There’s only six days left until the Winter Classic pits the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in an outdoor battle at our own Citizens Bank Park. With the time quickly ticking away towards the Quaker City’s shot at national recognition, we thought it would be smart to examine the game itself and everything surrounding it. Today, in the first of three parts, we’ll talk about what is wrong with the NHL’s New Year’s Day party continuing in the vein of our “Five Things” series. 5. Baseball Stadiums — Why, why WHY after getting 80,000 people crammed into Ralph …
A Meditation
Though hockey is sometimes couched in lofty/religious terms (and wrongly so, in my opinion) when it comes to title talk, it’s not often associated with high culture and ancient history. But that’s no reason to let inspiration flow when the opportunity arises. So, on this glorious final Sunday in December, we wish you a safe, healthy and happy day however you do it and whatever you believe, and invite you to meditate on this new creation, lovingly crafted thanks to some high praise for one particular Philadelphia Flyers forward. Go here for the explanation of the original. Girouxsalem, or, may William Blake …
Merry Christmas
Players, coaches, trainers and front office staff of the 1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers read from a Christmas classic.
G Whiz, Mister, this is an easy one…
Usually when the big news du jour is splayed out over media both old and new, the rush to judgment and the rush to publish creates headlines like “Why X is X” or the opposite “Why X is Y,” as if the authors subtly question your intelligence and need to suck you in with the promise of an argument or debate, or a simple explanation of the issue at hand. But when it comes to the status of Claude Giroux, his concussion and his potential return as soon as tonight in Dallas, I owe it to the readers of this site not to …
Point/Counterpoint: Realignment
Point/Counterpoint is a new weekly series which argues both sides of a topic relevant to the Philadelphia Flyers. Today, Nick D and Bob H will tackle the new “radical” realignment plan the NHL will implement next season. Point – Nick D: The National Hockey League will realign for the 2012-2013 season. There will no longer be two conferences with six divisions in each conference, and five teams in each division. Now there will be four “conferences” made up of either seven or eight clubs each. All teams in the league will see each other at least twice, with intra-conference teams meeting six times apiece, …
Pronger out for the year
The inevitable has occurred. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren revealed on Thursday night that defenseman and captain Chris Pronger will be shut down for the rest of the year and the playoffs. “After consultation with respected concussion specialists Dr. Joseph Maroon and Dr. Micky Collins, it is the opinion of both doctors that Chris is suffering from severe post concussion syndrome. It is the recommendation of Doctors Maroon and Collins that Chris not return to play for the Philadelphia Flyers for the remainder of the 2011-12 season or playoffs. Chris will continue to receive treatment and therapy with the hope that …
Lindros, LeClair join forces for a cause
Eric Lindros and John LeClair are as much a study in contrasts as they are a study in similarities — but both men do not betray their roots and are still prime examples of how playing the game of hockey has molded their personalities. Lindros is 38. LeClair is 42. One is Canadian, one is American. One has returned to his native country and the other is still a resident of the area. Lindros took great pains to show how pained he still is that his Canada squad lost to the USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey on …
Gritty Flyers score 5-1 win over listless Caps
Marc-Andre Bourdon, Wayne Simmonds and Max Talbot tallied in the second period as Philadelphia extended its season-high win streak to six with a 5-1 decision over Washington at Verizon Center. Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek also scored for the Flyers, who have taken eight of their last nine contests. Matt Carle and James van Riemsdyk added two assists each. Beneficiary of a whopping 9 1/2 hours of sleep last night, Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 31-of-32 shots, improving to 14-5-2 on the year. Playing without the NHL’s leading scorer in Claude Giroux — revealed earlier Tuesday to be out indefinitely with a …
The need without G
I’ll just let this quote from Paul Holmgren speak for itself. “Claude reported not feeling very good today. Over the past few days, his symptoms have gradually gotten worse. He will be out indefinitely with a concussion.” There are multitudes contained within. I’m tired of parsing every statement, looking for the grains of truth hidden within the untruths. Right now, the expectations of every single Flyers fan and media member should be lowered to near-rock-bottom status. We’re in full-blown emergency mode, so every loss should be taken with a shaker full of salt and every victory should be savored as …
Snider inducted into USA Hockey Hall of Fame
It looked like it was going to be a fool’s game, trying to bring professional hockey to a city whose only previous foray was a 4-win team known as the Philadelphia Quakers that lasted one forgettable NHL season in the 1930′s. But Ed Snider, born and raised in Washington, DC, who had never seen a hockey game until his adult years when a friend took him to a game at the old Madison Square Garden, pressed on when one loan officer not attuned to the sport looked him in the eye and said “I don’t think soccer is going to …