Flyers fall short in thrilling Winter Classic

It was just 1 game of 82 on the schedule but the Winter Classic lived up to all of the hype, producing an exciting game in a beautiful environment.  While the Flyers did end up falling short, losing 3-2 to the Rangers, it was still an experience that the team and the city won't soon forget.

The Flyers got on the board first after Brayden Schenn scored his first NHL goal in the second period of the game.  It was the second time that a Flyer scored his first NHL goal in a Winter Classic as Danny Syvret also accomplished that feat back in 2010.  The Flyers then added a second goal later in the second period after Claude Giroux scored off a pass from Max Talbot but everything went downhill from there for the Flyers.  Not only did the Rangers score just 30 seconds later but they dominated the play for much of the rest of the game, building a 3-2 lead after a pair of Mike Rupp (!!) goals and a Brad Richards tally.

The Flyers had their chances late, including a powerplay and a late penalty shot but Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist proved to be too good, stoning the Flyers on 34 of their 36 shots and playing like the elite goaltender he is.  If only the Flyers could ever have a goaltender as good as Lundqvist....

Things will now get back to normal for the Flyers, who still find themselves in the upper half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture but have been skidding as of late, losing 3 of their last 4.  Perhaps getting away from the HBO cameras will help someone like Ilya Bryzgalov remember how to play hockey again and help the team out of their slide.

The 2012 Winter Classic definitely lived up to everything it was expected to be.  How about we do that again sometime?

Flyers to host 2012 Winter Classic

After participating in the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway, it appears that the Flyers won’t have to wait very long to host an outdoor game of their own. Rumors have flown all day but Tim Pannacio has confirmed it: the Flyers will host the 2012 Winter Classic, at Citizens Bank Park, against the New York Rangers on January 2nd, 2012.

While the Winter Classic is normally played on January 1st, the NHL has pushed the game back a day because the Eagles are hosting the Redskins on New Years Day at Lincoln Financial. With the rest of the NFL also playing on New Years Day, it makes sense that the NHL would move the game and attract as many eyeballs as possible.

It’s likely that much of the NHL will be upset that the Flyers get to participate in another Winter Classic so soon, but for Philadelphia fans, this is awesome news. The Flyers and Rangers are both huge draws, so the NHL is sure to make plenty of money on the game and Philly will be in the spotlight the entire time. You can also expect HBO to make their 24/7 documentary for the weeks leading up to the game, so that’s going to be another awesome experience for Flyers fans.

Good choice, NHL. You’ve rewarded some of the best fans in hockey with one of the most exciting games of the year. Philadelphia won’t let you down.

Flyers playoff bound after shootout win!

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The Flyers are going to the playoffs!

While it's unfortunate that who went to the playoffs had to be decided in a shootout, the better team won on Sunday as the Flyers outplayed the Rangers in a 2-1 win that clinched the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference for Philly. It was a frustrating game throughout as the Flyers had more shots, hits and scoring chances but trailed for most of the contest after Jody Shelley scored early in the first period for the Rangers. It wasn't until the third period that the Flyers evened it up when Matt Carle scored a power play goal and from there the scoring stopped as the Rangers went into a shell and the Flyers just couldn't beat Henrik Lundqvist.

After a few chances for each team in overtime, it all came down to a shootout, a nightmare scenario for hockey purists. The Rangers had to like their chances with the better goalie and the fact that the Flyers traditionally struggle in shootouts but being better on paper didn't translate today. In the third round of the shootout, Claude Giroux beat Lundqvist and Olli Jokinen was stonewalled by Brian Boucher, clinching the game for the Flyers and sending them to the playoffs:

So, after all the frustration of 82 games of up and down hockey, the Flyers have a new life in the playoffs. Their opponent will be determined shortly depending on the outcome of the Devils/Sabres game, but the Flyers have to feel pretty good about avoiding the Capitals and Penguins in the first round. Sure, they aren't consistent and they have a mediocre goalie but we all know that anything can happen in the playoffs, even an improbable run by a team that barely deserves to be there.

There is nothing in sports quite like playoff hockey; fortunately for us the Flyers played just well enough when it mattered to squeak their way in.

Flyers season on the line Sunday

After the Canadiens lost to the Maple Leafs in overtime on Saturday, the Flyers playoff picture became crystal clear. Depending on the outcome of Sunday's rematch with the Rangers, here are the two possible scenarios:

Flyers win in regulation, overtime or shootout and they are the 7th seed in the East. They will play either the Devils or the Sabres, who also play on Sunday for the 2nd seed. That's right, the Flyers have successfully avoided playing the Capitals in the first round. It is not possible for them to be the 8th seed.

Flyers lose in regulation, overtime or shootout and they are the 9th seed in the East. Rangers are the 8 seed, no playoffs for the Flyers.

It's all on the line Sunday when the Flyers take on the Rangers in Philadelphia, meaning the playoffs have basically started. The playoff picture has worked out in such a way that the Flyers could actually make noise if they get in; let's hope they take advantage of the opportunity.

It all comes down to Sunday for the Flyers

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Did you really think they were going to take the easy way? Forced to win one of their remaining two games against the Rangers to ensure a spot in the playoffs, the Flyers fell short on Friday night, losing 4-3 in New York. The loss pulled the Rangers even with the Flyers for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning everything will be on the line for the Flyers and Rangers square up again on Sunday. Should the Flyers win or tie, they are in the playoffs. Should the Rangers win, the Flyers hit the golf course.

Friday's game was nothing short of a disappointment. The Flyers played their typical inconsistent hockey, starting strong early in the first period with a goal by Mike Richards before a Dan Carcillo high sticking double minor put the Rangers on the power play and in control of the game. The Rangers would ride the momentum to three straight goals before the Flyers finally woke up midway through the second period and scored two of their own to tie game up at 3. One lazy play by Chris Pronger and a weird floating shot by Marian Gaborik later and the Flyers found themselves in a one goal deficit they never came out of.

It's hard to have too much faith in the Flyers in a do-or-die game since we never know which team will show up. Will it be the Flyers team that jumped on the Rangers early and showed a ton of energy as they clawed back into the game? Or, will it be the Flyers team that played tentatively and allowed an offensively-challenged Rangers team to dictate the play for long stretches of time? While we all complain about the goaltending, all season long, regardless of who was in net, the Flyers have been unable to find any kind of consistency on offense or defense. When the team needs a big play, who makes it? Chris Pronger? Jeff Carter? Often the answer is Mike Richards but even the Captain has been known to vanish at times.

While there are still several scenarios where the Flyers could finish as high as 6th in the Eastern Conference, we know that, with a win on Sunday, they clinch the playoffs. What happens after they clinch and have to play an elite team in the East notwithstanding, the Flyers better be playing with every ounce of urgency and energy they can muster. After 81 games, it all comes down to 60 minutes on the ice. If the right Flyers show up, we will get a few more weeks of hockey in Philadelphia. If the wrong Flyers show up, expect some major changes to happen this offseason.

Flyers pound Rangers on scoreboard, with fists

(Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Sure, I could spend plenty of time analyzing why the Flyers beat the Rangers, 2-0, in a game that they dominated throughout, but why would you want to read that when you can watch the Flyers pummel the Rangers in two of the fights from the game.

First, Dan Carcillo crushed Marian Gaborik:

Then, Scott Hartnell beat down Sean Avery:

The Carcillo/Gaborik fight caused plenty of whining from Rangers fans, players, coaches and media as they blamed Carcillo for attacking Gaborik, a known non-fighter in the NHL. Watching the clip, however, it's obvious that Gaborik was the aggressor and dropped the gloves first, and once you drop the gloves, the fight is on and if you get beat up, that's too bad. The Rangers have gone as far to say they want revenge on Carcillo next time the two teams meet up. I'm sure Carcillo and the Flyers will be ready.

As for the game itself, the most notable thing that happened was Ray Emery looking sharp for the first time since returning from injury. Emery notched his second shutout of the season and looks like he is ready to completely take over the number one goalie spot from Michael Leighton. Having Emery returning to form would really help the Flyers as they continue to inch towards a playoff spot.

Flyers, still lacking consistency, allow Rangers to clinch playoff spot

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

With the NCAA tournament, the beginning of the baseball season and lots of offseason football news, people have likely forgotten that the Flyers are about to begin another playoff run. Entering today, the Flyers had just three games left to play, all against New York teams. While they have already clinched the playoffs, the Flyers are still fighting for the home ice advantage in the first round.

They faced off with the Rangers today and a couple of fluky goals and some lackluster play led to a 2-1 loss to New York. The win clinched a playoff spot for the Rangers, but it didn't hurt the Flyers since the Hurricanes, who are tied with Philly for the 4th spot in the East, also lost. The Flyers have a game in hand over the Hurricanes, so they still control their destiny for home-ice.

Tonight's effort against the Rangers was yet another game where the Flyers didn't bring their "A" game for 60 minutes and were forced to scramble at the end to try to tie up the game. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist had a hell of a game as he stopped 37 shots and basically willed New York to the win.

The Flyers also made an odd roster move today, signing Colgate defenseman David Sloane to a tryout contract and sticking him directly into the lineup against the Rangers. He is a Philly native who the Flyers brought in under emergency recall conditions to replace Ryan Parent in the lineup. The Flyers couldn't bring up the usual defensemen they call up in this situations, like Danny Syvret or Nate Guenin, due to salary cap issues. Being forced to play a guy like Sloane at this time of the year really speaks to how little depth the Flyers have and how restricted they are with the salary cap.

In other news, Luca Sbisa has finished his junior season and will play for the Phantoms. There is no word yet as to whether he will join the Flyers for the playoffs.

The Flyers seem to be stumbling their way into the playoffs, not the kind of thing they want to be doing if they want to make a playoff run like last season. While it seems pretty likely they will end up with the 4th seed in the East, it's hard to have a lot of confidence in the team when their defense is in shambles and their offense isn't consistent from game to game. Let's hope they have been saving their best hockey for the months of April and May or we could be headed for a quick playoff exit.

Penalties, Sean Avery are downfall of Flyers

After playing an inspiring game of hockey in a playoff-like atmosphere at the Wachovia Center Saturday, the Flyers let their emotions get the best of them in a rematch against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The Flyers lost 4-1 and couldn't stay out of the penalty box all game. They finished with 34 minutes of penalties, including 15 of them when Braydon Coburn was tossed from the game for high sticking Nik Antropov in the face. While Coburn was retaliating for an earlier cheap shot by Antropov, it was dumb penalties like that that gave the Rangers a string of power play chances and all four of their goals came on the man advantage.

The Flyers march to the penalty box was aided by the antics of Sean Avery, who is back to his usual tricks to get under opponents skin. Avery also added two goals in the game, so needless to say, the Flyers saw more of Avery than they wanted to. The Madison Square Garden loved his every move, however.

It also now appears that the Flyers goaltender battle is over. Antero Niittymaki started in net for the Flyers and gave up 4 goals, and even though they were all on the powerplay, his performance paled in comparison to what Martin Biron did yesterday against the Rangers. The Flyers would be wise to ride out Biron for the rest of the season and hope he gots hot like he was in the playoffs last year.

So, the Flyers end up splitting the home and home series with the Rangers. While things could have been worse, if the Flyers had stopped their parade to the penalty box, they might have actually has a chance to sweep the series. With a game against the Red Wings looming on Tuesday, it would have been nice to leave New York with a little more confidence and a little less Sean Avery.

Flyers rout Rangers on National TV

(AP Photo/John Dunn)

There's nothing better than a little Sunday afternoon hockey, especially when it's the Flyers whipping the Rangers. The Flyers beat the Rangers 5-2 in a game that was even more of a blowout than the final score indicated.

The Flyers scored first in the opening period when Claude Giroux netted his 3rd career NHL goal. Philly then blew the game wide open with a 4 goal second period to take a commanding 5-0 lead and never looked back. The Rangers played listlessly throughout the game although they were able to net two inconsequential goals.

Philly had several great efforts in the game. Mike Richards had a spectacular breakaway 5 on 3 shorthanded goal early in the second period. That goal was the third 3 on 5 goal scored by Richards in his career, an NHL record. Giroux also played one of the best games of his career, scoring that early goal and adding a pair of assists. Martin Biron also played well in net, stopping 35 of 37 shots.

As one would expect in a lopsided contest between two rivals, the game was chippy throughout and had a pair of fights and a couple of game misconducts. In a weird scheduling quirk, it was the first time the Rangers and Flyers had played each other since the Flyers first game of the season on October 11th. Now the two teams will play each other 4 more times in the final 27 games so expect a lot more bad blood as the two teams battle for playoff positioning. Of course, with the way the Rangers, losers of 7 of their last 8, are playing, they may be out of playoff contention when these two teams meet up again.