RALEIGH _ Just got back from the morning skate, where coach John Stevens confirmed that he will use Darroll Powe on the third line against Carolina tonight instead of Arron Asham.

     Stevens said Powe matches up better against the fleet Hurricanes because of his speed. He will be at right wing on a line with Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk.

    Asham, Riley Cote and Marc-Andre Bourdon will be scratches in tonight's season opener.

   In the future, Asham will see lots of action, Stevens said. "It depends on performance and matchups," he said.

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    Chris Pronger on tonight's opener: "You spend the whole summer recharging and using training camp to kind of get your feet wet, and the beginning of the season is always an exciting time of year. Expectations on pretty much every team are high and we're no different. We obvioulsy feel we have a very good team and it's just a matter of continuing to get better and continuing to develop."

    Getting off to a good start, he added, "doesn't make or break your season, but it goes a long way to get that confidence and feeling good about ourselves. With new line combinations and new (defensive) partners, there's always going to be a learning curve, but at the end of the day we have to go out and compete hard and play hard within our structure."

    Danny Briere, another veteran, also was antsy to play tonight's opener.

    "It's always an easy game to get up for," he said, smiling. "The adrenaline is always flowing and you're excited about the new year. Every team thinks they're winning the Stanley Cup on the first night of the season."

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   Van Riemsdyk said four of his childhood friends are driving to Raleigh to attend his NHL debut tonight. He added that he now expects at least 100 family members and friends to be at the game Saturday against the New Jersey Devils in Newark _ an easy drive from his hometown of Middletown South.

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   Carolina, which reached the conference finals last season, has four former Flyers on its roster: Rod Brind'Amour, Joni Pitkanen (battling a knee injury), Andrew Alberts and backup goalie Michael Leighton. 

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  The Flyers' lines for toinight:

Hartnell-Carter-Briere; Gagne-Richards-Pyorala; JVR-Giroux-Powe; and Carcillo-Betts-Laperriere.

The D: Pronger-Carle; Timonen-Coburn; and Parent-Syvret. Ray Emery is in the nets.

   The Flyers will open their season in Carolina Friday and try to avoid the slow start that plagued their 2008-09 campaign.

    A year ago, you'll recall, the Flyers lost their first six games (0-3-3) before steadying themselves and eventually finishing as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

    As it turned out, the Flyers would have had the fourth seed _ and the critical home-ice advantage in the first round against Pittsburgh _ if they had accumulated one more point.

     So the early six-game losing streak, which would be their worst streak of the season, cost the Flyers dearly.

      "We weren't ready," left winger Simon Gagne said. "I think we thought it was going to be easy" because the Flyers had reached the conference finals the previous season.

      A better start this year is one of the team's goals. The Flyers have a tough early-season schedule as their first five games are against teams that look like Stanley Cup contenders: Carolina, New Jersey, Washington (my choice to win the Cup), Pittsburgh and Anaheim.

     Gagne said he is happy to start the year on the road.

    "The pressure is on the home team," he said.

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     The Flyers finally reached an agreement Thursday with free-agent Blair Betts, signing the fourth-line center to a one-year $550,000 deal and putting him on their 23-player roster for Friday's opener.
   “I’m relieved,” Betts said. “…I would rather it happened sooner than later, but nonetheless I think we made the right decision to come here.”
    Early in camp, the Flyers made it clear they wanted to sign Betts, but it took them longer than expected because they had to justify to the NHL that Mike Rathje (hip) belonged on the long-term injured list, thus keeping his $3.5 million salary off the cap and leaving room for Betts. Rathje hasn’t played since 2006.
     Betts, 29, had an impressive camp and gives the Flyers a solid penalty killer and faceoff man. He won all eight of his faceoffs in his last preseason game.
    During yesterday’s practice, Betts centered the fourth line between Dan Carcillo and Ian Laperriere. Darroll Powe, who had been the fourth-line center in the final preseason game, moved to right wing on a line with Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk.
    In another move, the Flyers placed Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (hip) on the injured-reserve list and recalled Marc-Andre Bourdon, 20, from the AHL Adirondack Phantoms. Bourdon will be the team’s seventh defenseman this weekend.
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    Prediction time:

    From here, it looks like the Flyers will finish third in the East with 105 points _ six more than last season. For capsules on the Flyers, a team preview and a story on how Chris Pronger will change the team's makeup, check out Friday's Inquirer.

    Here are my picks:

   Eastern Conference final: Washington over the Flyers.

  Western Confernece final: San Jose over Chicago.

   Darkhorses to watch: Montreal (East) and Vancouver (West).

   Stanley Cup Final: Washington over San Jose.

  The Flyers finally signed fourth-line center Blair Betts today. He signed a one-year deal for $550,000.

 (More to come when my plane lands in N.C.)

    First-year wingers James van Riemsdyk and Mika Pyorala, each of whom had impressive training camps, were on the 22-man roster the Flyers submitted to the NHL Wednesday afternoon.

    Center Blair Betts was not.

    Betts, 29, is trying to make the team on a tryout contract. GM Paul Holmgren said he was still negotiating with Betts' agent, Steve Kotlowitz. Both sides appear to be at a stalemate.

     Betts, whose agent did not return phone calls, made $615,000 with the Rangers last season. He has excelled on faceoffs and the penalty kill in the preseason.

     The Flyers' youthful roster also includes defensemen Danny Syvret and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Syvret, 24, will start the season with Ryan Parent on the third defensive pairing.

         The Flyers begin their season Friday in Carolina.

    After scoring his team-high fourth goal of the preseason in Tuesday night's 5-4 shootout loss to visiting Minnesota, Flyers veteran forward Danny Briere took a look into the future.

    He likes what he sees.

    "I think the mentality is probably different than last year," he said. "Last year, we were maybe a little overconfident, a little too loosey-goosey. Where, this year, there's a little bit of an attitude change."

     Was that caused by getting eliminated by Pittsburgh in the first-round of last season's playoffs?

     That was part of it, he acknowldeged.

     Briere elaborated on the other part.

     "I think we were just too comfortable last year with all the taps on the shoulders we got all over Canada and the U.S. about our play and making it to the third round" the previous season," said Briere, who seems fully recovered from groin and abdominal injuries that limited him to 29 games in 2008-09. "I think we got a little too comfortable.

     "As a team, you have got to learn from that. I've been part of teams before that kind of the same thing happened. So you have to learn and come back strong. I think this year we'll definitely be ready."

     Asked if the Flyers _ who finished the preseason with a 2-3-2 record _ were ready to take the next step to get past the Stanley Cup champion Penguins, Briere was blunt.

     "Oh, there's no doubt in my mind that we're there," Briere said. "It's going to be a process; it's not something that's going to happen overnight. We believe we have the tools to build on that this year, but it's going to be up to us, the way we come together. But definitely we have the elements to make it happen."

    The camp was highlighted by the emergence of three youngsters _ forwards Mika Pyorala and James van Riemsdyk and defenseman Danny Syvret _ and the brilliance of new goalie Ray "Razor" Emery (1.78 GAA; .943 save percentage).

     .Breakaways. In last night's shootout loss, Johan Backlund (three goals on 13 shots) looked shaky in relief of Emery.....The Flyers' special teams were ragged; they were 0 for 4 on the PP, while Minnesota was 2 for 5...... Pyorala scored his third goal of the preseason and was the biggest surprise of camp. Pyorala, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne were each plus-two Tuesday.....The Flyers open the regular season in Carolina Friday. 

   Backup goalie Brian Boucher will go on the injured-reserve list, which will open a spot on the Flyers' opening-night roster.

   A player must sit out seven days from his last game _ in Boucher's case, it was last Saturday in New Jersey _ after he is placed on injured reserve. Boucher has a lower-body injury and figures to miss Friday's game in Carolina and Saturday's game in New Jersey. Beyond that, his status is unknown.

    When a player goes on the injured-reserve list (as opposed to the long-term injury list), his salary counts against the cap but his roster spot does not.

    Without Boucher, the Flyers will have 24 players; they could get down to 23 players (the maximum allowed) if they send Randy Jones to the AHL Phantoms, though the team is concerned by Ole-Kristian Tollefsen's troublesome hip.

    Center Blair Betts is expected to be among the 23. GM Paul Holmgren and Betts' agent are still trying to finalize a deal. That should get done by 3 p.m. Wednesday, when teams must submit their NHL rosters.

    The Flyers play host to Minnesota Tuesday night in their final preseason game. Goalie Ray Emery, who was testy in the locker room this morning when asked a question about his past, will play the first half of tonight's game. Johan Backlund will be his replacement.

   The Flyers open the regular season Friday in Carolina.

   The Flyers' four lines appear set for Tuesday's final preseason game, a matchup against Minnesota at the Wachovia Center.

   The lines should look like this:

   Gagne-Richards-Pyorala.

   Hartnell-Carter-Briere.

   JVR-Giroux-Asham.

  Carcillo-Powe/Betts-Laperriere.

     Those lines also figure to be together for Friday's season opener in Carolina.

    On defense Tuesday, it should look like this: Pronger-Carle; Timonen-Coburn; Parent-Syvret. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, who has been hindered by preseason injuries, could replace one of the D-men and get some much-needed work.

    Ray Emery and Johan Backlund will divide the goalie duties Tuesday.

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    At today's practice, Emery unveiled his second "tribute" mask. This one has the likenesses of former Flyers goalies Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh and Rox Hextall painted in it. The other one is composed of boxers Joe Frazier, Bernard Hopkins and the fictitious Rocky Balboa.

    Emery, who celebrtaed his 27th birthday today, said he will alternate the masks during the season.

   In the preseason, Emery has been brilliant, compiling a 1.76 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.

   Yes, he is ready for Friday's opener.

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   Defenseman Randy Jones cleared waivers today and is expected to be sent to the AHL Adirondack Phantoms.

   Johan Backlund called it "a dream" to reach the NHL.

   That dream will be realized Friday, when Backlund dresses for the Flyers' season opener in Carolina.

    Because of an injury to Brian Boucher, Backlund will start the season as the Flyers’ backup goalie, general manager Paul Holmgren said Sunday.

    Boucher suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of Saturday’s 1-0 exhibition loss in New Jersey and is expected to miss seven to 10 days. Holmgren said.
    Signed as a free agent in March, the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Backlund excelled in the Swedish Elite League last season, compiling a 2.56 goals-against average and four shutouts. He had a 2.32 GAA in his last three seasons.
    “It’s a faster game here because of the smaller rinks, and you have to be a little more prepared as a goalie,” said Backlund, 28, who made 27 saves as the Adirondack Phantoms scored a 2-1 shootout win over Albany Friday in an AHL exhibition. “There’s more scoring chances.”
     The Flyers had recently sent Backlund to the Phantoms to give him some work, but he will rejoin the team at Monday's practice and see some action in Tuesday's exhibition against visiting Minnesota.
    Originally, the Flyers had wanted starting goalie Ray Emery to play tomorrow’s entire game, the final exhibition before Friday’s opener in Carolina. Now, Emery will probably play half of Tuesday's game to get Backlund some work, Holmgren said.
    In his only preseason game with the Flyers, Backlund allowed two goals in 29 minutes against Toronto. He made 12 saves in the Flyers' 4-0 loss in London, Ontario.

    Asked about the severity of Boucher’s injury, Holmgren said, “Right now, we believe it’s just minor, a little tweak, and we’ll monitor it closely. He’ll spend a lot of time with (trainer) Jimmy McCrossin rehabilitating it.”
   The Flyers must submit their opening roster by 3 p.m. Wednesday. They probably will keep 23 players, and rookie wingers James van Riemsdyk and Mika Pyorala figure to be included.
    Holmgren acknowledged that if he had to submit the roster Monday, both would be on it.
    The GM will talk with Blair Betts’ agent Monday, attempting to finalize a contract for the fourth-line center.
   Breakaways. Emery’s flashy preseason numbers: 1.76 GAA and a .944 save percentage…. Holmgren on the 28-year-old Pyorala, who has spent eight-plus seasons in Europe: “He’s played very well. He’s an older guy who’s very adaptable to lot of different roles and shown he can kill penalties. He’s capable of playing with offensive guys and he’s also a defensive guy.”
Contact staff writer Sam Carchidi at 215-854-5181 or scarchidi@phillynews.com.