The NHL announced the complete order of selection for next week's NHL draft.
We knew the Flyers had the 27th pick in the first round. At this point, they only have four picks. The others are 118th, 178th and 208th.
Ed Barkowitz has more on this in today's Daily News.
Sami Kapanen told a Finnish newspaper that he is returning to the team he co-owns in Finland, essentially retiring from the NHL.
The news seemed to be a surprise to the Flyers, when the Daily News contacted them last night.
Interestingly, Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, who also is a part-owner of the team that Kapanen will be playing for, told Comcast SportsNet that the move does not surprise him. He said he and Kapanen had talked about the future at great length, adding that Kapanen was disappointed with his role with the Flyers, as a fourth-liner.
Kapanen was a popular player with the fans and never more so when then-coach Ken Hitchcock moved him back to defense to help in a dire situation in the postseason a few years ago.
If Kapanen does not return for the final year of his contract, the Flyers will save $1.25 million. That could be more money added to the Jeff Carter Fund or the Puck-Moving Defenseman Fund.
We expect to hear something from the Flyers today.
*
By the way, what a fun game to watch last night/early this morning with Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. Not sure the Penguins can force a Game 7, but let's hope Wednesday night's game is at least as entertaining.
Here in Pittsburgh for Game 3. So far, the Penguins have been completely, absolutely dominated by the Detroit Red Wings. You might not have heard, but the Pens have yet to score a goal in two games. Evgeni Malkin looks particularly lost, but he really is not alone, wandering in the wilderness that is the neutral zone.
So, this is it for the Pens; duh, etc. But watching this series, you cannot help but wonder about the Flyers, and how thoroughly they were dominated by the Penguins in the conference finals. And while there is no transitive property in sports, you have to think that if the Flyers are that far behind the Penguins, and the Penguins are that far behind the Red Wings...
Or do you?
The Flyers made a great run, getting past Washington and Montreal, but does that have any meaning in the grand scheme? It was great fun, but was it a mirage given what we are seeing now in the Finals.
I mean, was it?
---------- ---------- ----------
Good start for Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury -- he didn't trip this time as he came out of the tunnel before the game.
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Midway through the first period, the shots are Detroit 6, Penguins 1. The Pens' Ryan Malone had two decent chances on an early power play, but that has been that. They can't gain the zone at all, and every time you think they might be coming on a break, it turns out to be 2 on 4.
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A total turnaround in the last 5 minutes of the period, and the Penguins have a 1-0 lead.
The momentum changed when Pens coach Michel Therrien sent Sidney Crosby out on a line with Malkin for the first time in the game (other than on a power play). It created some energy, and gave the Pens some sustained puck possession in the offensive zone, and they continued on for the rest of the period.
The goal came off of a Red Wings mistake, a pass from Brad Stuart to Jakub Kindl that Kindl couldn't handle in his skates. Marian Hossa gathered up the turnover and got the puck to Crosby, who didn't miss. The goal came at 17:25.
Shots were Detroit 9, Penguins 6 (after being 9-1). And, at the end of the period, Marian Hossa missed a golden chance in the slot on a power play.
Do we have a series?
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Now, it's 2-0 Pens.
Crosby, again -- this time on a power play, on a rebound of a shot by Hossa. Crosby was all alone, behind Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart. The Red Wings have gotten nothing going in the first 6 minutes of this period -- a total momentum shift from early in the first.
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Detroit has come back to make it 2-1 on a power play goal at 14:48 of the second by Johan Franzen. It was a great individual move around two Penguins by Franzen, who has returned in this series from a concussion. He now has 13 goals in a great playoff run.
Right after the goal, Therrien sent Crosby and Malkin out together again for the Penguins, and they immediately restored some emotional order after the Detroit goal quieted the building.
Period ends at 2-1. Shots are 19-18, Pens. It's been a really good game so far.
The Daily News reported today on comments made by NHL commish Gary Bettman over the weekend about the Flyers and Penguins potentially playing outdoors in State College. Here is the story.
As a hockey fan, what do you think about the prospects for the game? If this game were held in late November in State College, would you make the trip.
Working on the assummption that Jason Smith will not be back with the Flyers, the question is who will wear the "C" next season.
The obvious answer is Mike Richards, although it does not seem obvious to Richards himself. We also recognize that Richards is a modest guy from Northwest Ontario who rarely likes to speak about himself.
So, we ask you who should be the 12th Flyers captain since Bob Clarke?
From Ed Barkowitz ...
With the Flyers likely to be in the market for a defenseman this offseason, here is a look at some of the top unrestricted free agent blue-liners with their stats and salary from the 2007-08 regular season:
Defenseman, , Age*, Ht/Wt., Games, G-A-Pts., Salary
Brian Campbell, SJ, 29, 5-11/191, 83, 8-54-62, $1.75 mil.
Mark Streit, Mont., 30, 6-0/198, 81, 13-49-62, $600,000
Michal Rozsival, NYR, 30, 6-2/212, 80, 13-25-38, $2.3 mil.
Wade Redden, Ott., 31, 6-2/208, 80, 6-32-38, $6.5 mil.
John-Michael Liles, Col., 28, 5-10/185, 81, 6-26-32, $1.4 mil.
Brad Stuart, Det., 28, 6-2/220, 72, 6-17-23, $3.5 mil.
* Age as of Oct. 1, 2008.
As noted previously, much of the talk has focused on Campbell, although Liles seems to be drawing some interest among the fans.
*
On another note, lots of discussion on this board about the future of the Penguins and whether they can keep the team together. Ron Cook, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, tackles that subject in his column today.
From Ed Barkowitz, at the Skate Zone today ...
The Flyers benefited from the development of their young players late in the regular season and into the postseason. Coach John Stevens is counting on two of his youngsters to maintain themselves physically during the offseason. If so, they will be even more important components by the time next training camp rolls around.
"That’s going to be up to them," Stevens said Tuesday from the team's practice facility in Voorhees. "We love what we see out of our young players. They’ve got great team values. They’re very competitive and they have a skill level that should allow them to be NHL players. Whether that happens next year or not is going to be up to them.
"This is a critical summer for our team and certainly for our young players. We asked for a big commitment last year and it needs to be an even bigger commitment this year. For guys like Steve Downie and Ryan Parent, their preparation over the summer is critical. They are going to be given every opportunity next year to earn a spot on our team."
Peter Luukko described the Flyers' playoff performance as "step one." The Flyers president also talked Sunday of "adding a piece here or there" and saying, "I don't think we have a lot to do."
While certainly not seeking the dramatic steps that typified last offseason, the Flyers do have some things to do in order to build on this season and try to go even further next season.
In a salary-cap world, making the right moves is key because it is more difficult than it once was just to spend your errors away. The cap is expected to increase for next season, but the Flyers will not have enough room to make a major splash in free agency unless they make some trades or buy out a long-term contract or two.
Let's look at some of the offseason issues facing the Flyers.
1. Improving the defense. Everyone agrees they need a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. The name most often mentioned is San Jose's Brian Campbell, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Campbell, who turns 29 this week, was a teammate of Danny Briere and Marty Biron in Buffalo. The problem is he could command upwards of $7 million a year.
Many Flyers fans probably best remember Campbell, then with the Sabres, for the crushing hit on R.J. Umberger in Game 1 of the 2006 playoffs.
2. Their own unrestricted free agents. The Flyers have four unrestricted free agents.
* Jason Smith, $1.976 million in 2007-08. During the regular season, the team captain was rumored to be gone for New Jersey once free agency began. The money the Flyers would save by letting the 34-year-old Smith go could be part of what is needed to bring in a younger blue-liner.
* Vaclav Prospal, $1.9 million in 2007-08. His return for next season was something fans wanted a few weeks ago, but his performance in the last two series has led to questions about whether he will be back. As a side note, Chris Therien said the other day that Prospal loves to play golf every day during the season and would rather play in a warm-weather city.
* Jaroslav Modry, $1.2 million in 2007-08. Modry was a nice pickup, but he did not dress in the final game, with coach John Stevens opting to keep youngster Ryan Parent in the lineup. Granted, the playoffs were a tough time for Modry with the death of his father. However, given his salary, he seems expendable, although the look of the defense will be severely impacted by Derian Hatcher's future.
* Jim Dowd, $500,000 in 2007-08. The veteran journeyman was a nice addition to the fourth line and was solid on faceoffs.
3. Their own restricted free agents. The Flyers have five, with several of them expected to attract some attention from other teams, despite the stiff price the team that signs a restricted free agent has to pay. For example, a team that signed Jeff Carter away from the Flyers would have to pay two first-round picks, a second-rounder and a third-rounder.
Carter ($942,000 this season), R.J. Umberger ($1.25 million) and Randy Jones ($525,00) all played well in the playoffs and increased their value. With his performance in the second round alone, Umberger made himself some money. That, however, might end up meaning he does not return to the Flyers. Paul Holmgren has made it clear that the Flyers will either sign Carter or match whatever offer is made for him. A team might throw out an offer of $5 million for Carter, in part to make life difficult for the Flyers.
The other two restricted free agents are Patrick Thoresen ($542,000 this season) and Riley Cote ($500,000).
4. Marty Biron: After his playoff performance, will the goalie be looking for an extension? Biron signed a 2-year deal valued at $7 million in March 2007 so he will be heading into the final year of his contract. There has been no public indication to this point at least that this is on the agenda for the offseason.
So, if you were Paul Holmgren, what would your priorities be? Who would you re-sign? Who would you pursue in free agency? How would you proceed to help this team take another step?
Here is a look at the coverage of the end of the Flyers' playoff run and the Penguins' 6-0 win Sunday that sent Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup finals ...
From the Daily News
Ed Moran: Penguins end Flyers' season
Rich Hofmann: Philly's 100th season without a title
Sam Donnellon: Penguins are Flyers' models and rivals for the future
More Moran: Holmgren's offseason slogan: Who and how much?
More Moran: Stevens never doubted his team
Paul Vigna: The bad and the ugly
Game 5 recap
Dafney Tales: Fans react
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dave Molinari: Penguins punch ticket to Stanley Cup finals
Ron Cook: Can't touch Sid the Kid for playoff experience
Gene Collier: Comforts of home adding up for Malone
Shelly Anderson: Friendly Fleury shows some flash in postseason
More Molinari: Penguins notebook
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Rob Rossi: Pens soar over Flyers, Cup final next
Joe Starkey: Penguins far from satisfied
Kevin Gorman: Pens make return to Cup final for first time in 16 years
Tricia Lafferty: Flyers won't let loss define season
*
We will have another update later today and post some offseason questions for you to ponder.
The Flyers will gather on Tuesday in Voorhees to meet with the media for the last time and pack up the locker room for the offseason.
So, it finally ends. My thoughts are probably your thoughts -- that this Flyers team over-achieved in the playoffs, getting at least one round farther than anyone reasonably expected; that most of the key pieces of the team are young, and that the future remains bright.
One game, however lopsided, does not erase any of that. But one long post-season run does not guarantee anything in the future, either. This, too, we know.
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One, two, three, four, five...we want six!
Hossa, through a screen, second goal of the day. Now, after a few minutes, the say that Pascal Dupuis -- the screener -- deflected it past Biron.
Sixteen minutes to go.
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One, two, three, four...we want five!
With 57.6 seconds left in the period, Jordan Staal whacked in a puck from the slot. It's 5-0.
Then, to add insult to injury, a puck that Patrick Thoresen bodied into the net behind Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was ruled no goal by the officials with about 5 seconds to go in the period, for some unspecified reason. Not that it matters.
This has been a thorough dismantling in an elimination game. And, somewhere, Roman Cechmanek is smiling.
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Four-zip. This time, a power play goal. This time, another deflected shot, originally taken by Sergei Gonchar, was redirected behind Biron. They gave the goal to Sidney Crosby, but it also hit Malone along the way.
Complete butt-kicking at this point.
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Well, that's about it.
At 8:24, Marian Hossa blasted a puck over Biron's shoulder from just about the faceoff dot to Biron's right. That's 3-0. And now, barring some kind of miracle, it is all over for the Flyers, all over but the gratuitous violence.
After all, there are still 31 minutes to go.
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Nothing for the Flyers on that initial power play, only one good scoring chance in the first 7 minutes of the period -- Scott Hartnell, on a rebound. But that's it. And we are now starting to see the trap that the Penguins claim they don't play, but which they do. This is probably the earliest they have unfurled it in the series. We'll see if they keep it up. So far, the Flyers have had no answers when the Pens have begun doing their neutral-zone dance.
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The period ends with the Pens up by 2-0, but with a Flyers power play (a high stick on Malone at 20:00). In addition, Biron and Pens swell guy Jarkko Ruutu went chest-to-chest for a few seconds as the teams left the ice. So there is a pulse, I guess.
The Flyers had only 5 shots in the period, and only one in the second half of the period, which is the story of this series -- their inability to control the puck in the Penguins' end. The Flyers had a power play at the end of the period and got nothing done. To be fair, though, the ice here again appears to be lousy. At the end of periods, especially, the puck is jumping around and bouncing all over the place. It's a tough time to have a power play, a tough time to try to make any kind of skilled play.
They'll have a clean sheet and a power play to start the second period. It would seem to be a pretty important part of the game for the Flyers if they have any hope of coming back before the Penguins go into total lockdown mode.
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Now it's 2-0. Another odd goal. This time, Biron went behind the net to play the puck and lost his stick as he and Malone banged against the boards -- Malone pinned it against the wall. So, back in the net, without the stick, Biron was pretty helpless a few seconds later when Evgeni Malkin shoveled the puck through him on a wraparound. Biron appealed for some kind of help from the referees, but what were they supposed to do?
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Eleven minutes to go in the first, and it's been an odd kind of game so far. The Penguins were not shot out of a canon. They are not coming at the Flyers in waves. And while the Flyers haven't yet turned them into great chances yet, the Pens are really loose with the puck in their own end so far, kind of scrambly.
Biron just made a nice stop on Malone from in the slot, but it's all been fairly quiet -- not the emotion I expected, not from the Pens. What they have is a goal deflected in off of a skate, and that's it.
Of course, danger always lurks.
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First test: Mike Knuble for hooking at 2:18 -- and, just like that, the Penguins score. Twelve seconds after the start of the power play, Ryan Malone has a shot deflect in off of his skate and past Biron. The play was reviewed, quickly, and the goal was OK'd.
So, 1-0 Pens. Exactly what the Flyers didn't need.
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Outside of Mellon Arena, several Penguins fans gathered to display their latest handiwork: a dummy, dressed in a Flyers sweater, hanged by its neck and dangling above a gathering crowd. One of the guys had a bugle. He played "Taps," slowly, mournfully, somewhat accurately.
You do not get the impression, just talking to people, that anybody is nervous around here yet. That cannot really happen until, say, the third period today. If the Flyers were to hang around that long, hang around and remain intact, be tied or with a lead after 40 minutes, people might be able to detect a tightening of the municipal sphincter. But not until then -- and, for the Flyers to hang around that long, against what is expected to be a real emotional onslaught at the start, it will really take some doing.
I wrote a column about this after Game 4 and I will repeat it now: Marty Biron will have to be as good as he has been all spring, and probably better, if the Flyers are to get through this.
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One other note. In the starting lineup, Kimmo Timonen will be paired with Randy Jones in his return to the ice -- at least that's how it's starting. And, with Timonen's arrival, someone has to sit -- and that is defenseman Jaroslav Modry. Ryan Parent has earned another game with his solid, unspectacular play.
It has played out as most people figured it would in the last 48 hours:
Kimmo Timonen, despite a blood clot in his ankle, will play today in Game 5 of the Flyers-Penguins series. But Braydon Coburn, who suffered a 50-stitch cut from a deflected puck in Game 2, will not play.
"In his mind, he just doesn't feel right," Flyers coach John Stevens said, about a half-hour ago. "He sees well but he's just getting back on the ice and he just doesn't feel right. He's getting better as he moves along, but he's just not ready."
There has been no diagnosis of a concussion, but getting whacked in the head with a flying object has obviously had an effect beyond the cut. So, we'll see.
One unanswered question: who will Timonen, the Flyers' best defenseman, be paired with in his first appearance in the series? Coburn is his regular partner.
As the series shifts back to Pittsburgh, we figured we would again provide an update on our selection contest from before the series began and then noticed a little problem.
Of the 125 entrants, this is what remains:
Flyers in 7: 33
Penguins in 6: 9
Penguins in 7: 3
No one picked the Penguins in 5.
UPDATE: We will have to get on the accounting department since we rechecked the thread and there are six people who selected the Penguins in 5. If the series ends Sunday, one of them would win based on the tiebreaker, and assuming they meet the eligibility requirements.
As we posted yesterday, the big news regarding the Flyers is the possibility that defenseman Kimmo Timonen could return for Game 5. It seems likely that Ryan Parent would remain in the lineup and Jaroslav Modry would come out.
And for those of you who like to pick on Sidney Crosby, be sure to check out Les Bowen's second story listed here with Mike Richards talking about his scrum with Crosby the other night.
Here is more on that and other news. heading into Game 5 ...
From the Daily News
Les Bowen: Timonen hopeful of playing after solo skate
More Bowen: Both sides reflect on Crosby-Richards tussle
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dave Molinari: Penguins' home-ice advantage in play
Bob Smicik: Malkin's line must kick back into high gear
More Molinari: Penguins notes
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Kevin Gorman: Timonen could return
More Gorman: Malkin scoreless since Game 1
Rob Rossi: Who is responsible for Pens' power play
This is making the rounds today on the various hockey blogs we check and began on a Pens message board this morning ...
Shop.com already has the Penguins Eastern Conference champions locker room hat available for sale for $28.99, according to Sean Leahy from GoingFiveHole.
In case you were curious, there is no companion Flyers hat available, figuring the merchandise gurus were just working ahead.
This was sent to us by a Flyers fan who felt the Flyers were being disrespected.
It's probably a little tacky that there was not some mechanism for this not to appear on the Web site, given the results of last night's game. The Penguins could have clinched the series Thursday night and the hats needed to be ready for potential sale today. That they exist is not the problem; that you can presumably buy them before the series ends just seems like bad form.
*
The news of the day from Flyers practice is injury updates on Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Timonen seems much more likely to play Sunday, but Coburn remains a possibility, Les Bowen reports
All around the coverage of the Flyers' 4-2 win in Game 4 ...
From the Daily News
Ed Moran: Flyers avoid elimination
Rich Hofmann: Flyers' best hope still rides with Biron
Sam Donnellon: Hartnell pours his heart out for Flyers
Les Bowen: Stevens pulls the right switch
Ed Barkowitz: Flyers get up close and personal with Fleury
More Hofmann: Disappointed Coburn misses Game 4
Three stars
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dave Molinari: Flyers hold on to top Penguins
Gene Collier: Sloppy first period a killer
More Molinari: Pneumonia forces Roberts out of lineup
From the Tribune-Review
Rob Rossi: Pens denied sweep
Joe Starkey: Penguins need to end it
Mike Prisuta: Flyers' adjustments pay off
Box score
Game summary
Event summary
Play-by-play
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Crosby and Richards, also dancing, with 14.9 seconds to go.
Purists cringe.
Megadeath Center is entertained.
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Derian Hatcher and Ryan Malone, one last dance with 22.8 second left.
Hatcher wins on points.
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Lupul into the empty net with 32.3 seconds to go.
That's 4-2, and that's that.
Game 5, Sunday in Pittsburgh.
---------- ---------- ----------
Goalie out for Pittsburgh with 1:05 to go.
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Flyers are hanging on, 1:22 to go.
Desperate people are really loud, it turns out.
Timeout, Pittsburgh.
Booooooo.
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Yikes, officially.
Staal, again -- this time from in the slot, unmarked, on a pass from behind the net from Max Talbot.
It's 3-2 with 5:49 remaining.
Yikes, officially.
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The waves have stopped crashing.
The Flyers have regained their footing.
Seven minutes to go.
---------- ---------- ----------
Waves of pressure by Pittsburgh now.
Pucks whistling through the slot.
Ten minutes to go.
---------- ---------- ----------
Crosby from the slot, into Biron's body.
Crosby is being booed at every turn now.
12:45 to go.
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Fourteen minutes to go. The Penguins now lead in shots, 30-28. It is a fair measure of what is happening. This has a chance to get a little more interesting. Normally, when it's 2-1, the easy cliche is, "Next goal wins." Tonight, at 3-1, I kind of have that feeling.
---------- ---------- ----------
Well, it's 3-1. The Pens' Jordan Staal has scored on a really funky goal, one involving a shot from behind the goal line and a three-cushion bank shot in front. I'm still not sure who it hit, or how it squeezed between Biron's pad and the post. But there it is, 3-1.
Building is a little quieter.
---------- ---------- ----------
Still 3-0 at the end of the second. Flyers lead in shots, 26-25.
It's in the bag, right?
---------- ---------- ----------
Jeff Carter for tripping at 14:17. It is the Penguins' first power play in nearly 30 minutes.
---------- ---------- ----------
The Penguins haven't rolled over, not by any stretch. With 7 minutes to go, we've just seen a really exciting few minutes, up and down, a lot of puck possession by the Pens, chances both ways.
Prediction: if the Flyers were to give one up here, before the end of the period, it might get a little bit interesting.
---------- ---------- ----------
Five minutes in, Fleury makes a great stop on Briere -- great, stack the pads stop. But the Flyers still look very good here.
---------- ---------- ----------
Now, it's 3-0 -- Jeff Carter this time, banging one in from right on the doorstep on a power play.
At the end of the first period, it is now all Flyers. Shots on goal are 17-13, and the whole thing feels different.
The big change? Traffic in front of Fleury. The Flyers are parked in his lap and it is making an enormous difference. They are finally, finally, finally playing their game -- which is not always about beautiful but more often about messy, elbowy, all of that stuff.
About time, you say?
---------- ---------- ----------
Now it's 2-0.Briere fought his way through the crease to bang in a big, juicy rebound on the power play.
---------- ---------- ----------
After more pressure, the Flyers get the 1-0 lead.
On the rush, Joffrey Lupul fired from about 40 feet, the shot deflected off of the stick of Pens defenseman Hal Gill and sailed over the shoulder of Fleury.
A pair of 18's trade breakaways during the penalty.
Richards shoots wide.
Marian Hossa, saved by Marty Biron.
---------- ---------- ----------
In the first 6 minutes, the Pens lead in shots, 6-3. It's pretty wide open, and the Flyers have had a decent amount of puck possession.
But, now, the first hurdle:
Danny Briere, tripping, 5:50.
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Scott Hartnell is stopped on the doorstep.
Mike Richards whistles one wide on the rush.
And we begin, loudly.
---------- ---------- ----------
For whatever it's worth, Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury looks terrible in warmups. He isn't stopping anything. Whether that is meaningful or not, we will find out soon enough.
And, in case you missed it, here's a story in today's Daily News about history and 3-0 deficits in the NHL playoffs. It's interesting. You can decide if it's plausible.
Then again, the Flyers will tell us soon enough.
After a day of hope, the decision came down this morning that Braydon Coburn, who took a 50-stitch cut around his left eye in Game 2, will not be able to play tonight in Game 4.
"We were hopeful yesterday," Flyers coach John Stevens said, after this morning's pre-game skate. "He got on the ice a little bit, but still not ready to play. I think he's getting closer, but definitely not playing tonight."
Later, Stevens added, "I mean, we're not going to put anybody back in the lineup if we don't feel they're ready to play, and clearly that's the case right now. He's a young kid that wants to play. He's really kind of distraught right now that he's not able to play. But we're hopeful we'll win this game today, and we have a couple of days before we play again, and hopefully we can get him back."
Ryan Parent again will take Coburn's place on defense. The only other lineup change, as expected, is that Patrick Thoresen will play tonight in place of Steve Downie.
The Flyers' remarkable turnaround season could end tonight with a sweep in the Eastern Conference finals.
No one could have expected the Flyers to get this far after finishing in last place in the NHL last season. They have made major strides and have some more to go. But that will not take some of the sting away for Flyers fans.
The question of the day really is, what are you expecting tonight?
*
Here is the coverage in advance of tonight's Game 4 ...
From the Daily News
Ed Moran: Stevens make line changes, Coburn possible
Rich Hofmann: Offensive Penguins surprising Flyers on defensive end
Mark Kram: Success in faceoff circle often shapes victories
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dave Molinari: Hossa turning into a perfect wingman for Crosby
Gene Collier: No one expected Penguins' blitz
More Molinari: Penguins remaining on even keel
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Rob Rossi: Penguins set speed trap
Mike Prisuta: Pens made great strides in short time
Joe Starkey: Desperate Flyers look for opening
Staff: Pens could take lesson from Lemieux
Wrapping up the coverage of last night's Game 3, a 4-1 loss by the Flyers that puts them in a 3-0 hole. Game 4 is Thursday night at the Wachovia Center.
From the Daily News
Ed Moran: Penguins sweep an extinct possibility
Rich Hofmann: Miscue by Downie a real downer
Sam Donnellon: Heart is there but the legs are not
John Smallwood: Flyers' goal: Don't get swept
Ed Barkowitz: Even without a goal, Crosby a leader for Penguins
More Hofmann: Coburn says he will play once swelling goes down
More Barkowitz: Flyers pay tribute to fallen officer
Game 3 recap
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dave Molinari: Road sweet road
Gene Collier: It's sinking in, Penguins are for real
Shelly Anderson: Flyers shocked and still with no answers
More Molinari: Penguins notebook
From the Tribune-Review
Rob Rossi: Pens push Flyers to the brink
Joe Starkey: Flyers never really had a chance
Mike Prisuta: Briere, Propsal still silent
More Prisuta: Pens aware of Red Wings
Box score
Game summary
Event summary
Play-by-play
---------- ---------- ----------
Hossa into the empty net.
Good night, good hockey.
---------- ---------- ----------
Richards hits the post.
Six minutes to go.
---------- ---------- ----------
Killer goal at 9:58 for the Pens. Killer turnover, again, for Steve Downie, just like in Game 2. Trying to throw a cross-ice pass in the offensive end, the puck was picked off by Malkin and the Pens came in on a rush. Ryan Malone ended up scoring the goal to make it 3-1.
---------- ---------- ----------
It is getting a little bit interesting. The Penguins seem to be caught up a little bit in their passivity, and the Flyers are pressing them a little bit. It isn't overwhelming or anything, but it is there. Carter is having a good game but he can't convert a chance. The Flyers find themselves right in this thing, at least for now, with 13 minutes to go.
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At the end of the second period, it's still 2-1. The shots are also in favor of the Penguins, 17-8. The Flyers had only three shots on goal in the second period. They are in the odd position of probably having more scoring chances than they have shots on goal. They have been pretty close to scoring a few times here but haven't been able to finish. Again, though, you really kind of get the impression that the Pens figure they can open up their game and score again if they need to score again. Until then, they are playing a pretty buttoned-up style.
A tying goal, of course, would entirely change the emotional dynamic in the building. But, short of that, the Penguins seem pretty content to play it safely and patiently.
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Carter has had a couple of good chances this period, without scoring. But you watch the Pens and it's funny -- it's as if they think they have scored enough. They're kind of trapping, just sitting back, not really forechecking a ton, not forcing anything.
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Scott Hartnell is hurt after burying one of the Penguins into the glass behind Fleury. He is on the bench, doubled-over in pain. But, after a minute or 2, it looks as if he might be OK. And he's out for the next shift.
The Flyers have had a few chances here, but they're trading a bit with the Pens. It is exciting, but dangerous.
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Mike Richards, shorthanded, in alone, threatening to add to the storybook of his series -- but Sergei Gonchar made a great dive in which he got the puck with his stick, and then tripped Richards simultaneously. No goal, no penalty, good decision by referee Bill McCreary. Richards ended up crashing into Fleury.
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With the Pens caught in a line change, Jeff Carter had a great chance in the slot, on the rush, that Fleury managed to save. And, a few seconds later, Scottie Upshall was whistled for tripping Malkin, sticking out his leg. It erased any stirrings of momentum that the Flyers had generated.
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Kind of a nothing second period so far. After 6 1/2 minutes, the Pens have 3 shots and the Flyers have 1.
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First period ends a 2-1, Pens. Shots are in favor of the Pens, too, 8-5.
It is clear which is the better team. But the Flyers are competitive, and they have gotten a little more traffic in front of Pens goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury than they did in the first two games. They still haven't possessed the puck enough in the offensive end, but they are not out of this game. But that's about all you can say.
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Pens coach Michel Therrien had Crosby and Malkin out for one shift together so far. It was scary enough that you wonder why he doesn't do it more often.
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Well, there's some life.
After a 4-on-3 power play where Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul missed glorious chances, RJ Umberger has cut it to 2-1, scoring on a rebound of a failed wraparound by Prospal. Time of the goal was 10:59.
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Uh, oh. Marian Hossa fires from about 35 feet out, and Flyers defenseman Lasse Kukkonen might or might not have screened Marty Biron, but the puck got by on the stick side and it's now 2-0 and they haven't yet played 8 minutes. Repeat, underlined: uh, oh.
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First test: Derian Hatcher for hooking Evgeni Malkin at 3:33.
First failed test: A Ryan Whitney centering pass appeared to deflect off of Jason Smith and into the Flyers' net. It's 1-0, Pens.
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After a moving tribute to slain police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski and the playing of God Bless America, we begin. Loudly.
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f the starting lineups are any indication, Stevens wants to get the Briere line out against the Penguins' third line, centered by Jordan Staal.
And, as he said this morning, Stevens has started out by pairing Parent with captain Jason Smith.
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A half-hour before game time, we haven't yet seen the lineups -- but at the skate this morning, Flyers coach John Stevens said there would be no changes other than Ryan Parent replacing the injured Braydon Coburn on defense.
As for his line combinations, Stevens showed nothing different at the skate. Whether or not that holds up this evening is anybody's guess. But the initial supposition is that he is going to give Danny Briere, Vinny Prospal and Scott Hartnell one more chance to leave an imprint on this series. So far, they have been silent.
Stevens said, "To me, it's in the hands of the players right now...I would expect a big game out of that line tonight."
But if the team starts slowly, a shakeup remains what might be the last card Stevens can play. We'll see.
Braydon Coburn at this morning's conference. (Photo: Comcast SportsNet) |
Read Rich Hofmann's report and an update on Coburn's status.
* From the Penguins' morning skate ...
* Jordan Staal, the Pens' 19-year-old center, was dealing with the death of his grandfather. Staal was expected to play Tuesday night, then headed Canada for the funeral, and rejoin the team Wednesday.
* Forward Gary Roberts was sick and is a game-time decision
* More updates later and of course, Rich will have our live blog coverage of tonight's Game 2.
We are not breaking any news when we say that a Flyers loss Tuesday night would put them in a near-insurmountable 3-0 hole to the Penguins.
The trend is on the Flyers' side, however: The Flyers have won six of the last seven and seven of the last nine when facing a 2-0 deficit in a seven-game series.
A few things we think worth watching:
* Home-ice advantage: The Penguins have only lost once in the playoffs and that was at Madison Square Garden. That is not much to cling to, but it's better than facing the 15-game winning streak they have at the Igloo. The Flyers are 4-1 at home and you can expect the Wachovia Center to be loud.
* Numbers game on defense: Bottom line is that the Flyers have lost their two best defenseman in Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. Ryan Parent figures to take Coburn's spot in the lineup, but he is a rookie, although any ice time will help ease the load from Game 2. Derian Hatcher and Jason Smith simply cannot play that many minutes.
* Star system: While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were hitting the scoresheet over and over, the Flyers' best players simply were not playing their best (other than Mike Richards). Danny Briere and Vinny Prospal were each a minus-2 in the first game. Briere was minus-1 in Game 2 and Prospal was even. Briere has taken three shots in the first two games; Prospal has taken five. Briere is also a combined 11 for 26 on faceoffs. The magic these two had earlier in the playoffs needs to return, and return quickly.
* The goalie: Martin Biron has not played badly, but sometimes the goalie needs to bail out the team in front of him. That might be Biron's fate for the rest of the series.
* The power play: The Flyers had the second-best power play in the league during the regular season and are 1-for-6 in the series. A big factor there, of course, is that Timonen is not on the ice.
Tell us what you will be watching and your keys to the game.
From Sam Donnellon at Flyers' practice this afternoon:
Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn is considered "probably doubtful" for tomorrow night's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh, general manager Paul Holmgren said today.
Coburn required more than 50 stitches to close a circular cut around his left eye suffered early in the Flyers' 4-2 loss Sunday night in Game 2.
Coburn was struck by a puck shot by Pittsburgh's Sergei Gonchar and tipped by Evgeni Malkin early in the first period.
He was to be checked by an opthomologist today for precautionary reasons, although Holmgren said, "We have no reason to think there is anything wrong with the eye."
Coburn lost a lot of blood after the injury and was lightheaded and threw up several times on the team charter back from Pittsburgh, Holmgren said. Holmgren said the team does not believe Coburn had a concussion.
As for the tests to this point, Holmgren said, "Everything checks out."
Ryan Parent will take Coburn's place in the lineup Tuesday night at the Wachovia Center, with the Flyers trailing by two games to none.
Coburn could return Thursday and is expected to wear a protective facemask.
We had wanted to get to this over the weekend, but thought it would be interesting to look at the predictions you made in our "Pick the Series" contest.
We have 125 entrants that responded by 7:30 p.m. Friday. Here is the breakdown:
Flyers in 6: 61
Flyers in 7: 33
Penguins in 6: 9
Flyers in 5: 8
Penguins in 7: 3
Penguins in 4: 3
Flyers in 4: 2
Obviously, the tiebreakers will come into play and we won't check the eligibility until we have the result of the series.
Every mistake -- big or small -- is magnified at this time of year, with so much at stake.
Give credit to the Flyers' Steve Downie for answering questions after last night's game about his costly turnover that led to the game-winning goal.
"It cost us the game. We played well all night, and it cost us a goal ...
"The puck came up my wall. I tried to clear it. It cost us a goal. I just fanned on the puck. Didn't get it out. Simple as that ...
"No excuses. No excuses. That puck's got to go out. I didn't get it out."
Downie was inserted into the lineup in the one change that coach John Stevens made from Game 1. Patrick Thoresen was a healthy scratch. The intention was to help the Flyers on the forecheck and add more offense to the fourth line.
Wrapping up the coverage of Sunday night's Game 2 in Pittsburgh:
From the Daily News:
Ed Moran: Penguins take 2-0 lead in Eastern Conference finals
Rich Hofmann: Steady Richards doing all he can
Jim Rodenbush: Penguins star Crosby returns to form
More Moran: Flyers notes
Game 2 recap
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Dave Molinari: Penguins lead series, 2-0
Bob Smizik: Fleury flowering at the right time
Ron Cook: Talbot a hero for night after return
Shelly Anderson: Lineup change costly for 'big-game player'
More Molinari: Eaton's return unlikely for playoffs
From the Tribune-Review
Rob Rossi: Talbot breaks Philly's heart
Joe Starkey: Therrien, Talbot show magic touch
Keith Barnes: Flyers' new approach fails
Mike Prisuta: Pens' Therrien looking at the big picture
Box score
Game summary
Event summary
Play-by-play
An empty-netter ends it. Final score: Pens 4, Flyers 2 -- just like in Game 1.
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The Pens break the tie. After Steve Downie flubbed a clearing attempt along the boards, the Penguins pulled ahead by 3-2. Maxime Talbot scored it, alone in front, on a pass from Gary Roberts.
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For the first time in the series, there is real tension in the building. Tie game, third period, 13 minutes to go, conference finals -- it is an agonizing bit of business, and it is starting to show. Everybody on both teams knows that while one great play might decide it, it's probably more likely that one great mistake will be the difference.
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Out of nowhere, it's tied at 2-2. Shorthanded, Mike Richards picked off a puck at his own blue line and skated in on a breakaway and scored on a forehand. Unassisted, shorthanded, with 26.2 seconds left in the period, the Flyers again have life.
The Flyers played a solid 10 minutes in the middle of the period and appeared to take some of the play away from the Pens, but then the Penguins began to dominate again. The Richards goal was enormous. It really does give them a chance here.
Meanwhile, the word on Coburn is gruesome. Daily News colleague Ed Moran is reporting that Coburn required more than 40 stitches to close up the cut around his eye. He will not return tonight, for sure.
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More bad news. Danny Briere got clocked by Evgeni Malkin near the end of a shift and went down in a heap. When he got up, he looked very woozy and had trouble getting off of the ice. This bears watching, too.
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With 6:26 to go, Hatcher goes off for hooking Malkin, kind of a tough call, and the Pens immediately scored to go ahead. Just 9 seconds into the power play, Marian Hossa took a backhanded whack at a rebound in front of Biron, and it was 2-1.
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Back to back power plays, and the Flyers have tied it. Joffrey Lupul, lidless, passed the puck from the corner to an unchecked Jeff Carter in front, and Carter buried it. So it's 1-1 at 5:46 on the power play. And even for about 2 minutes before the first power play, following a big save by Biron on a 2-on-1, there was a subtle shift in the momentum. Whether the Flyers can sustain it, of course, is the question.
Meanwhile, here is the NHL statement on the goal review in the first period:
"The play at 16:41 of the 1st period in Pittsburgh was reviewed. Since video review of the play proved inconclusive as to if the puck crossed the goal line, the call of no goal on the ice stands. No goal."
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No Coburn to start the second period. He still isn't on the bench, and there still has been no announcement about the injury.
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So, the first period ends with a 1-0 Penguins lead. The Flyers are barely hanging on here. No Timonen. Coburn hasn't returned, and we still have no word on the injury. Offensively, they can't get anything going -- can barely even maintain puck possession in the Penguins' end. As stretched as the defense is, that puck-possession business is the part that will have to change, and soon.
Shots are nine apiece.
Hatcher played 9 minutes, 8 seconds in the first period -- a huge number for him.
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The Flyers just caught a huge break from the replay officials. A puck was shot by Sergei Gonchar, deflected up off of defenseman Derian Hatcher's face and then down toward the goal line, with Crosby whacking away. The call on the ice was that Biron covered it before it crossed the goal line. After an extended delay for review by the NHL video guys in Toronto, it was ruled no goal -- even though, in their hearts, everyone probably thought it was over the line before Biron covered it and brought it back. The problem was that, even though it seemed over, there really was no definitive angle that showed the puck completely over the line.
Huge break for the Flyers. Enormous. And, maybe, we can stop talking about conspiracy theories.
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Check that Biron-is-back stuff. Sidney Crosby just scored the game's first goal from a very severe angle along the goal line, sneaking it between Biron and the post. Yes, it was a power play and, yes, it was still basically a 2-man advantage because a Jeff Carter penalty had only just expired and he hadn't yet re-joined the play, but it wasn't a good goal. You can't be allowing stuff like that to sneak in the short side. So it's 1-0 Pens at 10:48.
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The bad news is that the Flyers' power play is abysmal without Timonen. The good news is that Biron appears to have returned to form, stopping Pacal Dupuis on a shorthanded breakaway.
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The first fight of the series was lots of fun, Scottie Upshall and Tyler Kennedy both landing significant punches, Kennedy early and Upshall late. Later, there was some bumping around goaltender Marty Biron and a few other extracurriculars that landed Georges Laraque in the penalty box for roughing. About this, the Flyers are not unhappy. They want the game played on the edge of mayhem, if they can.
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A terrible first 2 minutes for the Flyers. Coach John Stevens had appeared to change up his defense pairings, putting Braydon Coburn with Jason Smith. Then, a shot by Hal Gill appeared to deflect off of the stick of Evgeni Malkin and hit Coburn somewhere around his eyes. He was bleeding considerably but managed to skate off on his own power. We'll update the severity of the injury when we find out more, but it is a huge blow. Coburn had become the Flyers' de facto No. 1 defenseman in the absence of Kimmo Timonen.
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First, a weather report from inside the Mellon Arena. It used to be called the Igloo, which seems appropriate, because it's freezing in here tonight. Part of it must be because the weather outside has turned, with rain earlier and lashing winds and temperatures around 50 degrees at game time. You wonder, too, if they might have turned up the air conditioning a little, given the obvious deterioration of the ice in Game 1.
For whatever it's worth, an NHL guy in the arena guessed that it was more about weather and wind whistling through gaps in the old building than anything. But the result might -- underlined, might -- be better ice for Game 2.
Only one real bit of news from the Flyers' morning skate: Steve Downie will dress and Patrick Thoresen will sit out tonight in Game 2.
On a night when the Flyers are clearly looking for a harder physical edge and a more persistent attitude, Downie makes sense. But it is always a gamble because of his familiarity with the penalty box. He has played about 26 minutes so far in four playoff games and been in the penalty box for 10 of them. It's too much.
But when you are trying to live your team's life on the physical edge, it is the kind of gamble you take when you are down by one game to none in the conference finals.
The Penguins also will make a change in their lineup with forward Max Talbot returning. He missed the last three games with a foot injury suffered in Game 3 against the New York Rangers when he blocked a shot. Coach Michel Therrien did not say who would come out, but expect it to be Adam Hall.
Because you have to do something after you lose a game in the playoffs -- it's a rule or something -- it appears as if Flyers coach John Stevens is preparing to dress aggressive/sharp elbowed winger Steve Downie for Game 2 on Sunday night.
"He's always been a possibility," Stevens said, though he declined to say the move was a certainty. "...It seems like the bigger the game, the better he plays. He's going to get some consideration."
Downie is the embodiment of the to-the-edge style the Flyers want to play. The problem comes when he strays over the edge and ends up in the penalty box. Everybody knows it, but this obviously an important game if the Flyers are to have a chance in this series.
"I'm going to do my job, get in hard on the puck," Downie said. "That's why I do, try to help out."
Meanwhile, the Flyers continued to say they could play better than they did in Game 1. Their coach essentially challenged them on the off-day to prove it.
"We're going to have to play a lot better," Stevens said, adding that when you get this far into the playoffs, into the conference finals, "I don't think you can play even 85 percent and win. You have to play 100 percent."
And there was this, about the Kimmo Timonen-less defense: "We can talk about our defense but we need a more more from our forwards," Stevens said.
One other note: Derian Hatcher had the day off. "Just a day of rest for the big man," Stevens said. Hatcher is still only about 2 months removed from a broken leg that kept him out of the lineup until the middle of the first round of the playoffs.
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Old pal Ron Cook, a columnist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, got the Flyers' attention with his morning-after column today. After viewing Game 1 of the series, Cook wrote:
Is it too late to pick the Penguins in three games?
OK, enough with the wise-guy stuff, but, really, is there any reason to think the series with the Philadelphia Flyers will go more than four?
I don't see one.
Reality hit the Flyers hard at Mellon Arena last night when the Penguins swarmed them with their world-class talent and won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 4-2. It will rock 'em even harder this morning when they wake up and realize it won't be any easier in the three games ahead without their best player, defenseman Kimmo Timonen.
Talk about your one-two punches.
It's hard to imagine the Flyers getting back up.
Other than that, Cook thought the Flyers were swell in Game 1. Here's the rest of the column. And, well, let's just say that the fellas were made aware of Cook's opinions at practice.
For his part, Stevens downplayed it.
"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion," he said. "I'm sure there's a lot of optimism here. Why wouldn't there be? They're 9-1 in the playoffs, going along pretty good. It's up to us to create the adversity for them.
"I was more upset that the monkey didn't pick us -- he's 1-1," Stevens added, referring to the monkey that picks games on TSN, the Canadian sports network. "He picked up in Round 1 and we won, then he didn't pick us in Round 2. We were hoping he would pick us again..."
Here is a car commercial featuring several Penguins. It is either hilariously bad or hilariously bad on purpose -- not sure which.
Wrapping up the coverage of Friday night's Game 1:
From the Daily News:
Ed Moran: Penguins take opener from Flyers
Rich Hofmann: Missing Timonen wasn't the problem
More Moran: At least Timonen can give advice
More Hofmann: Team moved by slain cop's son
Game 1 recap
Game 1 three stars
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Dave Molinari: Malkin scores twice in Penguins' win
Ron Cook: If Penguins keep this up, Flyers wil be cast aside quickly
Bob Smizik: Malkin, Crosby too tough an assignment
Shelly Anderson: Game 1 loss puts Flyers in familiar spot
More Molinari: Penguins notebook
From the Tribune-Review
Bob Rossi: Malkin scorches Flyers
Mike Prisuta: Flyers play a game they can't win
Keith Barnes: Flyers hope recent history holds true