Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012, 8:47 AM | 18 comments |
 

Briere ready to return?
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(UPDATED at 1:25 p.m.)

The Flyers are hoping veteran center Danny Briere, who has missed the last six games because of a concussion, can return to the lineup Tuesday against the visiting New York Islanders.

They can use him. Their offense has been listless in the first period lately, and a healthy Briere might give them a jump-start.

The Flyers will have a meeting at their Voorhees practice facility Monday at 11 a.m., and there is no word on if they will skate. Briere, however, figures to skate either way. He said last week he was “close” to returning and he started to take contact in practices.

After participating in an optional practice Monday in Voorhees, Briere said he was feeling better each day and there was a possibility he would be back against the Isles. It depends on how he feels when he wakes up in the morning and finds out if he has any aftereffects from Monday's contact.

* * *

Rangers fans started a sing-song chant in the third period Sunday: “You can’t beat us!”

They’re right. After Sunday’s 5-2 loss in Madison Square Garden, the Flyers are 0-4 against the Rangers this season and have been outscored, 14-6.

The Flyers will get another crack at the Blueshirts on Saturday at the WFC.

* * *

Give rookie Tom Sestito credit for trying to spark the Flyers. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound winger had three fights (by our estimate, he won two of them) in Sunday’s loss. It was the first time a Flyer was involved in three fights in a game since 2009, when Ian Laperriere dropped the gloves three times in a 4-1 loss to Florida.

“It’s a big rivalry, and I think we needed an edge,” Sestito said.

The league is looking into accusations that Sestito pulled Brandon Prust’s hair during their third-period fight. The replays were inconclusive.

BTW, there was no retaliation on the Rangers’ Mike Rupp for mocking future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr with a salute after scoring a Winter Classic goal last month.

With a straight face, Rupp claimed he was just excited about scoring in the Winter Classic and that he wasn’t making fun of Jagr.

In Sunday’s game, Rupp played just 4:41.

* * *

Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was having a terrific game Sunday until he allowed a brutal wraparound goal  to Marian Gaborik, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 5.1 seconds left in the second period.

Bryz said the puck took a "funny bounce" off his stick and that it was like  "somebody sucking the puck with a vacuum behind the net."

* * *

After meeting the Islanders Tuesday, the Flyers host Toronto on Thursday _ and the Luke Schenn trade rumors figure to intensify. The Maple Leafs’ defenseman is the brother of Flyers center Brayden Schenn.

* * *

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter@BroadStBull.
Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 8:47 AM  Permalink | 18 comments
18
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:23 AM, 02/06/2012
    With as much comradery (is that a word:) as this team has I just don't understand their play lately, you'd think they'd want to play hard and do better for each other let alone the team or the city, nope, don't get it, just sayin'...
    — DJ
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:32 AM, 02/06/2012
    ^Just because they're all good pals doesn't mean they're gonna be able to hide the fact that they need another D-men and a stable goaltender.
    — stockdalec12243
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:33 AM, 02/06/2012
    They could beat the Rangers if not for the goal tending. Bryz looked real sharp and then let that goal in to end the period. After that he was done.
    I'm not sure if he is looking over his shoulder to much, Bob for a defense man with a "set"? Might do wonders for this team.
    — chham57
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:48 AM, 02/06/2012
    What a miserable day of sports on TV.
    — 1980
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:56 AM, 02/06/2012
    The only thing sucking is Bryz.
    — mikemaddog
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:49 AM, 02/06/2012
    RUMORS??? Can't trade for Luke Schenn right now. The guy Toronto wants is sitting on the bench with a headache. Also believe that is the guy the Flyers are probably most willing to part with. Don't believe #14 or #10 are going any where and like the speed of #93.
    — 67Flyer
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:16 AM, 02/06/2012
    bryz stinks. the team plays hard with several rookies and stays in the game with a very talented team and then he lets them down with THREE softies. the wrap-around was just one softie. you can't let a guy beat you 5 hole from above the circle and no traffic in front. that's terrible. the last one was bad too. again, no traffic in front and he gets beat inside the post. pathetic.
    — The Boston Strangler
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:53 AM, 02/06/2012
    Maybe they can see if Briere can come back and play in goal.
    — dontlikeneocons
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:55 AM, 02/06/2012
    again my biggest issue was the fact the Flyers brass/personnel folks were not watching the playoffs series last year vs Detroit. Bryz was horrendous. Gave up soft goal after soft goal. It is one thing to play in relative anonomity during the year in Phoenix but once the playoffs start you need to be mentally stronger.

    Would also help if Giroux would pick up his game. The last 6-8 weeks he has really struggled, missing empty nets, not playing defensively responsible, etc.

    They need a little grit too on the backline. Coburn and Carle are not strking the fear of anyone in front of our goalie
    — Back up the Bus for Gload and Bowker
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:24 PM, 02/06/2012
    Yeah guys it just took a funny bounce. If only there were not 5 skaters on the ice trying to slip the puck past him, he would be like a brick wall in there.
    — gob1234
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:32 PM, 02/06/2012
    Look, bryz needs some help on team d...he can't be left out to dry. Gaborik's goal was horrendous, but easily corrected. Del Zotto and Dubinsky's goals were from point blank range...you are not going to have high % against those shots. Where was Couturier on Del Zotto? He was not hustling back. That can't happen. Carle's TO was horrendous, but Bourdon's spacing was equally as bad. I think a more serious look must be given to Lavi and Jeff Reese. Lavi's team defense philosophy is just awful. He needs a specialist to come in to take care of that, b/c Lavi's offensive scheme is great. Reese is just awful. How the heck does Bryz even attempt to try and poke check a wrap around? This is coaching (or lack thereof) and just plain irresponsible. If he's teaching it, then it bench Bryz. But, the "lack of concentration" from Bryz is something that a good coach can correct with proper training.
    — dave1walsh
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:49 PM, 02/06/2012
    The last guy I am going to point a finger at on this team is Couturier. Sure maybe he lost his man, it happens. Giroux lost his man time and time again on Saturday. Couturier has been amazing as far as I am concerned.

    Carle rots. he has been a turnover machine from the time he came here. He cannot shoot the puck from the point. His best assets are his skating and his break out passes from the zone (when they are not to the opposing team).

    We are paying coburn $4 million a year for what? The guy has no offensive ability, he is not what I would say is tough to play against. Bourdon again is young and has been exposed a lot recently but I think in time the kid could be a regular top 6 dman.

    Now the point on Reese is an interesting one. This is a guy who was a lifetime backup and was not even very good at it. Does that mean he cannot be a good coach? hard to say. The best players often do not make the best coaches. It seems like the marginal players do have a tendency to be good coaches as they are more students of the game. That being said....I agree Reese needs to be evaluated because Bryz rots. his positioning stinks and to me he needs to use his big body to his advantage more and cover up the net. The D has not been especially great, but this guy has given up a TON of soft goals this year. these are not rare instances.
    — Back up the Bus for Gload and Bowker
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:11 PM, 02/06/2012
    All I know is Jeff Reese got Brian Boucher & Michael Leighton to the cup finals. I don't think its a coaching issue - I think its a million dollar goalie with a ten cent head. Maybe he needs a sports shrink. The Gaborik goal was bad enough, but then the team bails him out and he gives up another softie 30 seconds later? That's the kind of thing that causes a team to lose trust in their tender.
    — Mkdazmedia
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:24 PM, 02/06/2012
    Bryz is terrible..Yes, the only thing that sucked was him. I'm getting tired of all the "bad bounces" and it crawled up his arm. You don't see those goals from guys like Thomas and Lundquist. He should be sent to the minors for a bit to get some work on his fundamentals. I called for Reese's firing two weeks ago. Something is wrong here..unless Byrz just isn't that good. A playoff series for Phoenix is everyday hockey here in Philly..could be he can't take the pressure.
    — FLYGUY31
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:25 PM, 02/06/2012
    For those of you trembling at the thought of facing the Rangers and the mighty Lundqvist in the playoffs, consider this-- Who do you think owns these career playoff stats?

    A) 15 wins, 20 losses, .909 save percentage, 2.60 GAA, 3 shutouts in 35 appearances

    B) 8 wins, 4 losses, .912 save percentage, 2.54 GAA, 3 shutouts in 16 appearances

    "A" would be Lundqvist. "B"? Yup, that would be our oft-maligned minor-league goalie, Michael Leighton. In short, don't write the Flyers off just yet.

    p.s.- FlyerFan4Life, love your reliance on a fan-posted Bleacher Report article calling Leighton one of the worst playoff goalies ever. Interestingly, I didn't see Lundqvist on that list, despite the FACT that his numbers are worse than Leights in the playoffs-- i don't think he has even gotten the Rangers past the 2nd round in 5 attempts. Impressive!
    — snipesmorris


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About Sam Carchidi
Sam Carchidi is in his fourth year as the Flyers' beat reporter. He became an Inquirer staff writer in 1984 and covered mostly South Jersey high school sports and the Phillies before taking the Flyers beat.

Carchidi has written three books _ the nationally acclaimed Miracle in the Making: The Adam Taliaferro Story, which he co-authored with Scott Brown; Bill Campbell: The Voice of Philadelphia Sports; and Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also contributed to a 1993 Inquirer book on the Phillies.

A lifelong South Jersey resident, Carchidi lives in Wenonah with his wife, JoAnn, and their two children, Sara and Sammy.

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