The Preseason The power play has the potential to be lethal, especially once Chris Pronger and his booming shot are back on the point. When Jaromir Jagr was signed, I balked at his contract, even though I expected 60-70 points from him. Now that I see the chemistry he has with Claude Giroux and how much he can help the powerplay, $3.3 million seems reasonable. I’m willing to admit that I jumped the gun, expressing concern about the penalty killing unit when players like Mike Richards and Darroll Powe left town. I don’t expect the PK to be as good …
A conflicted response to the banana-throwing incident
As far as I can tell, we have two facts in the case against Mr. Bananathrower: 1. A banana or a banana peel was thrown on the ice while Wayne Simmonds was on the shootout. 2. Wayne Simmonds is black. It’s hard to ignore the apparent connection between these two facts and come to the conclusion that this was an act of racism. Unfortunately, the person who threw the banana was not identified and escaped without any repercussions. As a result, we cannot accurately determine this person’s intent. But it seems obvious. What reason would anyone throw a banana on …
Simmonds statement on banana incident
On Friday morning, Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds issued a statement regarding an incident in Thursday night’s preseason game in London, Ontario. During Detroit’s 4-3 shootout victory, an unidentified fan at the John Labatt Centre threw a banana on the ice in Simmonds’ direction while he was attempting a shot in the round. “It was unfortunate that this incident happened but I am above this sort of stuff. This is something that is out of my control. Moving forward, this incident is something I will no longer comment on so I can just focus on playing hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers.” …
Flyers shut out Maple Leafs in preseason opener
It was a predictable moment, though the dance did not involve two typical partners. Midway through the third period, Tom Sestito pummeled former Flyer Joffrey Lupul into the ground. The massive fighter who is vying for a roster spot in Philadelphia squared off against Toronto’s underperforming scorer. It was not exactly a marquee matchup. Nevertheless, it was an landmark moment. Though Lupul has not donned the Orange and Black since being traded for Chris Pronger in the Summer of 2009, he was still part of the Center City crew that ran this team. Unlike many others who went on to play …
How many goals will Wayne Simmonds Score?
In his first three NHL seasons, Wayne Simmonds scored 39 total goals, including a career-high 16 goals in 2010. His numbers place him slightly above what Scott Hartnell did in his first three seasons. During his fourth, Hartnell scored 18 goals and 33 points. Many believe Simmnods can break the 20 goal plateau this season. What do you think?
Flyers sign Simmonds
This afternoon, the Flyers announced that the team signed winger, Wayne Simmonds, to a multi-year contract. Simmonds, 22, was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Mike Richards trade. In 240 games, he has 39 goals and 54 assists. According to Tim Panaccio, the deal is for two years with a cap hit of $1.75 million.
Putting some of the roster changes in perspective
In order to make sense of the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Holmgren, we need to compare these roster changes to a version of the 2010 Flyers and see how those parts changed. Here is a look at that the forwards from team: Gagne – Richards – Carter Hartnell – Briere – Leino JvR – Giroux – Asham Carcillo/Powe – Betts – Laperriere So, what’s different? A lot, on paper. Here’s my attempt at projecting the 2012 offensive lines, barring any other changes: JvR – Giroux – Voracek Hartnell – Briere – Jagr Nodl – Schenn – Simmonds …
Let the dust settle
Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it. The Flyers finally have their bona-fide starter. They have some size and grit. They have wingers. They have cap space, and draft picks, and prospects. As Dick Enberg is fond of saying…Oh my! They got all of the assets that we perceived to be lacking in the franchise and for the low, low price of the captain and one of the alternates. The cost is nothing more than a top-tier, team-leading scorer and a heart-and-soul, leave-it-all-on-the-ice leader. Really, it’s a mere pittance. First-line centers. Cornerstones. Franchise players. That’s it. Anyone …
Captain Richards dealt to Kings
In yet another blockbuster move, captain Mike Richards is captain no more, traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, as well as a second-round draft pick in 2012. “Yeah, I was…I got a call early in the afternoon from my agent. He just kinda gave me the rundown of what he knew and how everything progressed. I started hearing more and more, but I actually ended up hearing about it on the internet. At first I was shocked, and then I was excited,” said Richards of those tense minutes this afternoon as …