The Flyers dominated early and was able to hold on to a 4-3 win over the Senators last night in Philly.
Mike Knuble (power play), Sami Kapanen, R.J. Umberger and Simon Gagne (power play) each scored for the Flyers. Gagne’s return after missing five games was successful with a goal and an assist. This as the first game since November 25 that Gagne and Forsberg have played together.
Besides Donald Brashear (who actually played well) every other Flyer was in double digits for ice time minutes, which is important with a game tonight in Pittsburgh.
For the first half of the game the Flyers played very good. They showed a lot of hustle, winning the battles along the boards and getting some lucky breaks. Flyers were up 4-0 halfway thru the game. Then they started to sit back on the lead. The Senators scored 2 goals in the second and one in the third. In the end the Flyers were able to hold on for the win.

We needed to win these games if we’re going to improve. We did a lot of things well today. There were things in the third period that in a month or three weeks from now we’re going to get better at. We’re still learning to do some things in closing down hockey games and winning them, but we still need to win these games to prove to ourselves that we’re trying to be a top dog here and I thought for the first forty-five or fifty minutes we played a great hockey game. They have a really good team and they come at you hard. They don’t like to lose. – Ken Hithcock

Antero Niittymaki played a strong game with only one of the goals he allowed I would consider soft. He made great saves against Peter Schaefer and Bryan Smolinkski.
Freddy Meyer got his first NHL point with an assist on Umbergers goal.
Kapanen, Schaffer and Niittymaki were the three stars.
Knuble extended his goal-scoreing streak to four games
The Flyers are 2-0 against the Senators this season. Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock coached his 700 game.

The Conference leading Ottawa Senators come in to Philadelphia tonight to play the Flyers. The Flyers won the first meeting between the two 5-3 on October 30. This is the second of four meetings between the teams this regular season.

The Flyers are coming off a 1-2 shootout loss to Buffalo on Monday. The Senators are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to Montreal on Tuesday.

Injuries for the Flyers include Keith Primeau, Joni Pitkanen, Eric Desjardins, Ryan Ready, Turner Stevenson and Robert Esche. Probable or questionable for the game include Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Sami Kapanen.
Injuries for the Senators include Chris Phillips, Jason Spezza, Brandon Bockenski and Martin Havlat.

Niittymaki will get his third straight start in goal.
Lines for tonights game should be Forsberg-Gagne-Knuble, Richards-Sim-Brashear, Handzus-Radivojevic-Savage, Carter-Umberger-Eager. If Kapenen does play, either Sim or Eager will sit out.

Some more Olympic notes…
Peter Forsberg and Kim Johnsson will be playing for Sweden. Joni Pitkanen and Sami Kapanen will play for Finland. Michal Handzus will play for Slovakia.
I along with some other people am surprised that Antero Niittymaki did not get selected for Finland.

Simon Gagne will be heading to the Olympics for Canada.

“I was there in 2002 when we got the gold and that is, I think, the biggest highlight in my career.That was fun, and I’m looking forward to trying to do the same thing again this year. I like the team we have with some new faces and some veterans again.
If you look in the past, a lot of good players get better and better because of those tournaments. That’s why I want to go there; first to represent my country and win the gold medal, but on the other side try to become a better player and learn from the best, and absorb more and more to be the best player I can for the Flyers.”

Dennis Seidenberg has been selected to play for Germany in the Olympics.

So that makes five Flyers so far in the Olympics.
Seven other Flyers have the potential to play for their own countries.
Johnsson, Radivojevic, Forsberg, Handzus, Niittymaki, Pitkanen and Kapanen

The Sabres beat the Flyers in Philly last night 2-1 going to a shootout.
Mike Knuble scored the only Flyers goal on a Power Play in the first period.
Antero Niittymaki played a solid game. The one goal he did allow was from a one timer that he had no chance on.

For the Flyers, Forsberg scored in the shootout, but Cater, Sim and Knuble were stopped.
Niitymaki stopped Kotalik and Vanek. Connolly and Afinogenov scored in the shootout for the Sabres.
The Flyers are 1-2 in shootouts.

Two fights in the game, both fought by Josh Gratton in the first period. Gratton only saw one shift the rest of the game after his fights.
On both occasions Brashear was on the ice. No one wants to fight Brashear or is Brashear still injured?

Miller, Niittymaki and Afinogenov were the three stars.

Giving the Flyers injuries and hot streak the Sabres are on, getting one point is not that bad of a night.
Jeff Carter returned to the lineup after missing a game do to a cut to his left ear. He required 52 stitches. Brashear also returned to the lineup after missing three games with a strained shoulder.

Robert Esche, Mike Knuble and Derian Hatcher all making the US Olympic team.

Esche, Hatcher and Knuble are three of 23 players that will represent the United States in the hockey competition at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. The tournament runs from February 15 through 26, 2006. The National Hockey League will suspend operations from February 13 through 27 to allow NHL players to participate in the tournament.

A certain former Flyer who said ‘it would be a travesty’ if he didn’t make the team, well didn’t make the team.

A travesty? Maybe for him. I am sure he was really looking forward to score and I’m not talking about on the ice.

Tonight the Flyers host the red hot Sabres in Philadelphia. Buffalo is 9-1 over the past ten games. The Flyers went 4-2-1 the last seven games, all against Western Conference teams.
This is the first of four meetings between the two teams this year.
Antero Niittymaki will get the start again in goal for the Flyers with Esche injured.
Martin Biron starts in goal for the Sabres looking to win his 14th straight start.

Injuries for the Flyers include Keith Primeau, Joni Pitkanen, Eric Desjardins, Robert Esche and Ryan Ready. Questionable for the game are Simon Gagne, Donald Brashear, Jeff Carter, Turner Stevenson, and Mike Richards
Injuries for the Sabres include J.P. Dumont and Dmitri Kalinin.

The callups from the Phantoms should still be the same as last game. Jamie Storr will backup Niitty, Matt Ellison, Pat Kavanagh, Josh Gratton and Ben Eager.

The Flyers beat the Blues in St. Louis 5-2 Saturday evening.
Mike Knuble and R.J. Umberger each scored two goals and Branko Radivojevic added an empty netter.
Sami Kapanen had two assists and has seven points in five games, he also has hit the 400 point mark in the NHL.

We’re missing nine players,” Hitchcock said. “We ran out of gas a little bit in the third. Our goalie was terrific, and you need him to win on the road. When you’re missing as many players as we are right now and getting points, it’s a great thing.”

The two goals Antero Niittymaki gave up were of his own doing. One giveaway behind the net and a soft shot he should have stopped. Besides those two mistakes Niitty’s play was quite good. Given the Blue’s struggles, that’s all the Flyers needed.

The one bad spot I am seeing with the Flyers is the powerplay. Although they did go 1-5, they couldn’t score on yet another 5-3. Not taking advantage of being 2 men up is going to bite them down the road.

Knuble, Umberger and Downey were the three stars.

So far there has been no reports of any injuries coming out of last nights game, which is a good thing.

New Blues backup goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu, called up from Alaska of the ECHL after Sanford’s injury, showed up from the West Coast about an hour before game time after beginning his travel day in Victoria, British Columbia. Bill Muller, a police officer in St. Charles County, would have been the backup otherwise

The win was a nice birthday present for Coach Ken Hitchcock, he turned 54.

The Philadelphia Flyers play the struggling Blues tonight in St. Louis. This is the only regular season meeting between the two teams this year. The Flyers won the last meeting 7-2 back on December 30, 2003.

The Flyers are coming off a 5-4 lose to the Canucks on Thursday.
The Blues are coming off a 5-1 lose at Chicago on Friday.

Injuries for the Flyers include Keith Primeau, Joni Pitkanen, Eric Desjardins, Simon Gagne, Robert Esche, Turner Stevenson, Donald Brashear, Ryan Ready, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Richards is questionable for the game.
Brian Savage will return to the lineup after being out with a knee sprain.
Injuries for The Blues include Dallas Drake, Petr Cajanek, Keith Tkachuk, Eric Brewer, Christian Backman and Curtis Sanford.

With Esche reinjuring his groin, Niittymaki will get another two weeks or so of straight starts in goal.
Jamie Storr, Matt Ellison, Pat Kavanagh, Josh Gratton and Ben Eager will be the callups for the game. We should also remember that R.J Umberger and Freddy Meyer were also called up earlier this year and because of injuries have not been sent back down.