BC gives York a rousing victory on banner evening

Chestnut Hill, MA -- If your revered head coach sets an NCAA record for all-time wins and doesn't happen to be honored by your school for nearly a year, it might put you off a bit.

Eventually, you're going to find a release valve and take that frustration out on your opposition.

On Friday at Conte Forum, Jerry York Night finally happened, and his Boston College Eagles responded with a sound 9-2 thrashing of the Wisconsin Badgers in front of a sell-out crowd.

In typical fashion, York was even-handed about the blowout victory against the new Big Ten program, which up until this season, used to be a big WCHA program.

"No way we were seven goals better than the Badgers," BC's long-time head coach said. "Everything we did tonight kind of turned into goals. We were moving pucks well. We were finishing. It could be a completely different game if we played tomorrow with the same teams. On this particular night, everything was going just how you diagrammed."

It marked the first time in nearly nine months the top-10 ranked school hit the nine-goal mark, after dishing out a 9-3 beating at Northeastern on January 19.  BC last tallied as many on home ice on January 31, 2003 in a 9-0 dismantling of UMass-Amherst.

Boston College improved to 2-1-0 on the season thanks to balanced scoring: 15 different players notched at least one point and four different skaters posted three points, including South Jersey's own Johnny Gaudreau. The junior, now picked to be a leader in the hunt for a fifth national title since 2000, became the 74th player in school history to reach the 100-point plateau after striking for a goal and two assists.

“My freshman and sophomore years, I got to play with Steven Whitney and Pat Mullane and I wouldn’t be here with my 100th point without playing with those two guys my first two seasons,’’ said Gaudreau. “It was a really special opportunity for me. It’s just been a really fun three years so far and I’m extremely grateful I’ve gotten to play with some great players.’’

The victory was the 937th in the Watertown, MA native's career, and his banner-raising came almost 10 months after setting the NCAA mark in earnest with win #925, on December 29 in the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis against Alabama-Huntsville.

Since then, BC was usurped by the resurgent UMass-Lowell RiverHawks for the Hockey East regular-season and playoff crowns, York was felled unexpectedly by two detached retinas in the same eye as the push for the postseason got underway, the Eagles were eliminated in the conference semifinal game by rival BU, then taken out in the first round of the Northeast Regional by Flyers prospect defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere's Union College, and the ensuing offseason all created a geyser of pressure which the hosts released over an unlucky foe.

All of that was wiped away in a four-goal blitz within a span of 5:39 after the midway point of the first period. Austin Cangelosi scored the first two of his collegiate career, Gaudreau added a marker and Ian McCoshen finished the burst, part of an 18-7 first-period shot edge for Boston College.

Michael Matheson, Scott Savage and Michael Sit produced their first goals of the season in the second period before Wisconsin finally answered with a Michael Mersch tally to make it 7-1 after 40 minutes of play.

Kevin Hayes and Patrick Brown lit the red light sandwiched around Nik Kerdiles' goal for the Badgers in the third period.

Brian Billett had an easy night, making just 19 stops. Landon Peterson was pulled after allowing six goals on 16 shots, with Adam Miller finishing up by surrendering three scores on 24 chances.

“Two of our greatest fears tonight were playing our first game on a small sheet against a quick team and a team that was fired up for their coach,” said Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves. “Our hope was to survive the first. And we didn’t.”

The rout gave Hockey East a 2-0-1 advantage in the early stages of its round robin against the Big Ten. Wisconsin takes on Boston University tonight, while BC is off until a pair of games at Minnesota next weekend. 

No way we’re seven goals better than the Badgers,” said York, who was greeted by former BC coach Len Ceglarski, who once held the same NCAA record for career wins (673) before retiring. “Everything we did tonight kind of turned to goals. We were just moving pucks well. We were finishing. It could be a completely different game if we played tomorrow with the same teams. This particular night, everything was going just how you diagram it - See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_hockey/2013/10/banner_night_at_home_for_eagles#sthash.oYJ8ir5O.dpuf"

No way we’re seven goals better than the Badgers,” said York, who was greeted by former BC coach Len Ceglarski, who once held the same NCAA record for career wins (673) before retiring. “Everything we did tonight kind of turned to goals. We were just moving pucks well. We were finishing. It could be a completely different game if we played tomorrow with the same teams. This particular night, everything was going just how you diagram it - See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_hockey/2013/10/banner_night_at_home_for_eagles#sthash.oYJ8ir5O.dpuf

No way we’re seven goals better than the Badgers,” said York, who was greeted by former BC coach Len Ceglarski, who once held the same NCAA record for career wins (673) before retiring. “Everything we did tonight kind of turned to goals. We were just moving pucks well. We were finishing. It could be a completely different game if we played tomorrow with the same teams. This particular night, everything was going just how you diagram it - See more at: http://bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_hockey/2013/10/banner_night_at_home_for_eagles#sthash.oYJ8ir5O.dpuf

Extra Points: Irsay makes things tougher for Colts | NFL (AP) | Latest news and video on the ...

Extra Points: Irsay makes things tougher for Colts | NFL (AP) | Latest news and video on the ...

Flyers season-opening woes continue in loss to Penguins

Philadelphia, PA -- Evgeni Malkin picked up a goal and one assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins sent the Philadelphia Flyers to a franchise- worst start to a season by claiming a 4-1 decision on Thursday.

Even  playing without  top defenseman Kris Letang (knee) and key forward James Neal  (lower-body), four  different  players lit  the  lamp, including  Sidney Crosby, who increased his season-commencing point streak to seven games -- which is also a new career best.

Chris Kunitz and Jussi Jokinen also tallied for the Penguins, the Metropolitan Division leaders who improved to 6-1-0 on the year. Pascal Dupuis added a pair of assists to back a 24-save effort from Marc-Andre Fleury.

"The start of the season is always an adjustment. You really just focus on your work ethic and making sure you're committed to doing what you need to do every night," said Crosby. "Sometimes, it doesn't work out that way, especially early on, but we found a way to win games for different reasons. It's nice to get rewarded early on, and to build some confidence and momentum."

Stat which might mean something: The Flyers had an astounding 38 shot attempts that didn’t reach the net (23 were blocked, 15 missed), as the Pittsburgh defense, unlike in years past, performed more like the Rangers under John Tortorella than the high-octane transitional backline in years past. 

Steve Mason continued his solid play, making 31 stops for the Flyers, who fell to 1-7-0 -- one point worse than a 1-6-1 start to the 2006-07 season. Wayne  Simmonds recorded  the lone goal for Philadelphia, whose anemic offense has produced 11 goals so far.

"We were not even close. I think we were all right in the first. Second period was awful. We never really recovered from that," Simmonds said when asked if an uptick in intensity meant a 60-minute effort. "We weren’t executing work, getting pucks deep, weren’t turning over pucks in neutral zone. They are a good transition team. We couldn’t break the puck out of our own zone and they took advantage of that."

Fleury  robbed  Simmonds in  close during  the Flyers'  first advantage in the third  period, and  though the ice was  tilted in the Philadelphia end for the majority  of the  final  stanza, it  remained  only a  one-goal  edge for  the visitors.

Things are so bad for the Orange and Black, that Brayden Schenn looked at a wide open net when Fleury was pulled to the right post, that the young winger shot the puck wide and behind the out-of-position netminder.

“I haven’t seen the replay. Obviously you would like to have that one back with an open net. It could have changed the hockey game, but I guess nothing you can do about it now," said Schenn, who nonetheless leads the club in scoring with five points. 

The Pens assumed a 3-1 margin with 2:32 left in regulation. An attempted clear from  Flyers defenseman  Braydon Coburn from behind his net redirected off the side of the cage right to Dupuis in the slot, and he flipped the puck in front for an easy tap-in from Crosby.

“Our first two periods weren't great. In the third period, that’s the way we need to play. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to capitalize on some chances and before you knew it, the game’s over," mused Mason.

Mason  was summoned to  the bench for an extra skater shortly after and Malkin connected into the empty net with 12.3 ticks left.

In a scoreless opening period, the Penguins failed to click on two-plus power-play chances and the Flyers came up short on their opportunity.

Fact which may mean nothing: Per the Post-Gazette, visiting head coach Dan Bylsma said his club might have been cheated out of a significant chunk of their carry-over power play from the end of the first period after the game clock ran during an intermission promotion.

“My understanding is that there was a 20 second promotion in between periods that the clock ran for and it ran down for that 20 seconds," Bylsma explained. "When we left I wrote down on my card 1:02 and came out and didn’t look at the end zone to see and I realized it when the guy came out after 43 seconds, that he came out prematurely.”

The  hosts  were held without a  shot for 14  minutes by the time the visitors claimed  the game's  first  goal. Malkin  grabbed an  attempted  clear in  the neutral  zone, moved  over the Philadelphia blue line and fed ahead to Jokinen for  a  high wrister  from the  right circle  just before  the midway point of regulation.

Kunitz  made it 2-0 with 12:13 played in the second, when he swooped in on the right  side and slammed home a Dupuis rebound which deflected off the shin pad of Coburn and stopped just outside Mason's crease.

Fleury  was  whistled for  interference inside  of a minute  on the clock, and Simmonds  halved the  Flyers' deficit by hitting  the net on a deflection of a Claude  Giroux chance with two seconds to play. It snapped the club's 0-for-18 slide up a man.

Notes: Pittsburgh  has won  three  in a  row  and five  of the  last  seven games  in Philadelphia  ... Mason  fell to 2-2-1 against the Penguins, with Thursday his first  start  against the Steel City  club since making  32 saves in a 4-1 win with Columbus on Feb. 8, 2011 ... Crosby upped his point total in Philly to 35
points  (14G, 21A)  in 22 career regular-season games ... Malkin has 30 points (13G,  17A) over  22 games in eastern Pennsylvania ... Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen  left the  game in the second  period and did not return with a lower-body injury ... After going scoreless in the first five games, Giroux has recorded an assist in each of the last three ... Garth Snow was the last Penguins goalie to blank the Flyers in Philadelphia, making 36 saves in a 1-0 decision on November 24, 2000.

Sixers sign C Orton

PHILADELPHIA - The Sixers are still looking for help up front and have signed free agent center Daniel Orton.

Orton (6-foot-10, 255) was originally an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Kentucky and was selected with the 29th overall pick by Orlando. 

The 23-year-old spent last season with Oklahoma City and also played for the Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, averaging 12 and a half points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and over two blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor.

Orton replaces center Tim Ohlbrecht, who was waived. Ohlbrecht was originally picked up on waivers from Houston.

Flyers free-fall continues in home loss to Canucks

Philadelphia, PA -- The minute positives keep on coming for Craig Berube's squad, but they have yet to add up to one major victory.

Tye McGinn registered his second and third goals in a two-game span and a more consistent effort was in the offing, but Ryan Kesler scored  a pair of goals, including  the  deciding tally with 2:25  left in regulation, as the Vancouver Canucks upended the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, on Tuesday.

"He could have easily had a couple tonight," said Canucks head coach John Tortorella. "He just needs to stay playing in the areas he's been playing at and just keep banging away."

Stat which definitely means something: NHL PR stated that the Canucks improved to 20-0-1 in games where the American wingers has scored at least a pair of goals. 

Chris  Higgins added  a goal  and one  assist, with  Henrik Sedin  posting two helpers for the Canucks, who kicked off their seven-game road trip by snapping a two-game slide.

Roberto Luongo stopped 20 shots for the win, which boosted his club's record in Philadelphia to 5-3-1 since October of 1999.

"It was a nice one, especially since the couple of guys that scored goals had been working hard all year so far, but hadn't gotten rewarded much," the veteran netminder said. "So it's nice that they both contributed in a huge way there."

McGinn  registered his first  career two-goal  effort for the Flyers, who dropped to 1-6-0 on the year. Steve Mason made 22 stops in the loss.

The Penguins await on Thursday before a week-long break interrupts the busy portion of October's schedule. A loss in regulation to Pittsburgh would set a new franchise record for worst start to any season.

Ken Hitchcock was out as head coach following a 1-6-1 commencement in 2006-07.

Stat which may or may not mean anything: The Flyers won 15 faceoffs tonight and were operating at 30 percent efficiency (15-for-35) on draws. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the roughest night on the dot since February 15, 2009, when they were 15-for-52 (28.8 percent) in a 5-2 win at the New York Rangers. 

Encapsulating the offensive frustrations which have plagued the Orange and Black since the outset of the year, Matt Read cranked a shot off the crossbar from the right circle with six minutes played in the third, and that cost the Flyers as the Canucks tied the game soon after.

Higgins then waited on the left side unmarked to one-time a pass from Sedin at 7:31 for a 2-2 deadlock. Nik Grossmann tried to outwait Sedin and, when challenging the Swede behind the net, Henrik dished in front for the momentum-altering score.

It was 3-2 for the visitors with 2:25 left in regulation. Mason made a great save on the right side to deny Higgins, but the rebound popped to Kesler for a successful chance on the left side.

The Flyers capitalized on a shaky Luongo with 7:34 left in the first period, when McGinn followed up a Grossmann shot and backhanded the rebound home while diving towards the crease.

It was a carbon copy of the call-up's first goal of the season, which came in Detroit during Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Red Wings.

Just 10 seconds later, Kesler evened the score. Mason attempted to stop a wrap-around on the end boards but misplayed the carom, and the Vancouver forward chipped the loose disc into the empty cage.

"Yeah, it didn't get to me but I went right after it and made a play up the middle," Mason said of his misfortune. "You can't let things like that affect you, you can't always control what the puck does. You control what you do after that and I thought we played a pretty strong game."

Mason sprawled out to stifle a Jannik Hansen break-in on the second shift of the middle period, and it was 2-1 for the hosts at 2:10 when McGinn was at the left post to poke home a broken-up centering feed from Jakub Voracek that deflected off Claude Giroux.

"You know we were going 2-1 in that third period and to give up two goals against them in the third it definitely bites you in the tongue," McGinn said. "We have to find ways to win."

Notes: Coming into the contest, the Canucks sported the second-worst defense in the Western Conference with 20 goals against in six games ... Sedin's assist on Higgins' score gave him 800 career points, the first player in Vancouver history to have recorded all 800 with the club ... McGinn has registered goals in back-to-back games for the second time in his young career, having done so on February 11-12 of this year against Toronto and Winnipeg ... Philadelphia played its first home game against the Canucks -- then an expansion team -- 43 years ago today, recording a 5-4 victory .. The Flyers have been outscored by a 10-2 margin in third periods and have come up empty on their last 17 power-play attempts.

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Division I season preview and predictions

The 2013-14 Division I college hockey season kicked off in earnest this past weekend, with both league and non-league action.

It's a five-month sprint among the six major conferences: Hockey East, ECAC Hockey, the WCHA, Atlantic Hockey and the newly-created Big Ten and National Collegiate Hockey Conference, which culminates in the Frozen Four at the big building in South Philadelphia on April 10 and 12 of next year.

From the bones of the old CCHA, Notre Dame joined the now 11-team Hockey East, while Miami of Ohio gained membership in the NCHC. Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan were accepted into the WCHA, while Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State joined the new Big Ten.

The NCHC also enveloped old WCHA stalwarts North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth.

Alabama-Huntsville, once a program left for dead by an old administration but eventually resurrected, also joined the WCHA for the upcoming season.

Coming off their first-ever appearance among the top four finishers in the game, reigning regular-season and playoff Hockey East champion UMass-Lowell gained the top overall spot in USCHO's preseason poll, but the new listing this afternoon, finds Miami (Ohio) at the top of the list.

Yale is the reigning national champion, the first Ivy League and ECAC program to have won since Harvard topped Minnesota back in 1989. The Bulldogs topped conference rival Quinnipiac in the first D-I championship game to feature two competing programs since the WCHA's North Dakota beat Denver in 2005.

Since 2000, 11 of the 14 programs to win it all have come from either the WCHA (North Dakota, 2000; Minnesota 2002-03; Denver 2004-05; Wisconsin 2006; Minnesota-Duluth 2011) or Hockey East (Boston College 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012; Boston University 2009) -- with Yale and Michigan State (2007) the others.

On Friday night, Penn State avoided a scheduling conflict due to the Government shutdown, taking on the United States Military Academy and posting a 4-1 win to inaugurate Pegula Ice Arena. The Nits, of course, will be coming to Philly to face Vermont in the second edition of the Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff on October 26.

Here's a master list of every college game on a cable network for the upcoming season.

And without further ado, the total unscientific predictions per conference for the upcoming year:

HOCKEY EAST	ECAC Hockey	Atlantic Hockey
Umass-Lowell	Union	Niagara
Boston College	Yale	Canisius
New Hampshire	Quinnipiac	Robert Morris
Boston University	Clarkson	Holy Cross
Notre Dame	RPI	Connecticut
Maine	Colgate	Army
Merrimack	St. Lawrence	American International
Umass-Amherst	Harvard	Sacred Heart
Vermont	Cornell	Air Force
Northeastern	Princeton	Mercyhurst
	Dartmouth	RIT
	Brown	Bentley
BIG TEN	NCHC	WCHA
Minnesota	North Dakota	Ferris State
Michigan	St. Cloud State	Minnesota State
Wisconsin	Miami Ohio	Alaska Fairbanks
Michigan State	Minnesota Duluth	Bowling Green
Ohio State	Denver	Lake Superior State
Penn State	Colorado College	Alaska Anchorage
	Nebraska Omaha	Bemidji State
	Western Michigan	Alabama Huntsville
		Michigan Tech
		Northern Michigan

Bob Costas bows to the vocal minority -- Redskins should go

Eagles' Kelly will ride the hot hand for now

PHILADELPHIA - It's not often a first-place team has to deal with a quarterback controversy, but then again most clubs atop their divisions aren't playing .500 football like the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have taken advantage of a soft spot in their schedule to win back-to-back games and find themselves tied atop the NFC Least ... err East ... with the Dallas Cowboys as a Week 7 showdown between the two clubs looms in the Cradle of Liberty.

When evaluating the Birds the glass-is-half-full people will point out that you can only play who is in front of you and laud Philadelphia for taking care of business against the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those who think that same glass is half empty will point to the fact those two teams
are a combined 0-11 right now.

Either way Chip Kelly has his team in the thick of the playoff hunt and now needs to decide how to handle the game's most important position moving forward.

The 33-year-old Michael Vick clearly won the spot in the preseason over second-year man Nick Foles, but developments in Florida could be spawning another recount.

Foles filled in for the injured Vick, who did not play due to a hamstring injury suffered a week earlier, and threw three touchdown passes while running for another in a 31-20 Eagles' victory over the Bucs on Sunday.

The Arizona product completed 22-of-31 passes for 296 yards and a passer rating of 133.3 in just his seventh career NFL start. Ironically, Foles' only other victory as a headliner came last December in Central Florida.

Many (mistakenly) assume Kelly's offensive philosophy is wholly dependent on a movement-based signal caller and while it's true the former Oregon mentor would like to have a Robert Griffin III or Colin Kaepernick type piloting his offense, the real key to his heart is quick decision-making, something which
could foreshadow Vick's eventual demise and the ultimate winner of this QB derby.

"I think the game is about making quick decisions," Kelly told The Sports Network this summer. "It's a game of 60 to 70 to 80 four-second plays. So once the ball is snapped, it happens at that tempo. We're just trying to force them to -- everything we do has to kind of be -- reflect what the mission is, and the mission is to be prepared to play a four-second play."

Even at 33, Vick has the athleticism to whet Kelly's appetite but not those kind of decision-making skills. The strength of Vick's game has always been all about extending plays with his legs and making things happen down the field when defenses break down and it turns into the sandlot. Foles, on the other hand, is lead-footed but flashes the potential to develop into a sharp decision-maker who gets rid of the football with alacrity.

Kelly has been able to move the ball with each quarterback. On Sunday, the Eagles became just the second team in NFL history to rack up at least 1,500 passing and 1,050 rushing yards through six games, joining the 1954 Rams. The club also became just the fourth team in NFL lore (and the second this season
with Denver) to pile up at least 400 yards in their first six tests.

However, Philadelphia has been far more productive putting up points with Foles. In about six quarters of action this season, the youngster has accounted for seven TDs and no turnovers. In 4 1/2 games, Vick has led Philadelphia to the same amount of TDs but turned it over four times.

You also can make a strong argument that Foles has faced tougher competition than Vick. In total defense entering Week 6, the Giants were 24th, but Tampa Bay was No. 13 with one of the NFC's most talented secondaries. And Foles put up better numbers against Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and Co. than elite
signal callers like Drew Brees and Tom Brady have done in 2013.

Vick, meanwhile, started and finished against one good defense -- Kansas City (No. 7) -- and three awful ones -- Washington (No. 32), San Diego (No. 27) and Denver (No. 29).

To me, though, the two things that trend toward Foles in this competition are his ability to better handle Kelly's up-tempo needs and Riley Cooper.

Entering Sunday's game, the embattled Cooper had the fewest number of receptions among all NFL wide receivers who had started five games with eight. The next lowest total was Indianapolis' Darius Heyward-Bey with 13. Against the Bucs, Cooper looked like a star, hauling in four passes for 120 yards and
a score with two of his receptions going for 40-plus yards.

The very definition of a good quarterback is having the ability to make those around you better and Nick Foles did that on Sunday with a very pedestrian player.

Kelly always knew he was going to need Foles at some point. The oft-injured Vick has played in all 16 games just once in his NFL career. That said, like any coach, Kelly didn't want the distraction of a potential QB change engulfing him or his team.

"If someone comes in and puts on an unbelievable performance, you have to take it into account," Kelly said last week when discussing the QB situation. "I suppose if Foles is 100-for-100 with 27 TDs (in Tampa), then, yeah (he could win the job.)"

It was a deft way to handle things.

Kelly made sure to back his starter but also left the door ajar for Foles, albeit very slightly.

In coach speak that 100-for-100 with 27 TDs could very well equate to the 296 yards and three scores Foles did throw for with Vick's balky hamstring serving as the excuse for Kelly riding the hot hand.

"Not at all. It's the game of football," Vick said when asked whether he is concerned about his job. "Nick's a great player. He's a great football player. He does exactly what he needs to do when he goes out on the field. That's not something I'm gonna worry about. I'm gonna worry about getting healthy."

That indicates Vick, who has proven to be quite a leader this season, has bought in for now.

"Right now, (I'm) still working to get back to it -- get to 100 percent, you know," Vick told CSNPhilly.com. "So it's going to be a long road."

That long road could be one week or the rest of the season.

If Foles falters against the Cowboys next week, Kelly can turn back to Vick and act like nothing ever happened. But, if Foles excels again, the Eagles will have a new starting QB.

"We'll evaluate everything," a coy Kelly said. "We'll go back and watch the film, see what (Foles) did, see where we are, see where Mike is."

Red Wings take down punchless Flyers

Detroit, MI -- Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will be whatever positives that arise from Craig Berube's tenure as Flyers head coach.

Nonetheless, it was still painful to watch a new conference foe work that old black magic on their home ice.

Henrik Zetterberg tallied twice in the third period, as the Detroit Red Wings got past the Philadelphia by a 5-2 count on Saturday at Joe Louis Arena.

Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall each posted a goal and two helpers for the Red Wings, who pumped in their first three power-play goals of the season and halted a two-game losing skid.

Old nemesis Daniel Alfredsson picked up three assists and Todd Bertuzzi added a score to back Jimmy Howard's 32-save performance.

"I thought we entered the zone pretty good, we moved the puck around quite a bit and most important thing, we shot the puck," Bertuzzi said.

Erik Gustafsson and Tye McGinn lit the lamp for the Flyers, who continued their early season slide with their fifth loss in six contests.

Ray Emery was victimized for all four goals on 29 shots in his second start of the year. His lone previous start was a 4-1 loss in Montreal one week ago.

Philadelphia, which has scored a franchise-low eight goals to start the season, received bad news at the outset. Club GM Paul Holmgren revealed that forward Scott Hartnell will miss 2-to-4 weeks with an upper-body injury and forward Vincent Lecavalier will be out one week with a lower-body issue.

The Orange and Black put together perhaps their toughest and most complete effort of the year, but still were unable to cash in when needed most.  

Down a goal and despite heavy pressure to start the third, the visitors couldn't get one past Howard.

On the same shift after two Flyers missed open nets, Braydon Coburn was sent off for holding and the Wings capitalized with their third power-play score of the contest on Datsyuk's backhander from the slot at 3:08.

McGinn made it a one-goal contest with 5:46 played, following up a Claude Giroux rebound and beating Howard from the left side.

Zetterberg, however, restored the Wings' two-goal edge by beating Emery with 6:12 remaining. He tallied once more inside the final minute of regulation into the empty net, as Emery was summoned to the bench for an extra attacker with more than two minutes to play.

"You don't ever want to get comfortable with losing," said Berube, who fell to 1-2 at the helm. "But we played a solid game, a lot of urgency. We were competitive, but it wasn't enough."

Only 24 seconds into their first power play, the Wings went up 1-0 as Bertuzzi wrapped the puck around the right post and in with 7:13 played in the opening period.

Kronwall's hard wrister from the left circle zipped under the crossbar and gave Detroit a 2-0 edge with 8:52 remaining in the second period and seconds to go on a Luke Schenn holding penalty.

But Philly climbed within a goal just 34 seconds later, when Gustafsson's knuckler from the point eluded Howard for the Swedish defenseman's first of the year.

Notes: The Flyers fell to 1-18-2 in Detroit, including two losses in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, since a 4-3 win on Nov. 4, 1988 ... To fill the roster spots, the Flyers recalled McGinn and Michael Raffl from Adirondack of the American Hockey League ... McGinn's score was his first in the NHL since February 12 at Winnipeg in a 3-2 Flyers win ... Gustafsson lit the lamp for the first time since April 16 in a 4-2 victory over the Rangers ... Kronwall's tally was his first since March 15 ... Prior to the contest, the Red Wings agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with first-round pick and forward Anthony Mantha ... Giroux's assist was his first point of the season ... Coming into the game, Emery had been 3-0 with a 1.85 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in four career games vs. Detroit.

Hartnell down 2-4 weeks, Vinny down 7 days

About 90 minutes before the start of Saturday's Flyers-Red Wings tilt, Philly GM Paul Holmgren confirmed to a team insider that Scott Hartnell will miss 2-to-4 weeks of action with what CSN's Tim Panaccio calls a "stabbing pain" in his upper body.

The news was better for Vinny Lecavalier, who is only slated to miss a week of play.

Both were injured in Friday night's 2-1 home loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

It's the second dose of bad luck for Hartnell in a span of nine months. The ginger forward suffered a broken bone in his foot in the third game of last season in late January and missed more than a month.

Lecavalier had come on strong in his first five games as a Flyer, with many considering him the best overall player the club has seen during their 1-4-0 start. He was tied for the team lead in points with three, but Hartnell had failed to crack the scoresheet this season.

Hartnell, Lecavalier out; Raffl and McGinn in

Two main pieces to the offensive puzzle will be out at least one week with injuries suffered during last night's 2-1 home loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Scott Hartnell left in the first period and did not return with what was eventually called an upper-body injury, while Vinny Lecavalier left later on with a lower-body issue.

Paul Holmgren has recalled two players from the Adirondack Phantoms to fill the roster spots: Tye McGinn and Michael Raffl.

Both players are listed as available for tonight's game in Detroit, and once Raffl takes a shift it will be the Austrian youngster's first NHL action.

The Flyers, now 1-4-0 on the season, have only won once in the last 25 years on the road against the Red Wings, and that was in January of 2011.

Former Flyers coach Dineen gains AHL HOF nod

Bill Dineen, who served as Philadelphia Flyers head coach between December of 1991 and the end of the 1992-93 season, was one of four men elected to the American Hockey League Hall of Fame's Class of 2014 on Thursday.

“There’s not many places I didn’t stop,” Dineen said in obvious understatement.

Dineen is best known in hockey circles for his time spent in Glens Falls as bench boss for Adirondack's original AHL club, the primary affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. From 1983 to 1989, the Quebec native led the Baby Wings, winning Calder Cups in 1986 -- while the parent club won an NHL-worst 17 games -- and again in 1989. He also took home the Pieri Award for the league's top coach in both 1985 and '86.

“We saw a lot of kids go up to Detroit from here. And they went and never came back. That’s the ultimate. It was always a good feeling to see a player that you coached get an opportunity to go up, and you hope not to see them come back," he added. "That’s what the players are here for. It’s not the ideal situation for the coach, but it’s very satisfying.”

He had previously been elected to the Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame back in 2010. 

The 81-year-old also had the distinction of being head coach in the World Hockey Association with the Houston Aeros (1972-78) and New England Whalers (1978-79) -- both of which featured Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty.

Dineen played in the AHL between 1958 and 1964 for Buffalo, Cleveland, Rochester and the Quebec Aces before they became the Flyers' chief affiliate.

“I love the American League,” Dineen said. “I think it’s a good development league for kids, very competitive, very physical. Certainly a good way to develop your skills.”

In Philadelphia Dineen took over for Paul Holmgren on December 5, 1991 and earned a rare distinction as being the only Flyers head coach to have been the boss of his son. Kevin Dineen had been acquired from the Hartford Whalers weeks before the coaching chance. The elder Dineen finished his Philadelphia tenure with a neat 60-60-20 record but did not reach the playoffs.

John Slaney, who skated with the Philadelphia Phantoms from 2001 to '07 and was a key member on the blue line for the 2005 Calder Cup champions, was also selected. Slaney, a native of Newfoundland, played parts of 14 years in the AHL for multiple clubs, also spent five games with the Flyers split over two seasons. 

Read on for the full release and bios of all inductees.

* Quotes courtesy of Diana C. Nearhos and the Post Star

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Flyers' coaching changes, game-after performance and more

Jon Anderson once wrote the immortal Yoda-like words "change we must" for his former long-time supergroup Yes. 

On eight separate occasions including Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Flyers have made an in-season coaching change revolving around the performance of its previous bench boss.

One exception to the rule was when Craig Ramsay was handed the head coaching duties due to Roger Neilson's cancer treatments in February of 2000.

Including a 2-1 decision over the Florida Panthers in Craig Berube's debut last night, the next Philly head coach has compiled a 4-3-1 record in his first game behind the bench. Here are the results from the first seven changes.

February 1, 1979 -- First-year head coach Bob McCammon was let go and re-assigned to the Flyers' AHL affiliate in Portland Maine, after going 22-17-11 over his first 50 games as an NHL head coach. His final contest was a 7-3 loss at the Spectrum to the three-time defending champion Montreal Canadiens, the eighth in an eventual nine-game (0-4-5) mid-season slide.

Enter Pat Quinn, recalled from the Mariners in his first year as a professional head coach, and the result wasn't much better against the reigning Patrick Division champion Islanders at the Spectrum. Clark Gillies, Mike Bossy and Lorne Henning scored in the third period to snap a 1-1 deadlock and turn it into a 4-1 New York triumph.

March 20, 1982 -- If you could ever call out the franchise for a "coaching carousel" this was it. Quinn was fired and replaced by the supposedly more-seasoned McCammon after a disappointing 4-4 Spectrum tie against the fourth-place Norris Division Chicago Blackhawks that left the Orange and Black 27 points behind the first-place Islanders.

A perfect antidote to losing at that time were the struggling Hartford Whalers, and McCammon's re-debut with the club resulted in a 5-2 victory in Connecticut's capital. Al Hill and Ron Flockhart ignited five straight tallies with two in the second period, after the Whale led 2-0 in the first. Pelle Lindbergh also stopped 38 shots to record his first NHL win.

December 5, 1991 -- Heeding the chants of "Paul Must Go" from the Spectrum faithful, Holmgren's first NHL coaching trial with the club that placed a ton of faith in him to follow Mike Keenan, ended after the club failed to win for the seventh straight time, dropping them to 8-14-2.

Bill Dineen, long-time coach with Adirondack of the AHL and father to recently-acquired forward Kevin Dineen was called upon to take the reins, but the Washington Capitals came to Philadelphia and earned a 6-3 victory. Terry Carkner did manage to make a bit of history in the loss, scoring a 3-on-5 goal in the first period, the first since Murray Craven did so at Winnipeg in December of 1987.

March 10, 1998 -- In one of the most bizarre sequences in franchise or league annals, the Flyers beat Pittsburgh, 4-3 in overtime, on a spectacular rush and goal from Alexandre Daigle. Immediately following the contest, it's revealed that Wayne Cashman had been demoted from head coach to assistant and Roger Neilson hired as the new head coach. Philly is about to begin a crucial six-game home stretch trying to pass the Devils for the top seed in the East.

Neilson debuts in a 2-2 tie against New Jersey, where the hosts were lucky to have pulled out a point despite a 35-19 shot disadvantage. Daigle strikes again, knotting the score with 5:50 left in regulation.

December 10, 2000 -- Ramsay, whose coaching style and personality had all the sharp edge of a circle and all the bite of a newborn, was shown the gate after a sleepy 5-1 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit two days earlier that dropped the Lindros-less Flyers to a shoddy 12-12-4 which included losses in five of their last seven outings.

Bill Barber, who helmed the Phantoms to the 1998 Calder Cup and torch-bearer of the Bullies era, was brought in to inject "passion" to the somnolent lineup. He promptly failed to lose over the course of his first eight games (5-0-3) and the run started in a 5-2 victory over the Islanders and recent ex-Flyers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck. Keith Primeau scored twice and Kevin Stevens enjoyed his best game in Eastern PA with a goal and two helpers.

October 26, 2006 -- With "Bloody Sunday" four days past, John Stevens had a bit of time to prepare for his first NHL game in place of the deposed Ken Hitchcock, who was forced out four days prior following a franchise-worst 1-6-1 start to the year.

Simon Gagne and Peter Forsberg scored in the shootout, with Forsberg and Randy Robitaille tallying in regulation, and Antero Niittymaki making 28 saves to halt Philadelphia's five-game losing skid.

December 5, 2009 -- Stevens' space to operate finally ran out just after reaching the three-year plateau, as team management once again cited the lack of passion in the Flyers' game with the club struggling to a 13-11-1 record that included unthinkable back-to-back shutout losses at Atlanta and home to Vancouver.

The losing streak stretched to four with Peter Laviolette's hand guiding the way for the first time, in an infamous 8-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals on home ice. The most memorable part of the blowout, which tied the franchise record for largest margin of defeat to their new division rivals, was Dan Carcillo jumping and one-punching Matt Bradley into unconsciousness and receiving 19 penalty minutes plus a game misconduct for his efforts.

Patience can sometimes be a virtue

Berube also set a record for the greatest distance between his Flyers debut as a player and as the team's head coach.

The Alberta native made his NHL debut for the Orange and Black in a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 22, 1987, and took the reins as head coach for his first game on October 8, 2013 -- a span of more than 25 years.

Paul Holmgren saw the shortest time between player and head coach, suiting up for the first time with the Broad Street Bullies on March 18, 1976 in a 3-2 win against Vancouver, then taking a 4-1 win over the Devils on October 6, 1988 in his first tilt as head man.

Terry Murray, a reserve defenseman, took the ice in Philly for the first time on November 12, 1975 and managed his first game here on January 20, 1995, a lockout season-opening 3-1 loss to Quebec.

Stevens was called up from Hershey to aid Keenan's ailing defensive corps for a 7-4 road win against the Sabres on January 28, 1987 and stepped into the coaching role in the game mentioned above.

Laughton again named OHL's top player

Scott Laughton is doing the right thing, aka blowing the doors off the competition in Canadian juniors so that the Flyers will regret once and for all the decision to stash him there.

On Monday, the 19-year-old Oshawa General was named the top player in the Ontario Hockey League. It's the second time he has been given the honor, after winning for the first week of last year's playoffs from March 18-24.

Bang the link for the full release.

Snider speaks out on Laviolette firing, more

Flyers chairman Ed Snider – off-podium media availability

On the coaching change

Paul Holmgren’s the general manager.  He hired the coach, and it’s his job to evaluate the coach, not mine.  I want to make that perfectly clear.  A lot of people think that I come in and say ‘you’ve got to fire the coach.’  No, I don’t.  I’ve never done that.  I have to approve it.  But when anybody comes to me that’s in charge of a particular department in any of our companies and they want to make a move, I ask questions.  But if I told the general manager that he can’t do what he wants to do, then obviously I have no confidence in the general manager.  So [I approve it],  maybe after a lot of questions.  

From my own point of view however, I really wasn’t happy last year but we blamed it on a lot of issues, and I think those issues were valid.  We felt that Peter deserved an opportunity. As far as I was concerned, it was an anomaly.  He’s a great coach, a great guy, works his butt off.  But I thought our training camp, quite frankly, was one of the worst training camps I’ve ever seen.  And I’m not talking about wins or losses.  There was nothing exciting.  Nobody shined.  Nobody looked good.  I couldn’t point to one thing that I thought was a positive coming out of training camp.  

Unfortunately my worries were realized in the first three games, scoring one goal in each game and looking disorganized.  If it weren’t for our goalies I think it would have been a lot worse.  Having said that, I still wouldn’t make a decision like that.  When Paul called me last night, late, and told me what he felt he was going to do this morning, obviously I thought about it and asked him a lot of questions, and approved it.

Last month you said Peter was not on the hot seat.  What changed?

To me, it was the training camp plus these three games, in my mind.  But it isn’t me that made that decision, I want to emphasize.

When Paul comes to you, what would be the first question you ask?

I would say tell me what your thoughts are.  And he did, and those are private.

Do you think three games was enough to give Laviolette a fair shot?

Well, as Paul said, it wasn’t three games.  It was training camp, and a little bit left over from last year.  And it’s not three losses, it’s the way our team played in those three losses. 

If the players don’t play hard enough, isn’t it an indictment on the players?

That’s what we’re going to find out.  Unfortunately in the business we’re in, the only way to find out is to make a change.  You can’t get rid of all the players.  This is why coaches lose their jobs, and sometimes lose them because of the players.  But we don’t know that until we make a change.  Sometimes we’re right and sometimes we’re wrong.  We think our players are better than they’ve looked.

So you fire the coach because you can’t get rid of the players?

Yes.  Show me a way to do that, we’ll be glad to do that instead.

Do you identify some of the players and get rid of them too?

Of course.  We don’t talk about getting rid of them.  We talk about can they play better, and why aren’t they.

Paul’s the one that brings in the players.  How do you evaluate his job?

I’ll let you know.  Right now we think we have better players than we’ve seen.

Does your confidence in Paul erode with something like this?

No.  I think Paul did an excellent job over the summer with the three players he brought in.  We had extremely high hopes for those three players and we still do.  It remains to be seen if we were right or wrong. 

On making the move three games into the season

Look, there’s no question in my mind that anybody looking at this from the outside looking in would say that three games is totally unfair.  But quite honestly, like I said, training camp was a disaster.  I’ve been at 47 training camps and I’ve never seen one that I thought was worse.  Now that’s not talking about Peter, that’s talking about our players.  And it carried right on over to the first three games of the season.  It’s not simply the three games that we saw.  There’s more to it than that.  

There’s a lot of things that I know that are private, but bottom line is that I have great respect for Peter Laviolette.  I’m sorry this has happened to him.  He’s a class act.  He’s done a great job for us, got us to the Stanley Cup Finals, within a game of winning the damn thing.  That’s why I love our culture, because we did get there.

Was there a sense of urgency that if this went on too long the season could slip away?

Yes.  It happened last year to us.  It was a short season, but we got off to a terrible start and we never recovered.  We’re in a tough business.  We’re in a fishbowl.  When somebody gets fired in a widget factory, nobody cares.  But when you’re in the fishbowl like this, and it’s news… I feel bad for Peter, and I feel sorry for his wife and kids.  He doesn’t deserve it as such, to have that type of negative press, because he’s done a great job since he’s been here.

On hockey being different than other sports in terms of long-term coaches (specifically Andy Reid mentioned)

You know, football coaches don’t usually last as long as Andy did.  He did a hell of a job for the Eagles.  He didn’t win a title, but I think everybody was happy with the job he did.  

The point I’m making is we’re happy to an extent that we’re in the playoffs most every year, and we’re happy to an extent that we’ve been in the Stanley Cup Finals many, many years when we didn’t win.  But we’re not thrilled, because we want to win a Stanley Cup.  But everybody wants to win a Stanley Cup, everybody wants to win a Super Bowl, everybody wants to win an NBA championship and everybody wants to win a World Series. Everybody. It isn’t easy.  But we never let it slide.  And we get criticized for it, rightly so, when you fire somebody after three games, and we expect criticism.  We deserve it.  But the bottom line is we’re trying to win.  And that’s why it’s been done.  

Because all we want to do is win for this city, win for our fans and win for our organization.  That’s what we’re trying to do.  There’s no secret here, there’s no devious thing here.  We feel horrible when you’ve gotta fire a guy like Peter Laviolette.  But the bottom line is we’re never going to quit.  We’re always going to try to win. 

On the training camp

It’s the same thing that you saw in our first three games.  It’s carried over from training camp.  I don’t have the magical answer.  Is it our players?  We’ll find out.  Was it the coach? Unfortunately, as I said before, we can’t fire the players.  So we have to find out, are we overrating our guys? We think we have good players.  We think we have a good team.  I don’t know if we’re overrating them.  I really don’t.

John McMullen breaks down Week 5 NFL action on The Sports Fix

Video: Craig Berube talks about his new role with the organization

Video: Flyers announce the firing of Peter Laviolette

Laviolette out as Flyers head coach; Berube regime begins in triumph of culture status quo

Philadelphia, PA -- For some of us, it was not the kind of wake up call you expect this time of the season. But now, the trivia question has a new answer: who is the Flyers head coach that was given the heave the earliest in team history?

It's Peter Laviolette.

The club announced the move on Monday morning in a press conference which was the exact opposite of their July smile-fest when Ray Emery, Vinny Lecavalier and Mark Streit were introduced, coming a little more than 14 hours after a 2-1 loss at Carolina on Sunday night dropped the team to 0-3 for the second consecutive season.

"I met with Peter Laviolette early this morning and informed him that he was being relieved of his duties as head coach," Flyers GM Paul Holmgren stated at a late-morning press conference. "I think from a timeline standpoint of my decision, on making this change at such an early point in the season, I can go back a little bit to last year with my concerns on how the team played. Looking back, you think, lockout, shortened year, we didn't have a training camp, we had a lot of injuries—I thought it was important that Peter had another shot with our training camp."

Assistant Kevin McCarthy, a holdover from Laviolette's time in Carolina, was also given the heave.

Forty-eight-year-old Craig Berube has been given the lead job on a full-time basis, with Ian Laperriere and former assistant GM John Paddock alongside, the 18th person to be so honored. He will also be the 10th man to hold the post in the last 20 years, following in the footsteps of the following illustrious men since the start of the 1993-94 season: Terry Simpson, Terry Murray, Wayne Cashman, Roger Neilson, Craig Ramsay, Bill Barber, Ken Hitchcock, John Stevens and Laviolette.

"We have some work to do. Craig has some work to do. He understands that. We're going to get better," said Holmgren."I believe in our players, but I'm not letting them off the hook. We can play better."

Berube's lone head coaching experience came with the Philadelphia Phantoms, going 46-27-7 in his one full season at the helm in 2007-08 that included a second-round playoff loss.

Joe Mullen and Jeff Reese have been retained as assistants. Kjell Samuelsson now takes Laperriere's old slot of Director of Player Development.

Ken Hitchcock had earlier held the honor, canned eight games into the 2006-07 season after a dismal 1-6-1 start, part of the infamous "Bloody Sunday" of October 22, 2006 which also saw Bob Clarke step away as General Manager and Holmgren finally take the reins.

"First of all, I'd like to thank the Flyers organization—Mr. Snider, Peter Luukko, Paul Holmgren—for giving me the opportunity to coach the Flyers," the sanguine Berube stated. "It's a great honor, it really is. I've always been a Flyer in my mind, and now I'm the head coach, so I'd like to thank them."

Berube's ascension is nothing less than the eventual reward of a company man caught in a situation where his bosses are left with little options. He's never been far from the club which plucked him from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL back in 1986, and for whom he made his NHL debut late in the 1986-87 season. He finished his playing career with the Phantoms in 2004 and was brought on as an assistant the following season, remaining with the franchise ever since.

It's a similar situation to the one the organization found itself seven years ago, when in a pinch Stevens was called up to guide a roster of young players incapable of responding to Hitchcock -- at least he was a two-time Calder Cup winner with the Phantoms (one as player in 1998 and head coach in 2005) -- unlike Berube, who has no track record of ultimate success.

One thing is clear: Ed Snider's itchy trigger finger is just warming up in the quest to win that elusive third Cup, and any further failures will result in those higher up than on-ice jobs, but below him, getting the boot. It still remains to be seen if Holmgren will enjoy favored status until he decides it's time to go with Ron Hextall currently serving under him.

"From my own point of view, I was disappointed in the start we had, and I was also disappointed in the preseason. Hopefully, this time it will work out on our behalf," Snider said.

Another thing which is clear from a top management standpoint, is that the King has spent many too many years in his ivory tower. With no one to check his power and influence, even if he has no direct hand in personnel decisions, quotes like the following will be de rigueur from now on.

"We don't need a fresh perspective. We've been to the Stanley Cup Finals a bunch of times and made the playoffs. That's winning. We're trying our damnedest to do it. That's our culture," snipped Snider when challenged on the fact that the new head coach was another so-called "good soldier" who had worked his way up through the organization.

A fresh perspective on someone's part was sorely needed. While firing the head coach might have been the easiest thing at such an early juncture, perhaps waiting until the 10-game mark, when other clubs working from a seller's point-of-view are ready to deal, could have mitigated the stalemate. It also could have provided the mindset that a proven coach from outside the family would be a better long-term bench solution, even if it's true that Laviolette lost the kids in the room.

Snider bristled at any suggestion that he had a hand in the firing, essentially saying in the presser and later on CSN, that any personnel moves are run through him, but that a disagreement or veto on any move from the front office is tantamount to not having trust in the General Manager. 

One person now outside the massive monument to decades of "winning" on South Broad Street to give his perspective was Canadiens forward Danny Briere, who said: "I'm surprised that it came so fast. It's sad to see. He's a really good coach."

The 48-year-old native of the Boston suburbs departs Philadelphia having compiled a record of 145-97-29 along with an Atlantic Division title in 2011, three playoff appearances and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. It wasn't enough to sustain the man who ranks third on the franchise list in wins, behind Fred Shero (308) and Mike Keenan (190).

Since 1994, Berube is the fourth head coach to have come from inside the ranks, after Murray, Barber and Stevens. 

Flyers clipped by Hurricanes, lose third straight to begin season

Raleigh, NC -- Three games into the 2013-14 season, and the good news is, the Philadelphia Flyers are first in the National Hockey League in two separate categories: hits (97) and losses (3).

Unfortunately, neither of those directly result in goals, which are as precious a quantity as Canadian dollar bills.

Radek Dvorak netted the winner early in the second period and Anton Khudobin made 17 saves, as the Carolina Hurricanes recorded a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

Jay Harrison registered a first-period tally and Jeff Skinner added a pair of assists for the Hurricanes, who picked up their first win of the season.

"Guys came ready to battle tonight, worked hard and played the right way, said Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller. "The end result was a nice victory."

Khudobin, who bested the Flyers for his first NHL win as a starter while playing for Minnesota in February of 2010, was similarly successful in his Carolina debut.

Luke Schenn scored and Steve Mason was solid in defeat with 32 saves for the Flyers, who have gone 0-3 to start the season for the second consecutive year.

"I would think that it's pretty frustrating," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette of his club scoring only three times thus far. "There's not a lot of room out there. We haven't had a lot of attempts. We're too quick in the offensive zone. We're looking, but not coming up with anything. If you're not scoring, everything has to be perfect on the defensive side."

Laviolette is walking a tightrope, as he's the only coach in franchise history to open two seasons, let alone back-to-back years, without a win in three tries. The Flyers have never opened up with four losses in succession, but the revamped Florida Panthers are on the docket at home on Tuesday.
 
Down by a goal, the visitors only came up with an anemic three shots on net in the final 20 minutes.
Philly failed to click on its final power-play chance of the contest when 'Canes forward Alex Semin was sent off for high sticking with 8:03 remaining, then had the final 38 seconds wiped away due to a questionable boarding call to defenseman Andrej Meszaros.

Mason was sent off for an extra attacker with 1:27 on the clock, but Carolina's pressure in its offensive zone kept the Flyers from mounting much of an attack with six skaters.

"It's the same story, We just need to win. We have to stick with the plan, stick to what we do," lamented Flyers captain Claude Giroux. "Our legs weren't there but we have to fight through it. We're going to turn it around. There's no doubt in my mind."

Last season, the Orange and Black scored three goals in their first two losses, then were blanked in New Jersey before snapping out of the funk with a 2-1 home win against the Rangers. A 7-1 win on the road against the Panthers followed, but three more losses ensued and the season was considered shot.

Despite 20 hours to stew after Saturday's 4-1 loss at Montreal, Philly appeared to be dragging from the outset.

Harrison managed to sneak a shot through a screen and Mason's pads for a 1-0 Carolina edge at 8:11 of the first period. Though the Hurricanes failed to score again, they carried a 17-5 shot edge and the majority of play in their end of the ice after 20 minutes.

The visitors responded with 3:01 played in the second, as Kris Newbury won a left-circle draw and fed back to Schenn, who skated through the circle and flipped a shot over Khudobin's shoulder with a Max Talbot screen.

A miscue from the goal scorer proved to be the winning margin. Schenn's cross- ice pass from behind his own net caromed off Jeff Skinner's skate and found the stick of Dvorak in the left circle, and the veteran roofed it for a 2-1 Carolina edge at 8:20.

Notes: The Hurricanes opened their season with a 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit on Friday night...Philadelphia lost for only the seventh time in Carolina since the Whalers relocated prior to the 1997-98 season, falling to 19-6-1 with four ties since then...The Flyers also opened the 1989-90 and lockout-shortened 1995 campaign with three consecutive defeats...Newbury's first point as a Flyer was his first point in the NHL since an assist with the Rangers against the Capitals last March 24.

Kleberson lifts Union over Toronto FC

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union (12-10-9) defeated Toronto FC Saturday evening behind a last-minute free kick goal from Kleberson. The victory keeps the Union in playoff contention ahead of a road trip to D.C. United next Saturday, Oct. 12.

With a casual swing of the boot in the 95th minute, Kleberson hit a curling driven in-swinger past Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik and then proceeded to run the length of the field in hysteria.

Union 1, Toronto 0; three assured points for the Union, a stronger belief in what has become an all-out push for the postseason and a goal that also secured the club’s best win total in team history (12-10-9, 45 points).

"I'm very happy. I feel like the Union fans needed this, I needed to show them that I could score a goal,” Kleberson said postgame. “I'm very happy that this moment came; I'm very, very happy. This goal is for the fans."

On the flip side, Toronto (5-16-11, 26 points) entered PPL Park out to play the role of spoiler and inadvertently may have done so. Heading into a match next week against D.C. United (7 p.m., The Comcast Network), the Union will have to do so without the services of Sheanon Williams (yellow card accumulation) and Fabinho who was red carded in the 77th minute after referee Armando Villarreal surmised the Brazilian appeared to step on a TFC defender while battling for possession.

Union forward Antoine Hoppenot, who was also a second half substitute, terrorized Toronto’s back line but found it difficult to put one away. His first of six total shots at Bendik caromed off the post nearly putting the Union ahead in the 60th minute. But Hoppenot was the catalyst on the Union’s only goal of the night as he was the player taken down setting up Kleberson’s heroic finish.

“Coming in, I knew I needed to create chances,” said Hoppenot.  “I did that part, I think, pretty well. Finishing the chances was a problem tonight. It's a great win though. Kleberson coming in and scoring that goal is incredible. You could tell how happy he was to finally be able to do that for the Philadelphia fans. He's been working really hard in practice, so we're all happy for him that he's able to come in and get a great goal for us – a really, really important goal for us.”

A monumental goal considering it kept the Union secured in the fifth and final spot for the playoffs with three matches remaining. The club also received help from rival New York, who scored in stoppage of its match to secure a playoff spot and keep New England scratching and clawing.

Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath, who posted four saves on the night, felt confident that his club can pull through on this postseason quest – especially if know, there is confidence that goals can come from the unlikeliest of places.

“I think we need to enjoy [the win], first off,” said Zac MacMath. “We've got a day or two to probably take our bodies, let our bodies relax. We need to enjoy the win. Obviously, it was a grueling match, physically and mentally. Once we come back to work, on whatever day it is, we know that this game's over, and we have three more left, and a big one against D.C. They are our biggest rival. All of our games against D.C. are always tough, physical battles. Especially going into RFK, we have to be prepared mentally and physically.”

BOX SCORE

Philadelphia Union 1, Toronto FC 0

Saturday, Oct. 5; 7:30 p.m. ET

PPL Park, Chester, Pa.

SCORING SUMMARY

PHI: Kleberson 90’+5

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

PHI: McInerney (caution) 41’

TFC: Morgan (caution) 47’

PHI: Fabinho (caution) 77’

TFC: Rey (caution) 77’

PHI: Williams (caution) 79’

TFC: Hall (caution) 83’

TFC: Bendik (time wasting) 86’

UNION STARTING 11

MacMath, Gaddis, Parke, Okugo, Williams, Fabinho, Carroll, Farfan, Cruz (Kleberson 79’), Casey (Le Toux 68’), McInerney (Hoppenot 57’).

Substitutes not used: Nikolov, Kassel, Daniel, Wheeler.

TORONTO STARTING 11

Bendik, Morgan, Bloom, Henry, Caldwell, Russell, Convey (Weideman 65’), Rey, Hall (Lambe 89’), Osorio, Dike (Earnshaw 63’).

Substitutions: Agbossoumonde, Bekker, Frei, Elmer.

Sixers sign Lawal, release Alabi

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – The Sixers made a change on their depleted front line, signing free agent power forward Gani Lawal  and releasing center Solomon Alabi.

Prior to signing with the Sixers, Lawal (6-foot-9, 234) was a member of VEF Riga of the Latvian League.  Last season he averaged 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for Virtus Roma of the Italian League.

Lawal was originally an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft following his junior season at Georgia Tech and was selected with the 46th overall pick by Phoenix.  He was on the Suns roster during the 2010-11 season and was also assigned to the NBA Development League.

A McDonald’s High School All-American, Lawal was twice named All-ACC Third Team while with the Yellow Jackets.  The 24-year-old is also a member of Nigeria’s senior national team and competed in the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship.

Danny Briere: An Appreciation

Thanks to NJ.com

by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor 

Look hard enough into your mind's eye, and you'll notice that the arc of a Flyers fan celebrating a timely goal in the regular season or playoffs matches that of those sullied, special shavings of ice ripped from their resting place and thrown through the air after a Danny Briere goal celebration.

It happened less often that we had hoped in the last two seasons, and brought out a wave of keyboard general managers that wished him either traded or bought out.

Are you happy now?

Still, that dipping hand-sweep in the wake of a friendly red light will be imprinted in hearts and minds like Ron Hextall's rhythmic swinging at his posts, Brian Propp's Guffaw and Scott Hartnell's playful hand-to-ear gesture to a Hulk-dressed Penguins fan.

He's going to be really hard to dislike. It might get confusing. It already is for at least one ex-teammate.

"We landed [Friday] and driving on the highway to downtown there's a big billboard of Danny B," Hartnell said hours before the contest. "We weren't even in the city two minutes and we were already seeing his face all over the place."

Think of what it's like to be a Montreal Canadiens fan.

Those Francophones who sought to give Briere the business with lusty boos and whistles every time he set foot inside the Bell Centre in Orange and Black (17 times in all, with Philly going 8-9 including playoffs) are going to have to get accustomed to his face.

Even though the jeers largely subsided after the Flyers whipped the upstart Canadiens in a five-game Eastern Conference Finals in May of 2010, the grudge was still present: the Gatineau native and, more importantly, native French speaker spurned his "hometown" club for a lucrative eight-year, $52 million contract with Philadelphia in July of 2007 and no Habs fans worth his or her salt could forget that snub. Until now. Strange how the tides turn once the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge is pulled over one's head.

Back on the homefront, forget about the bizarre 23-game goal drought through the Winter of 2012, or the fact that he scored just one goal in his last 21 appearances during last year's disaster of a lockout-shortened campaign. He's one of us. You know it. Briere lived and played here long enough to experience the bittersweet life of a Delaware Valley sports fan, except he was the one inside the TV all the way.

Remember this, from June 20, the day Paul Holmgren made it official: "I just want to say thank you to all the fans and my teammates for the wonderful last six years here. Also, I want to thank the Flyers organization for treating me so well during my stay here. I will always be grateful to everyone around the team for my time spent as a Flyer.”

Six years. Long enough to arrive here married with three kids, but ending up divorced and taking on a fourth kid in Claude Giroux. Setting a new franchise record for points in a playoff season with 30 in a futile attempt at winning the franchise's third Stanley Cup in a Finals which ended in the worst fashion imaginable.

Even the simple task of driving his kids up to relatives in Quebec turned into a meditation on the fragility of life and presence of blind luck, when Briere's SUV avoided worse damage in a collision with a truck on Interstate 81 in New York as the tired 32-year-old began to falter at the wheel.

But we'll always have the good times. Like the first time he "blew the roof off" the South Broad Street venue. Or when he stuck it to Les Habitants in La Belle Province before the Olympic break four years ago. And the beauty in the Beast of a Game 6. How about the time he capped a trifecta with the overtime winner? And then scored the OT winner on his birthday. The only magic found in a disaster of a Devils series, the one he got away with in Pittsburgh, and his final salvo on a pseudo-holiday.

Though he missed the Flyers' last torch-passing ceremony by 11 years, you have to admit, this was pretty damn cool to see.

Like Rob DiMaio and Marty Murray before him, the undersized but lionhearted Briere cemented his place in franchise lore as a guy who made the most of what he was given, which was all you can ever ask a player no matter if he's on the club year-to-year or arrived with the fanfare of a heralded free agent. And yes, it only meant something to people in our line of work, but he was a true professional in the locker room as well.  I still have no clue why some colleagues and ex-Flyers thought I looked like him.I wonder if he thinks it's a compliment.

It's a lock Briere will get the video board treatment when the Canadiens first play in Philly on December 12, as it was for Simon Gagne, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and as it should be. Another in the steady diaspora deserving of rousing applause, and then respect when he inevitably scores against the Orange and Black either home or away.

"I can't wait for the first period to be over," Briere said after practice Friday to TSN's Arpon Basu. "I think after the first it will be a little easier to move on and the first step will be taken."

Bonne nuit et bonne chance.

A-Rod sues Major League Baseball

Read the suit by banging the link...

Laughton's Philly stay a short one

Scott Laughton received the maximum five-game call-up at the outset of last year's lockout-shortened campaign before being sent back to juniors. It would have been the usual 10 if things had worked out under the banner of a full 82-game slate.

The 19-year-old's stay in Philadelphia this year lasted a lot shorter. On Thursday, the Flyers announced Laughton, who made the opening-night roster before being scratched, will head back to Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League.

Things keep getting curiouser on Broad Street, as it appeared veteran defensive pivot Adam Hall was subjected to the waiver wire just so the club could keep Laughton and be cap compliant.

“We felt this was the right thing to do for Scott and for the Flyers as it relates to his development," said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren.


OK, but why go through the kabuki of having him in training camp, presuming to have "won" a place with the big club and then not play him and ship him back to Canada? This could have been avoided simply by sending him back after the preseason was over, another training camp and taste of the big time in his pocket to take back to Ontario.

Laughton picked up 23 goals and 56 points in 49 games for the Generals last season, and a goal with two helpers for Adirondack late last year. Once he returns to the city where Eric Lindros once plied his trade, he will complete the suspension handed down from last year's playoffs, for an illegal hit on Barrie's Zach Hall, and then return to action.


Kris Newbury, swapped in the Summer for defenseman Danny Syvret to the Rangers organization, has been recalled from the Phantoms.

Newbury, a 31-year-old forward, totaled 61 points (20G, 41A) for the Connecticut Whale last season, adding one assist in six games for the Blueshirts.

New Leafs use turnover to turn tide, beat Flyers

Philadelphia, PA -- Practice makes perfect, and at least this season, there's 82 chances for Peter Laviolette and his roster to get it right instead of only 48.

Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit hit the scoresheet in their Philadelphia debuts, but Dave Bolland scored twice, including the winner early in the third period, and Jonathan Bernier stopped 31 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs took down the Flyers, 3-1, on Wednesday.

Bolland, whose last tally was the Stanley Cup-winner for Chicago late in regulation of the deciding Game 6 in Boston, was shipped north of the border in a draft-day deal for two picks in 2013 and one in 2014.

Bernier made his first start for the Leafs, after being acquired from Los Angeles in late June for two players and a draft pick.

Phil Kessel added a score and Joffrey Lupul picked up a pair of assists for the Maple Leafs, who won both of their back-to-back road games to begin their 2013-14 schedule.

“Wins at the beginning of the season are just as important as ones at the end,” mused Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle. 

Steve Mason made 22 saves in defeat for the Flyers, who received a first-period power-play strike from Brayden Schenn but came up empty on six other opportunities.

"I thought we moved the puck around real well. Both units had many chances, great chances, but just couldn't put it away," said the former Lightning captain and Cup winner about the man-advantage unit.

Lecavalier earned his first Philadelphia point with the primary assist, while Streit's secondary helper was his first point for the hosts. Both players were snagged on the free-agent market, with the Flyers inking the former to a 5-year deal worth $22.5 million and the latter to a $21 million pact over four seasons.

Toronto equalized with 2:54 remaining in the second period. Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf picked off an errant pass in the neutral zone, skated over the blue line and unleashed a low, knuckling shot. Mason misplayed the rebound into the slot, where a trailing Kessel lifted it home.

Wayne Simmonds was then hauled down from behind by Toronto defenseman Paul Ranger as he cut from the right wing into the slot with 3.1 seconds left in the frame and drew a penalty shot.

Bernier was equal, as Simmonds opted for the five-hole but was denied to keep it a 1-1 deadlock heading to the final 20 minutes.

“The first thing you notice is he’s really calm the way he handles shots,” Lupul said of his new backstop. “He doesn’t give up rebounds and he plays with confidence.”

The Leafs assumed a 2-1 edge with 2 1/2 minutes played in the third, as Bolland earned his first score as a Leaf by flipping home a Lupul feed from the low slot.

Philly then came up empty on two successive chances with the advantage.

Mason was sent to the bench for an extra skater with under 90 seconds to play, but any comeback attempt was derailed on a late hooking minor to Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen.

Bolland converted on a low shot from the right side with 22.5 on the clock to seal the victory.

It doesn't get any easier for the Orange and Black, who head to Montreal on Saturday to take on ex-Flyer Danny Briere and a host of Francophones who might be a bit perturbed that Lecavalier spurned his hometown team once bought out by Tampa Bay. 

After coming up empty on two early power-play chances, the Flyers cashed in on their third. Lecavalier moved behind Bernier from right to left and dished in front, where Schenn potted it inside the near post with 7.8 seconds left in the first period.

"Anytime you score a goal and help contribute to the team is obviously a plus and a bonus," Schenn said. "There was some pretty nifty work by 'Vinny' down low which just goes to show you how good he is."


Notes: Toronto has killed 11 of 12 short-handed situations this season, after being the second-ranked penalty-killing unit last season...The Flyers had opened a season against the Leafs only once previously in their 46-year history, a 2-0 shutout at the Spectrum on Oct. 11, 1973 with Bernie Parent making 28 saves...Simmonds' penaly shot was the Flyers' first since Danny Briere missed against Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers on January 2, 2012...Philadelphia has dropped its last four season openers at home, with the last win a 2-0 decision vs. Buffalo on Oct. 9, 2003...The Flyers fell to 15-11-3 all-time in season openers on home ice.

A pledge and a re-introduction for the upcoming season

Hey there folks,

It's Day One of Flyers season, and that means six months (and perhaps one or two more) of watching up to three games a night five nights a week, endlessly scanning Twitter, waiting for those team press releases and frantically trying to crank out all the news, features, columns and historical stuff in a timely manner to beat the competition and give all of you who follow us the scoop whenever and wherever it may occur.

For me, it's Year 15 in sports media, and Year One, Part II flying solo over here at the Phanatic. I've decided to end my run with the good people over at Flyers Faithful after a long, productive 2 1/2 years to concentrate on just one site to keep my ideas fresh and my brain from seizing up from trying to fulfill three different roles at once.


Since the day I was first published here in March of 2007, it's been all about the status and integrity of the major players: Editor John McMullen a former beat writer for the Minnesota Vikings who has held NBA and NFL senior editing posts, along with my own varied credentials over the last decade and a half (just this past season alone four different levels: D-I college, ECHL, AHL and NHL) covering everything from high school hockey on up to your Philadelphia Flyers.

Having spawned the likes of Philadelphia Magazine/97.5 The Fanatic's Tim McManus, we prize in our writing knowledge, creativity, ingenuity, an insider's feel without the condescension, and ability to know when to seize the moment and know when to offer a remedy to the finely dissected angles from the hot topic of the moment.

The Phanatic is determined not to become lost in the endless supermarket of ideas contained in the proliferation of hockey blogs over the past several years begun by some sharp minds whom I hope can parlay their work into something bigger.

We work by acknowledging the inverse relationship that the better the content, the less it needs to be promoted -- because the good stuff will make the rounds to those whose eyes and ears are open to the possibilities of the sports we cover, not just to one corner to which many fans and writers have become accustomed. We're not in it to blindly agree with fellow scribes just for the sake of a Mutual Admiration Society, and we're not in it to be provocateurs for no good reason. There's still a lot of ground to cover in between the extremes which creates room for all sorts of viewpoints and content.

That's where you come in.

Over the course of the 2013-14 season, when you stop by, you'll learn about the Flyers from the ice up to the owner's suite along with team and league history, both distant and recent; find talk about the nuts and bolts and culture of the sport itself that have nothing to do with the intricacies of the salary cap or the vagaries of either side of the stats argument; see game recaps and columns from a variety of writers; hear about top-flight college hockey that's not just limited to the newly-hyped Penn State program, tons of facts and figures and random information you never thought you'd want to know, and find the same quality and quantity of content along with a dose of strong opinions that I've provided as "chief" of the hockey department for the last 5 years.

Remember last Fall and the early part of Winter, when many blogs went silent and you came here for daily and weekly news regarding the lockout plus other engaging posts? Good times. Great times. We flourished then and it allowed us to come on strong once the season got underway. The ball will keep rolling with a full 82-game slate plus playoffs this year.

If you've been following along for a while now, thanks for sticking around. You will be rewarded as you have been for as long as you've flipped over to this slice of hockey heaven with a bright magenta background. If you've glanced over here due to some crossover with FF during my time there, welcome -- we're not mutually exclusive. That cross will be crissed in the course of the upcoming year. If you're new, you'll warm up to us in no time. Tell your friends, tell your enemies, that we're still going strong.

Whether your home is the Delaware Valley, Eastern Canada, Sweden, Russia, Azusa and Cucamonga, spread the word.

Happy hockey days and stay tuned.

Gill passes muster, signed by Flyers

The closest living embodiment to the departed Chris Pronger is now a part of the Orange and Black.

38-year-old Hal Gill has passed his audition and earned a spot on the roster.

 TSN's Bob McKenzie reports it is a 1-year deal worth $700,000.

Paul Holmgren is bidding on the fact that Ol' Gill has some tread on the tires for a 16th NHL season, but how many minutes he'll actually be effective is up to Peter Laviolette in an 8-man rotation.

It may be presumed that Gill would fill time until Niklas Grossmann is healthy, but it does little to bolster a back line which s uncertain after Kimmo Timonen and Mark Streit.

In a minor administrative move, Holmgren recalled Adam Hall from the Phantoms. Hall had been placed on waivers Sunday and passed through, but had to be stashed for cap compliance before the expected decision to place Pronger, finally, on LTIR.