The Flyers cranked out an impressive effort last night against a desperate Florida Panthers team. The club's play in the third period was particularly impressive. The Flyers did a tremendous job killing off Jeff Carter's slashing penalty early in the period and building momentum from it the rest of the game.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign of all was the way the team played when protecting the one-goal lead Carter provided in the final period. They did a tremendous job of sealing off the passing lanes and everyone backchecked like they meant it. Florida did a lot of double shifting of the top two lines and the Flyers hardly gave them a sniff.
Martin Biron, who played very well all night after struggling in his four previous starts, was only called upon to make two tough saves in the third period. But both of them were outstanding saves at crucial times.
My full recap of last night's game is available
here on the Flyers' official site.
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Relevant stats of the night from last night's tilt:
* The Flyers' record when Jeff Carter scores at least one goal is 26-2-6.
* Carter's 82 points this season are the most recorded by a Flyer since Mark Recchi posted 91 points back in the 2000-01 campaign.
* The club is now 13-2-6 in games that are tied after two periods.
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The Flyers handed out their annual team awards last night.
Bobby Clarke Trophy (team MVP): Mike Richards
My pick: I'm sure many will pick Carter and many others will agree with the selection of Carter. I can't argue with either choice, but my own pick would be Kimmo Timonen. Plain and simple, he's the one guy who is the hardest to replace in the lineup, even on a short-term basis.
Barry Ashbee Trophy (best defenseman): Kimmo Timonen
My pick: Timonen
Yanick Dupre Memorial (character and rapport with the media): Daniel Briere
My pick: Briere is an excellent choice. He's always personable, always honest and patient. This award usually goes to a different guy every season. But the honor could go each and every year to Mike Knuble. Not only is he a great guy, he's also one of the most analytical and articulate players you'll ever meet. Knuble never gives you cliches and it's even worth re-asking questions that have already been asked because he'll sometimes add on to his previous answers with additional insights.
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial (most improved): Darroll Powe
My choice: Claude Giroux. Compare the youngster we saw during his emergency callup last year and his disappointing training camp to the burgeoning star that's on the ice now. He's gone from prospect to a bonafide NHLer who will only continue to get better.
Gene Hart Memorial Award (player who shows the most heart): Scott Hartnell
My choice: Hartnell is a good pick.
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International hockey notes
* Färjestads BK has a chance to win the Swedish championship today with a victory over HV71. FBK leads the series three games to one.
A live webcast of the game is available
here. The game is scheduled to start at 1 PM eastern US time.
* On NHL.com today, I wrote a
mini-preview of the Under-18 World Championships, which start tomorrow in Moorehead, MN and Fargo, ND. The article takes a brief look at each of the top six medal contenders with a 2009 Entry Draft prospect to watch for each squad.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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