Flyers rookie Raffl getting a chance

FLYERS FORWARD Michael Raffl is stuck in the middle - both on and off the ice.

Take Saturday's win on Long Island, for instance. To start the game, Max Talbot was given the nod in Raffl's spot, with Claude Giroux and Vinny Lecavalier.

Coach Craig Berube explained his reasoning yesterday, saying he liked Talbot playing against John Tavares if he knew he couldn't have shutdown forward Sean Couturier on the ice. Plus, he liked Talbot's energy early in games.

In the third period, with the Flyers protecting a 3-2 lead, he again swapped out the rookie Raffl for Talbot for added insurance.

"I used Max [when we were] up a goal or up two goals," Berube said. "He's a very good defensive player, he's very reliable. That's what that boils down to."

That isn't a knock against Raffl, who is still learning on the job five games into his NHL career. Many suspected Raffl would be the first player to go when Scott Hartnell and Lecavalier returned from injuries last week, but the Flyers made the interesting choice to send then-leading goal scorer Tye McGinn back to the AHL.

Raffl, 24, survived the week, and collected his first NHL point (an assist) against the Islanders.

"He sees the play really well," Berube said. "He makes plays. It goes back to being a big-body guy who can move the puck and skate. I like his vision. He sees the play out there and knows how to play the game.

"But there's a lot of room for improvement with him. He's got to get better."

Reliability in the defensive end is what has Raffl living in limbo, cooped up in a hotel minutes from the team's practice facility in Voorhees since the Flyers have not yet instructed him to find permanent housing.

It doesn't much matter to the Austrian where he lives. He had only set foot on American soil once before training camp in September and it's been a whirlwind tour since. Raffl hung with the Flyers until the end of camp, went to upstate New York for two games' seasoning with the Phantoms before returning.

Even since he has been back, Raffl has gone from the far corner of the locker room and a third-liner to the first line with Giroux and Lecavalier.

Raffl has been with the Flyers for 17 days. After 28 days on the roster, players can seek permanent housing in the area, according to the collective bargaining agreement, with reimbursement supplied if they would be sent back to the AHL.

"It's really all right for me," Raffl said with a smile. "I'm not a big cook, so I would probably eat out at a restaurant every night anyway. So, it doesn't really matter to me where I sleep."

Knowing he would be sticking with the Flyers would be added peace of mind. Raffl believes positivity has aided him in making the big jump from Sweden's second division to the NHL. Raffl has been playing professionally since age 17 in Austria.

"Sooner or later, I knew I'd get a chance," Raffl said. "If you stay positive, you can use it. If you're nervous, you might blow it. This has been great. These are the players you want to play with - they're the best on the team. I think we played all right together both games. We created some scoring chances, Vinny got a hat trick [against the Islanders] and we hit the post twice against the Rangers. But it can still be better."

Better would also include a bigger living area. But Raffl will take a hotel room for now.

"It's been great living in America," Raffl said. "It's different. Everything is way bigger. Every day is something different, something special. I'm just enjoying it."

The Western Conference was an astounding 50-19-8 against the East entering last night's games. The Flyers are 0-2-0 vs. Phoenix and Vancouver. How much better is the West? St. Louis is 6-1-2 and entered last night out of a playoff spot . . . Andrej Meszaros will replace Erik Gustafsson in the lineup tonight . . . The Ducks will be without forward Saku Koivu, who was sent home yesterday after being knocked unconscious in Sunday's win in Columbus. Goaltender Viktor Fasth (lower body) is also in Anaheim. Forwards Dustin Penner (concussion) and Mathieu Perreault (sprained left wrist) practiced yesterday and could return tonight.

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