Thanks to a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers on February 26 in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick. With him come raised expectations for a Flyers season. The team had fallen into an early season funk, and the return of Gagne – who had been a repeated healthy scratch for the Kings – was to provide a veteran boost both on the ice and in the locker room. Gagne’s return engagement with the Flyers was like that of a movie script. He arrived just in time to suit up, received a standing ovation …
2013 Year in Review: Mike Knuble
If there is any question as to whether or not Mike Knuble had a productive season with the Philadelphia Flyers, one just has to take into consideration where the forward was after the Orange and Black were blanked by the New Jersey Devils on January 22. With just three goals in their first three games, the Flyers reached out to Knuble, who was playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, and signed him before the weekend. After the Flyers’ 2-1 win over the New York Rangers two days later, Knuble joined the Orange and Black in Florida for …
2013 Year in Review: Sean Couturier
The simple answer as to whether Sean Couturier had a good 2013 season would be no. If you look at his general statistics, Couturier had a poor year. However, when grading Philly’s first-round pick in 2011 one should consider these things: his defensive play, a possible sophomore slump, and the expectations for him following the 2012 playoffs. When you consider these things for Couturier’s overall 2013 rating, did he really have that poor of a season? Let’s starts with his point production. In 45 games, Couturier finished with just four goals and posted 11 helpers. He also produced 10 PIMs …
A Rookie & A Vet Propel Flyers to 2-1 Win Over Islanders
On Tuesday night, Oliver Lauridsen’s first NHL goal came courtesy of a huge mistake made by Boston’s Zdeno Chara. This time, Lauridsen’s goal was all his own as he notched the game winner in a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Ilya Bryzgalov got the win for the Flyers making 21 saves. Kevin Poulin took the loss for the Islanders making 28 saves of his own. After a lackluster second and third period that left the score stagnant at 1-1 for over thirty minutes, Lauridsen scored at 13:29 of the third to breathe some life into the game. For …
Flyers Hockey: The Family of Fans
“Hockey fans have an amazing history together, like a small fraternity.” It’s a long-standing tradition in sports, older generations passing their fandom down to younger generations. Scores of fans will tell you that they became fans of their favorite teams because they were brought up in a family of passionate sports fans. You’ll find this often in the major sports towns, like Philadelphia, where a fan’s love for their team is homegrown. 54-year-old Ralph Manoppello of Conshohocken has been a Flyers fan since before the team first lifted the Stanley Cup, and thanks to him, his daughters Kellie and Krista …