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Then and Now: R.J. Umberger

R.J. Umberger may have been born in Pittsburgh, but some of his best memories so far in the NHL have come with the franchise located on the other side of the state. Although his first NHL game came with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2005-06 season, Umberger was a member of two other NHL organizations before he made his way to Philly. The skater was picked 16th overall in the 2001 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, as he was the first American forward to be selected. Mike Komisarek was the first American picked by the Montreal Canadiens with the …

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Atlantic Watch: Pens at the top of the Eastern Conference, Islanders clinch playoff spot, Rangers hanging on to eighth

After learning that they wouldn’t be in the playoffs for the second time in the last 18 seasons, the Flyers pulled off two straight wins. The Orange and Black look to end the campaign on a strong note with one more home game and one more away game. The Flyers were shut out by Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in a 3-0 loss at the Wells Fargo Center. Brodeur stopped 23 shots from the Flyers to end the Devils’ 10-game losing streak, while the trio of Ryan Carter, Matt D’Agostini, and Adam Henrique scored in Jersey’s …

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Future Flyers Report: Brandon Manning joins the Flyers, Leier’s Winterhawks nearly in WHL Finals, Straka and Baie-Comeau almost in QMJHL Finals

After Kent Huskins suffered a concussion from Ryan White’s illegal hit in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 7-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, yet another unexpected defenseman made an appearance on the Flyers’ blue line. This time it was Brandon Manning. Manning played in a few games for the Orange and Black last season, as he posted a plus-1 rating in four contests for Philly. He didn’t record a point with the Flyers last season, but the former Chilliwack Bruin played well in his first stretch at the NHL level. A day after Huskins’ injury, Manning appeared in his first …

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Atlantic Watch: Flyers aren’t out yet, Pens clinch the division, Islanders sit in seventh, Devils endure long losing streak

The Philadelphia Flyers entered this week on a winning streak, but they left it on a losing skid and can now only hope they receive some help to make the postseason. With four of their final nine games coming up in the next week, the Orange and Black will likely find out if they will be heading to the playoffs by April 17th. The Flyers won their third straight game on Wednesday night with a 5-3 comeback decision over the Montreal Canadiens in Philly. Wayne Simmonds tied the game with a little over five minutes left before Erik Gustafsson’s first …

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Future Flyers Report: Lauridsen in the NHL, Yale ruins Frozen Four dreams, OHL/WHL playoff updates

Oliver Lauridsen experienced a sample size of professional hockey with the Adirondack Phantoms in the 2010-2011 season before spending the entire 2011-2012 campaign with the club. Due to several of the Philadelphia Flyers’ defensemen being out of action because of injuries, Lauridsen got his first taste of the NHL this weekend. At 6″6′, 229 pounds, Lauridsen is a gigantic blue liner that uses his size to his advantage by being a physical, stay-at-home defender. From 2008-2009 to 2010-2011, the defenseman spent most of his time with St. Cloud State University where he had seven goals and 15 assists along with …

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