Boucher starting; Emery's act growing thin
MONTREAL _ Backup goalie Brian Boucher will get the start Monday night in Montreal, coach Peter Laviolette said after the morning skate.
Boucher starting; Emery's act growing thin
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
MONTREAL _ Backup goalie Brian Boucher will get the start Monday night in Montreal, coach Peter Laviolette said after the morning skate.
Boucher said the team was anxious to get untracked in Laviolette's second game as the Flyers' coach.
"We want to get a solid game under our belts and get the first vistory and get rolling," said Boucher, whose team has lost seven of its last eight.
The Flyers were manhandled by Washington, 8-2, in Laviolette's Flyers debut Saturday.
"Obvioulsy, everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong," Boucher said. "It's unfortunate it had to start off like that, but hopefiully we can get off on the right foot here with a good solid road game."
Ray Emery, the usual starter, has struggled mightily in his last five games, compiling a 5.36 goals-against average and an .814 save percentage.
Emery was his gregarious self in front of Montreal TV cameras after practice Monday morning, giving lengthy thought-out responses. But he turned sour and again gave one- and two-word responses to questions asked by the Philadelphia media.
Strange. Very strange.
Laviolette said Emery is bothered by "nagging injuries" but was healthy enough to play.
Riley Cote will be in the lineup Monday, replacing the suspended Dan Carcillo.
Laviolette is tinkering with his lineup, flip-flopping wingers Danny Briere and Claude Giroux.
Here is how the lines will look Monday night:
Hartnell-Richards-Giroux; JVR-Carter-Briere; Laperriere-Pyorala-Asham; Nodl-Kalinski-Cote.
Sounds like Emery has begun to crack and can't handle the Philly media pressure. This was the risk with him...if he starts to struggle as many thought he still would, the city will start to doubt him (rightfully so) and then he'll get worse b/c of the pressure. Ahh, yet another year the Flyers will be just short b/c they can't solve the goaltending issue.— aisaac- So what exactly is the act that's growing thin? Is it that he has been irritated by the Philadelphia media and is doing what league rules require of him and nothing more...is that the act that's grating? Says who...you media guys? I wouldn't write headline stuff about a player's act growing thin unless it referred to his presence on the team. His relationship with you media guys is meaningless and not sports news.— stockman1
Hartnell-Richards-Giroux; JVR-Carter-Briere; Laperriere-Pyorala-Asham; Nodl-Kalinski-Cote.......... We need a Danny Heatly type to round out that lineup - there are no pure scorers - if Gagne can come back healthy and back to pre-lockout form we might be alright...but that's a big if- Instead of complaining here how sullen he is, Sam, here's a thought... ask him WHY he is that way to you and the Philly media! Or are we afraid he might punch someone out who asks that?, and that's why the question isn't being asked of him?— Realistic One
- Emery's act? Maybe he's been reading all the coverage about how you guys think Stevens got a raw deal and thinks the Flyers' media is ridculous. Maybe he sees you guys as weak.— duffers
- In Sam's defense, the writers don't pick the headlines. There is some other lackey that does it. That said, I like how the media types are starting to lay the foundation against Emery. Everyone knew it was a poor decision to bring him in. Now the media types will have fun scouring the rotting carcass that is the Flyers. Emery is just an easy target at this point. The bottom line is this organization has been rotting from the head for many years now. Flyers and Sixers have been irrelevant for some time, other than the one run the Flyers made 2 years ago. Philly media won't go after Snider, Luuko & Co. like they do Eagles and Phillies. I'm not one to stick up for the 'Birds owners/FO but they get crucified. The Phillies owners/FO were as well until recently.— DennyP
- Flyers won't compete until Bobby Clarke and Mike Holmgren (and Berube for that matter) are GONE. Which could be 20 years. Their old-school tough guy mentality has handcuffed this team for years. That style of play doesn't work in today's NHL. Like it or not, this team is too slow, too penalty prone, and too quick to drop the gloves to make up for their shortcomings. Carcillos dumb penalty (9 minute PP?!?!) the other night is exhibit A.— Tacklebury
- I don't see why just because Emery chooses not to speak with the Philly media (perhaps there's a good reason, perhaps not), that Sam feels the need to put that in his article to try and sway readers to be annoyed with him too. That's between Emery & the media--period. I know that Sam probably did not write the title to this article but it's lousy just the same. Typical media...just trying to stir the pot.— america
- Why the hell is Cote still in this lineup??— camtheman
- DennyP you're right when you're talking about article headlines, the author doesn't write them. This is a god awful blog though and our pal Sam may in fact be the title guy too. I also agree with Realistic One. Ask him WHY!!!— SPM519
- What is it exactly that is "growing thin" about Emery's "act"? Apparently it has nothing to do with his play on the ice, but rather that he is gregarious when talking to Montreal media, but curt with the Philadelphia media. What a joke!— bvillebaron
- Glad the slump is going on now and not the end of the year. They will right the ship in a couple days and then hopefully get hot going into the playoffs. Last year around this time Pittsburgh was in a major slump, changed coach's, and was one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs and they won the cup. It's all about getting hot at the right time. The problem right now is with the special teams and offense. Ride the hot goalie in Bouch and let Emery sit a couple games.— kingback
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classy or-gan-ni-zation that fires it's coach and then notifies its players by text message. 35 and counting, Mr. Snider!!!- It's a bit concerting when a columnist uses word they don't know how to use..... Isn't it a bad thing for a team to get "untracked"? Is he thinking of getting "on track" maybe?— Shaggy
