ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, subbing for the injured Ray Emery, deserves better.
    Yes, he gift-wrapped two goals Saturday that, as it turned out, gave Minnesota a 2-1 win.
    But Leighton is the guy who seemingly rescued the Flyers season as he went 8-0-1 with one no-decision in his first 10 starts after Emery was originally sidelined .
    In his last three starts, including Saturday’s, the Flyers have scored a grand total of one goal for Leighton.
    One.
    So the latest loss falls just as much on the offense as it does Leighton.
    In their last four defeats, the Flyers first two lines have zero even-strength goals _ and just one score on the power play.
    Oh, and the Flyer had 72 shots and one goal in their last two games.

   That’s not going to get it done _ even if Bernie Parent in his prime was in the nets.
    Asked after Saturday’s loss if he planned to make lineup changes when the Flyers host the New Jersey Devils on Monday, coach Peter Laviolette replied: “I’m not there yet.”
    But don’t be surprised if newcomer Ville (rhymes with Philly) Leino replaces Darroll Powe as the left wing on the Jeff Carter line.
    That’s not meant as a slight to the hard-working Powe, but Laviolette has to try SOMETHING.
    The Flyers continued a puzzling trend: When they fall behind, they stay behind. They are now 1-16 when they trail after two periods.

    The Flyers had plenty of opportunities Saturday. They outshot the Wild, 39-30, but always seemed a step behind for a rebound or a loose puck around goalie Anton Khudobin, who was superb in his first NHL start.
   “Of course I was nervous. It was my first start. In front of 18,000 screaming people,” the rookie said with a smile. “I said to myself, ‘It’s OK. Just play your game.’ ”
    The Flyers’ power play continued to struggle. They went 0 for 4 and failed to get off a shot in their last two power plays. They were 0 for 8 on the PP in their last two games _ a 1-0 loss to sad-sack Edmonton and last night’s defeat.
   “It’s the extension of the five on five,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “Right now, they’re not going in.”
    Leighton, a standup guy, pointed at himself for the loss.
   “I let it two soft goals,” he said. “I take the blame.”
   He also summed up the Flyers’ offensive woes succinctly.
  “We’re at the point now where I think we’re a little frustrated, so we’re just throwing everything at the net,” he said.   “We have a lot of skilled guys on this team that can make plays. When we were scoring a lot of goals last month, we were making plays and we had a lot of confidence. I think we have to get back to that.”
* * * * * * * *
    Breakaways. The shot total (39) was the Flyers’ highest since they had 43 in an Oct. 27 game at Washington. The Flyers lost that game, too, 4-2….Mike Richards and Matt Carle clanked shots off the post….The Flyers’ first two lines had 19 shots on goal. They combined for 39 shots and zero goals in the last two games…..The Flyers fell to eighth in the Eastern Conference. They went 1-2 on the trip, which started with a 3-0 win in Calgary. The Flyers play a home-and-home series with the Devils on Monday and Wednesday.
 

   The news coming from Flyersville is not good: Goalie Ray Emery is hurt again.

    Oh, and the Flyers, trying to make up for their glaring lack of offensive depth, acquired a player who had managed just four goals and was minus-10 this season.

    First, Emery.

    Earlier this season, Emery missed about six weeks following abdominal surgery.

   On Wednesday, general manager Paul Holmgren strongly denied a report that Emery had an injured groin.

   On Saturday, the Flyers said Emery would miss tonight's game in Minnesota because of  "tightness in his left hip." He suffered the injury during Friday's practice, Holmgren claimed.

   The Flyers have said they want to start negotiating with Emery next month on a long-term contract. They may want to slow down on those plans until Emery shows he can play for long stretches without being sidelined.

    As for the minor deal, the Flyers acquired Detroit left winger Ville Leino for injury-prone defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round draft pick in 2011.

   Holmgren called Leino "a skilled forward who is going to give us some depth. I think he has the ability to play up and down our lineup and play with our skilled players."

  Leino makes $800,000 a year _ $200,000 more than Tollefsen. Leino's contract runs through the end of the 2010-11 season; Tollefesen can be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

   An NHL source tells us the Flyers were never a serious player in the sweepstakes for Atlanta superstar winger Ilya Kovalchuk, a potential unrestricted free agent after the season who was dealt to New Jersey Wednesday night.

    Kovalchuk, who has 31 goals, turned down two mega offers from the Thrashers (12-years for $101 million, and seven years for $70 million), causing Atlanta to send him to the Devils _ and strengthening one of the Flyers' top rivals.

    Atlanta had shown interest in Flyers' wingers James van Riemsdyk and Scott Hartnell, along with defenseman Braydon Coburn. Hartnell has a no-trade clause.

     Instead, the Thrashers will receive defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier and New Jersey's first-round pick in the 2010 draft. Defenseman Anssi Salmela, traded by the Devils to the Thrashers last March for Niclas Havelid, will return to New Jersey as part of the deal. The teams will also flip second-round picks.

    In the end, the Devils, who have the NHL's 21st-ranked offense, had the depth _ and the cap space _ to make the deal. The Flyers didn't.

   With the trade, New Jersey has bolstered its sagging offense and could become a Stanley Cup champion  _ much like the 1999-2000 team after it made a similar deal  that brought another Russian sniper, Alexander Mogilny, to the Devils.

    The Flyers will face the new-look Devils on Monday in Philly, and Wednesday in Newark.

    * * * * * * * * * 

     Defenseman Matt Carle (3 goals, 21 assists, plus-14) was bypassed as a replacement for the U.S. Olympic team Wednesday.

   Anaheim’s Ryan Whitney (4 goals, 20 assists, minus-7) and Carolina’s Tim Gleason (5 goals, 10 assists, minus-2) were selected to replace the injured Mike Komisarek of Toronto and Paul Martin of New Jersey.

   Like Gleason, Carle is a superb shot blocker.

   EDMONTON, Alberta _ The Flyers outplayed the lowly Edmonton Oilers, but suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat on a goal by Ryan Potulny with 16.1 seconds left Wednesday night.
    As if losing to the team with the NHL’s worst record wasn’t bad enough, the winning goal was scored by a former Flyer.
    Edmonton goalie Jeff Delauriers was brilliant, making 33 saves and handing the Flyers a loss that could haunt them in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
    The Flyers had many more scoring chances than Edmonton _ including a power play in which they hit the post with a little over five minutes left _ but Deslauriers had all the answers.
   “We definitely outplayed them. We were in their zone most of the time,” said Flyers goalie Michael Leighton, who was sharp in his first appearance since Jan. 14. “We were cycling the puck, but you have to give them credit. They played well defensively. We cycled a lot down low, and they didn’t give us any in-the-slot shots _ and that’s how we’ve been scoring a lot of our goals.”
    “We had opportunities to bury and we just couldn’t seem to find them,” said coach Peter Laviolette after his team outshot the Oilers, 33-27, and hit the post twice. “If one of those opportunities goes in, maybe there’s another one” that does.
     The Flyers failed to connect on four power plays.
    “We could have used more shots on the net on the power play,” Laviolette said. “I think the ice was kind of slushy out there and we’re trying to make plays, and we should have just bombed away and hoped for a bounce or a rebound.”
    Edmonton’s Sam Gagner was instrumental in the win. Besides sending a pass to Potulny for a tap-in for the winning goal, he drew a penalty on Darroll Powe for high-sticking with 1:50 left. That set up the winning power play.
    “I didn’t know I hit him, but on the replay, it looked like I kind of caught him,” Powe said.
     Potulny got a step behind Mike Richards, who blamed himself for the goal.

     The Flyers are 0-6-1 against Edmonton since 2001.
     Leighton is now 8-2-1 since being claimed off re-entry waivers, and the Flyers have been blanked in each of his losses.
     “I felt good. The team played well in front of me again. The defense was blocking shots,” said Leighton after the Flyers had 15 blocks, including five by Kimmo Timonen. “The penalty kill was good tonight; they kind of got a lucky bounce at the end.”
     Added Leighton: “It’s a tough loss; we should have gotten at least one point out of it. We just have to learn from it and have a big game in Minnesota (Saturday).”
     * * * * * * * * * * *

     Breakaways. Potulny, who scored his 12th goal, was acquired for Danny Syvret in 2008….Jeff Carter (7) and Simon Gagne (6) combined for 13 shots….Carter won 15 of 16 faceoffs (94 percent). The Flyers won 62 percent of the faceoffs....The Flyers plan to talk to goalie Ray Emery, 26, about a contract extension next month, CSN reported.  If they can't reach an agreement, Emery can become an unrestricted free agent after the season
 

   Goalie Michael Leighton (remember him?) will get the start for the Flyers Wednesday night in Edmonton.

   Coach Peter Laviolette wrestled with the decision for most of the day before finally deciding to give Leighton his first start since Jan. 14.

   Ray Emery, coming off a 3-0 win in Calgary Monday, had started the last eight games since returning from an abdominal injury. Emery had a 2.17 GAA in that span, and it was 1.75 if you take away his first game back, a 5-3 loss in Washington.

   Ninety minutes before Wednesday's game, general manager Paul Holmgren refuted a CSN report that Emery had a groin injury.

   Asked if Emery was injured, Holmgren said, "Absolutely not. He's fine."

   Leighton rescued the Flyers' season in Emery's absence. He made 11 straight starts and was 8-1-1 with one no-decision. During that span, he had a 2.34 GAA and a .923 save percentage.

   The Flyers on Wednesday will face an Edmonton team that is coming off just its second win in the last 22 games.

   Brian Boucher will serve as Leighton's backup Wednesday.

   CALGARY, Alberta _ Mike Richards scored two goals _ including the 100th of his career _ and Ray Emery notched his third shutout of the season as the Flyers blanked host Calgary, 3-0, on Monday night.

   Emery, who made his eighth staright start, was forced to make only 18 saves because of a stellar backchecking job by his teammates.

    “I think the boys made it about as easy as it can get,” Emery said. “I thought we played our best defensive game of the year. It’s nice to play for a team that has played as consistently as we have lately.”
     “We were moving our feet for 60 minutes, and Ray came up with a couple of good stops when we needed it,” defenseman Chris Pronger said.
     Simon Gagne contributed assists on Richards' goals _ one on a late power-play tally _ and Claude Giroux scored on a pretty backhander after being sent in on a breakaway by Arron Asham to make it 2-0 early in the final period.

    “We rolled all four lines tonight and everybody showed up; it’s a good start for the road trip,” Giroux said.
   Defenseman Lukas Krajicek, who was paired with Kimmo Timonen most of the time, was impressive in his Flyers' debut. He blocked two shots in 18:25.

    "He was really solid. Skated well and made good plays defensively," coach Peter Laviolette said.

   Matt Carle blocked a game-high four shots, and Jeff Carter aided the victory by winning 11 of 14 faceoffs (79 percent). Defenseman Braydon Coburn and Oskars Bartulis were each plus-2 as the Flyers won their second staright.

   They resume the three-game road trip by playing at lowly Edmonton on Wednesday, then face Minnesota on Saturday.

  * * * * * * * * * * 

   Flyers’ general manager Paul Holmgren is working the phones before the March 3 trade deadline, but don’t expect a blockbuster deal _ Atlanta left winger Ilya Kovalchuk could not fit under their cap unless they dealt someone such as Carter _ like Calgary made on Sunday.
   “I don’t know where this stuff comes from,” said Holmgren, when asked about reports that the Flyers had interest in Kovalchuk ($6.4 million cap hit).
    The Flyers are right up against the $56.8 million cap.

  Ray Emery will make his eighth straight start in goal, and newcomer Lukas Krajicek will be paired with defenseman Oskars Bartulis for Monday's game in Calgary, coach Peter Laviolette said after the morning skate.

  Overall, Emery has a 2.73 goals-against average, but it was 2.04 _ with a .929 save percentage _ in his last six games at home.

  This is Calgary's first game since its blockbuster deal with Toronto.

  "I'm not concerned about them. I'm concerned about us and how we're playing," Laviolette said.

  OK, so he's not Dion Phaneuf.

   But Lukas Krajicek, the player the Flyers signed as a free agent late Saturday night, WILL give the team some much-needed depth on defense.

   He was cheap _ according to a source, he signed for about $650,000, which will be prorated for the final 29 games _ and he fits under the Flyers' salary cap. Phaneuf ($4.1 million cap hit), who was traded from Calgary to Toronto Sunday,  wouldn't fit.

   Krajicek, 26, had played with Tampa Bay this season before being demoted to the AHL. He had one assist in 23 games with the Lightning this season.

  In 301 career games with Florida, Vancouver and Tampa, he had 10 goals, 70 points, a minus-20 rating and 231 penalty minutes. Krajicek is a former No. 1 pick (24th overall in 2001) with Florida. 

  Defensemen Danny Syvret and Ryan Parent are injured, causing the Flyers to seek more depth.

    Look for Krajicek to replace Ole-Kristian Tollefsen in the lineup, probably on Monday night in Calgary. He is much quicker than the injury-prone Tollefsen, and he could be paired with rookie Oskars Bartulis.

    After Sunday's practice, coach Peter Laviolette wasn't ready to name his starting goalie for Monday. Ray Emery has started the last seven games.

   Calgary has struggled mightily, losing nine of its last 10, but the Flames could be invigorated by Sunday's seven-player deal with Toronto. Calgary sent all-star defenseman Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostroma prospect to the Maple Leafs for forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan and Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White.

  If the Flyers are going to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they need their top-6 forwards to step up. Quickly.

  With that in mind, coach Peter Laviolette  made a minor line change at Friday's practice, trying to jump-start his top two lines.

   Scott Hartnell and Darroll Powe changed lines. Hartnell went to right wing on Mike Richards' unit, and Powe moved to left wing on Jeff Carter's line.

    Five forwards on the first two lines _ Hartnell, Simon Gagne, Danny Briere, Richards and Powe _ are struggling mightily. (Read more about it in Saturday's Inquirer.) Carter is the lone top-6 forward who has been productive lately.

   Laviolette also said goalie Ray Emery would get his seventh straight start Saturday when the Flyers face the visiting New York Islanders at 1 p.m. Emery is 3-3 with a 2.69 GAA since returning from an abdominal injury.

* * * * * * * * * * 

   Nobody asked me, but....

   Speaking of lines, as this space has suggested before, I would take a look at a French Connection unit that has Claude Giroux centering Briere and Gagne. On the second line, I'd see if Richards centering Hartnell and Carter worked. Third line: JVR-Powe-Asham. Fourth line: Carcillo-Betts-Laperriere.

   Carcillo, Betts and JVR lead the Flyers' forwards in the plus-minus ratings; each is plus-6.

   What are your suggestions for the best line combinations?