Flyers pay tribute to Simon Gagne

To pay tribute to Simon Gagne, who made his return to Philadelphia as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flyers showed an awesome video:

The video debuted during the first period and received a huge standing ovation from the entire crowd. And I thought Philly fans were all supposed to be jerks?

Flyers deal Simon Gagne to the Lightning

The Flyers have finally gotten themselves under the cap, trading Simon Gagne to the Lightning in exchange for defenseman Matt Walker and a 4th round draft pick. So ends the Philly career of the longest tenured Flyer.

For the Flyers, this move was all about moving salary and not about what they were getting in return. Considering Gagne is injury-prone and set to make 5.25 million next year and will be a free agent after next season, the Flyers were lucky to get anything in return. So, while Walker and a draft pick aren't anything to get too excited about, understand that everyone in the NHL knew the Flyers needed to dump salary so they weren't about to give up anything good to get Gagne.

With the trade, the Flyers are now about a million dollars under the salary cap. Matt Walker will make 1.7 million dollars for the next three years and will, at best, be the Flyers 7th defenseman. While Walker, a 7 year veteran, is a big, physical d-man, there is a chance the Flyers will look to bury him in the minors and let Oskars Bartulis remain the 7th d-man, giving them even more salary cap space. Either way, my hope is that the Flyers next move will be to dump Riley Cote, who is currently the Flyers 13th forward, and finally sign restricted free agent Darroll Powe to take his place.

Losing Gagne, who has spent 10 years with the Flyers, is a little painful, but it was the right move for the Flyers. Sure, it would have been nice to see Gagne spend his entire career in the Orange and Black but he was going to be leaving town as a free agent at the end of next season, anyway. Given how much Gagne makes, he was the right player to move to get the Flyers out of their salary cap mess.

So long, Simon and thanks for all you did with the Flyers. I will always wonder how good you could of been if all those injuries hadn't slowed you down.

RDS.ca report: Simon Gagne refuses to waive no-trade clause

With the Flyers still closing in on signing Nikolai Zherdev, they are still working on that little matter of clearing some salary off the books to make room for the enigmatic winger. While it seemed like a foregone conclusion last week, it appears that Simon Gagne won't be the player that is moved off the roster.

In a video that's in French on RDS.ca, Gagne apparently talks about how he has not waived his no-trade clause. I say "apparently" because I don't know French, but I'm going with what those on Twitter like Dustin Leed (@HockeyGuy_DLEED) are saying when they relay that a rough translation of what Gagne says is "I have a no trade clause and I did not waive".

So, if Gagne refuses to be traded, which he has every right to do, what will the Flyers do now to move salary? With high-priced forwards Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell having no-trade clauses and Mike Richards getting one soon, that doesn't leave many players left for the Flyers to trade. Short of getting Hartnell to waive his no-trade clause, it's looking more and more like Jeff Carter is going to be moved. Given how center-heavy the Flyers are and how much they could likely get for him in a trade, moving Carter's 5 million dollar salary might have been the smart thing to do all along.

Goodbye Gagne? Flyers winger waives no trade clause

With the Flyers sitting less than a million dollars from the salary cap and still needing to sign a forward or two, you knew someone had to go. That someone might turn out to be Simon Gagne, who, according to Anthony SanFilippo on Twitter, has been asked by the Flyers and agreed to waive his no trade clause. While no trade appears to be imminent, moving Gagne would help the Flyers clear up some cap space so they could fill out their remaining roster and still have some money left over to pursue a goalie.

While he is a fan favorite, Gagne, who was drafted by the Flyers back in 1998 and has played 10 years in the Orange and Black, is the perfect target for the Flyers to trade. With a contract that will pay him 5.25 million for just one more year before making him an unrestricted free agent, the best time to move Gagne is now, especially considering Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux also have one year left in their deals and will be looking for contract extensions next offseason. While some think Carter, who doesn't have a no trade clause, should be the one to be moved, you have to factor in that Carter is 5 years younger than Gagne and hasn't had the injury history.

As a fan who has enjoyed rooting for him for the last decade, part of me hopes Gagne stays in Philly. As a fan of the Flyers team, however, it makes too much sense not to trade Gagne while the Flyers can still get a decent package for him and then fill in the remaining holes on the roster.

Parting with Gagne will be such sweet sorrow. While I would hate to see him go, if they make the right deal, the Flyers will be better off in the long run.

Miracle achieved: Flyers pull off improbable comeback

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Have we all just witnessed the greatest comeback in the history of sports? The Flyers, down 3-0 in Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the series, somehow found it in them for one last comeback, scoring 4 straight goals to defeat the Bruins, 4-3, and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The comeback made the Flyers the 4th team in sports history to erase a 0-3 deficit and win a playoff series, although I don't think any of them pulled it off in quite this dramatic of a fashion.

The hero of the series for the Flyers was Simon Gagne, whose return to the ice in Game 4 directly coincided with the Flyers turning the series around. Gagne not only scored the game winning goal in Game 4 and Game 7, but he also allowed the Flyers to shuffle the forwards around and roll out three lines that were legitimate threats to score. Also deserving massive credit for the comeback was head coach Peter Laviolette. Somehow, Laviolette kept the team focused on winning one game at a time and didn't let them panic when all seemed lost. It's a breath of fresh air for the Flyers to have a competent coach pushing all the right buttons.

I'm not sure there is any way I can put into words how amazing this comeback was from the Flyers. To first come back from the dead in the series and then also do it within the context of a single game shows the determination, grit and, frankly, the balls that this Flyers team has. The Flyers don't care about the score, don't care if everyone counts them out, don't care if they aren't supposed to win, they just keep on playing their game and know that, eventually, things will turn out their way.

Even more shocking after the win is wrapping your mind around the idea that the Flyers, the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, are now hosting the 8th seeded Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canadiens aren't your typical 8 seed, though, as they have ridden a hot goaltender past the two best offenses in the league in Washington and Pittsburgh. Still, everything is still pretty well lined for the Flyers to make an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Relish this feeling, Flyers fans. Your team just pulled off a miracle. I know that word is thrown around a lot in sports but it must be applied to what the Flyers just did. This series immediately jumps into the ranks of the greatest moments in Philly sports history and is one that we will be talking about for years to come. Hopefully the Flyers have enough left in the tank to bring home the Cup and make this comeback even more meaningful.

We've got a series: Flyers crush Bruins in Game 5

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We should have learned by now that we can't ever count out the Flyers. Somehow, despite barely squeaking into the playoffs, despite amassing a heap of injured players and despite them being in a 0-3 hole, the Flyers are persevering. In Game 5 against the Bruins, the Flyers played some of their best hockey of the season, blowing out Boston in a 4-0 win to narrow the Bruins series lead to 3-2.

The Flyers got big-time contributions from three forwards in the game: Simon Gagne, Ville Leino and Scott Hartnell. Continuing his solid play since returning in Game 4, Gagne had a pair of goals in the game, one on the power play and the other an unassisted breakaway goal. Leino (goal, assist) and Hartnell (goal) were also around the net all game long as both finished with a plus/minus of 2. I'm assuming the Flyers have been very happy with what Leino has done with the opportunity he has been given due to injuries.

While the scoreboard shows that the Flyers were the much better team on Monday night, they did have to pay the price for the win. Two more possibly major injuries happened, including one to starting goaltender Brian Boucher and another to one of their most reliable playoff contributors, Claude Giroux. It was frankly remarkable that the Flyers never missed a beat after these two key players went down.

After a collision at the net, Boucher had to leave the game early in the second period and was replaced by Michael Leighton, who was fresh off an injury of his own. Initial reports on Boucher are that he seriously injured his knee and I would expect that he has an MRI tomorrow where we get a clear picture of how long he will be out. In his place, Leighton took over and looked sharp, finishing what was the first combined shutout in Flyers playoff history. While Leighton was as steady as you could ask for, he is a playoff rookie and it's difficult to have too much confidence in him should Boucher be out for any period of time.

Giroux came up his injury after Steve Begin boarded him late in the second period. It is also not known as to whether Giroux will miss any time but he wasn't on the Flyers bench in the third period. With the game a blowout, let's hope the Flyers were just letting Giroux rest up.

Suddenly, with Game 6 coming back in Philadelphia, the Flyers are right back in this series. The way they have played some of their best hockey with their backs against the wall there is no reason to think they can't pull off the comeback. This team has proven again and again, no matter how many players shuttle in and out of the lineup and no matter how tired their legs are, they will give maximum effort. While I hope Boucher and Giroux find their way back to the ice, it's good to know that Leighton is waiting in the wings and guys like Gagne and Leino are picking up the slack offensively.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves and start making plans for the Eastern Conference Finals, however, it's important to remember the Flyers are still only halfway through their comeback attempt. Anyone who has watched the Flyers this season knows that, in any game, for any reason, the Flyers can just not have it and get blown out of the building. Still, it's exciting to know that with a few more bounces and a little more luck, the Flyers could pull off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history. Game 6 Wednesday night in Philly will be huge.

Welcome back! Gagne's OT goal keeps Flyers alive

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Yeah, I'd say the return of Simon Gagne had quite an impact on the Flyers.

Gagne, returning to the ice for the first time since breaking his foot against the Devils in the first round, scored the game winning goal in overtime to help the Flyers stave off elimination and send the series back to Boston. It was a fitting end to the game for Gagne, who was a true warrior as he toughed out his clearly still hurting foot injury to give the Flyers every ounce of energy he had in the tank.

While Gagne's heroics made for a great end to the game, it never should have gotten to that point. After somehow playing with no sense of urgency for most of the first period, the Flyers found their legs late in the first as they cashed in with a goal by Danny Briere. From there, the energy carried over into the second period as the Flyers continued to dominate play and chipped in two more goals to get out to their first 2 goal lead of the series. At that point, with the way they were playing, the game appeared to be in the bag.

Of course, this is the Flyers we are talking about and they never make things easy. First, Brian Boucher misplayed a puck midway through the second to let the Bruins back into the game. Then, as they protected a one goal lead with 32 seconds left, the Flyers somehow forget to cover Mark Recchi, who had a terrific shot that got past Boucher and sent the game into overtime. While many will point to those events as being evidence that the Bruins never give up they can also be pointed to as mental lapses by a team that has trouble putting their opponent away.

Regardless of their inability to hold on to a lead, the Flyers live to play another day. While most signs point to this series being over sooner rather than later, you really can't count the Flyers out until the series is completely over. With how evenly matched these teams are, if the Flyers work hard and get a few bounces going their way, they can extend this thing far enough to start making the Bruins uncomfortable.

Thank you, Simon Gagne, for returning and giving us at least one more Flyers game this season. Now, if you could just do that three more times...

Too little, too late? Gagne returns for the Flyers

With their season on the brink, the Flyers are in full-on desperation mode. Facing a 0-3 hole in the playoffs, the Flyers are going to need a miracle to avoid being eliminated by the Bruins in the next few days.

While it isn't the miracle they need, the Flyers will get some help with the return of Simon Gagne for Game 4. According to CSN Philly, after a recent MRI determined that he had no further injury to his toe, Gagne resumed skating and will suit up Friday night to help the Flyers avoid elimination.

Will Gagne make all the difference and carry the Flyers past the Bruins? Not likely. Remember, Gagne wasn't exactly tearing it up in the Devils series, where he managed just 2 assists and 8 shots on goal in 5 games. Considering he hasn't played since April 20th, Gagne also will have plenty of rust as he tries to ramp up to game speed. Where a returning Gagne does help is he can push the minutes back that the Flyers have been forced to give the lesser players and help keep tired legs on the bench.

With the return of Gagne and the exit of David Krejci from the Bruins lineup, the Flyers should be the healthier team for once in this series. Unfortunately, it looks like nothing short of an injury to Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is going to keep the Flyers from being ousted.

Flyers injury update: Gagne out 3 weeks, Carter done for the season

It looks like Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter will be missing much more than just Game 5. According to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, both Gagne and Carter are going to have surgery on their respective foot injuries, meaning both will not be "day to day" as was originally reported. In fact, following surgery on Friday, Gagne is expected to be out 3 weeks, or at least until the end of the second round, while Carter is expected to be out for 6, which will end his season.

As we already knew, Ville Leino and David Laliberte are likely going to replace Gagne and Carter in the lineup but they won't be expected to get all of the ice time and power play minutes. Instead, look for the Flyers to turn to players like Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk to make a bigger impact. It will be up to the young guys to step up if the Flyers want to make any serious playoff run.

Flyers lose Carter, Gagne for at least Game 5

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Suddenly, that 3-1 series lead doesn't look so solid. Just hours after their impressive Game 4 win over the Devils, the Flyers got some bad news: they will be without Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne for Game 5 and possibly beyond. Both forwards will be out with foot injuries that they sustained in Game 4, with Carter injuring his foot deflecting the puck on his second goal of the game and Gagne injuring his while blocking a shot. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said that both players are "day to day", though in the playoffs, even players with major injuries are said to be "day to day".

Losing the two puts a damper on the Flyers chances in Game 5 but it doesn't kill them. Neither forward has been the focal point of the Flyers attack in the series, although the timing for Carter, who is a very streaky scorer, was especially bad considering he is coming off a two goal game. Replacing Carter and Gagne in the lineup will be Ville Leino and David Laliberte, which definitely constitutes a dropoff in offense. While I have been hoping Leino, a solid offensive player, would get some ice time in the playoffs, he certainly is no Jeff Carter.

Eliminating the Devils in Game 5 in New Jersey was already going to be a tough task for the Flyers; with these injuries, it almost seems insurmountable. That said, the best case scenario for the Flyers is probably to let these two heal and regroup for a chance to beat the Devils back in Philly for Game 6.

Cheaters? Penguins broadcast robbed Gagne of goal

As if we needed another reason to hate the Pittsburgh Penguins, apparently their TV broadcast crew are cheaters. As you recall, back on Thursday night, a shot on net by Simon Gagne was reviewed by the NHL back in Toronto but disallowed when there apparently wasn't a good view of the puck crossing the line. Even though subsequent replays showed that the puck did cross the line, the NHL had already ruled it "no goal" based on the replay footage they saw.

The reason the NHL never saw the footage of the puck crossing the line? According to what an NHL executive told Sam Carchidi of the Inquirer, FSN Pittsburgh, which was broadcasting the game, didn't send that particular video to the NHL until after it was ruled as "no goal".

Here is footage of the goal if you haven't already seen it:

Hmm, so was it an honest mistake by the Penguins telecast or was there some foul play involved here? And, if the Penguins did withhold evidence of a goal, will the NHL penalize them in some way? I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will have a field day with this one. All I can say is that I'm glad the non-goal didn't make a difference in the outcome of the game.

Gagne to have surgery, miss 6-8 weeks

Less than a week after placing him on Injured Reserve, the Flyers got a timetable as to when they can expect Simon Gagne back in the lineup: 6-8 weeks. Gagne, who hasn't played since October 25th, will undergo surgery to repair two hernias in the coming days. This current injury is not believed to be related to the groin issues Gagne has had throughout his career.

While losing Gagne for an extended period of time will set the Flyer offense back a bit, if there is one thing the Flyers have plenty of it is forward depth. With the emergence of youngsters Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk, losing Gagne's scoring won't hurt the team too much.

There is no word right now on Danny Briere, the other oft-injured Flyer, who has been dealing with groin issues.

Flyers place Gagne on Injured Reserve, attempt to bring back Randy Jones

I guess we couldn't ask for more than one season of health for Simon Gagne. Gagne, who played 79 games last year after playing only 25 in 07/08, has two hernias on his right groin and will need surgery. Anticipating that he will be out for an extended period of time, the Flyers have placed Gagne on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), meaning he will miss at least the next 10 games. This move frees up 5.25 million dollars for the Flyers in cap money.

Since they have the extra cap space, the Flyers decided to bring back defenseman Randy Jones, placing him on re-entry waivers. If Jones is claimed by another team, the Flyers would be responsible for half of his 2.75 million dollar salary. If Jones goes unclaimed, the Flyers will have plenty of salary cap space to keep him around, and one would assume he would get plenty of ice time. The reason Jones got sent down in the first place was never about his ability, it was all about his salary. Jones is certainly capable of playing better than Danny Syvret and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, two players that beat him out for roster spots since they were cheaper.

The more worrisome news here is that Gagne is out for an extended period of time. While the Flyers do have plenty of depth at forward, losing a top line player is never going to help your team. The only good news is that Blair Betts is set to return to the ice in the coming days so the Flyers won't need to make any moves for another forward.

The Flyers have lacked consistency all year long and if the injuries start to pile up it's only going to get worse. That hot seat John Stevens is sitting on is only going to get hotter.

Simon Gagne injured at Team Canada Camp

It's only August and we already have to worry about the health of Flyers forward Simon Gagne. Gagne, who had surgery on his hip this offseason, was skating in Team Canada's orientation camp on Monday when he felt tightness in his hip and his groin and was forced to leave practice. The injury isn't considered major but it did force Gagne to leave the camp entirely and return to Philadelphia to be examined by team doctors. All initial reports indicate that Gagne should be fine with a little rest but it's never good when a player re-injures himself in a place he just had surgery.

Gagne believes he suffered the injury because he wasn't ready for the tempo and competition of the drills they were doing at the Team Canada camp. As a Flyers fan, I would rather not see a player coming off surgery try to overwork himself in the offseason to make Team Canada, so this minor injury could be a good thing if it allows Gagne to continue to rehab at his own pace.

While it's a relief that Gagne didn't suffer another concussion, something that likely would end his career, it's a situation that should be monitored. With how thin they are on the wings, the Flyers are counting on Gagne to score 25-35 goals on a top scoring line, but, given his injury history, it's always tough to rely on Gagne for anything. While this latest inury news doesn't appear to be a big deal, groin and hip injuries have a way of lingering and causing a player to be less productive.

Jeff Carter named only Flyers All Star

The Flyers roster is loaded with star players who are having excellent seasons this year. It all starts with Mike Richards, the team leader who is 13th in the league in points. Of course, there is also Jeff Carter, who is tied for the league lead in goals. Simon Gagne is also scoring goals at a high rate and is 11th in the league in goals scored. Defensively, Kimmo Timonen is 14th in the league in points for defensemen and is also excellent on the other end of the ice.

With all of these stars playing well for the first place Flyers, you would think most if not all of them would make the All Star team. Apparently the NHL and its fans think differently. No Flyer was voted to be a starter, instead 4 Canadiens were voted in because the Montreal fans, who are hosting the All Star game, stuffed the ballot box. The Flyers could've still had several reserves added to the roster but the NHL named the Eastern Conference reserves today and only one Flyer was on the list: Jeff Carter.

Carter is certainly deserving for the excellent numbers he is putting up but I have a hard time with Richards not being on the team. He is the best player on the Flyers team and plays both ends of the ice with intensity and passion. How can you have an All Star game when you are missing such a big star?

The main reason Richards, Gagne and Timonen were left off was due to the ballot-stuffing Canadiens fans. Montreal is a good team but there is no way they should have that many representatives. The most ridiculous Canadien voted in was goaltender Carey Price. You remember Price from last years playoffs, he was the kid the Flyers completely rattled and exposed him as a terrible goalie under pressure.

Several Flyers were robbed of All Star spots they deserved but I'm sure the players won't mind too much. Instead of going to Montreal and playing an extra game they can stay home and heal up for the stretch run. I'd rather have a healthy group of players that will lead the Flyers deep into the playoffs anyway.

Click here for a complete list of the NHL All Star rosters.

List of injured Flyers, now nine deep, continues to grow

Okay, now this is just beyond ridiculous. The injury bug that has hit the Flyers this season has gotten completely out of control and has now inflicted over a third of the roster. The fact that the Flyers are even in second place in the Atlantic Division is a testament to just how deep and talented this team really is.

On Monday, GM Paul Holmgren went through the litany of injuries that the Flyers are dealing with, outlining the NINE players that are currently banged up. The latest major injuries are to winger Joffrey Lupul and goaltender Antero Niittymaki. Lupul is dealing with an abdominal pull and Niitty has a pulled groin and both players have been placed on Injured Reserve. Both figure to be out for about two weeks.

Adding to those latest injuries is news that Claude Giroux, Arron Asham, Josh Gratton, Darroll Powe and Jonathon Kalinski are all out with injuries. Giroux has a concussion and is day to day. Asham is dealing with a knee sprain but figures to return soon. Out with an abdominal injury is Gratton while Powe is dealing with a hip injury. Finally, Kalinski will be out the longest of this group as he was in the hospital getting blood drained from his left thigh. Look for him to be back in a week or so.

On top of all of these injuries, star players Simon Gagne and Danny Briere are still dealing with their own health issues. Gagne figures to try to play through the pain of his left shoulder but Briere will remain out for at least another week as he continues to recover from his groin injury.

All of these injuries leave the Flyers seriously thin at forward. With 7(!!) forwards likely out for the next game, several defensemen will continue to be forced to play offense. While the Flyers have called up Andreas Nodl to fill one of the forward spots and Simon Gagne will attempt to suit up, that still leaves three vacated forward spots. Luca Sbisa and Lasse Kukkonen are two likely candidates to move to the forward positions but the club is still one forward short. Goaltender Scott Munroe was called up from the Phantoms to replace Niittymaki in net so perhaps he could try his hand on the wings.

I have never before seen a hockey team have this many injuries. Luckily for the Flyers, key players like Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Mike Knuble are still healthy along with their entire defensive unit. There is enough talent in this group to keep the team afloat for the next few weeks but it will be difficult for them to remain atop the Atlantic Division.

The best thing for the Flyers right now will be to finish up this road trip and head home and start healing up. None of these players are expected to be out for the entire season so the team should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let's hope that light isn't a train that will run into the rest of the players and knock them all out with injuries.

Ridiculous: Gagne the latest Flyer injured

Add Simon Gagne to the growing list of Flyers players who are injured. Gagne was hit hard just seconds into tonight's game against the Canucks and did not return to the game. There was no penalty called on the play but Mike Richards proved once again why he is the captain as he fought Kevin Bieksa, the Canuck that made the hit. See the video below for highlights of the hit, plus the rest of the game, which the Flyers won 3-2.

It seems like every post I have been doing lately about the Flyers deals with an injury. Gagne has fought back from numerous concussions but, luckily, this hit looks like he hurt his shoulder rather than his head. I would expect Gagne to miss several games as he recovers, leaving the Flyers without two of their top line players, Gagne and Danny Briere. Briere may be getting close to returning, unfortunately it looks like the team won't be at full strength for quite a while.

Flyers remain consistently inconsistent

With the Phillies World Series win and all the drama surrounding the Eagles, I haven't had much time to write about the Flyers. After a slow start to the season, the Flyers have rebounded and find themselves in third place in the division. Considering how awful they looked at the beginning of the year and the number of injuries they have overcome, third place sounds pretty good.

With winning streaks of 4 and 6 games and losing streaks of 6 and 3 games, the Flyers have been riding a roller coaster all season long. Two major issues seem to rise up for this team when they lose: defense and goaltending. After injuries to Randy Jones and Ryan Parent at the start of the season, their inexperience on the blueline was exposed on a nightly basis. Acquisitions of Andrew Alberts and Matt Carle have shored things up significantly but the Flyers are still prone to giving up bad turnovers.

Bad turnovers aren't necessarily costly when you have a goalie standing on his head, unfortunately the Flyers rarely get that kind of performance from Martin Biron. Even in last nights game against Toronto, Biron made a pair of costly errors that led directly to goals against. His save percentage currently sits at .900 which ranks 31st in the league. That number is unacceptable considering how often the Flyers get outshot. With the amount of shots Biron faces on a nightly basis, he needs to be stopping more.

With the defense and goaltending sub-par, the offense is leading the way for the Flyers. The resurgence of Simon Gagne, who is third in the league in points, and the continued emergence of Jeff Carter, who is second in the league in goals, have given the Flyers a dangerous attack that ranks near the top of the league. The play of those two have allowed the offense to keep flowing even with top playmaker Danny Briere out for an extended period of time.

If the season were to end today, the Flyers would be the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. Considering how maddening their play has been at times, it's hard to complain with that seeding. The Flyers aren't likely to make a bunch of moves this season to try to find consistency, so it's up to the guys on the roster to find their groove and stay there. Hopefully it's the same groove they found in last years playoffs.

Flyers remain winless after blowing 2 goal lead to the Sharks

(AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Despite a better effort for the Flyers last night in San Jose, the result was still the same. The Flyers, who had a 3-1 lead at one point, lost 5-4 to the Sharks in overtime. While the Flyers did manage to earn a point against one of the best teams in the league, it's already the time of the season where they can ignore moral victories and only be happy with actual W's.

The game was filled with both positives and negatives for the Flyers.

Positives:

-The reunited Simon Gagne/Danny Briere/Mike Knuble line played well with Briere scoring 2 goals and Gagne having several good scoring chances. It seems like whoever Briere plays with continues to have a hot hand.

-Antero Niittymaki, despite giving up 5 goals, had a good game. None of the goals were his fault except one where he gave up a juicy rebound to Joe Pavelski in the third period. Niitty made several big stops throughout the game, including an amazing diving save in the third. He faced a barrage of 45 shots and saved 40 of them, basically if he could see it, he stopped it.

-Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn played great as they were reunited as the top defensive unit. The rest of the defensemen? Not so much.

-You could tell the Flyers were making a concerted effort to play the Sharks tough. They had a bunch of hits and got into several scraps after the whistle.

Negatives:

-The Flyers defense is in shambles. Besides the top two, the Flyers are relying on an 18 year old, a guy who didn't play in the NHL last year and 2 AHL-quality players. Luca Sbisa and Ossi Vaananen have played well at times but they should be the teams 3rd pairing of D-men, not 2nd. Andrew Alberts and Steve Eminger are not NHL caliber players and they made a ton of mistakes against the Sharks. The Flyers need to do something to shore up their D because Randy Jones and Ryan Parent aren't coming back any time soon. They need to make a trade to bring in someone who can be a top 4 defensemen, even if it means trading one of their better forwards.

-Too many penalties. The Flyers had 27 penalty minutes on the night, including 11 minors and 1 fighting major. They gave the Sharks a ton of power play chances and they did well to kill some of them but they still gave up three power play goals.

-Steve Downie needs to go play for the Phantoms for a while. He had two penalties on the night, including a dumb slash, and had only 5 minutes of ice time. He needs to get his head straightened out with the Phantoms.

The Flyers have 3 days off now before they face the Sharks again, this time in Philadelphia. It will be interesting to see if the team makes any personnel changes or if they continue to tinker with the lines to find the right combination. You can only re-arrange the lines so much before you realize that maybe this team simply needs some new players. We'll see if they come from the minors or if they come via a trade.

Flyers remain winless after overtime loss to Pittsburgh

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The Flyers played their best game of the season on Tuesday night against the Penguins, unfortunately the results were pretty much the same as they have been all season. Philly lost 3-2 in overtime when Pascal Dupuis netted the game winner with 10.8 seconds left in the overtime period. The Flyers did earn their first point of the season with the tie but, 3 games into the season, they still have yet to earn a win.

There were several positives for the Flyers tonight:

*Simon Gagne scored on a deflection goal. He has 3 goals in 3 games so far this season and appears fully back. His line with Mike Richards and Danny Briere continues to look good shift after shift.

*Luca Sbisa logged a ton of quality minutes on the power play and in crucial overtime situations. Sbisa is the real deal and hopefully the Flyers have seen enough to keep him around all season.

*Despite not looking great on the final goal, Antero Niittymaki played well in net, making 25 saves. The other two goals weren't his fault.

*Riley Cote also had a great fight in the game against Eric Godard. It was a nice long bout with no clear winner. Video below:


The Flyers also had their share of negatives:

*The power play failed to capitalize on 6 chances. They had some good puck movement at times but they couldn't bury the puck.

*Too many penalties. The Flyers had 17 penalty minutes and found themselves on the penalty kill 6 times. You are playing with fire when you give the Pens that many chances, fortunately Pittsburgh only scored once with the man advantage.

*Does Joffrey Lupul know the season has started? The guy signed a huge deal this offseason and he has barely come to play so far this year, notching zero points and a -2 rating.

The Flyers continue on the road this week with games against the Avalanche and Sharks. They need to find a way to get out of this skid they are in because they are already in a huge 9 point hole behind the undefeated Rangers in the Atlantic Division. The season is still very young but the Flyers could sure use a win, and fast.