Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010, 12:48 AM | 70 comments |
 

Flyers sign another goalie
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UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Flyers have signed goaltender Sebastien Caron from the Swiss Elite League in Europe, general manager Paul Holmgren confirmed to the Daily News last night.

Holmgren said Caron arrived in the United States on Thursday. He cleared waivers at noon on Friday and will join the team for the final five regular-season games. His contract is a pro-rated $500,000 for the remainder of this year, which would pay him about $25,906 for the last 10 days.

Since he signed after the March 3 trade deadline, he won’t be eligible for the playoffs.

The Flyers are looking for a spark just to make the playoffs, especially after Brian Boucher's rough outing against the Islanders on Thursday night. It would be interesting if the Flyers were willing to test Caron tonight against Montreal in what many players call the "most important game of the year," but the Flyers are apparently sticking with Boucher. The Canadiens are tied with the Flyers in the standings with 82 points.

The Flyers look like a different, less confident team with Boucher in net - though no player could agree to that or put a finger on it when asked. They are 6-19-3 when Boucher has appeared in a game this year.

If a tandem of Boucher or Johan Backlund, who is battling a groin injury, could carry the Flyers past the first round of the playoffs, Michael Leighton could be healthy enough to pick up the reins in net. Leighton is rehabbing his high left ankle sprain and is still "a ways off" according to Holmgren.

Jeremy Duchesne, who made his first NHL appearance last night in relief of Boucher when the Flyers trailed 6-2, is expected to be sent back to the AHL Phantoms if Caron clears waivers.

Caron last played in the NHL in 2006-07, when he played one game each for Chicago and Anaheim. Before that, he spent three seasons with Pittsburgh, playing 90 games from 2002-06. Overall, in 92 NHL games, he is 25-47-12, with a 3.45 goals against.

Backlund is hoping to be ready for Sunday when Detroit visits the Wachovia Center, though he may not be needed with Caron on the roster.

Follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter (http://twitter.com/DNFlyers) for the latest information.
Posted by Frank Seravalli @ 12:48 AM  Permalink | 70 comments
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:25 AM, 04/02/2010
    Oh my God. This team is clueless. Hiring this guy is like deciding to re-grout the countertops on the Titanic.
    — jibberjabber
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:40 AM, 04/02/2010
    I don't see the use of this move. If Backlund is to be the PO goalie he will have to play some NHL games... If Boosh is to be the PO goalie and Backlund is to be back up, why this signing? Can Caron be expected to do anything? My gut feeling is that Caron is just an NHL experienced goalie in the fold rather than one without NHL experience. His numbers are not good, and can he be better than Boucher?... If it were my call, I'd roll the dice with Backlund and hope that lightning can be caught in the bottle. In the end, it seems futile since the team is as inconsistent as it could be, and the injury situation is too draining, and the goal-tending at this point, with the dregs left, is not good enough to get out of the first round on its best stretch. They've had great goal-tending in the POs and no scoring when Chechmanic (sp?) was around, and went belly up posthaste... And teams have had good scoring and rotten goal-tending and gone nowhere fast... This team has erratic goal-tending and erratic scoring, and often not good at the same time. If they play their best possible game, I don't see them coming close to an extended series with the goalies they have, and the way the team plays in front of them. It is hard to believe that I am one of the most optimistic fans around... and I always go into the postseason feeling that the Flyers can get hot and do damage; maybe even win it all... This may be the first year I wouldn't be heartbroken if they miss out, if Snider then demands a chemistry adjustment going forward. That rant would have felt kinda good... If it didn't make it all feel so darn hopeless. PS: I would have felt better with Robert Esche, if they could have gotten him over here... Not to say that it could actually do any more at this point.
    — phila47
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:42 AM, 04/02/2010
    This team makes me puke.
    — jbandit2116
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:45 AM, 04/02/2010
    Holmgren - Bobby Clarke, the sequel
    — coloradoeagle
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:48 AM, 04/02/2010
    "If Boucher could carry the Flyers thru the first round of the playoffs" Are you kidding me? At this point I don't think Boucher could carry a bucket of pucks out for warmups.He has been nothing short of a disaster and is signed for another year. Great job Homer!
    — BobbyD
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:45 AM, 04/02/2010
    Caron was wildly inconsistent in his NHL career. Capable of stunning saves one minute and awful goals against the next. This is just desperation, as Duchesne has been lit up lately in the AHL, and it took a major beating for him to even see the ice with the Flyers. If Backlund can go, he's the starter.
    — JSaq
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:42 AM, 04/02/2010
    sniff...sniff...what's that's stink? ...Oh, it's the stench of desperation! Welcome to Flyers hockey. At this point I would try Ray Charles between the pipes.
    — Kanayd
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:30 AM, 04/02/2010
    How about trying to lure Vladislav Tretyak out of retirement with a juicy ten-year NTC contract? Surely nobody in the league will match this boldness...
    — flyerdommo
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:39 AM, 04/02/2010
    How about Bernie? Seriously, this team is a joke and after last night's game I would write my fire the coach post but this is beyond the coach. It is time to fire the players. I love watching hockey and this team has no one outside of Pronger, who is worth a damn. I sure hope that after they miss the playoffs or lose in the first round that many of the players get moved and I see no untouchables on this team. A new attitude needs to be implimented and fast.
    — bigtuna
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:07 AM, 04/02/2010
    Calling Fern Rivard! Calling Dunc Wilson!
    — gakski
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:12 AM, 04/02/2010
    you people are idiots. Do you really want to see jeremy duschene in another game? Caron has nhl experience and can back up boucher until the playoffs, I doubt he'll see a minute of game time this year.
    — Pelti
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:15 AM, 04/02/2010
    It doesnt matter who our goalie is this year, we have no chance with any of them. Wake up and go get a young goalie who we can play 70+ games a year for at least the next 5-7 years. Price, Halak or Tim Thomas. Get one. Maybe start realizing what we have too. Hartnell is a 3rd line player. Giroux should never be on a line with asham and same for JVR. You see tavaras last night, he doesnt play with scrubs and thats how you learn.
    — fman727
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:21 AM, 04/02/2010
    Honestly, and I am not a jump off the bridge Flyers fan, I have so seen enough of Boooooosch. Last night, in the heat of a play-off run, in a must win game, against the Islanders for gosh sakes, he stinks again. Gets yanked against the Isles. I'm ready to say, bench him and play whomever, it doesn't matter. The Boooooooosch experiment is over for me, so is the Emery experiment, and Backlund and any other goalie come lately choice. The number one issue in the off-season is a healthy, reliable goaltender from somewhere!
    — RJM16


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About Frank Seravalli
Frank Seravalli is in his fourth year with the Daily News and third season covering the Flyers. He started at the Daily News as an intern writing about the boozing legends of the Lincoln Financial Field lots and hasn't left. Since joining the Flyers beat, he has covered everything from the Winter Classic to the Stanley Cup Final and everything in between. Prior to joining the Daily News, the Bucks County native did a large amount of freelance work for local media outlets, covering high schools, colleges and all four of Philly's major sports teams. He resides in Center City. E-mail Frank at seravaf@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter @DNFlyers.

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