Bob in net; Voracek likely out

Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov made the trip to Detroit but won’t get the start according to head coach Peter Laviolette. The team has confirmed that Bryzgalov is completely healthy. However, Sergei Bobrovsky will start his third consecutive game Sunday night against the Red Wings (7:30 p.m).

Bobrovsky has given eight goals in those two games but did make some key saves against the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

It also appears that forward Jakub Voracek will be a game-time decision due to an unspecified upper-body injury. Courier-Post writer Randy Miller suggests that Voracek could’ve suffered a mild concussion in yesterday’s loss to the Rangers. The Flyers also recalled Eric Wellwood for tonight’s contest.

Wellwood has 9 goals and 11 assists in 31 games with the Adirondack Phantoms this season. He also registered an assist against the Blue Jackets in his only appearance with the Flyers this season.

Two goal night by Simmonds propels Flyers

When the Flyers acquired Wayne Simmonds from the Kings, they knew they were getting a talented and young power forward.

Simmonds showed that as he netted a pair of goals in a 4-1 Flyers win against the Predators on Thursday evening.

He scored the first goal off a spin-o-rama type shot and surprised Anders Lindback.

The second goal, which extended the lead to 3-1, came off a rebound in front of the net. The puck bounced right off Lindback and right onto Simmonds’ stick for the easy goal.

Brayden Schenn also continued his hot play as he had an assist on the first tally by Simmonds.

Defenseman Kimmo Timonen also had two assists.

Ilya Bryzgalov had another strong performance and has put together back to back great outings. He has only allowed two goals in that time.

Lost in it all is rookie Matt Read cementing his place in the Calder Trophy conversation. He scored his 16th goal of the year which leads all rookies.

The Flyers are back on the ice on Saturday when they face the Devils at 1 p.m.

Flyers trade Kevin Marshall to Caps

The Flyers have traded defenseman Kevin Marshall to the Washington Capitals in exchange for winger Matt Ford.

Ford has 10 goals and 18 assists in 39 with the Hershey Bears this season. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the eighth round back in 2004.

Marshall had seen time in 10 games with the Flyers but didn’t register a point. He had two goals and three assists in 32 games with the Adirondack Phantoms.

Game Preview: Flyers vs. Predators

 

PHI: 29-14-6 (2nd in Atlantic); NSH: 31-16-4 (2nd in Central)

Where: Wells Fargo Center

When: Thursday, 7 p.m. on CSN

Last time met: January 14, 2012 – In their last meeting, Pekka Rinne was spectacular as he stopped 36 of 38 shots on the way to a 4-2 Predators win. Wayne Simmonds and Sean Couturier scored goals for the Flyers. Ilya Bryzgalov had 21 saves in the loss. Sergei Kostitsyn, Martin Erat, and Mike Fisher had two points apiece.

Probable Goalies – Ilya Bryzgalov (18-10-5, 2.93 GAA) vs. Anders Lindback (2-5-0, 2.65 GAA)

Opposing player to watch – D Ryan Suter & Shea Weber: Simply put, the trade rumors have been running rampant that one of these two could end up with the Flyers by the trade deadline. Both are All-Star caliber defenseman and are among the elite defenders in the NHL. It still remains unlikely that either will be headed to Philadelphia but we can all dream. Just take a look at these two tonight and how talented they really are. You never know what can happen.

Jets ground Flyers in shootout

Even when Ilya Bryzgalov is at the top of his game, he can’t do it all himself.

The Winnipeg Jets edged the Flyers 2-1 in a shootout with Bryan Little scoring the winning goal.

The Flyers couldn’t seem to solve Ondrej Pavelec who was phenomenal in net for Winnipeg.

Brayden Schenn scored the lone goal on a scrum in front where he muscled the puck past Pavelec.

Bryzgalov was absolutely tremendous in net and single-handedly sent the game to overtime. He robbed Andrew Ladd towards the end of regulation with a sprawling stick save.

This loss brings the Flyers to a 1-4 record in shootouts so far this season.

Bryzgalov needs more help from the offense. You can’t depend on your netminder to stand on his head every night.

This was a good building block for Bryzgalov. Hopefully this is a start of a stellar second half.

Game Preview: Jets vs. Flyers

PHI: 29-14-5 (2nd in Atlantic); WPG: 22-22-6 (3rd in Southeast)

Where: Wells Fargo Center

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. on CSN

Last time met: November 19, 2011 – The Jets have had the Flyers’ number so far this season as they have taken the first two meetings. They have scored 15 goals in those two games. They won 6-4 in the last meeting and were aided by a two-goal game from Bryan Little. Defenseman Dustin Byfulgien also added a goal and two assists in a winning effort. Forwards Scott Hartnell and Matt Read did have two goals apiece for the Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 of 39 shots.

Probable Goalies – Ilya Bryzgalov (18-10-4, 2.99 GAA) vs. Dwayne Ondrej Pavelec (16-17-6, 2.84 GAA)

Opposing player to watch – C Brian Little: When you think of the Winnipeg Jets, you think of guys like Dustin Byfulgien and Evander Kane. But Bryan Little has quietly played very well against the Flyers this season, In the first two meetings, Little has two goals and two assists. He only has 22 points (11 goals & 11 assists) so far this season. He isn’t the biggest guy in the world but is very quick and is a great stick-handler. Little is also not afraid to go to the net which makes him someone who the Flyers will have to keep an eye on. The Jets may be young but they do have plenty of firepower.

Notes – After this morning’s practice, Jaromir Jagr stated that he plans to play tonight. Harry Zolnierczyk and Zac Rinaldo will be out which means that Jody Shelley is in the lineup. Along with Zolnierczyk, Tom Sesito and Ben Holmstrom were called up from Adirondack yesterday.

NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft thoughts

For the first time ever, the National Hockey League threw out the concept of East/West or North America versus The World. Instead, they turned the All-Star Game on its ear and had a schoolyard fantasy draft to determine what players played on what teams.

It was a rousing success last season and hockey fans around the world seemed to really enjoy it. The concept was back last night with Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson and Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara as the captains. Each team also had an assistant captain to help them pick. Alfredsson was paired up with Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist while Chara had Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul as his running mate.

I’m not going to sit here and recap every round. If you’re reading this, most likely you watched the Draft or at least know how the teams turned out. I’ll just give you a few selections that surprised me and analyze the teams as a whole.

The very first pick from Team Chara caught me off guard. With Team Alfredsson already having Lundqvist, I assumed that Chara would take his teammate Tim Thomas to even the score. If not that, then Tyler Seguin because last year everybody picked their own teammates. But Team Chara selected Pavel Datsyuk. Obviously it’s a great pick because Datsyuk is one of the best players in the league. He also has some of the quickest hands you’ll ever see.

Another shocking moment was Marian Gaborik lasting until Round 16. You’re talking about one of the top offensive threats in the game today. I just thought he’d be gone in the top 10 rounds.

The final surprise was Logan Couture being the last player selected and of course got the car for his troubles. I actually thought Flyers winger Scott Hartnell would get the honor. That would’ve been far more entertaining.

 

Game Preview: Flyers vs. Canadiens

PHI: 19-7-3 (1st in Atlantic); MTL: 13-11-7 (2nd in Northeast)

Where: Bell Centre

When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. on CSN

Probable Goalies – Sergei Bobrovsky (5-2-1, 2.75 GAA) vs. Carey Price (12-8-7, 2.22 GAA)

Last time met: November 25, 2011– In the second meeting of the season between the Flyers and the Habs, the Flyers erased a 1-0 deficit and went on to win 3-1. Claude Giroux scored twice and Jakub Voracek added a goal for the Flyers. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 saves in a winning effort. Petteri Nokellainen netted the lone goal for the Canadiens.

Opposing player to watch – RW Erik Cole: Cole is a wily veteran who has a nose for a net. He has 12 points (four goals and eight assists) in 25 career games against the Flyers. Cole played for Peter Laviolette in Carolina so he should know how to approach defending his former player. He is tied for the team lead in goals with 11.

What To Look For – Can the Flyers keep up their strong level of play and win their seventh consecutive game? The Flyers have been playing incredible hockey and sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. This could be a trap game as the Canadiens are an average team.

Flyers roll in first game without Giroux

No Claude Giroux. No Chris Pronger. No problem.

The Flyers didn’t seem to lose any of their scoring ability in their first game minus Giroux as they steamrolled the Washington Capitals 5-1.

It was also a game of extending goal streaks for the Flyers. Scott Hartnell netted a goal for the sixth consecutive game and Wayne Simmonds scored in his third straight.

It was Hartnell’s 200th career goal.

Defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon scored his first NHL goal on a weak snap shot that got past Tomas Vokoun. Jody Shelley set a beautiful screens  to help Bourdon get the easy tally.

It’s great to see Hartnell going on an absolute tear lately. He’s getting goals in many different ways.

He’s shooting the puck and also getting deflections when he drives to the net. The Flyers need his strong play with Giroux out.

Jakub Voracek scored on a deflection to continue his strong play. Voracek had been piling up the assists as of late but it was good to see him get a goal too.

The Flyers chased Vokoun after four goals. It was a much better offensive effort than the 5-2 loss to the Capitals earlier this season.

Ilya Bryzgalov was tremendous in net as he made 31 saves. His confidence continues to grow. He clearly isn’t lost in the woods anymore.

With Giroux out for the foreseeable future, it was great to see a total team effort tonight. Everyone was contributing and it was a great win.

The Flyers face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at 7:3o p.m.

Game Preview: Flyers vs. Capitals

PHI: 18-7-3 (1st in Atlantic); WSH: 15-12-1 (2nd in Southeast)

Where: Verizon Center

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. on CSN

Probable Goalies – Ilya Bryzgalov (13-5-2, 2.83 GAA) vs. Tomas Vokoun (12-7-0, 2.70 GAA)

Last time met: October 20, 2011– In the first meeting this season, the Capitals held a slim 2-1 lead heading into the third period. But then they exploded for three goals in the third frame in a 5-2 victory over the Flyers. Roman Hamrlik, Alex Ovechkin, and Joel Ward all scored for the Capitals. Ilya Bryzgalov gave up all five goals on 28 shots while Tomas Vokoun recorded a 40-save effort.

Opposing player to watch – LW Alex Ovechkin: Despite being a little off last year and some of this season, Ovechkin still remains one of the best players in the league. He is one of the fastest skaters out there. If he gets the puck in open ice, he can make anybody look average. The Flyers defense will have to know where he is at all times. He has a goal and an assist in his last two games and looks to be improving his game. He has nine goals and 12 assists so far this season. In 23 career games against the Flyers, Ovie has 22 goals and 15 assists. He’s in the same league as Sidney Crosby and the Sedin twins.

What To Look For – This marks the first game without NHL points-leader Claude Giroux. It was announced today that Giroux is out indefinitely due to a concussion. He suffered the injury on Saturday against Tampa Bay when he took a knee to the head from teammate Wayne Simmonds.