Postgame: Flyers at Panthers

Well, I was wrong.

The Flyers just looked disinterested for good portions of the game.  That’s never a good thing.  I know that some people have been calling for the firing of John Stevens because of lack of emotion from the team, but shouldn’t the players be banging away on their own?

The Flyers did turn it on for the second half of the third period, but by then the Panthers had already effectively sealed off the middle of the ice in front of the net.  The Flyers had sustained pressure, like they did at points earlier in the game, but they just couldn’t really get the good scoring chances.  Earlier in the game, the Flyers had chances to score, but they hit a few points and otherwise came up short.

The injury to Ryan Parent didn’t help either.  He missed the final two periods of the game.  Danny Syvret usually doesn’t get much time on the ice, and he wasn’t really used all that much after Parent’s injury.  Maybe giving him (and Ole Tollefsen if Parent missed some time) more ice time will help spell the top 4 and give them some rest.

I predicted that the layoff would help the Flyers, but after watching the game, I think it did just the opposite.  I’m not making excuses for them, but when you don’t play hockey at the game’s pace for awhile, you lose your chops.  And now they have to wait until Thursday to play another game.  Got to work hard for the week until that game, boys.

There were some positives in the game, however.  Emery made some big saves to keep his team in the game.  The Flyers also did a pretty good job of staying out of the box, only being shorthanded three times, but Pronger’s slashing penalty was completely unnecessary.  And whaddayaknow, 9 seconds into the power play, the Panthers scored.  Giroux lighting up the lamp for the first time this year was also a good thing, rifling a nice shot off a feed from Simon Gagne.  And back from injury, James van Riemsdyk made an excellent play lifting the stick of a Panther and sliding the puck over to Arron Asham who then backhanded it high into the net.  And finally, Braydon Coburn played better than he has over the last few games, breaking up some dangerous-looking plays for the Panthers.

I can handle loses when the Flyers play hard for 60 minutes and the other team is just able to scratch out a win.  But I don’t like seeing efforts, or lack there of, like I saw tonight.  Maybe it’ll be a wakeup call for the team, I hope it is.

Flyers at Panthers

Call me crazy, but I think that the Flyers scheduling is atrocious right now.  One game in eleven days.  And this is when the scheduling is compressed as it is because of the Olympics.  But it is what it is.

The Flyers will be fresh off a long break to take on a disappointing Florida Panthers team.  The team has been in Florida over the past few days engaging in their yearly team-building activities, including fishing, sailing, and doing other Florida things…they’re some lucky guys.  Because of this, I expect them to be chomping at the bit and have a renewed sense of team spirit.

The Flyers will get a shot in the arm tonight with James van Riemsdyk being back in the lineup.  He’ll assume his position on the third line, but with some new linemates that he’s been practicing with this week.  Claude Giroux has been moved up to the first line to play with Simon Gagne and Mike Richards.  I like Giroux a lot better on a line with proven finishers.  That’s not a knock on anyone else he’s been playing with, but with Giroux’s talent, you want him in an environment where he can really flourish.

With the move, Mika Pyorala will take over the third line center position, flanked by JVR and Arron Asham.  This line won’t light it up on the scoreboard like the top two lines will, but I like the combination of skill, two-way presence, and grit that each player brings.

According to Bill Meltzer from Hockeybuzz.com, the Flyers lineup will look like this:

Simon Gagne – Mike Richards – Claude Giroux
Scott Hartnell – Jeff Carter – Danny Briere
James van Riemsdyk – Mika Pyorala – Arron Asham
Daniel Carcillo – Darroll Powe – Ian Laperriere

Chris Pronger – Matt Carle
Kimmo Timonen – Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent – Danny Syvret or Ole Tollefsen

Ray Emery
Backup: Brian Boucher

At 1-4-0, the Panthers don’t have much to show for to start the year.  After perusing their stat sheet, no player has really taken the reigns offensively, and their top goal scorer David Booth only has one goal so far and only one point.  Michael Frolik is their leading scorer with 3 points and is the only player on the team with more than two.  The Flyers, on the other hand, have nine players with at least 3 points with both clubs playing 5 games so far this year.

That said, the Flyers of course cannot take this team, or any team, for that matter lightly.  Tomas Vokoun isn’t a bad goalie by any stretch of the imagination, so it won’t necessarily be a cakewalk offensively for the team despite Florida’s team GAA of 4.00.

I do think the Flyers should and will win this game with the Mike Richards line leading the way.

Welcome back, Flyers hockey.  Too bad you’ll be gone for almost another week after tonight.

And by the way, GO PHILLIES!!!

Daniel Carcillo and the Flyers Enforcer

People hated the trade that brought Daniel Carcillo to the Flyers.  It wasn’t necessarily that they didn’t like Carcillo, it was that everyone hated to see such a beloved player in Scottie Upshall go.  Carcillo wasn’t given much of a chance, and unfortunately, he hasn’t proven his critics wrong.

At this point, should the Flyers even keep him on the team?  Carcillo has not done a very good job of showing that he can be a contributing player to the team, or even a team player for that matter.  In 20 games for the Flyers last season, Carcillo racked up 80 penalty minutes.  For a team that had other players capable of playing the enforcer role, that number is way too high.  It’s okay if he wants to fight, but sometimes you have to pick your spots.  And he absolutely has to cut the undisciplined penalties out of his repertoire.  That’s why he’s wearing out his welcome.  I was personally willing to give Carcillo another chance this season, but from what I’ve seen in the preseason, he’s still not mature enough to take a hit without throwing a hissyfit.  If he can’t stay out of the box, he can’t help the team.

The most frustrating part is that Dan Carcillo can actually be a hockey player.  Yes, his game is as an intimidator, and he is an absolute animal when he drops the gloves.  But he can still pot a goal once an awhile.  In the 2007-2008 season with the Phoenix Coyotes, Carcillo scored 13 goals and added 11 assists for 24 points in 57 games.  That’s some nice production for your team’s fighter.  Actually, that’s great production.  However, Carcillo’s been showing for the most part that he’s simply more interested in bashing someone’s face in than actually playing some good hockey.

The other thing that doesn’t help Carcillo is that he probably won’t be missed if the Flyers part ways with him.  It’s pretty simple, the Flyers have players who can do Carcillo’s job, and even better than he’s showing he can.  First of all, let me say that Riley Cote (although I do like him) should be sent down to the Flyers.  He’s just not good enough to play any type of solid minutes.  But even so, he’s more disciplined that Carcillo and will make the Flyers shorthanded less often.  Arron Asham is a willing pugilist and a suitable third and fourth line forward.  And he’s got some nice hands believe it or not.  Ian Lapperierre is a solid veteran, a fan favorite, and a great locker room presence.  He also can throw down and will give you some good minutes defensively.  Ole Tollefsen and newly acquired Chris Pronger can and will also fight.  The Flyers are still a pretty tough team without Carcillo in the lineup.

The Flyers have some nice potential waiting in the wings.  James van Riemsdyk and Patrick Maroon are two big, skilled forwards who are looking to make a splash.  They’ve got plenty to offer and would make a nice impact for a Flyers team looking for some scoring on the third line.  I hate to turn on the guy, but Carcillo’s just not proving his worth on the Flyers.  The Flyers have some decisions to make.

JVR Impresses

With his highest level of play being the World Junior Championships and college hockey, many wondered if James van Riemsdyk would make the Flyers’ roster at the start of the season.  Claude Giroux was in a similar situation last season, with a roster spot to lose, and he lost it.  The thing is, he had some serious dental work done and that seriously affected his play.  So he started the season on the Phantoms and came in later in the season to fill in a spot.  He never looked back.

JVR has a roster spot to lose and based on his camp performance, he really doesn’t want to lose it.  In the rookies game against the Capitals, he scored 3 goals and added an assist, leading the Flyers to 7-3 victory.  Last night, the Flyers opened the preseason with a game in Detroit and fell to the Red Wings 3-1.  Van Riemsdyk scored the Flyers one and only goal, coming via a nice shot after he took the puck off the left-side boards.

At 6’3″ and 205 lb, JVR can grow into a more skilled version of Mike Knuble.  The Flyers need another big body in the top 6 forward group, and van Riemsdyk is looking like he’s the guy for the job.  He could probably beef up a little to become a serious load in front of and around the net, but his skills with the stick and skates should be able to allow him to get away with it in the beginning, especially when other teams are trying to figure out his game.

It’s exciting to see JVR progress so well this early and if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on him earning a roster spot.  The Flyers already have a pretty good group of forwards, and adding JVR to the list makes it even scarier.