Evgeni Nabokov, May 17th 2008, Western Conference Finals Game 6 vs. Stars
Antero Niittymaki, October 18th, 2008, vs. Sharks
Just sayin'...
Extra Credit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I44jRb1Xam8
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Draft Day News
The first day of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft was unusually eventful, and the Flyers' day was no exception. Long before the first pick was even made, the Flyers reportedly signed Jeff Carter to a three-year deal worth at least $15 million (the report, made by sportsnet.ca, hasn't been confirmed yet). The deal was not as long as one might have expected, but the Flyers did a good job of getting one of their key players signed early.
Earlier in the week, Philly.com reported that according to Paul Holmgren, Derian Hatcher, even though he is scheduled to make a high $3.5 million this season, is probably going to return. Even with this in mind, the Flyers continued to build up their defensive core in the draft, selecting defenseman Luka Sbisa with their 19th overall pick. How did they get that pick, you ask? They did so by trading the rights to R.J. Umberger to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 19th and 119th overall picks. Umberger's return seemed unlikely to start with due to the the Flyers tight cap space and abundance of forwards. With less competition in Columbus, Umberger is expected to make a big impact there.
The Flyers probably traded up because they had their eye on Sbisa, because they did away with their original first-round slot pretty quickly. They gave the pick to Washington for defenseman Steve Eminger and the 84th overall pick. Eminger has had a disappointing career thus far, but at only 24, he could still have a bright future. Eminger, like Umberger, is a restricted free agent, so the Flyers will still have to work out a deal with him.
Of course, trade rumors involving Scottie Upshall and Mike Knuble are still going around.
So, with all this taken into account, the Flyer lines, at the moment, would look something like this (future signings, re-signings, and trades aside)...
Gagne/Richards/Hartnell
Lupul/Carter/Briere
Upshall/Downie/Knuble
Giroux/Tolpecko/Cote
-----
Timonen/Coburn
Eminger/Hatcher
Kukkonen/Parent
Now, there are always the free-agents we have yet to deal with. At the moment it appears that we'll have about $3-4 million to work with here, unless we make some trades.
Restricted:
Patrick Thoresen
Stefan Ruzicka
Randy Jones
Nate Guenin
Unrestricted:
Jim Dowd
Riley Cote
Jesse Boulerice
Jason Smith
Rory Fitzpatick
Jaroslav Modry
Earlier in the week, Philly.com reported that according to Paul Holmgren, Derian Hatcher, even though he is scheduled to make a high $3.5 million this season, is probably going to return. Even with this in mind, the Flyers continued to build up their defensive core in the draft, selecting defenseman Luka Sbisa with their 19th overall pick. How did they get that pick, you ask? They did so by trading the rights to R.J. Umberger to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 19th and 119th overall picks. Umberger's return seemed unlikely to start with due to the the Flyers tight cap space and abundance of forwards. With less competition in Columbus, Umberger is expected to make a big impact there.
The Flyers probably traded up because they had their eye on Sbisa, because they did away with their original first-round slot pretty quickly. They gave the pick to Washington for defenseman Steve Eminger and the 84th overall pick. Eminger has had a disappointing career thus far, but at only 24, he could still have a bright future. Eminger, like Umberger, is a restricted free agent, so the Flyers will still have to work out a deal with him.
Of course, trade rumors involving Scottie Upshall and Mike Knuble are still going around.
So, with all this taken into account, the Flyer lines, at the moment, would look something like this (future signings, re-signings, and trades aside)...
Gagne/Richards/Hartnell
Lupul/Carter/Briere
Upshall/Downie/Knuble
Giroux/Tolpecko/Cote
-----
Timonen/Coburn
Eminger/Hatcher
Kukkonen/Parent
Now, there are always the free-agents we have yet to deal with. At the moment it appears that we'll have about $3-4 million to work with here, unless we make some trades.
Restricted:
Patrick Thoresen
Stefan Ruzicka
Randy Jones
Nate Guenin
Unrestricted:
Jim Dowd
Riley Cote
Jesse Boulerice
Jason Smith
Rory Fitzpatick
Jaroslav Modry
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Prospal Goes Back to Tampa
The Flyers traded Vinny Prospal back to Tampa Bay for a seventh round pick (actually Nashville's pick). Prospal was an unrestricted free agent, and he has shown little interest in returning to Philadelphia, given the fact that much of his life is still back in Tampa. I'd say a seventh round pick isn't really worth it, but it's better than nothing- which is what we would have received had we not made this deal.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Flyers Day at the Phillies
June 2nd was Flyers day at the Phillies. I had traded in my tickets for the game, so I didn't go. Nevertheless, I found it interesting how thin and out-of-shape Marty Biron looks like out of his goalie gear. Speaks volumes to his skill...
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Best Goal Horns
In recent years teams throughout the NHL have been following a trend of having new, more unique goal horn/song combinations. No longer does it seem that there are only five different goal horns used in the league as a whole, and no longer are the same three songs always used after the horn. With this in mind, how about we take a tour around the NHL examining the various cominations teams are using. I'll give a youtube clip with only the goal horn, and/or an example of the goal horn in action.
The Flyers changed theirs recently, they use relatively deep horn for just one long ring, and then play part of "Bro Hymn" by Pennywise.
This one isn't my all-time favorite, but it's unique, etching itself into our favorite memories of the past season. "Bro Hymn" is a great choice for a song, and it goes great with the horn. Using the same song every time magnifies the uniqueness, although I'll always miss hearing the classic goal songs like "Rock & Roll Part II" and "Zombie Nation".
Apparently the Ducks use "Bro Hymn" as well, but I don't like their goal horn as much. Anyway we used it first, so ours is by definition cooler.
A couple teams, notably the Penguins and Stars, have opted to stay with the classic choice "Rock & Roll Part II", but they put an ingenious twist on it. Instead of waiting for the goal horn to end, and going straight to the chanting part, they start at the drumming part, and start playing it along with the horn. This creative spin on a classic is spectacular because the combination makes it feel like the crowd's celebration starts right after the goal, not after the horn. The Stars are a bit more consistent with the combination, while the Penguins sometimes do something between the classic goal horn/song and this combination.
The Red Wings' Goal Horn is one I'll personally remember as that of the New Jersey Devils, before they moved to the Prudential Center. Now, I know it's sacreligious, but I love this goal horn. It has a sort of intimidating, ring-in-you-opponent's ear feeling to it. As horns go, songs and combinations aside, this is my personal favorite.
The Capitals' Horn just makes me want to shoot somebody. I don't think the combination is bad, it just gets sort of annoying. Using sirens in hockey at all is a bad idea in my opinion.
The Sabres' horn is a popular one, and it uses a horn which I don't believe any other team uses. Now, I'm aware that they use a siren along with it, but it's more like an ambulance siren than a police siren. It isn't as loud and less emphasis is put on it, so it isn't that bad of a touch at all. The right amount of something that's usually annoying, when placed in the right spot, can actually be good.
Now let's take a look at some of the truly awful ones...
The Hurricanes' horn sounds like the horn is regurgitating:
I was never a big fan of the fog horn being used as a goal horn; it hurts your ears after a while. The Sharks' horn is the best example (by the way, ignore the awesome tech version of "Rock & Roll Part II" that follows- I'm just focusing on the horn here).
Okay let's just stop before my ears fall off.
Now that that's over, here's a good example of a pretty "generic" goal horn if you want a point of reference. It's the Flyers old goalhorn that was replaced for the 2005-06 season.
The Flyers changed theirs recently, they use relatively deep horn for just one long ring, and then play part of "Bro Hymn" by Pennywise.
This one isn't my all-time favorite, but it's unique, etching itself into our favorite memories of the past season. "Bro Hymn" is a great choice for a song, and it goes great with the horn. Using the same song every time magnifies the uniqueness, although I'll always miss hearing the classic goal songs like "Rock & Roll Part II" and "Zombie Nation".
Apparently the Ducks use "Bro Hymn" as well, but I don't like their goal horn as much. Anyway we used it first, so ours is by definition cooler.
A couple teams, notably the Penguins and Stars, have opted to stay with the classic choice "Rock & Roll Part II", but they put an ingenious twist on it. Instead of waiting for the goal horn to end, and going straight to the chanting part, they start at the drumming part, and start playing it along with the horn. This creative spin on a classic is spectacular because the combination makes it feel like the crowd's celebration starts right after the goal, not after the horn. The Stars are a bit more consistent with the combination, while the Penguins sometimes do something between the classic goal horn/song and this combination.
The Red Wings' Goal Horn is one I'll personally remember as that of the New Jersey Devils, before they moved to the Prudential Center. Now, I know it's sacreligious, but I love this goal horn. It has a sort of intimidating, ring-in-you-opponent's ear feeling to it. As horns go, songs and combinations aside, this is my personal favorite.
The Capitals' Horn just makes me want to shoot somebody. I don't think the combination is bad, it just gets sort of annoying. Using sirens in hockey at all is a bad idea in my opinion.
The Sabres' horn is a popular one, and it uses a horn which I don't believe any other team uses. Now, I'm aware that they use a siren along with it, but it's more like an ambulance siren than a police siren. It isn't as loud and less emphasis is put on it, so it isn't that bad of a touch at all. The right amount of something that's usually annoying, when placed in the right spot, can actually be good.
Now let's take a look at some of the truly awful ones...
The Hurricanes' horn sounds like the horn is regurgitating:
I was never a big fan of the fog horn being used as a goal horn; it hurts your ears after a while. The Sharks' horn is the best example (by the way, ignore the awesome tech version of "Rock & Roll Part II" that follows- I'm just focusing on the horn here).
Okay let's just stop before my ears fall off.
Now that that's over, here's a good example of a pretty "generic" goal horn if you want a point of reference. It's the Flyers old goalhorn that was replaced for the 2005-06 season.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Top 10 Flyers Postseason Moments
10) Three Straight to Steal the Lead and Put Away Montreal
9) One More Night To Celebrate (Before the Pittsburgh Massacre)
8) Briere's Goal Ignites the Crowd in the Home Opener
7) Umberger's Diving Rebound Goal vs. Montreal
6) Thoresen's Domino Job on Huet
5) Biron's shutout in Game 2 vs. Washington
4) 3 Goals in 2 minutes in Game 3 vs. Washington
3) Richards' First Career Playoff Goal on a Penalty Shot
2) Knuble's 2OT Goal vs. Washington
1) Lupul's Game 7 OT Goal
9) One More Night To Celebrate (Before the Pittsburgh Massacre)
8) Briere's Goal Ignites the Crowd in the Home Opener
7) Umberger's Diving Rebound Goal vs. Montreal
6) Thoresen's Domino Job on Huet
5) Biron's shutout in Game 2 vs. Washington
4) 3 Goals in 2 minutes in Game 3 vs. Washington
3) Richards' First Career Playoff Goal on a Penalty Shot
2) Knuble's 2OT Goal vs. Washington
1) Lupul's Game 7 OT Goal
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Top 10 Postseason Moments
10) Huet's Remarkable Stop- In game 5 of the Caps' series against the Flyers, Cristobal Huet made a miraculous save that ended up being the difference maker in his team's 3-2 win.
9) "HOSSA!!!"- In one of the most electrifying plays of this postseason, Marian Hossa blew the roof off the Igloo during Game 5 of the second round with a series-winning overtime goal, leaving play-by-play man Mike Emrick only to proclaim "HOSSA!!!"
8) Umberger's Second Round- For somebody whose playoffs started with a demotion from the first to the fourth line, R.J. Umberger had a pretty amazing second round. His eight goals, some of them scrappy, some beautiful (such as the one in the video below), led the Flyers to a surprising 5-game series victory over the Canadiens.
7) Saves of the Century- In overtime of game 6 of the second round matchup between the Sharks & Stars, both Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco each made a miraculous, simply unbelievable save to keep their respective teams alive. Only the videos that follow can hope to illustrate how miraculous those saves were. It was these two mind-blowing stops that helped elevate this game to the status of one of the best of all-time...
6) There's No Place Like Home (Penguins Home Winning Streak)- When the Red Wings beat the Penguins at the Igloo on May 31st, it was the Penguins first home loss since February 24th and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's first home loss since November 21st. Now, Fleury may have been out for a couple months, but the Penguins home play down the stretch was remarkable. Without it their easily-won playoffs series could have turned into nail-biters.
5) Os-Great- He didn't win the Conn Smythe, and didn't even start the season or postseason as the starter, but there's no denying that Chris Osgood was sensational this postseason, posting an unreal 1.55 Goals Against Average (the highest by .42) and a .930 save percentage. Osgood was on Detroit for their two cups in 1997 and 1998, then sort of faded away, but now has roared back with a spectacular performance this season. Detroit's unmatched success during the season was undoubtedly largely in part due to having probably the two best goaltenders in the league both on your team.
4) So Close, Yet So Far- Hardly anyone was counting down when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, because the Penguins were knocking hard on the doorstep. A spectacular two minutes from the Penguins, in which they poured on the offense, was just a bit too late to overcome their 3-1 deficit, as Marian Hossa was seconds and inches away from tying the game in the dying seconds.
3) A Fleury of Hope- The Penguins simply should not have won Game 5 of the finals, but they did thanks to superhuman goaltending by Marc-Andre Fleury. He had saves that were above and beyond the call of duty, allowing the Penguins to win depite the fact that Detroit dominated for most of the latter five periods.
2) Picking Up the Scraps- A season sold on the theme of "Vengeance" for the Flyers awful 2006-07 season might be better labeled as "Survival". The Flyers managed to squeeze into the playoffs after a season of multiple crushing injuries, depressing losing streaks, and disasterous lead-relinquishing. The Flyers' first round wasn't much different. They worked up to a 3-1 series lead, but then lost game 5. Game 6 in Philly, carrying the slogan "THIS is Game 7!" for Flyers' fans saw the Flyers go up 2-0 but then lose 4-2. The series culminated in a game 7 in Washington, which saw the Flyers struggle into overtime on the backs of two ugly goals, one trickling through Cristobal Huet's five hole, and the other after Patrick Thoresen dominoed a Capital into Huet, knocking him over leaving the Flyers with an empty net to score on. Yet, the Flyers pulled through in overtime, scoring on the power play to finally end the series. The Flyers organization, especially General Manager Paul Holmgren, deserves credit for fueling an amazing, often-overlooked turnaround this season.
1) Seventh Heaven- In one of the most electrifying games in NHL history, the Stars and Sharks played a stunning seven periods. However, this wasn't your grandmother's multi-overtime affair. The score may have been 2-1, but the unbelievable goaltending of Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov kept this game tied at one a lot longer than it should have been (with two unbelievable saves that made #5 on this list). The implications may have had a hand in the intensity of this game- the Stars were looking to put away the Sharks after two unsuccessful bids, and a loss would have been the Stars' third straight and would have forced a game 7 in San Jose making the Stars 3-0 series lead a distant memory.
9) "HOSSA!!!"- In one of the most electrifying plays of this postseason, Marian Hossa blew the roof off the Igloo during Game 5 of the second round with a series-winning overtime goal, leaving play-by-play man Mike Emrick only to proclaim "HOSSA!!!"
8) Umberger's Second Round- For somebody whose playoffs started with a demotion from the first to the fourth line, R.J. Umberger had a pretty amazing second round. His eight goals, some of them scrappy, some beautiful (such as the one in the video below), led the Flyers to a surprising 5-game series victory over the Canadiens.
7) Saves of the Century- In overtime of game 6 of the second round matchup between the Sharks & Stars, both Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco each made a miraculous, simply unbelievable save to keep their respective teams alive. Only the videos that follow can hope to illustrate how miraculous those saves were. It was these two mind-blowing stops that helped elevate this game to the status of one of the best of all-time...
6) There's No Place Like Home (Penguins Home Winning Streak)- When the Red Wings beat the Penguins at the Igloo on May 31st, it was the Penguins first home loss since February 24th and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's first home loss since November 21st. Now, Fleury may have been out for a couple months, but the Penguins home play down the stretch was remarkable. Without it their easily-won playoffs series could have turned into nail-biters.
5) Os-Great- He didn't win the Conn Smythe, and didn't even start the season or postseason as the starter, but there's no denying that Chris Osgood was sensational this postseason, posting an unreal 1.55 Goals Against Average (the highest by .42) and a .930 save percentage. Osgood was on Detroit for their two cups in 1997 and 1998, then sort of faded away, but now has roared back with a spectacular performance this season. Detroit's unmatched success during the season was undoubtedly largely in part due to having probably the two best goaltenders in the league both on your team.
4) So Close, Yet So Far- Hardly anyone was counting down when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, because the Penguins were knocking hard on the doorstep. A spectacular two minutes from the Penguins, in which they poured on the offense, was just a bit too late to overcome their 3-1 deficit, as Marian Hossa was seconds and inches away from tying the game in the dying seconds.
3) A Fleury of Hope- The Penguins simply should not have won Game 5 of the finals, but they did thanks to superhuman goaltending by Marc-Andre Fleury. He had saves that were above and beyond the call of duty, allowing the Penguins to win depite the fact that Detroit dominated for most of the latter five periods.
2) Picking Up the Scraps- A season sold on the theme of "Vengeance" for the Flyers awful 2006-07 season might be better labeled as "Survival". The Flyers managed to squeeze into the playoffs after a season of multiple crushing injuries, depressing losing streaks, and disasterous lead-relinquishing. The Flyers' first round wasn't much different. They worked up to a 3-1 series lead, but then lost game 5. Game 6 in Philly, carrying the slogan "THIS is Game 7!" for Flyers' fans saw the Flyers go up 2-0 but then lose 4-2. The series culminated in a game 7 in Washington, which saw the Flyers struggle into overtime on the backs of two ugly goals, one trickling through Cristobal Huet's five hole, and the other after Patrick Thoresen dominoed a Capital into Huet, knocking him over leaving the Flyers with an empty net to score on. Yet, the Flyers pulled through in overtime, scoring on the power play to finally end the series. The Flyers organization, especially General Manager Paul Holmgren, deserves credit for fueling an amazing, often-overlooked turnaround this season.
1) Seventh Heaven- In one of the most electrifying games in NHL history, the Stars and Sharks played a stunning seven periods. However, this wasn't your grandmother's multi-overtime affair. The score may have been 2-1, but the unbelievable goaltending of Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov kept this game tied at one a lot longer than it should have been (with two unbelievable saves that made #5 on this list). The implications may have had a hand in the intensity of this game- the Stars were looking to put away the Sharks after two unsuccessful bids, and a loss would have been the Stars' third straight and would have forced a game 7 in San Jose making the Stars 3-0 series lead a distant memory.
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