Gulp..... Samuel and Jackson suffer injuries

I know it's early and these aren't major injuries, but it has to be a bad omen when your two biggest off-season acquisitions go down with minor injuries on the same day. Both Asante Samuel and DeSean Jackson limped away from practice today with mild hamstring pulls. These aren't the type of injuries to get worried about as the Eagles will likely shut them both down for the rest of the week and they will be plenty healed by the time training camp rolls around in late summer.

It's always scary when a 57 million dollar free agent and a second round pick get hurt, luckily the season is still a long way off.

Utley powers Phillies past Mets; Rollins DL'd

A couple of Phils notes after a busy weekend in Philly sports:

*Phils avoid sweep Thanks to Chase Utley's bat and some timely fielding by Eric Bruntlett, the Phillies manged to beat the Mets 5-4 yesterday to avoid getting swept. Utley hit two homers, driving in four runs with two swings of the bat. He now has 8 home runs on the season, tops in the major leagues. Pedro Feliz also homered for the Phillies in the 7th inning to break a 4-4 tie, and Brad Lidge overcame a shaky ninth inning performance to notch his third save of the season. Lidge had to be saved by a terrific diving stop by Eric Bruntlett for the final out of the game.

I am getting increasingly worried with the Phillies reliance on hitting home runs to generate offense. All five runs yesterday came from homers, and while they can hit homers at a staggering rate when they play at home, they will need to figure out other ways to score, especially when playing in less hitter-friendly parks on the road.

*Rollins put on DL The injury woes at the top of the line-up continue to linger. Jimmy Rollins was originally hurt way back on April 8th, and he has been pinch hitting sporadically since that time as his ankle heals. Things just haven't gotten better, so Rollins was finally placed on the 15-day disabled list yesterday. If the Phillies had simply put Rollins on the DL right when he got hurt, he would have been able to come back this week. Unfortunately, the Phillies made a poor decision and that will cost them two more weeks without the reigning NL MVP.

*Bohn, Harman Called Up Chris Snelling was also placed on the 15-day disabled list, so the Phillies had two roster spots to fill. Up come outfielder T.J. Bohn and infielder Brad Harman. If you don't know who they are, join the club. Neither one is a real prospect, and both were hitting well below .250 for their respective minor league teams. Perhaps GM Pat Gillick is preparing to make a move for another roster player, because these two have no business playing on a team that has playoff aspirations.

*Back to Colorado The Phillies are going to Colorado today for a two game series with the Rockies. You will remember the last time the Phils played the Rockies was in the playoffs last season and the Rockies crushed them in three straight games. Colorado is a .500 club this season, so the Phils won't be running into a buzz saw again.

Flyers lose Knuble for rest of First Round

If the Flyers are going to get past the Washington Capitals and into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they are going to have to do it without the hero of Game Four's double overtime victory, Mike Knuble. Knuble injured his hamstring during the second period of Game Five when his skate got caught on the ice and did not return for the rest of the game. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren relayed the news that Knuble will be out, saying that the injury was worse than the similar hamstring injury that Mike Richards suffered earlier in the season that kept him out for two weeks, meaning Knuble will be out for at least the rest of this series and possibly another one if they Flyers make the second round.

Losing Knuble is a big blow to the Flyers attack. His line with Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall was the best line in Game Four, and generated plenty of chances in today's game as well. Knuble's injury will allow either Riley Cote or Steve Downie to suit up for the foreseeable future. While Cote is the more logical choice, the Flyers might go with Downie because he would bring some of that offensive punch that the Flyers will miss without Knuble.

While this injury might hurt the Flyers in the short term, I still think they should still be able to beat the Capitals in Game Six. Losing Knuble's leadership, toughness and scoring touch is big, but the Flyers have more than enough depth to make up for the loss of one player.

Jimmy Rollins out until Saturday

Jimmy Rollins has been the missing cog to the Phillies offense. Without him, the offense seems listless, failing to put up runs at a consistent rate. He's been out for over a week nursing an injured ankle, and now he will miss a few more days as he attends the funeral of his uncle. Hopefully taking a few more days off will allow that ankle to heal, and he can return to the starting line-up and give the Phils the boost they desperately need.

Timonen day-to-day, X-rays negative

Flyers fans feared the worst after top defenseman Kimmo Timonen was forced to leave yesterday's game after being checked into the Capitals goal, but it appears that he could be ready to play again as soon as Thursday. Timonen left the game in the second period to get X-rayed, but, according to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, the results were negative. Timonen is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. While those injury details are vague, it appears that Timonen has avoided a major injury.

Losing Timonen would be a huge blow for the Flyers, as he has been key in making Alexander Ovechkin look human. He is the only Flyers' d-man who has the speed to keep up with Ovechkin and also has the toughness to knock him around. Without Timonen, the Flyers would be forced to have Braydon Coburn and Derian Hatcher try to shut down Ovechkin, and while both players would be able to rough him up, neither has the speed to keep up with the Capitals' star.

Timonen has been the best Flyers d-man this season. He contributes on the power play, penalty kill and he commonly matches up with the opponents best player. Missing him for any stretch of games would cripple the Flyers defense. Luckily, it appears that he won't miss any significant time, but I would still expect him miss at least the next game.

Richards, Briere lead Flyers to 6-3 win

The Flyers rode the momentum of Game Two's decisive victory and beat the Capitals at every facet of the game en route to a 6-3 victory. The first home playoff game in Philadelphia in two years, the fans pumped the building full of energy from the opening face-off to the final buzzer. There was plenty for them to cheer about, including several sensational goals set up by crisp passing and shifty skating. The win gives the Flyers a 2-1 series lead over the Capitals, with Game Four coming Thursday.

The Flyers were led offensively by Danny Briere, who scored 2 goals and added an assist. He scored the first goal of the game late in the first period, a goal that was followed by three more in a span of 2 1/2 minutes. The Flyers maintained a two goal lead for most of the game, until Brooks Laich scored a controversial goal late in the third period. Laich appeared to touch the puck with a high stick that deflected it into the net, but the referees reviewed the play and still allowed it. The Flyers then clung to a 4-3 lead until Mike Richards broke in on net all alone, only to be tripped up by the Capitals, giving him the most exciting play in hockey: a penalty shot. Richards buried the shot, which then buried the Capitals. Mike Knuble later added an empty net goal to further solidify the win.

Philly now has all the momentum in this series. If it wasn't for the third period in Game One, the Flyers would be completely dominating the Capitals. The Flyers have had a two goal lead in every game, come up with more big hits, and have had better goaltending. Briere is completely outplaying Alexander Ovechkin, who has only notched one goal and two assists. He has been shut down for most of the series, and rarely flashes the ability that will likely earn him the MVP.

There was also some bad news to come out of the win for the Flyers. Kimmo Timonen was knocked into the Capitals net head first, and he had to leave the game, missing the entire third period. He has what the team is calling an upper body injury, but the early speculation was that he hurt his shoulder. Losing Timonen for any period of time would be a huge blow for the Flyers. He's easily their best d-man, and he has done an amazing job in slowing down Ovechkin. Losing him would also mean more ice time for guys like Jaroslav Modry and Lasse Kukkonen, both players that have come up small so far.

Hopefully the Flyers can ride the momentum of this big win into Thursday, where they will look to take a commanding lead in the series. If they can continue to get big shifts out of Danny Briere and Mike Richards, and Alexander Ovechkin can continue to look human, the Flyers will have a great chance of getting out of the first round.

Here's a replay of Richard's penalty shot goal:

Victorino placed on DL, Snelling called up

At least for today, the Phillies are going to be without their two table setters at the top of the line up. Jimmy Rollins has been out for the last five games but is expected to return Tuesday when the Phillies play the Astros. Shane Victorino was injured in yesterday's game, and his strained right calf earned him a trip to the 15 day disabled list. Taking his place on the roster will be outfielder Chris Snelling, who was called up from the Iron Pigs.

The loss of Victorino effects the Phillies in a few ways. Expect Jayson Werth, So Taguchi and Chris Snelling to share time in centerfield while Victorino is out. As for who the lead-off hitter will be until Rollins returns, Charlie Manuel has been forced to get creative. My initial guess was that Jayson Werth would take over the top spot, but word is that Geoff Jenkins will be masquerading as a lead-off hitter in today's game.

On the positive side, Snelling gets an opportunity to show that he belongs on the big club. He's an upgrade over anyone the Phillies would have called up last year, like Chris Roberson. If Snelling plays well, he could either stick with the Phils or give them another trading chip since he would probably have to clear waivers again if he went down.

With Victorino out, the defense in the outfield suffers a bit, and the Phillies line-up looks to be filled with all power hitters and very little speed. Hopefully Victorino can prove that he can stay healthy, something that he has yet to do in his career, so he can provide that missing element.

Hamels pitches Phillies to victory, Victorino hurt

Cole Hamels for Cy Young! Hamels pitched his third straight dominant game, throwing 7 shutout innings to lead the Phillies over the Cubs 7-1. The Cubs managed only one hit off Hamels, who lowered his ERA to 0.83. Hamels struck out five batters, and while the Cubs did get a few hard hits off him, they were all right at the defense. With all the questions the Phillies have with their pitching, it's nice to have an ace like Hamels out there every fifth day.

Offensively, the Phillies were powered by 2-run homers by Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz. Chase Utley also added a double and a triple, although he did strand 5 runners in the early innings. Last night's hero, Pat Burrell, went 0 for 2, but walked twice and scored a run.

Jimmy Rollins did not play again for the fourth straight game, and he might have some company on the bench for tomorrow's game. Shane Victorino had to be taken out of the game after straining his calf running out a ground out in the sixth inning. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury. I would bet he avoids the disabled list, but he misses the next few games. The question now is, if Rollins and Victorino are both on the shelf, who leads off? Look for Charlie Manuel to have Jayson Werth play center and be an unconventional lead-off hitter tomorrow.

Despite the injury, it was another solid win for the Phillies, who have shown quite a streaky pattern to this point. So far this season, the Phillies have alternated two game losing and two game winning streaks. They started the season dropping two to the Nationals, before taking the next two, then losing two more to the Reds, and so on until their current two game winning streak. The Phillies finish out their series with the Cubs tomorrow as a couple of soft-tossers take the mound: Jamie Moyer for the Phils against Jason Marquis of the Cubs. Look for the Phillies to lose if their current streak holds true.

Thoreson gets to keep 'em both

Phew. Patrick Thoreson, who blocked a shot with his groin in yesterday's game, learned today that he won't need surgery to remove one of his testicles. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren reported yesterday that there was a chance that Thoreson would need one removed, but after being taken to the hospital and going through tests, Thoreson's groin is sore and swollen, but not severely damaged. Thoreson considers himself lucky, saying that the "puck could have hit me worse in that midsection area or hit me in the face." I think I would much rather take a puck to the face than down there.

There is still a chance Thoreson suits up for Game 2 against the Capitals. As long as the swelling goes down and he can skate without pain, he feels like he will be able to play. Hopefully Thoreson doesn't rush back to the ice, considering the Capitals will likely target that area with their sticks any time he's on the ice.

Hockey players are insanely tough. In any other sport, if a player got this type of injury, they would be out for weeks. Just the fact that Thoreson is considering playing tomorrow tells you just how resilient he is. Let's just hope he wears a cup.

Brad Lidge Activated from DL

Prior to Saturday afternoon's tilt against the Reds, the Phillies announced they have activated closer Brad Lidge from the disabled list. To make room for Lidge, the Phillies designated Tim Lahey, who they recently claimed from the Cubs, for assignment. Lahey never appeared in any games in his short career with the Phillies, although he could remain with the team and be sent down to the minors if no one claims him.

Lidge's return solidifies a bullpen that suddenly looks a whole lot stronger. J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin and Clay Condrey all have ERA's still at 0.00. Ryan Madsen bounced back from his shaky first performance to pitch two scoreless innings yesterday. Recent acquisition Rudy Seanez has been perfect in his first two innings of work, not even surrendering a hit. The only bullpen pitcher who has yet to have a strong outing is Tom Gordon, who got shelled on Opening Day and struggled in his second outing, despite not giving up any runs. Adding Lidge to the mix should help define everyone's roles, and give Charlie Manuel plenty of options out of the pen. Ideally, the team would be smart to add another lefty and drop Clay Condrey, but they are looking good either way.

Last Night: The Phillies overcame a poor pitching performance by Kyle Kendrick to beat the Reds 8-4. Chase Utley homered twice and Pat Burrell added a homer of his own to lead the offense. The Phils bullpen pitched 4 scoreless innings to help hold down the win.

Today's Game: Adam Eaton makes his 2008 debut against the Reds this afternoon. Be honest, how many Phillies fans are rooting for Eaton to get shelled so they just get rid of him already?

Simon Gagne making progress, could return if Flyers make Stanley Cup Finals

Simon Gagne, who has been out since February 10th with lingering concussion symptoms, has been making progress in his return to the ice. He has been advised to sit out the remainder of the season, but Gagne believes that he could return to the ice in the unlikely event that the Flyers make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

In other words, we should expect to see Gagne sometime next fall. If the Flyers somehow do make it to the Finals this season, I would hope that Gagne is kept far away from the ice. One more big hit could end his career, and the last thing he should be doing is trying to make his comeback in an intense Stanley Cup game.

There is still a chance that Gagne will be able to return to his 40-goal form if he is fully healthy again. His career is quickly heading down the Eric Lindros path, where he unfortunately might become the next promising player whose career was cut short. Gagne should learn from Lindros and not rush his return to the ice.

After all, we painfully remember what happened when Eric Lindros tried to make his comeback in the Stanley Cup playoffs in May 2000:

Brad Lidge Placed on DL

The Phillies were hopeful that Brad Lidge would start the season healthy enough to contribute right away, but it's not going to happen. Lidge was placed on the 15 day disabled list, retroactive to March 21st, meaning the first day he could be activated would be for the sixth game of the season, April 6th against the Reds. Lidge is still dealing with knee issues, and he hasn't regained his form and velocity quite yet.

This move isn't that suprising, despite Lidge's insistence that he would be ready for Opening Day. With Lidge out, Tom Gordon will start the season as the Phillies closer. While it's nice to have Flash to fall back on, let's hope Lidge can make a return sooner rather than later. It's a long season and Lidge will only miss a few games, but this team needs to start quick this season, and a few blown saves by Gordon would really set them back.

By the way, this makes four Phillies pitchers on the disabled list.

Phillies Place 3 Pitchers on DL

The Phillies placed pitchers Francisco Rosario, Mike Zagurski and Scott Mathieson on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 21st. Zagurski and Mathieson have been injured all spring, so the move comes as no surprise for them, but this is the first I have heard that Rosario was injured. Rosario, who was battling for a bullpen spot, has a strained right shoulder.

These moves leave three players, Clay Condrey, J.D. Durbin and Travis Blackley battling for up to two roster spots. If the Phillies keep only 11 pitchers, only one of those three would make the team. Condrey has out-pitched the other two, so I would guess he would be the most likely of the three to make the team. Of course, there is plenty of speculation that the team is looking to acquire another left-handed pitcher for the bullpen, which could leave them all on the outside looking in.

The Phillies still have some tough decisions to make, like what they are going to do with Wes Helms and Chris Snelling. There is no way that both players make the team, so one will need to be traded or released. Unless there are a slew of injuries, neither player would have a big role on the team this year.

We are about a week away from the start of the season, and the Phillies still have their hardest roster decisions ahead of them.

Kris Benson Suffers Setback

The Phillies supposed safety valve for the rotation won't be ready to pitch anytime soon. Kris Benson, who had originally thought he could be ready to play by Opening Day, will miss his next scheduled start due to arm soreness. Benson doesn't seem too worried about the setback, saying that on a scale of 1-10, his level of concern is a 1. Benson will try to pitch again sometime next week.

Benson won't be ready as quickly as he thought, but he should still be in line to join the Phillies rotation in June. What the Phillies will do between now and then with their 5th starter slot is another question. One of the candidates, Chad Durbin, didn't clear anything up with his start today. Durbin earned a win but gave up 3 runs over five innings. Shane Victorino had a good game at the plate, picking up 3 RBI's to lead the Phils to a 6-4 win over the Indians.

Latest Flyers Injured: Umberger, Hatcher, Jones

The bad news just keeps coming for the Flyers. In the last three games, not only have the Flyers lost, but they have also had three players injured. Derian Hatcher, Randy Jones and R.J. Umberger are the latest three Flyers to be banged up, and all three are expected to miss some time.

Hatcher's injury is the worst of the three. He fractured his right leg while blocking a shot in the Boston game on Saturday. He is expected to miss at least a month, so unless the Flyers go deep into the playoffs, he is likely done for the year.

Randy Jones is day to day with a hip flexor, so he will likely only miss a few games. R. J. Umberger got hurt in Sunday's game against the Penguins, and he will be out for a minimum of two weeks with an MCL sprain. That timetable would let him return for the last few regular season games and allow him to play in the playoffs.

With Simon Gagne already out and the injuries mounting again for the Flyers, it is looking more and more like this season isn't going to be the amazing turnaround that fans were hoping for. The team has been inconsistent all year long, and some of that has to do with the revolving door of available players for any given game. The Flyers have used 34 different skaters this season, so you can imagine how hard it is to build any momentum from one game to the next when the team has no idea who will be taking the ice.

Injuries are a poor excuse for how awful the team looked today against the Penguins, but the way they are piling up isn't making things any easier for the Flyers.

Flyers Blow Chance to Move Past Bruins; Hatcher Injured

The Flyers found yet another way to lose a game. They were 27 seconds away from defeating the Boston Bruins and moving into the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference when Bruins forward Andrew Ference knocked in a goal that tied the game and forced overtime. In overtime, Aaron Ward let go a long-distance shot from the blue line that somehow got past Martin Biron for the game winning goal for the Bruins. It was Ward's second overtime winner against the Flyers this season.

On the injury front, the Flyers got some good news today with the return of Mike Richards and Joffrey Lupul, who both contributed offensively, with Richards scoring a goal and Lupul notching an assist. Unfortunately, that good news is overshadowed by the loss of another player to injury. They will likely be without defenseman Derian Hatcher for at least a few games. Hatcher hurt his leg while blocking a shot, and he has returned to Philadelphia to get an MRI. He said after the game that he couldn't put weight on the leg, which is a very bad sign.

The Flyers play the Penguins tomorrow. While they were lucky to get one point in today's game, they need to play at a higher level tomorrow if they want to hang with Pittsburgh. A few more bad losses like today and the Flyers will find themselves out of playoff contention.

Flyers Collapse, Blow 3-0 Lead

Yesterday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs was a microcosm of the entire Flyers season. The Flyers played well for two periods, and when Danny Briere scored early in the 3rd period to make it 3-0, the game appeared to be over. At least, the Flyers played like it was over. The Maple Leafs came storming back, firing a barrage of shots and getting three goals to force overtime. Pavel Kubina scored the game winner in the final minute of overtime play.

It was another tough loss for the Flyers, who still can't find any consistency. After being near unstoppable in January and then awful in February, the team has played up and down from night to night. Last night they looked like a different team in the third period, as they played back on their heels and let Toronto dictate the play. While they were lucky to earn a point, you have to win games when you have a three goal lead. They blew a chance to move past the Bruins into the 7th seed, and allowed teams like the Maple Leafs to creep up closer to playoff contention.

On a positive note, Braydon Coburn has played extremely well lately. He had a sweet one-timer goal and tallied an assist on Scottie Upshall's goal in the first period. He played over 29 minutes in the game, and with the tremendous improvements he has made this season, he has proven he can be a top pairing defenseman.

The Flyers look to bounce back tonight in a rematch with the Maple Leafs at the Wachovia Center. Despite the terrible finish to yesterday's game, they will gladly take the three points in two games they would earn if they win tonight.

Injury Update:
Reinforcements are coming! The Flyers got some good news on the injury front, as Mike Richards and Joffrey Lupul are expected to return to the line-up for Saturday's game against the Bruins. Hopefully they can provide a spark to give the Flyers some momentum heading into the playoffs.

Sixers Hand Celtics 50th Win, Green Shelved

"Hell Week" couldn't have started much worse for the Sixers. Not only did they lose by a wide margin to the Celtics, they also lost the services of Willie Green for at least the next two games.

Despite tremendous support from a sold-out Wachovia Center, the Sixers rarely threatened to make it much of a game against the Celtics, losing 100-86. The Celtics slowed the tempo down, forcing the Sixers into half-court sets and taking them away from their fastbreak offense. The Sixers also shot terrible from behind the three point line, hitting only 2 of 17. Mr. Reliable Andre Miller even had an off game. Despite getting 22 points and 8 rebounds, he shot just 7 of 20 from the field. Andre Iguodala didn't fare much better, hitting just 5 of 14 shots for 17 points. One positive for the Sixers: their bench outscored the Celtics bench, 36-23.

Willie Green played 12 minutes last night before leaving with a lower back strain. He won't be going on the road trip, so he will miss the games against Detroit and Chicago. He may also miss Sunday's game against the Spurs.

The Sixers need to be playing their best basketball to stay competitive with the Pistons and Spurs, so losing Willie Green will be a big blow. Green is one of the few Sixers who can make shots from the outside since the trading of Kyle Korver, so he will be missed in that regard. Of course, it will likely mean bigger roles for Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams, so it will be good to see them in crucial situations against top teams.

Yesterday I said that the Sixers would need a split this week to maintain their playoff position in the Eastern Conference. So far they are 0-1, and they need to win two of their next three. Do they have enough to knock off Detroit or San Antonio? They will have to play much better than they did against Boston if that's going to happen.

Flyers Blow Chance to Solidify Playoff Spot

The Flyers just can't stay healthy, and they can't play consistently. The Flyers lost 5-2 to the Sabres, the team chasing them in the Eastern Conference standings. The game was close for the first two periods, until the Sabres pulled away with three third period goals. It was a penalty-filled game, but the Flyers could not convert on any of their 5 power play chances. Scottie Upshall and Steve Downie each scored a goal.

Shortly before the game, the Flyers learned that Danny Briere has a slight shoulder sprain and would miss the game. It is unknown at this point how long Briere is out, but he joins injured Flyers Joffrey Lupul, Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, and Derian Hatcher on the bench. That group includes arguably the four best scoring options the Flyers have, so it is no surprise the team produced very little offense tonight. There is word that Hatcher and Lupul will be back for Saturday's game against the Islanders, so that should help solidify the line-up.

The loss allowed the Sabres to pull within one point of the Flyers for the 8th seed, and it kept the Flyers from gaining any ground on the Rangers, who lost tonight in a shoot-out to the Islanders. With 15 games left, the Flyers need to find some health and some consistency, otherwise they may once again be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Flyers Lose Richards, 10th in a row

This is getting ugly. The Flyers lost their tenth straight game tonight, tying their franchise record they set last season. They also lost the services of Mike Richards, their best player and lone all-star forward, for at least three weeks with a torn hamstring. This brings to mind one of the favorite sayings of Philadelphia fans: when it rains, it pours.

The Flyers keep finding new ways to lose. After a second period goal by the slumping Danny Briere, the Flyers shut the Panthers down and looked like they were going to snap their losing streak. Instead, with 3.7 seconds left, Jay Bouwmeester tied the game at 1-1. The Panthers then won the game 2-1 in overtime on a powerplay goal by Olli Jokinen. It was a tough loss, especially considering the Flyers managed only 1 goal against the mighty Panthers goaltender, Craig Anderson.

The worst part of the game was the injury to Mike Richards, who has easily been the most consistent Flyer and is one of the leaders of the dressing room. Late in the third period, as Richards was hustling in on net, his leg and ankle twisted in a way they aren't supposed to. According to GM Paul Holmgren, he will miss at least three weeks with a torn hamstring. Judging by the way the injury looked, it could be longer:

(Video courtesy of 700level)

That's about it for this Flyers season. The injuries are mounting and they are digging a hole so deep, they may never get out. Look for the Flyers to stand pat at the trade deadline; any moves that sacrifice the future to win now would be foolish. Perhaps the Flyers will consider moving some veterans for cap space and draft picks.

There are 36 more days until the Phillies play real games. It's going to be a long month.