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Flyers honor season’s best

Prior to Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, the Flyers paused as they do for the final home game of every season to honor the best players in several categories. The “Gene Hart Memorial Award” is a relatively new honor, first given out in 2007 and granted to the player judged to have the best rapport with fans. It is the lone honor chosen by the fans, as the team’s fan Board of Directors gets to choose. Wayne Simmonds is certainly deserving, for his efforts in the community and overall genial personality. Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award, given to …

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Flyers Beat Sabres, Begin Playoffs At Pittsburgh

For the second straight season, the Flyers had a hand in ending the Buffalo Sabres’ hopes to win the Stanley Cup, as Philadelphia beat the Northeast Division club 2-1 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. Matt Read produced the game-winning goal late in the third period, while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25-of-26 shots for his first win since March 24. Read carried the puck through the neutral zone and blew by Robyn Regehr at the Sabres’ blue line before he headed towards Ryan Miller all alone. As he moved left-to-right, Read remembered Miller’s poke check from earlier in the contest and released a shot before …

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Atlantic Watch: 3/28-4/3

In their four-game schedule this week, the Flyers posted a record of 2-1-1 and picked up what might be there most intense victory of the 2011-2012 regular season with their win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. It’s those same Pens that the Flyers trail by three points for fourth in the conference and the chance for home-ice advantage in the clubs’ first-round playoff series. The Orange and Black still have a shot for fourth, but they’ll need to beat a team fighting for their playoff lives along with the Pens this week. The Broad Street Bullies started off the week with …

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Rangers Score Four In First Period, Sweep Flyers With 5-3 Win

A four-goal first period for the New York Rangers helped them hold on for a 5-3 win over the Flyers tonight at the Wells Fargo Center. Five different players scored for New York, while Henrik Lundqvist picked up his career-best 39th win of the season — six of them coming at the expense of the Orange and Black. “The last 15 minutes of the first period wasn’t good at all,” Kimmo Timonen said. “A couple of bad breakdowns in the defensive end. The start wasn’t that bad.” Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle, Artem Anisimov lit the lamp in the opening 20 …

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Penguins Get Calls, Flyers Win 6-4 In Pitt

In a game of importance for home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers walked into Pittsburgh today and left with a 6-4 victory. “We haven’t talked about home-ice or the Rangers, or the Penguins or the Senators. We talked about the two points. That’s really all we can control right now,” said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. “Eventually we’ll either have home-ice or we won’t.” Not only did they move to within one point of the Pens in the standings, the visitors overcame numerous non-calls from the officials and drew an end-of-the-game line brawl and hissy …

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Spezza, Alfredsson Lead Sens To Shootout Win In Philly

Despite a three-goal deficit after the first 20 minutes, the Flyers were still able to earn a point in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. After Philly scored three goals in the second period to tie the game, the Sens won the shootout thanks to goals from Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza. Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Neil tallied for the Senators, who moved four points ahead of eighth-place Washington. Craig Anderson turned in a superb performance, making 36 saves and rescuing his club from the prospect of taking only one point away. “Our team …

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Atlantic Watch: 3/21-3/27

In their three home games this week, the Flyers were able to clinch a playoff spot with a pair of wins over teams currently sitting outside the postseason scenario. Unfortunately, Ilya Bryzgalov suffered a chip fracture in his right foot. Hopefully for Philly, Bryzgalov will be back by the end of next week when the club takes on the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers as part of their four-game schedule over the next few days. On Thursday, the Orange and Black earned two points against the Washington Capitals with a 2-1 shootout win at the Wells Fargo Center. Wayne Simmonds potted …

Paul Holmgren

Point/Counterpoint: On Chris Pronger’s “Knee Virus” and the Flyers’ Keeping Mum on Injuries

Welcome to the newest edition of “Point/Counterpoint,” where a pair of Flyers Faithful scribes present both sides of one particular issue with their own unique view and flair. This week, Kim P. and Craig F. square off over the Flyers’ public communication regarding team injuries. Point: Kim P. Towards the end of last November, the Flyers reported that captain and best defenseman Chris Pronger was battling a virus. It wasn’t a big deal, he just needed some R&R, and he’d be fine. Except he wasn’t fine. The team announced on November 28th that Pronger was to undergo knee surgery and …

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Briere Scores Twice, Flyers Beat Habs 4-1

For the first time since his hat-trick on January 7th against the Ottawa Senators, Danny Briere registered a goal that wasn’t an empty-netter in the Flyers’ 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Briere’s two goals came at a crucial time in Philly’s victory, as his pair of power-play tallies in the second period helped the Flyers win their third game of the season over the Canadiens. “I just want to find a way to keep scoring goals,” said Briere. “It’s been an up and down season but the team keeps winning and that is all that matters.” Special teams played …

Flyers' Giroux celebrates his game winning goal in front of Blackhawks' Niemi during overtime in Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup final hockey series in Philadelphia

They’re Coming: Playoffs

Less than a month away, April 11th. The playoffs are coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. Would we even want to? Playoff hockey is the best part. Even people I know who aren’t avid hockey people, but enjoy sports, will watch playoff hockey. It’s when urgency and desperation is at its height and some of the most amazing things can happen. The celebration after Mike Richards’ goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th game of the 3rd round in 2010 will forever stick in our minds. It was a moment of awesome greatness. We see …