The Frozen Fan

In case you haven’t seen it yet, PIerre McGuired named Flyers’ center Mike Richards to the 2007-08 All-Monster Team.  The players listed are hard-charging, hard-hitting, fearless guys who demonstrate huge commitment to team play. 

Just imagine . . . Ovechkin, Lecavalier and Iginla on one line.  Or a defense with both Dion Phaneuf and Mike Komisarek . . .

End of 3rd period.  Penguins 2 - Flyers 4.  Staal scores twice for the Pens.  Lupul seals it with an empty netter.

It was scary, but the Flyers held out.  As in the entire Montreal series, Marty Biron proved the hero.

I loved the scrums towards the end of the game.  Malone received the bitter end of a Flyer fist for the third time this year.  And a big part of me wishes the referees had let Richards and Crosby have at it.  Yes, I know that no one wants to see either player injured in a fight - particularly Crosby.  But those two have had an unceasing verbal battle going since day 1 of the season series, and it would be fun to view a culmination amidst the highly energetic Wachovia Center fans.

Also good to see the Versus commentators giving positive feedback about the Flyer faithful, noting their passion, their signs, and the player reaction.  Most journalists have had an all-out bashfest when it comes to the orange-clad masses.  It’s refreshing to hear a different perspective.

Overall, the Flyers brought the game they needed.  They built a three-goal cushion in the first, then withstood the torrent of Penguins’ attacks in the third long enough to secure an empty netter and a win.  For all focus on Danny Briere, Philadelphia is a team in the truest sense of the word.  They cannot win unless all 20 guys on the bench commit to the game plan for a full 60 minutes.  I’m aware that sounds trite.  But there are no dominating stars like Malkin or Iginla or Forsberg wearing Flyer colors, so puck control stems from the group rather than an individual.

Returning to Pittsburgh will be extremely difficult.  The Pens excel on home ice, and their fans supply huge quantities of passion and energy.  Winning even the first period of game 5 is an uphill battle.  If any team possessed the resiliency to make that happen, it’s the Philadelphia Flyers.

End of 2nd period.  Penguins 0 - Flyers 3

I have become so accustomed to seeing a Flyer end up in the box every time the whistle blows that tonight is like a miracle on ice.  The Penguins are the undisciplined bunch at the Wachovia Center.  Well, if you’re not counting the fans.

- This Biron resembles the Marty we saw in Montreal.  He’s been square to the puck all night and quick with the glove hand.  The Penguins increased the traffic in the crease, but it hasn’t phased Biron yet.

- The boys in Orange and Black put together another good 20 minutes, attacking often and establishing consistent back- and forechecking.  They need another 20 to win.

End of 1st period.  Penguins 0 - Flyers 3.  Goals from Lupul, Briere (PP), and Carter (PP).

- Flyers did exactly what was required.  They came out, attacked from the start, got some excellent saves from Martin Biron, and capitalized on every Pittsburgh mistake.  Now they must reproduce that effort for 40 minutes against a Pittsburgh team that will respond mightily.

- Mike Richards may not have scored in that period, but he led the way once more.  His short handed breakaway created a massive energy boost for the Flyers.  Biron followed the breakaway with an incredible stop on Crosby.  Jeff Carter generated his own breakaway and took a threatening shot at Fleury.  Then, the Flyers got a third rush in which Lupul launched a wrist shot from above the circles that became the first goal of the game.

- The other two Flyer goals represent the style of play we came to recognize as the Flyers’ best.  Crashing the net.  Jamming at pucks.  Wreaking havoc on opposition goaltenders.  Similar to what Holmstrom and Franzen do so effectively for Detroit.

Pregame thoughts.

Everyone seems to agree that offense is the Flyers’ primary problem.

Mixing up the lines might jump start the offense.  Richards has been shifted up to the top line in an attempt to gain more goals out of Danny Briere.  Stevens attempted this mid-season when Briere struggled to put anything on the scoreboard, and it wasn’t successful.  Surprising, because everyone else who ended up on Richards’ line throughout the regular season seemed to blossom while on that line.

The bigger offense problem may actually be attributed to the two defensemen on the injury list.  Most great offenses in the new NHL start with a puck moving defenseman.  Timonen and Coburn are the only true puck movers on the Flyers’ roster.  Jones and Modry will do in a pinch, but Kukkonen, Hatcher, Smith, and Parent are really stay-at-home guys by nature.  Particularly Smith, who if you haven’t noticed, plays better without the puck.

We’ll see what happens.  The one point of optimism - the Flyers tend to play their best hockey when their backs are against the wall.  And they couldn’t be more against the wall than 3 games behind in the Eastern Conference Final.

End of 3rd period.  Penguins 4 - Flyers 1.

There’s not much I can add here.

Except to say that this has quickly become a depressing and deflating series.  As a fan, I hope to see the Flyers put up a fight before it ends.

Middle of 3rd period.  Penguins 3 - Flyers 1.

On Sunday I questioned John Steven’s decision to replace Patrick Thoresen with Steve Downie.  And it appears that doubt was justified.  Once again, Downie permits a turnover that leads directly to a Penguin goal. 

Let me clarify that I am not anti-Downie.  The rookie brings several admirable qualities to every game - incredibly strong puck possession along the boards, goal-scoring potential, and the capacity to irritate his opponents.  But like many rookies, Downie can be a major liability.  He takes ill-timed frustration penalties, commits unforced errors, and has an extremely limited control of his temper.  In comparison, Patrick Thoresen plays a disciplined, defensively responsible, and physical game; all he lacks is the all-important finishing ability. 

In the playoffs, a single mistake is the difference between winning and losing.  With the top two defensemen absent from the lineup, the Flyers really can’t afford a loose cannon like Downie among the forwards.

End of 2nd period.  Penguins 2 - Flyers 1.

End to end hockey for most of the period with sloppiness on both sides.  Randy Jones made a spectacular poke check during a 3-on-1 rush by Pittsburgh, keeping the Penguins’ lead to one. 

The call on the Richards breakaway could have gone either way.  Watching the replay, the Penguin defenseman caught Richards’ skate and the puck at about the same time.  Fortunately, Richards was uninjured in the play.

Richards looks tired.  Perhaps he’s trying to do too much in an effort to boost his team.  If only Jeff Carter would give too much . . . .

The Flyers will need to score early in the third for any hope of winning tonight.  The Penguins typically enact a one-four as soon as they get a lead in the third period, and it’s been a highly effective system against this Flyers squad in the playoffs.  We’ll see what happens.

End of 1st period.  Penguins 2 - Flyers 1.

My train was late today, so I didn’t catch enough of the first period to comment.  More to come following the 2nd and 3rd.

Ryan Parent is in the lineup tonight since Braydon Coburn is out.  The two are very similar in terms of size, but differ in style.  Where Coburn skates fast and can move the puck while remaining defensively responsible, Parent is a true stay-at-home D.  Parent only played about 20 games in the regular season during Derian Hatcher’s broken ankle injury.  He impressed me most with his strong ability to recover despite making the standard mistakes of a young defenseman.  In many ways, I feel he adds greater value to the Flyers roster than Jaroslav Modry.

A journalist interviewing Marty Turco following Dallas’s series victory against San Jose asked Turco about Brendan Morrow’s game winning goal.  Turco responded, “I watched that goal and I thought - there goes my hero.”

It’s not often that one hockey player refers to another as a hero.  That’s terminology typically reserved to fans, small children, and perhaps a reporter here and there.  But sometimes the great captains of the game bring such heart that they elicit passionate, emotional responses from their teammates.

Regardless of what happens in the Flyers-Penguins series (and the story hasn’t been written in full yet, folks), there’s story that should be garnering all the attention.  We are watching the beginning of the Mike Richards era.

Richards isn’t the most skilled player on the ice.  He lacks the goal-scoring potential of a Jeff Carter, the ridiculous creativity of a Sidney Crosby, the skating ability of a Jonathan Toews, the explosiveness of a Rick Nash or the incredible playmaking skills of a Nicklas Backstrom.  He’s usually called a great two-way player, which is a euphemism for highly competent in both ends but not outstandingly gifted.  Commentators who feature Richards in pregame or intermission segments rarely seem to know how to convey his star quality to the audience.

Yet Richards has an infectious attitude of determination, grit, and perserverance that never ceases to amaze.  Last night’s shorthanded goal was magnificent, but it wasn’t the most striking moment in the young assistant captain’s game.  The Flyers started the game with little energy, losing puck battles, taking poor penalties, and struggling to gain any momentum.  Richards went on the ice and started using his 5′11″ frame to make noise.  He took on Malkin, Roberts, Gill - anyone and everyone who was vulnerable with a puck.  And suddenly the rest of the Flyer began taking the body as well.  Richards single-handedly revived his team, giving them a chance to win despite a decimated blue line.

Whether the Flyers win or lose this series, the papers will tell you a tale about a team lacking its top two defensemen.  They’ll tell you about a star-laden Penguins team rolling through the playoffs, headed by the young and gifted Sidney Crosby.  And they will completely miss the truth. 

This series isn’t about stars or skill - it’s about the emergence of a warrior captain who breaks the star-studded mold.  In a new NHL, Mike Richards shows that the best of old time hockey is alive and well in south Philadelphia.

End of 3rd period.  Flyers 2 - Penguins 4.  Talbot and Stall (Empty net)

The Flyers played a strong game until the midpoint of the third, when fatigue caused errors that resulted in Penguins goals.

What should be noted - the Flyers are not being blown out, despite missing their two best defensemen.  Perhaps Pittsburgh is not quite so skillful as the terminology in the papers and on TV might lead us to believe.

End of 2nd period.  Flyers 2 - Penguins 2.  Carter (PP) and Richards (SH).  Hossa (PP).

- Coburn is done for the night.

- The Flyers need to stay out of the penalty box.  Desperately.  They can’t count on a short hander from Richards every time.

- Carter goal gave the entire team energy.  But the Flyers at times continued to lose races and battles for the puck.  Who knows what the third period will bring.

End of 1st period.  Flyers 0 - Penguins 1.  Crosby goal on the power play
- Braydon Coburn left the game around the two minute mark after taking a puck somewhere in the facial region.  We don’t know yet whether he’ll return tonight.

- The Flyers are playing without any energy.  They have not established a forecheck or a backcheck, allowing the Penguins to run rampant in circles around Martin Biron.  Scottie Upshal fought - and lost - to Tyler Kennedy.  Crosby’s second goal was not allowed because no footage definitively showed the puck crossing the goal line.

- One could say the Flyers simply are experiencing rotten luck.  But in hockey, teams often create their own bounces by playing hard and throwing everything they have at their opponent.  The Flyers are not doing that tonight.  They’re luck to only be down by one goal.

- Lasse Kukkonen is having a monster game.  During the last minute, with the Penguins on the power play, Kukkonen blocked a shot with his hand and was clearly in pain.  He stayed with the puck, made a valiant clearing attempt (that unfortunatley failed), and managed to squirt the puck out of a major scrum in the crease.  Biron had left the net to play the puck.  The puck bounced out to a Penguin at the point, who shot towards the open net.  Without Kukkonen, it would be a 2-0 game now.

Pregame.

Thoresen’s out; Downie is in.  I’m concerned about this switch given Downie’s tendency to take poor, undisciplined penalties at the worst possible times.  Thoresen may not score as often as the young Canadian, but he’s also far more responsible.  I’m trusting that Stevens knows what he’s doing.

It’s going to take more than a lineup adjustment for the Flyers to win this game.  It’s going to take more than Mike Richards on fire to win this game.  And it’s definitely going to take more than a haphazard effort in goal, a sloppy defense, and uninspired offense from the stars of this team to win this game.

The Flyers need Martin Biron, Danny Briere and Braydon Coburn to shine.  And they need Richards, Umberger, Lupul, Upshall, and Kukkonen to continue elevating their games.

For the Flyers, this game is the series.

End of 3rd period.  Flyers 2 - Penguins 4.

- Fleury with some great saves on Carter.

- Biron looked much better.  Shame he couldn’t bring that ability at the beginning of the game instead of just the end.

- Strange call with a minute and a half remaining.  Whatever happened to the third-man-in rule?

As previously stated, it’s only game 1.  The Penguins didn’t blow out the Flyers by any means, and that’s without Kimmo Timonen.

End of 2nd period.  Flyers 2 - Penguins 4.  Malkin scores a short-handed goal.

- Flyers came out without a sense of urgency, and they paid for it.  Period.

- Biron improved as the period progressed.  The Flyers could come back if they score quickly in the third.

- Mike Richards is a man on a mission.  Just watch his aggressiveness physically.  He’s only 5′10″, but he’s muscleing the bigger Penguins off the puck and creating scoring opportunities for the Flyers.  There may be a clutch goal or two ahead of him.  And that’s not even factoring in assists.

- Penguins looked sluggish on their power play, struggling to set up in the offensive zone.  Bizarre.

End of 1st period.  Flyers 2 - Penguins 3.  Both Flyer goals from Richards.  Penguins from Sykora, Crosby and Malkin.

- Marty Biron does not look sharp, especially on his attempts to play the puck.  He was caught out of his net several times with the Penguins swarming - which led directly to Crosby’s goal.  (The Versus color guy drooled over that, but if you can’t score with a goaltender out of his net, maybe you don’t desere to be an NHL superstar.  Crosby should have scored that goal, and did.)  If I were John Stevens, I’d consider using bungee cords to affix Biron to that net.  That said, Biron does tend to improve as the game continues, so don’t count him out yet.

- Mike Richards is the definition of clutch.  One banked off Fleury, the other went top shelf.

- Poor defensive coverage by Jaroslav Modry led directly to the Sykora goal.  A poor defense change with 10 seconds remaining in the first led to Malkin’s.  Perhaps they’re trying to do too much with Timonen out.  Perhaps it’s just sloppiness.  Either way, the blue line needs to tighten up.

- Flyers need to keep attacking, continue avoiding the penalty box, and see better goaltending from Marty Biron.  Fleury’s not handling rebounds well, so the Flyers need to shoot the puck as often as possible.  This one isn’t over yet, folks!

Pregame.
Kimmo Timonen is out.  Jaroslav Modry is in.  Not exactly a great trade off, but it will have to do.

With Timonen down, match ups increase tenfold in importance for both teams.  The Penguins will try to exploit the Flyers’ slow guys - Hatcher and Smith - as well as the young guys - Jones and Kukkonen - as much as possible.  They’re going to create more pressure, attempt to draw more penalties, and generally force their way towards Marty Biron.

For the Flyers, match ups are also key - and much harder to achieve since Pittsburgh has the last change by virtue of home ice advantage.  Look for the Richards line against Crosby and Carter against Malkin.  Those combinations are more about putting size against size and personality against personality.  There is absolutely no love lost between Crosby and Richards on the ice - and in the past that conflict has set a distinct tone for their respective teams.

On paper, the Penguins should win.  But with the Flyers’ recent run, be ready for anything.  It’s only Game 1.

Paul Holmgren announced today that Kimmo Timonen will be sidelined indefinitely due to a blood clot in his foot.  Timonen was placed on blood thinners and is not expected to return during the Flyers-Penguins series.

Unquestionably Timonen has been the Flyers best defenseman during the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.  From his role as a key member of the five-man shutdown unit implemented against Alexander Ovechkin to his quiet, flawless efforts throughout the Montreal series, Timonen is the true unsung hero of the team.  He stands behind the goaltending genius of Martin Biron, the power play prowess of Danny Briere, and the breakout brilliance of RJ Umberger.

It’s quite possible that the Penguins will exploit Timonen’s absence to their scoring advantage.  Without Timonen, who will defend Crosby and/or Malkin?  Who’s going to play point on the top power play unit?  And who’s going to kill penalties?  I’m sure the pundits are predicting this injury skewing the series heavily in Pittsburgh’s favor.

On the other hand, the Flyers may prove some unseen defensive depth.  This team has found ways to win when things seemed hopelessly stacked against them time and again.  It was not so long ago that the Flyers faced a tough final stretch in the regular season, with the highly skilled Atlantic Division teams ahead and the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres breathing down their necks.  Yet they managed to pull out some incredible victories versus the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils.

Players who could step forward:
Braydon Coburn - He’s grown tremendously since the preseason, elevating his game and soaring from a second pairing with Derian Hatcher to top line duties with Kimmo Timonen.  He played excellent hockey during the first two rounds and may have yet another level within.

Jason Smith - He’s a veteran who has proven his mettle in the playoffs before.  Lest you forget, he led the eighth ranked Edmonton Oilers to their unlike Stanley Cup run two years ago.  And they weren’t eliminated until the third period of Game 7, despite losing starting netminder Dwayne Roloson.

Derian Hatcher - Big and slow are two words that come to mind.  But gritty hits, massive experience, and terrific penalty killing are the other side of that coin.  And as the only American to captain a Stanley Cup championship team, Hatcher knows what is required to win.

Randy Jones - At times, Jones can become overexposed in the NHL, making poor choices along the boards and shooting a lot of pucks that get blocked too close to the blueline for comfort.  On the other hand, he has a plus-eight rating in the 2008 playoffs.  And unlike Smith, Jones is capable of scoring the occasional goal.  Should he get his hands on whatever RJ Umberger’s been drinking lately, he could become the story of the playoffs.

Here’s a link to Tim Panaccio’s coverage of Timonen’s injury.

Some bloggers post quotables.  These are something like that.  Except that instead of quotes, I’ve highlighted a few blogs that should garner interest from Flyer fans.

James Mirtle did a great interview with Matt Pesotski of The 700 Level.

Speaking of The 700 Level, there’s some fantastic photoshop action happening over there. 

And from the kings of photoshop at The Pensblog - let’s just say that Simon Gagne never looked more beautiful.

My personal favorite Flyer blogger, Bill Meltzer, has a far more serious approach to the series.

Mike Morreale, along with the rest of the NHL, has finally discovered that RJ Umberger is more than Brian Campbell’s test dummy. 

The NHL Stats Blog previews the first ever conference finals between the Keystone state rivals.

And to end with a little star power, David Boreanaz of Bones looks forward to the Stanley Cup visiting the Fox soundstage.

As the Flyers-Penguins series draws closer, you’re going to see journalists everywhere predicting a bloodbath fueled by eight games of regular season divisional play.  But just as people fail to observe that ogres, like onion, have layers, the Pennsylvania pugilism has far deeper roots than eight bouts in an 82-game schedule could produce.

Historically speaking, the fire began in the early 1990s, when the Pittsburgh Penguins were flying high with consecutive Stanley Cup victories, the great Mario Lemieux, and the flash Jaromir Jagr.  Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers had sunk from the high of the mid-1980s to missing the playoffs.  To this day, Flyer fans hurl whistles and cat calls at Jaromir Jagr whenever he comes to the Wachovia Center, commemorating the long-gone mullet that used to fly behind him as he whirled down the ice as a Penguin.

Moving forward, you discover the 2000 playoffs.  The Flyers entered PIttsburgh behind by two games.  Both teams received great goaltending from goalies Ron Tugnutt (Pittsburgh) and rookie Brian Boucher (Philadelphia).  But the most memorable scene came in the fifth overtime of Game 4.  Keith Primeau, who had only scored 7 goals in 78 career playoff games, managed to place a wrist shot over the shoulder of Tugnutt, tying the series and giving the Flyers the necessary momentum to advance to the next round.

And then came the lockout.  Veterans left North American for the various European leagues; youngsters stayed here to play in their clubs’ AHL affiliates.  Check out some names from the 2004-2005 Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins: coach Michel Therrien, Ryan Whitney, Maxime Talbot, Kris Beech.  And for the Philadelphia Phantoms: coach John Stevens, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, RJ Umberger, Randy Jones, Riley Cote, Antero Niittymaki.  That year the Baby Pens and the Phantoms met in a heated playoff war, from which the Phantoms emerged victorious and advanced to win the Calder Cup.  Note the coaching staff.  Anyone wondering where this year’s war of words may have begun?

Coming out of the lockout, we stumble across the Sidney Crosby era.  Bill Fleischman gives a great rundown of Crosby’s relationship with the Flyers and their faithful fans, so I won’t go too deeply into the ins and outs.  Let’s just say it involves Derian Hatcher, the loss of some teeth, a face wash exchange with Peter Forsberg, and a strong belief that Crosby cries too much. 

Last season the Penguins swept the eight-game season series.  This season the Flyers came back with a vengeance, stirring the pot with an 8-2 crushing of the Pens in December.  Laraque executed a baseball slide into Martin Biron, and Philly fans chanted “We want Crosby” when Therrien benched his star halfway through the third period.  Pittsburgh responded by delivering their own crushing blow: a 7-1 home ice victory over the Flyers in February.  And all this was surrounded by the constant verbal sparring between head coaches Stevens and Therrien.

Neither team wants to reach the Final Four just to go home.  Especially if defeat means losing to this partcular opponent.  It may well be a war, physical beyond anything we’ve witness thus far.  But at least there will be plenty of material to build new layers into the cross-state rivalry.

Pittsburgh (2) vs. Philadelphia (6)
Can anyone say bloodbath?  These teams despise one another for many reasons, and it doesn’t help that they play eight times per year.  Both are young teams with veterans in key positions.  Pittsburgh is stacked with young natural talent - Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Fleury, J. Staal, Malone - and key veterans - Roberts, Sykora, Gonchar.  But the Flyers have a balanced team that, in the words of Bill Clement, can bend without breaking; and as Jim Jackson pointed out, even when they break, they find ways to reassemble themselves.  Should be a great series.  - PITTSBURGH

Detroit (1) vs. Dallas (5)
Hockeytown meets the Big D.  Detroit is one of the most consistently excellent teams in the NHL.  Meanwhile, Dallas has been either the best team in the league or the worst - all in one season.  This should prove to be Detroit’s first real test in the playoffs.  Colorado was decimated by the Minnesota series, and the Predators remained in the running on the phenomenal performances from Dan Ellis.  With Marty Turco and Brendan Morrow on fire, it should prove an interesting series.  - DALLAS