Tuesday, March 17, 2009
[Chicken Dance Song]
I have a wish. I wish that at least once during the next four weeks of the regular season I get to see a justly officiated game. By justly, I mean:
1) Legitimate infractions are called. A high stick drawing blood should not go uncalled with two referees on the ice.
2) Appropriate calls will be made. A player using his shoulder to cleanly hit an opposing player in the shoulder should not be penalized an elbow to the face if the opposing player has not actually been elbowed in the face (regardless of his throwing himself to his knees and covering his face with his hands)*.
2) Legitimate infractions called on one team will also be called for the other team if that other team commits those legitimate infractions. No one team should get away with blatant hooking if the opposing team is constantly marched to the box for it.
3) There are no stupid make-up calls. If a team commits a penalty, something else previously uncalled should not be called later on the other team just to even things up.
I don’t mean that there should be no whistles. I just want the whistles to mean something. I am sick and tired of watching referees influence the outcome of a game. Believe it or not, I don’t watch hockey to see a pair of stripes award a bunch of power plays. I know you are thinking that I am blaming the referees for the Flyers losing on Sunday. The Flyers did take a ridiculous number of penalties, and got some power play chances that they ,mostly failed to take advantage of (scoring once out of 6). They played badly. This might be because they simply didn’t have their heads in the right place, or it might have been in frustrated response to having to spend half the game on the PK. I accept that they did not play up to par, whatever the reasons. But the missed calls were flagrant and obnoxious and decidedly influenced the outcome. If the high stick on Coburn had been correctly called, there would never have been a retaliation cross-check on Antropov later in the game (tossing Coburn out). If Ryan Parent being hauled down by Freddy Sjostrom in the defensive zone was appropriately penalized, the fourth Rangers’ goal that immediately followed would not have happened. The Flyers may still have lost the game, but these incidents of shoddy officiating are game changing and simply must stop. Power play time for the Flyers: 9:41. Power play time for the Rangers: 15:48. If you really want to get down to it, the last two Flyers PPs were make-up calls well after the game had already been decided; it’s more like 5:41 to 15:48. If you keep those four minutes, and consider that there should have been four more possible minutes to the Flyers for the missed high-stick and two more for Parent getting hauled down, that brings the total time to approximately equal (and if the high stick had been called, the major Coburn got wouldn’t have been called, probably dropping NY’s PP time to less than the Flyers – unless the Flyers went around scoring on those extra PPs they should have gotten). Can’t judge everything by PP time, but the lopsidedness exhibited in this game should be a HUGE red flag.
Following this waste of an afternoon, I drove to Philadelphia for a Phantoms game vs. Norfolk. We last saw them play Norfolk at the Center a couple weeks ago, narrowly edging out a win, laughing at Jones crying on the bench, laughing at Konopka for being thrown around by the Phantoms like a ragdoll. Sunday’s game was OK, if you can look at the bright side being that the Phantoms won in spite of another rash of shoddy officiating. K.’s theory was that we made the ref mad. Early in the game, the ref called a penalty on Norfolk. The music came on in which “ref sucks!” is chanted in pauses. Naturally, everyone responded by chanting “ref sucks!” But he had just given the Phantoms a power play!? K. theorizes that he was insulted by that and decided he would show the Phantoms and their fans exactly how bad he could suck. Out came the whistle for the rest of the game. Yet Norfolk’s players still managed to whine and complain about the proceedings. One player, after being whistled off-sides, slammed his stick to the ice and jawed about it. The referee tweeted him, argued with him, but didn’t send him to the box for bad behavior; he came to the bench and slammed the door. Geez. You weren’t even on a supreme scoring break, dude. Get a grip. Konopka was thrown around some more. He moaned and complained. I haven’t seen such crybabyishness in a long time.
The score was kept close and the game was a far cry from the trash that we were offered last Wednesday. I actually stayed for the whole thing! The Phantoms won by scoring in the third and holding on to the lead. Munroe was much better than last week (I mean, he actually made a save) and I hope he’s regaining confidence. Still 8 points behind Bingo for the last playoff spot with fifteen games left to go (two games in hand on the Senators).
Tonight the Flyers play the Red Wings, shown on Vs. This game has been pretty well hyped by that channel, with commercials advertising it over the last couple / three weeks. Given the way things have gone for the Flyers on national TV recently, I’d just as soon the game was not the featured event tonight. [I suppose Vs. are sorry that they scheduled this game, when Brodeur is going for his record-breaking win tonight against Chicago (which, apparently, they will break away to show if it happens). Damn it, Vs. schedulers! Why couldn’t you have seen into the future!?] Still, I cannot imagine a game on Vs. against the defending Stanley Cup champions being quite as unwatchable as the game next Sunday will be – on NBC, vs. the Penguins. You know what that’s going to be like. Are we going to have to listen to Eddie Olczyk hate on the Flyers the entire game? My favorite part of his commentary last Sunday was when Sean Avery clearly interfered with Niittymaki – whether by design or having been knocked into him, whatever, he was completely on top of the goaltender – Olczyk commented on the resulting goaltender interference call as having been a bad call. He said something to the effect that that kind of accidental contact usually gets the benefit of the doubt. I laughed out loud, incredulously. When does that ever get the benefit of the doubt? In any game? What a stupid comment, especially in light of the lack of the benefit of the doubt the Flyers were getting for most of the game.
Coburn was not suspended for the retaliation on Antropov last game; that’s good and appropriate. Jones is out injured, and Danny Syvret has been called up in his place. On the message boards there are one or two posters slagging him as being “slow” and, basically, not that good. It’s true that he has some issues in his own zone, but he is really not that bad (I would judge Curry worse) and he certainly is not slow. It will be nice to see him get a chance to play tonight; I hope he makes the best of it.
Finally, it was reported that Keith Jones, the Phantoms announcer, sustained a broken jaw, 50+ stitches, and several lost teeth when he was hit by a puck at the game I left last week. With injuries such as these, it seems doubtful that he will be able to announce again by the end of the season. I hope he heals quickly. It would be such a shame if the long-time announcer for the Phantoms cannot announce the final games of the final season. I saw him in the press box Sunday evening. Except for not opening his mouth at all, he didn't look bad. At least he was able to be at the game, if not in the box. They had mentioned that the Flyers' announcer would be doing the games in his stead, but the guy announcing on Sunday was not Lou Nolan.
*Dubinsky should be ashamed of himself. At least when Crosby greatly exaggerated a slash a couple seasons ago (after which he threw himself to the ice and into the wall, contorting his face in excruciating pain, sitting on the bench with ice on his hands) his stick at least had been sort-of slashed; and the time he flopped around after he took a stick to the midsection, at least a stick had gone into his midsection. Dubinsky wasn’t hit in the face at all – not even freaking close – yet he threw himself to the ice with his hands to his face in a diving performance Ribeiro would be proud of. It was as clean a shoulder-to-shoulder hit as it gets, yet Richards ended up in the box instead of the unsportsmanlike dumbass who threw himself to the ice.
1) Legitimate infractions are called. A high stick drawing blood should not go uncalled with two referees on the ice.
2) Appropriate calls will be made. A player using his shoulder to cleanly hit an opposing player in the shoulder should not be penalized an elbow to the face if the opposing player has not actually been elbowed in the face (regardless of his throwing himself to his knees and covering his face with his hands)*.
2) Legitimate infractions called on one team will also be called for the other team if that other team commits those legitimate infractions. No one team should get away with blatant hooking if the opposing team is constantly marched to the box for it.
3) There are no stupid make-up calls. If a team commits a penalty, something else previously uncalled should not be called later on the other team just to even things up.
I don’t mean that there should be no whistles. I just want the whistles to mean something. I am sick and tired of watching referees influence the outcome of a game. Believe it or not, I don’t watch hockey to see a pair of stripes award a bunch of power plays. I know you are thinking that I am blaming the referees for the Flyers losing on Sunday. The Flyers did take a ridiculous number of penalties, and got some power play chances that they ,mostly failed to take advantage of (scoring once out of 6). They played badly. This might be because they simply didn’t have their heads in the right place, or it might have been in frustrated response to having to spend half the game on the PK. I accept that they did not play up to par, whatever the reasons. But the missed calls were flagrant and obnoxious and decidedly influenced the outcome. If the high stick on Coburn had been correctly called, there would never have been a retaliation cross-check on Antropov later in the game (tossing Coburn out). If Ryan Parent being hauled down by Freddy Sjostrom in the defensive zone was appropriately penalized, the fourth Rangers’ goal that immediately followed would not have happened. The Flyers may still have lost the game, but these incidents of shoddy officiating are game changing and simply must stop. Power play time for the Flyers: 9:41. Power play time for the Rangers: 15:48. If you really want to get down to it, the last two Flyers PPs were make-up calls well after the game had already been decided; it’s more like 5:41 to 15:48. If you keep those four minutes, and consider that there should have been four more possible minutes to the Flyers for the missed high-stick and two more for Parent getting hauled down, that brings the total time to approximately equal (and if the high stick had been called, the major Coburn got wouldn’t have been called, probably dropping NY’s PP time to less than the Flyers – unless the Flyers went around scoring on those extra PPs they should have gotten). Can’t judge everything by PP time, but the lopsidedness exhibited in this game should be a HUGE red flag.
Following this waste of an afternoon, I drove to Philadelphia for a Phantoms game vs. Norfolk. We last saw them play Norfolk at the Center a couple weeks ago, narrowly edging out a win, laughing at Jones crying on the bench, laughing at Konopka for being thrown around by the Phantoms like a ragdoll. Sunday’s game was OK, if you can look at the bright side being that the Phantoms won in spite of another rash of shoddy officiating. K.’s theory was that we made the ref mad. Early in the game, the ref called a penalty on Norfolk. The music came on in which “ref sucks!” is chanted in pauses. Naturally, everyone responded by chanting “ref sucks!” But he had just given the Phantoms a power play!? K. theorizes that he was insulted by that and decided he would show the Phantoms and their fans exactly how bad he could suck. Out came the whistle for the rest of the game. Yet Norfolk’s players still managed to whine and complain about the proceedings. One player, after being whistled off-sides, slammed his stick to the ice and jawed about it. The referee tweeted him, argued with him, but didn’t send him to the box for bad behavior; he came to the bench and slammed the door. Geez. You weren’t even on a supreme scoring break, dude. Get a grip. Konopka was thrown around some more. He moaned and complained. I haven’t seen such crybabyishness in a long time.
The score was kept close and the game was a far cry from the trash that we were offered last Wednesday. I actually stayed for the whole thing! The Phantoms won by scoring in the third and holding on to the lead. Munroe was much better than last week (I mean, he actually made a save) and I hope he’s regaining confidence. Still 8 points behind Bingo for the last playoff spot with fifteen games left to go (two games in hand on the Senators).
Tonight the Flyers play the Red Wings, shown on Vs. This game has been pretty well hyped by that channel, with commercials advertising it over the last couple / three weeks. Given the way things have gone for the Flyers on national TV recently, I’d just as soon the game was not the featured event tonight. [I suppose Vs. are sorry that they scheduled this game, when Brodeur is going for his record-breaking win tonight against Chicago (which, apparently, they will break away to show if it happens). Damn it, Vs. schedulers! Why couldn’t you have seen into the future!?] Still, I cannot imagine a game on Vs. against the defending Stanley Cup champions being quite as unwatchable as the game next Sunday will be – on NBC, vs. the Penguins. You know what that’s going to be like. Are we going to have to listen to Eddie Olczyk hate on the Flyers the entire game? My favorite part of his commentary last Sunday was when Sean Avery clearly interfered with Niittymaki – whether by design or having been knocked into him, whatever, he was completely on top of the goaltender – Olczyk commented on the resulting goaltender interference call as having been a bad call. He said something to the effect that that kind of accidental contact usually gets the benefit of the doubt. I laughed out loud, incredulously. When does that ever get the benefit of the doubt? In any game? What a stupid comment, especially in light of the lack of the benefit of the doubt the Flyers were getting for most of the game.
Coburn was not suspended for the retaliation on Antropov last game; that’s good and appropriate. Jones is out injured, and Danny Syvret has been called up in his place. On the message boards there are one or two posters slagging him as being “slow” and, basically, not that good. It’s true that he has some issues in his own zone, but he is really not that bad (I would judge Curry worse) and he certainly is not slow. It will be nice to see him get a chance to play tonight; I hope he makes the best of it.
Finally, it was reported that Keith Jones, the Phantoms announcer, sustained a broken jaw, 50+ stitches, and several lost teeth when he was hit by a puck at the game I left last week. With injuries such as these, it seems doubtful that he will be able to announce again by the end of the season. I hope he heals quickly. It would be such a shame if the long-time announcer for the Phantoms cannot announce the final games of the final season. I saw him in the press box Sunday evening. Except for not opening his mouth at all, he didn't look bad. At least he was able to be at the game, if not in the box. They had mentioned that the Flyers' announcer would be doing the games in his stead, but the guy announcing on Sunday was not Lou Nolan.
*Dubinsky should be ashamed of himself. At least when Crosby greatly exaggerated a slash a couple seasons ago (after which he threw himself to the ice and into the wall, contorting his face in excruciating pain, sitting on the bench with ice on his hands) his stick at least had been sort-of slashed; and the time he flopped around after he took a stick to the midsection, at least a stick had gone into his midsection. Dubinsky wasn’t hit in the face at all – not even freaking close – yet he threw himself to the ice with his hands to his face in a diving performance Ribeiro would be proud of. It was as clean a shoulder-to-shoulder hit as it gets, yet Richards ended up in the box instead of the unsportsmanlike dumbass who threw himself to the ice.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Last night became the first time I have ever left a professional hockey game early. I just couldn’t stand it any more. I am extremely disappointed that one of the last five Phamtoms games I will get to see had to be the disaster last night was. It started out fine – but “fine” lasted only a few seconds. 35 seconds into the game, the Phantoms got a power play. (I might mention that Nygel Pelletier was refereeing. That may explain much right off the bat.) They scored. Yay 1-0 Phantoms!
Oh. But Munroe was HORRIBLE last night. K. and I hoped he is hurt, or sick, or something. That may sound mean, but it would go a long way to explaining the meltdown we’ve seen a couple games recently. He let in the tying goal 30 seconds after the Phantoms scored. I’m not sure he even moved. And then he let in another a minute twenty later. Again, I’m not sure he moved. I think this was the goal where he had made a save, and must have thought it was cleared and safe, because he didn’t move from the side of the net; the puck was in front of the open half, and a Penguin simply put it in. Munroe didn’t even try to move over. Three goals in the game, three minutes into the game; Munroe with a 0.00 save percent. Approximately two and a half minutes later, he allowed a third goal. Whiff. That’s all.
So, at 5:39 of the first period, the score was 3-1 Penguins; 3 Penguins shots, 3 goals.
Munroe was yanked, as much by the coach as by all the hit-the-roads from the audience. Aubin started out decent in relief; he made some good saves, including an eye-popping glove snag that seemed out of character (well, maybe not so much the last couple times we’ve seen him play). He didn’t allow a goal until 17:16. 4-1 Penguins and the Phantoms were in complete disarray. They looked horrendous. Passes were awful and constantly mistimed, too hard, too soft, fanned upon; whatever wrong thing can go with a pass went wrong. The Penguins’ goalie, Curry, was pretty OK in making saves but he didn’t have to try that hard. The Phantoms gave him easy shots when they gave him shots at all. 9 in the first period.
The odd thing was that I found I wasn’t raging mad. K. speculates that the shattering had happened too quickly, that we were too stunned by what had happened to be mad. I think I was mad, initially, but somewhere between fast goals 2 and 3 for Wilkes-Barre it just dissipated sadly. Munroe was just so bad and it made us so sad. Aubin was better, and we wondered if there was some kind of black magic going on – a French-Canadian hex, as J. suggested – that was pulling the goodness from Munroe and endowing it upon J.-S. Aubin. But he still wasn’t good enough.
I think if there was any hex, it was on the whole team. The second period was no better than the first except that four quick goals against didn’t happen. Only one did. Not even a minute into the period, the Penguins scored goal number 5. Number 6 came at 5:38. I decided that unless the Phantoms made it 6-4 by the end of the second period, I wasn’t going to hang around to see the rest of the slaughter. By that time, I was surprised every time the Penguins took a shot and didn’t score. By that time, I was simply expecting the tally to be run up.
The Phantoms scored at around 15 minutes to make it 6-2, but that’s in no way respectable, and at the end of the second, that’s the way it stood. I stood too, and left. I hated to leave, but I really had other things worrying me that I needed to check on/take care of that I couldn’t do before I had to leave for the game (recent incidences of credit card fraud – what is wrong with people? No, wait, I know what is wrong with people; people are bad. Individual people can be good, but people as a whole are bad.) I hated to leave, but the Phantoms had barely bothered to show up, so I could barely be bothered to stay. They were just so bad! I don’t understand how they can have fallen apart so horribly. I know they are capable of better, even without Giroux, Nodl, and Powe. I know MUNROE is capable of better. That is the most perplexing part of it.
They ended up losing 8-5. So I missed some Phantoms scoring but they never scored enough to undo what had been done before I left anyway. Apparently the in-game announcer, Keith Jones, was hit in the face with a puck, and had to leave too. Bad night all around for the Phantoms. There weren’t very many people there to see the badness, either.
Binghamton won last night, increasing the space between the Phantoms and the last playoff spot. Looks grim, especially if last night is what can be expected for the rest of the season. Please, hockey gods, no. I beg you. Even if the Phantoms are destined to miss the playoffs this year, please don’t let the remaining games (particularly the four that I will be at) be like last night. Get some rest, get some heads on straight, show up for the games this weekend; I will see them on Sunday.
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It has been suggested that Briere will play tonight. I hope he doesn’t re-injure himself in what will probably be a very physical game against the Capitals. I have heard arguments that it might be better to healthy-scratch him until the playoffs, to make sure that he stays healthy until then (and presumably becomes a force like he did last year during the post-season), but he probably needs a few games to get back into the game-swing of things. Maybe against the Capitals is not the best first test, but fingers crossed he won’t get hurt again.
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Someone in Riverside, NJ was looking for “Scottie Upshall shirtless.” I have no pictures here, but I know they exist; I have seen them. Keep up your quest, for you shall be fulfilled.
Oh. But Munroe was HORRIBLE last night. K. and I hoped he is hurt, or sick, or something. That may sound mean, but it would go a long way to explaining the meltdown we’ve seen a couple games recently. He let in the tying goal 30 seconds after the Phantoms scored. I’m not sure he even moved. And then he let in another a minute twenty later. Again, I’m not sure he moved. I think this was the goal where he had made a save, and must have thought it was cleared and safe, because he didn’t move from the side of the net; the puck was in front of the open half, and a Penguin simply put it in. Munroe didn’t even try to move over. Three goals in the game, three minutes into the game; Munroe with a 0.00 save percent. Approximately two and a half minutes later, he allowed a third goal. Whiff. That’s all.
So, at 5:39 of the first period, the score was 3-1 Penguins; 3 Penguins shots, 3 goals.
Munroe was yanked, as much by the coach as by all the hit-the-roads from the audience. Aubin started out decent in relief; he made some good saves, including an eye-popping glove snag that seemed out of character (well, maybe not so much the last couple times we’ve seen him play). He didn’t allow a goal until 17:16. 4-1 Penguins and the Phantoms were in complete disarray. They looked horrendous. Passes were awful and constantly mistimed, too hard, too soft, fanned upon; whatever wrong thing can go with a pass went wrong. The Penguins’ goalie, Curry, was pretty OK in making saves but he didn’t have to try that hard. The Phantoms gave him easy shots when they gave him shots at all. 9 in the first period.
The odd thing was that I found I wasn’t raging mad. K. speculates that the shattering had happened too quickly, that we were too stunned by what had happened to be mad. I think I was mad, initially, but somewhere between fast goals 2 and 3 for Wilkes-Barre it just dissipated sadly. Munroe was just so bad and it made us so sad. Aubin was better, and we wondered if there was some kind of black magic going on – a French-Canadian hex, as J. suggested – that was pulling the goodness from Munroe and endowing it upon J.-S. Aubin. But he still wasn’t good enough.
I think if there was any hex, it was on the whole team. The second period was no better than the first except that four quick goals against didn’t happen. Only one did. Not even a minute into the period, the Penguins scored goal number 5. Number 6 came at 5:38. I decided that unless the Phantoms made it 6-4 by the end of the second period, I wasn’t going to hang around to see the rest of the slaughter. By that time, I was surprised every time the Penguins took a shot and didn’t score. By that time, I was simply expecting the tally to be run up.
The Phantoms scored at around 15 minutes to make it 6-2, but that’s in no way respectable, and at the end of the second, that’s the way it stood. I stood too, and left. I hated to leave, but I really had other things worrying me that I needed to check on/take care of that I couldn’t do before I had to leave for the game (recent incidences of credit card fraud – what is wrong with people? No, wait, I know what is wrong with people; people are bad. Individual people can be good, but people as a whole are bad.) I hated to leave, but the Phantoms had barely bothered to show up, so I could barely be bothered to stay. They were just so bad! I don’t understand how they can have fallen apart so horribly. I know they are capable of better, even without Giroux, Nodl, and Powe. I know MUNROE is capable of better. That is the most perplexing part of it.
They ended up losing 8-5. So I missed some Phantoms scoring but they never scored enough to undo what had been done before I left anyway. Apparently the in-game announcer, Keith Jones, was hit in the face with a puck, and had to leave too. Bad night all around for the Phantoms. There weren’t very many people there to see the badness, either.
Binghamton won last night, increasing the space between the Phantoms and the last playoff spot. Looks grim, especially if last night is what can be expected for the rest of the season. Please, hockey gods, no. I beg you. Even if the Phantoms are destined to miss the playoffs this year, please don’t let the remaining games (particularly the four that I will be at) be like last night. Get some rest, get some heads on straight, show up for the games this weekend; I will see them on Sunday.
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It has been suggested that Briere will play tonight. I hope he doesn’t re-injure himself in what will probably be a very physical game against the Capitals. I have heard arguments that it might be better to healthy-scratch him until the playoffs, to make sure that he stays healthy until then (and presumably becomes a force like he did last year during the post-season), but he probably needs a few games to get back into the game-swing of things. Maybe against the Capitals is not the best first test, but fingers crossed he won’t get hurt again.
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Someone in Riverside, NJ was looking for “Scottie Upshall shirtless.” I have no pictures here, but I know they exist; I have seen them. Keep up your quest, for you shall be fulfilled.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Good game last night. No faulting Biron on that first goal; flukes happen and while a magical save would have been great, I can’t blame him for it. He’s been good lately. I hate to say it because I hate to jinx him. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care who is in goal (no matter how much I wish it were Niitty being the great goalie), just as long as the Flyers win and win and win.
A few highlights: Carter remembering how to score (twice!); Hartnell scoring (twice!); Claude Giroux, passer extraordinaire; Carcillo dumping Kaleta to the ice. (By the way, since when does Kaleta throw punches?) Lowlight: Vs. announcers failing to explain penalties, disappearance of players, etc. I know you all disapprove of fighting but when it affects play please let me know what happened. At least once the Flyers got a PP after some skirmishes but they never said why. And why did Carcillo get a misconduct (discovered only afterward and I did some reading, I have no memory of the Vs. people telling me)? Unfortunately the Flyers are on Vs. again next week against Detroit; they are also on National TV (NBC) this weekend and also next weekend (Rangers, Penguins). These will probably be unlistenable; can’t imagine that the officiating will be that tolerable, either.
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A couple weeks ago I was reading an issue of The Hockey News and there was a short article on the side about Kyle Greentree. Actually, according to the headline, it was about Greeentree. I almost couldn’t believe it. I skimmed the article quickly, wondering if it would mention that Phantoms Presidents’ Day jersey with its extra e (or some other incidence of extra e-ing); there was nothing. So it would appear to be simply another typo. I can see it being made in print. I still cannot see how it was allowed to happen on a jersey. Well, Mr. Greentree was named the AHL Player of the Week last week. I was sorry for this trade when it happened, and I’m still sorry that he doesn’t play for Philadelphia any more. I’ll see him twice when I’m in Iowa – once at a Chops/Flames game and once at a Flames/Admirals game.
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Phantoms game tonight! The Senators won last night so are currently 8 points ahead of the Phantoms. The Phantoms need to win tonight over Wilkes-Barre just to stay close. They need to win tonight over Wilkes-Barre just because, anyway. Any Penguins team should lose.
A few highlights: Carter remembering how to score (twice!); Hartnell scoring (twice!); Claude Giroux, passer extraordinaire; Carcillo dumping Kaleta to the ice. (By the way, since when does Kaleta throw punches?) Lowlight: Vs. announcers failing to explain penalties, disappearance of players, etc. I know you all disapprove of fighting but when it affects play please let me know what happened. At least once the Flyers got a PP after some skirmishes but they never said why. And why did Carcillo get a misconduct (discovered only afterward and I did some reading, I have no memory of the Vs. people telling me)? Unfortunately the Flyers are on Vs. again next week against Detroit; they are also on National TV (NBC) this weekend and also next weekend (Rangers, Penguins). These will probably be unlistenable; can’t imagine that the officiating will be that tolerable, either.
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A couple weeks ago I was reading an issue of The Hockey News and there was a short article on the side about Kyle Greentree. Actually, according to the headline, it was about Greeentree. I almost couldn’t believe it. I skimmed the article quickly, wondering if it would mention that Phantoms Presidents’ Day jersey with its extra e (or some other incidence of extra e-ing); there was nothing. So it would appear to be simply another typo. I can see it being made in print. I still cannot see how it was allowed to happen on a jersey. Well, Mr. Greentree was named the AHL Player of the Week last week. I was sorry for this trade when it happened, and I’m still sorry that he doesn’t play for Philadelphia any more. I’ll see him twice when I’m in Iowa – once at a Chops/Flames game and once at a Flames/Admirals game.
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Phantoms game tonight! The Senators won last night so are currently 8 points ahead of the Phantoms. The Phantoms need to win tonight over Wilkes-Barre just to stay close. They need to win tonight over Wilkes-Barre just because, anyway. Any Penguins team should lose.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The monster went back into hiding last Saturday night as the Flyers that came out of the tunnel for the game against Nashville were seemingly a completely different set of players than had come out for the game against Calgary. As bad as the game Thursday was, the game Saturday was pleasant to watch. The Flyers did most things right. And the score reflected that. (And apparently the Flyers appreciated their fans much more on Fan Appreciation Night than they did last year. Well, they didn't have Jim Vandermeer to help blow it this year, so ....)
Tonight, the Flyers are at home against Buffalo. The last time the Flyers played Buffalo, I was in the stands and grousing that for much of the game the score was much closer than it needed to be because of that goaltender. THAT GOALTENDER is going to get another start tonight because he was hot on Saturday. I hope he doesn’t force his team to need 4 or 6 goals to win the game tonight. There is speculation Briere may play tonight; apparently his groin situation isn’t as grim as it seemed, with him pulling out of the game Thursday night. It will depend. Of course. You know, if this guy can get healthy in time for the playoffs, it will probably mean Big Things for the Flyers. But that’s really uncertain right now.
A few other things going on ‘round the hockey world:
The Canandiens [sic] fired their coach this week. Poor Carbonneau. I was watching the Dallas/Montreal game Sunday night and was literally laughing out loud (not just saying that I was LOLing) at the 18 minutes of penalties the Habs took in the first period. How do you do that? The Habs were clearly more interested in getting back at Steve Ott in any way possible than in actually playing hockey. Then, I was laughing out loud at the Stars, for managing to lose the game anyway. And then the Habs rewarded Carbonneau by firing him the next day. All I can see is that guy on TV last year complaining about the officiating during the Flyers/Canadiens playoff series. Really, Carbonneau? At least this year we won’t have to see you behind the bench if it comes to that. (It may not. Montreal = crash and burn! I love how they expected the NHL to roll over and hand them the Stanley Cup at the end of this, their very, very special anniversary season.)
Scottie Upshall scored not only in his first game with the Coyotes, but in his second (or was it third?). Already over there he has a quarter of the goals he had in Philadelphia this season. They still lost to the Islanders. Speaking of the Islanders, how is it they can score seven goals on the Devils but the Flyers can’t even manage one?
The Rangers. LOL. What else is there to say? Last October everyone thought they would run away with the season, and now? Let’s say the playoffs started now. NO RANGERS. They lost last night, 3-0, to the Hurricanes. I am not a fan of the black third jersey, but at least it doesn’t say CANES down the front a la SENS and BOLTS. I think I don’t like the black shirt, shorts, socks, and helmet. Everyone looks stealth and the numbers are hard to read. But I enjoyed watching Joni Pitkanen play for the first period (I didn’t watch after that).
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Bad weekend for the Phantoms. First a 4-1 loss to Worcester*, then allowed Bridgeport to come back and win in a shootout. With only ten games left in the regular season, they’d best plan on winning them all, and getting some help from teams ahead of them losing them all, if they want to make the playoffs. Six points behind Binghamton, it’s not out of reach, but that’s four wins to overtake the Senators, hoping for four Senators’ losses at the same time. It really bums me out that in their last season in Philly, the Phantoms may not have a post-season, meaning last year was their last chance at the Calder Cup and it didn’t happen (thanks, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and outstanding officiating!). At least I was around to be able to see their last post-season (assuming they don’t make it this year; I will happily eat my words, all tasty and salted, if they do). Their next game is tomorrow night, against Wilkes-Barre. Winning won’t do much to hurt the Penguins, but there will be those nice two points to add on. Binghamton plays tonight – Portland – fingers crossed for a bad night for the baby Sens.
While on the subject of the Phantoms, I want to point out an instance of sheer stupidity on my part. My company is furloughing us during the week of March 30-April 3. This is an extra week of vacation (albeit unpaid) that I did not expect to have this year, and so thought I would take the opportunity to go home and visit the folks for an extra week that I didn’t think I would get to. I booked a flight out of Baltimore, it being mysteriously $190 round trip (versus $350 out of Philadelphia), flying early Saturday, March 28. The plan is to head down to Baltimore Friday night and to stay there so that there is no super-early drive south Saturday morning. Of course, this is the weekend that the Phantoms play three games at home in a row – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as a mid-week game on Wednesday the first. That’s four games that I will miss. They play again at home on Sunday, April 5 – but I will be coming back from Baltimore at that time, making a fifth game that I will miss. That leaves only one game left in the season once I get back from Iowa – the final game on April 10. Had I realized I would be missing FIVE games due to the trip home, I may have reconsidered things. I probably still would have gone home, but paid the extra to go out of Philly, and allow myself to see two of those five. It’s too late and not worth the charges and hassles to change flights, so I will simply feel a little sick that in this very last season, I have set it up, without thinking, to miss five games in a row at the very end.
At least I will be in the vicinity to make it to the last game. I would never have forgiven myself for screwing that up.
But while I am at home there are plans to see an Iowa Chops game in Des Moines on Sunday, March 29, and a Quad City Flames game on Wednesday, April 1. Weather prevented us from seeing the Chops over the holiday, but I assume the weather will be a little better at the end of March. Odds are good there won’t be a blizzard, but it is Iowa, so there is no telling. I’ve never been to a game in the Quad Cities, since they moved over there after I moved out to Delaware. It’s closer to Iowa City than Des Moines, and Kyle Greeentree [sic] plays for them. So I am looking forward to the Flaming Qs game. It will be good to go to the Chops game as it will be nice to be back in the Wells Fargo arena; some good times were had there. While I was watching the Dallas/Montreal game the other night I realized there were a lot of former Iowa Stars playing for Dallas. It made me miss those days a little bit.
*The Flyers backed out on the Kyle McLaren trade because he didn’t pass a physical. So he’s not going to be playing for the Phantoms and will stay with the Sharks organization. Boohoo? Nah.
Tonight, the Flyers are at home against Buffalo. The last time the Flyers played Buffalo, I was in the stands and grousing that for much of the game the score was much closer than it needed to be because of that goaltender. THAT GOALTENDER is going to get another start tonight because he was hot on Saturday. I hope he doesn’t force his team to need 4 or 6 goals to win the game tonight. There is speculation Briere may play tonight; apparently his groin situation isn’t as grim as it seemed, with him pulling out of the game Thursday night. It will depend. Of course. You know, if this guy can get healthy in time for the playoffs, it will probably mean Big Things for the Flyers. But that’s really uncertain right now.
A few other things going on ‘round the hockey world:
The Canandiens [sic] fired their coach this week. Poor Carbonneau. I was watching the Dallas/Montreal game Sunday night and was literally laughing out loud (not just saying that I was LOLing) at the 18 minutes of penalties the Habs took in the first period. How do you do that? The Habs were clearly more interested in getting back at Steve Ott in any way possible than in actually playing hockey. Then, I was laughing out loud at the Stars, for managing to lose the game anyway. And then the Habs rewarded Carbonneau by firing him the next day. All I can see is that guy on TV last year complaining about the officiating during the Flyers/Canadiens playoff series. Really, Carbonneau? At least this year we won’t have to see you behind the bench if it comes to that. (It may not. Montreal = crash and burn! I love how they expected the NHL to roll over and hand them the Stanley Cup at the end of this, their very, very special anniversary season.)
Scottie Upshall scored not only in his first game with the Coyotes, but in his second (or was it third?). Already over there he has a quarter of the goals he had in Philadelphia this season. They still lost to the Islanders. Speaking of the Islanders, how is it they can score seven goals on the Devils but the Flyers can’t even manage one?
The Rangers. LOL. What else is there to say? Last October everyone thought they would run away with the season, and now? Let’s say the playoffs started now. NO RANGERS. They lost last night, 3-0, to the Hurricanes. I am not a fan of the black third jersey, but at least it doesn’t say CANES down the front a la SENS and BOLTS. I think I don’t like the black shirt, shorts, socks, and helmet. Everyone looks stealth and the numbers are hard to read. But I enjoyed watching Joni Pitkanen play for the first period (I didn’t watch after that).
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Bad weekend for the Phantoms. First a 4-1 loss to Worcester*, then allowed Bridgeport to come back and win in a shootout. With only ten games left in the regular season, they’d best plan on winning them all, and getting some help from teams ahead of them losing them all, if they want to make the playoffs. Six points behind Binghamton, it’s not out of reach, but that’s four wins to overtake the Senators, hoping for four Senators’ losses at the same time. It really bums me out that in their last season in Philly, the Phantoms may not have a post-season, meaning last year was their last chance at the Calder Cup and it didn’t happen (thanks, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and outstanding officiating!). At least I was around to be able to see their last post-season (assuming they don’t make it this year; I will happily eat my words, all tasty and salted, if they do). Their next game is tomorrow night, against Wilkes-Barre. Winning won’t do much to hurt the Penguins, but there will be those nice two points to add on. Binghamton plays tonight – Portland – fingers crossed for a bad night for the baby Sens.
While on the subject of the Phantoms, I want to point out an instance of sheer stupidity on my part. My company is furloughing us during the week of March 30-April 3. This is an extra week of vacation (albeit unpaid) that I did not expect to have this year, and so thought I would take the opportunity to go home and visit the folks for an extra week that I didn’t think I would get to. I booked a flight out of Baltimore, it being mysteriously $190 round trip (versus $350 out of Philadelphia), flying early Saturday, March 28. The plan is to head down to Baltimore Friday night and to stay there so that there is no super-early drive south Saturday morning. Of course, this is the weekend that the Phantoms play three games at home in a row – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as a mid-week game on Wednesday the first. That’s four games that I will miss. They play again at home on Sunday, April 5 – but I will be coming back from Baltimore at that time, making a fifth game that I will miss. That leaves only one game left in the season once I get back from Iowa – the final game on April 10. Had I realized I would be missing FIVE games due to the trip home, I may have reconsidered things. I probably still would have gone home, but paid the extra to go out of Philly, and allow myself to see two of those five. It’s too late and not worth the charges and hassles to change flights, so I will simply feel a little sick that in this very last season, I have set it up, without thinking, to miss five games in a row at the very end.
At least I will be in the vicinity to make it to the last game. I would never have forgiven myself for screwing that up.
But while I am at home there are plans to see an Iowa Chops game in Des Moines on Sunday, March 29, and a Quad City Flames game on Wednesday, April 1. Weather prevented us from seeing the Chops over the holiday, but I assume the weather will be a little better at the end of March. Odds are good there won’t be a blizzard, but it is Iowa, so there is no telling. I’ve never been to a game in the Quad Cities, since they moved over there after I moved out to Delaware. It’s closer to Iowa City than Des Moines, and Kyle Greeentree [sic] plays for them. So I am looking forward to the Flaming Qs game. It will be good to go to the Chops game as it will be nice to be back in the Wells Fargo arena; some good times were had there. While I was watching the Dallas/Montreal game the other night I realized there were a lot of former Iowa Stars playing for Dallas. It made me miss those days a little bit.
*The Flyers backed out on the Kyle McLaren trade because he didn’t pass a physical. So he’s not going to be playing for the Phantoms and will stay with the Sharks organization. Boohoo? Nah.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
I was organizing digital photos on my computer today (good grief have I taken a lot of pictures at hockey games) and I came across this, from the Flyers/Leafs game I went to in March 2006:
Aubin really hasn't changed much, has he?
Ok, Flyers vs. Nashville tonight. I won't be watching the game live, so don't tell me what happens. I will see it tomorrow.
Aubin really hasn't changed much, has he?
Ok, Flyers vs. Nashville tonight. I won't be watching the game live, so don't tell me what happens. I will see it tomorrow.
Friday, March 06, 2009
The hockey gods are fickle and often cruel. If I have learned anything about the game over the years, it is this.
The hockey gods saw Scottie Upshall traded on Wednesday for Daniel Carcillo. I admit I scratched my head when I saw this trade being one of only two deals the Flyers pulled on Trade Deadline Day. I suppose it must have been a numbers game (e.g., Carcillo ather than Upshall gives the Flyers some hundreds of thousands of dollars in cap space) but I don’t know Carcillo well enough to understand much else out of it to see any major positives. My first instinct was to disapprove; I will give the new guy a chance to make a statement on the ice. I have not watched Scottie’s airport departure video, because just reading that he was visibly upset was enough for me. For my part I am sorry to see him go; he was one of my favorite players. It kind of shocked me, for he was not one of the guys I would have put high on the list of possible trades. I understand the Flyers couldn’t do much but I had hoped, I guess, for something different, something that was an obvious plus. If this turns out to be a more subtle positive, then that will be great, of course, but right now I can’t really see it. Time will tell.
The hockey gods then saw Niittymaki being given his second start in two games, a chance to prove that he is capable to taking the #1 reins. So the Flyers played as bad a game as I think I have ever seen them play. That is to say that I cannot remember the last time I saw such a lack of effort and concentration. The Flyers have played some pathetic games this season (I have been at one or more of them), but this one rises to the top. Until the third period, I don’t think the Flyers were trying very hard, and even then it was only for part of the period. Mike Richards seemed to lead the team in lacking effort and concentration, e.g., turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Niittymaki did not come up with many spectacular saves to keep the Flyers in the game, that is true, but he was, as they say, hung out to dry. I will be disappointed if Biron is thrown in tomorrow in his relief, though he was decent when he was put in last night; I think they should give Niitty a chance to show that he can recover from a bad game. After all, all those other guys are going to get a chance to show they can recover from a bad game, right? I know that Calgary is a great team, but they didn’t even have to play their best game because the Flyers rolled over and let them have it. This, after showing Boston what’s what on Tuesday. It is completely mystifying.
But the most obvious piece of evidence as to the hockey gods’ nature was the loss of Danny Briere mid-game to – course! – a “lower body injury” that seems to be another groin issue. This couldn’t happen Tuesday, before the trade deadline, when the Flyers might have been able to use his $6+ million cap hit to make some trade deadline noise; no, it happened Thursday, the very next day. The inability to do much on Wednesday, coupled with the losses of guys claimed to be popular with the team, simply because of Briere’s expensive return – only to have Briere out and questionable again? What the hell, hockey gods? What the hell?
The hockey gods saw Scottie Upshall traded on Wednesday for Daniel Carcillo. I admit I scratched my head when I saw this trade being one of only two deals the Flyers pulled on Trade Deadline Day. I suppose it must have been a numbers game (e.g., Carcillo ather than Upshall gives the Flyers some hundreds of thousands of dollars in cap space) but I don’t know Carcillo well enough to understand much else out of it to see any major positives. My first instinct was to disapprove; I will give the new guy a chance to make a statement on the ice. I have not watched Scottie’s airport departure video, because just reading that he was visibly upset was enough for me. For my part I am sorry to see him go; he was one of my favorite players. It kind of shocked me, for he was not one of the guys I would have put high on the list of possible trades. I understand the Flyers couldn’t do much but I had hoped, I guess, for something different, something that was an obvious plus. If this turns out to be a more subtle positive, then that will be great, of course, but right now I can’t really see it. Time will tell.
The hockey gods then saw Niittymaki being given his second start in two games, a chance to prove that he is capable to taking the #1 reins. So the Flyers played as bad a game as I think I have ever seen them play. That is to say that I cannot remember the last time I saw such a lack of effort and concentration. The Flyers have played some pathetic games this season (I have been at one or more of them), but this one rises to the top. Until the third period, I don’t think the Flyers were trying very hard, and even then it was only for part of the period. Mike Richards seemed to lead the team in lacking effort and concentration, e.g., turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. Niittymaki did not come up with many spectacular saves to keep the Flyers in the game, that is true, but he was, as they say, hung out to dry. I will be disappointed if Biron is thrown in tomorrow in his relief, though he was decent when he was put in last night; I think they should give Niitty a chance to show that he can recover from a bad game. After all, all those other guys are going to get a chance to show they can recover from a bad game, right? I know that Calgary is a great team, but they didn’t even have to play their best game because the Flyers rolled over and let them have it. This, after showing Boston what’s what on Tuesday. It is completely mystifying.
But the most obvious piece of evidence as to the hockey gods’ nature was the loss of Danny Briere mid-game to – course! – a “lower body injury” that seems to be another groin issue. This couldn’t happen Tuesday, before the trade deadline, when the Flyers might have been able to use his $6+ million cap hit to make some trade deadline noise; no, it happened Thursday, the very next day. The inability to do much on Wednesday, coupled with the losses of guys claimed to be popular with the team, simply because of Briere’s expensive return – only to have Briere out and questionable again? What the hell, hockey gods? What the hell?
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
While the searcher from Centerville, MA didn't get what s/he wanted last night, I pretty much did. Except for a sickly power play, the Flyers played a pretty great game last night and stifled the Bruins. Niittymaki was excellent. Not a boring moment.
What a difference Timonen appears to make. He didn't play as though he has been sick for days, did he? (Not that I doubt that he was sick.) He got hit with a puck, struggled a little to the bench, but was back as usual shortly. It's like the team knows when he is there and when he isn't and lists if he isn't. He holds them steady. I can't see the acquisition of this defenseman in 2007 as anything but brilliant.
And Gagne. If his hand still hurt after blocking a shot with it Sunday, again, you just wouldn't have known. He was in the right place twice. His second goal came with only a few minutes left in the game, and was a good insurance goal because the Bruins scored late to make it 4-2. If it had been 3-2 I think it would have come down to the wire a little more tightly.
And Claude Giroux? He played with Danny Briere. They played together when Briere was with the Phantoms for three games (on possibly the smallest and fastest line ever -- Giroux, Briere, Ross) so it wasn't the first time they'd worked together, but I liked it. I really like watching Giroux. It's amazing how he has simply turned it on this season after coming out tentative and disappointing (as some people saw it) in the preseason. His time in the AHL was well-spent. He's ready to leap into the player he's going to be.
Niittymaki made one of the best saves ever last night, and it didn't look flashy or fancy. All he did was get his glove hand up and completely rob Krejci of a sure-thing goal from point-blank position. Economy of movement in that grab, oozing confidence. He came out of the net pretty far on Bergeron's goal and gave him just a little bit too much space on the right side. It was unfortunate. But he was stalwart throughout the rest of the game when he needed to be, even getting a break that I never thought he would get. The puck bounced and came down on his leg from behind. Normally this would hop right over the goal and in, but this time, it didn't. He was able to fall back on it, lie on top of it, and keep it out. Sweet.
If only the Flyers had been able to pull their power play together, they would have made the Bruins look downright awful.
I noticed that toward the end of the game, when the Flyers were up 4-1, the booing of Randy Jones had calmed down. He was +3 last night. Remember what happened the last time they booed him? He scored the game-winner. This time, he was out there for much of the Flyers scoring. Maybe Boston should keep booing him. I laughed when Steve Coates commented on the booing, and the reason for it. "It was a bad accident," he said, noting that Randy Jones is not (and never has been, and never will be) "that" kind of player; "Get over it," Coates said. Refreshing to just hear someone say it.
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Even the Leafs could score on Brodeur, last night losing only 3-2. Why can't the Flyers?
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Anything gonna happen today? You'd think something just has to, since they have so little cap room to do anything in an emergency. But the way the guys looked last night, you might wonder if it might be better not to bother. (Of course, only if you could be assured it would be like this the rest of the season.)
What a difference Timonen appears to make. He didn't play as though he has been sick for days, did he? (Not that I doubt that he was sick.) He got hit with a puck, struggled a little to the bench, but was back as usual shortly. It's like the team knows when he is there and when he isn't and lists if he isn't. He holds them steady. I can't see the acquisition of this defenseman in 2007 as anything but brilliant.
And Gagne. If his hand still hurt after blocking a shot with it Sunday, again, you just wouldn't have known. He was in the right place twice. His second goal came with only a few minutes left in the game, and was a good insurance goal because the Bruins scored late to make it 4-2. If it had been 3-2 I think it would have come down to the wire a little more tightly.
And Claude Giroux? He played with Danny Briere. They played together when Briere was with the Phantoms for three games (on possibly the smallest and fastest line ever -- Giroux, Briere, Ross) so it wasn't the first time they'd worked together, but I liked it. I really like watching Giroux. It's amazing how he has simply turned it on this season after coming out tentative and disappointing (as some people saw it) in the preseason. His time in the AHL was well-spent. He's ready to leap into the player he's going to be.
Niittymaki made one of the best saves ever last night, and it didn't look flashy or fancy. All he did was get his glove hand up and completely rob Krejci of a sure-thing goal from point-blank position. Economy of movement in that grab, oozing confidence. He came out of the net pretty far on Bergeron's goal and gave him just a little bit too much space on the right side. It was unfortunate. But he was stalwart throughout the rest of the game when he needed to be, even getting a break that I never thought he would get. The puck bounced and came down on his leg from behind. Normally this would hop right over the goal and in, but this time, it didn't. He was able to fall back on it, lie on top of it, and keep it out. Sweet.
If only the Flyers had been able to pull their power play together, they would have made the Bruins look downright awful.
I noticed that toward the end of the game, when the Flyers were up 4-1, the booing of Randy Jones had calmed down. He was +3 last night. Remember what happened the last time they booed him? He scored the game-winner. This time, he was out there for much of the Flyers scoring. Maybe Boston should keep booing him. I laughed when Steve Coates commented on the booing, and the reason for it. "It was a bad accident," he said, noting that Randy Jones is not (and never has been, and never will be) "that" kind of player; "Get over it," Coates said. Refreshing to just hear someone say it.
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Even the Leafs could score on Brodeur, last night losing only 3-2. Why can't the Flyers?
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Anything gonna happen today? You'd think something just has to, since they have so little cap room to do anything in an emergency. But the way the guys looked last night, you might wonder if it might be better not to bother. (Of course, only if you could be assured it would be like this the rest of the season.)
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Someone in Centerville, MA has the following wish:
I want someone to fight Randy Jones.
I know this because those are the search terms that led this person to this blog.
You are probably not going to get what you want, person. I cannot recall having ever seen Randy Jones fight and I very much doubt it will happen tonight. If the Bruins had not already taken Randy Freaking Jones's head off in any game since the Bergeron Incident, I don't see why it would suddenly happen now. Also, if someone tries to get Randy Jones to fight, some other Flyer will probably jump in to protect him. So it won't be Randy Jones fighting anyway.
I'd rather the game tonight be physical without some worthless retaliation attempt by the Bruins based on a grudge from last season. I want it played with good fore- and backchecking, with good offensive pressure, with good goaltending (pretty please, Niittymaki?), with good team defense -- I want a good game out of the Flyers and I want them to win.
Clock's ticking down. Is anything going to happen other than maybe Kimmo Timonen possibly returning to play tonight?
I want someone to fight Randy Jones.
I know this because those are the search terms that led this person to this blog.
You are probably not going to get what you want, person. I cannot recall having ever seen Randy Jones fight and I very much doubt it will happen tonight. If the Bruins had not already taken Randy Freaking Jones's head off in any game since the Bergeron Incident, I don't see why it would suddenly happen now. Also, if someone tries to get Randy Jones to fight, some other Flyer will probably jump in to protect him. So it won't be Randy Jones fighting anyway.
I'd rather the game tonight be physical without some worthless retaliation attempt by the Bruins based on a grudge from last season. I want it played with good fore- and backchecking, with good offensive pressure, with good goaltending (pretty please, Niittymaki?), with good team defense -- I want a good game out of the Flyers and I want them to win.
Clock's ticking down. Is anything going to happen other than maybe Kimmo Timonen possibly returning to play tonight?
Monday, March 02, 2009
The Flyers page-a-day calendar has gone back to 2006-2007 season tidbits in the last couple weeks. Not only that, but it appears to like Joni Pitkanen stats (regardless of season).
"On January 30, 2006, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen scored in overtime to defeat the New York Rangers, 3-2, at Madison Square Garden. He became only the second defenseman in NHL history to score at least three regular season overtime goals in one season."
I wrote about that on an old blog. I was living in Iowa again and had to rely on Vs. (then called OLN) to show games in my area. Luckily, this was one of them. I had to watch it on tape because I was busy with evening meetings (one with a recruiter, one with a microscope salesman) but I still got to see it. Joni scored the first goal of the game, and Mike Richards scored the second with under 2 minutes left to play. And in the OT, Joni scored on a pass from Mike Knuble. It was Joni's second game back from the surgery. Unfortunately, this game was not quite a good omen of the rest of the season to come. Joni never seemed to be quite the same player he was before that surgery. Never mind that, remember how the whole team wasn't quite the same? They were top in the NHL at the beginning of January.
And then they edged into the playoffs only to lose badly to Buffalo. The promise of the season with Forsberg and Pitkanen and the rookies Carter and Richards simply faded into nothing. Well, not nothing. Faded into the disastrous 2006-2007 season.
Which was the subject of the next Joni Pitkanen page-a-day fact. "On January 30, 2007, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen recorded two assists to reach 100 career points in a 3-2 shootout victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Wachovia Center." A small triumph in a season of many losses; one of the wins was at home against a team that simply owns the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Today's Flyers Fact is the following: "On January 18, 2007, Peter Forsberg recorded his 600th career assist in the Flyers' 4-2 loss against the New York Islanders at Wachovia Center. He became the 70th player in NHL history to reach the mark and did so in 670 career games."
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So far today, no news on the trade front. With the research center closing at 1 today, I will have all kinds of free time this afternoon to keep an eye on that.
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I like to look at the search terms that lead to hits to this site. Lately I've had:
joni pitkanen punched in the face by his own teammate, todd fedoruk Old news.
ollie kolzig hotdog on the bench Not if it's at a Phantoms Dollar Dog Night; can't get a hotdog to save your life.
The most puzzling one I've gotten lately (indeed, perhaps ever) happened Friday, from a Comcast ISP in South Dartmouth, MA:
men bearhugging men.
Um.
"On January 30, 2006, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen scored in overtime to defeat the New York Rangers, 3-2, at Madison Square Garden. He became only the second defenseman in NHL history to score at least three regular season overtime goals in one season."
I wrote about that on an old blog. I was living in Iowa again and had to rely on Vs. (then called OLN) to show games in my area. Luckily, this was one of them. I had to watch it on tape because I was busy with evening meetings (one with a recruiter, one with a microscope salesman) but I still got to see it. Joni scored the first goal of the game, and Mike Richards scored the second with under 2 minutes left to play. And in the OT, Joni scored on a pass from Mike Knuble. It was Joni's second game back from the surgery. Unfortunately, this game was not quite a good omen of the rest of the season to come. Joni never seemed to be quite the same player he was before that surgery. Never mind that, remember how the whole team wasn't quite the same? They were top in the NHL at the beginning of January.
And then they edged into the playoffs only to lose badly to Buffalo. The promise of the season with Forsberg and Pitkanen and the rookies Carter and Richards simply faded into nothing. Well, not nothing. Faded into the disastrous 2006-2007 season.
Which was the subject of the next Joni Pitkanen page-a-day fact. "On January 30, 2007, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen recorded two assists to reach 100 career points in a 3-2 shootout victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Wachovia Center." A small triumph in a season of many losses; one of the wins was at home against a team that simply owns the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Today's Flyers Fact is the following: "On January 18, 2007, Peter Forsberg recorded his 600th career assist in the Flyers' 4-2 loss against the New York Islanders at Wachovia Center. He became the 70th player in NHL history to reach the mark and did so in 670 career games."
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So far today, no news on the trade front. With the research center closing at 1 today, I will have all kinds of free time this afternoon to keep an eye on that.
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I like to look at the search terms that lead to hits to this site. Lately I've had:
joni pitkanen punched in the face by his own teammate, todd fedoruk Old news.
ollie kolzig hotdog on the bench Not if it's at a Phantoms Dollar Dog Night; can't get a hotdog to save your life.
The most puzzling one I've gotten lately (indeed, perhaps ever) happened Friday, from a Comcast ISP in South Dartmouth, MA:
men bearhugging men.
Um.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Friday night, at the Spectrum, the Phantoms played a poor game and lost 4-1 to Bridgeport. Not many highlights out of it. Matt Clackson fought and appeared to be getting clocked and clocked but he managed to dish it out a few times too. (The fight went on and on.) Munroe was simply not on his game whatsoever. All four goals went in the same side, same place, almost the same way. Some guys in the row behind us were trashing Munroe most of the night. Obviously, they do not see much Phantoms hockey. He was uncharacteristically bad Friday night.
After the game, I hurried to my car so that I could get out before the Flyers game ended. They were next door at the Center, playing Montreal. I listened to the remainder of the game on the radio as I drove home. So, Glen Metropolit was claimed by the Canadiens that day, after having been waived. Apparently, he did the morning skate with the Flyers and then was told he was going to the Canadiens. And then played against the Flyers that night. It must be difficult to absorb the fact that in a few hours you will be playing against the guys you were just teammates with in the morning -- for real, not for practice purposes. It's not the first time this season that guys switched to teams they were scheduled to meet later in the day as foes -- it happened on my birthday when the Flyers made the trade with Tampa Bay for Matt Carle, but that's not quite the same.
The game was tied when I started out the drive, and it went to overtime. I was approaching I-495 when the apparently-BS call of goaltender interference was made on Scottie Upshall, and was just starting out on that loop when the Canadiens scored on the ensuing power play. I was raging at the referees and the inevitability of that goal; road rage induced by poor officiating. I haven't watched the game, and I don't think I will.
Saturday night I was back up in the Spectrum. The Phantoms were playing Providence. Friday night I had decided that I will wear some of my other hockey jerseys for the remainder of the season -- mix it up a little, not just wear my same purple Phantoms jersey all the time. Friday night I wore my yellow Forsberg Sweden jersey. And Saturday I decided I would wear my Iowa Hawkeyes jersey. When I got into the arena and took my coat off, K. said, "What's this??" and pointed to the colors. Oh. White, black, and yellow. Just like Providence.
I took it off and still felt embarrassed to be wearing a yellow sweatshirt. I didn't want anyone to mistake me for anything but a Phantoms fan. It's not that I feared any heckling or harassment; I just didn't want anyone to think I wasn't there for the purple and orange. I can't believe I didn't even think of the colors.
I had to park a long way from the arena. It was ... ironic? The night before I had mentioned to K. that whenever I drive up for games that happen the same night as Sixers home games, the traffic is never a nightmare getting there. It was when the Flyers were playing. Of course, the traffic gods heard that and everyone in Philadelphia decided to go to the Sixers game Saturday night. It was ridiculous.
It was Dollar Dog Night at the Phantoms game. The Dollar Dog Night that happened in January was, for me, a disaster. I tried three or four times to get a hot dog, and each time was told there were none. Well, the last time it was not me that was getting told, it was the people in front of me, because the guy in front of THEM had just bought the last five or ten hot dogs. That was the last straw. If that dude hadn't gotten so many, I would have gotten a hot dog. I didn't bother trying again that night. I figured this time I would try going mid-period; at the last one, I saw people coming down during the game with hot dogs. So I got up during the first period and stood in line. A very slow line, the guy in front of me was buying beer. Another employee came out behind the counter and asked for the next person. A guy came out of nowhere to cut in line ahead of me and was bringing back a hot dog. It was all dry and crusty and he wanted one that wasn't so crummy. So the guy behind the counter got one out to exchange it. Oh, then the dude decided he wanted four more. So the guy behind the counter gave the jackass line-cutter another four. Were there any hot dogs left after that? Of course not.
I hate damn Dollar Dog Nights because they clearly have no idea how to do it to make sure that there are enough hot dogs at all times. I don't even care that much about hot dogs. It's simply the principle.
I had ice cream instead. And didn't even have to wait in line.
The game was a good one, with some funny names out of the Providence team. Come on, Wacey Rabbit? Too bad he scored. The game was close and went to overtime, and then to the shootout. And then the shootout went on and on, lasting to eight rounds. Claude Giroux, mysteriously (or not?) having been sent down, scored the winning goal in the side show. That was pretty exciting. Also exciting was that J.-S. Aubin didn't really choke. Yeah, he let in three goals, but Munroe let in four the night before. And Aubin didn't do too bad in the shootout. All told, the Phantoms played a much better, much tighter game Saturday night than they did on Friday. It wasn't only the additions of Giroux and Kukkonen -- Kukkonen's shot-blocking certainly helps, and Giroux simply makes amazing plays -- but the rest of the guys just played better.
No Phantoms again until Wednesday, when they play Norfolk, the game which was going to be the last game of the season on April 12 until they decided they wanted to make April 10's game the last game of the season (Good Friday being a better day than Easter Sunday). They will be playing it at the Wachovia Center.
Today the Flyers played the Devils. They played poorly and never seemed, to me, to get it together. Danny Briere was playing in his first Flyers game since December (and his presence was the reason for the demotions to the Phantoms we saw last night). He didn't do too much, but I didn't really expect fireworks out of him on his first NHL game back. He tried his move around the back of the net, but Marty Brodeur was on it. He was on everything, actually. The Devils won 3-0. I hate how the Flyers like to give out milestones to their opponents. Jamie Langenbrunner scored his 200th goal. Marty Brodeur got his 100th shutout.
I hate the Flyers losing to the Devils in such a flat way. Come on, guys. Try?
Next they go to Boston to play Tuesday. Wonder if the roster will change by then; they will still have a day until the deadline. They've got to do something, because Nate Guenin, no disrespect to him intended, isn't going to really do it as one of the six defensemen.
I mentioned earlier the trade on my birthday with Tampa Bay, the one that saw Eminger and Carle playing against the teams they had thought they would be playing with. Steve Downie was involved in that trade and has spent most of his time with Norfolk, as I understand it, though he had call-ups. Last night, Norfolk was playing Hershey, and he slashed a referee. He was hit with a physical abuse of an official call, and suspended indefinitely. I read that such a call comes with an automatic 20-game suspension. Don't doubt for a minute that Downie will get the maximum, given his history. There is some question as to whether he meant to hit the ref or an opposing Hershey player's stick; but given who did the slashing I don't think it's going to go well for him. I think the first suspension messed with his development as a player, and I don't know why he can't seem to keep a lid on his hotheadedness; I wasn't too sorry to see him go, and this kind of stuff makes me glad that they made the trade. Plus, Carle has been very good. Philadelphia wins that trade as things stand now.
After the game, I hurried to my car so that I could get out before the Flyers game ended. They were next door at the Center, playing Montreal. I listened to the remainder of the game on the radio as I drove home. So, Glen Metropolit was claimed by the Canadiens that day, after having been waived. Apparently, he did the morning skate with the Flyers and then was told he was going to the Canadiens. And then played against the Flyers that night. It must be difficult to absorb the fact that in a few hours you will be playing against the guys you were just teammates with in the morning -- for real, not for practice purposes. It's not the first time this season that guys switched to teams they were scheduled to meet later in the day as foes -- it happened on my birthday when the Flyers made the trade with Tampa Bay for Matt Carle, but that's not quite the same.
The game was tied when I started out the drive, and it went to overtime. I was approaching I-495 when the apparently-BS call of goaltender interference was made on Scottie Upshall, and was just starting out on that loop when the Canadiens scored on the ensuing power play. I was raging at the referees and the inevitability of that goal; road rage induced by poor officiating. I haven't watched the game, and I don't think I will.
Saturday night I was back up in the Spectrum. The Phantoms were playing Providence. Friday night I had decided that I will wear some of my other hockey jerseys for the remainder of the season -- mix it up a little, not just wear my same purple Phantoms jersey all the time. Friday night I wore my yellow Forsberg Sweden jersey. And Saturday I decided I would wear my Iowa Hawkeyes jersey. When I got into the arena and took my coat off, K. said, "What's this??" and pointed to the colors. Oh. White, black, and yellow. Just like Providence.
I took it off and still felt embarrassed to be wearing a yellow sweatshirt. I didn't want anyone to mistake me for anything but a Phantoms fan. It's not that I feared any heckling or harassment; I just didn't want anyone to think I wasn't there for the purple and orange. I can't believe I didn't even think of the colors.
I had to park a long way from the arena. It was ... ironic? The night before I had mentioned to K. that whenever I drive up for games that happen the same night as Sixers home games, the traffic is never a nightmare getting there. It was when the Flyers were playing. Of course, the traffic gods heard that and everyone in Philadelphia decided to go to the Sixers game Saturday night. It was ridiculous.
It was Dollar Dog Night at the Phantoms game. The Dollar Dog Night that happened in January was, for me, a disaster. I tried three or four times to get a hot dog, and each time was told there were none. Well, the last time it was not me that was getting told, it was the people in front of me, because the guy in front of THEM had just bought the last five or ten hot dogs. That was the last straw. If that dude hadn't gotten so many, I would have gotten a hot dog. I didn't bother trying again that night. I figured this time I would try going mid-period; at the last one, I saw people coming down during the game with hot dogs. So I got up during the first period and stood in line. A very slow line, the guy in front of me was buying beer. Another employee came out behind the counter and asked for the next person. A guy came out of nowhere to cut in line ahead of me and was bringing back a hot dog. It was all dry and crusty and he wanted one that wasn't so crummy. So the guy behind the counter got one out to exchange it. Oh, then the dude decided he wanted four more. So the guy behind the counter gave the jackass line-cutter another four. Were there any hot dogs left after that? Of course not.
I hate damn Dollar Dog Nights because they clearly have no idea how to do it to make sure that there are enough hot dogs at all times. I don't even care that much about hot dogs. It's simply the principle.
I had ice cream instead. And didn't even have to wait in line.
The game was a good one, with some funny names out of the Providence team. Come on, Wacey Rabbit? Too bad he scored. The game was close and went to overtime, and then to the shootout. And then the shootout went on and on, lasting to eight rounds. Claude Giroux, mysteriously (or not?) having been sent down, scored the winning goal in the side show. That was pretty exciting. Also exciting was that J.-S. Aubin didn't really choke. Yeah, he let in three goals, but Munroe let in four the night before. And Aubin didn't do too bad in the shootout. All told, the Phantoms played a much better, much tighter game Saturday night than they did on Friday. It wasn't only the additions of Giroux and Kukkonen -- Kukkonen's shot-blocking certainly helps, and Giroux simply makes amazing plays -- but the rest of the guys just played better.
No Phantoms again until Wednesday, when they play Norfolk, the game which was going to be the last game of the season on April 12 until they decided they wanted to make April 10's game the last game of the season (Good Friday being a better day than Easter Sunday). They will be playing it at the Wachovia Center.
Today the Flyers played the Devils. They played poorly and never seemed, to me, to get it together. Danny Briere was playing in his first Flyers game since December (and his presence was the reason for the demotions to the Phantoms we saw last night). He didn't do too much, but I didn't really expect fireworks out of him on his first NHL game back. He tried his move around the back of the net, but Marty Brodeur was on it. He was on everything, actually. The Devils won 3-0. I hate how the Flyers like to give out milestones to their opponents. Jamie Langenbrunner scored his 200th goal. Marty Brodeur got his 100th shutout.
I hate the Flyers losing to the Devils in such a flat way. Come on, guys. Try?
Next they go to Boston to play Tuesday. Wonder if the roster will change by then; they will still have a day until the deadline. They've got to do something, because Nate Guenin, no disrespect to him intended, isn't going to really do it as one of the six defensemen.
I mentioned earlier the trade on my birthday with Tampa Bay, the one that saw Eminger and Carle playing against the teams they had thought they would be playing with. Steve Downie was involved in that trade and has spent most of his time with Norfolk, as I understand it, though he had call-ups. Last night, Norfolk was playing Hershey, and he slashed a referee. He was hit with a physical abuse of an official call, and suspended indefinitely. I read that such a call comes with an automatic 20-game suspension. Don't doubt for a minute that Downie will get the maximum, given his history. There is some question as to whether he meant to hit the ref or an opposing Hershey player's stick; but given who did the slashing I don't think it's going to go well for him. I think the first suspension messed with his development as a player, and I don't know why he can't seem to keep a lid on his hotheadedness; I wasn't too sorry to see him go, and this kind of stuff makes me glad that they made the trade. Plus, Carle has been very good. Philadelphia wins that trade as things stand now.
