MUST BE DREAMING: TEMPLE IS 9-2?
General manager Paul Holmgren has done a masterful job reviving the Flyers. Two years ago, they were the NHL’s worst team, and then they reached the league’s Final Four last season.
This year, they are among the Eastern Conference elite and have a legitimate chance to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
But one has to wonder if their chances were diminished a bit on Friday.
Not because of the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to Montreal, but rather because management had done a lousy job managing the salary cap, causing the Flyers to lose a pair of veterans on waivers. Center Glen Metropolit was claimed by Montreal, while defenseman Ossi Vaananen was picked up by Vancouver.
And then Saturday, came this stunner: Rookie sensation Claude Giroux was being sent to the Phantoms. That frees $850,000 in cap space, but GM Paul Holmgren insisted the move had nothing to do with salary-cap issues.
Why, then, was Giroux, who has been one of the Flyers' top offensive players recently, demoted?
"It was in the best interest of the team," said Holmgren, who would not elaborate.
As for Metropolit and Vaananen, they were hard-working, blue-collar players. They weren’t marquee players, but they were the type of character guys that every team needs.
Metropolit, whose climb out of the Toronto projects has become one of the NHL's feel-good stories, was used as a fourth-line center and penalty killer, while Vaananen had recently been demoted and had become the Flyers’ No. 7 defenseman _ though you can argue he should have been in the top-six.
Their departures hurt the Flyers’ chemistry. Both were deeply respected and well-liked. Vaananen was on his way to joining the Canucks and wasn’t around Friday night, but Metropolit ironically played against the Flyers _ and after the game a big group of his ex-teammates met with him in the hallway outside the home team's locker room.
The player they call “Metro” was scrappy, gave the Flyers experience and was one of their best at winning faceoffs. Those qualities will be missed in the playoffs.
Vaananen gave the blue liners a much-needed physical presence, and his good humor kept the locker room loose.
Losing the two players will obviously hurt the team’s depth.
And how will it affect the team’s close-knit chemistry?
"Any time there are changes, there's a little bit of concern," coach John Stevens said. "But at the same time, we feel we have a group here that can absorb these kinds of things. . . . They're certainly disappointed to see friends move on, but they know it is part of the business."
A bad part of the business.
_ Sam Carchidi
Maybe this two-goalie system is going to work to the Flyers' advantage.
I know. I know. Conventional wisdom says a team needs to ride one goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
True, but the late-season goalie competition that has been created _ by Marty Biron's inconsistency and Antero Niittymaki's steady play _ may be a blessing in disguise.
It is causing coach John Stevens to play both goalies and hoping one emerges as the clear-cut No. 1.
That should keep both goalies extra focused _ and sharp _ as the regular season winds down.
In the last two games, each goalie has been superb.
In the Flyers' 2-0 win over Los Angeles tonight, Biron made 34 saves and notched his second shutout of the season. It was also his 25th career shutout. The previous night, Niittymaki excelled in a 4-2 win at powerful Washington.
"That's the way you need it to be," said Biron when it was mentioned that both goalies have played like No. 1 performers in the last two games. "I really don't know of too many teams that get in the playoffs with only one guy really pulling the load. That's the way it's been. We push each other. Last night, was a great effort by Nitty. He kept us in the game with all those breakaways we gave them. Tonight, they just seemed to go my way, too. That's the way we want it to be."
Both goalies say they are pulling for each other.
"We both want to get in there and lead the team, but some nights you're going to have to be supportive and some nights you're going to go in there and you're going to have to do your job," Biron said.
Biron said the goalies aren't concerned about battling for the No. 1 spot.
"That's stuff we don't care about it here," he said. "We play a game. Who cares who is first line?....That's the way you've got to have a team to succeed."
Coach John Stevens was asked if he would consider using two goalies in the playoffs.
“My focus right now is getting our team into the playoffs," he said. "I think by that time, someone is going to take the lead role and then somebody is going to be the guy we count on."
So there you have it: Twenty-three games to decide who will play that leading role.
_ Sam Carchidi
More than four months after their season opener, the Flyers' goalie situation seems more unsettled than ever.
Will the goalie down the stretch be Marty Biron? Antero Niittymaki? A goalie who will be acquired by the March 4 trade deadline?
We shall see.
In the next two games, Niittymaki and Biron will each get a start. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess.
On Tuesday night in
Niittymaki, 28, recently became the Flyers’ go-to goalie before he suffered the flu and was replaced by Marty Biron, who won three straight before Saturday’s late-game disaster in a 5-4 loss to
So tonight Niittymaki will get a chance to regain the form he displayed while playing in eight of nine games recently. Biron will play Wednesday against the visiting Los Angeles Kings.
Down the stretch, “we need both of our goalies to play great,” coach John Stevens said. “They’re both going to get an opportunity to get in the net.”
In other words, it sounds as if there’s still time for a goalie to get hot and get a majority of the playing time.
There are a little less than seven weeks left in the regular season. That means Stevens probably has about a month to determine who is going to be his No. 1 goalie _ and let him carry the load for the final three weeks so he can be sharp for the playoffs.
Niittymaki was brilliant in his only appearance against
Two of the
Carter _ are scheduled to meet Tuesday. That is, if Carter recovers from flu-like symptoms that caused him to leave practice early on Monday.
Ovechkin leads the league with 43 goals; the Caps are 35-2-1 in games in which he has scored.
Carter is third in the
Stevens, who said he expects Carter to play Tuesday, may have wingers Joffrey Lupul and Scottie Upshall switch lines. At Monday’s practice, Upshall was with Carter and Scott Hartnell, while Lupul was with Claude Giroux and Darroll Powe.
Breakaways. Mike Richards, who has a total of eight points in his last two games, was named the NHL's No. 1 star of the week.....The Flyers' power play is 1 for 14 in its last five games.....The Flyers are 1-0-1 against the Caps this season. In the teams' last meeting, the Flyers dropped a 2-1 shootout on Jan. 6 in Washington, a game in which Biron made 33 saves. The Flyers moved into a first-place tie with the Rangers that night....The Flyers announced they will not raise ticket prices in 2009-10
_ Sam Carchidi
The unsettled goalie situation is actually a win-win for the Flyers.
It will provide both goalies _ Antero Niittymaki and Marty Biron _ with extra focus as they try to be the go-to guy in the Flyers’ last 30 regular-season games.
Both are not only trying to steer the Flyers to the Atlantic Division title and a high Eastern Conference seeding, but they are playing for a contract.
Talk about incentive.
Niittymaki has been the much more consistent and deserves to be No. 1 right now. But don’t discount Biron. The feeling here is that elevating Niittymaki to No. 1 will light a fire under Biron. Don’t be surprised if Biron goes on a hot streak and ends up being the Flyers’ main goalie down the stretch and into the playoffs.
If not, Niittymaki is more than capable and is playing with a high confidence level.
Either way, the goalie competition _ at least with 30 games left _ is a good thing for the Flyers.
That said, they need a clear-cut No. 1 heading into the playoffs.
They also need some cap space to land a bruising defenseman before the March 4 trade deadline. That makes Biron ($3.5 million) the goalie they would prefer to trade. There are a few playoff contenders that could use a goalie.
Why would they deal for the slumping Biron?
Take a look at the video form last year’s first two playoff rounds.
_ Sam Carchidi
Comcast-Spectacor announced yesterday that the AHL Phantoms would be sold to a Pittsburgh group and that they will be leaving the area.
No location has been announced, but there are indications that the club will eventually play in Lehigh Valley, where a new arena will have to be built.
The team is leaving Philadelphia, of course, because the Specrum will be torn down in the fall to make room for Philly Live, a restaurant, shopping complex.
I'm all for Philly Live. It will be great for that portion of the city.
But....
Wouldn't it have been better if the iconic Spectrum was spared and renovated....and a mini-Philly Live complex had been added to it?
Sometimes, smaller is better.
With today's struggling economy, it's fair to ask how many retail stores or restaurants will be willing to invest in the complex. And tearing down the Spectrum makes it much difficult for the Flyers to monitor their top minor-league affiliate _ and send players back and forth to the two teams.
When it was decided that the Spectrum would be knocked down, Comcast-Spectacor had looked into building an arena in the Cherry Hill area. But the project was deemed too expensive, so, sadly, an ideal Flyers-Phantoms setup _ the teams use the same practice facility in Voorhees, and play home games next-door to each other _ is about to go by the wayside.
Based on their inconsistent play over the last five weeks, the Flyers have fallen from their perch among the Eastern Conference elite.
Wednesday, they get a chance to show they belong with the big boys.
The Flyers will host the Boston Bruins, the NHL’s surprising leader with 80 points.
“I got a sense at practice today that it’s a big game and we really want to see where we’re at,” said Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, whose team is 7-6-2 since their Christmas break.
The Bruins lead the NHL in goals-against average (2.12 per game) and they are second in goals scored.
Boston has the league’s best road record (18-5-3). They will be facing a Flyers team that is 13-1-2 in their last 15 home games.
The Bruins have few weaknesses.
“They forecheck five guys; they defend with five guys,” Timonen said. “We have to be at the top of our game to win.”
They also have to get their power play untracked. The Flyers are 1 for 23 on the power play in their last four games.
Wednesday starts a home-and-home series with the Bruins. The Flyers will play at Boston Saturday afternoon.
Flyers goalie Marty Biron will start Wednesday and, in all probability, on Saturday. He is expected to face the sizzling Tim Thomas on Wednesday.
BTW, Las Vegas made Boston a 25 to 1 longshot to win the Cup when the season started. Sixteen teams had better odds, including the Flyers (10/1). Detroit was the favorite at 3/1.
* * * * * * * *
In an interesting side note to Wednesday’s game, all four of the teams’ goalies _ the Flyers’ Biron and Antero Niittymaki, the Bruins’ Thomas and Manny Fernandez _ can become free agents after the season.
That has raised speculation that each team could trade one of its goalies if it feels it won’t re-sign them after the season.
* * * * * * *
About 500 tickets remain for Wednesday’s game.
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Has it really been 35 years since the Flyers stunned the Bruins to win their first Cup?
_ Sam Carchidi
What took so long?
That's the question most Flyers fans were asking when it was announced today that rookie defenseman Luca Sbisa was being sent to juniors.
Make no mistake, Sbisa is going to be a future star. He is fast, a terrific puck-mover and, as he fills out, will become a physical presence. But the kid needs to play, not be a healthy scratch in most games.
Sbisa, who turned 19 last week, sat out six of the last seven games, and it was extremely surprising that he was still with the Flyers after the all-star break. His presence led to speculation he was being kept around as insurance in case Randy Jones was traded.
Now he's headed back to Lethbridge in the Western Hockey League, where he will get a chance to polish his skills. He could return to the Flyers late in the season, if needed, or perhaps in the playoffs.
Even if he doesn't play again for the Flyers this season, he has a bright future in Philly. As captain Mike Richards said the other day, "he's going to be scary good."
But first, he needs to play, regain his confidence and continue to blossom.
In a side note, Sbisa's quiet humor and upbeat personality will be missed in the locker room.
* * * * * * * * * *
The Flyers have sputtered since their Christmas break, compiling a 7-6-2 record.
They have had a habit of playing up or down to their competition. More consistency and fewer penalties are needed if this team is going to make a Cup run.
Wednesday, they get a chance to upstage the surging Boston Bruins, the Eastern's Conference's surprising leader. Boston has the NHL's best defense (2.12 goals-against), while the Flyers are just 17th (2.86).
* * * * * * * * *
The Flyers are only 24th in the 30-team NHL in face-off percentage (48.2 percent success rate).
Glen Metropolit has been the team's best center in face-offs (50.4 percent, 51st in the league). Mike Richards is at 49.9 percent (59th in the league) and Jeff Carter is at 47.1 percent (72d in the league).
_ Sam Carchidi
