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Leafs 4, Sabres 3: Have the Dark Ages Ended?

March 30, 2011

After tonight's win versus the Sabres, if you're a Leaf fan you are probably still clinging to some small shred of hope that they can upset the apple cart and sneak into eighth place. Well, good on ya, I say. Whether they do or not, this season must be declared a success. No, that's not homerism, either. Since the All Star Break the Leafs have been one of the league's best teams to watch. Despite their youth and inexperience, they have found new levels of confidence and cohesiveness, especially when the guy between the pipes happens to be wearing jersey number 34. While the air was thick with gloomy prognostications tossed around early in the season, the Leafs have not only avoided handing...

Statement Made: Flyers Defeat Penguins

March 29, 2011

Alicia Sprenkle

2 Comments

Photo Credit: Reuters Pictures No one needed to explain why Tuesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was so important for the Flyers nor was there any need to explain just how important it was. If the Flyers wanted to win the division, then tonight's game was the biggest game of the season. The pace to start the game was tremendous. The building was electric as you could feel the playoff-like atmosphere. It was not any old regular season game. This was a battle for the Atlantic Division. For the Flyers, it was time to make a statement and avoid disaster. For the Penguins, it was a chance to tie the Flyers in the division and show just how incredibly they have handled muc...

Flyers / Penguins: Fight For First

March 29, 2011

Larry DAngelo

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The Philadelphia Flyers (45-20-10) are barely hanging on to the top spot in the Eastern Conference heading into tonight's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins (45-23-8). If the Pens win in regulation tonight they will tie the Flyers in points with 100, quite an accomplishment for a team who lost their two best players, Malkin and Crosby. The Flyers blew a huge opportunity when they faced the Caps, Pens, Isles and Bruins in the last week and only managed to beat the Islanders. They would pick up a precious point in both the Caps and Pens games. Matchup This will be the sixth and final meeting of the regular season for these clubs.The Flyers lead the season series 3-2 with...

Let's take a Look at the Numbers

March 28, 2011

Matthew Brigidi

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This time last week the Philadelphia Flyers were flying high. They had just beaten the Dallas Stars in a shoot out and had clinched a spot in the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. This week the Flyers are feeling the sting of squandered opportunity, as the top spot in East seems to slowly slip from their grasp. In the week of March 20th, the Flyers played the three teams that are chasing them for top-spot in the East, in consecutive order. The Flyers only had parts of their team show up on each night and never displayed a complete performance of their abilities. Against Washington, the goaltending wasn’t there. Against Pittsburgh, the offense wasn’t there. And against Boston the special...

Flyers: In Case You Missed It (Week Ending 3/26)

March 28, 2011

Kim Pollock

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Flyers: In Case You Missed It. In this column, we’ll briefly recap the Flyers games from the past week, as well as report on any current team news. Photo Credit: AP Photo Tuesday, March 22nd – Capitals 5, Flyers 4 (SO) Coming off of a win against the Dallas Stars – and their second straight shootout – the Flyers looked to make it two in a row on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. The surging Capitals didn’t make it easy on the Flyers, and they were down 2-0 going into the second period. After Dennis Wideman’s goal just about a minute and a half into the second period, starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled and Brian Bo...

Flyers Let One Slip Away

March 28, 2011

Alicia Sprenkle

1 Comment

To sum up tonight's Flyers game, all one would have to do is revert back to another recap of a loss in the month of March. It is the same old story with the Flyers. The cliches are getting more and more redundant. Whether it's about not putting in a 60 minute effort, not capitalizing on power plays, not keeping a foot on the gas, or not providing offensive support, it's the same old song and dance. The Flyers played an absolutely great first period Sunday night. They came out with a lot of energy and seemed poised for the challenge awaiting them. The renewed rivalry of the Flyers and Bruins has every game that the two teams face each other feeling like a playoff game. The Flyers jum...

Flyers Look for 2nd Win of Weekend

March 27, 2011

Alicia Sprenkle

0 Comments

Back on home ice tonight, the Philadelphia Flyers will be looking to close out the weekend with a victory. The Flyers are also looking to win back to back games for the first time since March 8th and 10th. And they'll be facing a Boston team that should be just what they need to get up to play. The Bruins are one of the beasts of the east. They're 3rd in the Eastern Conference right now and 4th in points. Out of all the teams in the east, the Bruins would definitely be one of the biggest threats to the Flyers come playoff time. Both the Bruins and the Flyers were in action yesterday. The Flyers defeated the Islanders 4-1 while the Bruins lost to the Rangers 1-0. Do not let that 1-...

JVR Hat Trick Lifts Flyers

March 26, 2011

Mark Trible

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In the two games prior to Saturday night’s matchup against the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers couldn’t quite get it together. In Tuesday’s shootout loss to the Washington Capitals, the offense showed up and the goaltending didn’t. Thursday, the team again lost in a shootout when the goaltending made an impression while the offense fizzled. Saturday night, both made their impact felt in a 4-1 victory over the Islanders. It didn’t take long for the two teams to prove that they hadn’t grown anymore fond of each other. In the game’s first 20 seconds, two fights had broken out. The first came immediately after the game’s opening faceoff between Michael Hal...

Flyers Look For Some Regulation Magic

March 26, 2011

Alicia Sprenkle

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It has been since March 15th that the Flyers have won a game in regulation. That victory was also the last time that a game the Flyers were involved in was not decided in a shootout. You can bet that the Flyers and their fans are absolutely sick of the shootout. It is rather obvious that Philadelphia's play as of late has not been great. They have continuously struggled to hold on to leads and just about every cliche about not giving 100% or not putting in a 60 minute effort can be applied to them for how they have been playing in March. Here's another cliche... All it takes is one game to turn everything around and get a winning streak together, and the Flyers couldn't ask for a bet...

Flyers - Pens Recap: Shootouts, Shootouts, Shootouts...

March 24, 2011

Alicia Sprenkle

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Photo Credit: AP Photo For the fourth time in a row, the Philadelphia Flyers saw their fate in a game determined by a shootout. And for the third time in those four games, the opposition came out on top. Thursday night, cross state-rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, were victorious in a battle in the race for the Atlantic Division title. Thursday was another case of the Flyers not giving 100%. Everything seems so cliche with this team in the month of March. They look as though they are lacking motivation. Where have we heard that one before? You can go back to probably the prior three seasons to see that it has been the same case for the Flyers consistently. Unless their backs are...