifth in division, missed playoffs
• 2003-04: Danny Briere - 65 points - 85 points, fifth in division, missed playoffs
• 2005-06: Maxim Afinogenov - 73 points - 110 points, second in division, lost round 3
• 2006-07: Danny Briere - 95 points - 113 points, first in division, lost round 3
• 2007-08: Derek Roy - 81 points - 90 points, fourth in division, missed playoffs
• 2008-09: Derek Roy - 70 points - 91 points, third in division, missed playoffs
• 2009-10: Derek Roy - 69 points - 100 points, first in division, lost round 1
• 2010-11: Tomas Vanek - 73 points - 96 points, second in division, lost round 1

Now that Terry Pegula is the GM and is committed to spending money to build a champion, Ruff will have the  best opportunity to coach a contender in his career. When he had the elite players, the Sabres were contenders, going to the 1999 Stanley Cup final and winning the 2006-07 Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season record. But Dominic Hasek, Briere, Chris Drury, Mike Peca and Brian Campbell have all left for greener pastures, leaving Ruff second liners and backup goalies to try and win with. If they can keep their star players for a change, they certainly have the coach to lead them.

Playoff Implication Trends-Eastern Conference

It's my estimation the best thing for a team going into the playoffs is to be riding a hot streak. Every team goes through hot and cold streaks during the year and going in limping may spell doom for your favorite team. This is not a perfect formula, but you can bet the Philadelphia Flyers rode the momentum of their season-ending shootout win over the New York Rangers pretty far in their run to the Stanley Cup final last year. Here are some teams and players who are trending in a certain direction and how it may affect their playoff chances. I'll do the eastern Conference today and the West tomorrow.

Trending Up
Thomas Vanek: With Derek Roy done for the year just 35 games into the season, the pressure has been on Ryan Miller more than ever. After posting amazing numbers last year (41-18-8, 2.22 GAA, .929 SV%) he has become more pedestrian this year (29-20-7, 2.70 GAA, .912 SV%) leaving the Buffalo Sabres in a fight for one of the bottom seeds. In come the notoriously streaky Vanek who has two goals and eight points in his past five games, four of which have been Sabres wins. They are currently tied with the Rangers for eighth, four points over the Carolina Hurricanes. With six of their next thirteen games, including tonight's game against the Hurricanes, against teams within six points of catching the Sabres, it is important Vanek keep this hot streak up. they have seven games remaining against teams in the top-half in goals against and five (Nashville Predators, Montreal Canadiens , New Jersey Devils, the Rangers and Washington Capitals) are in the top 10 meaning goals are going to be very difficult to come by for the rest of the season. Should Vanek stay at at least a point per game, the Sabres should be in good shape to lock down one of the final spots.

Washington Capitals: The best thing that could have happened to the Capitals this season did. They struggled. They haven't been able to score, they faced a number of important injuries and their goaltending has been inconsistent. The transition towards a defensive game in the beginning of the season didn't go quite as smooth as planned, but they have righted the ship and are ready to soar in the playoffs. Winners of their past eight and 10 of 11 allowing only 19 goals (13 taking away their 6-0 loss to the Rangers) in that span, the Caps are playing well at the right time of the year. They have been so dominate the past two seasons, it may have caused them to think the playoffs would be a breeze, but they were sadly mistaken both times. A 50-24-8 record for 108 points (fourth overall in the NHL) and 54-15-13 record for 121 points (first overall) the past two seasons was followed by just one playoff series win and two Game 7 losses on home ice. Alex Ovechkin has seven goals and 17 points in his past 12 games and after facing adversity for the first time in three seasons, he appears ready to play a complete game and dominate in the playoffs.
Trending Down
Tim Thomas: Throughout most of the season, Thomas was on pace to obliterate records for goals-against average and save percentage. At the end of January, he was on pace for the third lowest GAA since the modern era began in 1947 with a 1.81 GAA (only Miikka Kiprusoff, 1.69 2003-04 and Marty Turco, 1.72 2002-03 have been lower) and the highest save percentage by far at .945 (Dominik Hasek, .937 1998-99). Those numbers, while still the best in the league by far, have slowly been dropping the in month-and-a-half since. His stats since the beginning of February are a 5-4-2 record, .915 SV% and 2.73 GAA. Unless he allows eight goals every game from now until the end of the season, he is all but guaranteed the Vezina Trophy. At the same time, the Bruins are starting to struggle to score goals, potting more than two just once in the past six games. It becomes even tougher to score in the playoffs as they found out last year when their offense suddenly went dry after game 4 against the Flyers in the second round and if Thomas' 2.73 GAA since February keeps climbing, the Bruins could be in trouble. Right now they are set to face the Canadiens, a team who has given them trouble throughout their long rivalry and has at least three goals in eight of their past nine. Thomas is still having a phenomenal season, but now is not the time for his game to start slipping.

Philadelphia Flyers: As I stated above, each team goes through slumps and the Flyers are in theirs right now. A 4-4-2 record in their past 10 isn't terrible until you see who they are losing to. Three of the losses are against teams out of a playoff spot (Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers) and two of them are against the two teams tied for eighth (Sabres, Rangers). Two of those losses are really embarrassing, dropping a 7-0 decision against rival Rangers and blowing 3-0 and 4-2 leads in the third period to lose in overtime to the Thrashers. Their 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers doesn't really count because, well, its the Oilers. This does not bode well because since the lockout, four of the five Stanley Cup winning teams (assuming they make it that far) have had a better record in their last 10 games than their counterpart. Last season, only three of eight series was won by the team that had a worse record in their last 10 games. The team with the worst record to win a playoff series was the Canadiens who went 3-4-3 before upsetting the Capitals. It took them overtime to beat the Islanders and the two games against the Leafs were close and not very well played. They still have 14 games to get this trend turned around, but with their goaltending starting to falter and their history with that position, it doesn't look so good right now.

Best Seat In The House

When you're sitting on the glass, shelling out $400 per seat per game, you're thinking you have the best seats in the house and wondering why anyone one would willingly sit in the seats just an arms length from the retired number and championship banners hanging from the rafters. But then you're near the roof, looking Bill Barilko right in the eye, you know there is no better place to watch a hockey game and you never really want to sit anywhere else ever again. There is a good reason all the press, scouts and coaches sit up there

I've been to two games in the press box so far, a 6-5 shootout win for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 26 and a 3-2 Philadelphia Flyers win on March 10. Watching from hundreds of feet above the ice, almost looking straight down at the play, i can see everything perfectly from the breakout and fore-check strategy to the guy wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs Wayne Gretzky jersey in row eight.

Sitting down low and watching from up high, you are really at two different games. Watching down low, you get a tremendous appreciation for the speed and power of the game. You can get speedsters Marian Gaborik, Phil Kessel and Michael Grabner skating by so fast you can get whiplash trying to watch them. It's almost impossible to understand how they think, let alone make plays at such high speeds. The power and aggression is also very evident down low. You can see the action on TV, but watching just how pissed off Chris Pronger is as he battles his opponent in front of the net is something else.

As good as those seats are for entertainment purposes, you do not beat sitting in the press box for hockey purposes. Up high, the game becomes a slow-motion ballet where each pass is made with the precision of a surgeon and each breakout blooms like a flower on Planet Earth. It is so fun watching a play develop and seeing how much room the players actually have out there, where down low, you don't get that. Another major difference is i don't have to switch from watching live-action to watching the video board whenever the play is not directly in front of me, missing valuable milli-seconds of action. In the press box, I barely have to turn my head to take in the entire rink.

The subtleties of the game are so clear from this vantage point from rookie Keith Aulie's hesitance in the offensive zone to Blair Betts' mastery on defense. That room I mentioned was evident watching Claude Giroux's patience while the Flyers keep the puck away from the Leafs on a delayed penalty. The gaps can close quite quickly though and it is incredible they can see the game as it is up high while playing it at the speed down low.

I am able to easily follow the Dion Phaneuf blast that deflected off Mikhail Grabovski's face and into the top corner of the net and I have a great angle on Mike Brown's amazing rush (that's probably never been typed before) that led to a Joffrey Lupul goal to pull the Leafs within one goal. The fore-check is an aspect I really enjoy watching as the strategy is hard to see from down low. I can clearly see the Flyers switch to a 1-2-2 late in the game as they try to hold on to their slim lead. In short, this view allows me to see everything except why Jody Shelley is in the NHL.

There are other perks to having a media pass other than the great view. Being able to go behind the scenes in the ACC and get into the locker rooms in pretty cool too. The game against the Flyers got off to a good start before the game even began. I drove to the rink with Ken Campbell straight from the office and on our way to the media room, we ran into the injured Pronger. He and Ken got into it a little bit, throwing some jabs at each other with Pronger mocking his size. All in good fun of course and it was really funny, say what you want about Pronger on the ice, off it he really is a great personality and the NHL could certainly use more guys like him.

Sitting in the press box is just a great experience, not just because of the view, but because of all the amenities as well. I'll start with the free food. It's nothing special at the ACC compared to others arenas (so I've been told), but there is still popcorn, pretzels, soda, water, ice cream and a few other snacks. Saturday games are great as everyone gathers for Coach's Corner with Don Cherry and I gotta tell you, it's not just Americans who aren't used to him who think he's out of his mind, everyone there did as well. During the Flyers game, I sat right in front of the Leafs play-by-play man and got to listen to his commentary the entire game. Those people do an absolutely incredible job. Even with the game slowing down, their ability to call all the action so clearly is stunning. There is a line of TVs so I get to see a replay almost instantly, bringing the best part of watching sports at home to the rink. I also get to share space with some well-known people in the hockey community including Brad May, Nikolay Zherdev and the great Chris Therien.*

Then there's going into the locker room after the game. The first game against the Penguins was just about getting my feet wet and getting used to the experience of being in a media scrum. I joined in on interviews of Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, Alexei Kovalev and coach Dan Bylsma. The game against the Flyers, I had to get quotes from a few players  about summer hobbies for THN's Fully Loaded, a hockey lifestyle magazine that comes out a few times a year. I was able to talk to Brian Boucher, Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell while I tried heard not to let my admiration for these guys show.

It is a strange feeling to go from shouting my lungs out as an anonymous voice in a crowd of 18,000 to saying "Hey Brian, can I talk to you for just a minute?" Asking the same of Hartnell and having him respond "You have a minute, 30 seconds" because he was in a rush, but still answering my off-topic questions was another eye-opening experience. Talking to these guys I grew up cheering for and getting to know them, even in the slightest and just for story, on a first-name basis is just a small part of why this is the greatest internship and will be the greatest job imaginable.

*Please note there is some serious sarcasm at the end of this sentence. 

Things You May Not Know About Eric Lindros

There are a lot of perks of working at The Hockey News. I get to go to games for free and get the best seat in the house; I may be at a dizzying height near the rafters, but I get an amazing view of all the action away from the puck and get to see plays develop better than from any other seat. I get to talk hockey all day and get my name out there in the hockey community. One of my favorite things however, is the archives.

Every issue of The Hockey News ever produced is in the office and looking at the old issues is amazing. The annual Future Watch is coming out soon, ranking the top prospects from every team and we are just starting to work Draft Preview now as well where we look at the hopefuls for this year's draft. Today, I came upon a copy of Draft Watch from 1991, with the cover story being about young phenom Eric Lindros. The story, which came out on June 30, 1991 in volume 44, number 35, listed 88 things you may not know about Lindros and they were quite intriguing. Here are some of my favorites.

10. When he isn't playing well or something isn't working in his game, he's most likely to ask his father, Carl, how to remedy the problem. Now if he only knew the remedy for obsessive, controlling parents.


13. As a youngster, his favorite NHL team was Montreal. Now, he says he doesn't have one. I would most definitely rule out Quebec though.


22. His teammates call him "Lindy." Well, it's better than Erica. Kinda. OK, not really.


25. He is definitely motivated by pride to be the best, but financial rewards are high on his list, too. Hey, at least he's up front about it.


30. The Greyhounds improved from 42 points to 87 points after trading his rights. And the Nordiques/Avalanche went from 52 points (second lowest in the NHL. Only expansion San Jose had fewer) to 104 points (fourth in the NHL) in one year and a Stanley Cup three years later after trading his rights to Philadelphia. Hmm, I sense a pattern.


49. He will float at times...until he's hit, which rarely fails to get him fired up. Said Scott Stevens, "challenge accepted."


69. When he was 16, then Philadelphia Flyer GM Bob Clarke said he was good enough to play on any team in the NHL. When he was 28, then Philadelphia Flyer GM Bob Clarke said get the hell outta Philly. 


71. He has never suffered a major injury. His worst injury has been a shoulder separation. This was written just a bit too soon, don't you think?


86. His inner circle and unofficial advisory council is tight, consisting of his parents and agent. I think he could have used a new inner circle.

The (Stupid) Guardian Project

The NHL has had trouble gaining credibility in the United States, often failing to get recognition as one of the "Big Four" and rarely featured on national sports networks like ESPN. Even the "sport" of NASCAR has a wider audience in many places, especially in the deep south. As a result, many teams are forced to come up with gimmicks and publicity stunts in order to attract fans, including this little gem by the Atlanta Thrashers. But of all ways to try and get fans, there is a new low. The National Hockey League and Stan Lee have teamed up to create The Guardian Project, a collection of 30 superheroes, one inspired by each team. At the All-Star game, they will all be revealed as the same time and shown in their first adventure. I can't wait to see what kind of problem they come up with that takes 30 heroes to solve. Seriously, having 30 heroes solve one crime is like having 30 firetrucks show up to put out a barrel fire. Wouldn't it be easier just to call Superman? He's one guy, can only be harmed by a substance found on a planet that has already been destroyed, and won't have anyone helping him out that will get in his way.

Each day a new superhero will be revealed and each week I will look at the past seven heroes and make fun of them. Here are the first eight that have been revealed so far.



Looks suspiciously like Cyclops except this one can't shoot lasers out of his eyes. He has a set of wings that don't let him fly, yet he can maneuver through the air. How the heck is that not the same exact thing?! And the last time someone had his powers, they belonged to this guy, and he was evil. Among all of The Guardians, he is the least willing to be placed in a box so at least you know when you're in need of help, you can count on him, more than anyone else, on not being in Abu Dhabi. (that's right, a Garfield reference)

The King is apparently more celebrity than anything else. For whatever reason, his shield creates a forcefield. Seriously, why does he need both? His sword can create an earthquake (like LA doesn't get enough already) so he can crumble the city he loves in one fell swoop as he strikes down his enemy.

From what I can tell, this hero is a bit of an alcoholic and keeps somebody's brain inside of a jar. The hair seems crazy at first, but my theory is that he killed and scalped Storm, dyed the hair red, and implanted her hair on his head. Apparently it was the hair all along that allowed her, and now him, to control the weather.

Here we have a giant man-boy who all the other Guardians are supposed to look up to. That's right, the apparent leader doesn't take anything seriously and is all happy-go-lucky. Exactly what I look for in a leader. He wears enough armor that he needs six wings in order to fly and controls the element of wind which is already a power belonging to The Hurricane.

OK, they are just ripping off other comic book characters now. This is similar to Mr. Freeze (yep, this guy again)but instead of an ice cannon, just has an over-sized super soaker. He is said to be highly intelligent, yet turned down free trips around the world in order to pay for them himself. He gained his powers in an experiment that went wrong, and is now completely comprised of water. OK, he is not similar to Mr. Freeze, he is Mr. Freeze, just on a hot day.

Cut him and he bleeds rainbows. He has incredible vision that makes him only "slightly more valuable in certain situations" than the other heroes. So even when things go 100% his way, and even though he can control people with his mind, any other hero would have come out just as well, except maybe with one more black eye. He also has a titanium eagle and can see what it sees. Since eagles have such amazing vision in the first place, makes you wonder why he needs his own super vision. Good news though, he finally has the granite chin that has been lacking from other Philly based heroes.

A hero BP would be proud of, The Oiler is also the third hero already that can control the weather. I think these guys should stop fighting crime and start fighting global warming. Weighing in at nearly half a ton, he probably doesn't get to the scene of the crime too quickly, especially since he spends most of his time lost in the woods laughing at his own jokes because no one else will.

I have a hard time believing this is a hero. He (it?) spends most of his time screwing around with the other heroes and I think he should be on some sort of watch list, seeing as he spends the majority of his time making sure kids see him as good people. Probably with candy. He has a titanium tail covered in barbed wire. I don't know about you, but I do not think having someone with that thing swinging around should be fighting anywhere near me.

Hating Sidney Crosby a Waste of Time

I've said it. Probably hundreds of times. My mom, dad, and brother have said it. Pretty much everyone that doesn't go to games with a streaking penguin on their chest has said it at one point or another. "Crosby sucks." And you know what? We're all wasting our breath. Like it or not, Sid the Kid is the face of the NHL and rightfully so seeing as he is the best player in the game. It is not a title he ever asked for, rather one that was thrust upon him at an early age. He had some growing up to do early in his career but hey, haven't we all? Here are some reasons to just start enjoying his play.

• Crosby's evolution. Players often get better throughout the course of their careers, but few have changed their game the way Crosby has. He has always been an elite playmaker, recording 63 assists as a rookie, not falling below that number until last year when he had 58 during his first 50 goal season (he had 48 assists during his third season in only 53 games, a rate of 74 over a full season). Passing has never been an issue, but there was always knocks against his game; he couldn't score, was not good on faceoffs, and his defensive play wasn't strong enough. Ever since his epic duel against Alex Ovechkin in the 2009 playoffs, a series in which he scored eight goals in seven games, he has been a goal scoring machine. Newfound confidence, along with the switch to a one-piece stick, helped him record 51 goals last season, tying his with Steven Stamkos for the league lead. This year he is on pace to record just the second 60 goal season since 1996, the other belonging to Ovechkin. He has also greatly improved his performance in the faceoff dot. His winning percentage in his rookie season was a measly 45.5%, but has steadily improved and so far this season has a 55.7% on a league high 958 draws, 149 more than the second closest player. Steve Yzerman was one of the greatest players in NHL history, one of the great stories is how he transformed his game from an offensive dynamo (his 155 points in 1988-89 is the highest total for someone not named Gretzky or Lemieux) to being one of the top two-way players in the game, winning the Selke Trophy in 1999-2000. All it took for him to do that was 13 years of playoff disappointments and legendary coach Scotty Bowman. Crosby is only in his sixth season and is one of the most underrated defensive forwards. Don't be surprised when he ends his career with a Selke Trophy or two. As I stated before, Crosby has evolved while most players simply get better. Let's compare Crosby to (surprise, surprise) Ovechkin. Ovie has become one of the most dynamic talents the game has ever seen. However, his game hasn't changed much, making him predictable and easy to stop. He does pass more than he used to but still tries, way too often, to skate up the left wing and snipe a shot on the goalie. As the Canadiens showed in the playoffs last year, if you get in his lanes you stop Ovechkin and, consequently, the Capitals. Crosby has been able to find many different ways, not just to score, but contribute all around the ice. 

• His will to win. Regardless of how much you may hate him, and this is usually because, more often than not, the Penguins are likely to come out on top of yours with Crosby being the main reason why, he is a winner that is going to show up and play his best when games matter most. Included in his resume is the shootout winner in the first Winter Classic, two goals in elimination games against the Flyers and Capitals in the same playoff year, and of course the golden goal in the Olympics last year. He is a player that absolutely hates to lose and will do anything to avoid the agonizing sting of defeat. The bigger the game and the more the crowd is on his back, the better he is going to play. All those geniuses that attend Flyers games probably don't realize that chanting "Crosby sucks" all game only makes him want to win more. They would do better to take a page out of Mystery, Alaska and read newspapers and ignore him when he's on the ice. Any bitterness directed is way only fuels his intensity and motivates him ever further, putting him into a zone that will only end up costing your team. 

• Simply put, Crosby means more to his team than any other player means to theirs in the NHL. Comparing the captains of the two Pennsylvania teams, Mike Richards represents, while Sidney Crosby is. Let me explain. Anyone who watches hockey on a regular basis is familiar with Philadelphia's particular brand of hockey. Hard hitting, fast-paced, in your face, pedal to the metal hockey. They have earned the nickname Broad Street Bullies, with players like Bobby Clarke, Dave Schultz, Rick Tocchet, Scott Mellanby, and Eric Lindros suiting up for them over the years. These players could not only rack up points, but piles of penalty minutes as well. Richards is the new face of the franchise, whose enthusiasm and intensity mirrors the image the Flyers have made for themselves since the early 70s. Richards, however, really is just one contributer, albeit an extremely important one, on a very deep team. When they win, they get contributions from all across the lineup, as clearly shown by the fact the Flyers are tied with the Penguins for the top spot in the Atlantic division, yet only have three players on pace for more than 70 points, however each player on their top three lines has a legitimate shot at 20 goals. By comparison, the Penguins have only three players on pace for 20 goals. Basically, when the Penguins win, Crosby is going to have a major contribution to their scoresheet. During his recent 25 game point streak he recorded 26 goals and 50 points while the Penguins in total scored 88 goals during that span. He scored 30% of the teams goals by himself and had a part in 57% of their total offensive production. Yes, they do have another superstar in Evgeni Malkin, but he hasn't been as spectacular as usual the past year and a half, leaving Crosby to produce the bulk of the offence. The salary cap also leaves GM Ray Shero without room to provide him with quality linemates, meaning he produces most of his point playing between Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis on the top line. They would respectively be second and third liners on most other teams. Crosby absolutely is everything to the Penguins and when he doesn't produce, the team does not win.

So like him or not, Sidney Crosby is the best player in, and the face of, the NHL, and will probably be so for a long time. So you might as well quit the booing and jeering, sit back, and watch Crosby dominate the league, break records and set the new standard for every player coming into the league from now on. 

If you can pay, you can boo

I was the the Flyers-Panthers game last night and witnessed the Flyers do their best New Jersey Devils impersonation against a middling team they should be able to handle easily. The crowd was obviously unhappy with the effort (or rather lack thereof) set forth by the orange and black and it showed; a noticeable amount of fans didn't come back for the third period, and most left after it became 5-0 halfway through the final stanza. Another aspect of the game was the booing. At several points and especially the final moments of the game the crowd showed their appreciation for the team with a chorus of boos.

I thought about earlier this season when Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke criticized Leafs fans for booing the team, most notably captain Dion Phaneuf. Sure, booing is usually reserved for hated opponents but sometimes the home team needs to be made aware they are not performing up to expectations. Burke called Leafs fans "disgraceful," but they should be able to act however they want when it is they who are being disgraced. Sometimes it takes a kick in the ass from the crowd to get a team going. Though if the Devils are any indication this season, that may not always work.

Look at the Flyers last year. Three hundred and sixty-four days prior to last night's game, the Flyers played played another lackluster game against those same Panthers, only this time they had lost 14 of their previous 17 games, including that one. they were booed off the ice and the players felt embarrassed, not only for that game but for the way the season in general had been going to that point. After that, they went on a tear, getting points in 19 of their next 26 games and saving the season. The players were no doubt disappointed in themselves but the booing from the Flyers faithful must have stung them extra deep. Fans pay for way over-priced tickets and beer to watch way over-payed players play a game, the least they can do is to show a little effort. Expecting them to win every game is foolish but they can at least try.

Say It Ain't So Lappy

According to reports, Philadelphia Flyers grinder Ian Laperriere has been told to retire by at least two neurologists due to post concussion syndrome and nerve damage to his right eye.

If this doesn't prove that visors should be mandatory, than nothing will. It seems each year at least one player gets seriously injured in an incident that could have been avoided had the player been wearing a visor. Isn't that right, Al MacInnis? Or Bryan Berard, Steve Yzerman, Dany Heatley, or the host of other NHLers who had to almost go blind before smartening up and putting on a visor? Bill Masterton had to die before the NHL made helmets mandatory, what is it going to take before visors are mandatory as well?

Laperriere was named the toughest player in the NHL last season by The Hockey News for reasons such as this; that's right, he lost seven (7!) teeth and came back in the same game in November; and this. Keep in mind those block came from last season alone and it's no wonder why his nose looks like that.

The latter is highly unfortunate because it not only caused the major problems he is suffering now, but it came late in a game, and a series, the Flyers had essentially already won. You have to love his willingness to put his team first time and time again, but it is a shame such a classy person may have to retire this way.