Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Here's hoping NBC's hockey coverage this year is better than its promotional campaign.
And more trustworthy.
The Peacock Network laid an egg with a commercial it has been running to promote Saturday afternoon’s season opener between the host Flyers and their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Peter Luukko, president of the Flyers’ parent company, Comcast-Spectacor, was greatly heartened by the response to the open practice at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday that was free to the public.
The attendance was 15,202, and the fans were passionate.
“It goes to show what great fans we have,” Luukko said. “We don’t take our fans for granted.”
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
With Tye McGinn sent back to the AHL Phantoms on Wednesday evening, center Scott Laughton looks like a lock to make the Flyers' opening-day roster.
Laughton, 18, was the Flyers' first-round pick in June.
In Wednesday's practice, Laughton centered Wayne Simmonds and Matt Read — wingers who combined for 52 goals last year.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
With the opener just three days away, the Flyers' lines and D pairings are coming into focus.
They made a few changes in their units during Day 4 of training camp Wednesday in Voorhees.
Here’s how the lines looked:
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
By Sam Carchidi
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The player known to his teammates as “G” will wear the C.
Video: The Flyers look to rely on the Schenn brothers. Brayden practiced with the first scoring line and Luke was paired with veteran Kimmo Timonen on the defense. The Inquirer's Sam Carchidi reports from Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ as camp continues.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Flyers center Danny Briere has a hairline fracture of his left wrist, GM Paul Holmgren said on Monday.
Holmgren said he was encouraged by Briere's MRI Monday and hinted that Briere could be skating shortly. The GM said Briere was "iffy" for the first two games of the season _ Saturday against Pittsburgh and Sunday in Buffalo.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The crowd was bigger than any of the practices during the Flyers' Stanley Cup run in 2010.
Bigger, in fact, than any that have ever attended one of the team's practices at the Voorhees Skate Zone since it opened in 2000.
"I'm overwhelmed," said Peter Luukko, president of the Flyers' parent company, Comcast-Spectacor.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Flyers will open the 48-game regular season against visiting Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon and end it on April 27 in Ottawa. They will play seven games in the first 11 days, including two against the Rangers.
The Flyers will play seven games in January, 15 in a brutal February, 13 in March and 13 in April.
The schedule will include 10 sets of games on back-to-back days/nights. A year ago, they played seven sets of back-to-back games in their last 48 contests.
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has a big fan. His name is Michael Leighton, the guy who is Bryzgalov’s backup.
Leighton, who had a solid season with the AHL Phantoms in 2011-12, said Bryzgalov “showed he can be one of the best goalies in the league” during a hot spell late in last year’s regular season.
The goalies were together in Anaheim’s training camp in 2006 and developed a good rapport.
