The Flyers looked as if they were on the last leg of a long road trip Monday night in the 5-2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead, it was just the first of a six-game road trip.

Despite taking seven out of a possible eight points on the homestand, the Flyers had a hard time coming out strong in the first period and were forced to play catch up game after game.

The Flyers put an end to that trend when Wayne Simmonds gave them the early lead just 38 seconds into the game. Luke Schenn earned an assist in his first visit to Toronto since being traded to the Flyers

The Flyers started the game hot. They just couldn’t finish it.

In a span of 30 seconds, the game turned in the Leafs favor. After numerous failed clearing attempts by the Flyers, Colton Orr knocked in a rebound right behind Nicklas Grossmann and Matt Frattin made it 3-1 less than three minutes in the second period.

Neither goalie would make it through the second period. James Reimer was replaced by Ben Scrivens due to injury and Ilya Bryzgalov was pulled in favor of Brian Boucher.

Peter Laviolette’s time out didn’t spark the team so his next option was to pull the goaltender. Bryzgalov stopped just ten of the 14 shots he faced but the defense in front of him left him out to dry.

The Flyers had plenty of chances to inch their way back in the game with seven minutes of power-play time in the second period. That included a five-minute major when Tye McGinn was boarded face-first by Korbinian Holzer. They had six shots but mustered up only one decent chance.

James van Riemsdyk put the icing on the cake for Toronto when he absolutely burned Luke Schenn on a breakaway to score his eighth goal on the season. JVR finished with four shots, a goal and almost 19 minutes of ice time against his former team.

The Flyers need to forget about this game quickly since they head to Winnipeg to take on the Jets tomorrow night.

JVR used with permission © Bob Fina/InsideHockey.com

Unless you were disconnected from the world today, or at the Phillies game, you probably already know that the Flyers traded James van Riemsdyk to Toronto for Luke Schenn.

It seems as if this trade was in the works since February, when it was rumored the teams would make the swap surrounding the trade deadline. For some reason, neither team pulled trigger.

Four months later, JVR is now a Maple Leaf and Luke Schenn joins his brother Brayden to become the first set of brothers to wear the orange and black since the Sutter twins.

While the trade seemed inevitable, it was only less than a year ago the Flyers signed JVR to a six-year, $25 million extension. It was also a year ago to the day Paul Holmgren shocked the world and traded Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, who also were at the starts of their long-term deals.

They say it is a business but the Flyers really take it to heart don’t they?

The ink was barely dry on his contract and the Flyers were already shopping JVR.

Sure, JVR didn’t live up to his potential…yet.
» Continue reading “JVR Traded To Toronto For Luke Schenn”

Photo: Dinur/Flickr

In a night where we are losing an hour sleep, we gained some extra hockey in the Flyers’ 1-0 shootout win over the Maple Leafs. After either team failed to score in the first 65 minutes, the Flyers and Maple Leafs headed to the shootout where Ilya Bryzgalov continued his shut-down performance to notch back-to-back shutout wins.

Bryzgalov made his 11th straight start Saturday night and stole the two points in a game where the Flyers offense just couldn’t pot one in the net. In the past four games, Bryzgalov has three shutouts and a .985 save percentage. His shutout streak is now at 136:13 and has saved 135 of the last 137 shots he faced.

Claude Giroux was the Flyers’ second shooter in the shootout and scored the game-winner with a dazzling toe-drag move to put it top shelf past Leafs’ goalie Jonas Gustavsson. It was just another filthy move that proves why Giroux has one of best set of hands in the NHL.

Throughout most of the season, the Flyers have relied heavily on their explosive offense to win games in front of the shaky defense and goaltending but oh how things have changed. Goaltending and defense have been stealing more and more games for the Flyers as of late as was the case tonight.
» Continue reading “Easy, Bryzy, Beautiful SO Win Over Leafs”

Credit: Flyers.com

Ever since the calendar turned to March, the Flyers have also turned a new page. After a disappointing February where they went 5-7-1, the Flyers have won four straight in March, including a win over Western Conference power house the Detroit Red Wings.

The Flyers now have three games in four days starting with a matchup against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday night then a home-and-home series with the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and Tuesday.

The biggest reason the Flyers have been so successful as of late is because of the guy in between the pipes. Despite having back-to-back games this weekend, Peter Laviolette has announced that he won’t fix what’s not broken and will put Ilya Bryzgalov in net at the Air Canada Centre tonight for his 11th straight start. During this stretch, Bryzgalov has two shutouts, a 7-2 record with one no-decision and has raised his save percentage to .905 and lowered his GAA to 2.65.
» Continue reading “Flyers Go For Their Fifth Straight Win”

Ilya Bryzgalov © Bill Stahl/InsideHockey.com

The Flyers finished their 10-day road trip Tuesday night with a shutout loss to the San Jose Sharks. Ilya Bryzgalov played like the goalie the Flyers need him to be but the Flyers offense couldn’t get anything past Antti Niemi.

Now the Flyers head back east to start the final stretch of the season. With the loss against the Sharks, the Flyers fell to sixth in the Eastern Conference with the seventh-place New Jersey Devils just one point behind them.

Of the remaining 20 games, 13 games come against playoff-bound teams (at the moment)  including a home-and-home series with the Devils the weekend of March 10, three games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and one final matchup against the New York Rangers.
» Continue reading “Flyers Face Tough Road Ahead”

For just the thirteenth time this season, the Flyers won in front of their home crowd at the Wells Fargo Center, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 Thursday night.

Scott Hartnell Photo Courtesy of SportsNet

The Flyers ended their three-game losing streak and put some distance between themselves and the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Scott Hartnell earned the first star of the contest after scoring a good ole’ Gordie Howe Trick – a goal, assist and a fight. He dropped the gloves with Dion Phaneuf just seconds after scoring his 26th goal of the season – perhaps stemming over from Hartnell’s now infamous “suck it, Phaneuf” at the All-Star Game?

Sergei Bobrovsky got the start in net since Ilya Bryzgalov is under the weather with the flu. He kept the Flyers late in the game making some key saves – one coming off of a juicy rebound to Tyler Bozak late in the third period.

The Maple Leafs threatened to tie when Max Talbot was sent to the box with just two minutes left. Toronto pulled James Reimer for the extra attacker but the Flyers killed the penalty and held on to the lead.
» Continue reading “‘Suck It Toronto’ – Hartnell Lifts Flyers Over Leafs”