Danny Briere left practice early Friday because of what Flyers coach John Stevens called "a lower-body injury."

    Since Briere missed most of last season with groin and abdominal injuries, alarms are going off in Flyerdom right now.

    The Flyers recalled David Laliberte from the AHL Adirondack Phantoms.

   Simon Gagne is already sidelined with a double-hernia, and Briere is doubtful for for Saturday against Carolina.

   GM Paul Holmgren reported that two of Gagne's doctors have given conflicting solutions to repairing his hernias. The Flyers, Gagne and the doctors are trying to resolve those issues.

   On a positive front, it looks like Blair Betts (shoulder) and Ryan Parent (groin) will return from injuries and be back in the lineup Saturday.

    The Flyers tried to push defenseman Randy Jones through re-entry waivers, but one of his former coaches wouldn’t let it happen.
    Jones was claimed Thursday by the Los Angeles Kings, whose head coach, Terry Murray, was a Flyers assistant in charge of the defense when Jones was part of the team
    The Kings and Flyers will share half of Jones' $2.75 million salary-cap hit _ $1.375 million apiece,

   "He certainly would have helped us," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "That's the risk you take, and what are you going to do?"

   Holmgren said he had talked to a few teams to gauge their interest in Jones. The Kings were obviously not one of them.

   When Simon Gagne returns from the long-term injured list down the road, his cap hit ($5.25 million) will be absorbed again and the Flyers will probably have only about $700,000 in cap space _ unless they send one of their extra players to the AHL Phantoms. 

* * * * * * * * 

   Defenseman Ryan Parent, sidelined by a groin injury the last four games, is expected to return to action Saturday against Carolina and could be paired with Kimmo Timonen.
   Timonen (minus-10) and Braydon Coburn (minus-9) have struggled as a duo, causing coach John Stevens to place Timonen and Parent together at Thursday's practice.
 

   Say goodbye to Simon Gagne for a while.

   And maybe, just maybe, say hello again to Randy Jones.

   Gagne was placed on the injured-reserve list and will miss at least 10 games and 24 days with two hernias.

   Jones was placed on re-entry waivers, and if no one claims him by noon Thursday, he will rejoin the Flyers. He had been sent to the AHL Adirondack Phantoms in a cap move last month.

    As for Gagne, the Flyers’ orthopedic surgeon, Peter DeLuca,  says the left winger needs surgery. Gagne, however, will get a second opinion from his doctor in Montreal Thursday.

    "Once he sees what’s concluded, we’ll move forward,” GM Paul Holmgren said.

     In the last four years, Gagne has had three surgeries in the groin/hip area.
    “I don’t think it is going to hurt to make sure that we get a second opinion and make sure we all see the same thing in Montreal that we do here in Philly,” Gagne said. “We just want to do this to make sure it isn’t something else.”
Gagne will be examined Thursday by Dr. Rey  Brown, who has performed groin surgery on the winger in the past.
      Asked about Gagne’s recovery time if the surgery is performed, Holmgren said, “I don’t know and neither does the doctor until he actually gets in there.”
     Holmgren reiterated that he has no interest in signing free-agent left winger Brendan Shanahan and that, for now, no one will be recalled from the Phantoms.
    Center Blair Betts is expected to return from a shoulder injury Saturday. That would give the Flyers a forward who, in effect, would replace Gagne.
     Jones makes $3 million a year. Teams can claim him for half his $2.75 million cap hit.
    If no one claims him, his cap hit will be absorbed by the Flyers.
    Gagne’s $5.25 million salary doesn’t count against the cap while he’s on the long-term injured list, opening room for Jones’ salary.
   If Jones rejoins the team, a spot held by Danny Syvret or Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will be in jeopardy.
    _ Sam Carchidi

  The Flyers fired a season-high 43 shots Tuesday night, were 2 for 5 on the power play and got mostly solid goaltending from Ray Emery.

   Normally, that translates into a win.

   Tonight, it turned into a 4-2 loss to the host Washington Capitals.

   The Flyers blew a 2-0 lead, failed on a penalty shot (Darroll Powe) and could not convert numerous opportunities against the usually shaky Jose Theodore, Washington's goalie.

   "For whatever reason, we're not finding the net," coach John Stevens said.

    With the score tied at 2-2, Alexander Semin's shot from the left circle deflected off Kimmo Timonen's knee and into the upper left corner of the net with 14:36 left in regulation.

     Alex Ovechkin added an empty-net goal to close the scoring.

     The Flyers failed to score in even-strength situations. They have been outscored 18-17 in five-on-fives this year.

    "That's my biggest concern," Timonen said. "You can't count on your power play" to score all the goals.

     The Flyers were supposed to have Wednesday off, but Stevens has now scheduled a practice.

   * * * * * * * 

       With Simon Gagne sidelined with two hernias and with the Flyers' offense struggling, GM Paul Holmgren may look to make a deal.

     Holmgren said Tuesday he is not interested in free-agent winger Brendan Shanahan.

     If the offense continues to scuffle, however, that could change.

   The medical news on Simon Gagne is not good.

  The Flyers' left winger had an ultrasound Monday that showed he was suffering from two small hernias, the Flyers announced Tuesday.

  GM Paul Holmgren said the Flyers' medical staff  will meet with Gagne Wednesday to "discuss all options."

   It sounds as if surgery is forthcoming.

   The discovery of the hernias explains why Gagne hasn't had much zip this season. He has just one goal in nine games and hasn't looked himself.

    With Gagne sidelined indefinitely, the Flyers will now be missing three players who combined for 86 goals last year _ Gagne (34), Mike Knuble (27) and Joffrey Lupul (25). Knuble signed with Washington as a free agaent, and Lupul was dealt to Anaheim in the Chris Pronger trade.

  When the Flyers play the host Washington Capitals Tuesday, veteran left winger Simon Gagne is not expected to be in the lineup.

   Gagne missed practice Monday because of lower-body discomfort. He had an ultrasound _ results will be available Tuesday, the Flyers said _ to figure out why he has been having pain.

  GM Paul Holmgren said the Flyers want to learn if Gagne's problem is related to his off-season hip surgery _ or to a groin injury he suffered in the summer and re-aggravated at Team Canada workouts.

   Gagne is off to the worst start of his 10-year career _ one goal in nine games.

   In recent games, Gane has been on a line with Mike Richards and Arron Asham. In Monday's practice, Richards centered Scott Hartnell and Mika Pyorala.

   * * * * * * * * * 

  In case you missed it, Anaheim sent former Flyer Luca Sbisa to Lethbridge of the Wetsern Hockey League. Acquired from the Flyers in the Chris Pronger deal, Sbisa was scoreless in eight games with the Ducks and was minus-1.

* * * * * * * * * * 

 The Flyers' power play (11 for 44) has been clicking at a 25 percent rate, while the Caps are only 8 for 48 (16.7 percent). Both teams are among the NHL's elite in penalty killing _ the Flyers are at 85.4 percent, the Caps at 83.7 percent.

   Alex Ovechkin, the game's best all-around player, already has nine goals and eight assists for the 6-2-2 Capitals.

    The Flyers (5-3-1) scored a 6-5 overtime win over Washington on Oct. 6. In that game,Richards had a hat trick and Matt Carle equaled an NHL record for defensemen with four assists in one period.

    Richards, by the way, has ended his silent treatment of the media.

  To all those who say the NHL is out to "get" the Flyers _ and there are thousands out there who have that feeling _ you will be surprised that the league Sunday decided not to suspend Flyers captain Mike Richards.

    Richards leveled Florida's David Booth Saturday, knocking him unconscious and sending him to the hospital with a jarring shoulder-to-jaw check in the middle of the ice.

   Replays showed Richards had one skate in the air as he made the hit; it was inconclusive as to whether the other skate was in the air at the time.

   If the NHL deemed both feet were in the air before he made the hit, Richards undoubtedly would have been suspended, but the league agreed with Flyers' general manager Paul Holmgren's assessment _ that Richards left his feet only after contact was made.

    Richards was in the lineup Sunday night in a 4-1 loss to visiting San Jose.

    Flyers exec Bob Clarke said he agreed with the NHL's decision not to suspend Richards _ and disagreed with the five-minute interference call and game misconduct Richards reeived for the hit. Clarke said Richards should not have been penalized; he called it a clean hit and said the only reason Richards was penalized was because the referee felt he had to make a call due to the injury.

    Booth spent the night at Pennsylvania Hospital before being released Sunday morning and returning to Florida; he had no neck damage, a Panthers official said, but suffered a concussion. The Panthers will monitor him closely.

   Blood was on the ice after the violent collision, and Booth was motionless for several minutes.

  The Flyers and Florida don't meet again until Dec. 21, at the Wachovia Center.

  * * * * * * * * * * 

    Think the Flyers will spend extra time at practice Monday working on faceoffs?

    Yep.

    The Flyers won just 23 of 64 faceoffs (36 percent) in Sunday's 4-1 loss to San Jose.Richards was a woeful 4 of 17 (24 percent).

   Flyers captain Mike Richards leveled Florida's David Booth with a shoulder-to-jaw hit late in the second period Saturday, sending the left winger to the hospital during Philadelphia's 5-1 win.

   Richards recieved a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct. The NHL will review the matter and could suspend Richards for a few games.

   Florida general manager Randy Sexton said there was no injury to Booth’s neck, and that the player would stay overnight for observation at Pennsylvania Hospital.
   Booth had feelings in his extremities, said Florida coach Peter DeBoer, adding that the player was unconscious on the ice.

     The NHL will review the hit and will concentrate on whether Richards left his feet to deliver the blow. If the league deems he did, he will undoubtedly be suspended.
    Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren called it a clean hit and said Richards should not be suspended. The GM claimed Richards only left his feet after the collision, not before it.
     Sexton disagreed, saying “there is no place” in hockey for the blow that was delivered.
     “The league wants to get rid of these shots to the head,” he told a Miami Herald reporter.
     “It’s unfortunate the kid got hurt there….but Mike Richards is not a dirty player. He doesn’t try to hurt people,” Flyers coach John Stevens said. “He was backchecking through the middle, and he has as much integrity as anybody playing the game.”
     “Everything happened so quickly, it’s kind of hard to explain,” Richards said. “Obviously I was not trying to hurt him. I was trying to separate him from the puck, but he moved.”

   After the game,  Holmgren said he had not been notified by Colin Campbell, the NHL's senior vice president of hockey operations. He said if a suspension was forthcoming, he would have expected Campbell to have called during the game.

   However, a source said Campbell was busy with other NHL matters and would review the case Sunday and make a decision before the Flyers play San Jose Sunday night. Ironically, Campbell's son, Greg Campbell, plays for Florida.

    As for the game, there were a lot of positives for the Flyers. Danny Briere scored two goals and added an assist, while Arron Asham, Simon Gagne and James van Riemsdyk tallied goals.

    For Gagne, it was his first of the year. Van Riemsdyk's goal was more special _ it was the first of his NHL career.

   Gagne called the effort "one of our best games all year."

 
    The AHL Adirondack Phantoms, who were based in Philadelphia for 13 years before moving to upstate New York this season, will return for a regular-season game against the Norfolk Admirals at the Wachovia Center on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.

  “This will be a terrific opportunity for Flyers fans to see the next generation of Flyers players currently in our system,” said Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, the Flyers' parent company. “We also know there are a lot of Phantoms fans in the Greater Philadelphia region who have asked us if we could get the Phantoms to return to play a game here."
   Tickets for children 12 and younger are $10. Individual tickets at $14, $18, and $19 are on sale through ComcastTIX on line at ComcastTIX.com, by phone (1-800-298-4200) or in person at the Wachovia Center box office. There are a limited number of front-row tickets available for $33.

    Comcast-Spectacor sold the Phantoms when the company decided to close the Spectrum, where the Phantoms had played since their inaugural season in 1996-97. The Spectrum will close on Saturday, October 31, and will soon make way for Philly Live, a new retail, restaurant, and entertainment district.

    The AHL granted the Flyers a franchise on Dec. 18, 1995. The Phantoms captured the Calder Cup twice – June 10, 1998 in front of 17,380 fans at the Spectrum, then the largest crowd ever to see a Calder Cup playoff game in AHL history. The team set a new attendance record on June 10, 2005, when they captured their second Calder Cup in front of 20,103.