KimmoDBS

Deep Blue Line

KIMMO TIMONEN skates back and forth at the Flyers Skate Zone during practice. He is addressing his teammates before his 1,000th game.   KIMMO I know it’s been a difficult year. We haven’t played at our highest level. The Flyers nod solemnly in agreement.   KIMMO It’s my 1,000th game tonight. Zac Rinaldo can’t even count that high. ZAC RINALDO lights up smiling upon hearing his name.   RINALDO It’s true!   KIMMO It’s time to put all of our issues behind us. Jaromir Jagr and his magnificent smile aren’t walking through that door. CLAUDE GIROUX chimes in at the …

Image c/o Amy Irvin

It’s time to say goodbye to dump and chase and emphasize puck possession

I’ve always been the kind of person to ask “why”. I tend to not just accept things as they are presented to me, but rather, I’d like to understand the nuances behind whatever it may be. I apply this same questioning to the game of hockey; and of late, particularly why the Flyers, and the game of ice hockey in general, can’t seem to rid itself of dump and chase and strongly emphasize puck possession. If you know me personally, you know that I’ve played roller hockey my entire life, into my young adulthood. I played ECRHA and AIHL hockey, …

Kimmo Timonen in Warmups. Image courtesy of Amy Irvin http://www.facebook.com/38Photography

Flight Plan: Bolt and Rest

There is an old adage in sports: a win is a win. The Philadelphia Flyers won their last game against the New Jersey Devils in a shootout and have inched closer to climbing back into the playoff race. Unfortunately, they haven’t put themselves in a much better position by allowing the Devils a point in that game, but still, two points are two points. There has been much positive to take away from the Flyers’ current slide. They’ve been mired in a 5-5-0 run and have lost four of their last six games. At the very least, the team played …

Talbot

Shootout? Shootout! Flyers Beat Devils 2-1.

Matt Read and Claude Giroux both scored in the shootout to lead the Flyers to a 2-1 shootout victory and a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Max Talbot scored for the Flyers reversed a downward trend versus the Devils beating New Jersey for the first time in the last eight games over the last two seasons. The Flyers have now won two of the last three games. Ilya Bryzgalov was outstanding for the Flyers, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Bryzgalov was also stellar in the shootout, turning away 2 of 3 Devil attempts. David Clarkson …

Image courtesy of Elsa/Getty Images

Atlantic Watch: Penguins on winning streak, Devils snap losing streak, Islanders’ point streak ends

The Philadelphia Flyers lost their first two games this week to stretch their losing streak to three games before they edged out the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday for a pair of points. Philly will have a home-and-home with a struggling Devils club over the next few days, as they look to gain a spot in the Eastern Conference’s top eight. The Orange and Black had the Pittsburgh Penguins beat on Monday, but they let their hated rivals come back for a 5-4 win at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. Jakub Voracek had two power-play goals and the tandem of …