Two minutes for cross-checking

My assessment: Richards/Hartnell/Upshall/Carter/Coburn played reasonably well with a bunch of probable Phantoms and Eminger/Vaananen. I had a slightly end-on view from section 109, but the new perspective wasn’t the reason people looked a little rusty. I had a hard time keeping up with all those guys in high-numbered jerseys – last time I saw some of them they were wearing purple/orange/white, and some of them were total strangers. Nodl looked good. Kalinski not too shabby also. Powe played his game. Clackson fought. (Cote fought. Forgot about him.) Downie looked leaner and yet unchanged, taking the puck in front of his own net and choking on a bad turnover (he had some good play mixed in there, too). Giroux didn’t look all that special out there, but I’ve read he had some medical issues (wisdom teeth removal) and hasn’t had as much practice time as he might otherwise have had. Some other new guys I’ve never seen before: Sbisa, the first-round pick, played pretty well and didn’t stand out too much (as a d-man that’s just fine – Ryan Parent was out there too and I only just now remember that -- he didn’t make any big mistakes); Sean Curry (who?) wasn’t all that impressive. When I saw him I thought he looked like Hatcher, and thought – ooh, sneaky, dress him in a different jersey and give him a fake name, that will get the Flyers around the salary cap while letting him play. (Ok, I didn’t actually believe that.) I wouldn’t be surprised if Curry doesn’t dress again, but who knows; there are a million other defensemen in the pipeline right now that could be given a look. Finally, the goalies: Biron looked pretty good for not being especially hard-worked, outside of helping to keep the puck out of the net on an extended PK in the first period (the terrible refereeing getting a fresh and early dip into the pool). The Flyers scored 3 goals before Ouellet replaced Biron for the third period. He was down the other end of the ice from me so I couldn’t really judge his play, but he let in a goal and some guy behind me bellowed, “You’re fired!”

Flyers won 4-1 with goals from Richiards, Downie (2), and an empty netter by Upshall.

I wouldn’t say the Devils looked all that special either. A bunch of Lowellers and Gionta/Elias/Zubrus/anyone else that matters? Brodeur didn’t play, so we got to see the stellar goaltending stylings of back-ups Kevin Weekes (“Week-ess” as B. enjoyed calling him) and Des Moines native Scott Clemmensen. Probably the most action in an NJ Devils jersey that Clemmensen will see this season; and Weekes was probably just happy to get to play at all. Still, I think it may be the first time I’ve in-person seen the Flyers, whoever makes up the team, beat the Devils. Sure, it’s just a pre-season game and when the real Devils and the real Flyers get back on the ice for games that “matter”, no doubt the universe will right itself and the Devils will go back to schooling the Flyers no matter what. So you will forgive me for taking some pleasure in this win. It will probably be fleeting.

Other scores last night:

The Bruins over the Canadiens, 8-3. [Bleep] the Habs. Hahaha! Patrice Bergeron had 4 points. Maybe now Bruins fans can quit crying. (Probably not, not with articles like this in which Randy Jones -- not actually named -- is referred to as "a thug in a Flyers sweater".)

Rangers over Ottawa, 2-1. Zzzzzz. (Petr Nedved played. Remember him? And he was the game’s first star! Hahaha!)

Toronto over Buffalo, 7-4. Ok, Leafs. Will we see a score like that again once the REAL season starts?

Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay, 3-2. I might have to read about that game to see which of these flashy new Bolts played and who did or did not play for the Pens.

Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3. In a shootout! I thought Edmonton always won those?

Apparently the Kings played two games yesterday? One vs. St. Louis and one vs. Phoenix? Zzzzzzzzzzzz.