Atlantic Watch: 4/4-4/10

By Craig F
Posted on 04/11/2012 at 9:00 am

The Flyers finished their 2011-12 regular season with a pair of games that didn’t have any kind of effect on the standings, as they beat the Buffalo Sabres and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s those same Penguins that the Flyers will play in the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which starts tonight. Philly’s final home game of the regular season was also their final win, as they beat the visiting Sabres 2-1 on Thursday night. Ville Leino may have had a disappointing year, but he recorded his eighth of the year and second against the Flyers in the second period …

Atlantic Watch: 2/29-3/6

By Craig F
Posted on 03/07/2012 at 9:00 am

For the first time in awhile, the Flyers put together a string of wins this week, as they won all three of their contests. Ilya Bryzgalov played a big part in the team’s success, as he won all three games with a save percentage of .948. With a four-game schedule ahead for the next seven days, hopefully Bryzgalov can keep Philly’s winning ways intact against some strong opponents. In their first game of the week, the Flyers beat the visiting New York Islanders by a score of 6-3. It looked like Bryzgalov was back to his usual ways, as Josh …

Atlantic Watch: 2/8-2/14

By Craig F
Posted on 02/15/2012 at 9:00 am

The Flyers managed to hold on for a one-goal win Thursday before they dropped both of their games on the weekend to go 1-2-0 this week. The win was the Flyers’ second since the All-Star break, as they are 2-4-2 since the break with both wins coming at home. Philly looks forward to two games against Eastern Conference teams outside the playoff picture in the next few days, as well as a meeting with the Penguins to determine crucial points in the standings. On Thursday, Brayden Schenn potted the game-winner in the second period to give the Flyers just enough …

Atlantic Watch: 1/25-1/31

By Craig F
Posted on 02/01/2012 at 9:00 am

In their only game this week, the Flyers took part in yet another shootout. Unfortunately for Philly, it was unable to pull out a win. The Orange and Black did, however, keep up with the Rangers, who also lost in a shootout this week. The Flyers look forward to a difficult week ahead, as three of their four opponents are currently in the playoff picture. For a third time this season, the Flyers lost to the Winnipeg Jets. This time, however, the game was very defensive, as the Jets picked up a 2-1 shootout win in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Chris …

Atlantic Watch: 1/18-1/24

By Craig F
Posted on 01/25/2012 at 9:00 am

The Flyers went 2-1-1 in a week that featured a lot of ups and downs for the guys in Orange and Black. After a week that featured a loss to the Islanders, a Scott Hartnell record a natural hat trick, and their first shootout win of the season, the Flyers are still trailing the Rangers for the top spot in the division. With one game this week, the Flyers look to gain ground in the division as well as beat a team they have already lost to twice this season. The Flyers started the week off with a 4-1 loss to …

Atlantic Watch: 1/11-1/17

By Craig F
Posted on 01/18/2012 at 10:00 am

The Flyers won two of their three games this week, as they finished the week by handling the free-falling Minnesota Wild. After Sergei Bobrovsky earned the start on Thursday night on Long Island, Ilya Bryzgalov got the call for the last two games of the week making 46 saves on 50 shots against. Philly looks forward to a difficult week, as two of their four games are against division leaders in the Eastern Conference. The Orange and Black started off with a 3-2 in New York against the Islanders. Sean Couturier scored with 1:30 left in regulation to extend the …

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 …

Atlantic Watch: 10/19-10/25

By Craig F
Posted on 10/26/2011 at 10:00 am

To say this was a rough week for the Flyers would be an understatement. They managed to pull out one victory this week, but it came at the cost of losing Chris Pronger to a nasty eye injury. Embarrassing losses to the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues provided a rough taste of reality for the Flyers, a team that had yet to experience much adversity since their hectic roster shuffle in the offseason. Despite all the negative aspects of this week for Philly, the Flyers are still second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference with 11 …

Atlantic Watch: 10/6-10/11

By Craig F
Posted on 10/12/2011 at 10:00 am

Philly started off the season with a 2-1 win against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins in Beantown, then recorded a dominant 3-0 shutout in New Jersey to end a 101-game drought during the regular season and playoffs combined. After giving up the first goal of the NHL season to Brad Marchand, the Flyers scored two goals in the final minute of the first period. Claude Giroux dangled his way to a goal with 50 seconds left, while Jakub Voracek scored with only three seconds to go on a turn around shot in the slot. Fortunately for Philly, this would be all they needed as Ilya …

Then and Now: Janne Niinimaa

By Craig F
Posted on 06/15/2011 at 10:00 am

What do Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, and Janne Niinimaa all have in common? They were all drafted in the 1993 NHL Entry draft. How many were drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers? Only Janne Niinimaa. Pronger went second, to the Hartford Whalers, while Timonen could be considered the hidden gem of the draft going 250nd to the Los Angeles Kings. Well, we know what Pronger and Timonen are doing with their careers now, but what about Niinimaa? Before the aforementioned question is answered, let us remember Niinimaa’s brief time spent in Philly. Spending three seasons with Jokerit in the SM-liiga after …