It'll be interesting to see how the Flyers respond to Friday night's demoralizing 6-3 loss in San Jose.

  Tonight, they'll meet Scottie Upshall and the Phoenix Coyotes at 8 p.m. It'll be the first meeting between the teams since Upshall was swapped for Dan Carcillo, a fan favorite in Phoenix, last season.

     Friday's loss in San Jose wasn't as one-sided as the final score indicates. San Jose scored two late goals to pull away from a 4-3 lead.

    Still, there were plenty of shortcomings for the Flyers _ especially their defense, which allowed too many odd-man rushes. Oh, and the Flyers were outscored, 3-0, on special teams.

    Coach John Stevens hinted he would go with Brian Boucher in goal tonight, but has decided to start Ray Emery.

     Maybe he wants Emery to get the bad taste out of his mouth from Friday's game in San Jose.

    Emery was sharp in Friday's first period, then allowed five goals the rest of the way. Again, his defense gave him little help, and the Sharks benefitted from some strange bounces.

    After he walked off the ice following the game, Emery smashed his goalie's stick against a runway wall, shattering it into several pieces.

    For the Flyers, there was a bright spot: Claude Giroux, who scored just once in the first 18 games, had the first two-goal game of his career, including one tally that was put into the net by a Shark.  

     SAN JOSE, Calif.  _ Before the season, I picked San Jose and Washington to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.

    But, it wouldn't be so far-fetched to imagine a Flyers-Sharks matchup, either.

    That's why tonight's 10 o'clock matchup between the Flyers and host San Jose could have long-range implications.

    Last month, the Flyers _ despite having a 38-28 advantage in shots _ were defeated by visiting San Jose, 4-1, in a matchup of the teams' backup goalies.

     Tonight, the Flyers and Sharkes will use their No. 1 netminders _ Ray Emery and Evgeni Nabokov _ in a matchup of two of the NHL's hottest teams.

    The Flyers have won seven of their last eight; the Sharkes are 9-1-3 in their last 13.

   This is the teams' final regular-season meeting, so if the Flyers want to make a statement, tonight is the time to do it. Should the teams meet in the Finals, a win would do wonders for the Flyers tonight.

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   Comcast SportsNet, together with the Flyers and Schuylkill Valley Sports, is holding a contest in which the grand prize is a trip to the Winter Classic _ the Jan. 1 meeting between the Flyers and Bruins at Boston’s Fenway Park.
    Fans can log onto www.CSNPhilly.com and enter keyword “Winter Classic” to register for a chance to win a package that includes two game tickets, travel via Amtrak, two nights of hotel accommodations, a Flyers Winter Classic jersey, and other items.

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    James van Riemsdyk has the game-winning goal in the Flyers' last three victories _ one shy of the NHL record for rookies. The left winger from Middletown, N.J., has scored at least a point in 12 of his 15 games.

   LOS ANGELES _ Brian Boucher's second start of the season didn't start out well last night.

  With 5:07 left in the first period, Jarret Stoll's shot from near the right sideboards somehow got between Boucher's skate and the right post, giving the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 lead.

    "I don't know what  happened on the first goal....I thought it was stuck on the outside of the net, but when I heard the crowd cheer, I said, 'You have got to be kidding me,' " Boucher said. "I've had a couple weird ones this year, but I was determined that that wasn't going to be a factor in the game, and the boys rallied around and had a great second period."

   Boucher recovered nicely and made 37 saves to lead the Flyers past the Kings, 3-2, at the Staples Center.

     He also got a little lucky.

    With about 10 seconds left and the Kings' goalie pulled for an extra attacker, a shot by Anze Kopitar went through Boucher's legs and trickled ever so slowly toward the open net....but went wide by a few inches.

    "I didn't see it. I knew it was coming to the net, but I wasn't sure how hard the shot was," Boucher said. "There were a lot of bodies. For the one that went in on the (first-period) shot, I certainly got the luck there. I'll take the tradeoff."

   Boucher's only other appearance was against San Jose, a 4-1 loss on Oct. 25.

    The long wait between games had weighed on him.

   "It feels good. I'm not going to lie to you. I mean, I wanted to get the first one," he said. "It would have been nice if it came at home against San Jose, my old team, but it came in my second start and hopefully I can build off this and give quality starts to my team."

    "He hadn't played a game in a while, and he faced a lot of shots and made a lot of big saves," defenseman Ryan Parent said.

     The Kings (13-8-2) fired 21 of their 39 shots in the final period.

    "He only played one game in two months, and it's tough to do," defenseman Chris Pronger said. "It makes it tough to stay sharp. It wasn't the best of starts for him, but he certainly rallied and battled hard and made some great stops in the third period to keep the lead for us and, ultimately, to get the win.,"

   Mika Pyorala, Mike Richards and James van Riemsdyk (power play) scored for the Flyers (12-5-1), who were outshot, 39-20. Pyorala's goal was the first of his NHL career.

    The Finn scored on a rebound, tying the score at 1-1 in the second period.

    "That goal was huge for us; it kind of got us going, and it was interesting to see how excited the guys were for him," coach John Stevens said. "I think he's really fit in well here, and he's had a lot of good games and a lot of good chances, but the puck just hasn't gone in for him. Hopefully this will get him going."

   It was the Flyers' seventh win in their last eight games _ and only the second time all season they had won after trailing in a game.

   "I didn't think we had our A game by any means," Stevens said. "but good teams find a way to grind it out and get a win."

  LOS ANGELES - Flyers coach John Stevens, who guards his goalie decision like it's a state secret, has decided to give Brian Boucher his second straight of the season tonight in Los Angeles.

   Boucher will be facing a Kings attack that will be depleted because left winger Ryan Smyth is out for four weeks with an upper-body injury.

   Smyth (9 goals, 14 assists) had been playing on the NHL's most productive line, along with Anze Kopitar (14 goals, 18 assists) and former Flyer Justin Williams (5 goals, 10 assists).

    The Kings will also be without injured defenseman Rob Scuderi.

    Boucher is 0-1 with a 4.00 goals against average and .857 save percentage.

   The Flyers, who have won six of their last seven, begin a five-game road trup tonight.

   In a another matter, Kings coach Terry Murray revealed that Los Angeles is trying to lure Wayne Gretzky back to the organization "in whatever capacity." Murray, a former Flyers coach and assistant, said Gretzky would be valuable in helping the players in shoot-outs "and you're talking about 14 or 15 more points" that can be obtained.

   Notes. Defenseman Oskars Bartulis will start on the third defensive pairing again tonight......Stevens said Emery will start Friday in San Jose and that he was undecided on Saturday's starter in Phoenix. In other words, if Boucher plays well tonight, he probably will start Saturday.....Matt Carle leads the NHL with a plus-17 rating......Tonight is just the Flyers' sixth road game.

  .

   Dave Schultz gave a heartfelt speech when he went into the Flyers' Hall of Fame prior to Monday's game against New Jersey at the Wachovia Center.

   Here it is:

   “I left 33 years ago, and I am coming back to stay. Thank you to the people that voted for me so that I could receive this great honor. I am certainly joining great company tonight - three Hockey Hall of Famers, my former teammates, Bob Clarke, Bill Barber and Bernie Parent. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here tonight.

  "Same goes for our General Manager Keith Allen. He drafted me, he saw my talents and my skills, and he sent me to the minor leagues, to the Eastern Hockey League. The Eastern Hockey League changed my life. It changed the way I played the game.

    "That brings me to my coach Fred Shero. He was the major reason I was able to do what I did. He recognized something in me. He encouraged me, he guided me. He taught me the importance of the team, and to care about my team and my teammates.

    "And to my teammates, particularly my line mates Orest Kindrachuk and Don Saleski, and to Bob Kelly, my partner in crime and great friend, who helped us become the toughest team in the National Hockey League. Together we proved toughness and hard work, complimented by great talent, was the key for success.

   "So I thank all of my teammates for all of their great memories.

    "I thank Mr. Ed Snider for his phenomenal leadership and allowing me to come back to the Flyers organization forever.

   "Thank you to Peter Luukko, John Page and the whole Flyers organization. A special thanks to an original in the Flyers organization - Joe Kadlec.

   "I thank my family and my friends, my mother back in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who would say to me, ‘Dave, do you have to fight so much, I’m afraid you are going to get hurt.’

    "And to my family who came here from Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan and Calgary, Alberta - my three sisters Barb, Janet, and Glenda.

    "To my two wonderful sons, Chad and Brett, and their wonderful mother Cathy, who all live in the Philadelphia area, and love this place as much as I do.

    "And to two special family members, my Dad. My Dad came here at the start of the ’74 and’75 playoffs, and he never left until we carried the Stanley Cup down Broad Street. And to my brother, Ray, who loved Philadelphia as he was a member of the championship Philadelphia Firebirds. Although my Dad and Ray are no longer with us, I know they are looking down on us and smiling tonight.

   "But most of all thank you to the fans. Philadelphia Flyers fans are the greatest! I love you all! I never had a bad day in Philadelphia. Flyers fans have always been absolutely wonderful and caring.

   "Coach Fred Shero wrote on May 19th, 1974, ‘Win today and we’ll walk together forever.’ At the time, he was talking about my teammates and I. But I realize now that he was talking about all of us.

   "Thank you for this great honor. For me, this is as good as it gets.

  "Good Luck and God Bless the Philadelphia Flyers!”

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  Claude Giroux was moved back to center for Monday's game against New Jersey _ and it paid early dividends as he set up the game's first goal and later added an assist on a power-play tally as the Fleyers prevailed, 3-2..

   Flyers coach John Stevens likes using the creative Giroux at center because it allows him to get more involved in the offense.

   Giroux, who has just one goal this season, had recently been playing at right wing on a line with Mike Ricards and Scott Hartnell.

   On Monday, he centered wingers Darroll Powe and Arron Asham. Giroux took a pass from Asham and whippped a clever backhander to Powe, who knocked it past Martin Brodeur early in the first period. It was Powe's sixth goal _ equaling the number of goals he scored in 60 games last season.

  “He’s a talented player. He creates open ice, and all you have to do is go to the net, and he’s going to find you," Powe said. "He’s good with the puck in open ice, and being in the middle gives him a lot more room to maneuver.”

  The Flyers took a 1-0 lead into the second period. The Devils applied lots of pressure in the opening period, but Ray Emery made 14 saves. Scott Hartnell's power-play goal 44 seconds into the second period made it 2-0.

   New Jersey, which was trying to equal an NHL record by starting the season with 10 straight road wins, got to within 2-1 on David Clarkson's power-play goal with a little over four minutes left in the middle period.

    James van Riemsdyk and the Devils' Zach Parise traded third-period goals, the latter coming with one second left.

    While growing up in Central Jersey and playing pickup street hockey, van Riemsdyk used to daydream about scoring on Martin Brodeur, the Devils' legendary goalie.

   “Yeah, there definitely was a time or two thinking about that with the stick out on the driveway with my brother, and you always kind of relive scoring goals against guys like that," he said. "So it’s pretty cool to get one on the ice.”

    Dave Schultz, who epitomized the Broad Street Bullies' era in the mid 1970s, will be inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame before Monday’s game against New Jersey at the Wachovia Center.
     Is the honor justified?
     That was the hot debate in the press box the other day, and the answers were mixed.
     Based on his numbers alone, Schultz clearly does not deserve to be in the team's Hall of Fame. He only played four full seasons with the Flyers and averaged about 13 goals per year.
    Schultz, a brawling left winger, led the league in penalty minutes during three of those seasons _ and he still holds the NHL record for time in the box in one year (472 minutes in 1974-75).
    He even cut a record (remember 45s?) to memorialize his time in the penalty box.
    So, based on his numbers, Schultz is an undeserving HOF member.
    But here’s why he belongs: He helped give the Flyers an identity that was loved in Philadelphia and loathed around North America.
     Whether or not you liked his style, he helped put the Flyers on the map and made opponents fear coming to the Spectrum. Many a player mysteriously became ill _ the “Philadelphia flu” it was called _ because they didn’t want to go on the ice against Schultz and the Flyers.
    Schultz also had a little talent; he scored 20 goals in one of his four seasons, and he netted the game-winner in overtime in the clinching game against the Atlanta Flames in the 1974 quarterfinals _ propelling the Flyers to their first Cup.
    He was far from a great player. He was a character and a character guy _ and those guys are needed just as much as the Bobby Clarkes, Bernie Parents, Reggie Leaches, Bill Barbers and Rick MacLeishes.
    You can argue that the Flyers would not have won any Cups if Schultz wasn’t on the club.
   So, yes, I think he belongs in the team’s Hall of Fame. Let me know what you think.
* * * * * * * * * * * 

  Notes. The Flyers shelled Martin Brodeur earlier this season, but the Devils' legend has recovered and will lead NJ into the Wachovia Center Monday, when it will try to to equal an NHL record by starting a season with 10 straight road wins.....Claude Giroux has seven assists but just one goal in 16 games; he had nine goals in 42 games as a rookie last season. Coach John Stevens will move Giroux back to center in Monday's game, with Darroll Powe and Arron Asham as his wingers. Giroux had been shifted to RW earlier in the season....James van Riemsdyk, the Flyers' impressive rookie, will return to the lineup Monday after missing the last game with the flu…..NHL general managers will form a committee that could take a stronger stance on head shots for next season. A hit Mike Richards delivered to the head of Florida’s David Booth last month seems to be the impetus for the committee, which will report its findings in March.

 

   Jeff Carter has only two goals in his last 11 games, but the center is showing his value in other areas.

   Never was that more evident than Thursday, when Carter's two assists helped the streaking Flyers break away from a tight game and defeat the Ottawa Senators, 5-1, at the Wachovia Center.

    The Flyers have won five straight and are now 10-4-1.

    A brilliant feed from Carter set up James van Riemsdyk's power-play goal late in the second period, giving the Flyers a 2-1 lead.

    Early in the third period, Danny Briere _ who had two goals after missing four games with a leg injury _ scored by swatting a mid-air rebound into the net. The original shot was taken by Carter.

   "I talked to Jeff yesterday and I think sometimes when you may not be scoring at the pace you’re used to, you start trying to be a little too cute when you shoot the puck," coach John Stevens said. "But he does so many other things that can help your team win. It’s not just the goals that go in the net. I thought he was instrumental in a couple of those goals by just doing what he does; he skates hard, he was a good defender tonight, he was hard on the puck. He uses his speed to get in areas where he can get the puck to the net that ultimately resulted in goals.

   "It’s great to see guys contribute in different ways. Jeff is going to be there to score a lot of big goals, but he’s capable of helping in a lot of other ways.”

   Carter led the Flyers with six shots.

   Goalie Ray Emery was solid in his first game against his ex-teammates, but the Flyers did a great job in front of him. After a listless start, the Flyers gradually took control and pulled away with a 3-0 final period.

    The Flyers only allowed just 23 shots, and Emery did not have to make many big saves.

    Notes.  The Flyers won 57 percent of the faceoffs.....The Flyers were 2 for 4 on the power play, and they have converted a league-best 27.9 percent this season....Braydon Coburn blocked four shots and had an assist...Ian Laperriere led the Flyers with five hits.....Besides Carter, Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen had two assists apiece....The Flyers had just two penalties _ three fewer than the Senators....The Flyers host Buffalo Saturday night.. 

    The Flyers recalled Oskars Bartulis from the Adirondack Phantoms Monday, and the 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman is expected to be in the lineup Thursday against Ottawa.
   The Flyers are short on defensemen because of injuries to Ryan Parent (groin) and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (concussion).
   Parent skated and then practiced briefly Monday but is doubtful for Thursday.
   Bartulis, 22, had two goals two assists and 14 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Phantoms this season.
A native of Latvia who is being considered for the Olympic team, was originally selected by the Flyers in the third round (91st overall) of the 2005 draft
   * * * * * * * 

   Ray Emery, who has a 2.27 goals-against average and has been one of the Flyers' most consistent players, is preparing the face his former team, Ottawa. Yep, the team that, in effect, banished him to Russia last year. Look for my story on Emery in Tuesday's Inquirer.

* * * * * * 

   Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger was named the NHL's third star of the week after collecting a goal and four assists in three games.

    "Obviously it shows how we’ve played over the last little while," he said. "Hopefully there are many more of those to come. It is nice to see some recognition. I think it is more of a team award and the way that we have played, as I said, over the last three or four games in trying to get ourselves back on track.”
 

  The Flyers' 5-2 win in Buffalo Friday was one of their most impressive of the young season.

   For one, they scored four goals (the fitfh was an empty-netter) against the league's hottest goalie, Ryan Miller, and defeated a Sabres team that was off to a 9-2-1 start.

   For another, they cruised to the victory because of contributions from the players who compose the third and fourth lines.

   Especially the fourth line.

   Dan Carcillo (two goals, seven shots), Blair Betts (assist) and Ian Laperriere (two assists) _ the LCB Line, Part II _ were a combined plus-9.

   In addition, the Flyers (8-4-1) had a 31-27 edge in draws against one of the league's premier faceoff teams.

   Oh, and the Flyers were missing three key players who were injured (Danny Briere, Simon Gagne and Ryan Parent), and they had half their team recovering from the flu.

   The Flyers have won three straight and are starting to resemble the team that, on paper, looked like a Stanley Cup contender before the season.

    Another plus: The Flyers continued to get offensive production from their defensemen. Chris Pronger notched a goal and was plus-3. Defenseman Matt Carle was also plus-3 and is plus-14 for the season.

    Rookie LW James van Riemsdyk chipped in with his third goal; he has 14 points in 11 games and is establishing himself as a strong rookie-of-the-year contender.

    Since the franchise started in 1967, the Flyers have never had a rookie-of-the-year winner.

   * * * * * * * *

   Third-line winger Darroll Powe scored his fourth goal.....Carcillo had his first multi-goal game since April 4, 2008 against Anaheim. He was with Phoenix at the time, and had scored a hat trick in his previous game......Goalie Ray Emery (8-3-1) has quietly become one of the Flyers' most consistent players...Jeff Carter won 11 of 15 faceoffs/