“The morning after” is a review of the previous night’s Flyers’ game which, in theory, provides a more objective perspective on the game. Well, that was the most entertaining game of the preseason. Brian Boucher looked good in net tonight, outdeuling Ryan Miller to a 3-1 Flyers victory. He’s played the toughest games of the preseason, which should be an indication that, no matter how high the organization is on Sergei Bobrovsky, Boucher will begin the season as the starting goaltender. This team makes plays that are so much prettier now. The additions of Nikolay Zherdev and Ville Leino, as …
The morning after: Leafs vs. Flyers 9.23.10
“The morning after” is a review of the previous night’s Flyers’ game which, in theory, provides a more objective perspective on the game. James van Riemsdyk is transforming into an exciting player to watch but that needs to start translating into points too. Bill Guerin was much more visible tonight than he was against the Devils, scoring a goal in regulation and one in the shootout, and playing a strong game on both ends of the ice. Ben Holmstrom continues to win me over. I hope he develops into the next Manny Malhotra. Oskars Bartulis played a solid game and …
The morning after: Devils vs. Flyers 9.21.10
I’m thinking of implementing a new regular feature on this site where I recap my thoughts on a game from the previous day with a new perspective. For now, I’ll call it “The morning after,” until I think of something better. Here are some more thoughts on last night’s game: The Flyers have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut: James van Riemsdyk looked like a number two overall pick, Daniel Briere’s shot is lethal, Nikolai Zherdev and Jeff Carter could put up big numbers, and that doesn’t even account for Mike Richards, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, et al. This …
Are the Flyers a better team?
This question was recently asked on the Flyers Forum and, admittedly, it caught me off guard. For all of the knee-jerk reactions we are accustomed to giving as fans of Philadelphia sports teams, I had a hard time saying no to this question. I wanted to lash out about how management backed themselves into a corner with the cap and it forced them to trade the beloved Simon Gagne for garbage, or about the illogical acquisition of overpaid defender, Andrej Meszaros, while plenty of good free agent defenders were available. I had a million reasons to complain about how I …
Hamhuis is in. So, who’s out?
The Flyers traded defenseman RFA Ryan Parent to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Dan Hamhuis, who is set to become a free agent on July 1. Parent, a former first round pick of the Predators, suffered a rash of injuries and never lived up to his potential in Philadelphia. Though the Flyers have not signed — or, at least, announced — a new contract with the physical defender, it’s reasonable to assume they will do so. As pointed out on Twitter by Greg Wyshynski, of Puck Daddy fame, it was 3 years and 1 day ago that the Flyers …
Offseason analysis: Offense
Contracts of note: Carcillo (RFA), Powe (RFA), Asham (UFA) Top prospects: Maroon, Legein Needs: 1st line RW, possible 3rd line RW According to Sam Carchidi, GM Paul Holmgren stated the other day that it is “highly unlikely” the current roster will remain unchanged in the offseason. At this point, the Flyers have two options up front: Do they sell high on superb postseason performers with high salaries (Gagne, Brière, Hartnell) or do they move Jeff Carter, who struggled throughout parts of the regular season as well as the playoffs and had two fractured feet? Daniel Brière Brière is a proven …