The Flyers pick up their first point in 5 games as they lose to the Sabres in Saturday night 5-4. Even with the lost I think the game could really be a turning point for the Flyers. The Flyers competed and came within 3 minutes of beating the Sabres, a team with only 1 regulation lost this season. The Flyers playing without Forsberg, Carter, Knuble and Gauthier. The energy and emotion the Flyers played with has been increasing the last few games and if they can sustain the intensity they played with saturday night they will win more games then they lose and get back on track.
Coach John Stevens
“I don’t know if we lost or just ran out of time. We felt if we play like that every night, we’re going to win a lot of hockey games. Is it something to build on? For me it is. That’s supposed to be the best team in the league. We stood up for each other. We showed affection for the group, and I saw effort in areas that had been lacking. I was proud of the team effort.”
3 fights in the game with Mike Richards vs. Nathan Paetsch, Ben Eager vs. Adam Mair and Triston Grant vs. Andrew Peters
Randy Robitaille scored twice for the Flyers, Alex ‘dont call me Captain’ Picard scored his first NHL goal with Petr Nedved picking up his 400th assist, R.J. Umberger also scored for the Flyers.
Simon Gagne and Randy Robitaille both picked up 10 minute gross misconduct penalties after the game for arguing the too many men on the ice call with 30 seconds left in the game. According to the rulebook, the gross misconduct cost Gagne and Robitaille a $200 fine and possible disciplinary action by the Commissioner of the League. The call was questionable overall the officiating in the game was what one comes to expect, meh.
Flyers only had one power play and scored on it which ties them with the Senators for last in the league. Flyers are 7th in the league on the penalty kill, they killed 3 out of 4 Sabres Powerplays.
Pylon led the Flyers in ice time with 28 minutes and was actually plus +1. It was the other pylon that made the mistakes costing the Flyers the game.
Antero Niittymaki got the start in goal and looked average. The outcome could have been different if he didn’t let in the softies. Of course the same could be said about Sabres goalie Martin Biron.
Randy Robitaille, Daniel Briere and R.J. Umberger were the three stars.
other news….
Marty Murray who was signed during the summer for his second stint with the Flyers was claimed off of waivers by the Los Angeles Kings. Murray never saw any action this year with the Flyers since he was sent down during preseason. Murray played 11 games for the Phantoms picking up 2 goals and 11 assists.
Flyers Chairman Ed Snider has said that interim General Manager Paul Holmgren will be GM for the rest of the season.
Ed Snider
“Paul has been working very hard and I felt that it was important at this time to provide him with some stability in his position which will help him with the tasks at hand.”
Denis Gauthier will be out 6 to 8 weeks with a shoulder injury. He will have surgery on his left shoulder on Tuesday to repair a torn labrum. Goat had surgery on his right shoulder over the summer break. Out until after Christmas.
Peter Forsberg out with the flu but listed as having an ankle sprain on the Flyers website will visit a foot specialist in Cleveland to fit Forsberg with a custom brace.
Monday night the Flyers head to Pittsburgh to start a 4 game road trip which they will face 3 teams from the Western Conference.