knubes

Knuble redux; Lilja back from AHL

What started out as “whispers” became a source-confirmed bit of news during the first period of last night’s Flyers-Rangers game, which in turn became official on Friday afternoon. Mike Knuble will make his return to Philadelphia after an absence of three-plus seasons after passing a physical. It is a one-year deal reported to be worth $750,000. “Obviously we’re familiar with Mike,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said on Thursday night. “He’s a good guy, big, heavy player and we think he’s a good guy to throw in the mix right now…with the injuries we have.” Knuble had been plying his trade …

Photo courtesy of LadyNeat

Around the Net 01.25.13

Welcome to Around the Net, a weekly look through linkage at the Philadelphia Flyers and other news from around the NHL. In case you missed it… Hartnell Down Scott Hartnell is out for 4-8 weeks with a broken foot: [Broad Street Hockey] [The 700 Level] Knuble Returns Mike Knuble is back with the Flyers: [Philly.com] [The Checking Line] The streak is over The Flyers long losing streak against the Rangers is over: [Philly.com] [NBC Sports] Benn Signs Jamie Benn reaches an agreement with the Dallas Stars: [Puck Daddy] [ESPN] You need tickets? Get your Philadelphia Flyers tickets here. That’s all for this …

Image Courtesy of Geeky Tyrant

Hockey Hilarity: NHL-Network’s Giving Out Free Goals!

Friday funnies brought to you straight from hockey’s own players, media personnel, and broadcast botches. We’ll be mucking it up every week right here, examining puck ups, puns, tweets, and more! The Philadelphia Flyers finally won a game! Not only that, they beat the New York Rangers and did it by simply outworking a team they couldn’t outwork at any point last year. The Flyers put together a complete 60 minute effort, weird, I know. Anyway, Wayne Simmonds registered his first goal of the season, and he’s looked really good thus far. So good in fact, that the people over at …

Thanks to CBS Sports

Desperate Flyers nip Rangers for first win of 2013

It took some long-awaited nerve and some long-lost heart and guts, but the Philadelphia Flyers’ season-opening three-game losing skid is finally over. Playing without Danny Briere (wrist) for the fourth game in a row, without Brayden Schenn who was lost to a one-game suspension, and Scott Hartnell who is out anywhere from one to two months with a broken toe, the hosts scraped together a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday. Jakub Voracek netted the deciding goal in the  second  period  and  Ilya  Bryzgalov  stopped  18-of-19  shots Wayne  Simmonds  provided the other score  for the Flyers, who …

Hartnell down 4-8 weeks with broken foot

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren just updated the status of forward Scott Hartnell, telling multiple members of the mainstream media that he will miss anywhere from 4-to-8 weeks with a broken bone in his left foot. At issue is the metatarsal, one of a series of bones mid-foot which lead up to the toes. The potentially devastating news came as the Orange and Black try to prevent a franchise-worst 0-4-0 start to the season at home against the New York Rangers. The trade watch is now on, as Holmgren admitted to a pool of reporters.

book

Book Review: Jakki Clarke’s “Flyer Lives”

“As a player takes a trip down memory lane, so does the reader.” That is how author Jakki Clarke describes her new book, Flyer Lives, featuring stories drawn from interviews with various Flyers alumni and current players. Whether you’ve been a Flyers fan from the beginning or have just recently joined the fandom, you’ll love this collection of personal tales from some of your favorite Philadelphia athletes. The idea for Flyer Lives came to be as Philadelphia prepared for the 2012 Winter Classic. Clarke wanted to speak to several players about what it meant to them to be playing in …

“Sick” Hovinen’s contract to be terminated

Per TSN of Canada’s Bob McKenzie, and the great echo chamber that is Twitter, the Philadelphia Flyers will request unconditional waivers on goaltending prospect Niko Hovinen for the princely sum of $125 dollars. The 24-year-old Finn never lived up to expectations and mystified many within the organization for his perceived lack of adjustment to the North American game and a lack of work ethic. Hovinen was a bust at Phantoms training camp in September and was shuttled down one level. He went 4-6-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 16 appearances for Trenton of the ECHL …

Image courtesy of Tim Frenz, FrenzFotography.com

Crashing the Crease: Bryzgalov Solid, Despite Record

With the NHL’s 2013 Season finally underway, Crashing the Crease will evaluate the Flyers’ goaltending performances every Thursday in order to answer the inevitable dilemma in Flyerdom: what is going on in net? Week one has seen Ilya Bryzgalov play all three games of the Flyers’ 0-3 start, and the questions are already flying about just what is wrong with this team. For many, as is so often the story in Philadelphia, the finger pointing begins and ends with the goaltender. But is that fair? The easy answer would be to look at Bryzgalov’s stat line from the 3-1, 5-2, …

Courtesy Lady Neat http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325

Poll: What is your biggest concern about the Flyers at the moment?

With an 0-3 record to begin the year, there is a fair amount to potentially be worried about. The Flyers have managed only three goals for and eleven goals against in those three games. Both the power play and penalty kill have seen their struggles. Now, with Hartnell’s injury, (and Schenn’s suspension, in the short term), the depth will be tested. What is your biggest concern about the Flyers at the moment?

hartnelloff

Hartnell out indefinitely

Remember when Scott Hartnell took the full brunt of that Kimmo Timonen slapshot in his leg while trying to screen Martin Brodeur last night? Well, there’s a price to be paid for such sacrifice. From Flyers GM Paul Holmgren: “Scott will be out indefinitely with a left foot injury. We will know more on this within a day or two as we await results of tests.” With Hartnell and Danny Briere out of the lineup for Thursday’s game at home against the New York Rangers, that’s a whopping 53 goals from two key top-six forwards removed from the lineup in …