Flyers: Carnival Starts Early This Season
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
Flyers: Carnival Starts Early This Season
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
I know I'm still catching up with things after being out of town, and this is old news here, but THE FLYERS SIGNED RAY EMERY??
That is apparently the case. I had to make sure, so I went over to the site of team spokesman Tim Panaccio and, yep, he had it, too. Said the "dust had settled after another sandstorm in Flyerdom," which threw me off a little. I mean, was it dust, or was it sand?
Either way, it was Ray Emery, the new goaltender, by way of Ottawa, by way of Russia, by way of Wackoville. With both Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki becoming free agents on July 1, I guess the Flyers had to do something -- re-signing Biron would have been my preference -- and, oh yes, they did something.
It's awful to be accused of second-guessing a team, waiting for the outcome to decide if the organization was right or wrong in making a move. So, let's get the first guess out of the way now. This is going to be an utter disaster. Guys don't change at 26. If they miss practices, show up late all the time, get into automobile accidents, become a joke in their own locker rooms in one place, it's going to happen in the next place as well.
This is not Flyers Behavior. Whatever else this team is, the history here is it is as important to be a good teammate as it is to be a good hockey player. For GM Paul Holmgren, a man who tolerates no nonsense, to take this chance is utterly out of character.
And, by the way, it is missing the most vital point about the Flyers. The goaltending wasn't the problem. The problem was that the core of young players on the team who think they can ramp up their intensity and level of play when it is neeeded. Everything's just fine. We're just fine. Don't worry about us. So they blow playoff home-ice advantage on the final day of the season -- at home, to the Rangers -- and then dead-ass through the opening game of the playoffs against the Penguins. Just fine. No problem. The Flyers gave up 18 goals in six games against Pittsburgh. Big deal.
But the goaltending is always the easy answer. Coaches love to make that the answer, because then it's not their fault. It isn't the scheme or the motivation or the execution. It's that lump between the pipes there. Just didn't rise to the occasion. In this case, that's crap. Biron was plenty good enough.
And his replacement is a guy who was late for practice because he was signing autographs at the scene of one of his many fender benders? The dude ate a cockroach off the floor on a bet. Cockroach.
It would be fair to say the players are unconvinced about the signing.
"We all know about Ray. I'm ready to leave that behind and move forward," Kimmo Timonen said.
"We need to give him a chance before we judge him," Danny Briere said.
And then we're going to hate him wicked. At least that's the prediction here. Emery went to Russia to play for a season while he cooled off after his nuclear meltdown in Ottawa. Walked out on the Moscow club in February because he thought they were screwing him on the exchange rate on his salary. Reportedly got into a shoving match with a trainer who was trying to make him wear a hat. Didn't say what kind of hat.
(Since this comes down to Emery and Biron, parenthetically, here's that fight between the two of them, back when Biron was with Buffalo and Emery made it to the game on time.)
OK, I think that's all, at least until the act really gets going and the Wachovia Center fans are booing and throwing things after Emery gives up a soft goal and stomps around, pointing his stick at the defensemen.
This will not end well. And, for God's sake, don't try to make him wear a hat.
Bob, do us all a favor and stick to football. Biron left in some soft goals last season and in the playoffs. He was weak handling the puck and on the wrap around. Emery is an equal or better goaltender than Biron at a cheaper cap hit. This should allow us to aquire a quality defensemen. Plus it'll be nice to see some passion coming from the goalie position.— kingryan- Right on Bob...we shouldve thrown our money at Biron.. while we're at it, we need to trade for Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin...know what we should prob get Scott Neidermayer and Jay Boumeester too...and just to be safe lets back up Marty with Roberto Luongo... It's called a salary cap MORON.— SWP
- Emery will be equal to or better than Biron, and he has a little fire, which this team lacks at times. However, this only buys time. It is a pipe dream to think that this paves the way for some big signing. What if Emery plays great? Do you think you are getting him for 1.5 mil again? No, you aren't, so you can't spend against the cap by giving some D man a big contract. I believe this is strategy to create room at the end of the year to rent a Kunitz or a Guerin and not a prelude to some big ticket FA. They'd have to lose more salary for that.— puttinonthefoil
- So what does this mean, that the Flyers won't win a Stanley Cup for 35 years or something? Oh wait, that's already happened. They're trying to mix things up, give it a chance.— Ni Boo
- beagle29, I couldn't have said it better myself. What a lazy article! I can't understand how nowhere in this article it discusses the salaries of these two goalies. They are very comparable, with one demanding 3 million more per year. Thats the bottom line, what a dope!— storminnrmn81
- I agree. Emery is a mistake and this will end badly. I'm tired of all these 2nd tier goalies. Emery's not the answer even if it gets them a big time defensemen to go along with Timonen. Holmgren is reaching here and it's concerning!— Wheelermustgo
- so goaltending isn't the problem, but now it will be? we're better off with a goaltender who's like the rest of the players? (like you said... we'll be ok. we'll turn it on when we really need it) ever think maybe he'll stir some emotion? (even if it's anger - it's SOMETHING we havenlt seen from the FLyers in too long). personally, I think the primary motivation here was the salary cap. but don't speculate on real motivation, just do some 'sky is falling' space fillling. don't waste time trying to interview the decision maker. just regurgitate old news. provide no information. and toss out that useless conjecture. or rambling/contradictory thoughts. another crack reporting job. (was that what you were doing while you were gone? - the directionless drivel would tend to suggest) ugh— raoool
- They'd be better off signin Ray Charles, akee.— Onlineps2beast
- It's a great move, due to the cap constraints. "Cancer" or not, check out his career statistics and W-L. Also, maybe this doesn't win the cup for them this year, but it certainly sets them up better for next year.— HandNik
- Your an idiot and its sad people like you can keep your job... Yes we need defense but our core young guys? We have a top 5 scorer, we have Giroux who could easily become the next forsberg, JVR could be amazing, parent and coburn studs! Emery will be great for us.. stick to shuffle board you old man— fman727
- Bob...with all due respect....are you f**king joking me?! Did you WATCH Biron in that series? Once again: I like Marty, he is a good guy. But what he is not is a playoff-caliber goaltender that will place a team on his shoulders and stop everything that comes his way while laughing madly like Marc Andre-Fleury, as much as it pains me to say so. The Flyers, the Caps and, in the last two minutes of game 7, the Red Wings threw EVERYTHING at that guy. He stepped up from being benched early in the season to hold a trophy that hasn't been seen anywhere around these parts in a long time. Biron is not that kind of goalie; he is steady at best and steadiness doesn't usually coincide with unabrasive lunacy that some of the past Cup winners seem to find in April (i.e. Roy, Brodeur, Belfour and now that doosh Penguin). Sorry, but I'm sticking with Homer on this one: welcome to Philly, Ray.— elektrika
- Bob, maybe you should go back on vacation because your knowledge about hockey is awful. Biron wants $4.5 million a year for 4-5 years. Emery cost us $1.5 million for one year. Read it again Bob, one year. It will work for one year, just like TO worked out for one year. Maybe the Inquirer should require its reporters to learn about the sport they are reporting on rather than offer their opinion which is worthless.— nevets328
- You all act as if he had one bad night. There is a disturbing pattern of behavior here. He has had not only a second chance, but about a hundred after that. This guy is a cancer that this team does not need. They need a coach who will light a fire under them. Don't blame Biron for the quick playoff exit.— phillyinsd
- Flyers have to do something. They've been underacheiving the last 20+ years. Time to take a risk..— Leron
- While I don't think Biron played well in the playoffs last year I agree with Bob in that goaltending wasn't this teams biggest problem and inconsistency was....— joshuaj16
