Crashing the Crease: Know Your Enemy! Who are the best shootout forwards?

By Kevin A
Posted on 02/21/2013 at 9:00 am

Last night, Patrick Kane scored yet another shootout goal that displayed a huge amount of finesse and once again reminded Flyers fans that the draft lottery is the devil. Even though Schneider got his pad on Kane’s attempt and initially appeared to stop it, the puck bounced off of him and in the net, adding yet another tally to Kane’s career numbers. It wasn’t as fancy as his numerous SO goals, but it got me thinking aloud: is Kane the most dangerous shootout forward for a goaltender to face? The immediate counter argument that sprang up was “no, Datsyuk is.” …

Then and Now: Tony Amonte

By Craig F
Posted on 12/05/2012 at 9:00 am

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired Tony Amonte in March of 2003 from the Phoenix Coyotes, rescuing the Boston native from an underwhelming free agent situation. In exchange for the veteran forward, Philly gave the Coyotes Guillaume Lefebvre, a third-round pick in the 2003 NHL Draft (with which they chose Tyler Redenbach), and a second-round pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. The 60th overall pick eventually landed in the hands of the New York Rangers, who selected Brandon Dubinsky from the Portland Winterhawks. In 59 games with Phoenix during the 2002-2003 regular season, Amonte accrued 36 points. In just 13 regular season games with the …

Then and Now: Petr Nedved

By Craig F
Posted on 10/31/2012 at 9:00 am

Dennis Seidenberg has had a respectable career. He has represented his native Germany three times at the Olympics and won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. In addition to that, Seidenberg helped the Carolina Hurricanes make a deep and unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. The blue liner was snagged by Philly in the 2001 draft and was dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes during the first season back after the last lockout. In exchange for the 24-year-old defenseman the Flyers acquired a 34-year-old center in Petr Nedved. Philly completed the trade with Phoenix in …

Then and Now: Jaroslav Modry

By Craig F
Posted on 06/20/2012 at 9:00 am

During the 2008 playoffs, the Philadelphia Flyers pulled off a pair of upsets before ultimately falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Eight different defenseman suited up for the Orange and Black during their unexpected run. Aside from Ryan Parent, who only took part in four postseason games in 2008, Jaroslav Modry played in the fewest number of playoff games with nine appearances. Since that playoff run, Modry has been a member of two different clubs in the Czech Extraliga. In February of 2008, the Flyers made a pair of trades that made an immediate impact on …

Atlantic Watch: 1/4-1/10

By Craig F
Posted on 01/11/2012 at 9:55 am

The Flyers won three of their four games this week, as all three wins came in one-goal games. In the Flyers’ last three games, they have received no help from the line of Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, and Jaromir Jagr as all three players are pointless since the Flyers’ win on Thursday. The line will look to find their groove again as the Flyers complete their four-game road trip this week before returning home for a game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. In their first match-up in Philadelphia since Game six of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers beat …

Bryzgalov Returns to Phoenix, Wins 4-2

By Craig F
Posted on 12/03/2011 at 11:13 pm

Returning to Phoenix for the first time since testing the free-agent market and signing with Philly this past Summer, Ilya Bryzgalov handed his former teammates a 4-2 loss — saving 36 shots in the process. Claude Giroux had another game-winner as both Matt Read (who totaled three points in a four-goal first period) and Scott Hartnell provided goals on the power play. Despite being outshot 38-30, the Flyers won their second game in as many days to help Bryzgalov shut up his former Phoenix buddies. Not even twenty seconds into the game, Brayden Schenn almost gave Philly the early edge. Charging towards Mike …

Flight Plan Week of 11.27.2011

By Nick D
Posted on 11/27/2011 at 12:00 pm

The Philadelphia Flyers won two of their four games this week. They were able to record comeback victories over the New York Islanders and the Montreal Canadiens, but they lost and were thoroughly outplayed by both the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers. It seems as if ever since Brayden Schenn broke his foot by blocking a shot, the rest of the team has been dropping like flies, missing a few games or weeks here or there. Chris Pronger has missed the last four games with a virus, Jaromir Jagr was out with a lower-body injury before returning too soon …

Flight Plan Week of 11.13.2011

By Nick D
Posted on 11/13/2011 at 12:00 pm

The Philadelphia Flyers lost their only game of last week by a score of 2-1 in overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Never mind that the bizarre tactics employed by Peter Laviolette’s team to try to break the Bolts out of their 1-3-1 neutral zone trap ended up making the game look like a Mexican standoff. Instead, think about how the Flyers are now in third place in the Atlantic Division, below both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers, all because they stopped pressing in a game where they clung to a 1-0 lead through a good portion of the game and …

Flight Plan 02.20.2011

By Nick D
Posted on 02/20/2011 at 12:37 pm

The Philadelphia Flyers won two of the three games they had last week and in only one of the games was the score separated by more than a goal after the final buzzer. If you weren’t sure that it was almost that time of year, you are now. The games will get tighter, they will mean more, two point games can now be viewed as four point games, and some team may even get in to the playoffs on a shootout win in the last game of the season. The great thing about hockey, particularly the NHL, is that somehow …