SUNRISE, Fla. _ As the Flyers begin the unofficial second-half of the season tonight against Florida, here are a few observations, free of charge::

   1. The power play needs to start being productive on the road.

    The Flyers are having spectacular power-play success at home (35.1 percent, best in the NHL), but are a dreadful 15.6 percent on the road.

   2. If the Flyers aren't going to play him, it's time to send defenseman Luca Sbisa to juniors

   Personally, I think Sbisa is one of the Flyers' top-six defensemen and should be playing. But he has been a healthy scratch in the last four games (and in eight of the last 14 games) and that's not good for the development of a soon-to-be-19-year-old player. The all-star break seemed like a perfect time to send him back to Lethbridge _ in fact, a Quebec newspaper reported, incorrectly, that he WAS sent back. (Did I score a goal?" Sbissa quipped.) It'll be interesting to see if Sbisa dresses tonight.

  3. Don't sign Peter Forsberg. Too much baggage. Too much of a distraction. Too many injuries. 

    If Danny Briere is back in four weeks (I know. I know. Considering Briere's injury problems this year, that's a very big "if.") the Flyers will have enough firepower for the playoffs.

   4. The Flyers need to shoot for the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, which might be accomplished by winning the Atlantic Division, and a favorable first-round playoff matchup. (But if Pittsburgh finished seventh, it wouldn't be a picnic.) Last year, the Flyers lost 10 straight shortly after the all-star break and had to huff and puff just to make the playoffs. They need to use this year's second half to improve their seeding position so they don't have such a difficult first-round matchup _ theoretically, at least.

_ Sam Carchidi

OK, it’s a longshot _ let’s say 80/20 _ that Peter Forsberg will return to the Flyers.

    But it’s not as long as it was yesterday and, by the time the Flyers find out the medical status of Danny Briere on Thursday, the odds could become closer to 50/50.

    Briere will have exploratory surgery Thursday to find out why he is still having so much groin pain.

    The Flyers are hoping it’s just scar tissue, in which case the center should be able to return in two weeks.

    But if it is a severe groin tear that will require an adductor release _ an injury Mike Richards suffered two years ago _ Briere could be out for six weeks. Or longer.

    That means he wouldn’t be back until March, and there are no guarantees he would be effective if he returned this season.

    The Flyers’ offense has sputtered the last few weeks _ notwithstanding last night’s 5-3 win (with an empty-net goal) against Atlanta . They have not been getting much scoring from their third- and fourth-line centers.

    If Briere is going to miss six weeks, it’s likely that general manager Paul Holmgren will add a veteran forward to the mix.

    Brendan Shanahan would have been a perfect fit _ and the Flyers made a strong run at him. At one point, Shanahan was leaning toward the Flyers, but he ended up signing with New Jersey because it’s closer to his New York home and his kids don’t have to change schools.

    Forsberg, 35, has been skating and testing his ailing right foot in and mulling a comeback; he reportedly would be willing to play for Colorado or the Flyers. 

     “If it doesn’t work now, I’m forced to give it up for good,” Forsberg told the Swedish tabloid Expressen on Tuesday.

   Forsberg made a late-season return to Colorado last year, but injuries kept him out of nine of 18 regular-season games and three of four games in the second round of the playoffs.

    Forsberg won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche, who are currently a longshot to earn a playoff berth this season.

   The Flyers are one of a handful of strong Eastern Conference contenders, but they need a healthy Briere. Or a suitable replacement _ preferably someone with good size who can match up against physical teams like Boston and Washington in the playoffs.

_ Sam Carchidi

 

 

 

It appears the Flyers will delay Danny Briere’s return from a groin injury _ and it may have just as much to do with the salary-cap situation as it does the center’s health.
“It’s a little bit of both, to be honest,” Briere said after today’s practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.
“I’m not sure about that,” said general manager Paul Holmgren when relayed Briere’s assessment. “He doesn’t feel 100 percent just yet.”
After practice two days ago, Briere said he was “100 percent” healthy and that he was ready to return to the ice Wednesday against Atlanta.
Today, Briere _ who played three rehab games with the AHL Phantoms without any problems _ gave no indication he had a setback.
But Holmgren said the speedy center “didn’t feel that good” after practice and that it was “likely” he would sit out Wednesday.
Keeping Briere out of the lineup Wednesday _ a decision will be made after Wednesday’s morning skate _ would buy Holmgren more time to make the roster moves necessary to get Briere’s $6.5 million salary under the $56.7 million cap.
After Wednesday, the Flyers are off for the all-star break and don’t play again until Tuesday in Florida.
Sending defenseman Luca Sbisa to juniors and demoting defenseman Lasse Kukkonen and forwards Darroll Powe and/or Claude Giroux to the Phantoms are among the moves that may be made. A trade (Randy Jones?) is also possible.
“At this point, one game isn’t going to change much,” Briere, who last played for the Flyers on Dec. 2, said of possibly sitting out Wednesday. “It gives me four or five days to get better. It goes both ways. I’d like to play, but at the same time, you get four extra days of not skating and that could be very helpful as well.
“We’ll go through the pre-game skate and then make a decision.”
Said coach John Stevens: “It sounds as if he’s getting better and better, but we can’t afford to have any more setbacks where he’s concerned; we’ve already been through it twice. I think it’s due diligence on our part to make sure he’s ready to come back, especially with the break coming up.”
Sbisa, who will turn 19 on Jan. 30, has been a healthy scratch in seven of the club’s last 13 games; the Flyers are 4-3 in games he has not played.
“I’ve been scratched a lot of times and it’s not too good not knowing what’s going on,” Sbisa said. “I know a lot of players have to go through that stuff, so it’s just part of growing up. I always knew it was going to be a possibility and if I have to go back, I’ll just take it as another step in the way of being an NHL defenseman. If I go back, I’m just going to work hard and come back as soon as possible.”
Holmgren has met with Sbisa and Giroux and discussed the possibility of being demoted.
“The young guys concern me, and the only two I’ve talked to about anything moving forward are Luca and Claude,” the general manager said. “I think the other guys are kind of in the same boat I’m in. It’s a business and you have to march ahead. It’s just the way it is. They’re the (cap) rules we all have to work under.”
* * * * * * *
Goalie Antero Niittymaki, who missed Monday’s practice because of the flu, practiced today and will face visiting Atlanta Wednesday.
In his career, Niittymaki is 11-0 with a 1.64 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage against the Thrashers. The Flyers are 13-0-1 against Atlanta since Nov. 18, 2005.
Niittymaki stayed in bed most of Monday and said he felt a much better today. “I wouldn’t say I have 100 percent of my energy back, but I still have plenty of time until game time,” he said.
Asked if the thought of playing Atlanta sped up his recovery, Niittymaki smiled.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think a virus really cares about who we’re playing next,” he said.
He called the streak against Atlanta “just one of those things. I feel like we always play well against them; it’s not just me, but everybody. I don’t know how to explain it. Hopefully, we can keep doing that.”
“Obviously, he’s played well against Atlanta, and I’m sure that’s motivation for them, too,” coach John Stevens said.
Wednesday, will be the Flyers’ final game before the all-star break; they won’t play again until Tuesday in Florida. Atlanta, which is led by Ilya Kovalchuk (48 points entering Tuesday), is playing much better than when Niittymaki blanked the Thrashers, 7-0, on Oct. 28.
“It’s a big game for us before the break,” said Niittymaki, who scored a 3-2 shootout win Friday in Florida. “When you’re going to have a break, you want to win the last game and hopefully that will carry on after the break. Last year, we had a tough time after the all-star break and lost 10 in a row, so we want to play well before and after the break.”
* * * * *
Mike Knuble, one of three Americans on the Flyers’ active roster, was in a patriotic mood as he caught glimpses of today’s historic inauguration of Barack Obama.
“You see millions of people there and (realize) just what a defining moment it is in the history of the United States,” Knuble said. “There are a lot of things people have never seen in a lifetime and I’m very proud to see it happen.”
Matt Carle and Andrew Alberts are the other Americans on the Flyers.
* * * * *
Breakaways. Joffrey Lupul and Scottie Upshall missed today’s practice with the flu but are expected to play Wednesday. Mike Richards missed practice for a “maintenance day,” Stevens said…..Assuming Marty Biron faces Florida on Jan. 27, he will have gone 11 days between starts. Stevens called it “an opportunity for Marty to get rested and feel physically strong heading into the last third of the season.”
_ Sam Carchidi

     Center Danny Briere, who has missed about seven weeks with a groin injury, went through today's brisk practice without any problems and seems ready to return to the lineup Wednesday against the visiting Atlanta Thrashers.

    Barring a major setback, Briere should play Wednesday and make his first NHL appearance since Dec. 2.

     The Flyers' offense, which has been so dynamic for most of the season, has struggled lately and Briere should give the club a pick-me-up. The Flyers have averaged just two goals in their last seven games and opponents are keying on stopping the Mike Richards and Jeff Carter lines.

    Having Briere on the third line will make it much much more difficult on opponents.

    That said, give the Flyers credit for compiling a 22-8-6 record without Briere; they are 2-4-3 with him.

    To add Briere and his $6.5 million salary, the Flyers will have to make a handful of moves. They started the process by placing Josh Gratton and Jon Kalinski on the long-term injured list. Rookie defenseman Luca Sbisa seems headed back to juniors (for the time being) and it wouldn't be surprising if another player (Darroll Powe? Claude Giroux?) was sent to the AHL Phantoms.

    Would that be enough to get the team under the $56.7 million cap. Perhaps. But GM Paul Holmgen was unusually mum when discussing cap options today.

    In another development, goalie Antero Niittymaki missed practice because of the flu. If healhty, Niittymaki figures to face Atlanta Wednesday because he is 11-0 lifetime against the Thrashers, including a 7-0 win earlier this season.

    Wednesday will be the Flyers' final game before the all-star break. They are having a season that is strikingly similar to last year's. The Flyers (24-12-9) have 57 points after 45 games; they had 55 points (25-15-5) after 45 games last season. In both seasons, the Flyers have lost one of their best offensive players for long stretches _ last year, it was Simon Gagne, this season, Briere.

    This year's team seems in a better position, however, because Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have emerged as elite players.

   The Flyers enter Monday night tied with the Devils for second place in the Atlantic _ one point behind the Rangers, who had played two more games than both Philadelphia and New Jersey.

   Like last year, the Flyers also have exceled on the power play. They are No. 1 in the NHL (27 percent success rate) after finishing No. 2 last season.

_ Sam Carchidi

 

   TAMPA _ In their last two games, the Flyers have lost too many board battles and created few good scoring chances against teams that had been struggling.

    As a result, they have lost two straight and look like a team that needs a recharging. The all-star break, which starts after Wednesday's game, can't come soon enough. (And, yes, they could also use a healthy Danny Briere.)

   Thursday, the Flyers dropped a 4-1 decision to a Tampa Bay team that is one of the worst in the Eastern Conference.

    The Flyers allowed 44 shots. Last week, they allowed lowly Toronto to take 42 shots.

    That kind of defense won't cut it when the playoffs roll around. The Flyers need to get back to a defense-first mentality.

     Thursday's loss, which cost the Flyers a chance to move into first place in the Atlantic Division, came on the heels of Tuesday's listless 4-2 defeat to scuffling Pittsburgh.

    The Flyers will not have a morning skate Friday, but coach John Stevens has called a team meeting for 11:30 a.m.

    All of a sudden, Friday night's game at Florida is critical. Another loss would conjure memories of last year's fade. You'll recall that the Flyers went on a 10-game losing streak last February and went from No. 2 to No. 10 in the Eastern Conference.

    This year's team is stronger than last year's, mainly because Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have blossomed into stars. But Richards has been out of gas the last two games and the Flyers need him _ and his teammates _ to regroup to take some momentum into the all-star break. (They have two games before the break: Friday in Florida, and Wednesday against Atlanta.)

    Thursday's game showed how important defenseman Kimmo Timonen is to the Flyers. Timonen, a superb defenseman who is vital to the Flyers' special teams, was injured when a puck hit his face midway through the first period. He was administered several stitches and did no return.

     Without Timonen, the Flyers' defense struggled _ just like it did when he was injured in last year's Eastern Conference finals.

     If Timonen can't play Friday, Luca Sbisa would get the call.

    One of the few bright spots Thursday was the terrific play of rookie center Darroll Powe, who was the Flyers' best offensive player.

 

    With all due respect to Jeff Carter, Mike Richards has been the first-place Flyers' best all-around player in the first half of the season and should have been selected to the Eastern Conference all-star team.

    But Richards was snubbed. So were teammates Kimmo Timonen and Simon Gagne.

    All because the fans made some very dumb selections when they chose the starters. That, coupled with the fact that each team has to be represented, left many deserving players off the team.

    And, make no mistake, no one is more deserving than Richards, who has excelled on the power play, penalty kill and even-strength situations.

    Carter was the only Flyer selected. The 24-year-old deserves to go; he is having a breakthrough season and he shares the NHL lead with 27 goals. It was the first time Carter had been selected to the team.

    The snub of Richards (15 goals, 27 assists entering Thursday) was stunning. He has been the Flyers’ most consistent player and is plus-16 in the plus-minus rankings.

     Gagne has 18 goals and is eighth in the league (and sixth in the conference) in the plus-minus rankings at plus-18. Timonen, regarded as one of the league’s elite defensive players, has 25 points, which is fifth among Eastern Conference defensemen. 

   The most undeserving starter, as slected by the fans, was Montreal winger Alexei Kovalev (10 goals, 19 assists) .

   Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuck (40 points) and Ottawa’s Dany(CQ) Heatley (36 points), each of whom were their team’s lone representatives, have numbers comparable to Richards. But their plus-minus rankings _ Kovalchuk is minus-12, Heatly is minus-2 _ don’t come close to Richards’ plus-16 ranking.

     The roster additions were selected by the NHL’s hockey operations
department after consultation with league general managers.
     The all-star game will be played Jan. 25 in Montreal. 

    It's just a shame that numerous true all-stars won't be there.

_ Sam Carchidi

 

     WASHINGTON _ Give the Washington Capitals credit. They're doing their best to intensify their rivalry with the Flyers.

    In a story in today's Washington Post, Caps defenseman Shaone Morrisonn criticized Flyers fans for their behavior in last year's playoffs, and head coach Bruce Boudreau took some verbal jabs at Flyers enforcer Riley Cote and said Philadelphia ran up the score in a game last month.

    Ah, save some of the animosity for the playoffs, boys.

    The teams, of course, met in last year's Eastern Conference playoffs, with the Flyers winning a seven-game tug-of-war thanks to Marty Biron's standout goaltending. Joffrey Lupul's OT goal won a Game 7 thriller.

    The Caps, who host the Flyers tonight, are still sore about the way the Philly fans supposedly treated them duirng those playoffs.

   In today's Post, Morrisonn said fans were mooning the team bus ouitside the Wachovia Center last year and throwing beer bottles "and whatever they had in their hand. It's to be expected from Philly fans. Didn't they boo Santa Claus?"

     Enough with that cliched incident, already.

     But I digress.....

    Last month, the Flyers scored a 7-1 win over the Caps despite being outshot, 48-28.Goalie Antero Niittymaki "basically stood on his head," winger Scott Hartnell said.

   Boudreau thought the Flyers ran up the score and used their top forwards too late in that game.

   "What goes around comes around," he told nhl.com yesterday.

   In today's Washington Post, Boudreau was still snippy.

   "I don't know how much they like us, but we don't like them," he said. "I think the animosity (at the end of last month's game) was more frustration on our part. We thought we had played a pretty good game, but yet we were down, 7-1. There were a lot of boiling points. They wanted to pile it on as much as possible. They were probably bummed out that their tough guy got beat up twice, so they started coming after our guys."

  (Cote lost a pair of fights with former Flyer Donald Brashear.)

    After today's morning skate, Flyers coach John Stevens was perturbed to be asked questions about Boudreau's comments.

   “You guys can take this Boudreau stuff and you can take it somewhere else,” Stevens told reporters. “I’m not getting drawn in tit-for-tat stuff. I don’t know where this is going. Bruce coaches the Washington Capitals. I don’t care what he says. I’ve got my team to get ready here. This is obviously an important game, a hard game, and I don’t care what he said, to be honest with you. He can say what he wants. Our team plays the way we play. We’re a standup, honest hockey team, and he can save that stuff for the media outside of me because I don’t really care to hear it.”
    But you can bet he will pass it along to his players before tonight's 7 o'clock game.

* * * * * * * * *

   Simon Gagne (shoulder) and Josh Gratton (abdominal strain) will return to the lineup tonight; Arron Asham (knee) will be a game-time decision.

_ Sam Carchidi