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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Broad Street Bull

Flyers headed for surgery; Bryz's ranking, 'Giroux's Tears'

Several Flyers will undergo offseason surgery, the team will announce during the upcoming week.

55 comments

Flyers headed for surgery; Bryz's ranking, 'Giroux's Tears'

POSTED: Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10:34 AM

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Several Flyers will undergo offseason surgery, the team will announce during the upcoming week.

Paul Holmgren, the Flyers’ GM, said he would have a report a few days ago, but the list is apparently so lengthy that it had to be delayed while more players get examined to see if surgery is required.

One of the Flyers’ biggest problems in the stunning five-game loss to New Jersey was that they had problems getting out of their defensive zone. Injuries to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and Nick Grossmann contributed; both had knee injuries, among other ailments, and both are expected to be on the lengthy surgery list.

* * * * * *

Bryz ranking. How did Ilya Bryzgalov compare with Flyers goalies over the last 10 seasons?

He tied for the most wins in a season over the last decade, was fourth in goals-against average and seventh in save percentage.

The numbers on Flyers goalies who played the most games in each of the last 10 seasons:

GP Record GAA SP

2001-02 Roman Cechmanek 46 24-13-6 2.05 .921
2002-03 Roman Cechmanek 58 33-15-10 1.83 .925
2003-04 Robert Esche 40 21-11-7 2.04 .915
2004-05 lockout
2005-06 Antero Niittymaki 46 23-15-6 2.97 .895
2006-07 Antero Niittymaki 52 9-29-9 3.38 .894
2007-08 Marty Biron 62 30-20-9 2.59 .918
2008-09 Marty Biron 55 29-19-5 2.76 .915
2009-10 Brian Boucher 33 9-18-3 2.76 .899
2010-11 Sergei Bobrovsky 54 28-13-8 2.59 .915
2011-12 Ilya Bryzgalov 59 33-16-7 2.48 .909

* * * * *

In a Russian interview for SovSport that was translated for Puck Daddy at Yahoo!, the Penguins Evgeni Malkin was asked about there being a "sort of beer" in Philadelphia called Crosby's Tears.

Malkin laughed.

"What can I say? I don't think I can say anything. This is Philadelphia and they all know how they feel toward Pittsburgh and Crosby. I hope next year we will beat them and come up with our own beer and call it maybe Giroux's Tears."

Malkin was also asked how Bryzgalov can handle the pressure of playing in Philly.

"I know it is tough and it affects your psyche, first of all. But he should have realized that Philadelphia is just that kind of a city, and it has always been like that," Malkin said. "Maybe he could have stayed in Phoenix and it would have been different? I don't know. You can never know what lies ahead.

"In a career of a hockey player it's important to 'guess a fit' sort of speak and get on the right team, the right coach, the right fans. It's not always what it seems. But you have to get over it. I know (Ilya) Kovalchuk had some tough times in New Jersey when he first joined the team. It was tough to think that Bryzgalov would go to Philadelphia and they would win the Cup that first year. But they have a great team and will have a real chance to win it next year."

Since Bryz has eight more years on his contract, it "means he will compete for the Cup every year he is in Philadelphia with the squad they have over there," Malkin said. "Just get some patience. You can't get anywhere in sports without patience.

"And one more advice: don't read papers and talk less to the media."

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.

55 comments

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Comments (55)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:27 PM, 05/12/2012

Bring back lockout, he too will make Bryz look better

— P2will

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:50 AM, 05/13/2012

Two power plays in overtime = 1 shot on goal. Stretches of time no shots on gaol, i.e. 18 minutes of period 2. From game 2 on, Flyers were vastly outplayed by NJD. Defense was bad, back check was bad, forecheck didn't work - and Bryz keep them in the series. He should be commended. Don't pin this series loss on Bryz.

— BillyPhilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:52 AM, 05/13/2012

Malkin is right on the money, as much as it pains me it write it. Seems like a pretty wise person, actually. I'd like to get his honest answer to 'What's it like playing with such a cry baby?'
I'd like to know what he really thinks of Cindy.

— Poppys

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:42 PM, 05/13/2012

The bottm line is the guy can't handle pressure. This was the best chance the Flyers had to win the cup with more talented teams like Van., Det., Chic. out (yes I think we could have beat the Rags, the 8 and 7 seeds took them to game 7). The Pens are sure to improve their D. So that's 4 teams right there were you would need a goalie to steal a game or two. Also Lavy's demanding ways usually wear thin about now. This was their best shot.

— jking91

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:57 PM, 05/13/2012

Bryz was just fine. Saner than Roman. But not by a lot.

— LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:38 PM, 05/13/2012

Malkin should have pointed out that Philadelphia hasn't won a Cup since 11 years before he (Crosby) was born.

The Russians would have enjoyed a good laugh together.

— WhatWhiners

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:24 AM, 05/14/2012

Bryzgalov gets blamed for every goal that goes in. Flyers fans seem to feel like every team has a better goaltender. What they don't realize..things happen. Bryzgalov was blamed for losing the series against the Devils because he banked one in off Clarkson.

Here is Jonathan Quick tonight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA5z2TG53AI

Here is Holtby earlier in the year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eKLfaaupgU

Mike Smith from last season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4m4VJNr-t0

These were 3 of the best goalies in the playoffs this year...if this team would tighten up defensively, and protect the goalie, the Flyers could have success and Bryzgalov's numbers would be amongst the elite again.

— Hexy4GM

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:37 AM, 05/14/2012

@Hexy4GM,Smith, Henrick and Quick bail their teams out on regular basis this season. Ilya is not even close.

— Nitroglycerin

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:40 AM, 05/14/2012

Vegas Trend: First year signings after biggest contracts of their life...generally pro athletes fall below their previous standard performance years..just the way it is...after that first year they begin to excel again. Happens in all sports.

— Romus

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 1:53 PM, 05/14/2012

What kind of surgery is Claudia having? Probably a pedicure so her toes will sparkle in her new pumps!

— CentralPAman

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:15 PM, 05/14/2012

I think all of you need to look at Lundqvist and remember that this is his first time in the Eastern Conference Finals and he's been around for a while. I'm not at all a Flyers fan, but you guys have a young team. Nobody wins the cup by themselves (looking at you fans pointing fingers at Bryz). I'm the biggest Brodeur fan and Devils fan around, but even I can admit that Brodeur is looking his age and isn't performing like the Marty of the mid 2000's. He is in the ECF because he has a good team in front of him. I'm afraid of what this same Flyers team will do in the Atlantic division 2 years from now.

— SoJerseyDevsFan

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:07 PM, 05/14/2012

@Nitro, you are making my point. You have forgotten his glove save of Letang in game 1 vs Pittsburgh. You have forgotten that Bryzgalov gave the Flyers a chance to win games 2 and 5 against New Jersey. I bet you haven't forgotten a single mistake he made all season. You give him the blame for whatever goes wrong. Do you think LA Kings fans will care about the goal the Quick let in? Do you think they care that Kings were dominating the Coyotes, and that shot was only the second one Quick faced...he let it in from center to tie the game? Quick did not win that game last night. The shots were 22-9 for the Kings at one point. Sound familiar? Watch game 2 of the Flyers/Jersey series. Only the Flyers were the ones getting pounded. The Kings are a hard working defensive club. The forwards play the game on the right side of the puck, they back check hard, and they rarely give up odd-man opportunities. That is why Quick can set up 2 feet outside the crease to cut down the angle. The Flyers are constantly chasing the puck. This stuff is not the goalies fault. If Bryzgalov let in a goal from center, every article would be about how horrible he is, regardless of the outcome. It is merely laughed off in LA.

— Hexy4GM

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:32 PM, 05/14/2012

I am no fan of Malkin or his cheap shots, but he gave all the right answers on that quiz.

— NYPHILLYPHAN

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:26 AM, 05/15/2012

@Hexy4GM, take away that save (which by the was great) and Bryzgalov gave up 29 goals in 6 games. He sucked in 1st round. I have no idea how/why MAF was worse. No idea. He is paid to make such saves. He is in the group of top 3 highest paid goalies in the NHL THIS year.. There are expectations. He looked better against Devils but overall this season is a disaster.

— Nitroglycerin