I just got off the phone with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who tells me that if Michael Leighton clears re-call waivers the plan is to play him either Friday in Buffalo or Saturday at home against the Islanders. Here’s a quick transcript of our conversation: Can you explain the timing of recalling Michael? When it gets right down to it, what’s the difference whether we recall him this week or next week? If we want to improve our goaltending depth it doesn’t matter

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The Flyers have placed goaltender Michael Leigthon on recall waivers from the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League, meaning he could be a Flyer by noon tomorrow. Leighton must clear re-entry waivers to be able to join the Flyers.

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Following a conference call with members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association regarding the boycott of three New York chapters in the NHL Awards voting process, PHWA vice president and Denver Post sportswriter Terry Frei summed up the meeting’s sentiments with this report: As the NHL’s 2010-11 regular season winds down, and with voting on the league’s awards imminent, the Professional Hockey Writers Association remains adamantly opposed to – and distressed by – the early season decision of the New York Islanders to revoke the media credential of a PHWA member. This is even more objectionable than the original decision itself: In the months since, league officials have refused to intervene and overrule the Islanders’ decision, which would serve to re-emphasize the NHL’s commitment to facilitate objective and authoritative coverage from PHWA members. The media marketplace is changing daily, and newspapers and other outlets for written journalism are among those adapting. To its credit, the NHL and its teams have aggressively taken on the challenge of creating and enhancing their “own” coverage on several platforms, going beyond the more traditional “in-house” broadcasts to now include team web sites and other outlets. Yet the league’s savvy fan base understands the need for, and desires, independent and objective coverage that doesn’t pass through league and team filters Our concern is that this decision, if allowed to stand and become precedent, signals an end to the league’s agreement that independent and objective coverage not only benefits its fan base, but the NHL itself.

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have recalled 6-1, 180-lb center Ben Holmstrom from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, according to General Manager Paul Holmgren. Holmstrom will wear #34. He practiced today on a line with left wing Scott Hartnell and right wing Kris Versteeg. Holmstrom, who turns 24 on Saturday, made his NHL debut on March 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs

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Flyers Left Wing Scott Hartnell Q: In the last three weeks you’ve had six games decided by overtime or a shootout.  You’re one and five.  Is that concerning? “A little bit.  I don’t think we’ve done a good job closing out games.  Playing hard for 60 minutes, when you take shifts off or half a period off you’re going to get in trouble.  That’s why we’re not getting two points every night.  We were fighting hard for that last point but you never know in these shootouts.” Q: At this time of the year when you need these points, when you say ‘taking shifts off’ how does that happen? “It’s a little concerning.  It’s collectively.  It’s not just a line or a couple guys.  You know, we’re not finishing checks, it seems like we’re not doing the forecheck, and we’re not getting the pressure that we want.  In the beginning of the year we were in groups of five out there just cycling nonstop.  It seems like we have one good shift and two off.  That’s definitely not winning hockey.  As you can tell, it lasted a while and it’s going to be a short playoff season if we don’t correct it now.” Q: Is it becoming a character trait of this team to wait until there’s a huge game or you’re behind in a game to step up

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Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette Q: Peter, Scott Hartnell said between periods that they weren’t hitting enough and not getting enough time in the offensive zone, would you agree with that? “I thought in the second period it left us for a little bit and the competitiveness, the first period was a good period, it was a tough break in the end there.  But I thought we came out strong out of the gate and then started that period, I didn’t like the way we competed for probably the first 12-14 minutes.  I thought we got really strong at the end of the second period, but we’re capable of sustaining more offense, I think, with just a better, grittier effort on the puck in the offensive zone and getting in there a little bit quicker. And then the third period we came out, we charged in there and started forechecking and I really liked the way we played the third.  It was good to get back on track; we got a little bit sleepy there in the second.” Q: In the last three weeks you’ve had six games that have ended in either overtime or a shoot out and you’re 1-5.  Is that a concern at all to you?  I know there’s no shootouts in the playoffs, but… “I think you just answered the question.  Did we want to win the shootout today, absolutely, but a shootout is sometimes not a reflection of the game and points are awarded.  You’re right, we have not done a very good job in the shootout, and we’ve kicked up some points that way. Q: Is there anything that Leino did or didn’t do early in the third? “We just shortened the bench in the third and tightened it up.” Q:  Is there anything you need from him that you didn’t see?

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NY Rangers (3) – FLYERS (2) (SO) The Flyers move to 3-7 in 10 shootouts this season.  They have lost four of their last five shootouts since March 17. Nikolay Zherdev – 1-for-2 Claude Giroux – 2-for-9 Sergei Bobrovsky – 1-4, 9 GA on 17 shots Nikolay Zherdev scored his first goal since Jan.

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Philadelphia Flyers Left Wing Daniel Carcillo Q: Scott Hartnell said between the first and the second [period] you guys weren’t skating enough, and you guys weren’t getting enough time in the offensive zone.  Would you agree? “Yeah I think we had a bit of a lag there in the second, and that can’t happen in a game like this.  We know how important it is to get the points right now, and they came out on top tonight.” Q: Peter [Laviolette] had used words like desperation and urgency in the last couple of games, and it has not been there.  Would you say tonight that the urgency and desperation, that part of your game, was there? “I think it picked up a little bit. It’s not where it needs to be.  We need to go harder and play with a lot higher energy and emotion.  When we do that, that’s when we play our best. Right now it’s not happening.” Q: This building is usually behind this team.  It usually pumps up the energy.  Is there a reason that the energy in the building isn’t really working for you

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Video: Meszaros on loss to Thrashers

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Video: Versteeg on loss to Thrashers

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