Eastern Conference

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Marc Staal

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Capitals’ Penalty-Kill

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Michael Del Zotto

Woodward– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Dan Girardi

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Cohen– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Philp– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Philadelphia’s Prolific Power-Play

Muscat– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Levin– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Patrik Elias

Woodward– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur’s Ability To Overcome Father Time

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen–  Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> David Perron

Philp– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> The Blues’ Defense

Muscat– Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> T.J. Oshie

Levin– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Jamie Langenbrunner

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –>Mike Richards

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Fisher

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Levin– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –>Patric Hornqvist

Woodward– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Phoenix’s Secondary Scoring

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit)– Rangers Over Predators

Muscat (Edit)– Blues Over Rangers

Philp (Edit)– Capitals Over Coyotes

Woodward (Original)– Rangers Over Predators

Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Brandon Dubinsky

Muscat– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ryan Callahan

Philp– Rangers win in 5 . X-Factor –> Henrik Lundqvist/Rangers’ Physicality

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Chris Phillips/Filip Kuba

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins

Cohen– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Nicklas Backstrom

Muscat– Bruins win in 4. X-Factor –> Brad Marchand

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Alexander Ovechkin

Woodward– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Boston’s Power-Play

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers

Cohen– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Muscat– Devils win in 5. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> A Healthy Martin Brodeur

Woodward– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> Florida’s Secondary Scoring

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Cohen–  Penguins win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Muscat– Penguins win in 6. X-Factor –> Marc-Andre Fleury

Philp– Penguins win in 5. X-Factor –> Pittsburgh’s Depth/Matt Cooke

Woodward– Flyers win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks

Cohen–  Canucks win in 6. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Philp– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Andy McDonald

Muscat– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Alex Pietrangelo

Philp– Sharks win in 6. X-Factor –> Joe Thornton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Woodward– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Antti Niemi

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Blackhawks win in 6. X-Factor –> Keith Yandle

Muscat– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith/Phoenix Defense

Woodward– Coyotes win in 7. X-Factor –> Corey Crawford

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Muscat– Red Wings win in 7. X-Factor –> Pavel Datsyuk

Philp– Red Wings win in 6. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Special Teams

Woodward– Predators win in 7. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Second Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen– Penguins Over Predators

Muscat– Red Wings Over Penguins

Philp– Red Wings Over Penguins

Woodward– Rangers Over Predators

With Saturday’s conclusion of the regular season and Sunday’s revelation of this year’s postseason match-ups and schedules, now is as good a time as any to make my first round predictions. Today’s blog will feature three of the Eastern Conference’s four series. Being that the Bruins are the team I cover, I’ll have a more detailed preview of their series with the Capitals before it kicks off on Thursday at the TD Garden.

8) Ottawa Senators vs. 1) New York Rangers

Forwards– In years past, the Rangers were thought of as an offensively incapable bunch that could only reach victory through solid defense and world class goaltending. However, that image has been wiped clean this season through the addition of top-line pivot Brad Richards and the finally healthy Marian Gaborik. The Blueshirts have emerged as one of the league’s top offensive squads, posting a 2.71 goals per game average on the season, good for 11th in the NHL. However, an underrated Ottawa forward corps — led by Jason Spezzza and Milan Michalek — have brought the Sens the NHL’s fourth most potent offense this season.

Advantage– Ottawa

Defense– Outside of Norris Trophy favorite Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa d-corps leave a lot to be desired. While Sergei Gonchar is capable of an occasional offensive spark, he’s never been known to handle himself well in his own zone. While Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips do provide the Sens with a solid defensive presence night in and night out, the Ottawa defense group simply can’t compare to the well-rounded Rangers’ blueline. With offensively explosive d-men like Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh to go along with  shut-down rearguards Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, the Blueshirts back-end is one of the best in the league.

Advantage– New York

Goaltending– Despite Craig Anderson’s success in Ottawa over the past two seasons, I think it’s fairly obvious that the Rangers hold the edge here. Henrik Lundqvist can often steal a series on his own.

Advantage– New York

Intangibles– After besting the East’s number one squad on three of four occasions this season, the Sens may hold a bit of a mental edge on the Rangers heading into their series.

Advantage– Ottawa

Prediction– The Sens will make this one a lot closer than many of the experts suggest, forcing the Blueshirts into a decisive seventh game at Madison Square Garden. However, the Rangers’ depth and collective toughness will simply be too much for the Senators.

RANGERS IN 7

6) New Jersey Devils vs. 3) Florida Panthers

Forwards– Up front, the Devils posses far more offensive dynamic forwards than the Cats, with the likes of Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and long-time Devil Patrik Elias. The late-season addition of former Cup winner John Madden will undoubtedly help the Panthers in the experience department, but their lack of production from any offensive unit outside the top line will be the Cats’ eventual unraveling.

Advantage– New Jersey

Defense– Powered by two blueliners who are never shy about jumping into an offensive play in the form of Jason Garisson and Brian Campbell, the Cats’ defensive unit is solid all the way around. Both sides seem to be even in this category.

Advantage– Florida

Goaltending– With the age of veteran ‘tender Martin Brodeur, this one’s a bit more of a toss up than many people think. I’d have to give the Devils the slight edge, just based on the fact that they have a capable backup, should anything happen to the 39-year-old Brodeur.

Advantage– New Jersey

Intangibles– The most interesting stat that I’ve come across here is that the Panthers have more players on their current roster (five) with a Stanley Cup ring than do the Devils (three). I don’t think many of us would have guessed that.

Advantage-- Florida

Prediction– Many pundits have New Jersey pulling off the upset here — if you even want to call it that — and rightfully so. After backing into the post-season, I don’t believe the Cats will be able to take down the Devils in round one.

NEW JERSEY IN 6

5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. 4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Forwards– The Philly offense is deep, strong and fast, but the Crosby and Malkin factor — along with the emergence of James Neal –  give the Pens a decisive advantage in this category.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Defense– If Kris Letang can return to the Norris-favorite form he enjoyed early in the season, the Pens will also hold the advantage on the back-end, but if he can’t, I’d have to give the Flyers the nod, simply because of their amazing defensive depth, in holding eight NHL-capable rearguards.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Goaltending– Without doubt this is the hardest category to predict of them all. Couple Marc-Andre Fluery’s recent struggles with the enigmatic nature of Ilya Bryzgalov and you’ve got a complete and total toss up when it comes to the netminders in this series. Assuming Bryzgalov can return to form, Philadelphia will hold the edge here.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Intangibles– With most of the roster still intact from the 2009 Stanley Cup winning season, the Pens hold a decisive intangible advantage over a rookie-filled Flyers’ lineup.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Prediction– In what will undoubtedly become one of the greatest postseason series in recent memory, these two cross-state rivals will lay it all on the line. In the end, I believe that the Flyers will outlast the Pens, stealing game seven on the ice of the CONSOL Energy Center.

PHILADELPHIA IN 7

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The hatred was brewing early on as Flyers’ rookie Zac Rinaldo and Bruins’ fourth line enforcer Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves just two minutes into action, for round one of what many expected to become a ten-round joust between two of the NHL’s heavyweight squads.

“I’m just trying to help out anyway I can, and that situation, I think it was good in front of a home crowd, just to spark a little life into the team.” – Gregory Campbell

Boston would jump out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:23 mark of the opening frame when Chris Kelly collected his 17^th of the season off a Benoit Pouliot rebound. The goal marked the first time the Black and Gold have scored the first goal of a game since a home-ice matinee with the Islanders…..back on March 3. Late in the period, the B’s would double their lead when Tyler Seguin slipped one through the five hole of Ilya Bryzgalov after a sweet little behind-the-net dish from Patrice Bergeron.

“It was really nice to get that first one and then obviously get the second one.  It felt good coming in after the first, it’s something we haven’t had in a while.” – Chris Kelly

After some early pressure and a failed power-play chance kicked off the second period for Boston, rugged blueliner Johnny Boychuk threw down the mitts with former Pittsburgh Penguin Max Talbot for the afternoon’s second edition of the fisticuffs.

Philadelphia would cut the Boston lead in half midway through the second period when rookie forward Matt Read would deflect a Danny Briere wrist shot past Tim Thomas for his 20^th goal of the season, with only two seconds remaining on a Flyers’ power-play.

With less than five minutes to play in regulation, the fears of the 17, 565 Black and Gold supporters in attendance at TD Garden would be confirmed when former Columbus Blue Jacket Jakub Voracek would even the score at two as he deflected a Braydon Coburn shot past Thomas for his 14^th tally of the season.

“It would have been easy for us to let our heads hang and just kind of stop playing. But I think our mindset was good today, we wanted to win this game.” — Dennis Seidenberg

The two sides would then play to a scoreless tie through the remaining four minutes of the third and through the entire five minute overtime period. After the first five participants of the shootout found a way to tickle the twine, Tim Thomas came up with a humongous stop on Danny Briere to lift the B’s to a 3-2 home-ice victory.

“We needed to show up and have a good game at home. Things haven’t been going our way. That’s a polite way of saying it lately. To battle out tonight and come up with a good, solid strong game at home and pull out with two points, is hopefully very big for us moving down the road.” – Tim Thomas

My Thoughts

– While surrendering a two-goal lead in any game is never a good sign for a hockey club, Saturday’s contest seemed to resemble a much more Bruin-like effort than what we’ve seen recently from the Black and Gold. The passes were crisper. They were willing to sacrifice the body to make a play, something that’s been missing over their recent losing streak. The forwards, Milan Lucic in particular, seemed to be a lot stronger with the puck and often created scoring chances for themselves with hard drives to the net.

– On both Philadelphia goals, a Flyer forward out-muscled a B’s defenseman to secure proper position to deflect the puck past Tim Thomas. The B’s must do a better job in front of their netminder if they’d like to build on Saturday’s winning effort.

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Patrice Bergeron (1 Assist/Shootout Winner)

2) Matt Read (1 Goal/1 Assist)

3) Tyler Seguin (1 Goal)

What’s Next?

– The B’s will be back at it on Monday evening here at TD Garden when they host Phil Kessel and the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers will travel home for a Sunday afternoon matinee against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Teams: Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins

Records: Philadelphia 41-22-7 (89 Points) , Boston 40-27-3 (83 Points)

Location: TD Garden , Boston, Massachusetts

Time: 1:00 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Last Game: Bruins 2 , Florida Panthers 6  ……. Flyers 3 , Islanders  2

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Lucic–Krejci–Caron

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Rolston

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Zanon–Corvo

Ference–Boychuk

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Turco

Scratches– ….. Mike Mottau, Adam McQuaid

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered back on January 21.

Rich Peverley (MCL) – Peverley will continue to sit as he rehabs an injury to his right MCL. The good news here is that Peverley has begun skating on his own.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — Rask will remain sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks with a lower abdomen/groin injury.

Last Time We Met: Bruins 6 , Flyers 5 (OT)

– The last time these two Eastern Conference foes made acquaintances was back on the NFL’s Conference Championship Sunday. The B’s took home the win that afternoon in a back-and-forth contest that ended with Tyler Seguin securing the victory in the shootout.

Prediction: The Bruins’ struggles just continue to mount as the Black and Gold simply cannot fins a way to get on any sort of roll. Couple that with the red-hot play of Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov and it could make for a long St. Patrick’s day afternoon for Boston.

Flyers 4 , Bruins 2

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Projected Standings: (Team–Projected Point Total–Point Differential From Last Season–Seed Differential From Last Season)

1) New York Rangers 115 Points –>+22 Points –> +7 Spots

2) Boston Bruins         102 Points –> -1 Point –> +1 Spot

3) Florida Panthers    93 Points –> +21 Points –> +12 Spots

4) Pittsburgh Penguins 106 Points –> EVEN –> EVEN

5) Philadelphia Flyers  102 Points –> -4 Points –> -3 Spots

6) New Jersey Devils 98 Points –> +17 Points –> +5 Spots

7) Ottawa Senators 94 Points –> +20 Points –> +6 Spots

8) Winnipeg Jets 88 Points –> +8 Points –> +4 Points

9) Washington Capitals 87 Points –> -20 Points –> -8 Spots

10) Buffalo Sabres 86 Points –> -10 Points –> -3 Spots

11) Tampa Bay Lightning 84 Points –> -19 Points –> -6 Spots

12) Toronto Maple Leafs 82 Points –> -3 Points –> -2 Spots

13) New York Islanders 81 Points –> +8 Points –> +1 Spot

14) Carolina Hurricanes 80 Points –> -11 Points –> -5 Spots

15) Montreal Canadiens 73 Points –> -23 Points –> -9 Spots

STATS:

–> Largest Points Improvement …..     New York Rangers (+22)

–> Largest Seeding Improvement …..  Florida Panthers (+12)

–> Worst Points Drop-Off           …..     Montreal Canadiens (-23)

–> Worst Seeding Drop-Off       …..      Montreal Canadiens (-9)

If Sidney Crosby (Above) makes a return to the Pittsburgh lineup, these number may change drastically.

–> Now, things can always change rapidly and a team could fall completely out of the playoff race or one could jump right into it by putting together a nice winning streak, making this system far from a perfect prediction tool.

–> Last season, it took 93 points from the New York Rangers to secure the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. This year it looks like 90 will once again be the magic number with one or two teams perhaps finishing below that mark and still sneaking into the dance.

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5.) —–> To Chicago: Hal Gill, Travis Moen, 5th Round Pick

—–> To Montreal: Kyle Beach, Brandon Saad, 2nd Round Pick

– Seemingly going nowhere this season it may be time for the Habs and GM Pierre Gauthier to start thinking about unloading some pieces in an attempt to build for the future. Both Gill and Moen are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer and could provide a Cup-hunting Blackhawks team with some added depth and grit for a playoff run this spring. Neither Moen nor Gill give you much in the way of flash or skill, but both are very durable players who have a Stanley Cup on their resume. For Montreal, both Beach and Saad fit the mold of what the Habs need the most: big, strong power forwards who can put the puck in the net. While neither will give Montreal much in the way of immediate assistance, they both have the potential to become cogs in the Canadiens’ lineup for years to come.

4.) —–> To Boston: Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Allen

—–> To Carolina: Jordan Caron, Matt Bartkowski, 2nd Round Pick

– For a team that has simply run roughshod on the Eastern Conference since the start of November there really aren’t many glaring holes on a roster full of Stanley Cup winners. However, like we saw last February, GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t afraid to tinker with his team in order to add the necessary depth to make another run at Lord Stanley. This trade makes perfect sense for a Boston team that still relies on an inexperienced Steven Kampfer as it’s seventh defenseman. The hard-nosed Bryan Allen isn’t known much for his offense (0G/7A in 51 games this season) but can provide a solid defensive presence in his end of the ice, as well as log some valuable time on the penalty kill. Like Allen, the 28-year-old Ruutu will be a free agent on July 1. The Finland native seems to have been cut from the same mold as Boston winger Rich Peverley in the way that he can be trusted in any situation. Ruutu has posted fifteen goals and added eleven assists in 51 games this season while being shuffled up and down the Carolina lineup.

3.) —–> To Philadelphia: Ryan Suter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Nashville: James Van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn, Andrej Meszaros, Jody Shelley, 1st Round Pick

– Now, I’d put this trade as the least likely to happen, at least not until this summer. A deal like this makes perfect sense for a Flyers team that will be without captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season. Ryan Suter is perhaps the most underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Often overshadowed by Shea Weber, Suter has quietly stacked together one all-star season after another and is slated to finally cash in this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The question still remains as to if the cash-strapped Predators can re-sign Suter to a long term deal to keep him in Nashville. However, if GM David Poile comes to the realization that he will not be resigning with the Preds, he would be better served to deal him now than let him walk for nothing this July. The package I’ve presented seems like quite a hefty price for one player but keep in mind, true number one defensemen simply do not grow on trees. While I really can’t see this one happening before the deadline, if Suter is adamant about not re-upping in Nashville, I can’t see any better scenario for the Predators’ franchise both now and into the future.

2.) —–> To Toronto: Jeff Carter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Columbus: Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin, 2nd Round Pick

– There’s no question that Jeff Carter’s brief stay in Ohio’s capital is coming to an early end. Reportedly frustrated by the entire situation, the former Flyers star has put up only seventeen points (10G/7A) in 30 games this season while playing for the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets. While many teams would be skeptical of accepting any player with ten years left on his contract, the Leafs have been on a league-wide search for a true number one center since Brian Burke took the helm in November of 2008. It’s my belief that if Carter is surrounded by a talented team (like he was in Philadelphia) he will once again be able to return to his elite form. While many could think of this as an overpayment for Carter, I would argue that while Schenn still looks like a future all-star, he seems to be the odd man out on a Leafs’ blueline already manned by Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek and John-Michael Liles — all of whom are signed to lucrative contracts. Kulemin is a young player with loads of skill and potential who seems to be struggling under the hockey-crazed pressure cooker that is Toronto. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good. In Toronto, Maple Leafs’ fans may be foaming at the mouth with the thoughts of putting an elite pivot in between all-star wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.

1.)  —–> To Minnesota: Zach Parise

—–> To New Jersey: Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, 2nd Round Pick

– This trade simply makes too much sense. With Parise still unsigned and the Devils’ ownership situation still uncertain, it’s easy to suggest that New Jersey will be unable to retain Parise at year’s end. Recent speculation has suggested that the 5’11″ Minneapolis would like nothing better than to return to his home state to continue his career, making him a perfect fit for the Wild. However, a former 40-goal scorer with extensive leadership qualities simply does not come cheap. With this package the Devils pick up a solid return for a guy who will likely be gone for nothing on July 1. Devin Setoguchi is a solid young winger who can play top-six minutes and provide some pop playing across from Ilya Kovalchuk. In Coyle and Brodin New Jersey receives two former first round selections who look to be sure bet NHL contributors in the near future. Parise should provide the right type of boost for a Wild team trying to work themselves off of the playoff fringe.

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Thanks to the wonder that is DVR, I was able to go back and watch Sunday’s hockey game in it’s entirety. I’m going to go in a new direction here and offer you with my five thoughts on Sunday’s matinee action and the interesting forty-eight hours it has been for the Black and Gold.

5.) Ference Hit With  Three-Game Shanaban

– Prior to Sunday’s matinee contest, defenseman Andrew Ference was slapped with a three game ban courtesy of NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan in the aftermath of his dangerous hit on Rangers’ blueliner Ryan McDonagh on Saturday. As I pointed out in Saturday’s blog, this was the fair punishment for an honest player with no history of malicious hits. No. 21 will not be eligible for a return to the team until a February 2 face-off with the Hurricanes at TD Garden.

4.) Rough Sunday Between The Pipes

– Sunday afternoon was a tough day to be a goaltender. In a contest that saw two all-star netminders square off for the third time this season, one could have expected a low-scoring affair. However, that was not to be as Tim Thomas and Ilya Bryzgalov combined to allow ten goals in regulation and another three in the shootout. That performance good for a pedestrian .866 combined save percentage.

3.) Tom Sestito’s Deplorable Actions

– Twice during Sunday’s action it was Flyers’ forward Tom Sestito who would draw the ire of the B’s by taking a run at a member of the B’s and delivering a high hit directed at the head. The first of which came in the first period against Steven Kampfer, who was possessing the puck behind the Boston goal. The second however had much more impact on the B’s. Early in the second frame, Sestito came across Nathan Horton’s blindside and delivered a clear blow to the skull of Boston’s top line winger after he fired a shot on goal. Sestito, a career minor-leaguer was simply out there trying to make a name for himself, but did so in the completely wrong way. You can check out the video below. In my opinion, Sestito should be given a three-to-five game suspension for the concussion-causing hit he delivered to Nathan Horton.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2.) B’s Not Taking Kindly To Opponents’ Physicality

– Not that this will come as a surprise to any Black and Gold supporter, but the Bruins’ team togetherness and support for one another was once again on full display Sunday. In what’s becoming a trend around these parts, each and every time a player wearing the eight-spoked “B” is met with any sort of hit –whether it be clean or dirty– a teammate takes exception to it. This was evident again this weekend after the Flyers’ Brayden Schenn delivered a beautifully executed clean hit to Steven Kampfer, which sprung Chris Kelly to immediately step in and drop the gloves with Schenn. Bruins’ players going to bat for one another is an honorable trait, but can also help add to the villainous image the B’s have created for themselves nationally.

1.) Thomas skips out on Obama, White House Visit

– Prepare yourselves folks, the remainder of this blog is about to combine politics and sports. Yeah, I don’t believe it either.

On Monday the Bruins were invited to the White House by President Obama in order to commemorate the team’s Stanley Cup championship season of one year ago. However, they would make the visit without one of the biggest contributors to the ending of Boston’s 39-year Cup drought, their Vezina trophy winning goaltender Tim Thomas. No explanation of his absence was reported from the White House, but this statement was left on his official Facebook page earlier this evening:

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.

This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT” – Tim Thomas

Now, this is simply a subject that one has to be very careful with as politics is very much a touchy subject and much like opinions, everybody seems to have their own. The one thing I will point out is this; The very foundation of this country was built on the principles of freedom. That was what separated us from the rest of the world. That is what still sets us apart from countless nations worldwide. On Monday, Tim Thomas simply utilized his right to decline the president’s invite.

For those asking, I do not think Thomas’ decision not to attend the ceremony will have any long term effects on the Bruins as a team. This is because I firmly believe that the players in that locker room are consummate professionals — each and every one of them — and they can understand the importance of separating on-ice performance from personal opinions and conflicts.

As I said before, there really is no right or wrong in this situation, just a matter of conflicting opinions.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

On Monday, the world’s top hockey league put together yet another fantastic display of ice hockey in South Philadelphia at the Citizen’s Bank Park. It was raw, it was cold, and it was outdoors, and it was hockey played in it’s purest form.

The New York Rangers would eventually defeat the host Philadelphia Flyers in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory in a game that featured all the drama and excitement one would expect from the league’s premier regular season event. Thus including a Danny Briere penalty shot that was stopped by Henrik Lundqvist with less than twenty seconds remaining in the game.

Since the concept’s inception, the NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic has been an absolute success, raising television ratings (an average of over four million per game) and bringing in massive amounts of revenue for both the league and it’s participating teams. The clear-cut reason for such success has been the heavy rivalries and storylines that the NHL’s front office has been able to use to market the event.

The unconventional Pittsburgh — Buffalo rivalry was aided by the presence of snowfall throughout the 2008 ‘Classic. The 2009 battle between two of the sport’s biggest rivals, Detroit and Chicago, from the confines of the iconic Wrigley Field  needed no such promotion. In 2010, the rekindling of a now fierce Boston vs. Philadelphia rivalry was sparked by an overtime thriller emanating from America’s oldest ballpark. In 2011, the NHL went in a different direction, choosing to showcase the league’s greatest individual rivalry, pitting Alexander Ovechkin’s Capitals against Sidney Crosby’s Penguins. Culminating with  Monday’s exciting match-up between two cities with a  longstanding hatred for one another, one that crosses borders of multiple sports.

With typical hockey markets and NBC favorites Pittsburgh and Philadelphia already appearing in two of these outdoor games (each), and the unlikelihood of the league allowing the same team to participate in back-to-back years, it’s a safe bet that the Penguins, Flyers and Rangers will not be seen in the 2013 edition of the New Year’s day showcase. This leads me to the question: What two squads will get the nod for next year’s Winter Classic?

Despite popular opinion clamoring for the inclusion of a Canadian team’s inclusion in the ‘Classic — Toronto being the most talked-about — , I believe that using a team from north of the border will only limit the league’s earning potential. The facts are simple, for better or worse, the Winter Classic is a gimmick, albeit a successful and profitable one, and in Canada, the league does not need any gimmicks to sell residents on the sport of hockey. The game we all know and love is treated much like religion in the Great White North. Therefore, it is only logical for the NHL to keep the status-quo and continue the tradition of an all-American ‘Classic. Without further ado, I propose the idea of a 2013 Winter Classic showcasing the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins and the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, emanating from the world famous “Big House” in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The reasons for such a game just seem too perfect. Both squads are amongst the best in the league, each capturing a Stanley Cup championship in the past three years. Both were part of the NHL’s Original Six Franchises, two of the first founded in the United States. Even with the league’s new division realignment, it would be the first ever “East vs. West” Winter Classic. It would also feature a match-up of two “once-in-a-generation” type defensemen, in Detroit’s Niklas Lidstrom and Boston’s Zdeno Chara.

Perhaps what makes this idea realistic, in the eyes of the NHL’s management was the overwhelming success of the 2011 “Thanksgiving Showdown” between these two squads back on Black Friday at Boston’s TD Garden. In a game that saw the Red Wings pull through with a 3-2 shootout victory, a national audience was treated to one of the best regular season games in recent memory. The chance to see a rematch of such a game, and the furthering of a budding rivalry could be of great benefit to the NHL as a whole.

Also, the “hate factor” could be a driving force in the marketing of such a game. After last spring’s playoff run, the Bruins’ perceived image of “bullies” has continually been hammered into the brains of both hardcore and casual hockey fans alike. Fans across the country — and in Canada for that matter — would undoubtedly tune in simply for the opportunity to root against the Boston Bruins.

Also, I can’t think of a better setting for such an exciting contest than Michigan Stadium. Sitting a mere forty miles west of Detroit, the “Big House” is the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines football team. Host of the “Big Chill” — a 5-0 victory by the Michigan hockey team over the rival Michigan State Spartans in front of over 113,000 screaming fans — in December of 2010, the “Big House” has proven it’s ability to be transformed into a reliable ice rink.

Just imagine it:  two original six rivals and perennial contenders going head-t0-head, outdoors in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game (at any level).

Hockey fans, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

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I’ll use the top seven defensemen of each team as a reference and will take the financial numbers from CapGeek.com. Players that are injured are included in the calculation.

1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,33 millions 25 games 15 wins 7 losses 3 OTL 33 points (5th EC)
Kimmo Timonen – $6,333,333
Chris Pronger – $4,921,429
Andrej Meszaros – $4,000,000
Matt Carle – $3,437,500
Braydon Coburn – $3,200,000
Matt Walker – $1,700,000
Andreas Lilja – $737,500

2. Los Angeles Kings – $22.56 millions 26 games 13 wins 9 losses 4 OTL 30 points (7th WC)
Drew Doughty – $7,000,000
Jack Johnson – $4,357,143
Willie Mitchell – $3,500,000
Rob Scuderi – $3,400,000
Matt Greene – $2,950,000
Alec Martinez – $737,500
Davis Drewiske – $616,667

3. Winnipeg Jets – $22.30 millions 26 games 11 wins 11 losses 4 OTL 26 points (11th EC)
Dustin Byfuglien – $5,200,000
Ron Hainsey – $4,500,000
Tobias Enstrom – $3,750,000
Johnny Oduya – $3,500,000
Zach Bogosian – $2,500,000
Mark Stuart – $1,700,000
Randy Jones – $1,150,000

4. Toronto Maple Leafs – $22.04 millions 26 games 14 wins 10 losses 2 OTL 30 points (6th EC)
Dion Phaneuf – $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek – $4,500,000
John-Michael Liles – $4,200,000
Luke Scheen – $3,600,000
Carl Gunnarsson – $1,325,000
Jake Gardiner – $1,116,667
Cody Franson – $800,000

5. Phoenix Coyotes – $21.48 millions 25 games 13 wins 9 losses 3 OTL 29 points (9th WC)
Keith Yandle – $5,250,000
Michal Rozsival – $5,000,000
Rotislav Klesla – $2,975,000
Derek Morris – $2,750,000
Adrian Aucoin – $2,000,000
Kurt Sauer – $1,750,000
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – $1,750,000

6. Detroit Red Wings – $20.96 millions 25 games 16 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 33 points (4th WC)
Nicklas Lidstrom – $6,200,000
Brad Stuart – $3,750,000
Jonathan Ericsson – $3,250,000
Niklas Kronwall – $3,000,000
Ian White – $2,875,000
Mike Commodore – $1,000,000
Jakub Kindl – $883,333

7. Vancouver Canucks – $20.53 millions 26 games 15 wins 10 losses 1 OTL 31 points (5th WC)
Kevin Bieksa – $4,600,000
Dan Hamhuis – $4,500,000
Keith Ballard – $4,200,000
Alexander Edler – $3,250,000
Sami Salo – $2,000,000
Andrew Alberts – $1,225,000
Aaron Rome – $750,000

8. Chicago Blackhawks – $20.31 millions 27 games 16 wins 8 losses 3 OTL 35 points (2nd WC)
Brent Seabrook – $5,800,000
Duncan Keith – $5,538,462
Niklas Hjalmarsson – $3,500,000
Steve Montador – $2,750,000
Nick Leddy – $1,116,666
Sean O’Donnell – $850,000
Sami Lepisto – $750,000

9. Calgary Flames – $19.75 millions 26 games 11 wins 13 losses 2 OTL 24 points (13th WC)
Jay Bouwmeester – $6,680,000
Mark Giordano – $4,020,000
Cory Sarich – $3,600,000
Anton Babchuk – $2,500,000
Chris Butler – $1,250,000
Scott Hannan – $1,000,000
Derek Smith – $700,000

10. Washington Capitals – $19.07 millions 25 games 13 wins 11 losses 1 OTL 27 points (8th EC)
Mike Green – $5,250,000
Dennis Wideman – $3,935,500
Roman Hamrlik – $3,500,000
Jeff Schultz – $2,750,000
John Erskine – $1,500,000
Karl Alzner – $1,285,000
John Carlson – $845,833

10. San Jose Sharks – $19.07 millions 23 games 14 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 29 points (8th WC)
Dan Boyle – $6,666,667
Brent Burns – $3,550,000
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – $3,100,000
Douglas Murray – $2,500,000
Jason Demers – $1,250,000
Jim Vandermeer – $1,000,000
Colin White – $1,000,000

In comparison, the league-leading Minnesota Wild with 37 points, are spending only $12.36 millions on their defensive brigade.

As you can see, there is no guaranteed success if you spend a lot of money on your defensive brigade, as only the Chicago Blackhawks are leading their division amongst the teams that spend the most money on their blue line.

2010-11 rankings
1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,89M
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – $24.28M
3. Vancouver Canucks – $23.35M
4. Detroit Red Wings – $21.83M
5. Calgary Flames – $21.59M
6. Chicago Blackhawks – $21.29M
7. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – $21.06M
8. Montreal Canadiens – $20.25M
9. Pittsburgh Penguins – $19.11M
10. Boston Bruins – $18.58M

———-
Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

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While I respect those who maintain that the League can’t legislate against a team’s chosen coaching style, I steadfastly oppose the ultra-passive 1-3-1 alignment employed by the Lightning that evening. By the time of the Lockout of 2004-05, virtually the entire hockey world (except, of course, Jacques Lemaire) bemoaned the employment of the Neutral Zone Trap choking the flow and excitement from the game. As the League re-started, stricter guidelines and rules were enacted to defeat that very thing. Those who would defend its use now either suffer from short memories, or simple, pure hypocrisy.

The standstill in the Nov. 9th contest can’t be laid solely at the stationary feet of the Tampa Bay players and coach; Philadelphia chose to respond in kind, thus rendering highlight video meaningless, since it looked no different than a still photo of the game “action”.

Now, I’m one who prefers to avoid knee-jerk proclamations of doom-and-gloom, however, in this case, the potential for far-reaching effects should be noted. Endorsement of this sort of ultra-passive system in one or two instances could very well be the first step on a slippery slope leading back into the long-lamented, much-maligned “trap”. The call has gone out—rightly so, in my estimation—from many corners of the hockey world for “something” to be done about all this. As with any grey area, it is difficult to locate where to start.

For good or bad, and in hopes of facilitating and instigating discussion and refinement toward a solution, I offer the following framework:

There is no need to entertain NBA concepts like the shot clock or “illegal defense”. The NHL rulebook currently empowers officials to penalize players or coaches who purposely delay and/or hinder play. Two such existing applications of this discretion form the basis for the theory presented below. Each of these elements contributed, at least in essence, to the stalemate in question. They are:

• A player refuses to allow the puck to be put in play (e.g., by holding it in his hand or by shooting it over the glass)
• A coach, in protest of perceived officiating error(s), instructs his players to linger in the bench area, rather than line up for a face-off in a timely manner

Addressing the standstill issue simply requires a novel application of the theory and practice used in cases like those.

For this framework to take hold, both teams would need to employ stall tactics. If one team chooses not to, the game goes on as usual. However, if/when there is a repeat of dual delay:

Breakdown: Each team is punished, but equally and at a low level.

Breakdown: The cost goes up a bit, in that the coach cannot pick players to serve the minors. Using the TB/PHI example: If the lead defender is top-scorer Steven Stamkos and the defenseman is sixth-man Andreas Lilja; Tampa has incentive not to sit back (just as Philly would more likely attack if it were, say, Dominic Moore for TB and Chris Pronger for PHI).

*In a case where the defense passes the puck back and forth, the officials determine which player receives the penalty–could be as simple as who has the puck when the whistle is blown (a la “hot potato”), or the referees’ discretion could determine which player was more deserving of the delay call.

Breakdown: The stakes go up yet again. The addition of the 10-minute misconducts should lessen any consideration of using the double-minors to take a specific opposition player off the ice. Further, the coach is now taken to task as the architect of the strategy.

Breakdown: Enough is enough. Players will now be ejected, and those ejections will count toward supplemental discipline for multiple ejections, as any other would. Also at this level, there could be consideration toward fining the coaches/teams.

Again, this is offered as a framework for establishment of a standard of enforcement relating to blatant stall tactics. At each step, additional consequences drive the price of non-compliance steeper and steeper. However, as long as one of the teams refuses to resort to a standstill strategy, none of this would apply.

Now, a parade to the penalty box (and, if necessary, the locker room) ruins the flow of the game, as well. To that concern, I refer you to the initial Obstruction crackdown following the Lockout—player adjusted. The adjustment period to this system would be significantly quicker, since the offense is obvious and far less open to differences in interpretation on the part of the officials.

In fact, I’d say that the way to adjust to the above is to just go ahead and play the damn game, which is all we’re asking in the first place.

There Boucher goes again...thinking

By now, just about every fan of hockey knows what the 1-3-1 trap is and that the Tampa Bay Lightning used it effectively enough Wednesday night to cause the Philadelphia Flyers to employ a stall tactic of holding and not advancing the puck. In fact, the referees blew the play dead and forced two faceoffs in the Flyers zone. Eventually the Lightning won the game 2-1 in overtime.

After the game, fans, players and media all began debating who to blame for this NHL “atrocity” that had just played out on National TV…Versus is on National TV, isn’t it?

For the record, in my opinion, there is no question that the burden was on the Flyers to move the puck. After all. They possessed the puck and were the attacking team.

That being said, I certainly understand the fans not liking Tampa Bay’ coach Guy Boucher’s strategy. It is BORING and not the up-tempo style of play the NHL has forced its members to play since the lockout.

Agreed. It’s a system that will cause you to become a drooling Zombie in the first period and awaken in the third period with the imprint of your keyboard on your forehead, but I’m fairly certain that every player and fan of the Lightning, if given the choice of running and gunning to a ninth place finish or keeping a pillow close by during the 1-3-1 dominated games and getting to the Cup Final, will take the latter.

The Bolts defense has been putrid over the last two seasons. Coach Boucher knows the cards he has been dealt and instead of folding, has decided to do something that is foreign to most of the NHL coaching community…THINKING and EMPLOYING A STRATEGY!

I have mad respect for Guy Boucher’s figuring out a way to slow down the highest scoring team in the NHL despite missing two of his top four defensemen. (Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund) Even if you don’t like the style of play, how can you disrespect a coach who finds a way to win? Isn’t that his job?

Boucher has employed the 1-3-1 system since he came into the NHL. Did no one watch the Lightning’s sweep of the Capitals last year? Where was all the uproar during that series?

And I don’t want to hear anything about a trap system that embarrasses the NHL from you Detroit and New Jersey fans. Unless, of course, you want to give back your cheesy little fake souvenir Stanley Cups.

For those of you that have completely lost your minds and your ability to reason, who think the league should immediately jump in and create an “Avery Rule” of some sort to stop this “embarrassing” type of play…Stop “should-ing” all over yourself. It ‘aint gonna happen.

When all is said and done, Boucher and the Lightning are beyond reproach. They did what they are paid to do…WIN. They broke no rules nor did they disrespect or embarrass the game of hockey.

What are your thoughts puckheads?

Follow me on Twitter @LightningShout and “Like” Hockey Independent Lightning on Facebook.

GOON:

In our support of the lack of hockey movies, comes this info from the movie company to us.

“We have a great throwback hockey movie coming out and we would love to get your support. Its violent and insanely funny.”

Starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Liev Schreiber
Written by Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD and  PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis
Labelled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of underperforming misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

The film opens on VOD on 2/24 and In Theatres 3/30

Based from the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey”

www.goonthemovie.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GoonFilm

Some more on the movie comes from Slash Film

If you took the summer off from following the coolest team in the desert, you missed a lot.  Bryzgalov high tailed it to Broad & Pattison, leaving former Lightning goalie Mike Smith as the featured net minder.  JovoCop surfed on back to South Beach, and Bellanger, Ebbert, and Stepniak have moved on as well.  In addition to Smith between the pipes, the Yotes have brought in a plethora new blood to help the team take shape.  You may need a score card to keep track of all the new center icemen on the roster this season.  Daymond Langkow is the most noticeable addition, as he makes what he and fans hope will be a triumphant return to Arizona.  Other additions at the center positions include Petteri Nokelainen, Boyd Gordon, Kyle Chipcura, and Alexandre Bolduc.  A couple of wingers were also added to the mix in Raffi Torres and Patrick O’Sullivan.

While some of the faces and names have changed, the song, for the most part, remains the same.  Defense is still the order of the day in the desert.  While Lanks has been known to find the back of the net on occasion, most of the off-season moves were made with an eye toward making the defensive play even stronger than it has been in the recent past under returning Coach Dave Tippett.

Goalies:

This team starts between the pipes, so that’s where we’ll begin our tour of the ice.  Newcomer Mike Smith has some big skates to fill in Bryzgalov.  Goalie coach Sean Burke will take Smith under his wing this season.  While Smith’s career high games came in 2009, when he logged 42 games in net for the Lightning, he will be the man on opening night.  Look for Smith to improve in the defensive-minded system in Phoenix.  This is a best case scenario for Smith, and he has all of his ducks lined up for him as the starter.  Jason LaBarbera returns as the #2 man.  LaBabs appeared in just 17 games the last two seasons.  Look for this number to go up a little this year, and he should benefit from the added PT.

Defensemen:

Like Bryzgalov, Ed Jovanovski also headed East.  Like the goalkeeping situation, the Yotes did not sign a high-priced free agent to replace the departing vet, instead choosing to replace him from within.  While they’ll miss Jovo’s physical presence on the blue line, this year’s defensive corps will remain largely the same as last year’s.  Keith Yandle will again be the anchor of the defense.  Look for him to kick his game up a notch this year, perhaps delving into the 70 point range.  Derrek Morris and Adrian Aucoin may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but they’re still as steady as they come defensively.  Larsson, Rizsival, and Kessler look to round out the defensive troops.  If there is an area for need, it’s another offensive threat on the blue line to compliment Yandle.  But the Coyotes have proven their detractors wrong before with their extreme defensive style.  They’ll look to do the same on defense this year.

Captain Shane Doan will attempt to lead the Coyotes deeper into the playoffs during the 2011-12 season.

Forwards:   

It’s only fitting that we take a look at the offense last, as that’s what the Yotes seem to do as well.  While there is some offensive potential in the front line this year, most all of these players share one important attribute: playing rock-solid defense.  In fact, it’s highly possible that no Coyotes forward will top 60 points scoring this season.  The Coyotes may be the only team in hockey that can say that proudly.  If any other team had no 60 point scorers, their season would surely be more doomed than Barry Melrose on stroll through Newark.  But for the Yotes, that’s business as usual.  The Cap’n, Shane Doan, will lead the way again this year.  Look for him to be somewhere right in the neighborhood of 60 points on the season.  Doan has the dubious honor of helping to form one of the oldest lines you’ll find anywhere this side of well, Arizona.  His likely line mates will be elder statesmen Ray Whitney and Langkow.  Phoenix fans will be hoping Whitney has one last hurrah in him; and that Langkow can fully recover from his neck injury and regain some old magic.  Kyle Turris is still sitting out there unsigned, with no obvious resolution in sight.  Thus, the 2^nd line will likely consist of Vrbata, Hanzal, and youngster Boedker to start the year.  There are others that will contribute, including Brett McLean, Kyle Chipkura, and Raffi Torres.  None of them, however, seem likely to light the lamp with great regularity.  Paul Bissonette returns to his familiar enforcer role.

Bold Prediction:

The Coyotes will compile a record of 47-28-7, for 101 points and 2^nd place in the Pacific division.  The Yotes will win at least one playoff series, with a chance for more if everything comes together.  With all the changes, the goalkeeping is likely to be the key for success this season.  Phoenix management managed to avoid the traps of overpaying for free agents this off-season, and it will surely pay off in the long run.  As for this year, if Smith or LaBabs can get hot come crunch time, the Yotes have the system and the experience to make a deep playoff run.   The Zamboni’s fired up and ready to roll.  Buckle up and hold on tight.  It’s gonna be a wild ride!

Follow me on Twitter @Rabid_Jack for the latest on the Coyotes, the NHL, fantasy sports, and sports humor!

On Thursday evening, in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,565, the Boston Bruins dropped  their home opener, at the TD Garden,  to  the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1.

The Opening Ceremonies:

The night began with a celebration, unlike any other. The Bruins and their staff really put together a fantastic presentation for the loyal and devoted fans of the Black & Gold. From reliving the Cup-Raising activities that took place following Game 7 in Vancouver, to bringing in legends like Bobby Orr, and Milt Schmidt to assist in the raising of the brand new 2011 Championship banner. As an extra special bonus for the fans, the Bruins brought back the now-retired Mark Recchi & Shane Hnidy, to take part in the on-ice celebration will all of their former teammates.

“To be on the ice with them and be in Boston with the crowd–their reaction to us winning the Stanley Cup has been absolutely amazing what this city has, how much they’ve embraced it and enjoyed it. It’s a special time, and I was glad I was able to share it with Boston fans and be a part of it on the ice, too.” –Mark Recchi

The ceremony did draw on a bit longer than planned, ending with the 2011 banner being put into place at around 7:30 PM. No matter how long the ceremony ended up taking, the fact of the matter, is  that it was an all-around fantastic celebration of a team and a city that had long awaited a night like this. The Bruins’ event coordinators should be very proud of the event they put on this evening.  After the game, members of the Bruins shared their thoughts on the ceremony:

“That was really nice. Obviously it was emotional and all very exciting for us and all the fans and the whole city. I thought that they did a pretty good job to put up the nice presentation so it was very special.” — Zdeno Chara

“That was a special moment. It was another one to add to the memory bank that you’ll remember forever. While it was happening I was picturing myself coming back and visiting for a game thirty years from now and looking at that banner and saying “we helped raise that banner”. ” — Tim Thomas

 The Game:

However, adjusting from a moment as emotionally intense as the Banner-raising ceremony, can be very difficult.The B’s were able to get off to a great start, coming out with tremendous amounts of speed & energy. The B’s fired off 5 shots in the first two and a half minutes, with only 2 of them making it  on net. The Bruins dominated play for the better part of the first period, but were only able to cash in once, when Brad Marchand beat Flyers’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on the backhand, off of a beautiful stretch pass from Tyler Seguin. Former Carolina D-man Joe Corvo picked up a secondary assist on the goal by Marchand, his first point as a member of the Bruins.

However, the story of the night for the Bruins was missed opportunities. The B’s missed countless opportunities to extend their lead, throughout the first period. Milan Lucic and Patrice Bergeron, among others, missed the net wide,on open shots from between the circles. Also, Tyler Seguin rang the right post from the outside of the slot, midway through the first.

When asked about tonight’s game being a story of missed opportunities, Bruins’ Center Patrice Bergeron had this to say:

“It was. We’ll get up more traffic. He was a good goalie but we’ve seen him last year in the first two games in Prague. We knew he was a good goalie. We got to find a way to bury those chances.”

It wasn’t until 19:10 of the first period, when the Flyers capitalized on their first great scoring chance of the game, when Claude Giroux turned B’s captain Zdeno Chara inside-out at the  Boston blue line, before proceeding to beat Tim Thomas, on a beautiful deke to the forehand. It was a mere 0:48 seconds later that Jakub Voracek would put the Flyers ahead for good. With only 2 ticks left on the clock, in the 1st period, the Czech-born winger put home the rebound of an Andej Meszaros wrist-shot, and gave Philly the lead, 2-1.

As the second period went on, it became evident that the two goals that the Flyers scored in the final minute of the first, really deflated the Bruins’ tires.

“I think it was the two goals at the end of the period there, that kind of put a damper on things. We had a pretty good first, and then you know, they get a couple quick goals at the end, it kind of takes the life out of your sails so that stuff happens but you have to learn how to regroup and bounce back from that.” — Brad Marchand

The B’s only managed 6 shots on goal during the 2nd period, and after 40 minutes of play, were being out-shot 25-12. Early in the first, it looked as though Philadelphia’s game plan was to simply withstand the initial surge of emotion from the Bruins, but in the 2nd, the Flyers utilized a much more aggressive style of play. After a period of rather listless action, the B’s entered the final frame, still down 2-1.

Throughout the 3rd period, the Bruins had some flurries of offensive activity, even out-shooting Philly by an 11-4 margin, during the final 20 minutes. However, some key saves from Ilya Bryzgalov and a timely shot block from veteran d-man Kimmo Timonen, were enough to shut down the Bruins, and capture the win for the Flyers.

Seguin Shows Glimpses Of Brilliance:

In the debut of his 2nd NHL season, Tyler Seguin showed signs of a very bright future. Tonight, the Brampton, Ontario native posted  3 shots on goal (and another rang the post) and 1 assist, in over 17 minutes of ice time. He was also 4th on the team in Power-Play TOI, with 4:31. The outlet pass that Seguin made to spring Brad Marchand on a breakaway for Boston’s only goal of the nice, was a thing of beauty.  Seguin’s vision & puck skills make him a great player, but when you combine that with his explosive speed, and a willingness to battle, and you have the potential for an elite play-maker, in this league.

” I know what I want to continue improving on and that was really my core and my compete level. Keeping that hunger at a consistent basis.” — Tyler Seguin

If tonight was any indication of things to come for #19, expect a big year, for the former 2nd overall draft choice.

Key Stats:

Goals –                BOS (1)      PHI (2)

Power-Play —  BOS (1-5)  PHI (1-4)

Penalty-Kill — BOS (3-4) PHI (4-5)

Shots —              BOS (23)   PHI (29)

Note– Tonight’s game marks the 72nd consecutive regular season sellout at the TD Garden.

What’s Next?

With all of the ceremonies & festivities that went along with winning the Stanley Cup now in the rear-view mirror, the Bruins will now look to re-focus themselves on the 2011-12 season.

“Yeah, we won the Stanley Cup, but that doesn’t mean it’s just going to happen now. We know that stuff, but we have a night like tonight– hopefully you learn from it, and get back on track quick. We need to get in the win column.” – Tim Thomas

The B’s will look to get back on track and get into that win column, when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the TD Garden on Saturday evening, in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final.

Thanks For Reading!

Be Sure To Follow Me On Twitter: @BruinsHockey365

Tonight the Bruins begin their defense of Lord Stanley’s Cup, as they take on the rival Philadelphia Flyers at the TD Garden. Prior to the game, the Bruins will raise their sixth Championship banner to the rafters of the Garden. The game is set to begin at 7 PM Eastern, and can be seen on Versus. It can also be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, the official radio home of the Bruins.

Tonight’s Expected Line-Up:

Forwards

Lucic–Krecji–Horton

Marchand–Bergeron–Peverley

Pouliot–Kelly–Seguin

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

Defense

Chara–Corvo

Seidenberg–Boychuk

Ference–McQuaid

Goaltender

Thomas

Rask

Defenseman Adam McQuaid has been absent from practice the past few days due to a flu-like illness. If he is unable to play, rookie blue-liner Matt Bartkowski will take his spot in the lineup. With the recent release of veteran Chris Clark, the only other healthy scratch for Boston will be Jordan Caron.

This will be the first time the Bruins face off against the new-look Flyers. Over the off-season, GM Paul Holmgren gave his team a complete makeover. Philadelphia went out and acquired the likes of Max Talbot, Jaromir Jagr, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, and most notably Ilya Bryzgalov. To make room for these new players, former Flyers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Daniel Carcillo, and Ville Leino all found new homes, this summer. Also, last month, the Flyers named veteran defenseman Chris Pronger, their 18th captain in team history.

UPDATE: News broke this morning that the “A”,which stands for “Alternate Captain”, as I am sure you all know, that was vacated when Mark Recchi retired will now be filled by Chris Kelly and Andrew Ference. Ference will wear the letter during Bruins’ home games, while Kelly will sport the “A” during road games. Patrice Bergeron will keep his “A”, on a permanent basis, as will Zdeno Chara, and his “C”.

KEY STATS:

–Flyers’ forward Daniel Briere, who turns 34 today, had one goal and one assist against Boston in 2010-11, and has 38 points in 41 career games against the Black & Gold. Those numbers are good for a rating of 0.93 Points Per Game.

– New Flyers’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 74 of 79 shots against the Bruins during last season’s 2-game series between the Coyotes & Bruins, as part of the NHL’s Premiere Series, in Prague, CZE.  That equals out to a .935 Save Percentage and a 2.50 GAA.

– The Bruins’ first line of Milan Lucic, David Krecji & Nathan Horton scored a total of 10 goals and 26 points against Philadelphia, in 8 games last season (including playoffs).

Thanks For Reading!

Be Sure To Follow Me On Twitter: @BruinsHockey365

Betts is a very disciplined player as he only took eight penalty minutes all season. Betts finished with a +/- ratio of -3. Betts led the NHL last season among forwards with 3:37 short-handed minutes on ice per game and playing a little over ten minutes per game overall.

The left-handed center finished the season with a 50.3% face-off rate, winning 411 draws on 817 attempts. The absence of a 4th-line center in the Habs organization after the departure of veteran Jeff Halpern was obvious in training camp as no rookie was able to impress head coach Jaques Martin. The leading candidate was Andreas Engvist, but he had a mediocre training camp and he will need more seasoning in the American Hockey League before he can make an impact in the NHL.

Overall, Betts started just 26.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. That’s the second lowest number in the NHL behind the Canucks’ Manny Malhotra, known as one of the league’s best defensive forwards

In order to reach the 23-player limit mandated by the NHL before tomorrow’s opening game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens have also announced that they have demoted forwards Andreas Engvist, Ian Schultz and Aaron Palushaj to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. Yesterday, they had placed forward Michael Blunden on waivers to make room; today they did the same thing with veteran rearguard Jeff Woywitka, placing him on waivers as well.

Andrei Markov and Ryan White have been placed on the injured reserve to open the season and make space on the roster to replace them until they come back.

The Canadiens’ 23-man roster as of today October 5, 2011:
Forwards
Mike Cammalleri-Thomas-Plekanec-Andrei Kostitsyn
Max Pacioretty-Scott Gomez-Brian Gionta
Erik Cole-David Desharnais-Mathieu Darche
Travis Moen-Blair Betts-Yannick Weber
Extra:
Lars Eller (still recovering from shoulder surgery)

Defensemen
Hal Gill-P.K. Subban
Chris Campoli-Josh Gorges
Jaroslav Spacek-Rafael Diaz
Extra: Alexei Yemelin

Goaltenders
Carey Price
Peter Budaj

This means the Canadiens will most likely use Yannick Weber as the team’s 13th forward/7th defenseman at the beginning of the season as rookie Rafael Diaz stole his job on the blue line with a solid training camp. The team’s other rookie defenseman, Alexei Yemelin will most likely start as a defensive spare, as he still needs to adapt to the smaller NHL rinks and improve his overall play, especially in his defensive zone.

Carey Price is expected to be the starting goalie tomorrow in Toronto, obviously.

Follow me on Twitter for more information and updates on the Canadiens and the NHL in general.

Back in mid-May, the rumors were floating around that the Philadelphia Flyers will be hosting the New York Rangers on January 2nd at Citizens Bank Park. NHL.com itself posted a story about the reports back on May 13th, which seemed like an odd thing to do if it were merely a rumor.

Then the schedule came out, and there on it was a Flyers-Rangers game penciled in for 1pm on January 2nd in Philadelphia. But still, no acknowledgement that indeed it was the Winter Classic.

HBO production crews showed up at the Rangers’ practice facility in the opening days of training camp to start collecting some footage. Still, nothing.

Well, the i’s have been dotted and the t’s have been crossed and finally the NHL held a press conference this afternoon to announce that, yes indeed, the Rangers and Flyers will be meeting up on January 2nd in Philadelphia for the 2012 Winter Classic. Among the Rangers’ representatives at the announcement were General Manager Glen Sather, Coach John Tortorella, Captain Ryan Callahan, Alternate Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik.

This will be the Flyers’ 2nd time in the NHL’s marquee event, and the Rangers’ first.

Sure, there is the possibility that there may be snow, but odds are Citizens Bank Park will nthe ’30sot be the living snow globe that Ralph Wilson Stadium was for the inaugural game in Buffalo where it was all about playing outdoors in the elements, and it didn’t disappoint. It does not have the iconic nature that Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, both hosts of past Classics have, so this is not about the venue. There is no force-fed star “Sid vs. Ovi” rivalry that we had last year at a soggy Heinz Field. When the rumors of this matchup first came out, the Flyers had not yet been blown up and rebuilt. Brad Richards was not yet a Ranger. There are recognizable names on both teams, and yes, there’s the potential for the NHL to try and play up the “Jaromir Jagr playing his old team” factor, especially if he gets off to a good start. But this is not about star power. No, this one is about one thing – the pure sports rivalry between the 2 cities. Flyers fans in attendance booed a bit when the Rangers were introduced, and Glen Sather provided some entertaining smack talk about the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup and the Yankees defeating the Phillies in the World Series.

Returning this season will also be HBO’s 24/7: Road To The Winter Classic. It will premiere on December 14th and run 4 episodes, with the season finale on January 4th. That in and of itself should be worth the price of admission. From the Rangers’ standpoint, John Tortorella should make for some great television, and very well could put Bruce Boudreau to shame if the Rangers are in a rough patch at the time of filming. The affable Martin Biron should make for some entertaining television as well.

New York Rangers 2012 Winter Classic Logo (Courtesy New York Rangers)

Uniforms for the event were not yet revealed, but in the branding at the event, it looked like the Rangers’ shield logo used evoked one that the team used from 1935-1948. With the team creating a “Heritage” 3rd jersey last year, it’s not far off the mark to think the retro shield will be incorporated into the uniform.

After tonight’s preseason game against the Flyers, the Rangers will head off for Europe, where they’ll play 4 preseason games in 4 different countries over 5 days before opening the season with 2 games in Stockholm  on October 7th and 8th. Then they get a brief respite with one  “home game” against the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum before heading out on a 4-game Western Conference swing before coming back to New York to open the home schedule against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 27th. The Winter Classic is one more event in what will be a hectic season for the Rangers.

*******************************

The Rangers’ lineup for Monday night’s game in Philadelphia:

Goalies: Biron, Lundqvist

Defensemen:  Bickel, Del Zotto, Erixon, Girardi, McDonagh, Sauer

Forwards:  Anisimov, Avery, Bourque, Boyle, Christensen, Deveaux, Dubinsky,  Mitchell, Thuresson, Weise, Wolski,  Zuccarello

********************************

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HOCKEY LEGENDS PAT LAFONTAINE AND STEVE WEBB TO RIDE 550 MILES FOR W20
FOUNDATION AND COMPANIONS IN COURAGE FOUNDATION

NEW YORK (September 19, 2011) –NHL alumnus Steve Webb and Hockey Hall
of Fame inductee Pat LaFontaine began a 550-mile bike ride this morning
from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in route to the NHL Powered by
Reebok Store in New York City in support of their respective charitable
efforts, the W20 Foundation and the Companions in Courage Foundation. Both
are expected to complete their historic ride on Wednesday, September 21 at
12:00 p.m. ET with a special celebration at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store
in midtown Manhattan.

“The NHL is proud to support these two hockey legends as they embark
on this epic charitable ride. On behalf of the NHL family we proudly salute
Pat and Steve, and wish them the best of luck” said Ken Martin, Jr., NHL
Vice President of Community Affairs.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation is an official
philanthropic partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helps to
create “Lion’s Den/NHL Legacy Classrooms” featuring Cisco System’s online
conferencing system, WebEx, which allows young patients to connect to
family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a
hospital stay.

The Foundation has now opened 12 Lion’s Den rooms throughout North
America, including two with the NHL in Boston, Calgary and Montreal. The
NHL unveiled the first fully functional “NHL Legacy Classroom” at North
Carolina Children’s Hospital to commemorate the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend.
Plans for an “NHL Legacy Classroom” in Pittsburgh were unveiled during the
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic to commemorate the outdoor game.

Webb’s W20 Foundation provides young student ice hockey players with
partial academic scholarships to continue the pursuit of their hockey
dreams. Now the organization also highlights athletes as influential agents
of change and creates opportunities for athletes to give back in their
communities. Webb will also commit a portion of the ride’s proceeds to fund
Alzheimer and dementia research in Ontario.

The riders will be joined by a support team that includes Graham
Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling, host of North America’s premier
series of distance bicycling events.

For more information on how you can support this please visit
www.CiC16.org
or www.w20Foundation.org.  To follow the progress of the ride, fans are
encouraged to visit www.W20Foundation.blogspot.com. ]]> http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/bdgallof/38698/feed/ 0 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/the-mayor/38190/ http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/the-mayor/38190/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:48:31 +0000 The Mayor http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=38190

It’s only been a few months since an earthquake-like rumbling was felt around the National Hockey League, as the Philadelphia Flyers traded away two of their most important players.

From the moment he joined the Los Angeles Kings, Mike Richards has been asked a lot of questions about his now former teammate and best friend, Jeff Carter.

Yet, there’s another person from that dressing room who helped play a small part in shaping him into the person he is today…

“Lappy was – I can’t put into words, how loyal and honest and hardworking…there’s a lot of words I could use to describe him,” said Richards when reflecting on the impact Ian Laperriere has had on him.

“He was somebody who helped me out and guided me in the right direction sometimes when things were frustrating. When things aren’t going very well he just seems to have that sense of calmness about him, where no matter what’s going on he kinda puts things in perspective. He’s a guy who keeps everybody loose around the dressing room. He and I had a unique relationship and it’s something where I was pretty privileged to play with him for a year.”

Laperriere was on MayorsManor soon after the Kings announced their acquisition of Richards back in June. He described the former Flyers captain as a ‘leadership kind of guy’ and somebody who ‘the bigger the game is, the bigger his game is.’

To read the full interview with Laperriere – where he talks more about Richards, the feud with Chris Pronger, leadership of Dustin Brown and impression of Kyle Clifford - click here.

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Zhitnik was acquired to help Atlanta in the playoffs, but instead turned out to be a major disappointment before being bought out the following season. For the Flyers, Coburn has blossomed into a top-four defenseman and one of their top defenders.

It was a trade that had a clear winner: Philadelphia. Even at the time, hockey people were wondering why the Thrashers would give up on a 21-year-old blue liner with all the tools to be a top-pairing defenseman for a chance to advance a couple rounds in the playoffs.

At the end of the day, the Thrashers were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the New York Rangers. Five years later, Atlanta has been relocated to Winnipeg while Coburn has been a big piece to the Flyers success.

Heading into his sixth season in the orange and black, Coburn is heading into training camp paired up with Kimmo Timonen for what will be the fifth year in a row. The two have been a steady, shutdown pairing for the Flyers, and there are no signs that they won’t be asked to do the same again this year.

However, with Timonen and Chris Pronger in the latter part of their careers, the Flyers need Coburn to add more consistency to his game and mature into a capable shutdown defender without an All-Star defenseman playing along his side.

Coburn, now 26, is coming off a season in which he endured ups and downs. His offensive production continued to drop off from his first full season with the Flyers where he scored nine goals and had 27 assists. In 2010-11, Coby scored only two goals and 16 points in 82 games.

The Shaunavon, Saskatchewan-native has all the characteristics of a blue liner who can contribute to the score sheet more than he does. Coburn has a great outlet pass to go along with a big shot when he hits the net. Unfortunately, he sometimes has trouble putting the puck on net with his slapper.

At 6’5, 220-pounds, Coburn is a great skater with a ton of speed to go along with his giant built. Every year, Coburn comes into training camp in the best shape of any player and is conditioned to play a full 82-game season every year. In fact, he has missed only seven games in five years with the Flyers.

Given his size, Coburn has the ability to be a physical monster on the ice. When he takes the body, that’s when you know he’s at his best. Although finishing third on the team behind ex-Flyer Darroll Powe and defenseman Andrej Meszaros with 177 hits, Coburn often times could be a little more physical.

During the Flyers run two years ago that saw the Chicago Blackhawks hoist the Stanley Cup on the then-Wachovia Center ice, Coburn was a dominant force all playoffs. He threw his body around as if he was Pronger, and didn’t let anyone push him around.

One area that Coburn can improve is how he plays in front of his own net. Take Pronger, for instance. Look at how No. 20 plays in front of whatever goalie is minding his net. He’s tough, rough and mean. Pronger doesn’t allow anyone to be comfortable in front of the net.

When Coburn is positioned in front of his net, he isn’t tough, rough and mean. That’s something he needs to develop; a mean streak. He’s a very sound one-on-one defender. It’s hard to beat him because he generally doesn’t get beat in one-on-one situations, but he needs to get better in front of the net.

Often times, when the opposition scores while Coby is on the ice, it’s because of a screen on the goalie. Being paired with Timonen, Coburn is the bigger of the two. It’s his job to make sure no one is creating havoc in front of Ilya Bryzgalov this coming season while he’s on the ice or Sergei Bobrovsky last year. Or whoever is between the pipes.

The Flyers need Coburn to clean the porch more often than he does. Especially on the penalty kill because many teams strategy on the power play is to have a big, power forward stationed in front of the goalie to act as a screen, and score the “dirty” goals. You need a defender there to go to battle.

When he’s on the ice, Coburn has to be ready to battle.

In the last year of his contract, Coburn will be an unrestricted free agent following the season. There were reports that the Flyers signed Coburn to a two-year extension but nothing was confirmed, and it appears as if that contract was premature or were falsely reported.

The Flyers core defense is getting older, and there’s only two-three years left maximum with Pronger and Timonen. If the orange and black want Coburn to replace Pronger or Timonen, they need Coburn to be more consistent.

Coburn has the ability to be a top-pair defenseman. He just needs to get mean.

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Bobrovsky said “it all depends. The team didn’t have a rule that only the person wearing a ‘C’ could talk. When needed, everyone had a chance to say something, not just Pronger, but Richards, Briere, Giroux…  Everyone gave advice, motivated their teammates.”

Now, the Flyers are without a captain as they traded away Richards during the offseason. And the consensus is that coach Peter Laviolette will name Pronger the captain sooner or later. But with Pronger’s health in question for the start of the season, is naming the 36-year-old the captain the best thing for the team?

Probably not.

No one will question Pronger as a leader on any team he’s on. His towering presence is enough to intimidate anyone. He’s mean, knows what it takes to win, isn’t afraid of no one and will say what needs to be said to his teammates, his coaches and the media.

Chris Pronger is a captain.

However, you want your captain on the ice, and there is no guarantee that Pronger will be ready to play come October. Am I saying that Pronger should not be the next captain of the Philadelphia Flyers? Absolutely not because in reality, no matter who has the “C” sewn on their sweater come opening night, a guy like Chris Pronger is the “real” captain.

He doesn’t need the “C” on his jersey to be known as the captain. Everyone in the locker room looks at him when times are tough because he’s been there, done that.

And the Flyers don’t need to name him the captain. Not because he’s not the right fit, but because they have other options.

How about Kimmo Timonen?

The 36-year-old was the captain for the Nashville Predators before coming to the Flyers in 2007, and has been the alternate captain for the Predators and the Flyers. When he was the “C” in Nashville, Timonen had a career year where he posted 13 goals and 42 assists.

Timonen is a leader, and he’s captain material. He won’t be the first person to call out a player to the media but he won’t shy away from the media either. He, too, will say what needs to be said.

Or how about Danny Briere?

Briere is a warrior, and a playoff performer. He plays his best when it matters most. He’s the guy who will score the game-tying goal in the third period or the overtime winner. His fist pump brings joy to every Flyers fan every time he lights the lamp.

And he was a captain before. Briere took over as captain in Buffalo from Chris Gratton. Like Timonen, Briere is soft-spoken, but respected in the locker room. That’s what matters most. Being respected in the room.

You cannot be a captain if your teammates do not respect you.

Richards is a captain. One day, he’ll probably be the Kings captain, but in Philadelphia, his teammates didn’t respect him. It’s time to name someone who the players respect.

And you can bet it’ll be either be Pronger, Timonen or Briere.

All I’m saying is, give the “C” to Timonen or Briere because Prongs don’t need it on the sweater to be the captain.

He already is.

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Voracek, who was a restricted free agent at the time of the trade, re-signed with the Flyers on a one-year deal that will pay the Czech winger $2.25 million.

Columbus’ first round pick in 2007, Voracek scored 14 goals and recorded 32 assists in 80 games in his third season playing in the NHL.

After three seasons with the Blue Jackets, Voracek averaged 13 goals, 32 assists and 44 points per season. Pretty impressive numbers for a developing prospect.

Seeing how Voracek helped land Columbus a top-line center in Jeff Carter, where does he fit in with the Flyers, and how does Philadelphia plan on replacing Carter’s 40 goals?

Based on Carter’s and Voracek’s first three years, Voracek could have a bigger role in replacing the scoring the orange and black lost in the offseason with the trades of Mike Richards and Carter than originally thought.

In his first three seasons with the Flyers, Carter averaged 22 goals, 22 assists and 44 points. Looks familiar to Voracek’s first three years, don’t it?

Carter endured a breakout season in his fourth season while this coming year will be Voracek’s fourth year in the NHL. In year four, Carter set career high in goals (46), assists (38) and points (84) while playing all 82 games in 2008-09.

Is it too crazy to wonder if Voracek could have his breakout season in his first year with the Flyers?

While Carter and Voracek are two completely different players, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that Voracek could be a bigger factor in replacing the 69 goals the Flyers lost by trading away Carter and Richards.

Voracek is not a goal scorer but more of a playmaker. He’s a gifted passer who likes to set up his linemates. In reality, he didn’t have much to work with in Columbus not named Rick Nash, and he still put up solid numbers.

He has his flaws, and needs to mature a little more, but he should have a better opportunity to produce in Philly.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette could decide to play Voracek on the wing with Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell. In essence, Voracek would replace Ville Leino on the line that found so much success dating back to the magical 2010 Stanley Cup run that didn’t end too well.

If he doesn’t replace Leino on the Briere line, then the Flyers could put him with James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux, who have been handed the keys to Flyerdom. Giroux and van Riemsdyk started to develop chemistry near the latter part of last season, and blossomed in the playoffs. It’s only a matter of finding the third leg, and Voracek could be that guy.

Or the Flyers could chose to breakup Briere and Hartnell all together, and put Voracek with his childhood hero, Jaromir Jagr, and Briere. Voracek looked up to Jagr while playing hockey in Juniors, and I’m sure that would become a dream come true if that were to happen.

Either way, Voracek is going to have better linemates in Philadelphia than Columbus. When he could have one of the best goal scorers in NHL history playing next to him, or a player like Briere or Giroux, who always find ways to create scoring chances, on his line, Voracek is going to have a golden opportunity to breakout.

It’s up to him to seize the opportunity.

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Nylander, who will turn 39 in October, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2008-09 with the Washington Capitals when he tallied nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 72 games.

The Swedish center played in seven games with the Rochester Americans in the AHL last year before undergoing successful spinal fusion surgery in late October. He had four goals and two assists.

His last good season in the NHL came in 2006-07 when he was with the New York Rangers when he scored 26 goals and registered 83 points in 79 games. Both were career highs.

With Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Brayden Schenn and Blair Betts on the roster, Nylander’s chance to make the Flyers are slim. He will have to outplay youngsters Matt Read, Ben Holmstrom, Tom Sestito and Zac Rinaldo.

A possible reason for the Flyers to invite Nylander to training camp is to give Jaromir Jagr a familiar face in the locker room to make the transition process from the KHL to a team that he dominated for his entire NHL career’s locker room.

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