Where Do They Go From Here?

by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine

The start of the NHL regular season is 26 days away, and training camps for all 30 teams are set to begin later this week. It’s the perfect time to come out of hibernation for the first official Flyers post of the 2008-09 campaign.

I don’t think one can argue at the success of last season. Old-school conventional hockey wisdom says that clubs are judged on their play in a reverse fashion, from back to front.

That makes the Flyers’ trip to the Eastern Conference finals look that much better when weighed against the six-and-ten-game losing streaks they had to plod through in December and February.

It puts a shine on a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Division and it casts the embattled head coach in a more flattering light.

It makes the contributions of Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Braydon Coburn, Randy Jones, Joffrey Lupul and the departed R.J. Umberger stand out against the spate of suspensions and mini-scandals created by questionable hits and subsequent penalties stretching from September to January.

It’s not surprising that the Flyers, looking to go full-stop after the disastrous 2006-07 season, corrected course so quickly, and managed to shock more than a few fans, writers and higher-seeded opponents.

But does it make for a logical progression from one season to the next? Team history suggests the current edition of the Orange and Black might have to take a step back before they can take a step forward.

Remember the lockout-shortened 1995 season…

After five straight years out of the playoffs and a dismal 3-7-1 start, the Flyers rip off win streaks of eight and nine games, then win the Atlantic. With a two-seed in the playoffs, they enjoy home ice for all three rounds. They take down Buffalo before a thoroughly shocking four-game sweep over the defending Cup champion Rangers but fall to an equally-surprising Devils squad.

The following year, with the “Legion of Doom” line firmly entrenched, the Flyers gut out some troubles with an early injury to Lindros and inconsistent play mid-season to win the Atlantic again, this time with the top seed in the conference. After a circus-like slop-fest six-game series against Tampa Bay, the Flyers stumbled badly in the next round and lost to the Florida Panthers.

How about 1986…

In the previous year under rookie head coach Mike Keenan, the Flyers’ marauding band of kids rocketed to the top of the NHL with a club-record 53 wins and 113 points. They took down the Rangers in three, the Islanders in five and the Nordiques in six before succumbing to key injuries and the dynastic Oilers in the finals.

That next season, a 15-2-0 start and franchise-best 13-game win streak was overshadowed by the sudden death of Pelle Lindbergh in mid-November. Keenan and the team pressed on, and wound up winning 53 games again with another division title. However. the strain of the mourning process plus a suddenly-opportunistic Rangers team featuring proverbial “hot goalie” John Vanbiesbrouck overwhelmed them in a first-round defeat.

It is a 30-team league these days, with no less a shortage of playoff hopefuls looking to take down the newest club vying to become one of the NHL’s elite.

The burden of expectation now fully rests with this year’s edition of the Flyers. We will see how the lessons of last season wear on the young forward core, on the reconstituted defense, and on starting goaltender Martin Biron.

Particular scrutiny will also fall on John Stevens and his assistants, now that sage veteran Terry Murray has departed for the top spot in Los Angeles.

On the other side, there are a deluge of positive questions which might lead one to believe the best is yet to come.

Who knows how good the Flyers could be with all cylinders firing at the same time? Granted, injuries are an everyday fact of life and almost every player will miss time.

Still, what impact will Simon Gagne have if he puts in a full season at his goal-scoring best? Or if Lupul doesn’t miss a month and a half because he avoided a hit from his teammate? Or if Danny Briere finds a consistent two-way game through the middle 40 contests? Or if the defense matures and leads as expected? Or if Stevens is able to instill a sense of urgency behind the scenes that allows the club to play a full 60 minutes without mental lapses?

It’s a telling sign that some quarters have revealed the Flyers made the best non-move in the entire Eastern Conference simply by having a presumably fully recovered Gagne at their disposal. He should more than make up for the financial decision to cut Umberger loose.

The path for the club’s ascension, in the Atlantic Division at least, has become less steep. Salary cap concerns hit the Penguins hard. The Rangers are undergoing a roster resection. The Devils did what they always do, and the Islanders look like they will be the platform upon which the other four teams raise themselves.

If the Flyers really are hungry for more, as this year’s slogan suggests, they have from the drop of the puck in the first practice through an open-ended conclusion to prove it.

Caps - Flyers Game 2 reaction

Caps forward Alex Ovechkin on the play of Philadelphia...

“We didn’t score. First 10 minutes, they had their chance and they use our mistakes, again. They play well today. They win faceoffs, they win battles, they shoot more, and I think they played good tonight.”

On the play of the Caps today…

“No different. We didn’t play our game today. We just was a little soft, we didn’t shoot the puck, we didn’t control the puck. We have to realize, we have to watch some moments, and think about it.”

On the one thing the Caps need to improve for Tuesday…

“We didn’t score goals. It’s big difference between first game and this game.”

On the thought that the Caps were due for a game like this…

“We want to win. Today, we didn’t play hard, and we didn’t play our style. It’s okay, it happens sometimes.”

On the feeling of not leaving the District with two wins…

“You can’t win all the game, so we have one day to realize what is going on, what we have to change, and play better and play more positive than Philly.”

Forward Matt Cooke on the play of the Capitals…

“We knew it was going to be tough as every game is and every game has a little more importance. It seems that once they scored we got down on ourselves and tried to a little bit individually and we’re better when we play as a team and we know that.”

On playing against a hot goalie…

“You gotta beat hot goalies in the playoffs to win. You just have to find ways and that means crashing the net or getting rebounds, you gotta get it done. We had enough opportunities offensively to win the game and we just didn’t.”

Goalie Cristobal Huet on the play of the Capitals…

“We can’t expect to come back from a two goal deficit every night. They worked very hard tonight and had a good night and we are going to have to match that at the next game if we want to be successful. They just were more desperate tonight and we’re going to have to realize that it’s going to take a lot more from everyone to be successful.”

On the play of the Flyers…

“They played smart and they played with a lot of grit and they scored early in the game and the seemed to be on a run after that.”

Center Sergei Fedorov on the play of the Capitals…

“We got away from our system in the second and third periods. We didn’t score on our chances in the first period, especially on the power play. After that, momentum shifted, but we were still working in control of the game, obviously a couple of let downs and Philadelphia capitalized on their chances. We were just rushing the puck, which is normal circumstances for us because I guess we were a little overwhelmed with chances in the first and everyone wanted to do so well after that because we didn’t score.”

On splitting the two games at home…

“You can’t take home ice everywhere you go, so you have to win on the road, no doubt. You have to learn how to do. We’re going to be composed in the face of adversity and play under a little bit of pressure.”

Flyers Center Mike Richards on getting too excited about Game 1…

“I think everyone was a little too excited. We were making plays that were uncharacteristic for our team. When you get too excited you start running around. I thought we were a lot more composed.”

On Biron’s play…

“He played excellent. He made the big saves at the beginning of the game. I think he had three or four pointblank opportunities that he made the save. When your goaltender does that it gives us opportunities and momentum the other way.”

On containing Ovechkin…

“He’s still probably one of the best players in the world. He’s getting his opportunities. Our defense, though, did a good job of pressing up – making his opportunities from the outside instead of last game in front of the net. It takes the whole five guys on the ice.”

On having a two-goal lead again and talking about not giving it up again…

“I don’t think anything needed to be said. We did a good job down the stretch. We knew what we needed to do – same thing we did in the first and second period.”

On being anxious to get back home…

“Yeah, it’s always nice to play in your home building – especially at playoff time.”

On clicking with Umberger…

“RJ’s a great player. He takes what the defense gives you. He keeps it simple and had a big goal for our hockey team early.”

Any chipy play there near the end? ...

“Well it’s two physical teams so we’re just playing hard, they’re playing hard. It’s just two physical teams going at it.”

Flyers Center R.J. Umberger on getting the big goal at the beginning…

“Yeah, I think after the third period of last game we needed to establish it right from the start. It really was Marty [Biron] who stepped up in that first period and we put a couple of goals on the board, so we went into the locker room feeling great.”

On the Capitals trying to stretch the defense…

“Yeah, they want to go. That’s their game plan – to get the puck and go. Ovechkin wants to get his feet moving constantly, Semin same thing. And once they get the puck they’re dangerous. You got to keep a guy high and know where they are on the ice at all times.”

On his goal…
“I probably didn’t get all of it but that’s where I wanted to go. I was thinking backhand. Huet was back in the crease so far. It was a second choice of mine to shoot.”

On being confident now going home…

“Well you get a win right before you go home, with your fans now screaming at us and giving us energy, it’s a great feeling.”

Flyers Goalie Martin Biron on his effort…

“It was big. We had to kill a few penalties early on but fortunately the hit the crossbar that could’ve given them a 1-0 lead. A few chances, fortunately for me seemed to hit my shoulders or just hit me in the right spot at the right time.”

On his thoughts coming into the game…

“I wasn’t thinking a whole lot of things different. You got to play a solid game, play hard on the shooter, and know that they got a smart offensive hockey team. I didn’t really think a whole lot about game one just because it’s over.”

On being more comfortable tonight…

“Well I was comfortable early on because we took the 1-0 lead. Then going up 2-0 makes you a little bit more comfortable to be able to play your game and know you can challenge a little bit and make mistakes and still be able to battle hard… Everybody feels a little bit looser out there.”

On possibly using video to correct some things from last game…

“Um, not so much. Both teams know each other really well. We played four games against one another. You know what they’re going to do.”

LaSalle, Zoldy embrace Cup

By Steven Lienert
Sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA – For Perkasie native Kyle Zoldy, what a difference a year makes.
On March 22, 2007, Zoldy and the top-seeded LaSalle ice-hockey team were stunned by Holy Ghost Prep in the Flyers Cup Tier AAA semifinals. Their once promising season had come to a crashing end.

A year to the day later, Zoldy and the top-seeded Explorers faced Holy Ghost Prep in Flyers Cup tournament again, only this time in the finals.

Zoldy and the other three seniors back from last year’s team made sure last year’s debacle wasn’t going to happen again.

Zoldy tallied a goal and two assists to help get the Explorers over the hump as LaSalle defeated Holy Ghost, 4-1 at the Spectrum on Saturday to win its first Flyers Cup championship since 1998.

“My first three years (on the team) we got knocked out in the semifinals,” Zoldy said. “It was the worst feeling in the world. To get it done my senior year, it feels great.”

LaSalle will skate against Pine Richland for the state championship at Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown on Saturday

“(Zoldy’s) been the heart and soul of the team for the past two years,” LaSalle coach Wally Muehlbronner said. “They were a determined group this year. Fortunately, things worked out.”
Last year’s loss to Holy Ghost may have been terrible, but it became the catalyst for this season’s Flyers Cup run.

“I think our loss to them last year gave us a lot of incentive on how we played this year,” Muehlbronner said. “The guys have been determined throughout the year. I think they’ve proven they are one of the top teams in the area. I think they looked forward to playing Holy Ghost Prep again because of what happened last year.”

Muehlbronner put together a difficult schedule and, after the Explorers traveled to New England and Western Pennsylvania to test their mettle against stiff competition early in the season, LaSalle knew it was ready to win the Flyers Cup this season.

“That’s when we knew we could compete with the western teams,” Zoldy said.

In the Meadville Invitational tournament south of Erie, the Explorers took on some of the top teams from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Not only did LaSalle win the tournament for the third time in the past four years, it defeated North Allegheny, the defending state champions, by a 10-0 count.

“I think that gave the guys a lot of confidence,” Muehlbronner said. “And winning the Mount St. Charles tournament over Christmas really got the guys believing they can do good things this year.”

To the disappointment of some of the Explorers, however, Pine Richland attended a different tournament that same weekend. After hearing how good Pine Richland was in December, LaSalle can’t wait to finally see it in person.

“I think the state championship is the ultimate prize,” Muehlbronner said. “Winning the Flyers Cup is a tremendous accomplishment because you have to beat the best teams in the area. We’ve accomplished a lot of great things.

“Would it mean our season wasn’t successful if we don’t win the state championship? Absolutely not. Would it be icing on the cake? You better believe it.”

Rams trying to get over stunner

By Steven Lienert
The Phanatic Magazine

PHILADELPHIA – Following Saturday’s devastating triple-overtime loss to Conestoga in the finals of the Flyers Cup, several Pennridge ice-hockey players lingered on the bench in shock.

Coach Frank Reago had spoken openly about how this was a team of destiny, how their fate was already written and it was just playing itself out.

But none of the Rams expected their season to end so abruptly.

In the bowels of the Spectrum, after watching Conestoga hoist the Flyers Cup following its’ 3-2 win, the Rams sat quietly in their locker room and contemplated how to move on.

“It just doesn’t run through your head,” Pennridge forward A.J. Moyer said. “We had a lot of chances – two power plays we didn’t capitalize on. We didn’t finish.”

Pennridge clanged the puck off of metal twice in the first overtime period alone. With about seven minutes left in the stanza, Rams’ leading scorer Harrison Welch ripped a wrister from the slot that rang off the crossbar.

“I thought, ‘Couldn’t it have gone a little lower,” Welch said.

Just over a minute later, Moyer flipped a backhand on net from below the left circle. Somehow, the puck slid through a mosh pit of bodies in front of the Conestoga net and hit the far post before skittering harmlessly away.

Then, just over two minutes into the second overtime, Conestoga forward Alex Smith was called for a cross check, which put the Rams on the power play. Pennridge forward Tim Chubb had an opportunity to put the game away after a rebound sat on the doorstep in front of a gaping net but he couldn’t get his stick on the bouncing puck.

The Pioneers killed off that penalty but quickly went back on the disadvantage when Ryan Buttenbaum was whistled for boarding.

While on the second man advantage of the period, Moyer had a chance stopped by Conestoga goalie Wesley Mazda and Chubb chipped another rebound wide.

And considering Pennridge outshot Conestoga 11-1 in the second overtime, the Rams may have been getting a bit gassed.

“It didn’t hit me until after the game was over,” Moyer said. “We had to dump it in and catch our breath.”

Moyer, Welch, Chubb and defenseman Cody Lighthart played nearly every minute of the three overtimes.

“We rode our horses ‘til they dropped,” Reago said.

Meanwhile, Pennridge goalkeeper Steve Conolly kept the Rams in the game. In the first overtime, Conolly stoned Conestoga forward Rich Masciantonio’s wrister from the right circle and, later, he stopped Vince Masciantonio’s vicious one-timer from the slot.

Early in the third overtime, Smith tried to stuff one past Conolly and was denied.

Following the save, both Moyer and Welch each had chances to end the contest but came up empty. Moyer’s shot actually got through Mazda, but Buttenbaum swooped in and cleared the puck away before it crossed the goal line.

All of which set up the game-ending dramatics.

Rich Masciantonio controlled the puck in the right circle and he unleashed a wrister from the slot that beat Conolly glove side. Just like that, it was over.

“It happened kind of quick,” Conolly said. “I was expecting him to pass.”

Smith got the Pioneers on the scoreboard less than two minutes into the game after he crashed the net for a rebound and poked it past Conolly for a 1-0 lead.

Welch netted the equalizer just over five minutes later after he slipped a rebound past Mazda.

Moyer gave the Rams their only lead of the contest with 1:39 left in the opening stanza while on the power play. Moyer collected a flip pass at the blue line and deked to his forehand before depositing a backhand through Mazda’s five-hole.

Smith tied the game with 6:58 left in the second period after he beat Conolly stick side on a break.

Pennridge had three power plays through the rest of regulation but couldn’t slip another past Mazda. Moyer, Welch and Lighthart were each named to the Flyers Cup Tier AAA all-tournament team, and Moyer was named Most Valuable Player, but none of those accolades meant much on Saturday.

Moyer, Pennridge headed to Flyers Cup

By Steven Lienert

COLMAR (The Phanatic Magazine) – Ask North Penn ice hockey coach Ken Haas about Pennridge forward A.J. Moyer and he will start gushing about what a tremendous person Moyer is.

And that was after Moyer tallied a hat trick to knock the Knights out of the Flyers Cup tournament.

Harrison Welch and Tim Chubb also notched a goal apiece and goalkeeper Steve Conolly stopped 34 shots for the Rams, who defeated North Penn, 5-1, at Hatfield Ice on Wednesday to advance to the Class AA championship game.

Pennridge, which entered the tournament as the sixth-seed, will face fifth-seeded Conestoga for the title at the Spectrum on Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m.

“I don’t think there is as fine a gentleman in the league than A. J. Moyer,” Haas said. “How can you not speak highly of A.J.? He’s the nicest kid in the league and best hockey player in the league, period.”

Moyer’s skill indirectly led to Pennridge’s first goal. Moyer gathered a loose puck on the right wing and beat a North Penn defender along the half-wall to create a 3-on-1 break for the Rams. Moyer took a shot from the right circle that was saved by North Penn goalie Steve Paris, but the rebound sat on the doorstep for Chubb, who poked the puck past Paris left pad for the 1-0 first-period lead.

“One of our defenders pinched, and you can’t pinch against A.J.,” Haas said. “He’ll toast you every time.”

So will Welch, who burned North Penn late in the opening frame to give the Rams a two-goal margin. Welch got open ice along the right half-wall and skated in against three North Penn defenders. After deking one player, Welch fired a wrister along the ice from the right circle that beat Paris for a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Knights were having trouble figuring out Pennridge’s neutral zone trap. North Penn outshot Pennridge 35-19 in the contest, but only managed one goal.

“It’s the neutral zone for a reason,” Pennridge coach Frank Reago said. “If you own that real estate, you own the game.”

The Knights finally got one past Conolly three minutes into the second period. North Penn center Rob McDyre threw a shot on goal from the left point that ricocheted off Pennridge defenseman Cody Lighthart’s shin and past Conolly to make it 2-1. It was the only time Conolly surrendered a goal.

“My practice before the game made me feel confident,” Conolly said. “I tried not to think about the game too much. It helps keep the nerves down.”

Less than four minutes later, Moyer beat Paris short side with a wrist shot from below the left circle to re-establish a two-goal margin entering the third period.

North Penn defenseman Anthony Ricci had a golden opportunity to pull the Knights within one after he gathered a loose puck behind Conolly and went in unobstructed for a stuffer, but Conolly closed the five-hole and kept the Knights at bay.

“Before the season, people were coming up to me and saying we weren’t going to win because we don’t have a goalie,” Reago said. “I told (Conolly) ‘I won’t pull you if you have a bad game. I won’t put in another goalie.’ He’s come through for me.”

Moyer took care of the rest, as his two third-period goals sealed the Rams’ date with Conestoga. With just under 12 minutes remaining, Moyer gathered a loose puck at his own blue line, skated around a defender and shielded him off with his body before lifting a shot over Paris for a 4-1 margin.

Just over four minutes later, Paris gave up a rebound on a slap shot and Moyer kept whacking away at it until it squirted into the net for the game’s final tally.

“I didn’t expect this,” Moyer said. “The trap was played textbook. We didn’t get a lot of shots, but they went in."