Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012, 7:43 AM | 19 comments |
 

Rinaldo suspended; special teams fail Flyers
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Zac Rinaldo, the Flyers' feisty 21-year-old winger, was suspended for two games by the NHL on Monday for an incident in Sunday's 4-3 loss in Detroit.

Rinaldo was assessed a charging minor for hitting Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson at the 13:32 mark of the opening period. The NHL said Rinaldo "launched himself" at the defender.

In 43 games, Rinaldo has seven points and 156 penalty minutes. He will forfeit $5,885 in salary while he is suspended.

The Flyers don't play again until Thursday against visiting Buffalo. Rinaldo will also miss Saturday's game against visiting Pittsburgh.

On Twitter, former Flyers defenseman Chris Therien, now a broadcaster for the team, criticized the NHL's decision. Tweeted Therien: "Rinaldo suspended 2 games by league! Eventually there will be no hitting at all. 15 yrs ago that was hardly a 2 min minor. What a joke"

* * *

The Flyers’ special teams haven’t been so special lately.

As a result, the Flyers have fallen eight points behind the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference. In fact, they are closer to eight place (seven points) than they are first.

They dropped a 4-3 decision to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night as the hosts equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight home win.

The 1975-76 Flyers and 1929-30 Boston Bruins also won 20 consecutive home games.

Johan Franzen  scored the game-winner 52 seconds into the third period, snapping a 3-3 tie by converting a slick feed from defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.

Detroit will have the home record to itself if it beats Dallas on Tuesday.

“I think it's more of a thing where we don't want to talk about it,” Lidstrom said. “We just want to keep it going.”

The Flyers played much better than they did in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Rangers, but, once again, the special teams were the difference.

Detroit was 2 for 5 on the power play, while the Flyers were 0 for 2.

On Saturday, the Flyers failed on all four power-play chances, while New York was 3 for 8.

Sergei Bobrovsky allowed a weak goal to tie the score at 3-3 with 1:39 left in the second period and it changed the game’s momentum.

If the Flyers are going to get out of their funk _ they have lost five of their last six _ they need better goaltending, improvement on special teams, and more physicality on defense.

The loss dropped the Flyers into a virtual tie for fourth place with the Penguins in the Eastern Conference.

Breakaways: Danny Briere, who set up the first of Brayden Schenn’s two goals, is goal-less in 11 straight games, his longest skid in 10 years…..Jaromir Jagr has one goal in his last 16 games…..Schenn and Wayne Simmonds were each plus-2……The Flyers’ penalty kill is tied for 17th in the league with an 81.4 percent success rate....The Flyers did not practice Monday.

* * *

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.

 
Posted by Sam Carchidi @ 7:43 AM  Permalink | 19 comments
19
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:03 AM, 02/13/2012
    another night of watching opposing players just hanging out in front of our goalies. Hey how about we see which one of us can hold their breath the longest while we wait for braydon coburn to take a slapshot from the point or for matt carle to hit someone.
    — mos19delta
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:17 PM, 02/13/2012
    The '75-'76 Flyers' streak is 20 consecutive home wins with NO TIES at the end of regulation play. The Wings' streak is NOT: four shootout "wins" in the last eight games. They did not equal the same record.
    — icarus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:37 PM, 02/13/2012
    Is Juan Castillo coaching the Flyers D?
    — robynk
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:02 PM, 02/13/2012
    Last year...half the team was in juniors or the AHL...sheeesh...how can you win with so many rookies suiting up every night.
    — Romus
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:50 PM, 02/13/2012
    nug......you got it....he doesn't want to be traded...unfortunately Homer will eventually trade him in July anyway.
    — Romus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:22 PM, 02/13/2012
    Too many bad and careless penalties. You give the top tier clubs as many pp chances as we did the rangers and wings the last 2 and you're asking for trouble. The coach has to get some order and discipline infused into this bunch.
    — Northcountry
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:24 PM, 02/13/2012
    When do Philly pitchers report to Spring Training????
    — dogman5
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:38 PM, 02/13/2012
    Great point, icarus, and it needs to be publicized more. Reminds me of Brodeur breaking Bernie Parent's record for wins in a season (I think 47), which was also lame because there was no overtime or shootout when Bernie did it.
    — fizzbin
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:21 PM, 02/13/2012
    Suspended Rinaldo for leaving his feet. Explanation from Shanahan given in video with point by point footage. How about suspensions for the officiating the last 6 games which is beyond atrocious. The NJ game, the previous miss on a breakaway in NY game. The league as usual is inconsistent and the game is suffering. Maybe Mr. Bettman, Mr Shanahan, Mr Campbell and Mr Daly need a 5-6 game suspension.
    — sugardoc54
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:48 PM, 02/13/2012
    NHL is a great game...officiating is inept and draws the leagues credibility down. Official calls decide too many games, then there are the 'make-up'calls which is known publicized issue, of all things!
    To take the outcome out of the hands of the 'less then objective' officiating make Minor penalties ONE minute and Major penalties TWO minutes. And have NO two-man advnatages...just delay to extend the PP/PK time.
    — Romus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:52 AM, 02/14/2012
    Yes, two games for a body check seems about right.
    — sklandog
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:00 AM, 02/14/2012
    It would be nice if from time to time, Homer had a little Burke in him and would unload on silliness. Shanahan needs to be taken behind the shed. Rinaldo no more "launched" himself at Ericsson than Kronwell "launched" himself at Briere. Rinaldo is just low-hanging fruit for Shanahan, easy for him to suspend.
    — sklandog
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:17 AM, 02/14/2012
    The officiating needs to be reviewed by the league. Hideous. I am not just mentioning about the non-calls to the Flyers, it is both ways. They'll wake up when they see a human head in an NHL helmet roll across center ice some night. Even Dave Newell was better than these cast of unknowns.
    — RichieLemon


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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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