Peter Laviolette, in particular non-Lavi-like fashion, seems to be determined to help end the Flyers apparent goaltending controversy. Since the Flyers’ last loss to the New York Rangers on November 26, Ilya Bryzgalov has started and recorded the win in all five games with varying degrees of effectiveness, improving his win/loss record over the past 10 games to 8-1-1 behind stellar team play. But still, the goaltender is the anchor and so let’s give credit where credit is due…until he starts losing again of course. This week opened with the Flyers traveling to Buffalo to face the struggling Sabres. 9:58 …
Tapping the Pipes 11/30/11
Whoa, did anyone feel that earthquake just now? No, wait, it’s not an earthquake! It’s a footstep! There’s another one! And another! And another! What approaching horror could that possibly be, come to wreak havoc on our very way of life? WHAT COULD IT BE!!!??? Oh, never mind, it’s just another goalie controversy. The Philadelphia Flyers’ goaltending is a never-ending riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in 30 pounds of equipment. Even after signing, arguably, the best free agent goalie on the market in a move which was thought to solidify the goaltending once and for all, it still continues …
Tapping the Pipes 11/22/11
With a little over a quarter of the season in the books, the Flyers continued their foray through the Southeast Division this week, capping off a stretch during which 7 of their 11 opponents reside there. But first, the Flyers welcomed Ilya Bryzgalov’s former team into Philadelphia: the Phoenix Coyotes. Whether or not Bryzgalov had heard the less-than-flattering opinions that former teammates Adrian Aucoin and Derek Morris expressed about him, he certainly took a step toward shutting them up. After an evenly played two periods of hockey, the Flyers were riding a 1-0 lead thanks to James van Riemsdyk’s 7th goal of …
Tapping the Pipes 11/15/11
Sun, sand, and hockey. What more could one want? The Flyers’ tour of the Southeast Division was quite fruitful for the Orange and Black, tallying 5 of a possible 6 points in victories over Carolina and Florida and an overtime loss to Tampa Bay. Just as importantly, perhaps, the goaltending was top-notch. The trip began last Wednesday with the game in Tampa. In a matchup more notable for its plodding pace thanks to Tampa’s “neutral-zone trap” and the Flyers’ refusal to play into it, Ilya Bryzgalov added to his quiet run of solid play in a losing effort. With the …
Tapping the Pipes 11/8/11
I think we could all really do without the New Jersey Devils, don’t you agree fans? The Flyers returned home from Buffalo in an attempt to keep up the nice head of momentum the built after back-to-back wins over the Hurricanes and Sabres. Things started well for Philadelphia, which took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period after goals by Zac Rinaldo and Claude Giroux. Unfortunately, a mere 51 seconds later, the Devils opened up their scoring when Zach Parise beat Braydon Coburn to the puck after it slipped off of Adam Henrique’s blade and lifted a perfect backhand …
Tapping the Pipes 11/1/11
Oh what a tangled web Flyers goaltenders weave. In the three games the team has played over the last week we’ve seen a clunker by one guy, a clunker by both guys, and an impressive performance which hopefully will garner an increase in confidence in the #1 guy. Clunker number one occurred on last Wednesday when Ilya Bryzgalov took the ice against a Montreal Canadiens team which had yet to win a game at home on the year and had just suffered an upheaval behind the bench with the firing of longtime assistant coach Perry Pearn. Things began rather smoothly for …
Tapping the Pipes 10/26/11
Oh what a difference two days make! If you watched the games the Flyers played this past weekend against St. Louis and Toronto, you might be inclined to think that you were watching two different sets of players wearing orange and black sweaters. The increase in the quality of team play between these two games, separated by a measly two days, was astounding to me. The team play both greatly affected and was affected by the quality of goaltending provided by Ilya Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky. On Saturday night, the Flyers squared off against the St. Louis Blues, a team …
Tapping the Pipes 10/21/2011
Well, after less than two weeks we finally have our answer. Ilya Bryzgalov is not going to play all 82 regular season games for our Philadelphia Flyers. On Tuesday, second-year sensation Sergei Bobrovsky got the call between the pipes against a bottom-feeding Ottawa Senators team. The Flyers carried the play for much of the game and Bobrovsky did not face many serious tests. Philadelphia dominated the opening period, outshooting the Senators 10-3 and taking a 4-0 lead into the first intermission. The second period, however, was a different story. The Senators took it to a Flyers team which seemed almost …
Tapping the Pipes 10/11/11
It has only been two games, but new Flyers starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov has lived up to the hype thus far. The Flyers began the season with a trip to Boston to do battle with the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins at TD Garden. In the franchise’s second consecutive positive goalie debut (rookie Sergei Bobrovsky stormed onto the scene last season with a 25-save victory in Pittsburgh), Bryzgalov stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced in a 2-1 Flyers victory. Following an opening flurry during which the Bruins carried the play, taking it to the Flyers in every zone, Philadelphia …
Tapping the Pipes: Preseason Edition!
After a tumultuous offseason which saw the team’s two cornerstones traded…yada yada yada… You’ve all memorized the script. The Flyers’ roster makeover has been big news in the hockey world and the questions abound. Can the new additions make up for the offensive production of the old #17 and #18? How long will it take to build chemistry? Can the defense, led by two aging stars, hold up over a full 82-game schedule, plus playoffs? Valid questions all, which should make this upcoming 2011-12 season very interesting (cue languid beard stroke). Now that’s the questionable part, but here’s the definite …