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FLYERBUZZ: THOUGHTS ON RANGERS, THE MIX, AND BOURDON
WEDNESDAY QUICK HITS
According to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, injured forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Scott Hartnell have both been upgraded to day-to-day status.
Based on the fact that Lecavalier practiced on Claude Giroux's line yesterday and worked on the second power play unit in the second half of practice, I think there's a good chance (barring a setback) that Lecavalier will play tomorrow night against the Rangers even if he's listed as a game-time decision.
Hartnell skated with the healthy scratches and then took extra skating after practice yesterday, which suggests that he will not be ready for tomorrow but may be able to play come Saturday.
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When Lecavalier and Hartnell are activated, the Flyers will need to adjust their roster. Tye McGinn played so well in his first couple games after his callup that I would think he's safe right now from being returned to the AHL. Michael Raffl, who skated on left wing of the top line, has shown speed, two-way awareness and a hint of grit during his NHL games to date. Yesterday after practice, Berube deflected all lineup and roster questions, basically saying that he and Paul Holmgren are still evaluating players and no decisions have been made yet.
Assuming McGinn stays up, I think Kris Newbury could be headed back to the Phantoms. In terms of a second roster move if Raffl also stays put, eighth defenseman Hal Gill or enforcer Jay Rosehill could possibly be candidates for waivers and an AHL assignment if they clear. The Phantoms, who feature a young blueline with Bruno Gervais as the only true veteran, could probably use Gill's "wizened old sage" presence for awhile, anyway. With no recall waivers anymore, the veteran player(s) can come back to the NHL team as needed.
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Lecavalier said yesterday that while he by no means is a natural winger, especially after spending the vast majority of his NHL career at center, he feels more comfortable on his off-wing than he would if deployed on the left side. Asked yesterday about the various line changes the Flyers have already had this season, Lecavalier pointed out that he "played for a coach [Guy Boucher] who would change lines in the games" after using different combination in practice.
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Since arriving in Philadelphia in September for his first pro season in North America, Michael Raffl has already played for three different head coaches -- Peter Laviolette, Terry Murray and Craig Berube -- who have strong opinions about the way they want things done, and have somewhat different systems. I asked Raffl if he's felt at all like he's felt any sort of "information overload" while making the transition from European to North American hockey.
Raffl, a go-with-the-flow type, said that it's not all that different from any job where there's a couple changes in bosses in a short period of time. It's up to the player to adjust, and it can't be used as an excuse.
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I had an interesting discussion with Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn about the effects the shallower nets have had on defensemen. Coburn said that there's a little bit of a trade off, depending on the situation.
On the one hand, forecheckers get on the defense a little faster and they can pop out from behind the net a little faster to try a wraparound. They also have a good angle for centering passes. On the other hand, the new nets also have some benefits to the defense. For one thing, it's easier to make D-to- D passes in deep, which helps the breakout. For another, there's less room for opposing forwards to shield the puck behind the net, which makes it a little easier for defensemen -- especially those with a long reach -- to get to the disc.
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Flyers defense prospect Robert Hägg suited up (for the first time this season) for Modo's J20 team yesterday, playing on the top pairing. I do not know if he will be joining the senior team in Stockholm tomorrow for a game against AIK. It is not uncommon for junior-aged players in Sweden to pull in double duty playing in both the SHL and the J20 SuperElit league as the schedule permits. However, Hägg has struggled a bit of late with the big club and his ice time was greatly reduced prior to the departure of veteran Anssi Salmela from the club. In yesterday's junior team game, Hägg assisted on his team's first goal but also took a pair of minor penalties within a few minutes of each other in the first period and was a minus one (+1, -2) in a 4-2 win over Luleå HF J20.
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Today in Flyers History: On the same night in 1993 that Joe Carter's ninth inning homerun won the World Series for Toronto against the Phillies, the Flyers took on the original Winnipeg Jets in a wild game at the Spectrum. It was a seesaw affair, ultimately won 9-6 by the Jets.
The Flyers quickly trailed 3-0 on goals by Alexei Zhamnov, Teemu Selänne and Nelson Emerson (shorthanded) before the game was even seven minutes old. Then the Flyers roared back for four straight goals, as red hot Josef Beranek scored his ninth goal of the month of October. Rod Brind'Amour trimmed the deficit to one midway through the opening period.
In the second period, Flyers rookie Mikael Renberg scored his second and third career NHL goals to put the Flyers on top, 4-3. Fredik Olausson responded just a few minutes later, only for Eric Lindros to convert a Renberg pass into a 5-4 lead for the Flyers. Late in the middle stanza, Keith Tkachuk potted a Selänne rebound for a power play goal and a 5-5 deadlock.
Winnipeg forged ahead again in the third period, as Tkachuk and Selänne each scored their respective second goals of the game to put the Jets ahead, 7-5, in the opening two minutes of the third period. Mark Recchi cut the Winnipeg edge to 7-6 barely a minute later. Midway through the period, Tkachuk completed the hat trick on another power play goal and Tomas Steen extended the lead to 9-6.
Apart from Tkachuk's three goals, Zhamov finished the goal with four assists in addition to his early goal. Selänne had two goals and three assists. Teppo Numminen had three assists. On the Philly side, Recchi and Renberg both had three-point nights. Flyers coach Terry Simpson left starter Tommy Söderström in the entire game to absorb the nine goals on 32 shots.
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