The Flyers have been busy over the last few hours. First they announced that Terry Murray has rejoined the organization as the head coach of the Phantoms.

Now, they have hired Ian Laperriere as the new Director of Player Development. Laperriere officially retired a few weeks ago after missing the last two seasons with post-concussion syndrome.

Despite not being able to contribute on the ice, Lappy was still a huge part of the organization. He spent his time working with prospects and the team’s young players, helping them develop and make the transition easier, something that he can now make his career.

“It’s a job that suits me well,” Laperriere said. “It’s one of those jobs that you need a relationship with the young guys and you need to have some experience, and I think I have both.  I’ve always been able to relate well with anybody, from 18 year old kids to 40-year-old veterans.”

Lappy only played 82 games with the Flyers but because of his warrior mentality, he quickly became a fan favorite. The recipient of the 2010-11 Bill Masterton Trophy is sure to be a great addition to the Flyers’ organization.

It comes to no surprise but it doesn’t make it any less upsetting for Ian Laperriere and Flyers fans. Now that his contract has expired, Laperriere was finally able to officially retire from the NHL after sitting out the past two seasons.

Lappy hasn’t played in a game since the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals due to suffering from post-concussion syndrome. While the past two years have been difficult, Laperriere continued to show why he was deserving of the 2011 Masterton Trophy.  Whether it is helping develop young players or cheering from the press box, Lappy was always around to help to help his team when needed.

He only spent one season playing for the Flyers but he epitomizes what it means to wear the orange and black. Lappy will forever be known as a true warrior in the NHL with one of the biggest hearts and we thank you for that.

Throughout the end of last season and over the summer there was much talk that the Flyers have been playing without a “true” captain. Fans may never know the real reason why Paul Holmgren decided to pull the trigger and trade Mike Richards but it’s safe to say that they wanted to go in a different direction when it came to team leadership.

Three months after cleaning house, the Flyers named Chris Pronger the new captain of this fresh-faced team – a move that seemed inevitable.

Now, 27 games into the 2011-12 season, and the Flyers are yet again without a captain.

This time it may be for good. Holmgren announced yesterday that Pronger is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. With what seems to be a concussion epidemic swirling around the NHL, Pronger is another player to be struck by the disease.

Chris Pronger used with permission © Bob Fina/InsideHockey.com

What started out as a “virus” now seems to have turned into something much more serious than your average flu-bug. It is no coincidence that just over a month ago Pronger took a hit to the eye off of Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski’s stick.

The Flyers are all-too familiar with the damaging effects of eye injuries. Fan favorite, Barry Ashbee, saw his career end after a puck struck him in the eye during the 1973-74 Stanley Cup playoffs. And most recently, Ian Laperriere, or Lappy, is still sidelined after sacrificing his body and career by blocking a shot off of his eye during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoff run.

While we don’t know the extent of his injury, it is safe to say that Pronger is experiencing post-concussion like symptoms stemming from the blow to his eye. The team seems to be taking one step at a time. Pronger is slated to visit doctors in Pittsburgh this week, the same doctor who handled Sidney Crosby.

For Flyers fans sake, let’s hope that the worst case scenario is that he will miss a few months, maybe even the rest of the season. But there seems to be an eerie feeling surrounding this. Maybe it’s because team doctors still don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s because this is Pronger’s sixth or seventh injury over the last year. Or that he just celebrated his 37th birthday. Perhaps it’s because we have seen players’ careers end all too soon time and time again.

There is no telling what is in store for Chris Pronger’s future but when the Flyers decided to stich the C to the front of his number 20 jersey, you can rest assure they wanted it to be longer than 27 games.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
7:30
CSN Philly

	@
Philadelphia Flyers	@	Ottawa Senators
Record: 3 – 0 – 1 Points: 7 Division Standing: 2nd Conference Standing: T – 3rd		Record: 1 – 4 – 0 Points: 2 Division Standing: 5th Conference Standing: T – 15th
Flyers vs. Senators Lifetime: 33 – 27 – 8 – 3
Aerys Rival Site: Sensational Breakaway

Tonight the Flyers are looking to bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Mike Richards and the LA Kings. Several media outlets and reporters have said tonight would be the night to give Bob his first start of the game, and I agree. The Senators are a team struggling right now, having gone 1-4 in their first five games, including losing the last two. I haven’t seen much of the Senators this year (heck, because of scheduling conflicts I haven’t seen much of the Flyers either) so I can’t say what might be leading to their troubles.

When the Flyers signed Bryzgalov we knew immediately that it would put Bobrovsky on the bench for a good chunk of the season, having been delegated to the role of back-up goalie. While I don’t doubt Bob’s skill, in fact no one should after the show he put on for us last year, he hasn’t seen a game that meant something since last May and I believe this would be a good way to ease him into the season.

INJURIES

Philadelphia: Blair Betts (Lower Body), Ian Laperriere (Head), Michael Nylander (Shoulder), Jody Shelley (Suspension)

Ottawa: Craig Anderson (Personal), Bobby Butler (Groin), Sergei Gonchar (Foot), Matt Carkner (Knee), Jesse Winchester (Shoulder), Pascal Leclaire (Hip)

NOTABLE QUOTES

Chris Pronger, PHI: “The crowd’s happy to get another chance to see him [Mike Richards], even if it’s with another team, and I think the fans showed their appreciation and then got over it quickly.” –cbssports.com

Daniel Alfredsson, OTT: “I had three or four great chances, and I can’t get it up. That’s the difference, really. Too much Swedish, not enough finish.” cbssports.com

STATS

Credit: flyers.nhl.com

Saturday, October 15, 2011
7:00pm
CSN Philly

	Vs.
Philadelphia Flyers	VS.	LA Kings
Record: 3 – 0 – 0 Points: 6 Division Standing: 2nd Conference Standing: 5th		Record: 1 – 1 – 1 Points: 3 Division Standing: 4th Conference Standing: 10th
Flyerts vs. Kings Lifetime:  82 – 37 – 15 – 2

The big story tonight of course is Mike Richards, Philadelphia’s Prodigal Son, returns home for the first time since being traded away. It’s really too early in the season to see if Richards has any real effect on the team. The Kings, like the Flyers, have only played three games and in those three they’ve won one, lost one in regulation, and lost one in a shoot out. That’s not too bad, they’ve averaged one point a game in their first three.

The same can be said for the Flyers. This is a brand new team and I’m not jumping on the “OMIGAWD THEY’RE GOING TO WIN THE CUP!” wagon just yet. Does the 3-0 start make me a bit tingly? Yes. Have we seen this team start off like this before? Yes. In those recent years have they gone on to win the cup? Nope. Call me a pessimist if you’d like, but this years Phillies have left me burned and I’m not setting myself up for that again so soon.

INJURIES (as of 4:30)

Philadelphia: Blair Betts (Lower Body), Ian Laperriere (Head), Tom Sestito (Suspension), Michael Nylander (Groin), Jody Shelley (Suspension)

Los Angeles: None

NOTABLE QUOTES

Wayne Simmonds, PHI: “I think it will be pretty fun. I played there for three seasons, and I know a lot of faces over there. It will be a good time, definitely, but once you step on the ice, there’s no friends, that’s for sure.” –cbssports.com

Mike Richards, LAK: “I feel good. I’m excited to get back to this area and play. It’s been a little bit of a hectic start. … We’re making some progress as a team, and that’s what we’ve got to do throughout the year.” –cbssports.com

STATS

Credit: flyers.nhl.com

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
7:30pm
CSN Philly

	Vs.
Philadelphia Flyers	VS.	Vancouver Canucks
Record: 2 – 0 – 0 Points: 4 Division Standing: 2nd Conference Standing: 4th		Record: 1 – 0 – 1 Points: 3 Division Standing: 1st Conference Standing: 3rd
Flyers vs. Canucks Lifetime: 68 – 29 – 13 – 0

Tonight the Philadelphia Flyers welcome the defending Western Conference champions, the Vancouver Canucks. In their first three games, the Orange & Black have faced the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins on their banner raising night, which they spoiled, their hated divisional rivals, the New Jersey Devils, and now the team that made it to the Cup Finals and lost. Seems like the NHL is trying to test this completely revamped team early, and the Flyers have responded with nothing but positive.

Surprisingly, the Flyers have already seemed to mesh, especially the combination of Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr who if they keep at this pace will notch something close to 30-40 points a piece this season. New goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov already secured the Flyers first shut out since April of 2010, getting that monkey off the teams back early. The only dark spot in these past two games have been some of the Flyers taking bad penalties, but I’ll chalk that up to being season-beginning jitters. Hopefully Lavvy will settle them down.

INJURIES

Philadelphia: Blair Betts (Lower Body), Ian Laperriere (Head), Tom Sestito (Suspension), Michael Nylander (Groin), Jody Shelley (Suspension)

Vancouver: Henrik Sedin (Thigh), Nolan Baumgartner (Foot), Byron Bitz (Hip), Steven Pinizzotto (Shoulder), Aaron Rome (Hand), Stefan Schneider (Hand), Ryan Kesler (Hip), Mason Raymond (Back), Taylor Ellington (Concussion)

NOTABLE QUOTES

Wayne Simmonds, PHI: “I think it’s certainly different from the role that I’ve had in the past. I said it before training camp and even well into training camp, whatever role they put me in I’m just gonna try my best and try to help out the team. I think I’ve done a good job at the start of the season here. I’m just gonna try to continue to do that.” — cbssports.com

Cory Schneider, VAN: “I’m hoping that I showed I belong in this league and maybe deserve the chance to start somewhere down the road.” — cbssports.com

STATS

Credit: flyers.nhl.com

Saturday, April 9, 2011
7:00 pm EDT
CSN – Philadelphia
610 WIP or 1210

	Vs.
Philadelphia Flyers	VS.	New York Islanders
Record: 46-23-11 Points: 104 Division Standing: 1st Conference Standing: 2nd		Record: 30-38-13 Points: 73 Division Standing: 5th Conference Standing: 14th
Flyers vs. Islanders Lifetime: 119-88-26

The Flyers are officially NOT the Eastern Conference top seed…that honor goes to the Washington Capitals.  But the Flyers can still win the Atlantic Division if they beat the Islanders tonight.  A team they have beaten in all 5 meetings this season.  The Flyers are also on a 5-game losing streak, even though a couple have gone to the shootout, they just can’t seem to get those 2 points.

On March 29, Philadelphia won 5-2 in Pittsburgh to move four points up in the Atlantic Division with just six games left in the regular season. Five games without a victory later, the Flyers will go into their season finale in need of a win Saturday, or some help from the Atlanta Thrashers when they play the Penguins on Sunday.

If the Flyers win Saturday, they’ll clinch the Atlantic Division and the second seed in the conference, regardless of what happens Sunday. However, any kind of a loss leaves them vulnerable to slipping all the way to fourth and a first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who the Flyers lost to three times in four games.

The Flyers can take some solace, however, in their opponent Saturday being the Isles — the Flyers have won 20 of their last 21 against the Islanders, including 12 straight at home.

- courtesy of Flyers.nhl.com

This will be the Islanders last game of their season as they did not make the playoffs.  While this is the Flyers last shot to clinch the top spot in the Atlantic Division and end on a positive note heading into the playoffs that begin at the end of the week.

INJURIES

Philadelphia: Blair Betts (lower body), Jody Shelley (Fractured Orbital Bone), Chris Pronger (Hand), Oskars Bartulis (Shoulder), Ian Laperriere (Post-Concussion Syndrome)

New York: Jack Hillen (shoulder), Brian Gervais (lower body), Milan Jurcina (hip), Frans Nelson (concussion), Andrew McDonald (hip), Casey Cizikas (hand), Mark Eaton (hip), Mark Streit (shoulder), Jeremy Colliton (ribs), Kevin Poulin (knee), Mike Mottau (hip), Doug Wright (back), Trent Hunter (knee)

NOTABLE QUOTES

Ian Laperriere, PHI:  ”(The Flyers) are taking care of me, and not that many teams would take care of their players like they are doing with me,” Laperriere said on a conference call. “They have been giving me all the tools to keep me busy and they know how much I love the game. It’s been hard watching, it’s been hard not to be a part of something like I’ve been used to since I’m 5 years old, but that’s something I have to deal with.”  - on his Masterson Trophy nomination

Jesse Joensuu, New York: “For younger guys like me, it’s a big thing to see how he behaved and handled himself (as a player), even though he’s not playing anymore,” forward Jesse Joensuu told the team’s website. “With him being on the bench, it’s really something.”  - on injured player Doug Weight who now is assisting the coaching staff and mulling retirement.

STATS

Stats courtesy of: Flyers.nhl.com