Flyers Notes: Flyers' special teams are soaring

The Flyers' recent success on special teams has contributed mightily to their 8-1-1 surge.

"Confidence is a big part of it, that's for sure," left winger Simon Gagne said before last night's 6-3 victory over Dallas at the Wachovia Center. "When you struggle, the confidence is not quite there. You're scared to make plays, scared to try some [passes] and you shoot it because you're afraid the other team is going to block it. Now, just by having a couple of goals lately, you see us be more patient with the puck and make some nice plays."

Entering last night, the Flyers had staggering special-teams numbers in their last nine games: 10 for 27 (37 percent) on the power play, and 30 for 32 (93.8 percent) on the penalty kill.

Against the Stars, they were 2 for 4 on the power play; Dallas was 0 for 5.

"On the PK, our box is tight in our zone and we're blocking a lot of shots," said Gagne, who plays on both the power-play and penalty-killing units. "Confidence is a big part of it."

"When your specialty teams are doing the job, you're going to win a lot of hockey games - and they've both been really good," said coach Peter Laviolette, whose team got an early power-play goal from Scott Hartnell last night. "The players deserve a lot of credit."

Laviolette also praised his assistants.

"Joey Mullen deserves a lot of credit because he watches over the power play," he said, "and Craig Berube [watches] over the penalty kill. When special teams are winning games for you, you're doing something right."

FSN Pittsburgh suspended an employee because of a withheld replay against the Flyers on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Gagne appeared to score a shorthanded goal late in the second period in Pittsburgh, but officials in Toronto ruled that the replay was inconclusive and did not allow the goal.

After the ruling, FSN Pittsburgh showed a replay with the puck past the goal line.

FSN Pittsburgh has indefinitely suspended a member of its telecast staff, Lowell MacDonald Jr., son of former Penguins player Lowell MacDonald, the Post-Gazette said.

John Stevens, fired as Flyers coach Dec. 4, will meet with general manager Paul Holmgren in the next week to discuss his future with the club.

Holmgren said last night that Stevens might do some scouting or monitor the progress of drafted players. Stevens is also being considered as a guest analyst with some national networks.

The Flyers have scored first in their last 10 games. . . . The Flyers-Penguins game at the Wachovia Center on Jan. 24 has been moved to 12:30 p.m. - it had been scheduled for 3 p.m. - because it will be televised nationally on NBC. . . . Dan Carcillo entered last night with a team-high 99 hits. . . . Before the game, Danny Briere met with Adam Sklar a 12-year-old from Chalfont who is autistic and plays hockey for the Bucks County Admirals, a special-needs team. The Flyers last night hosted Autism Awareness Night. . . . Ray Emery was last night's backup goalie, while Brian Boucher was a healthy scratch. . . . Defenseman Nick Luukko is ranked 150th in Hockey Central's midterm gradings for North American players eligible for the June draft. He is the son of Peter Luukko, president of the Flyers' parent company, Comcast-Spectacor. The younger Luukko plays for the Gunnery, a prep school in Connecticut.

- Sam Carchidi