I absolutely love Grossmann's play thus far.

My problem with the hit it that there was clear intent to injure. Even if the head wasnt what Kronwall was aiming for, he was trying to kill Voracek. Another problem I hate about the hit is that jake was baited into the hit. As bad as this is to say, I dont have a problem with trying to cause an injury to someone by a legal hockey play on the playoffs or even within the division during the regular season. This was the last game of the year between the two, the next time they may meet wont be till June. If Coburn had the same intent to injure in the back of his mind like Kronwall does, Zberg would of been sent into the 3rd row near the end of the game.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed college goalie Cal Heeter to a two-year, $1.85 million contract. He posted a 13-11-5 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with Ohio State University this season.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News

Anyone know if he is a legit prospect?

In other news, it appears the Rangers organization is done with Avery.

The 31-year-old forward was informed Tuesday that he would not be on the postseason roster of the AHL's Connecticut Whale, the Rangers minor league affiliate, and was told he no longer needed to report to the rink for practice or games, according to a Rangers spokesperson.

http://espn.go.com/new-yo...rk-rangers-franchise-over
- tangent_man

Good riddance

Good riddance
- bird_dog

+1

Saving his game for the playoffs. Briere will be just fine.
- stveshdy

In more concerned than I've been in the past. He's been fighting it all year. Hopefully he can pick it up in the playoffs again, but I'm not as confident as I've been in the past.

Good riddance
- bird_dog

So you say. I'll probably have to see him on "Project Runway" when my wife watches that. He'll probably get a permanent seat on the judging panel.

Voracek was in a vulnerable position trying to play the puck up the ice when aggressive hitting defenseman Niklas Kronwall stepped up on him and delivered a thundering shoulder or upper (tucked) arm hit that would have been totally clean except that the point of contact was to the head.

I don't believe that Kronwall was deliberate trying to go for Voracek's head. The forward was crouched down a bit and the play happened very quickly.

Here's where I disagree...the play didn't happen "very quickly" for Kronwall. He saw Jake, baited him a bit, ignored the puck, and stepped in to crush the player...just like he's done before.

Last night Brzy played so . . . . . shhhh
- FlyersFirst

Loved that. Maybe if reporters learned to actually ask questions as opposed to making statements and then holding a mic in front of an athlete's face. Boruk did the same thing to Giroux, only Giroux gave him Standard Reply #114.

In more concerned than I've been in the past. He's been fighting it all year. Hopefully he can pick it up in the playoffs again, but I'm not as confident as I've been in the past.
- funmaster18

Meh. March 31 he will have another fight and hat trick.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: 3/7/12
- bmeltzer

I could have listened to Mark Howe in the booth with Clement and Jackson all night. What a top notch guy he is. Very happy for him.

Great win by Bryz. At 3-2 I was not nervous at all because I felt he would be a wall. He was.

This team needs to get healthy. This is what makes the schedule so frustrating. We had some many lulls earlier in the year and now March you get 17 games in 31 days. Give a game or so to the lull period and 14 in 31 would look much better. I know the Flyers aren't the only team going through this...

Meh. March 31 he will have another fight and hat trick.


- Flyskippy

he needs to get his GHAPWI up.

If Coburn had the same intent to injure in the back of his mind like Kronwall does, Zberg would of been sent into the 3rd row near the end of the game.
- JFlyers00

This.

No he didn't. Just like he didn't throw an elbow (as others have so righteously, and falsely pointed out)

No is debating that it was a head shot. But I am debating, and rightly so, that his head was not targeted for the hit, and if Voracek is being responsible himself, and has his head up like he supposed to, the contact is with his chest.

Does it make the hit the right thing to do? No, I don't think so.

When a player like Kronwall, who is clearly trying to do damage when he hits, can continually get away with it because the old mechanisms for policing it have been legislated out of the game, this will continue to happen.

Taking it out of the players hands has made it less safe for the players. because now discipline, if there is any, is always AFTER the fact.

There needs to be a code for immediate and quick policing put back in to the game. A Flyer SHOULD have been able to just grab Kronwall and wail on him without fear of getting an instigator penalty. Then after one or two of those incidents, you can guarantee Kronwall would tone his act down pretty fast.

As it is now, this stuff wont stop happening.

The hit was technically clean IMO, but it wasn't sporting, it wasn't respectful. The instigator has removed respect from the game.
- MBFlyerfan

I agree, not an elbow. But the thing about the hit is, it wasn't a hockey play. In that situation, 99 times out of 100, the defender starts into the defensive zone, trying to get himself in a position to defend the rush. Rarely will they step up, and if they do, it's to PINCH OFF the attacker, or knock the puck deep. Should Jake keep his head up? Yeah, probably, but have you tried to pick a puck up off the boards in the snow? Not as easy said as done. It was not a sporting hit, I like that. It wasn't dirty, in the sense that it wasn't malicious. But it was far from clean, too...

When I was a kid, and I broke or spilled something by accident, to avoid my father's wrath I would say "I didn't try it!" His response was always "You didn't try not to, either..."

A little respect could have gone a long way. He didn't have to lay a devastating check. Personally, his decision to go ahead with it is enough for me. I think he should be suspended. Of course, I'm a bit jaded, since Rinaldo has gotten the short end of the Shanny stick of late...

In more concerned than I've been in the past. He's been fighting it all year. Hopefully he can pick it up in the playoffs again, but I'm not as confident as I've been in the past.
- funmaster18

Briere is a very streaky player. He is in a serious slump right now but when the playoffs start everyone has the same amount of goals, assists, and points. The playoffs is where Danny Boy will shine. He does it every single year so the odds are in his favor. You have the right to be concerned though bc he is struggling bigtime.

First things first...

I cannot express how lucky I was to get tickets to last nights game. I got to see Gordie Howe in person. The whole Howe celebration was spectacular to take in in person... When Mark and Gordie walked towards the banner I got chills!

On to the game...

Great game by the Flyers.. especially considering they were without
JvR, Meszy, Kimmo, Jagr and Jake (for most of the game), Pronger (who I will stop mentioning)... They didnt quit. Everybody stepped up their game and battled for that W. First 3 game win streak since early-mid december!

Now on to the hit... I dont think he pinpointed the head, but there is no doubt about where he made contact. Had it been to the chest it wouldnt have sent Jake in to rigor mortis mode...

In 2 games against the Wings this year Kronwall has 2 huge hits that were both "high" hits. Danny had just come back from his conky when he took his hit, and I feared for the worst. Then last night seeing Jake take that hit... i was fuming. I like that Schenn went to Kronwall and tried to get him to drop the gloves, but you cant let him just skate away.. penalty or not.. I know for the Flyers, that would have been 2 minutes of penalty that they would love to kill. As the old Mighty Ducks saying goes.. "Two minutes? Well worth it!"

As for "RULE 48 (yea right)", this is what frustrates me so much. Is it a penalty or not? Contact was CLEARLY made directly to the head. He was stiff as a board on the ice. Watching the hit, it seems as though Kronwall lunges and turns his shoulder/ back to throw the hit... A few years ago that was a scary and dirty legal hit.. today what is it?

Briere is a very streaky player. He is in a serious slump right now but when the playoffs start everyone has the same amount of goals, assists, and points. The playoffs is where Danny Boy will shine. He does it every single year so the odds are in his favor. You have the right to be concerned though bc he is struggling bigtime.
- stveshdy

He's played well do far as a flyer in the playoffs, which is optimistic, but he's struggling a lot this year. Still has time to get it together though.

he needs to get his GHAPWI up.
- funmaster18

But come on... he is the best GHAPWIP'er ever

Rinaldo was just on XM's Hockey This Morning show. Good inetrview.

Credited Laviolette for being a huge influence and teaching him to toe the line and keep himself out of trouble.

Said that having a guy like Jagr is great just because young guys can learn so much from him about how to approach the game, and handle their bodies to be in the best possible shape.

Gave Bryz credit for stepping up his play and said that Bryz is well liked in the room. He feels a lot of what Bryzgalov does in terms of the off the wall stuff is simply a technique to get his mind off hockey so he doesn't get burned out from the stress of being a goalie.

He also got a 10 minute misconduct last night at the end of the game for telling the refs they did a great job.

I'm still dumbfounded as to why the play wasn't IMMEDIATELY blown dead. It was fairly obvious Jake was in distress.

He's played well do far as a flyer in the playoffs, which is optimistic, but he's struggling a lot this year. Still has time to get it together though.
- funmaster18

Even with his struggles this year the Flyers are finding ways to win. Briere needs to step his game up and be a player come playoff time.

First things first...

I cannot express how lucky I was to get tickets to last nights game. I got to see Gordie Howe in person. The whole Howe celebration was spectacular to take in in person... When Mark and Gordie walked towards the banner I got chills!

On to the game...

Great game by the Flyers.. especially considering they were without
JvR, Meszy, Kimmo, Jagr and Jake (for most of the game), Pronger (who I will stop mentioning)... They didnt quit. Everybody stepped up their game and battled for that W. First 3 game win streak since early-mid december!

Now on to the hit... I dont think he pinpointed the head, but there is no doubt about where he made contact. Had it been to the chest it wouldnt have sent Jake in to rigor mortis mode...

In 2 games against the Wings this year Kronwall has 2 huge hits that were both "high" hits. Danny had just come back from his conky when he took his hit, and I feared for the worst. Then last night seeing Jake take that hit... i was fuming. I like that Schenn went to Kronwall and tried to get him to drop the gloves, but you cant let him just skate away.. penalty or not.. I know for the Flyers, that would have been 2 minutes of penalty that they would love to kill. As the old Mighty Ducks saying goes.. "Two minutes? Well worth it!"

As for "RULE 48 (yea right)", this is what frustrates me so much. Is it a penalty or not? Contact was CLEARLY made directly to the head. He was stiff as a board on the ice. Watching the hit, it seems as though Kronwall lunges and turns his shoulder/ back to throw the hit... A few years ago that was a scary and dirty legal hit.. today what is it?
- jak521

for years I thought the quote was Two minutes well spent.

Here's where I disagree...the play didn't happen "very quickly" for Kronwall. He saw Jake, baited him a bit, ignored the puck, and stepped in to crush the player...just like he's done before.



Loved that. Maybe if reporters learned to actually ask questions as opposed to making statements and then holding a mic in front of an athlete's face. Boruk did the same thing to Giroux, only Giroux gave him Standard Reply #114.
- wolfhounds

100%. If you wanna bait someone to steal the puck or seperate him from it without trying to kill him then that's cool. Kronwall knows how this hit will end up if things go his way. That's my beef. Pretty dirty.

I'm still dumbfounded as to why the play wasn't IMMEDIATELY blown dead. It was fairly obvious Jake was in distress.
- BoomGoesTheCoburn

+1

Rinaldo was just on XM's Hockey This Morning show. Good inetrview.

Credited Laviolette for being a huge influence and teaching him to toe the line and keep himself out of trouble.

Said that having a guy like Jagr is great just because young guys can learn so much from him about how to approach the game, and handle their bodies to be in the best possible shape.

Gave Bryz credit for stepping up his play and said that Bryz is well liked in the room. He feels a lot of what Bryzgalov does in terms of the off the wall stuff is simply a technique to get his mind off hockey so he doesn't get burned out from the stress of being a goalie.

He also got a 10 minute misconduct last night at the end of the game for telling the refs they did a great job.
- Jsaquella

I hate how he constantly gets "reputation calls"

he got that unsportsmanlike penalty as a way for the refs to establish their dominance and prevent a war... what did he do? He pushed a guy. Yup.

100%. If you wanna bait someone to steal the puck or seperate him from it without trying to kill him then that's cool. Kronwall knows how this hit will end up if things go his way. That's my beef. Pretty dirty.
- gforce

Thats Kronwall's game. He is very physical and Voracek got caught with his head down. It happens. Kronwall hit him in the face bc Voracek was looking down and unfortunately he wasn't able to protect himself.

I absolutely love Grossmann's play thus far.

My problem with the hit it that there was clear intent to injure. Even if the head wasnt what Kronwall was aiming for, he was trying to kill Voracek. Another problem I hate about the hit is that jake was baited into the hit. As bad as this is to say, I dont have a problem with trying to cause an injury to someone by a legal hockey play on the playoffs or even within the division during the regular season. This was the last game of the year between the two, the next time they may meet wont be till June. If Coburn had the same intent to injure in the back of his mind like Kronwall does, Zberg would of been sent into the 3rd row near the end of the game.
- JFlyers00

yea, but having to type that extra n...I dunno if that's worth bringing him back