Posted: Saturday, January 31, 2009, 1:19 AM | 8 comments |
 

Look for Biron to return against Boston
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     ST. LOUIS _ So who is going to be the Flyers' starting goalie for the majority of the season's final few months?

     From here, it looks like Marty Biron.

    That said, steady Antero Niittymaki, who has not been playing like a backup. He has started four of the last five games, including tonight's 4-0 loss in St. Louis.

     Biron hasn't been been bad, but, for the most part, hasn't resembled the goalie who was sensational in the first two rounds of last year's playoffs.

    By the way, don't fault Niittymaki for tonight's loss. He actually played well, but the shorthanded defense _ Braydon Coburn and Randy Jones were sidelined by the flu _ didn't give him much support. St. Louis scored twice on the power play and was buzzing around the net all night.

    "He kept us in the hockey game," center Mike Richards said. "But we didn't execute well enough to win the hockey game."

    So does Niittymaki get the call Wednesday against the powerful Boston Bruins?

    Probably not, though coach John Stevens would not commit.

     The feeling here is that Stevens is trying to light a fire under Biron. Look for Biron to get the call Wednesday and try to get back into a rhythm that has been missing lately.

     "You want to get in there, but you have to be patient," Biron said. "The team's been having success and you have to understand."

     Biron has lost three straight, including Tuesday's 3-2 setback in Florida.

    "I felt like in Florida I was doing good, but at times, the reads didn't come as automatic as when you play a lot of games, and the positioning wasn't the way it was when you have played a lot of games," Biuron said. "I have to get back to that same form and same rhythm."

    _ Sam Carchidi

 

 
Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 1:19 AM  Permalink | 8 comments
8
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:15 PM, 01/31/2009
    I would look at how many of those 11 wins came against teams in the lower parts of the standings. I dont have it in front of me, but I think Stevens has been starting him against some of the chump teams while Biron takes the heavyweights. Either way, I like both goalies.
    — Inchon
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:26 PM, 01/31/2009
    I dunno, Niitty made 47 saves against Washington in december, he was really stellar. To quote an earlier article about that game (http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/36518699.html) "Niittymaki made 12 saves against Alex Ovechkin, who spent the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief after being beaten by the 28-year-old goalie".
    — Kee
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:29 PM, 01/31/2009
    You need two good goalies and having Niitty behind Marty and vice versa makes them both play better.
    — rockinrob
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:25 PM, 01/31/2009
    i hate headlines like this, Niittymaki making Biron expendable? no the answer is no. Is Bernie Parent coming out of retirement? no Is Martin Brodeur joining the flyers when he is healthy? no if you are going to the trouble of writing an article you should say something.
    — stanley
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:50 PM, 01/31/2009
    I'll tell you what. Niklas Backstrom sure would look good in orange and black. The Wild may be interested in trading him because they will not be able to pay him next year. The Flyers probably could not either, he is looking to break the bank. Crazy money. Do not know what they would have to give up or if it would be worth it but he is a BEAST.
    — Reggie92
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:30 AM, 02/02/2009
    I don't think Biron played all that great in the regular season last year either, but stepped it up in the playoffs. The D needs to play better and cut down on the shots allowed.
    — BobbyD


8 comments
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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