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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Saturday afternoon’s Flyers game was the perfect warm-up to Saturday night’s World Series clash between the Phillies and Yankees at Citizens Bank Park.

The Wachovia Center was rocked by a ton of hits, fights and goals in the Flyers’ 6-1 blowout of the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.

If you missed the game, here are the quick hits:

*The Flyers were outshot by the Canes, 40-28, but still managed to win by five goals. The Flyers beat Carolina starter Michael Leighton with 6 goals on 26 shots. That’s gotta hurt his GAA and save percentage.

The Flyers finally converted on the chances that had haunted them in the last few games.

*David Laliberte scored his first NHL goal on his second NHL shift. He was called up on Friday from Adirondack. Laliberte also assisted on James van Riemsdyk’s second period goal.

His father, mother, sister and girlfriend drove down from Montreal on Saturday morning to see him make his debut. Laliberte, a Flyers 4th round pick all the way back in 2004, spent time in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers in 2007-08. Laliberte is the first Flyer to score a multiple points in his Flyers debut since Justin Williams did it on Oct. 5, 2000.

“I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so excited,” Laliberte said. “It’s a dream come true. The puck came to my stick and it just went in. It was an unbelievable feeling. I’m so proud. I had a long road but I’m pretty proud about my evolution and my development.

“I’m just trying to stay here as long as I can.”

If he keeps playing the way he did on Saturday, he can hang in Philly as long as there is room.

*Braydon Coburn had his first multi-goal game of his career. He scored the Flyers’ fifth and sixth goals within 90 seconds of each other in the 3rd period. Coburn, playing in his first game without usual defense partner Kimmo Timonen, scored for the second consecutive game.

Before the game, Coburn was minus-9. He finished Saturday with a plus-1 rating… he was out for the Hurricanes’ only goal … but scoring is the easy way to reduce his negative number.

“It’s a confidence builder and a building block,” Coburn said. “I know the things I’ve got to do in order to do those things. Shooting the puck and getting it up the ice are some of the things I did tonight, and I was rewarded for them.”

*Matt Carle chipped in with a goal and 2 assists. He now leads the Flyers in assists (10) and is tied for the team lead in points (12). He is second among NHL defensemen in points, behind San Jose’s Dan Boyle.

*Scott Hartnell netted 3 points in the first period alone. He had a goal and two assists. He also had 6 penalty minutes. He has recorded points in 3 of his last 4 games.

*There were 3 fights in a span of less than five minutes in the second period. Carolina outhustled the Flyers to start the middle frame – blasting 9 shots on net in the first 2:56 – but the Flyers clawed back with physical play and managed to tie them in goals (1-1) for the period.

FIGHT CARD
Ian Laperriere lost to Jay Harrison.
Arron Asham beat up on Tom Kostopoulos.
Dan Carcillo and Tim Conboy fought to a draw.

*Ray Emery allowed his first goal ever to the Hurricanes when Brandon Sutter pounded a one-timer past him less than 3 minutes into the second period. Emery pitched a shutout in Carolina in the regular season opener and was flawless when he played for Ottawa.

INJURY REPORT
*Ryan Parent left Saturday’s game early, saying that he tweaked his groin in the second period. He was not on the bench for the third period.

“I just didn’t feel right in the second,” Parent said. “With the circumstances of the game, we just didn’t want to aggravate anything.

“I guess I could have pushed it in that situation but it was in the interest of the trainers to keep me out.”

Parent does not know if he will skate on Sunday. The team will practice. He says he is questionable for Monday’s game against Tampa Bay.

*Danny Briere received a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection on Friday to treat his groin strain.

“He is still feeling the effects of that [Saturday],” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “I’d say that he is probably doubtful for Monday.”

*There is no new news on Simon Gagne. The Flyers still have no plan of action. What, are they trying to conquer the world? It’s an injury plan, not a battle plan.

“We are still going over Simon’s MRI’s, ultrasound results and bone scan results while conferring with doctors and Simon,” Holmgren said. “No decision on treatment will be made [Saturday]. We hope to finalize our plan of attack [Sunday].”

SLAP SHOTS
Interesting to note that if the Flyers lost and the Islanders won on Saturday, the Flyers would have been in last place in the Atlantic division … The Flyers will practice on Sunday but not have a morning skate before Monday’s game against Tampa. That game starts at 5:00 to avoid a conflict with Monday’s Game 5 of the World Series … There were some cool Halloween costumes on display in the costume contest. My favorite: a man dressed in full Macho Man Randy Savage get-up. That included the tiger print muscle shirt, hat, glasses and mullet.

Follow Frequent Flyers on Twitter for the latest updates at http://twitter.com/DNFlyers.

Posted by Frank Seravalli @ 5:44 PM  Permalink | 5 comments
5
Comments   
Posted 07:30 PM, 10/31/2009
ryno5
We were a Riley Cote fight away from 1-2-1 on the day!!
Posted 09:26 AM, 11/01/2009
CAN fan
Hartnell????.....Emery was the difference. He played great. The team played O.K.....but they allowed 40 shots. Its a win but Carolina stinks second worse record next to the Make Me Laughs. I think JVR is getting better every game....if he keeps it up he may be rookie of the year.
Posted 09:51 AM, 11/01/2009
newtitletown
agreed on JVR. they need to stop these automatic video ads. I am boycotting any product that advertises on them. pass it on.
Posted 10:40 AM, 11/01/2009
shmeds
not impressed, the canes were winless in seven, they stink, and they still out shot us by a lot. I have been a diehard since the 70's but i am slowly growing tired of the flyers same old same old. gagne is not winner and never will be, and briere will never stay healthy long enough to help this team when it matters. and if i remember right this team went deep without gagne two years ago, but we also had knuble and they have not made up for his loss on the ice or in the lockeroom, because as much as richards is a good player, he has a strange way of approaching losses and actually a strange way of playing as well, as he constantly tries to make plays that are not there unless your wayne gretsky which he is not. i also believe now that jeff carter is a one dimensional player which the league has now figured out. now holmgren has screwed himself with the salary cap, so this is it, and its not winning a cup again.
Posted 10:49 AM, 11/01/2009
Flyers_Fan
If you think the Flyers have righted the ship, think again. The team they were playing had lost 7 straight coming into Saturday. The goaltender was their backup. It good to see the Flyers win, but keep it in perspective. This wasn't the Penguins they were playing.
About Frank Seravalli
Frank Seravalli is in his second year with the Daily News and his first season covering the Flyers. He is a graduate of Holy Ghost Prep and Penn State. He spent most of the 2007-08 season covering the Flyers for ComcastSportsNet.com, has covered the World Junior Championships twice and has done a large amount of freelance work for NHL.com, the Associated Press, the Bucks County Courier-Times, the Delaware County Times, among others.

You can now follow Frequent Flyers on Twitter.