Flyers deal Bobrovsky to Columbus

This isn't the rumored "big trade" but the Flyers have made a move, dealing Sergei Bobrovsky to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three draft picks, including a 2nd round pick and two 4ths.  While the Flyers are now lacking a backup goaltender, they got a great return for Bob and may have the pieces necessary to make a bigger move.

While Bobrovsky had his moments with the Flyers, he seems destined to be a starter in the NHL and he wasn't going to get that opportunity in Philadelphia.  If the move is the first step towards grabbing a big name player or even if it allows the Flyers to make a smaller move, it was the right time to deal Bob since he still has a good amount of upside.

With the NHL Draft coming tonight, expect the rumors to continue to swirl around the Flyers, who always seem to make a big splash this time of the year.  Don't expect anything as drastic as last offseason but don't be surprised when a young player gets moved for an established star, either.

Boucher to start Game 3 for Flyers, Leighton the backup

The Flyers goaltending carousel continues to turn. After his poor performance in Game 2, Sergei Bobrovsky has lost the starting gig to Brian Boucher, who looked solid after taking over for Bob. Even more surprising is that the Flyers appear to be turning to Michael Leighton to be the backup.

Word out of Flyers-land from the beat reporters is that Bobrovsky doesn't even have a locker stall for all of his equipment in Buffalo while Leighton does, implying that Bob isn't even the backup tonight. I'm not sure what the Flyers are thinking dropping him to third goalie but it does make sense to have a veteran backup you can trust. The Flyers must feel that Bobrovsky is too inconsistent to be a reliable backup goaltender.

In other Flyers news, Andreas Nodl is out of the lineup tonight, and Nikolay Zherdev will get his first playoff action.

Offense awakens as Flyers even series with Sabres

Whew, it's safe to breathe again. After failing to score a goal in Game 1 against the Sabres, the Flyers offense came alive in Game 2, solving Ryan Miller to the tune of 5 goals in a 5-4 win to tie the series up at 1 game apiece.

The Flyers jumped out of the gate with an early goal by Claude Giroux but then proceeded to give the goal right back after a penalty to Kimmo Timonen. Things got wild from there, as Dan Carcillo scored less than a minute later and the Sabres added two more goals of their own shortly after that. After allowing those 3 goals on just 7 shots, Sergei Bobrovsky was then pulled from the game and then things settled down from there. The mere presence of Brian Boucher seemed to calm the Flyers down as the defense tightened up and the Sabres chances became fewer and farther between. The Flyers took the lead on goals by Ville Leino and Danny Briere and coasted the rest of the way for the win.

Getting the win in Game 2 was crucial for the Flyers as they now head to Buffalo for a pair of games. While they haven't played their best hockey yet in the series, they aren't playing bad and seem to have figured out their gameplan against Ryan Miller. The Flyers still have a ton of work to do to figure out their power play, which scored just once on 10 attempts after going 0 for 5 in Game 1.

Of course, the biggest question facing the Flyers now will be whether Bobrovksy or Boucher starts in net in Game 3. While I would be much more comfortable with a consistent goaltender like Boucher in net, the Flyers might give Bobrovsky another crack at the starting spot. Bob seemed out of sorts in Game 2 but if the Flyers give up on him now they may not be able to turn back to him should Boucher falter.

As the series shifts to Buffalo, the Flyers find themselves in a pretty good position. Ryan Miller isn't in their heads and the mistakes they have made in the first two games are fixable. After a solid win in Game 2 and the imminent return of Chris Pronger, the Flyers and their fans have to feel good about their chances to win 3 of the next 5 against the Sabres.
(AP PHOTO)

Sergei Bobrovksy unveils new mask for the playoffs

Sergei Bobrovksy has unveiled a new goalie mask just in time for the playoffs. The mask is a definite winner, complete with an American flag, Rocky and Sideshow Bob. Maybe it will help him re-find his game that has gone missing recently or possibly get the first Flyers shutout of the season. Images via Sarah Baicker of CSN on Twitter.

Flyers place Michael Leighton on waivers

Here's how quickly someone can go from Stanley Cup goaltender to not having a job in the NHL: the Flyers have placed Michael Leighton on waivers. Leighton, who looked less than stellar in his first NHL start in months, has proven to be the odd man out in the Flyers crowded goaltending situation. Clearly, no other teams were interested in acquiring a goaltender who hasn't proven that he is healthy yet.

There are a few things that can happen next, from Leighton being claimed by another team to joining the Phantoms. Clearly, the Flyers are content with having Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovksy continue to battle it out for the starting spot in net. No matter what happens, the Flyers have cleared up a little more cap space by jettisoning Leighton

Michael Leighton is back in goal for the Flyers

He's baaaack. For the first time since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season, Michael Leighton will be in between the pipes for the Flyers tonight as he makes the start against the Kings. With the way the Flyers goaltending situation has played out, should Leighton play well tonight, it's safe to assume he will get a few more starts in the coming weeks. There is no word as of now who the backup will be, though I would guess it will be Brian Boucher.

With the Flyers still keeping three goaltenders on the roster, things are going to get very interesting in the coming month. While their cap situation allows them to keep three goalies for now, the Flyers will likely have to move one at some point in the near future. While the easiest, and most depressing, choice would be to send Sergei Bobrovsky to the minors, the Flyers might try to trade Leighton or Boucher, with Leighton likely to be the better trade chip. So, while fans might be upset that the Flyers are giving Leighton the start tonight, it makes sense for them to see what Leighton can do and let the rest of the league see that he is healthy and ready to contribute.

Despite how great Bobrovksy and Boucher have looked this season, we can't forget what Leighton did in the playoffs last season. The Flyers legitimately have three goaltenders that could be their starter come playoff time, a fact that sounds good on paper but could be detrimental in the long run. The sooner the Flyers figure out their goaltending situation and let the two remaining guys settle into their roles and get some confidence, the better. Unfortunately, as Flyers fans, we are all too familiar with the problem of not having a number one goaltender.

Guess who's (almost) back! Yep, Michael Leighton

Just when you thought the Flyers goaltending situation was all settled, with Sergei Bobrovksy settling in as the starter and Brian Boucher the backup, a former playoff hero is almost ready to return to the mix. Michael Leighton, who backstopped the Flyers into the Stanley Cup Finals, has recovered from back surgery and is going to play 6 games for the Phantoms in a rehab stint.

What happens to the goaltender situation when Leighton returns to the NHL is anybody's guess. The Flyers have said that they would be willing to carry three goaltenders but the salary cap likely doesn't allow them to do that. Instead, the most likely scenario is for the Flyers to either trade Boucher or dump him into the minors and let Leighton and Bobrovksy battle it out for the starting job. Look for the Flyers to ride the hot hand until one of the two distinguishes themselves as the starter.

Broken record: Flyers crush Islanders

Ahh, the Islanders. No matter what changes they make to their roster, they remain the Flyers whipping boy. On Saturday night, for the 15th time in their last 16 meetings, the Flyers beat the Islanders, 6-1. There are few things you can count on in life, but death, taxes and the Flyers beating the Islanders are constants.

The Flyers played easily their best all-around game on Saturday night, embarrassing the Isles by getting points from 11 different players, including a pair of two-goal scorers in Jeff Carter and Chris Pronger. For the first time all season, the Flyers also got a goal from a defensemen, with Kimmo Timonen scoring the first goal of the game in the first period before Pronger netted a pair in the second period.

With the Flyers up big heading into the third period, things turned ugly as both teams took shots at one another. While there was only one fight, between Dan Carcillo and Zenon Konopka, there were a number of scrums that led to 81 total penalty minutes in the third period alone. From Trevor Gillies earning a rare triple minor to Rick DiPietro wanting to drop the gloves with Carcillo, we appear to have some serious blood brewing between these two teams.

Sergei Bobrovsky also looked strong in net for the Flyers, with the only goal against him coming on a penalty shot. After a few inconsistent outings, Bob appears to have turned a corner with the Flyers, using good position and fast reflexes to turn aside shot after shot. While I had my doubts, Bobrovksy might yet stick around with the Flyers all season long.

With three straight convincing wins in a row, the Flyers are suddenly playing some great hockey. With contributions coming from every forward line and a great back line, we are finally seeing this team play up to its potential. Of course, we shouldn't get too excited about Saturday night, it was just the Islanders after all.
(AP PHOTO)

Leighton to have surgery, miss 6-8 weeks

Get ready for a whole lot more Sergei Bobrvosky in net, Flyers fans. Michael Leighton, who was previously thought to miss "about a month", will have surgery on his back in the coming days and will miss 6-8 weeks of the season. While he is out, expect the Flyers to stick with Bobrovsky as the starter with Brian Boucher also getting a few starts in net.

Back injuries are tricky things, so it would be a stretch to expect Leighton to come back in December and be the starting goaltender right away. By that time in the season, it's hard to say what the Flyers goaltending situation will look like, as Bobrovksy might established himself as the starting goaltender in Philly or he might fizzle out and need to go the minors. Given the injury situation and the way he looked last night, it's not to difficult to assume that Bob is going to be the man this season.

Bobrovsky stymies Penguins as Flyers win season opener

I think Flyers fans will quickly get used to this Sergei Bobrovksy guy in net. In his NHL debut, the 22 year old rookie Bobrovsky turned aside 29 of 31 shots to help the Flyers beat the Penguins, 3-2, in their season opener. Sounds like we could have a new starting goalie in Philadelphia.

Bobrovsky played his best early on in the game, stopping all 15 shots he saw in the first period as the Flyers defense struggled to get control of the puck in their own end. As the game wore on, the Flyers defense clamped down a little more and Bobrovsky looked human, allowing 2 goals on 7 third period shots. In all, it was a quite a debut for Bobrovsky, who flashed his quick reflexes and looked nothing like a rookie playing his first NHL game against a strong offensive team like the Penguins.

As for the offense, after a rough first period, Danny Briere led off the scoring with a power play goal in the second and was followed up by goals from Blair Betts and Claude Giroux, who flashed some nifty stick-work to score a shorthanded goal in the third.

On top of all that, the Flyers also left their mark on the new Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, scoring the first goal and notching the first win in the new building. With the win, the Flyers also are on pace to go 82-0 in the season, which sounds just about right!
(AP PHOTO)

Flyers to start Bobrovsky in season opener

Hockey season is here and the Flyers look poised to fight their way back to the Stanley Cup Finals. This year, however, they may need to ride a different goaltender to get that far in the playoffs.

In a surprising move, the Flyers have announced that rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net tonight against the Penguins. With Michael Leighton out, Bobrovksy made the team after an impressive preseason showing and was thought to be the backup to Brian Boucher. Apparently, the Flyers liked what they saw enough to stick with the hot preseason hand and give him the start in the first game that mattered.

Given the always tenuous Flyers goaltending situation, if Bobrovsky can get off to a hot start, there is no reason why he can't take over as the permanent starter in net. While I suspect the Flyers are starting him tonight is just a "heat check", meaning they are just rolling with him until he cools off, he can still make the most of his opportunity and force the Flyers to stick with him.

In other Flyers news, Chris Pronger isn't ready to play yet, so he is scratched for the season opener. Oskars Bartulis will take his place in the lineup. Go Flyers!

Flyers finalize roster, keep Bobrovsky

With the season just a few days away, the Flyers finalized their roster, sending goalie Johan Backlund, defensemen Marc-Andre Bourdon and Erik Gustafsson, and forwards Jon Kalinski, David Laliberte and Ben Holmstrom to the Phantoms. With Bill Guerin also not given a contract, the Flyers roster has been whittled down to 25 players, with Michael Leighton and Ian Laperriere still likely to be placed on long term injury reserve.

The only player that could be considered a surprise to make the team is rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who used strong play in the preseason to take the backup job from Johan Backlund, who will have to clear waivers before he can play for the Phantoms. Of course, Bobrovsky would have never made the team had Leighton not been injured, so we'll see if the rookie can make a strong enough impression to stick around for the entire season.

Here is the Flyers roster at the start of the season:

Forwards (13): Daniel Briere, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Scott Hartnell, Nikolay Zherdev, James van Riemsdyk, Jody Shelley, Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, Blair Betts, Daniel Carcillo, Darroll Powe, Andreas Nodl

Defensemen (8): Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn, Sean O'Donnell, Matt Walker, Oskars Bartulis

Goalies: (2): Brian Boucher, Sergei Bobrovsky

Likely on LTIR: Michael Leighton, Ian Laperriere