Gone for the Holiday

Like many of you out there, I will be doing a lot of traveling these next few days. Due to this, I will not be writing articles for the games that take place during Thanksgiving day  weekend. If I got paid for this, things would be different; but I don't (yet). I will be back in full when December comes. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mason Gets No Help In Loss

Last night, the Philadelphia Flyers came into the Nassau Coliseum looking to knock to the New York Islanders off of their high horse. With the Islanders arguably being the hottest team in the NHL, it would not be an easy task for the Orange & Black to accomplish. Although Steve Mason did his part, recording 46 saves and recording a shutout, Philadelphia’s offense was nowhere to be found which resulted in a shootout loss. As a fan of the Flyers, or hockey in general, you have to feel bad for goaltender Steve Mason. This is not the first time that he has put forth a stellar effort but received little to no offensive support. I mean the Islanders were able to put up a whopping 46 shots, and Mason turned away all of them. Ladies and gentlemen, that is not an easy accomplishment by any means. On the other hand, the Flyers were only able to 21 shots on goal. That is less than half of the amount the Islanders put up!!!! To be in a game the entire time against a very good opponent, and put up no goals at all is pretty flipping pathetic if you ask me.

            Unlike most nights, I was actually able to attend last night’s game. This is always an enjoyable experience that occurs only once or twice a season. I am not the type of fan that falls under the “obnoxious jerk” category. I do not heckle the opposition or their fans under any circumstances. I am there for one reason, to watch a sport and a team that I am very passionate about. I say this because what I experienced last night shocked me and was completely uncalled for. Before I go any further, I am 100% aware that I was in enemy territory last night rooting for a team that is not well liked by other team’s fans. However, I have been to many Flyers verses Islanders games at the Nassau Coliseum in the past and never experienced any sort of hostility. Again, I state that I am a quiet fan and completely get that if you run your mouth, you are most likely going to get chewed apart. Last night, I was walking back to my seat during the intermission when I heard someone behind me yell “nice jersey f*gg*t”. I looked behind me to find a man (only in age), most likely in his mid-twenties, staring directly at me with his middle finger in the air. He then moved his finger to the direction of my fiancé. The look of his hate in his eyes was unbelievable. Here we are just minding our own business and this toolbox decides he is going to direct hateful actions and remarks towards us because of the team we were supporting. It honestly felt uncomfortable and did not make the experience as enjoyable as it should have been. When the game was over, my fiancé and I walked out to the parking lot to find our car. As we were on the search for the Malibu I felt a heavy object hit me right in the back of the neck. When I looked down at the pavement I noticed that what hit me was a close-to-full Bud Light can. At that point I felt as if it was in my best interest to get to my car and just leave. Provoking these hooligans would produce nothing positive for me.

            The reason I bring this stuff is not only because the Flyers gave me nothing fun to write about as far as on-ice-performance; it is because I truly felt the most treated I have ever felt at last night’s game. It made me think about all the other fans that root for the away team at any stadium and the torture they sometimes go through. It can be a deterrent that can prevent an individual from something he or she loves.  There is no place for this kind of behavior in hockey or any sport. That is as far as I am going with this issue.

            The Flyers head to Detroit tomorrow to face the Red Wings and hopefully put some goals on the board as they try to get a win before Turkey Day. 

Flyers End Losing Streak with Help from Blue Jackets

Nobody likes losing streaks, especially when they start creep up into the “long” category. Now I do not know if I would consider four games a long losing streak; but it was definitely a longer string of losses than the Flyers and their fans wanted to experience. With Scott Hartnell and the Blue Jackets of Columbus coming in to town for the second time, the Flyers had just one thing on their minds; put an end to all of this losing.

            Philadelphia was able to do just that with a solid effort from everyone wearing orange and black. Brayden Schenn started off the night right with an early goal (his 7^th of the season), and although Columbus was able to eventually even things up, the Flyers never trailed in the game. A beautiful thing about never trailing in a game means that you cannot lose. The Flyers also saw goals from Mark Streit (4), Wayne Simmonds (8), and Braydon Cobourn (1), which helped them come away with a 4-2 victory.

            It is an obvious statement for me to make when I say the Flyers winning the game was a great thing to see; but was impressed me was the will and determination that seemed to be in their style of play. This has been something I feel the team has been lacking for most of the season (to this point). I hope that this will be the start of good things to come. The Flyers will be tested when they head to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. The boys from the Island are off to a hot start and share first place in the division with those filthy Penguins. If the Flyers want to make believers out of some of their more pessimistic fans, they will need to leave Long Island Monday night with a win.

Flyers Lose to Wild Extending Streak to 4 Games

Thursday night’s festivities at the Wells Fargo started with a wonderful ceremony inducting two great players, Eric Lindros and John LeClair, into the Flyers Hall of Fame. Fans of the Black & Orange were hoping this emotional beginning would provide their squad with the momentum to put forth an effort worthy of breaking their current losing 3-game losing streak. Unfortunately, this would not take place as the Flyers fell to the Minnesota Wild in heartbreaking fashion 3-2.

The entire game was a hard-fought battle that the Flyers seemed to have the upper hand in terms of style of play. Philadelphia heavily outshot the Wild for most the game, and won the shot battle 39-29 when the final horn sounded. Sadly, the amount of shots a team takes does not guarantee them a positive increase in the win column. Philadelphia played the catch-up game all night long; first, being down 1-0 and tying it up, and then making things even again later on when the Wild were leading 2-1. With 46 seconds left to play in the 3^rd period, it looked as if the Flyers were all ready to settle this contest in overtime; however, Minnesota did not share the same mindset. With a little help from Ryan Sutter and lack of intelligence from the Flyers, Jason Zucker scored his 6^th goal of the season and gave the Wild a 3-2 lead. Giving up a go-ahead goal with less than one minute in the third is as detrimental as getting your throat sliced open. All hope was lost for the Flyers as they lost their fourth straight game, making their record 7-9-2 on the season.

So far, things are not going the way the Flyers or their fans imagined. There have been spurts when you might think “okay, now we are moving”, and then the team does something like lose four straight. I am starting to think that this team just is not that good. Yes there are some amazing pieces; but there are a lot of question marks as well. As a community, Flyers fans need to start asking themselves whether or not the playoffs are a realistic expectation for this team. Right now my answer is no; but I am open to having my opinion changed. The Flyers look to give their fans some hope as they face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. 

Flyers Come Out Flat Against Rivals

When I think of rivalry games, I think of all out dog fights that do not lose their entertainment value until the final horn sounds. When the Philadelphia Flyers came into Madison Square Garden to face-off against their 2^nd biggest rivals, the New York Rangers, every fan was expecting this kind of game.  I mean why wouldn't we? Flyers vs. Rangers games are always full-blown fights on the ice (both figuratively and literally). Well this game would be a complete disappointment to both Flyers Nation and your casual hockey fan.

            The men representing the Orange & Black not only played a poor game (minus Steve Mason), it was as if they never showed up in the first place. The Flyers have proven night in and night out that they are only as good as the effort Giroux and Voracek are able to put forth. There has been no other player who has been able to play consistently well in order to give the team more firepower on the offensive and defensive side of the puck. The Rangers were only able to make the final score 2-0 in their favor; but it might as well been 9-0. I truly feel bad for Steve Mason because he continues to display a valiant effort in net every game; but he (along with Giroux and Voracek) can only do so much. I know it might sound like a crazy theory but if a hockey team cannot score goals, they will not win hockey games.

            I know that we are still in the early parts of the season, and the injury bug has bitten the Flyers more than once; but one must start to wonder if this team does not have what it takes to be considered “playoff caliber”. Although it pains me to say it, I feel that way as both a fan and a “sports writer” (if I can be called that). The Flyers are currently on a 3-game losing streak where they have not looked good at all. They look to end this streak and hopefully start a new one as the Minnesota Wild come in to town tonight. 

Epic Fail on All Levels

Before I dive into this article, I must admit to all of my readers that I could not watch last night’s contest between our beloved Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens. This was not due to me not wanting the watch the game, it was physically impossible for me to due so. Like many others, I live outside of the Philadelphia area but bleed the color combination of Orange & Black. I watch all of the Flyers games using the NHL Gamecenter application and my Roku device. Once in a while, the games are blacked out on the application due to the game being shown on a national broadcast. This is the case for last night’s game because it was being shown on the NHL Network. My new TV provided (Optimum) does not have the NHL Network in the package I currently own, which made me very aggravated. The only sort of news I was receiving about the game was through Twitter and score updates on my cell phone. With that being said, I cannot provide my usual recap for this contest. However, I will say this, most teams in the NHL are not going to win games when they give up six goals to the opposition. Whether it was Emery’s fault, the defense’s fault, or a combination of both, it is completely unacceptable. Every time the Flyers would get close to making the score even, the Canadiens would score another goal. Now I am no hockey guru, but I can say with confidence that this is not a winning formula. The Flyers are now 7-7-2 on the season and sit at sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with 16 points. Philadelphia will travel to New York to play the Rangers on Wednesday night. I would like to reassure readers that I will be able to watch that game J. 

Flyers Help Blue Jackets Snap Losing Streak

Whenever the Flyers and Blue Jackets play each other, there is always a reunion taking place for more than one player on each team. Flyers forwards Jakub Voracek, R.J. Umberger, and goaltender Steve Mason came from Columbus via trade. In addition, Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovski and forward Scott Hartnell both previously played for the Flyers. Friday night’s showdown between these two teams was significant because it was Scott Hartnell’s first game back at the Wells Fargo Center against the team he dedicated the prime of his career to. The Flyers were looking to continue their 3-game winning streak after having the past five nights off. While the banged-up Blue Jackets were looking to snap an 8-game losing streak. By the end of the night, one teams streak would be broken, and it turned out to be Columbus’s as they skated away with a 4-3 victory.

            Both teams fought hard for most of the night; but Columbus seemed to have a little more drive and determination to their style of play. As should be expected, the Flyers looked a little rusty after having the past five days consist of either rest or practice. Both teams looked fantastic on the power play as Columbus went 3 for 4 and Philadelphia officially went 2 for 3. I stress the word “officially” because the Flyers’ third goal was eventually entered as an “even-strength” goal even though there was around one-second left on the power play. The orange & black have looked incredible on special teams (especially at home). Although this is a great sign, I cannot help but wonder why the team cannot score like this 5-on-5? It is important to take advantage of power play opportunities; but the team cannot rely on special teams alone. They need to start producing more when teams are at even strength. The Flyers look to put another one in the win column as they head across the border to take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight. The last contest between these two teams still leaves a sour taste in my mouth and it is time for Philadelphia to come out and get some revenge. 

Flyers Hold on to Beat Avalanche

In game three of their four-game home stand, the Flyers looked to get their third win in a row when the Colorado Avalanche came in to town Saturday night. For the most part, the 1^st period was full of pretty sloppy play on both sides and Philadelphia seemed to be moving a little slow. A fire was lit under the rear-ends of the men sitting on the Flyers bench when they watched Luke Schenn get sent into the boards by Nathan MacKinnon. Schenn would be forced to leave the game, and Philly would go on a power play for five minutes. This man-advantage would result in two goals for the Flyers, one by Claude Giroux (3), and one by Wayne Simmonds (7). The orange and black would score twice more in the second period as Brayden Schenn scored his fourth of the season, and Claude Giroux scored his second of the evening giving the Flyers a 4-0 lead going into the 3^rd period. Colorado would make things very interesting and concerning when they scored three on answered goals in the 3^rd period. Although it went down to the very end when it looked like it might be a blowout early, the Flyers held on to beat the Avalanche 4-3 and improve their record to 7-5-2 (16 points).

            The Flyers power play looked very good against Colorado going an impressive 3 for 6. Even though Mason let in three goals in the 3^rd, he had a pretty good night in net. When a team records 39 shots, some of them are going to go in. Philadelphia has looked much better in the beginning of November than they did in the beginning of October, and find themselves sitting at 3^rd place in the Metropolitan division. The team has some time off, as they don’t play again until Friday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets come in to town. 

Flyers Look Great in Victory

The Philadelphia Flyers had one thing in mind when the Florida Panthers came into the Wells Fargo Canter Thursday night; payback. After a disappointing outing against the Panthers Saturday in Florida, Philly wanted nothing more than to come out strong and get the win this time around. The 1^st period seemed to go as planned for the Flyers getting quick goals from Sean Courturier (4) and Michael Del Zotto (1) to give the team a 2-0 only seven minutes in. The orange and black looked strong all-around in the opening period of play, and had all the momentum going into the locker room.

            The 2^nd period would bring more good things for the Flyers as Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored his 3^rd goal of the season less than 3 minutes into the period off a snap shot to give Philly a 3-0 lead. With a little more than half of the period complete, the Panthers started to chip away at the lead with a goal scored by Nick Bjudstad (1); but Jake Voracek brought the lead back to 3 goals with his sixth goal of the season. When the horn sounded to end the 2^nd period, the Flyers would go into the locker room with a comfortable 4-1 lead.

            There would be no more scoring in this contest, and the Philadelphia Flyers would walk away with a satisfying 4-1 victory. This was the first game of the season where all the aspects of the Flyers game seemed to be working the way they wanted. Steve Mason had an outstanding 60 minutes, allowing only 1 goal on 35 shots. More and more, he is looking like the Steve Mason from last season. Jakub Voracek has been the hottest player on the Flyers, and possibly the hottest player in the league. With the scoring of his sixth goal of the season, Voracek is currently on a 7-game point streak, and has tallied a total of 19 points this season. For the first time this season, the Flyers have moved above .500 and sit at 4^th place in the Metropolitan division. The team looks to continue to improve on their record when the Colorado Avalanche come to town on Saturday night.  

Flyers Get Bittersweet Victory Against Oilers

After Saturday night’s disappointing loss to the Florida Panthers, the Philadelphia Flyers would like nothing more than to put that junk behind them, and put forth a good effort against the Oilers of Edmonton. Steve Mason returned to net, hoping to finally accomplish his first victory of the season after a strong effort Saturday. The Flyers also welcomed veteran defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo to the line-up, hoping he will improve the team’s struggling blue-line. With the start of a four game home stand, Philadelphia desperately needed to pull off a win against Edmonton to begin steering their mediocre record of 4-5-2 into one worthy of recognition. 

            In this 1^st period, the Oilers outshot the Flyers by a count of 11 to 8.  Luckily for Philadelphia shots are not what make a team win hockey games. Goals make a team win hockey games, and Jakub Voracek did what he could to help the boys in orange and black by adding his fourth and fifth goals of the season. Voracek literally carried the Flyers in the 1^st period and provided them with a 2-0 lead going into the locker room.

            Entering the 2^nd period, the Philadelphia Flyers did not take their foot off the gas on bit. With less than five minutes played in the period, Pierre- Edouard Bellemare scored his second goal of the season to give his team a 3-0 lead. The Oilers would make a slight attempt at a comeback when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (4) cut the deficit to two goals when he found the back of the net with a little over ten minutes to play in the period; but the deficit would be brought back to 3 when Luke Schenn scored his first goal of the season, giving the Flyers a 4-1 lead after two periods of play.

            No more scoring would take place and the Flyers would be victorious, improving their record to 5-5-2 on the season. However, the victory would be bitter sweet do to an injury that will sideline blossoming forward Michael Raffl for six weeks. Luckily the Flyers have a good deal of depth at the forward position; but this is a devastating loss for the team. The Flyers look to build on their win against the Oilers when the Florida Panthers come in to town on Thursday night.

Offense Oh Offense, Where Art Thou Offense?

The Philadelphia Flyers started off their November in Sunrise, Florida to take on the 3-2-3 (9 POINTS) Panthers Saturday night after finishing off a tough month of October with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Coming into the matchup against Florida, the Flyers held a record of 4-4-2 (10 POINTS), which is only good enough for 6^th place in the closely contested Metropolitan Division. After Ray Emery got the start in net for the Flyers the past four games, it was finally Steve Mason’s chance to turn things around, get his first win of the season, and take the Flyers over the .500 mark.

            With a not-so-ginormous crowd of around 5,000 people (50% or more being Flyer fans), the Flyers and the Panthers started the game off playing at a pretty equal level. The Panthers would eventually score first with a little under eleven minutes to play in the period off a slap shot by defenseman Willie Mitchell (1). As the period moved along, the Flyers produced some pretty good chances but could not get the equalizer before the horn sounded to end the 1^st period.

            A wise man once said, in order to score goals a team must shoot the puck. For a good portion of the 2^nd period, the Flyers were acting as if they had never heard this before. As the period came to an end, the team started to put the puck on net more; but could not get the puck past Panthers’ net minder Roberto Luongo. After two periods of play the scored remained 1-0 in favor of the Florida Panthers.

            In the 3^rd period, the Flyers were able to record more shots (18 in the period); but excellent play by Luongo made it near impossible for Philadelphia to tie the game up. With less than five minutes to play in the game, rookie defensemen Aaron Ekblad would make a Flyer comeback even more difficult by scoring his first NHL goal, giving the Panthers a 2-0 lead. The Flyers would finally get a goal on the board when Vincent Lecavalier scored his second goal of the season with only seven seconds left in the contest. This would be to little to late as the Flyers would fall 2-1 to the Florida Panthers, and finish winless in their Florida road trip.

            Although the Flyers could not pull off a win, no blame can be given to Steve Mason. He looked pretty good saving 28 of 30 shots that came his way. The only problem is, when you can’t get the offensive support you need, you cannot win the game. The Flyers look to turn things around on Tuesday night when the Edmonton Oilers come to town.