The Flyers won their second straight game to open this 2011-12 season, with a 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils at the Rock. Ilya Bryzgalov provided the magic so many had hoped he would, saving all 20 of the Devils’ shots and providing the Flyers first shutout since the 2010 playoffs. Claude Giroux opened the scoring with a goal in the first while both Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds scored in the third period to extend the Flyers’ lead. Both teams power-play units failed to score a goal despite having a combined 13 man advantage opportunities. The Flyers had the first several chances of …
Bruins Hang a Banner, Flyers Win a Hockey Game
On Thursday night, the Flyers returned to the site where their Stanley Cup dreams ended last season. This time, the Flyers had a new goalie, several new players, and a desire for revenge. The result was a 2-1 victory on a night the Boston Bruins raised their 2011 Stanley Cup banner to the rafters. After Brad Marchand scored the first goal of the NHL season, Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek each scored for Philly within a 42-second span late in the first period. Ilya Bryzgalov, fresh from his $51 million, nine-year deal, made quite the impression in his first regular-season …
Questions Entering The 2011-2012 NHL Season
What can one expect from the Philadephia Flyers this season? Trading away the captain and an elite goal-scorer for one of the league’s best goalies and young talent is a bold move, and we will find out soon enough whether or not Paul Holmgren’s tumultuous offseason will pay off for the Flyers and their fans. You, me, and every other Flyers’ fan on the planet has no idea what’s going to happen with the newest batch of warriors just yet, but is the mystery surrounding the Flyers the biggest question in relation to the upcoming NHL season? Here are some more topics …
Then and Now: Andy Delmore
The Flyers’ Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000 will forever be remembered for Keith Primeau’s game-winning goal in Game 4 that came in the fifth overtime. Primeau’s goal may have not been as dramatic if the goal didn’t tie the series at two games apiece creating a surge of momentum for Philly. After losing both games at home to open the series, the Flyers and Penguins took Game 3 into overtime after Jaromir Jagr’s second goal of the game (he had five in the series including both of Pitt’s game-winning goals). Just over 11 minutes into overtime, Andy Delmore …
Then and Now: Kyle Calder
Michal Handzus has had six seasons of at least 30 points in his last eight NHL seasons. In his three years with the Flyers he totaled 146 points during the regular season along with 20 points in the playoffs. Although these are impressive stats, in 2006 Flyers’ GM Bob Clarke decided to make a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. Coming off a 26-goal season and serving as an alternate captain with the Hawks, Kyle Calder made his way to Philly. The 27-year-old played less than 60 games for his second NHL team and had the misfortune of taking part in the Flyers’ worst …
Then and Now: Glen Metropolit
Glen Metropolit defines the word journeyman. Playing for 12 different teams since his days with the Grand Rapids Griffins of what used to be the International Hockey League back in the 1997-1998 season, Metropolit has spent time in four different leagues since becoming a professional hockey player. Although he’s played in over 400 NHL games, Metropolit has experienced the most success in National League A (NLA), Switzerland’s top tier league. Earning several awards for his 2005-2006 season with the Champion HC Lugano, Metropolit has made a noticeable mark on the NLA. For the Flyers, however, his impact wasn’t outstanding as he only spent …
Then and Now: Ruslan Fedotenko
For a player who wasn’t drafted, Ruslan Fedotenko has made a noticeable impact on North American hockey. Averaging less than a point every 2 games over his career (333 points in 743 games), Fedotenko has found a way to grab four game-winning scores for his team in the postseason. One of those actually clinched the Stanley Cup for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, a year where — instead of die-hard Flyers fans celebrating the end of a Stanley Cup drought — Fedotenko and Dmitry Afanasenkov hoisted the Cup in Florida. Let’s look at what Fedotenko has done in addition …
Then and Now: Scottie Upshall
In an attempt to return the last place Flyers back to the playoffs in just one season, Paul Holmgren was aggressive in his first couple months as GM back in 2006-2007. In addition to attaining Braydon Coburn, Lasse Kukkonen, and Martin Biron, Holmgren used Peter Forsberg and the pick Nashville originally gave the Flyers in exchange for Forsberg to rob the Predators of Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Parent, and Scottie Upshall. As Hartnell and Timonen remain a part of the Flyers’ organization, Parent and Upshall left after playing multiple seasons in Philly. Parent is currently in Vancouver while Upshall has bounced around since …
Then and Now: Patrick Sharp
The 2010 Stanley Cup Finals is something a Flyers’ fan never wants to think about. Adding on to the agony of coming so close to the Cup and the constant replaying of Patrick Kane’s weak goal line shot was the fact multiple former Flyers hurt them in the Finals. Ben Eager had the game-winning goal in Game 2, Kane, who never played for the Flyers but was selected first by the Chicago Blackhawks despite the Flyers having the worst record in the league, had eight points in the series (including three in Game 6), and Patrick Sharp had six points. …
Then and Now: Eric Chouinard
The Vancouver Canucks fell one win short of taking home the Stanley Cup in the 2010-2011 season. After winning the first two games against Boston, the Canucks went on to lose four of the next five allowing the Bruins to win their first Stanley Cup since 1972. Their lone win in the final five meetings came in Game 5, as Maxim Lapierre scored the only goal early in the third period to hand Vancouver a 1-0 victory. Lapierre was taken in the second round during the 2003 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, a pick the Habs received from the Flyers in exchange for Eric Chouinard. …