As happened in late February of 2009, when Ossi Vaananen and Glen Metropolit were placed on waivers as a precursor for making room under the salary cap for Claude Giroux, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren placed forward Tom Sestito and goaltender Michael Leighton on waivers Thursday.
The expectation then and now, was that both would clear and be assigned to the minors. But a funny thing happened on the way to the 24-hour deadline -- Metropolit was taken by Montreal and Vaananen by Vancouver -- and the Flyers lost critical depth despite keeping the emerging star Giroux.
On Friday, the Canucks struck once more, taking Sestito off the Flyers' hands along with his $605,000 salary and restricted free agent status. Thus ends the two-year tenure of the 25-year-old from upstate New York, who totaled three points in 21 games with the big club.
Sestito's job was pretty much taken over by both Zac Rinaldo and Tye McGinn, but hey, we'll always have his landmark two-goal night on February 5 against Tampa Bay to remember him by.
As for Leighton, the string was pulled on him again, and he heads back to Glens Falls having been usurped for the backup position by Brian Boucher plus a broken finger which seems to have taken place and is healing in near total silence.
Phantoms broadcaster Bob Rotruck reported that head coach Terry Murray said on Friday that he will carry three goaltenders at least through the weekend as his team plays in Springfield tonight and Bridgeport tomorrow before going home to face Albany on Sunday. No decision will be made yet on whom he will decide to send down to Trenton if necessary to clear roster space.
Leighton was 28-26-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and two shutouts in spending all of last season with Adirondack.
Showing posts with label Canucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canucks. Show all posts
Friday, March 01, 2013
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Flyers escape with home-opening win over Canucks
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
For all the talk about altered chemistry, new looks and diminished expectations in the short term, this year's edition of the Philadelphia Flyers already seem to be well ahead of any predicted curve.
With so much roster turnover, games in the early going are certain to be on the razor's edge; that's where the new goaltending savior -- Ilya Bryzgalov -- is supposed to do what he was paid handsomely to do. When that doesn't happen, it's a relief to know that someone, anyone, will be there to pick up the slack.
That's what happened on Wednesday night, in the 2011-12 home opener against the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks.
Having blown three two-goal leads by the early portion of the third period, the expectant throng of 19,632 were saved from a gloomy evening by Andrej Meszaros, whose tally at the 4:40 mark of the third period was the difference in a 5-4 victory.
Only 61 seconds after Daniel Sedin beat Bryzgalov for the visitors' second power-play goal of the night, Meszaros exploited a hole in the left side of the rink, accepted a cross-ice pass from Danny Briere and fired over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo for the deciding score.
It capped a wild night which ultimately saw the surprising Flyers move to 3-0-0 to start the year for the second time in three seasons.
Bryzgalov played well, despite giving up all four goals. He withstood Vancouver surges over the final 40 minutes and stopped a total of 36 shots.
None of what eventually occurred might have transpired if not for a bounce early on which could be considered lucky or unlucky, depending on whose bench from which you saw it.
Philly's second power play of the opening period was in danger of going by the wayside until Chris Pronger's dump-in ricocheted off the end boards to the left of Luongo, and kicked right out into the slot. Claude Giroux, who finished with three points on the night, was ahead of the pack and easily walked in alone and scored on the forehand and under the crossbar at 7:14 of the first.
Pronger then surprised Luongo with a long shot from the point, one whose path into the net was aided by a Wayne Simmonds screen, for a 2-0 Flyers egde on another advantage at 12:12.
Even when Mikael Samuelsson potted a rebound from the top inner edge of the right circle at 16:35 and the Canucks began to assert themselves, the home team didn't lose their cool.
With 2:32 remaining in the first, Giroux halted a Luongo clear at the right point near the benches, and slipped the disc all the way back to James van Riemsdyk. The 22-year-old had his initial shot smothered, but roofed the rebound and the Flyers led 3-1 at intermission.
Then, the Presidents' Trophy winners began to play like they were the best in the NHL a season ago and threw into doubt everything the Atlantic Division winners built up.
Vancouver closed to within a goal at 6:41 of the second stanza, as an unlucky bounce in front of Bryzgalov kicked into the slot. Alex Edler managed to get his stick on the puck in a scrum, and Henrik Sedin converted inside the left post.
Voracek provided a brief respite from the onslaught when he ripped a wrister under the crossbar off a slick dish by Sean Couturier at 8:32, but Higgins caught Bryzgalov leaning off the right pipe and converted a short-side score with 4:29 to play in the period.
Daniel Sedin then knotted the score during a van Riemsdyk unsportsmanlike conduct call, making it 4-4 with 3:39 gone in the third.
Suddenly, and finally, the partisan crowd fell silent. Thankfully, it was not for long because of Meszaros.
Regrettably, the game was a lot closer than it should have been due to an imbalance of power plays. While the Flyers enjoyed the first four of the contest, the Canucks were granted five in a row in the third.
It helped to have Bryzgalov make the saves he needed to make when it counted most, with Vancouver's 31-13 shot advantage over the final 40 minutes -- including a 17-7 margin in the third.
Notes: Prior to the game, the Flyers honored fallen former defenseman Brad McCrimmon, who perished in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl airplane tragedy last month...In the press box during the remembrance were former teammates, now scouts, Mark Howe, Bill Barber and Dave Brown, who all stood during a moment of silence...This marked the third time the Flyers have opened their home schedule against the Canucks -- all wins -- in 1973, 2000 and tonight...10 different Flyers recorded at least one point...Five Vancouver players notched two points including both Sedins...Former captain Mike Richards returns to Philadelphia with the LA Kings on Saturday.
Phanatic Hockey Editor
For all the talk about altered chemistry, new looks and diminished expectations in the short term, this year's edition of the Philadelphia Flyers already seem to be well ahead of any predicted curve.
With so much roster turnover, games in the early going are certain to be on the razor's edge; that's where the new goaltending savior -- Ilya Bryzgalov -- is supposed to do what he was paid handsomely to do. When that doesn't happen, it's a relief to know that someone, anyone, will be there to pick up the slack.
That's what happened on Wednesday night, in the 2011-12 home opener against the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks.
Having blown three two-goal leads by the early portion of the third period, the expectant throng of 19,632 were saved from a gloomy evening by Andrej Meszaros, whose tally at the 4:40 mark of the third period was the difference in a 5-4 victory.
Only 61 seconds after Daniel Sedin beat Bryzgalov for the visitors' second power-play goal of the night, Meszaros exploited a hole in the left side of the rink, accepted a cross-ice pass from Danny Briere and fired over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo for the deciding score.
It capped a wild night which ultimately saw the surprising Flyers move to 3-0-0 to start the year for the second time in three seasons.
Bryzgalov played well, despite giving up all four goals. He withstood Vancouver surges over the final 40 minutes and stopped a total of 36 shots.
None of what eventually occurred might have transpired if not for a bounce early on which could be considered lucky or unlucky, depending on whose bench from which you saw it.
Philly's second power play of the opening period was in danger of going by the wayside until Chris Pronger's dump-in ricocheted off the end boards to the left of Luongo, and kicked right out into the slot. Claude Giroux, who finished with three points on the night, was ahead of the pack and easily walked in alone and scored on the forehand and under the crossbar at 7:14 of the first.
Pronger then surprised Luongo with a long shot from the point, one whose path into the net was aided by a Wayne Simmonds screen, for a 2-0 Flyers egde on another advantage at 12:12.
Even when Mikael Samuelsson potted a rebound from the top inner edge of the right circle at 16:35 and the Canucks began to assert themselves, the home team didn't lose their cool.
With 2:32 remaining in the first, Giroux halted a Luongo clear at the right point near the benches, and slipped the disc all the way back to James van Riemsdyk. The 22-year-old had his initial shot smothered, but roofed the rebound and the Flyers led 3-1 at intermission.
Then, the Presidents' Trophy winners began to play like they were the best in the NHL a season ago and threw into doubt everything the Atlantic Division winners built up.
Vancouver closed to within a goal at 6:41 of the second stanza, as an unlucky bounce in front of Bryzgalov kicked into the slot. Alex Edler managed to get his stick on the puck in a scrum, and Henrik Sedin converted inside the left post.
Voracek provided a brief respite from the onslaught when he ripped a wrister under the crossbar off a slick dish by Sean Couturier at 8:32, but Higgins caught Bryzgalov leaning off the right pipe and converted a short-side score with 4:29 to play in the period.
Daniel Sedin then knotted the score during a van Riemsdyk unsportsmanlike conduct call, making it 4-4 with 3:39 gone in the third.
Suddenly, and finally, the partisan crowd fell silent. Thankfully, it was not for long because of Meszaros.
Regrettably, the game was a lot closer than it should have been due to an imbalance of power plays. While the Flyers enjoyed the first four of the contest, the Canucks were granted five in a row in the third.
It helped to have Bryzgalov make the saves he needed to make when it counted most, with Vancouver's 31-13 shot advantage over the final 40 minutes -- including a 17-7 margin in the third.
Notes: Prior to the game, the Flyers honored fallen former defenseman Brad McCrimmon, who perished in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl airplane tragedy last month...In the press box during the remembrance were former teammates, now scouts, Mark Howe, Bill Barber and Dave Brown, who all stood during a moment of silence...This marked the third time the Flyers have opened their home schedule against the Canucks -- all wins -- in 1973, 2000 and tonight...10 different Flyers recorded at least one point...Five Vancouver players notched two points including both Sedins...Former captain Mike Richards returns to Philadelphia with the LA Kings on Saturday.
Flyers home opening primer
The Philadelphia Flyers kick off their home portion of the 2011-12 season by welcoming the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks.
In 43 seasons over 44 years, the Orange and Black have gone 25-12-6 in previous home openers, including an 8-4-1-1 in their current home, which opened in October of 1996 as the CoreStates Center.
This marks the third time in club history they have welcomed the Canucks to kick off their home slate.
It will also be the third time in team annals that the Flyers will play Vancouver on October 12: in 1971, the Canucks took a 3-2 decision at the Pacific Coliseum, and in 1972 the Flyers repaid the favor with a 7-3 thrashing at the Spectrum in the '72-'73 home opener.
In 2000, the Flyers rallied for a 6-3 victory over the Canucks to kick off the 2000-01 campaign.
Tonight's contest marks the latest home opener in terms of date for the club since it began the 2007-08 home schedule on October 13 against the New York Islanders.
In 43 seasons over 44 years, the Orange and Black have gone 25-12-6 in previous home openers, including an 8-4-1-1 in their current home, which opened in October of 1996 as the CoreStates Center.
This marks the third time in club history they have welcomed the Canucks to kick off their home slate.
It will also be the third time in team annals that the Flyers will play Vancouver on October 12: in 1971, the Canucks took a 3-2 decision at the Pacific Coliseum, and in 1972 the Flyers repaid the favor with a 7-3 thrashing at the Spectrum in the '72-'73 home opener.
In 2000, the Flyers rallied for a 6-3 victory over the Canucks to kick off the 2000-01 campaign.
Tonight's contest marks the latest home opener in terms of date for the club since it began the 2007-08 home schedule on October 13 against the New York Islanders.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Flyers, Canucks should be subdued in aftermath of Game 7 victories
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Winning a seventh and deciding playoff game is always a cause for celebration.
But in the case of the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks today, it should be more a flash of excitement followed by a long exhale and a quick look over the shoulder before sitting down to contemplate all that's happened in the last two weeks.
Both teams faced the burden of expectations: the Flyers as the defending Eastern Conference champions and the Canucks as the Presidents' Trophy winners. Both passed their tests as they will be playing more playoff hockey, but the manner in which they advanced should give both clubs pause.
In South Philadelphia, the home team faced the spectres of a goaltending controversy at its own end, the shadow of an Olympic silver medalist at the other, the pressure of not losing a third home game in the series, and the looming disappointment of bowing out in the first round after a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 months ago.
But it was the Sabres goaltender who displayed the first crack, and a river of Orange Crush began to flow through until four gaping holes emerged. It was a classic Flyers do-or-die win, one that harkened back to earlier eras where drama and the opposition were shunted aside by hard work and application of talent.
Nonetheless, if Brian Boucher showed the first signs of wear instead of Ryan Miller, it might not be such a happy Wednesday in the Delaware Valley.
In downtown Vancouver, the home team stared down the barrel of possibly becoming the second team in as many seasons and just the fourth in history to waste a 3-0 series lead, and being the third top point-getter in the NHL to lose in the first round in four seasons.
When Alex Burrows finally blew a knuckler past Corey Crawford in overtime early this morning, the Canuck fans, team, and coaching staff erupted in delight. It was a celebration initially borne of the twin blessings of an OT series winner on home ice, but it was also sprung from the grim idea that some key individuals would certainly be looking for jobs if the last bounce went the other way.
Vancouver had not advanced past the second round two years running, thanks to the stubborn defending champion Blackhawks, and came within a hair's breadth of a franchise-altering upheaval with a third straight defeat.
So now, the Flyers await their next round opponent and the Canucks know they will face yet another test in the upstart Nashville Predators. They should be taking the news with a wipe of the brow, instead of boldly vowing not to care who they will take on next.
Only once in the past 20 years has a team won a Stanley Cup after taking seven games to advance past the first round: the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. After going down 1-3 to Washington, the Pens took three straight. They went down 1-2 to the Rangers then won three in a row before sweeping Boston and Chicago to win it all.
And just because the first hurdle was cleared, doesn't mean the issues tht dogged both teams are anywhere close to being answered.
My esteemed colleague and managing editor ultimately placed the blame for the goalie roulette of the last two weeks on Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette, but again, the lack of a serious Number One netminder falls on the side of management. Laviolette simply did the best he could with the hand he was dealt, and when mistakes were made, it was like the razor-thin margin between coming up with a straight flush and losing after raising twice with a 2-3-4-6 when no five is on the river.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault chose to start backup Cory Schneider in Game 6 at Chicago on a gut feeling and his play brought his club no closer to finishing the series -- but neither did Roberto Luongo, who gave up the deciding OT score to follow up two previous games of poor play. Luongo will get the credit for the Game 7 win after allowing one goal, but let's not forget he allowed the tying score with less than two minutes left in regulation.
No matter what, the successes and failures are amplified this time of year and the fingers pointed in the direction of those in charge get longer and sharper. But Laviolette and Vigneault find themselves in a rare spot, under fire after actually winning.
It appears that Boucher is the man for the duration, but how long will it really last? And the fact that Luongo ended up the "winner" in the Chicago series does little to elevate a reputation for less-than-stellar play in the postseason.
And what of Flyers captain Mike Richards, held without a goal? Or the Sedin twins, who were total non-factors over the final four contests? Will Jeff Carter be able to return from an MCL sprain in the next round? Can Ryan Kesler capture some of his regular-season magic (41 goals) and step in when no one else can?
These are not questions that teams collectively can answer with the athlete's confidence, puffing out chests in defiance when a lowly scribe dares to ask. To rip off a song from Asia, only time will tell if and when and how these pressing issues play out.
And for the Flyers and Canucks, that time should begin with quiet recognition that they just narrowly escaped a worse fate.
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Winning a seventh and deciding playoff game is always a cause for celebration.
But in the case of the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks today, it should be more a flash of excitement followed by a long exhale and a quick look over the shoulder before sitting down to contemplate all that's happened in the last two weeks.
Both teams faced the burden of expectations: the Flyers as the defending Eastern Conference champions and the Canucks as the Presidents' Trophy winners. Both passed their tests as they will be playing more playoff hockey, but the manner in which they advanced should give both clubs pause.
In South Philadelphia, the home team faced the spectres of a goaltending controversy at its own end, the shadow of an Olympic silver medalist at the other, the pressure of not losing a third home game in the series, and the looming disappointment of bowing out in the first round after a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals 11 months ago.
But it was the Sabres goaltender who displayed the first crack, and a river of Orange Crush began to flow through until four gaping holes emerged. It was a classic Flyers do-or-die win, one that harkened back to earlier eras where drama and the opposition were shunted aside by hard work and application of talent.
Nonetheless, if Brian Boucher showed the first signs of wear instead of Ryan Miller, it might not be such a happy Wednesday in the Delaware Valley.
In downtown Vancouver, the home team stared down the barrel of possibly becoming the second team in as many seasons and just the fourth in history to waste a 3-0 series lead, and being the third top point-getter in the NHL to lose in the first round in four seasons.
When Alex Burrows finally blew a knuckler past Corey Crawford in overtime early this morning, the Canuck fans, team, and coaching staff erupted in delight. It was a celebration initially borne of the twin blessings of an OT series winner on home ice, but it was also sprung from the grim idea that some key individuals would certainly be looking for jobs if the last bounce went the other way.
Vancouver had not advanced past the second round two years running, thanks to the stubborn defending champion Blackhawks, and came within a hair's breadth of a franchise-altering upheaval with a third straight defeat.
So now, the Flyers await their next round opponent and the Canucks know they will face yet another test in the upstart Nashville Predators. They should be taking the news with a wipe of the brow, instead of boldly vowing not to care who they will take on next.
Only once in the past 20 years has a team won a Stanley Cup after taking seven games to advance past the first round: the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins. After going down 1-3 to Washington, the Pens took three straight. They went down 1-2 to the Rangers then won three in a row before sweeping Boston and Chicago to win it all.
And just because the first hurdle was cleared, doesn't mean the issues tht dogged both teams are anywhere close to being answered.
My esteemed colleague and managing editor ultimately placed the blame for the goalie roulette of the last two weeks on Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette, but again, the lack of a serious Number One netminder falls on the side of management. Laviolette simply did the best he could with the hand he was dealt, and when mistakes were made, it was like the razor-thin margin between coming up with a straight flush and losing after raising twice with a 2-3-4-6 when no five is on the river.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault chose to start backup Cory Schneider in Game 6 at Chicago on a gut feeling and his play brought his club no closer to finishing the series -- but neither did Roberto Luongo, who gave up the deciding OT score to follow up two previous games of poor play. Luongo will get the credit for the Game 7 win after allowing one goal, but let's not forget he allowed the tying score with less than two minutes left in regulation.
No matter what, the successes and failures are amplified this time of year and the fingers pointed in the direction of those in charge get longer and sharper. But Laviolette and Vigneault find themselves in a rare spot, under fire after actually winning.
It appears that Boucher is the man for the duration, but how long will it really last? And the fact that Luongo ended up the "winner" in the Chicago series does little to elevate a reputation for less-than-stellar play in the postseason.
And what of Flyers captain Mike Richards, held without a goal? Or the Sedin twins, who were total non-factors over the final four contests? Will Jeff Carter be able to return from an MCL sprain in the next round? Can Ryan Kesler capture some of his regular-season magic (41 goals) and step in when no one else can?
These are not questions that teams collectively can answer with the athlete's confidence, puffing out chests in defiance when a lowly scribe dares to ask. To rip off a song from Asia, only time will tell if and when and how these pressing issues play out.
And for the Flyers and Canucks, that time should begin with quiet recognition that they just narrowly escaped a worse fate.
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