The preseason is essentially over for the Flyers. The next game they will play will Thursday October 5 in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. The Flyers won 1 out of the 7 preseason games. Preseason doesn’t mean anything as they say. But with some the crappy play and the injuries starting already this year I am not as optimistic as I was at the beginning of the preseason.

Injuries

Lars Jonsson who seemed to win a spot on defense suffered a high right ankle sprain and is listed day to day but is reported to be out at least a week.

Antero Niittymaki who I was expecting to win the #1 goaltending job completely tore the labrum in his left hip. Instead of having the surgery now and missing 2-3 months, Niitty and the Flyers have decided to hold off on the surgery until after the season. He will receive cortisone shots throughout the year. We saw last year how Mike Rathje’s hip injury affected his play. I’m no doctor but I can’t see how Niitty can be decent at best with a bum hip. Esche will be the starter between the two and if Niitty will just be the backup he might as well as have the surgery. Houle can do the job as backup.

Denis Gauthier took an unintentional knee to his head during the last preseason game from Alex Ovechkin. It is reported he suffered a concussion.

Mike Rathje is still having back problems and is getting cortisone shots. Gagne also took cortisone shot in his hip.

GM Bob Clarke like myself is not happy with the performance of the Flyers in the preseason.

At times we’ve been pretty good, and at times we’ve been indifferent.

There are some players we consider on the bubble who have not recognized it themselves. Some of the veteran guys have been just OK and at different times been good. There are guys being pushed out of a job, and I don’t think they even recognize it.

Baumgartner is one of those guys that has to play better. He is what he is. He’s on the bubble. Just like Gauthier and Jones and Meyer. Jones and Meyer haven’t shown me very much for guys who should be fighting for a job. They haven’t shown the same fire that it’s going to take to be a regular on this club.

You will see on Monday who I am not happy with. There are other guys here who have shown they want to be here. And I have not seen enough of it over the course of camp. I know Hitch isn’t happy, either.

The Flyers are spending the weekend at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland for some team bonding.
I guess that leaves Monday for the final cut.