Game 65: Flyers at Islanders

I've been sick lately, so that's why there haven't been many updates. Obviously, there's some big news going on in Philadelphia sports that I'll try and get to tomorrow.

Philadelphia Flyers: 32-25-7, 71 points
New York Islanders: 31-27-7, 69 points

Martin Biron v. Rick DiPietro (I honestly don't know, but I'm not sure what else you could assume)

The Flyers begin a two day trip to New York tomorrow afternoon, when they take on the Islanders on Long Island. Fresh off a win against Ottawa last night, they'll try to further secure better playoff position in the crowded Eastern Conference. The Islanders are in the hunt too; they're just two points behind the Flyers and the 8 seed in the playoffs.

I expect Martin Biron to get another start. He played well against Ottawa and he might be finding a rhythm in net again. Ride the hot hand.

The Flyers are 3-1-0 in four meetings against New York this year. The most recent meeting, a 4-3 Islanders win, happened in the middle of that wretched losing streak. That was the Islanders first home win of 2008, and they were generally in control of the game the whole time. Despite the fact that Philadelphia has been ahead of New York for most of the year, all of their meetings have been close, with no game being decided by more than two goals.

They'll be excited to turn a page on their calendars after the month of February saw them go just 4-8-2 and fall out of the picture of elite teams. They got banged up and played bad hockey. After a couple moves and hopefully some more injured players coming back, things should start to come together again. Modry could be back as soon as tomorrow or Sunday, which means Kukkonen could be forced out of the lineup again. We have so much depth on the blue line, but really only a couple of high end guys.

Bill Meltzer will have scratches and lineup notes tomorrow, probably closer than 16 hours until gametime. I'm going up to New York for the game and have to leave very early. That's why this is up so soon.

Game 64: Senators at Flyers

Ottawa Senators: 36-22-6, 78 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 31-25-7, 71 points

Ray Emery v. Martin Biron (not positive on him)

After Monday's miraculous shootout win against Buffalo, the Flyers will try to build their first winning streak for the first time in a while against Ottawa at the Wachovia Center. Both of these teams are struggling now. Ottawa's dream of going wire to wire as the top team in the East has been dashed, as the New Jersey Devils have passed them in the standings. The Flyers are also fighting for playoff position, one month after being one of the hottest teams in the league.

You have to figure Martin Biron will get another start tonight. After a terrible first 15 minutes against the Sabres, Biron made a huge turnaround and kept the Flyers in the game. Maybe he's getting hot again.

Both of these teams will be dealing with some changes tonight, Ottawa's being the most drastic. This will be their first game since firing coach John Paddock, as GM Bryan Murray takes over behind the bench. The team is upset that the Sens didn't keep up their great pace and are slumping at the worst time. The goalie switching has been ridiculous, but if no one gets hot, what's the guy supposed to do?

Vinny Prospal will make his re-debut tonight. Bill Meltzer says he'll be playing on Briere's line, and I agree with his defensive concerns. The Flyers are hoping that their bolstered lineup will help them regain some momentum and keep them afloat until guys like Lupul, Richards and Hatcher get back. The Flyers managed to hang with the Senators until losing to them in a shootout last meeting, despite the Flyers being in a huge tailspin at the time.

The scratches are listed in the link a few lines up.

Jesse Boulerice
Stefan Ruzicka
Jaroslav Modry
Dennis Tolpeko
Mike Richards
Joffrey Lupul
Simon Gagne
Derian Hatcher
Mike Rathje

It Did Not Begin

The game was postponed, but I seriously doubt they'll bother making this one up. The PA announcer said they still expect to take on Cincinnati tomorrow to kick off the real start of the exhibition season.

I'm not sure how this will affect the pitching schedules yet.

It Begins

The Phillies start the Spring Training schedule tonight, with an exhibition game before the real exhibitions start. Joe Savery will get the ball for at least the first couple innings against Florida State, who is actually one of the better teams in the college landscape. The Mets nearly lost to Michigan earlier, so hopefully the Phillies can blow the Seminoles out of the water again. Before I talk about the game even more, I want to detail the hitters in camp like I did with the pitchers and catchers.

25- On last year's 25 man roster before they expanded in September.
40- On 40 man roster
NRI- Non Roster Invitee
FA- Free Agent Signing
T- Trade acquisition
R5- Rule 5 draft selection

Infielders
Eric Bruntlett, 40T- He's the other guy in the Brad Lidge trade, and I'd imagine he'll play the Abraham Nunez role this season. He should be a little better at the plate than Nunez, but it's scary how his SLG% has dropped significantly each of the last four years. He can play every position, but defensively, he's not as good as Abe. 9/10

Mike Cervenak, NRIFA- Honestly, I'm not sure what this guy brings. He hasn't hit particularly well for a couple years, so maybe he plays good defense? Either way, since it seems he can only play 1B and 3B, I don't like his chances. 0/10

Greg Dobbs, 25- He was the hero of last year's camp, and now he has a bit more job security. With the acquisition of Pedro Feliz, it remains unclear what his role will be this year. Even if he doesn't start a lot, he can still make great contributions off the bench. 9/10

Jason Donald, NRI- Donald had a breakout 2007 campaign in the minors, where he had a great showing with the bat in addition to his highly regarded defense. One problem moving forward is his position. He's blocked at 2B and SS, so can he play 3B? The outfield? He's a pretty polished guy and could continue ascending through the system quickly. 0/10

Pedro Feliz, 40FA- Feliz was a bit of a late addition, but one that made a lot of Phillies fans happy. Defensively, he might be the best 3B in the league. Offensively, as I reviewed the week he was signed, it's a different story. 10/10

Brad Harman, 40- Harman was just added to the 40 man roster this offseason, likely as Rule 5 draft protection. He boosted his stock with a solid 2007, but he has to prove that the improvement wasn't a fluke. 0/10

Wes Helms, 25- Helms was a bit of a disappointment last year. A lot of people were counting on him to add some punch to the bottom of the lineup, but he couldn't deliver. With Feliz and Bruntlett added in the offseason, Helms could be on the move. 4/10

Ryan Howard, 25- The slugger should be happy with the salary debate behind him, and he looks like he's in great shape. Can he improve his defense and eliminate the mental block throwing to second base? That's the only question about him; there's no reason to worry about the stick. 10/10

Brennan King, NRI- Brennan King is back for his umpteenth straight year of big league camp. He gets a lot of time on the field when the regulars have already hit the showers, and he's one of the nicest guys in the game. Maybe he'll get a shot someday. 0/10

Ray Olmedo, 40FA- He wasn't technically a free agent, but he was picked up on waivers today nonetheless. He has a great glove, but he can't hit. Defense is obviously important, but if you're as bad at the plate as Olmedo is, it's tough to justify keeping him on the roster. 1/10

Valentino Pascucci, NRIFA- Random fact: Pascucci was a World Baseball Classic participant for team Italy. Unfortunately, they don't exactly have a rich baseball tradition. He's listed as a 1B, but he's played a little OF in his career. He's been a very good minor league hitter, but he didn't impress in his brief big league stint with Montreal, yes, the Expos, back in 2004. 0/10

Jimmy Rollins, 25- The reigning MVP still has doubters to prove wrong, but it's going to be tough to top 2007. Hopefully, he can continue to progress even more as a hitter and leader and get this team back to the playoffs. 10/10

Casey Smith, NRIFA- I don't know much about him, but judging from his minor league numbers, Smith has to have a great glove. He can play all around the infield, but has not seen any success at the plate. 0/10

Andy Tracy, NRIFA- Here's another 1B/3B hybrid guy. Tracy too did not play well in his brief time with the big clubs, but he's always hit well in the minors. He's pretty old, and I don't see him sticking. 0/10

Chase Utley, 25- Can he make it three MVP's in a row? He might've won it last year if he didn't get hurt. Utley is a franchise player who really has no weak points in his game. He improved his defense tremendously, and he could even win a Gold Glove or two, in addition to the accolades with his bat, by the time his career is over. 10/10

Outfielders:
T.J. Bohn, 40- He was a late season pickup who really didn't see any action with the Phillies organization. I'm pretty sure Pat Gillick was the one who originally drafted him, and that's why he found his way onto the 40 man last year. He doesn't do anything particularly well, so I'd imagine he'll be designated for assignment at some point this year. 1/10

Pat Burrell, 25- In his contract year, Pat Burrell looks to become a little more consistent. His 2007 was almost a tale of two seasons, but when everything was said and done, he had a solid year. We all know he can't run and needs a defensive substitution, but he has some power and a good eye. 10/10

Greg Golson, NRI- The highly talented, highly puzzling Golson will be in his first big league camp. He has all the tools to be a great player, but his game still needs to be refined. Hopefully, working with guys like Manuel and the major league staff will help him adjust his approach at the plate, reduce his strikeouts and make more contact. 0/10

Geoff Jenkins, 40FA- Geoff Jenkins is the replacement for Aaron Rowand in the lineup. He's expected to platoon with Jayson Werth in RF, and those two have a good chance of matching the numbers Rowand put up last season. He also doesn't kill you in the field, which is nice. 10/10

Chris Snelling, 40T- Snelling was acquired for the ever popular cash considerations, and he's a sleeper to make the roster. He's been troubled by injuries over the years, but he's been a pretty decent hitter in his career. Gillick originally signed him as an amateur, so that's probably why we picked him up. 4/10

So Taguchi, 40FA- Taguchi was signed with the expectation of becoming the 5th OF, but I don't think it's as much of a lock as a lot of people do. I think Snelling has more potential, but there's also more risk with his injuries. Taguchi is alright; he's average at the plate, pretty good on the bases and pretty good in the field. That's what you get from a 5th OF. 7/10

Shane Victorino, 25- Victorino will finally make the transition into CF to replace the departed Aaron Rowand. He was a huge asset in RF last year, because of his strong arm and great range. His range will be more tested now since he has to naturally cover more ground in center, in addition to compensating for Pat Burrell. 10/10

Brandon Watson, NRIFA- Brandon Watson had a great hitting streak in the minors last year, and that's his calling card. He's been up in the majors in brief stints with very little success. He's a good minor league player, but he's just one of many who could never take his game to the next level. 1/10

Jayson Werth, 25- After a slow start to 2007, Werth came back from a wrist injury and proved to be an asset off the bench and as a starter. He got hot late in the season, and with the leg injury to Shane Victorino, showed why so many people thought so highly of him as a prospect. This year, he'll see a lot of time in the field from the start in a platoon with Jenkins. 10/10

So that's it. Those are the 2008 Spring Training Phillies. John Ennis was apparently DFA'd. Tonight, their season kicks off against the Seminoles. I expect the regulars to get some cuts in, Savery to pitch a couple innings, and then let the other guys take over. The game will be broadcast here.

However, a late report from Florida says that the tarp is on the field and they're dealing with some rain. The game may be off.

If the game does take place, Scott Lauber has your lineup. Unfortunately, I can't find an actual link.

Rollins SS
Victorino CF
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Jenkins RF
Feliz 3B
Helms DH
Ruiz C

Prospal Comes Full Circle

The Flyers have traded for Vinny Prospal.

In 1993, he was a 3rd round pick by the Flyers. In the 1996-97 season, he made his debut for the team, but two years later, he was traded for Ottawa. 10 years later after a couple of stops in the Sunshine State, he's back.

Philadelphia sent D prospect Alexandre Captain Picard and a conditional 2009 draft pick to Tampa for Prospal after their victory against Buffalo. Prospal has 29 goals and 57 points in 62 points this season, playing on a line with Vinny Lecavlier and Martin St. Louis. He was a bit of a late bloomer, and now that he's become a pretty good player, the Flyers are hoping he can provide a spark playing with Danny Briere and get this team to the playoffs.

Picard could become a good puck mover, and all things considered last year, he did a good job for the Flyers. He wasn't ready to play, but he showed a little promise. However, he wasn't good enough to be deemed untouchable, and he was moved for Prospal, who will likely just be a rental player.

Ten Million Dollar Man

Cha-tatatatatata! Cha-tatatatatata! Cha-tatatatatata! Cha-tatatatatata!

The 10 million dollar man is Ryan Howard, obviously, who won his arbitration hearing last week. This ties the record for arbitration awards, but the guys he tied with were in their last year of eligibility. The Phillies' offer of 7 million would've tied the arbitration record for first year players.

I'm surprised the Phillies didn't win this one. Not because they've historically been the best team in the league in these cases, but I didn't think the arbitrators would give Howard the record like that. 7 million was the previous first year record, and I thought it would be fair to give that to Howard. No way would they let him shatter the record, right? Dead wrong.

What this ruling basically means is Howard is the best player to ever go to arbitration. This system has been in place for a while, and that's really important. If he doesn't sign a long term deal before next February, which I don't think he will, the Phillies are going to go through all of this again. Who knows how it'll turn out? He already tied one record, and there's no precedent for what comes next.

As I mentioned, I don't think he'll sign an extension. Unless Howard's not very confident in his ability to stay in shape and produce and needs to opt for long term security, why would he? He has the Phillies backed in a corner, and for the next three years, he owns them, with MLB's support. If he won arbitration in his first year with an offer that shattered the previous first year record, how can he not win the next three? It's going to be tough for the Phillies. Howard and Casey Close see big bucks in his future. He wants a giant deal, and I'm not sure if the Phillies can accommodate him.

Either way, he's a franchise player, and hopefully he's here for a while. I'm not concerned about his weight or his defense as much as a lot of people, and I hope he can be productive well into his 30's. He could be a Philadelphia legend when it's all said and done, and I think he'll be able to deliver.

The Foot Is Back

Peter Forsberg has agreed to come back with... Colorado?

Peter obviously has a lot of loyalty to that organization, but the decision is disappointing nonetheless. The Flyers are closer to the playoffs than Colorado, and if he were on this team, I think they would be a better shot to win the Cup than the Avalanche.

I'm surprised he's actually coming back, and I'm surprised it's not with the Flyers.

Game 63: Flyers at Sabres

Philadelphia Flyers: 30-25-7, 67 points
Buffalo Sabres: 30-24-8, 68 points

Martin Biron v. Ryan Miller

Now that the losing streak has reached 10 games, the Flyers will try to end it against another team who has had a 10 game losing streak this year. Right now, Buffalo is 6-3-1 in their last 10, so they're playing pretty good hockey at the moment. The Flyers have to do something, anything to get out of this slump. The season is on the line, and there isn't much time left to right-size this ship.

However, as just about every Flyers fan knows, playing Buffalo has been quite problematic in recent years. Since the lockout, the Flyers are only 4-9-3 against the Sabres, including that embarrassing playoff series from two seasons ago. Most of us would like to forget that one, in which the Sabres raced in out, around over and under the Flyers, piling up multiple goals in every game. The Buffalo system just matches up well against the Flyers, and it seems that whoever is in the lineup, they'll have an answer.

This game has pretty big playoff implications. At the moment, Buffalo is the 8 seed and the Flyers are the 9 seed. If the Flyers win, they'll knock Buffalo out and be back in the playoff picture. If the Sabres win, they build a bigger gap between the playoff and non playoff teams, and pull even with Boston for the 7 seed, despite the B's having a game in hand. It's hard to believe that even with all of this losing and things spiraling out of control, you could wake up tomorrow and the Flyers would be the #8 seed. Mark Eckel guarantees it.

Bill Meltzer has the lineup notes. Downie could play tonight, and that would bring a little boost to the sagging offense. I'd imagine Ruzicka won't be scratched if Downie can't go.

It's tough to be confident against Buffalo, a team that has completely destroyed the Flyers in recent years, but the losing has to end sometime, right?

Richards Out 3, Probably More Weeks

According to the first article that came up on Google News Search. This is a serious problem for the Flyers. He's their leading scorer, a leader on and off the ice and he might be the best player on the team.

They've dealt with some injuries before, but this might be the worst yet. Combined with the heartbreaking loss against Florida, and I'm not sure this team has it in them anymore. This is a tough way to come down the stretch after playing so well for so long.

Lidge Out 3-6 Weeks

You can't make this up. Mike Radano has more. New closer Brad Lidge will miss 3-6 weeks. Basically it's some problem that's different from what he had before but still in the same knee.

Where does this leave the Phillies? Ideally, Lidge gets back before the season, but I don't think it's necessary to rush him back. Tom Gordon can definitely hold up as closer for a little bit, and hopefully Lidge's knee gets right and it won't be a problem again.

Couple of Phillies Notes

Obviously, the big story today is the Lidge injury. Todd Zolecki has the scoop for that. He caught a spike in the mound delivering a pitch and had to limp off the field. He says it's a bit sore, but I doubt it's really serious. The Phillies asked Jim McCrossin what he thought of the injury, and he said Lidge will be back at 100% tomorrow. Bit of humor there for you.

Scott Lauber reports the Phillies have tabbed Joe Savery for Tuesday's exhibition game against Florida State. This shouldn't come as a surprise; last year, Kyle Drabek got the start in this game. He should be able to pitch a couple good innings, as he's dominated college competition before.

I'm going to try and post a reaction to the Howard arbitration win later tonight, but I've got a lot of stuff to do. I want to do another spring training preview, talk some Eagles and watch the Sixers while listening to the Flyers tonight.

Game 62: Panthers at Flyers

Florida Panthers: 27-29-7, 61 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-25-6, 66 points

Thomas Vokoun v. Martin Biron, although I can't guarantee either of them.

Tonight at the Wachovia Center, the Flyers will try and stop this skid from reaching double digits. If they can't win this one, I'm not sure when they can win next with Buffalo coming up on the schedule. The Flyers are 2-1-0 against Florida this season, so at the very least, they're playing a team they've had a little success against.

Martin Biron could start in goal again tonight. He allowed a couple bad goals against San Jose, but he stopped 37 of 40 shots he faced, which is an absolutely poor job by the defense.

I'm not sure what I can say here. Nothing is going right at the moment, and it's tough to tell when things will get better. They've only averaged 2 goals a game in the losing streak, so the offense isn't putting enough pucks in the net for them to win. However, they've also allowed more than 4 goals five times, so the defense and goaltending isn't playing well either.

The Flyers just need to get back to basics. I don't even know what that might involve, but these guys have to be pressing right now. Offensively, shoot the puck. Danny Briere, please attempt shots. It's the only way things are going to get better. Put the puck on the net, get to the front of the net and good things will happen.

Bill Meltzer doesn't have scratches up, but here's the obligatory link anyway. He does mention that Downie could play though.

Sorry for not getting a Sharks preview up on Thursday. I'm starting to slip. I had some things to take care of and then work at night, and I just didn't have the time to type up a couple paragraphs.

Flyers Claim Thoresen; Playoffs?

The Flyers claimed Norwegian forward Patrick Thoresen off of waivers from Edmonton today. What's his role? Your guess is as good as mine. Because Giroux had to be returned to his junior league, the team needed another forward to fill out the roster, and I guess Thoresen will be that guy. Edmonton thought enough of him to sign him as a free agent out of the Swedish Elite League, and he's still only 24 years old. Maybe he has a little potential in him. We'll see.

"Playoffs? Don't talk about... playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!"

"We couldn't do diddley poo offensively."

Jim Mora isn't the Flyers' coach, but his post game tirades seem to fit what's going on right now. They've lost nine in a row, and out of the 18 possible points in those nine games, they've gotten one. Can you believe that? They haven't won since February 2nd. The only person losing more than them in February is Hillary Clinton. Think about it. They had just beaten the defending champions 3-0 and were rolling along at 14-2-2 in the last 18 games. Peter Forsberg's return was coming, and the team would get even better. There was talk of even challenging conference power Ottawa for the #1 seed. The Atlantic division was in the rear view mirror.

Now, Forsberg isn't coming back, and he might never play a hockey game again. They're 10th in the conference just trying to get back into the playoff picture. The Atlantic division is speeding away. This has to end now, or this team is going to get buried again. There might be two guys playing well. Soft goals are the norm. Shots aren't going in. The puck still isn't getting out of the zone. Stephane Auger still has a job. When you're not executing and not even getting a lucky bounce or call or two in your favor, things aren't going to go well, like now.

With Hatcher now on the LTI and the injuries piling up, the Flyers need to come together. The rest of the season won't be easy with guys like him, Lupul, Gagne and Downie coming and going, mostly going, out of the lineup. What does this mean for the deadline? I take the same approach as I would a few weeks ago. Maybe this team isn't as good as they were playing in January, but they're not as bad as they're playing now. If there's a deal to upgrade the team out there, and you can make it without hurting the long term future of the team, make the trade. The East is there for the taking, even if you're on a nine game slide.

Gagne Out; Vandermeer Gone

A concussion specialist in Denver has told Gagne and the Flyers to shut down for this season. I'm glad the doctor did it because the Flyers probably wouldn't. Just look at what happened with guys like Keith Primeau and Eric Lindros. Their serious injuries weren't treated, well, seriously. They were rushed back and ultimately, their careers paid the price. Gagne has suffered three concussions this year, and that's very dangerous not just for hockey, but for living a regular life. See you in September, Simon. Hopefully things are going better by then.

Paul Holmgren pulled off the heist of the century. He traded Vandermeer for a 2009 3rd rounder, and even though it's not in the draft this June, you have to figure that pick will be a better player than both the pick they traded for Modry and Vandermeer himself. Vandy was a physical player in his first tenure, but he lost that edge in Chicago. When he came back, he still couldn't find it, and when he did try to mix things up, he picked a bad spot and cost us a goal.

Game 60: Flyers at Senators; Flyers Get Modry

Philadelphia Flyers: 30-24-5, 65 points
Ottawa Senators: 34-20-5, 73 points

Martin Biron v. Ray Emery

The Flyers head back to Canada and their nation's capital to try and stop the losing slide at seven. It will obviously be a tough task as the Senators are the best team in the East and have been for quite some time. After their acquisitions of Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman, they got even better. The Flyers are 2-0-0 against Ottawa this year, and have really stepped up their play to meet the challenge.

Martin Biron will start in net after getting the entire weekend off. Niittymaki played well in the first game earning him Sunday's start, but didn't build on the momentum. Who will get hot again?

The Senators are still at the top of the conference, but they've hit a pothole themselves. They've lost three straight games, including a blowout at the hands of the Sabres and a home and home sweep by New Jersey. They have the scoring talent to get out of it, but this is not the time to be slumping with Montreal right on their tail now.

Tonight, the Flyers not only have to deal with a tough team while on a bad losing streak, they have to deal with a ton of lineup changes. It seems like a player or two go down every game. You've lost Gagne, Lupul, Upshall, Downie, Tolpeko, Coburn and Hatcher for a while in this most recent stretch, and it really hurts guys to not be playing with the same teammates every night. Defensemen need cohesiveness with a pairing partner to position themselves correctly and chemistry among forwards can lead to a lot of goals. Claude Giroux will make his NHL debut tonight, and John Stevens might be hoping he can spark Briere into doing great things again.

Bill Meltzer tries to post the scratches, but he probably doesn't know much more than you or me.

ESPN and probably dozens of other sources inform us that the Flyers have traded a 3rd rounder to LA for Jaroslav Modry.

Modry has never been a huge offensive threat. He's only scored double digit goals once and his power play time has been reduced over the years. He's not a big hitter or shut down defenseman either, but he does bring experience and the ability to move the puck. His contract expires after this season, so it's not a bad band-aid to patch up this ailing defense.

He's... not coming back?

That's why TSN is reporting.

I can't believe it. Everything looked like it was going so well, but if his foot's not right, it's not right.

This is a huge blow for the Flyers. I don't know if they were "counting" on him, but they definitely knew Forsberg coming back would bolster the lineup. With the way the injuries look now, I'm not sure where the spark is going to come from.

Hopefully for the NHL, Forsberg gives it another shot this offseason. He's always said that if he doesn't come back now he's done forever, but maybe he's still open to coming back later, since he was hoping for a multi-year deal. Every time he stepped on the ice he was probably the most talented guy out there, and it's a shame if he's retiring.

Giroux To Debeux?

Eklund says it could happen tomorrow night.

It's rare for guys to go from juniors to the NHL, but in emergency situations in which everyone is injured, it can be done.

Giroux is a very talented forward. He's a little guy, but he's been lighting up the Q this season. He can score some points, and the Flyers are hoping he can provide the scoring spark they need to get back on track. I'm looking forward to seeing him play.

I Can't Believe I Have To Do This

If you pay attention to the labels I put on each post, you'll see I often include key team and player names from the entry. Why? I don't know. How often am I going to have to use Ahmad Bradshaw and John Kerry labels? Am I ever going to talk about John Kerry again? Probably not. The fact that I have to use a label for the same NHL official twice in one month is an embarrassment to hockey, but maybe that's what the game has become.

The officials were at it again last night. I'm not sure if it helps them remember the days when they played hockey or something, but they're convinced they need to be a part of the game. They're not policing it and making things run smoothly, they believe they need to have an influence on the game. Honestly, with efforts last night, the players might as well not be on the ice.

First of all, the game was called in favor of the Canadiens. Yes, I'm whining about the officiating again. It sucked. Every time the Flyers got some momentum, that arm went up and Hartnell was off to the box for breathing or Jones was off for farting. There were bad calls and no calls for both sides, and it was just inexcusable. How much of the game was played on special teams? Power plays and goals are exciting, but I want to see physical, 5 on 5 hockey. That's fun too. Why is an official from Montreal allowed to be in charge of a Montreal game? Who do you think he cheered for when he was growing up?

And then it happened again. Dave Jackson screwed everything up again. The dude might be the best goaltender in the league against the Flyers, and that's saying something, because there's a lot that shut them down. I don't know if he blew the whistle early or thought about blowing it early or pretended someone touched Carey Price, but he blew another call. I feel embarrassed for him. He consistently makes the same lousy mistake, and he consistently costs the Flyers goals and points. I feel embarrassed for the NHL. How can they seriously review his games, see how poorly he handles close calls and then pat him on the ass and then send him back on the ice for another game? He has a problem, and it needs to be corrected.

Basically, the Flyers were jamming at the puck and got it across the goal line. However, there was a lot of traffic around the net, so it's tough for Jackson to focus in on the puck. He might've been looking for more penalties to call, but either way, he missed the puck crossing the line. Just look at the players' body language. The Flyers were celebrating. Carey Price quickly fell on top of it in the net and carried it out to try and cover it up. One problem: the red light didn't go on. Another problem: they didn't even review it! How can you not review such a close play in such a critical moment? These are two playoff teams here! You already screwed up the call once, but I think every Flyers fan would appreciate it if you at least left the door open for someone else to screw it up in the "War Room".

I have to give credit to Carey Price though. The dude has a .50 GAA against the Flyers so far in his career, and he just stops everything that's thrown on net. He played great last night, and I wish he wasn't back in net tonight. This guy is going to be a thorn in the ass for who knows how long. He's so young.

As for the game tonight, the Flyers need to do some of the things they did last night. The bounces didn't go their way, but hopefully, there's a new officiating crew on the ice and the Flyers can catch some breaks. It's tough to lose another game where you play your best hockey and weeks and it's not good enough. Hatcher and Coburn might be back, and that could be huge. Put up the Foppa-Signal, Paul. This team needs a spark.

Games 58 and 59: Flyers at Canadiens and Vice Versa; Gary Bettman Sucks

I'm just going to do this as one entry because the preview for the second game likely won't be drastically different from the first.

Philadelphia Flyers: 30-22-5, 65 points
Montreal Canadiens: 30-19-9, 69 points

Antero Niittymaki v. Carey Price

Now on a 5 game losing streak after their humiliating loss at the hands of the Lightning, the Flyers try to get back on track against the Canadiens, who have given the Flyers headaches this season.

Antero Niittymaki will get the start tonight, after Biron's poor performance against Tampa. John Stevens is going to keep switching goalies until one of them gets hot again. If Niittymaki plays well tonight, it wouldn't surprise me to see Stevens go right back to him in the next game.

The Canadiens have systematically destroyed the Flyers in the previous two meetings, each one ending in a 3 goal Montreal win. In the first meeting, Montreal jumped out to a 2 goal lead after 2 periods, and added on 2 more in the 3rd to win 5-2. The Flyers were never really in it. The Canadiens lead was 5-1 before Upshall scored a meaningless PP goal in the last minute.

In the second meeting, they faced the same problem. Even strength, PP or even PK, the Canadiens just had all the answers. They were in complete control of the entire game. The Canadiens just seem to magnify the Flyers big problem; the gap between the Defensemen and Forwards gets too big, and they can't get out of the zone. They might be one of those teams that just always gives the Flyers problems, and if that's the case, they need to get over it in a hurry because these two games are huge.

Braydon Coburn and Scottie Upshall could potentially return to the lineup tonight, but no one knows for sure. Bill Meltzer will have that for you soon.

Anthony SanFilippo reports that the Washington Capitals are the dumbest franchise in pro sports and Gary Bettman is the worst commissioner ever.

Basically, the Flyers were fined $25,000 because of their Ron Hextall celebration. They knew that if they did it before the game, it's possible that not everyone would be in their seats to seat the ceremonies. They decided to do everything during the first intermission to make sure the building was full and give Ron Hextall the sendoff he deserves. However, the celebration ran a little too long and the Capitals cried about it. Grow up. I don't care if there are rules about how long intermissions need to be. Who cares? The Flyers were doing something special for a great player and their fans. Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone would've cared if this was Pittsburgh or Edmonton celebrating Lemieux or Gretzky.

Next year, if the Capitals want to hold intermission ceremonies for that one time they won the East or when they failed to make the playoffs with Jaromir Jagr, go ahead. They can last half an hour if they want. I'm sure their two dozen fans won't mind, and neither will I.

Mets v. Phillies: The Rotation

Can be found here. Thanks to Blogspot's poorly conceived post editing system, it was posted when I originally started it, making it very difficult to find.

Chalk up another cheap entry.

Those Four Words

Pitchers and Catchers report.

The day is finally here. The players have officially begun working out, and the Phillies' NL East title defense has started. Here's a list of P and C in camp this year, and a rating on how likely they are to make the roster out of camp.

25- On last year's 25 man roster before they expanded in September.
40- On 40 man roster
NRI- Non Roster Invitee
FA- Free Agent Signing
T- Trade acquisition
R5- Rule 5 draft selection

Pitchers:
Kris Benson, NRIFA- Just signed yesterday after a few winter workouts to try and get back into baseball. He's still not completely healthy, and he'll start the year in the minors. The Phillies are just hoping they can get something, even if it's only one quality start out of him. 3/10

Joe Bisenius, 40- He pitched two innings very early on in the season before being sent down to AAA. He had some injuries and struggled down there in 2007, so he has to have another strong spring to get back into ML roster consideration. 4/10

Travis Blackley, 40R5- Chosen out of the San Francisco organization, Blackley spent most of 2007 in AAA before getting a cup of coffee with the big club. His hit rate is good and his K rate is okay, but the dude needs to get in command of his pitches. He might stick because he can start and relieve. 4/10

Carlos Carrasco, NRI- The organization's best prospect will be making his ML spring training debut. He has to be incredible to make the team out of camp because he really has a lot of developing to do. Still, it'll be nice for him to get the experience against some better hitters. 1/10

Fabio Castro, 40- After techincally being a Rule 5 selection by the Phillies in 2006, when he pitched 23.1 solid innings to stay in the organization, he lost control of himself in 2007. He walked a frightening amount of batters, and he needs to command the strike zone better before coming up again. 5/10

Ron Chiavacci, NRIFA- He's bounced around the minor leagues his entire career, and he is yet to play in a regular season MLB game. He had a solid season in AAA Toledo in 2007, and the former Kutztown U grad will try to catch on with his hometown team. 0/10

Clay Condrey, 25- He was up and down for much of 2007, but we'll consider him on because he was okay down the stretch. It's amazing because he was out of options, and needed to clear waivers to stay with us every time, and he always did. He can start if needed, but he's best suited as a long guy. 6/10

Vic Darensbourg, NRIFA- This former big leaguer hasn't appeared in the majors since 2005 with Detroit, but he'll get another chance to catch on here. Surprisingly, he could earn a spot in the pen in 2008 because he's pretty strong against lefties. 5/10

Chad Durbin, 40FA- Here's the third straight guy who spent 2007 in the Detroit organization. He could be a nice swing man, and his addition could spell the end of Condrey's tenure here. He was better as a reliever last season, but he's a guy that can step in and start if needed. 8/10

J.D. Durbin, 25- He didn't play for Detroit last year, but he pretty much played for everyone else. He finished with the Phillies, posting a 5.15 ERA in 18 games, including 10 starts. That's bad, but he had a nice stretch out west and made a couple key appearances as the season closed down, so you have to give him credit for that. If he can ever stay calm and get in control of his game, he could be good. 7/10

Adam Eaton, 25- He has to be better, right? He might start the year on the DL. 9/10

John Ennis, 40- He was up in September, and he pitched poorly. I'd imagine he's out of here if we need to make room on the 40 man roster for someone. 1/10

Tom Gordon, 25- He might be the key to the bullpen this season. If he can stay healthy, he should be an effective set up man. He needs to avoid mishaps in spring and keep his workload light for a while. 10/10

Cole Hamels, 25- The ace. The only question with Cole is how many games he starts. If it's more than 30, he could be picking up some hardware this season. 10/10

J.A. Happ, 40- Here's another guy that showed a little promise in 2006 and couldn't quite deliver in 2007. Injuries set him back, and now a lot of people wonder what his future role will be. He got hit hard in his only ML appearance, but the Phillies want him to stay healthy and get back on track. 2/10

Lincoln Holdzkom, 40R5- He was picked up from the Boston organization in the Rule 5 draft. I dont' know much about his stuff, but I can tell that he lacks command, and that's keeping him from getting to the majors. He really needs to show something and fast. 2/10

Kyle Kendrick, 25- Last season's biggest surprise, the Phillies are hoping Kendrick wasn't a big fluke. Despite pitching the last half season in the majors, this will be Kendrick's first big league camp. Hopefully he continues to work with the staff and veterans to stay on top of his game. 9/10

Gary Knotts, NRIFA- He started last season in an Indy League, but joined the Phillies organization halfway through the season. He pitched very well at Reading before not doing too well in AAA. He's a former big leaguer, but he was never ver good. 2/10

Brad Lidge, 40T- Lidge was the offseason's big catch, and he'll be moved back to the closer's role here. Hopefully last season's strong finish leads to good things this year. If he actually does have confidence problems, that's going to be exposed quickly and this bullpen could struggle to pick up the pieces. 10/10

Ryan Madson, 25- If he finds a way to remain healthy, he's going to make this bullpen very good. He's proven to be a very reliable middle reliever if he doesn't have a huge workload, which he hopefully won't with Gordon and Romero. 10/10

Scott Mathieson, 40- He might be hurt again, and I'm not sure how limited he'll be. 0/10

Brian Mazone, NRIFA- We sold him to Korea last year, and he's back to prove he's better than that. He was one of Ottawa's better pitchers when he was there, but he's going to have to work very, very hard to make it. 0/10

Jamie Moyer, 25- Hopefully he has enough gas in the tank for one more. 10/10

Brett Myers, 25- Back in the rotation, Myers will look to continue the development he showed as a starter before being moved to the pen last season. I'm really confident he's going to be a very good starter this season, even if he may not be happy with the role. 10/10

Josh Outman, NRI- Outman is one of the organization's best prospects, and he's getting his first taste of ML camp. He has a lot of refining to do before he'll be able to be a consistent Major League pitcher, but this is a start. 0/10

J.C. Romero, 25- I really hope he's not a fluke. He was great after being picked up from Boston in June, but he most likely pitched over his head. He just needs to at least be good against lefties, which I think he can manage. 10/10

Francisco Rosario, 40- Rosario is out of options, so he needs to polish his stuff in the next month or so, or he's not going to be a Phillie for very much longer. He has a hard fastball and a nice breaking ball, but he just can't hit the strike zone. He should have the leg up over other candidates for the last bullpen spot though. 6/10

Joe Savery, NRI- Savery was the team's first round draft pick last year, and it's probably required in his contract that he get to pitch in big league camp. 0/10

Zack Segovia, NRI- He actually made a start for the Phillies last year, and he did alright. Then, he got sent down to the minors, got banged up, started pitching poorly and lost his 40 man roster spot. He needs to work hard. 0/10

Matt Smith, NRI- He really struggled early on last season, and then he needed to get Tommy John surgery. He's not completely ready yet and might not do much all spring. 0/10

Shane Youman, 40FA- Youman was added from Pittsburgh in the offseason. He's a lefty, so he's going to get a lot of chances. However, he also gets smoked by lefties, so he doesn't have much value. He should have options left, so he could start the year at Lehigh Valley. 1/10

Mike Zagurski, 25- His leg still isn't feeling better, so we might not see him for a while. 0/10

Catchers:
Chris Coste, 25- He'll probably be guaranteed a spot on the big club, finally. He's not that good defensively, but as a backup, he makes for a nice leader and hitter off the bench. 9/10

Tuffy Gosewisch, NRI- You always want to have a lot of catchers in camp, not only so they can work with the other pitchers in the organization, but you need to rest these guys a lot. Gosewisch played in the AFL because the team wanted him to work on his hitting. 0/10

Tim Gradoville, NRI- He played at Reading last year. He's another guy who's here just to make sure pitchers have someone to throw to. 0/10

Jason Jaramillo, 40- Jaramillo was added to the 40 man roster, and he has a shot to steal a job in March. He's a good defensive player with a doubles stroke from both sides of the plate. I doubt it'll happen right away, but he could be in a Phillies uniform this year. 3/10

Pete Laforest, NRI- Well... he played here last year. 1/10

Lou Marson, NRI- He's the organization's best C prospect. He has good skills in all areas of the game, and his bat is really developing. He's won two championships in a row, and he's been very good in handling our young pitchers. 0/10

Carlos Ruiz, 25- He held up well as a fulltime catcher in the majors for the first time last year. He has an okay bat that has adjusted whenever he spends a lot of time at a level, and he's very good defensively. He could develop into a good leader and he really works well with the pitchers. 10/10

There's a brief review of who will take the practice field tomorrow. Full squad workouts begin soon, and that's when I'll talk about the rest of the offense.

Game 57: Lightning at Flyers

Tampa Bay Lightning: 24-27-6, 54 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-21-5, 65 points

Johan Holmqvist v. Martin Biron

The Flyers try to end their 4 game losing streak when they take on the Tampa Lightning, currently sitting at least place in the East. Make no mistake about it though; the Flyers struggle against Tampa, and are 2-10-1-1 in the last 14 meetings against them. The most recent one was a Flyers win.

Martin Biron will be back in net tonight. After taking the loss against Pittsburgh Sunday, Biron got the Islanders game off, despite having good career success against them. In his career against Tampa, Biron is 7-4-2 with a 2.36 GAA and .909 SV%.

The four game slide has to stop now. Despite where each team is in the standings, they could be heading in opposite directions. The Flyers are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games, while the Lightning are 6-3-1. As I mentioned before, the Lightning have owned the Flyers as of late, including the pre-lockout ECF defeat. The team needs to find a way to get past these guys and pick up some points.

When you're against the Lightning, you worry about one guy, and that's Vinny Lecavlier. He's developing into one of the league's best, and any line with him can generate a lot of scoring. He plays well on both ends of the ice, and he can hold his own against some of the highest scoring lines in the league. Brad Richards might be a guy you want to take advantage of. He's not good defensively, and the Flyers could use a little boost to score some more goals.

Bill Meltzer has scratches, but there is a lineup change he hasn't mentioned as of posting this.

Simon Gagne
Braydon Coburn
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje

Derian Hatcher is out of the lineup tonight. He's had knee problems all year, and John Stevens is giving him a break tonight. Lasse Kukkonen will be back in the lineup, so it looks like he could be a healthy scratch again when everyone is back healthy... if that ever happens. If I remember correctly, Hatcher had one of his better games against the Lightning, so this could be a bit of a loss tonight.

Flyers Call Up Parent; Odds And Ends

Tim P. of the Inky with the scoop.

I'm assuming it's because Lasse Kukkonen is hurt after blocking a shot late in last night's loss. If he is a healthy scratch again, I'm not sure what John Stevens is thinking. He would essentially be blaming the team's struggles the past two games on Kukkonen, which is completely ridiculous. Yes, he doesn't have much offensive ability. Yes, he doesn't have much upside. However, he's always in good position and teams simply don't score when he's on the ice.

Parent doesn't have huge offensive upside, but he's still a young player that could develop into a very good D-Man. He can pass the puck out of the zone and is a pretty good skater, so clearing the puck and getting the play up ice is going to improve with this move.

As for the odds and ends, there's going to be a slight format change on the blog starting tomorrow. As several of you know, spring training starts up as pitchers and catchers report for some teams. I'm going to change the colors to Phillies colors, depending on how it looks. What does this mean in terms of content? Probably very little. I'll be more inclined to talk about a minor Phillies story than Flyers story, but the game previews and major news things should still be posted as normal.

Phillies Add Benson

As per Todd Zolecki. It's a one year minor league contract.

No one can complain about a minor league deal. He's not guaranteed anything, and he has to prove himself before joining the rotation.

When will he be ready to pitch? Who knows? Chuck LaMar says he's only at 60 to 70 percent, and I doubt Benson will be all the way back by the end of March. I have a feeling he'll make quite a few starts at Lehigh Valley before getting the call.

Game 56: Flyers at Islanders

Philadelphia Flyers: 30-20-5, 65 points
New York Islanders: 24-25-7, 55 points

Antero Niittymaki v. Rick DiPietro

The Flyers play their third straight game against a divisional opponent, as they travel up to Long Island to take on the Islanders tonight. They're currently on a three game skid, but the Islanders are struggling too. They've beaten the Isles every meeting so far this season, so it's a good opportunity to get the season back on track.

After Biron started both weekend games in a back to back set, Antero Niittymaki will get the start. Martin Biron has a nice track record against New York in his career, but he's started the last three and didn't play particularly well in two of them.

One huge key for the Flyers to skate away with a victory tonight is simply working hard along the boards. New York may be the worst team in the division and winless in their last seven, but they're a scrappy team. The Flyers have more talent, but the Islanders always work hard and make things difficult. The Flyers will need to win the battles in the corners and play physical to beat them tonight.

Everyone has said it a lot, but I'll say it again here. The Penalty Kill needs to be improved tenfold. I can't figure out why it's been such a huge problem this year. The PK was a strength on last year's garbage team, and there's no reason for it to have gotten so much worse. We have some defensively responsible forwards, and we have some strong defensemen that can also block shots. I guess it just comes down to execution and getting the puck out of the zone when you can. They allowed 3 PP goals over the weekend, and that is way too many for a team that has a legit shot at the Cup.

Bill Meltzer's preview and scratches:

Simon Gagne
Braydon Coburn
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje

To take Gagne's place on the roster while he's out, the Flyers called up Kyle Greentree from the Phantoms. He's a big, physical player with a nice shootout move. If there's a game that comes down to a shootout, I hope the coaches have enough confidence to use him. We need all the help we can get in the shootout.

Eklund says Forsberg will make a decision in the next 24 hours. Expect a decision by the end of February.

I don't see why a lot of fans think the sky is falling and the season is over. Gagne is a great player, when healthy. He hasn't been healthy all season. Since he came back in his recent stint, he clearly hasn't been right. He has great skills and he's shown that in the past, but that hasn't been there this year. The Flyers have the scoring depth to overcome this loss, and they've shown it this season.

Game 55: Flyers at Penguins

Philadelphia Flyers: 30-19-5, 65 points
Pittsburgh Penguins: 31-19-5, 67 points

Antero Niittymaki v. Ty Conklin

After another shutout at the hands of the league's posterboy, the Flyers return to the ice against rival Pittsburgh. They do so now third in the division, thanks to Pittsburgh's and New Jersey's easy wins yesterday. The Flyers will try to maintain their dominance over Pittsburgh this season. They're 4-0-0 against the cross-state rivals this season, after being swept themselves last season.

Antero Niittymaki is likely to make his first start since Tuesday this afternoon. Biron played pretty well against the Rangers, but it's back to back, and it's not a bad idea to get Niitty some more time. He hasn't faced Pittsburgh this season, but he has not been good against them in his career.

The Penguins have been strong, despite losing Sidney Crosby to an ankle injury. They're 5-2-2 since he went down, and he's starting to work out and skate again. This is bad news for the Atlantic Division. Everyone has stepped up in his absence, particularly Evgeni Malkin. When he gets back, they're adding the most dangerous playmaker in hockey, and they're only going to get better.

The Flyers have some lineup changes of their own to worry about. Braydon Coburn is expected to miss about a month with a serious torn muscle injury. It required immediate surgery, so hopefully everything goes well. Fortunately for the Flyers, Lasse Kukkonen, the best 7th Defenseman in hockey will suit up. He hasn't played in a game for a while, but before he started getting scratched, he was playing well. Like many Flyers fans, I don't know what the coaching staff's problem with him is. Unfortunately, he's not Braydon Coburn. He doesn't have the same skills and offensive ability Coburn has, so that's still a huge hole in the lineup.

After Laraque's hit on Steve Downie into the boards last meeting, there could be some sparks flying today. Unfortunately, with Georges Laraque, you have one of the league's biggest and best enforcers. Riley Cote can't really handle him, so it's going to be hard to find someone to match up with him. I expect a very physical game, and Jim Vandermeer needs to start playing with the edge that got him into the league.

Bill Meltzer has today's scratches:

Braydon Coburn
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje

It's really unfortunate that the Flyers can't be completely healthy for one game. You can deal without Scottie Upshall, but Braydon Coburn is a tough loss. Just once, I'd like to see us get a player back from injury without immediately losing another one. It's not going to get any better, with Forsberg's potential return either, which could actually be delayed. Not good.

Drexel Basketball

I went to my first college basketball game today, as the Drexel Dragons took on the Towson Tigers. I didn't know what to expect; the Dragons have had a rough season, and the Tigers aren't much better. However, Frank Elegar would be the biggest player on the court, so I thought Drexel could have some success.

The DAC is basically a high school gym. It's the only college basketball arena I've been to, but I can't imagine them being as small as this. It just shows how little athletics matter to the administartion, but I'm not going to get into whether or not that's good or bad. They use it for everythingl basketball, volleyball, Olympic ping pong team tryouts, etc. It really limits the basketball team because capacity is only around 3000. They could definitely put butts in the seats in a bigger arena, and that would allow them to make more money and get official Big Five consideration.

We arrived just as the game started. Bruiser Flint tried a couple of interesting things to start the game. Frank Elegar and Gerald Colds started the game on the bench. I don't know if they were being disciplined, but it allowed them to come in fresh after Towson picked up some early fouls and had to make some substitutions. Secondly, he was sitting himself for the first few minutes. This allowed him to pace himself and finish the first half strong. He used the same technique in the second half, and he did a great job yelling his team a victory.

Bruiser Flint has to be the most entertaining and emotional coach in basketball. With how small the DAC is, every person in the gym knows every word he says. "O! O! You put your hands down again, O!" "Simple play! Simple play!" "Get upcourt!" He always has a grin on his face, even when he's berating officials or coaching one of his players in the middle of a play. He truly enjoys his job, even if his team is struggling this year. As much as it would hurt Drexel, it would be great to see him land a big time job sometime.

Drexel got up early, and Towson never really made it close. The Dragons got surprisingly balanced scoring, with four guys scoring double digits. Getting contributions from everyone has been a problem this year, but they got good offensive play from the guards this afternoon. They successfully mixed in full and half court defenses to throw off Towson and disrupt their offense.

Someone should've told me Kevin Durant's brother played on Towson. I saw the name and number on his jersey and was kind of curious. Then the heckler a few rows in front (who heckles at Drexel Basketball?) screamed at him for not being as good as his brother, so I had to look this up when I got home. Lo and behold, he's Kevin's brother. I wonder how that feels. You're the older brother, but you're stuck at a mid major while your younger brother went to a top team for one year and got drafted #2 overall. He's just not anywhere close to his brother. He tries to post up, he tries to penetrate, he tries straight up shooting, he just couldn't do it today.

Overall, it was a fun time. It's too bad this season isn't going better for the Dragons.

National Valiquette League

Feeling that a change was needed to improve the league, Gary Bettman stepped down as NHL commissioner today. Before stepping down, he named his successor, Rangers' backup goalie Steve Valiquette.

"Well, we were impressed with the Islanders when they promoted (backup goalie) Garth Snow to General Manager," said the departing commissioner, "that we needed to advance the goalie to executive promotions. We decided that Steve is the right guy for the job."

Steve Valiquette has had a busy day on the job. His first step towards change has been drastic; the league has been renamed the National Valiquette League. Getting a star's name in the league name should result in an instant improvement in league image. Gone are the Eastern and Western Conferences; in are the Long Island and Manhattan Conferences, in honor of his career for both New York NHL teams. The six new divisions include Providence, Lowell, Springfield, Bridgeport, Toronto and Hartford, signifying the AHL teams he has played for in his outstanding minor league career.

He is the new Owner-GM-Coach-Player of the New York Valiquettes, who play their home games in Valiquette Square Garden. Henrik Lundqvist has been traded to Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League for the rights to Peter Forsberg. The Valiquettes are no longer restricted by the NHL's salary cap.

Asked if he has any other major changes in the works, Valiquette laughed. "Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. We'll see what happens in the offseason after we award Lord Steve's Cup."

Game 54: Rangers at Flyers

New York Rangers: 27-24-6, 60 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-18-5, 65 points

Steve Valiquette v. Martin Biron (not positive on Biron; it would make sense though)

After two days off after a back to back set against Atlanta and Washington, the Flyers will begin another back to back set with the Rangers today and Penguins tomorrow. The Flyers are looking for retribution today; they want to get back at the Rangers for their humiliating 4-0 defeat recently, and they want to get back on the winning side after an all-around poor game against Washington on Wednesday.

Martin Biron should get his second straight start today. He didn't play well against Washington, but he has a 1.84 GAA in three appearances vs. the Rangers this year. Niittymaki would then likely get the nod tomorrow.

One key for the Flyers this afternoon will be solving Steve Vezinaquette. He earned his first career shutout against them in their last meeting, and they obviously need to score more than 0 goals to get the win today. There's a reason this guy averages one win per NHL season. He's not that good. Stay patient, pepper him with shots and catch some breaks. He's beatable.

Right now, the Atlantic Division is extremely close. The Flyers and Penguins are currently tied at the top with 65 points, but the Flyers have one game in hand. Pittsburgh hosts LA today. The Devils check in at third with 64 points, but they've played one more game than Pittsburgh. The Rangers are back in the mix; they're 5-4-1 in their last 10, and they're only 5 points behind the PA teams. However, with four more games played than the Flyers, they're going to have a lot of ground to make up. The Islanders just seem to be out of it right now.

The Flyers need to try and win both games this weekend. You cannot let the Rangers get two points closer, even if you have four games in hand over them. The Penguins are pretty hot right now, and keep in mind, they still don't have their best player. With the Pens playing back to back this weekend too, you're not losing the game in hand over them, but the win tomorrow is critical to lead the division outright.

Bill Meltzer. Scratches.

Lasse Kukkonen
Scottie Upshall
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje

Bill also posted some projected lines. Downie will join Hartnell on Briere's line, but I'm not sure that's going to work. Keeping Carter, Umberger and Knuble together is probably a good idea.

He's Back...? Remix

All of the signs are pointing to it. I don't want to call it official, but I'm going to be very shocked if it doesn't happen. I've felt this way all along, and it's only a matter of time before it gets done. The Bionic Man will be a Flyer again.

Think about it:

- Holmgren's "secret" scouting trip to Sweden. The Flyers kept that under wraps for about five minutes.

- Forsberg always maintaing he loved Philadelphia and felt like he owes the team something.

- His great relationships with current Flyers such as Gagne and Scott Hartnell.

- Naslund's comments about how he's returning to a former team, with Nashville being ruled out.

- Gagne's "joke" about Forsberg trying to decide which number to wear since Jason Smith has #21.

- The Flyers ordering special equipment for skates and ankle/foot health.

Again, it's not a sure thing yet. I'm not Mark Eckel. Peter Forsberg may not be a Flyer by the time you wake up in the morning. LeCharles Bentley likely won't be either. However, when it's all said and done, I think Forsberg will be a Flyer, and it's going to take some press conference shenanigans coaching from Kevin Jones or Antonio Logan-El for us to be fooled.

Take it for what it's worth. Likely not much.

He's Back

The AP reports that Joffrey Lupul will suit up tomorrow.

He'll be replacing Upshall in the lineup, who sprained his ankle against Washington. He's had some problems with that lately; he hurt his ankle and missed a bit of time earlier this year, and he suffered a leg injury the night before against Atlanta.

Joffrey Lupul is a great player. He's missed a lot of time, but fans can't forget how hot he was before he was injured. He's a great goal scorer that doesn't completely kill you on both ends of the ice. He'll add yet another weapon to the lethal power play, which is going to reach ridiculous levels if Forsberg chooses to return to the Flyers.

The only thing left to decide is how to arrange the lines. The article says that Mike Richards will be centering Gagne and Lupul, but where does that leave Briere? We've had a tough time getting linemates for him this season. Knuble didn't work with him. Gagne apparently doesn't anymore. Who does that leave you with?

Hopefully Joffrey is not putting himself at risk by coming back so soon. You have to figure doctors wouldn't clear him to play if he wasn't absolutely ready, considering his serious injury. However, with the reputation this organization has with rushing guys back, you never know.

Inside Look At The NHL's War Room

I don't get it. I honestly don't. Call it sour grapes or whining or whatever, but I don't get how an offical or replay official can look at Hartnell's "goal" last night and determine it shouldn't count. The call cost the Flyers at least one point, and with how tight the Atlantic and the East in general are, games need to be called correctly. This isn't griping about a bad slashing call or penalty, this is black and white.

For those that didn't see the play, the Flyers were losing 4-1 in the 3rd period. A shot is taken, and as usual, Scott Hartnell is in front of the net trying to clean up. He jams the puck past Olaf Kolzig, the players celebrate, and the building erupts. However, Dave Jackson waves it off, claiming that he blew the whistle. If you saw the play live or any replays, it's clear that the puck was in the net long before the whistle is heard.

Understanding these facts, how can it then go to the NHL's replay room and still be determined to not be a goal? Incompetency and poorly worded rules, of course! The rule for blowing plays dead is not when the whistle is blown, but when the official has intent to blow the whistle. What? How can you determine that? Is it when it's in his mouth? When he blinks? How can an important rule be so vague?

As for this specific play, why would Dave Jackson have intent to blow the whistle in the first place? Why would it take him the two seconds to think about blowing the whistle and bringing it up to his lips to do it? The puck was not frozen. It was clearly still in play, and Kolzig had not yet covered it up.

The league needs to get consistency. In the last Flyers/Penguins meeting, Evgeni Malkin scored a goal on a similar play. This one, however, was not overturned. There was no review. It counted. If one counts, so should the other. If one gets waved off, so should the other. It's black and white.

The Flyers played poorly for much of the game last night, yes. If they wanted points, they should've played 60 minutes of hockey, not 50. However, that doesn't excuse officials from not calling a good game.

Game 53: Capitals at Flyers

Washington Capitals: 25-24-5, 55 points
Philadelphia Flyers: 30-17-5, 65 points

Olaf Kolzig v. Martin Biron

With their 3-2 win over Atlanta last night, the Flyers regained sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. This is the second game of their first of two back to backs this week, so the Flyers are going to be busy for the duration of the week.

Martin Biron will be back in net tonight. Niittymaki played well against Atlanta, which is par for the course for him, and hopefully Biron is still hot after having a few days off. Biron has been lit up by Washington this year, but he's received plenty of support. Despite having a GAA of nearly 4 against them in two starts, he's only 1-0-1.

The Capitals are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games, so this one definitely won't be easy. They're only one point behind Carolina and Atlanta, who are tied for the Southeastern Division lead, and they have two games in hand over both. They're also tied with Florida, who has one game in hand on the division leaders. This is pretty similar to the Atlantic, which has four contenders within 5 points of each other, with the Islanders not too far behind.

Obviously when you talk about Washington, you talk about Alexander Ovechkin. Last night, he scored two more goals, including an OT game winner. The man is unstoppable. No matter which player, which line, which system you match up against him, he's going to score goals. This is the case even moreso against the Flyers. In 11 career games, he has 11 goals and 20 points against Philadelphia. They just need to hope they can score goals to match Ovechkin and guys like Backstrom.

Tonight, Ron Hextall will be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame. I was there for Keith Primeau night last season against Detroit. It was a great moment, and I'm sure it will be the same for a good goalie and memorable player such as Hextall. It's been a while since we've had a goalie we could rely on to take a majority of the starts. Maybe he can suit up again.

Scratches from Bill Meltzer will come later.

I feel like I've done a poor job of reporting news lately. I'm going to try and get back to that soon.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates Of 2008: The Rotation

Both of those politicians may be long gone, but it doesn't mean they can debate Mets/Phillies from the grave. This will be the first of a three part series featuring lineup, rotation and bullpen comparisons. Who will win the NL East? In this heated election season, it's too close to call. If I do have any readers, now would be the time to chime in and post some comments. Let's get some debate and reader responses in. Pitchers and catchers have reported.

The aces: Johan Santana v. Cole Hamels

I chose to post these comparisons and begin with the rotation mostly because of this guy. I've already posted an entry of my thoughts on the trade, so I'm not going to get into that at all. The only thing Mets fans need to worry about in regards to Santana: is he wearing down? 2007 was his worst season since he began starting, but even then, he was one of the very best in baseball. His numbers were down across the board, including innings pitched. With all that being said, he's Johan Santana. Enough said. He's a two time Cy Young winner, and it was absolute highway robbery when Bartolo Colon and Mariano Rivera beat him just two years ago. He's in the prime of his career and has great stuff. Compared to other lefties, he has a very hard fastball, topping out at 94 or 95. His secondary stuff might be his best; his changeup is probably the best in baseball, he features a hard slider and his command is great. He's a big money pitcher and a big headache for batters.

However, the Phillies have a lefty of their own, and he's going to be great too. Cole Hamels took a few lumps in his first year in the majors in 2006, but he burst onto the scene as a top pitcher in 2007. In hitter-friendly Citizen's Bank Park, he managed to post a 3.39 ERA, good for 8th in the NL, and his ERA+ was actually better than Santana's. He too has great command and strikes out a lot of batters. He has a very good fastball topping out at 93-94, along with three offspeed pitches. He can use two different changeups to induce ground balls or strike batters out, and he has a developing curveball, which he used very effectively down the stretch. However, he doesn't come with no strings attached either. He's had injury problems in the past, and in 2007, they cropped up again, which really limited his innings and hurt the Phillies' staff. If he can stay injury free, which almost seems impossible at this point, he could contend for the strikeout title and win some hardware.

The edge: For 2008, I have to give it to Santana. In the long run, I think Cole Hamels is going to be the better pitcher, but Santana has been healthy and reliable for a few years now, while Cole doesn't have that track record yet.

These guys are good too: Pedro Martinez v. Brett Myers

It just seems like yesterday that Pedro Martinez helped Boston win their first World Series since 1918. Fast forward to 2007, and he's in his 4th year with the Mets. He threw 217 innings in 2005, but in 2006, the wheels started to come off. After a strong first two months, Pedro started getting hit and losing games. It was eventually discovered that he had a torn rotator cuff, among other injuries, that was hindering his performance. He finished with 132.2 IP in 2006. He rehabbed and worked his way back to the Mets late in 2007, when he posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 5 starts. Obviously, health is the big issue with Pedro. He has always had injury problems, and it's the main reason why the Red Sox didn't re-sign this legend to the 4th year of a contract he's working on now. However, when healthy, Pedro is still great. He was dominant early in 2006 before getting hurt, and he looked good again in 2007. He's not as dominant and overpowering as he used to be, but he's smart and gets it done with his great offspeed stuff.

Things aren't all coming up Myers either. He had a down year in 2007, and it was also a very unique season. After three starts, one very good, two bad, he was moved to the bullpen for an overall lack of quality and injuries with the current relievers. This was a controversial decision: did it pay off? They ended up winning the division, but his future definitely lies in the rotation, whether he likes it or not. He has great stuff and is best served pitching 6 innings a game. Anyway, he suffered a serious shoulder injury in May, but eventually came back and pitched well down the stretch. His ERA was way up because of an increased walk rate, but his hit and K rates remained strong. One other question about Myers; how good is he? He had two very good years as a starter, posting 3.72 and 3.91 ERAs in 2005 and 2006. He's still young and is just entering his prime, but his 2007 kind of made it hard to project what he's going to do down the road. He has a great fastball and a great curveball, as well as some other secondary pitches. Hopefully he stays healthy and contributes positively, the way all Phillies fans know he can.

The edge: Will Pedro Martinez start 30 games? Your answer to that determines who wins this one. If he does, he'll be more valuable than Myers. If he's hurt and misses too many starts, Myers gets the edge. I think Pedro will make a relatively smooth return this year, so chalk up another one to the Mets.

Sink or swim? John Maine v. Kyle Kendrick

John Maine was somewhat surprising in 2007. He's a bit of a late bloomer; he was a college draftee in 2002, and he didn't start 30 games until he was 26 in 2007. He was always pretty good in the minors. At one point, he was a top 10 prospect with Baltimore, but when he reached AAA and the majors, he stopped showing any promise. The Orioles threw him in a trade to the Mets to land Kris Benson, and things didn't exactly work out. Maine pitched very well in 15 starts for the Mets in 2006, and used that as a springboard for a strong start to 2007. He had a 10-4 record and 2.71 ERA before the All-Star Break, and he probably should've been an All-Star. However, Maine was awful in the second half. He only won 5 games and had a 5.53 ERA. His challenge for 2008 is pitching well an entire season. He has to prove that the first half wasn't a fluke, and that he's not the pitcher that peaked in AA with Baltimore. He has alright stuff, and he needs to stay in command. He's always had pretty good hit and K rates, but when his walks go up, he gets into trouble.

Kyle Kendrick was another surprise. He was drafted out of HS in 2003 and stumbled through the minors. He was 5-16 in his first full year of pro ball, and things didn't get any better in 2005. In 2006, not developing and still in A ball, he finally put together, posting 2.15 and 3.53 ERAs at Lakewood and Clearwater respectively. In 2007, he started the season at Reading, where he had a 3.21 ERA in 12 starts. He was finally showing the promise the Phillies thought he had when they drafted him, when injuries began to hit the ML squad. The Phillies had a choice. They could call up an injured J.A. Happ, a struggling Zack Segovia, or this kid in AA. Fortunately for the Phillies, they chose Kendrick. He pitched to the tune of a 3.87 ERA, a much needed boost for a rotation that was in turmoil. Was it a fluke? He was a late bloomer in the minors, so a lot of people question how good he actually is. His peripherals have always been okay. He sits around a hit an inning, but he doesn't strike batters out. He counters this by getting a lot of ground balls and not walking guys, and keeping the ball on the ground is huge at CBP. He has to prove that he's in the majors to stay and not just a flash in the pan. Hopefully for the Phillies, his good 2 seam fastball allows him to have success again.

The edge: Know what? Call me krazy, but I'll take Kendrick. Maine's second half was absolutely terrifying, and I think it's more likely that Kendrick repeats his 2007.

The Young guns: Orlando Hernandez v. Jamie Moyer

I probably shouldn't do this, but I wanted to match up the old guys. Oliver Perez will probably be the Mets' 4th starter. Nevertheless, when the Mets dealt Jorge Julio to Arizona for Orlando Hernandez last May, they made quite a deal. After struggling to find the touch that made him a reliable starter for the Yankees in one year plus with the White Sox and Diamondbacks, El Duque has turned it around back in New York. His deceptive delivery and breaking stuff allowed him to post a 4.09 ERA with the Mets in 20 2006 starts and 3.72 ERA in 24 2007 starts. However, injuries always seem to be the name of the game for this guy. He only managed to throw 147.2 innings last season, and he's only thrown 200 once in his career. Throw in the fact that he's listed as 42 years old, and you have to wonder how well he's going to hold up. One other issue that can creep up time to time is his command. He walks a few too many sometimes, and it's important to stay patient against him and not swing out of your shoes in your AB's against him.

Jamie Moyer, the only pitcher in history to cash a paycheck and social security check on the same day, is back for what might be his last season in 2008. Despite his age, he was the only Phillies starter to make all of his starts last year, and he hasn't had physical problems in a long time, and his great mechanics can account for that. His mechanics and deception have allowed him to remain in the game for a long time. For a guy who doesn't have great stuff at all, Moyer has done a great job of making adjustments to stay one step ahead of everyone. However, he needs to bounce back from his poor second half. He had ERA's over 6 in both July and August, after a strong start to the season and two months of 2006. His last two starts of the season, the division clincher against Washington and game 3 against Colorado, were encouraging though. After another offseason of hard work, I'm sure he'll be ready to do one or two things differently to gain an edge again. His lessons for the younger pitchers are invaluable, and he has a spot on this team as long as he wants.

The edge: He's definitely a sentimental favorite, but Jamie Moyer just isn't that good anymore. He really struggled for half the season last year, and I really hope he's not done. Orlando Hernandez will just be a better pitcher this year, if he's healthy.

Rounding it out: Oliver Perez v. Adam Eaton

Oliver Perez had a re-breakout year in 2007, when he had a 3.56 ERA, after two straight terrible seasons. It's a re-breakout because of the bar he set himself in 2004 with the Pirates, when he showed a lot of promise by posting a 2.98 ERA in 30 starts. However, his stock soon plummeted when he posted an ERA nearly three runs higher than that in 2005. His stuff has always been great. His fastball is electric and he has a great slider, but he has a tough time putting it altogether. He can't command the strike zone, and he's prone to games where he just gives way too many free passes. I'm in the camp that Oliver Perez is going to look more like the 2005 or 2006 versions of himself rather than the 2004 or even 2007 versions. However, his season definitely won't be one of the extremes. He'll be in the high 3's or low 4's in terms of ERA and pitching another season in Shea will benefit him. This guy had loads of potential, and if he somehow reaches it, the Mets will have one of the best rotation's in the league.

I'm going to go on the record right now and say Adam Eaton will not be as bad as last season. Is it even possible? Last season's struggles were so far out of line from the rest of his career. I still don't think he'll make a positive contribution, but at the very least, it won't be as negative. And he can still kick the Mets' asses every day of the week.

The edge: Oliver Perez isn't Adam Eaton

So it appears that the Mets have the better rotation. That doesn't mean that'll necessarily be true when March 31st rolls around. As you saw with a number of the players, there are a lot of variables that could drastically alter results. Will they stay healthy? Was their most recent performance a fluke? You just never know, but at this point in time, I'd say the Mets have the better rotation.

However, for all this talk about the Phillies and the Mets, there's one other serious contender in the division, and they have some arms to brag about too. The Braves rotation is led by John Smoltz and Tim Hudson, who won them a lot of games last year. The problem with Atlanta last year was getting consistency besides them. Chuck James has alright potential, but he might have shoulder issues lingering from last year. Tom Glavine was added, but how much does he have left in the tank? Can Reyes or Jurrjens step up and solidify the back end of the rotation. They have their own questions to answer.

Game 52: Flyers at Thrashers

Philadelphia Flyers: 29-17-5, 63 points
Atlanta Thrashers: 26-25-4, 56 points

Antero Nittymaki v. Kari Lehtonen

The Flyers temporarily hit the road tonight, when they follow in the 76ers footsteps and travel down to Atlanta before coming back home to face Washington tomorrow. The Flyers got a couple days off after the very physical 3-0 win over Anaheim before their busy schedule for the rest of the week, including games against Washington tomorrow and the Rangers this weekend.

Antero Nittymaki is back in net tonight. Although Martin Biron played well in the shutout of Anaheim, Niitty has Atlanta's number. In 7 career games against the Thrashers, he's 7-0-0 with a 1.58 Goals Against Average, stopping shots at a .947 clip. Biron should still have momentum from his game against the Ducks when he starts tomorrow. Kari Let'emin? Against the Flyers, it seems that way. Against the Flyers, he's 0-4-0 with a 3.31 GAA. Against Niittymaki, he's never won in pro hockey. I don't put too much stock in that last one, but I feel obligated to mention it.

The Thrashers just seem to get dominated by the Flyers. In two losses this year, Atlanta has been outscored 8-1. Last season, they got swept, even though the Flyers were the worst team in hockey. In fact, you'd have to go back to November of 2005 to find the last time the Thrashers have defeated the Flyers. It's the only time they've done that since the lockout.

Fortunately for the Flyers, it appears that Ilya Kovalchuk will again be out of the lineup. He has 13 goals in 22 career games against Philadelphia, and he's a threat to score every time he touches the puck. They've still rattled off three straight even without him, so despite their early season struggles, the Thrashers are doing well for themselves right now.

As per usual, Bill Meltzer has the scratches. Honestly, why would you even read this blog when I link to his regularly? He does a lot of great stuff and Flyers fans can't thank him enough for what he posts.

Lasse Kukkonen
Joffrey Lupul
Rory Fitzpatrick
Mike Rathje