Flyers name Pronger Captain
By Kevin K
The Flyers officially announced that Chris Pronger will be the 18th Captain in Flyers history. Pronger was the clear favorite to be named Flyers captain since Mike Richards was traded earlier in the summer.
Pronger has been outspoken and a very good leader for the Flyers ever since he was signed here. He stepped up his game and how he leads on and off the ice. Although injury prone (and may or may not be ready for Opening Day), Pronger continues to be the Flyers emotional leader.
Danny Briere and Kimmo Timonen will both wear the "A" for alternate captains during the season.
Offseason Surgery Watch
By Kevin K
Mike Richards: Richards requires wrist surgery.
Chris Pronger: Will have surgery on his back. This may have also caused his discomfort in his hamstring.
Kris Versteeg: Told Philly Sports Daily he will have offseason surgery on his abdominal area.
Blair Betts: needs surgery on his finger.
Michael Leighton: return of Leighton not so great, he needs surgery on his hip.
Andrej Meszaros: needs surgery on his wrist.
Miller Stands on Head
By Kevin K
There were three key factors in the Flyers 1-0 Game Four loss over the Buffalo Sabres.
One: Defense in the first period. Yes you may attack me and say that the Flyers defense played great all game, but there was one key play that ruined the game for the Flyers, the goal. In the first period the Flyers left Pominville wide open in front of the net with no wingers dropping back to cover on defense. Pominville received the pass from Niedermayer and put it home for the lead and ultimately the win for the Sabres.
Two: Missed opportunities for the Flyers. There were chances down the stretch for the Flyers that either Miller put aside or the Flyers failed to take the shot. It seems that sometimes the Flyers look for the pretty pass before they look to shoot. The problem with this is that the only way to beat Miller is to shoot on Miller.
Three: Ryan Miller. Yes Ryan Miller and Ryan Miller alone is the only reason the Flyers are tied in the series with the Sabres. Not the referees, not the Flyers goal-tending, it was and will remain to be Ryan Miller. The Flyers were able to put constant pressure on Miller in the third period. Flyers and Sabres fans alike were going crazy on how Miller constantly robbed the Flyers from goals. Most notably, stopping his former teammate, Danny Briere, wide open in front of the net.
Injury Update
With about two minutes left in the first period, Jeff Carter collided knees with Buffalo defense-man Tyler Myers. Myers came back on the ice in the second period, with no sign of Jeff Carter. After the game Carter was limping and ruled "day-to-day" without the Flyers saying anything else. Carter is set to be re-evaluated today in Philadelphia.
I, as well as actual reporters, do not expect Jeff Carter to play in Game Five in Philadelphia.
Who I expect to play in Game Five is defense-man Chris Pronger. Pronger has been taking wrist shots at practice the last few days and putting zip on them.
I do not know about you but I sit here in anticipation waiting to see how the Sabres react to the maniac of Chris Pronger in the game for the Flyers.
 REUTERS/Doug Benz
Pronger OUT
By Kevin K
Chris Pronger will have surgery on Tuesday morning in Cleveland and will be out 3-4 weeks.
"Chris had a CT scan on his right hand on Sunday and a small fracture was discovered,” Holmgren said. “Our doctors believe surgery is the best route to take with the injury."
Pronger refused to talk about his injury today after practice.
In 50 games with the Flyers this season, Pronger has four goals and 21 assists, is a plus-7 and leads the team in average time on ice per game (22:09).
With the news, the Flyers recall Erik Gustafsson from the Phantoms to be their 7th defenseman.
Looking ahead in the schedule it looks as if Pronger may miss very little of the Playoffs, if any games at all.
Big Flyers Day
By Kevin K
The Flyers today claimed Nick Boynton off of waivers from Chicago. The Flyers will pay $118,280 to Boynton for the rest of the season. Boynton joins the Flyers as insurance in case another defender goes down injured.
Being that Boynton could not make it to Ottawa today to join the Flyers, the team loaned JVR to the Phantoms. The question many fans had was why the Flyers didn't send Zherdev to the Phantoms and the answer is because Zherdev would not have been able to get called up again and JVR was the only Flyers Forward who was waiver-exempt.
JVR is only supposed to be down with the Phantoms for one game because Chris Pronger will be out for the Flyers tonight so Eric Gustafsson will play.
Weekend Catch-up: Flyers Edition By Kevin K.- On Saturday the Flyers had the opportunity to win their 1000th Home Game in Franchise History, the suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Devils. Their next opportunity the Flyers have to win Home Game 1000 is Tuesday against the Canadiens.
- In a Stanley Cup re-match, the Flyers took it to the Chicago Blackhawks in a 4-1 victory. The Blackhawks aren’t the same team the Flyers played in the Stanley Cup, however, the Flyers came out aggressive and completely shut down the Blackhawks.
- Chris Pronger was still booed every time he touched the puck. This stemming from him being the villain in last year’s Stanley Cup Finals when Chris Pronger famously stole the puck after Game 2 of the Stanley Cup.
- Pronger said that if someone or some business wanted to donate lots of money to charity he would give them the puck he stole after game two of the Stanley Cup Final.
- The Flyers have one more game before the All-Star Break where Coach Peter Laviolette, Danny Briere, and Claude Giroux will be representing the Flyers in the All-Star Game.
- According to Ike Richman the walls of the Spectrum are coming down today.
- JVR is day-to-day with a lower body injury. He said he will return on Tuesday.
 The Walls are Crumbling Down
Game Three Semi-Preview
By Kevin K
"It's not like it's a new situation for us, we went through it. The good thing is we get to come back here in Philly and play the next two games. We have to focus on the game tomorrow, its going to be the biggest game of the season for us and we are going to start with this one," Simon Gagne said yesterday at the Stanley Cup Press Conference.
The Flyers need to focus and play their best in order to win Game Three. They need to go after rebounds and out physical the Hawks in order to score.
"We know it's going to be loud in here and it's something we can hopefully push through and feed off them and play consistently throughout the game a little bit better then we have," said Mike Richards on the Flyers return to Philly in Game Three.
The Flyers tend to work off the fans intensity at the game and that's what they plan on doing in Game Three. The Flyers are in a hole right now and with a win tonight, they can slowly dig out of that hole and make it a series.
"Not the time to get discouraged, not the time to try to do different things on the ice. I think if we keep plugging along, the way we have been playing and doing the things we've been doing, I think the results are going to come," -Mike Richards.
"That's all we can look at, we have to tighten up and get a little better," Chris Pronger said.
"You gotta enjoy the moment, it's not everyday you get here. You gotta kind of relish it and soak it up, you never know when it's going to be your last time," Chris Pronger said in response to him "having fun".
It is time for the Flyers not only to enjoy the moment, but capture it.
LETS GO FLYERS
Main Ingredients for a Flyers Win
By Kevin K
JVR has played poorly in the Playoffs this year. He has had plenty of ice time to step up his game, but as I was watching Saturday it seemed like the Rookie didn't know what he was doing at all. He couldn't skate, couldn't puck handle, and couldn't shoot at all. Right now JVR on the ice is starting to scare me. He had one lucky goal in the Bruins series but hasn't done much of anything in the Playoffs. JVR has to step up his game in order for the Flyers to win.
Another player who has to play well, Dan Carcillo. Carcillo has been scratched in the last three games for the Flyers (since Carters return). He played well in the Playoffs but is in the Penalty Box way too much. Carcillo is very aggressive and gets to the puck when you need him to, but his penalties are way to much for the Flyers to handle. In Game One the Flyers had zero penalty minutes, a number that is sure to change with Carcillo in the game.
There have been reports that either Powe or Parent will be scratched for Carcillo. Parent was -1 in 41 seconds of ice time in Game One of the Stanley Cup. Your problem is that he plays defense, a key need for the Flyers ahead of their Goalie.
The Flyers front line of Carter, Richards, and Gagne have to find ways to score goals as well, as they were held scoreless in Game One.
The Flyers defense has to step up in this game as well. Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen seem to be the only players who want to play. Their line-mates, Coburn and Carle, played terribly in Game One and have to step up in Game Two, especially if Parent is out, in order for the Flyers to win.
Michael Leighton is the MAIN ingredient for the Flyers. He has to play well and not give up stupid goals in order for the Flyers to win. He has to play like he did against Montreal for the Flyers to tie the series at one game a piece.
The Flyers have to win Game Two in Chicago if they want to be Stanley Cup Champions, plan and simple.
One Game, One Shift, One Goal at a Time .... LETS GO FLYERS !!!!!
PREGAME UPDATE: JVR AND PARENT SCRATCHED. CARCILLO AND BARTULIS WILL BE IN THE LINEUP.
How Flyers fans answered the phone after last nights blowout win.
HALAK .....
By Kevin K
Last night the Flyers took care of the Habs in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers won 6-0 after getting to Halak early with a Coburn goal.
After one period it was 1-0, then the Flyers turned things up a little.
The Flyers were outplayed and out performed in the first period, but still had the lead. During the second, however, the Flyers took over, starting with a goal from rookie JVR.
The Flyers put two more goals after that, giving them a 4-0 lead and the pulling of Montreal's hot goaltender Halak.
It was 4-0 after two periods of play and the Flyers were on fire. No defense or goalie was stopping the Flyers play at all yesterday, and, as mentioned in the broadcast, it is hard to stop the Flyers best player because he plays defense.
Chris Pronger really stepped the physical nature of the game up and the Habs couldn't counter it. Yes Pronger had a few penalties but he stepped up the physical nature of the game and was a game changer.
It is going to be very difficult this series for the Habs to try to stop the Flyers physical play. Somehow they are going to try to match it, but that is not going to happen.
In the third period the Flyers put in two more goals and finished off the Habs in game one 6-0.
In order to win the series the Flyers have to continue to find ways to score over Halak .... like they did in game one.
LETS GO FLYERS !
Notes: Laperriere is going to be re-examined today to see if he is good to go.
Jeff Carter expects to be playing in either Game 2 or Game 3 for the Flyers
Game 1 Preview and Prediction
By Kevin K.
I still can't believe it, the Philadelphia Flyers not only are in the Eastern Conference Finals, but have Home Ice Advantage, as a 7 seed!
Now throughout the Playoffs, Home Ice hasn't meant a lot, just ask the Capitals, Penguins, Devils, and Bruins, but Philadelphia is different. The fans are loud and powerful on the ice, don't believe me? Ask Head Coach Peter Laviolette who said "Our fans have been very good here. Our players seem to feed off of that. I'm glad we're home for these first two games."
Yes they feed off of it, with only one loss in Philly during the Playoffs, the team seems to feed off the energy of the fans.
Now Montreal is no joke, Halak has been spectacular for the Canadiens and is the only reason why the Habs have upset both Washington and Pittsburgh. The Defense of the Habs is also very frustrating and shut down the top scorers on the opposing teams. The difference, however, is that the Flyers do not have scorers like Ovechkin and Crosby, the Flyers all score and that is what has made them difficult to beat.
The Habs don't only have to stop Richards in this series, they have to stop Gagne, Briere, Pronger, Giroux, and more (that is if Hartnell, JVR, Leino, and Carcillo are back to their old scoring ways).
The scary part for me as that Halak has been so hot and so good, and once you get a hot goalie it is very hard to lose.
This is going to be a tough series for the Flyers, especially with only one full day off before the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals. The best thing for the Flyers, however, is playing home in front of the best, most intimidating fans in the NHL.
History will happen ......
Prediction: Flyers in 7 ..... yes the Flyers are going to the Stanley Cup.
Notes: Ian Laperriere participated in this morning's skate, but he still doesn't know when he'll be cleared to play. “It felt good,” said Laperriere, who wore an oversized, reinforced helmet and a yellow jersey during the skate. “I feel fine.”
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