If you thinking trailing 4-0 and then losing 4-3 is heart breaking enough for the Flyers, it pales in comparison to the announcement after the game that defenseman Randy Jones is going to miss 12-16 weeks because of major damage to his right hip.
Here's my story running on Comcast SportsNet.com:
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What a magnificent pass from Danny Briere off the right boards to Mike Richards, rushing the net and then light-touching the puck past Valiquette early in the third. It's 4-3 now ...
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FLyers actually have some life this 2nd period ... Simon Gagne races for a loose puck amid some bodies in the crease and flips a shot off the fallen goalie. Momentum has swung the FLyers' way despite some bad penalties and debatable calls. 4-2
D-Pairs have changed as Stevens has all but removed Kukkonen. Sbisa getting time with Coburn ... Coburn getting time with Eminger, as well.
Scott Hartnell gets a SHG as Glen Metropolit wins a faceoff right back to him. Looked to me that goalie Stephen Valiquette was screened perfectly by everyone in the faceoff circle.
BTW: The Rangers first goal hit 3 people before Zherdev got the perfect redirect. Replay shows it ...
Metropolit was also dropped down a line in the pecking order early in the game ...
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Power play goal from Michal Rozsival and Biron gets yanked for Antero Niittymaki. Hey, remember how Biron remarked this week that he can always remember Opening NIght Games? Well, as Ed Moran wryly noted, "THis is one he won't forget."
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FLyers defense does not look sharp in front of Biron and not paying attention to pucks ... also Kukkonen is not playing well ...
Ugly start here. First a bouncing puck off a Ranger that results in an easy rebound goal from Nikolai Zherdev, then Steve Eminger looking the wrong way and Biron gets pick=pocketed and it's 2-0. Rangers have eight shots.
Not a good start at all ...
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Only one change in the Flyers lineup for tonight's home and season opener against the New York Rangers.
Steve Downie injured left knee will keep him out of the lineup. He will be replaced by No. 42, Jared Ross, who will be making his NHL debut. Ross is an American, born in Huntsville, Alabama.
Flyers coach John Stevens said he wanted to give Downie's knee some more rest.
If you are wondering about the defensive pairs, everything stays the same from what the Flyers used yesterday in practice. Steve Eminger averaged just 12 minutes ice time for the Caps last season. Stevens told me he will play "a lot more" minutes tonight.
That would be a necessity given he is being paired with Braydon Coburn.
Only four other teams in the NHL have not played a game yet. Mike Knuble had some thoughts on the Flyers being among the very last teams to drop the puck.
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