The Philadelphia Flyers had the Pittsburgh Penguins right where they wanted them after the first period, but the visitors responded with four unanswered goals to pull off the 5-4 win tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. Chris Kunitz had the game-winner on a night where he had two goals and an assist, while Sidney Crosby posted a three-assist performance. Tomas Vokoun earned the win after he relieved Marc-Andre Fleury, as he denied all 14 of the shots he faced. With the game tied 4-4 after 40 minutes, Kunitz beat Brian Boucher, who had five saves on six shots in 22:53 …
Pronger still hopeful, but odds are not in his favor
It’s all but a done deal. Chris Pronger will never play another game in the NHL. If only he’d realize it. If only he could say it, and if only the announcement could ease a burden he would place on the Philadelphia Flyers if it were finally revealed in full. While it’s a noble cause he’s undertaking, the slow, painful process of recovering from a severe eye injury and concussion suffered back in October of 2011, Pronger is fooling himself and doing a bad job of fooling all of us with the notion that his goal is to get back …
Flyers Hockey: The Team
Since its early years, the Philadelphia Flyers have been known for a certain type of hockey — hard-hitting and gritty with a “never say die” attitude. Just before the 1969-1970 season, team owner Ed Snider was fed up with the team being manhandled in the playoffs, and told his then-General Manager Bud Poile to acquire players to make the team bigger and stronger. Thus began the reign of the Broad Street Bullies, a group of players — with Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz at the helm — who were not only big and tough, but skilled. And feared. Now, that …
Crashing the Crease: Bryz and the Art of the Poke Check
Tuesday night’s game at Madison Square Garden was quite possibly the single most glaring example of one of Bryzgalov’s greatest shortcomings: he is not particularly good at the poke check. Playing the poke check correctly is the epitome of a very fine line for any goaltender. A successful poke requires quick and decisive action: there is no time to spare in deciding to go for the poke, but at the same time it can’t be done too early – or “telegraphed” – lest the forward read it and simply walk around it. Against the Rangers, Bryzgalov’s poke attempts were telegraphed, …
Breaking down the Bullies: Keeping track of the mistakes
It was so close. The now mythical three-game winning streak, a feat not yet accomplished by the Flyers in 2013, was just 41 minutes away in Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers. Sitting at .500 after back-to-back wins, the first period produced both offense and optimism; it seemed like all was right in the land of the orange and black. Then THE line change happened: you know, that awful, inexcusable line change with less than a minute to go in the period that allowed Ryan Callahan to tie the game. Two goals from Rick Nash later, the team …