So apparently Dan Hamhuis would not sign with the Flyers, he wanted to be a #2 D-man, something he would not be able to do in Philly with the likes of Pronger, Carle, Timonen ahead of him. In the interest of intellectual discourse, and following in the spirit of Down Goes Brown and Don't Trade Vinny, we here at DGS present an open letter to Dan Hamhuis.
Hey, egocentric dirtbag!
Listen up! What the hell is wrong with you? We offered you the money you wanted and a chance to win, but no, you have to be the center of freaking attention. In case you didn't notice, you were traded for Ryan Parent. Let's realize this, Ryan Parent has a shot so weak, he couldn't beat Toskala's glove. So now you just got traded to the Penguins, who basically are using you to drive down the price to keep Sergei Gonchar. They don't want you, we did. Had you signed the deal Holmgren wanted to give you, we would have put a Stanley Cup winning team together, dominated the east, and won a cup. But no, for you, it's not about winning, it's not even about money, it's about being the center of attention. Get your head in the game, until then, you don't deserve to win, you don't deserve anything.
By the way, all may be forgiven. If you don't sign in Pittsburgh and come running back to Homer on July 1 begging for his offer, then guess what, you will become a hero to this city, because, not only did you join us, but you stole something from the Penguins. And Chris Pronger will be proud, he stole pucks, you stole picks. Just, don't get yourself suspended for any kind of tampering or anything along the way.
Sincerely,
Flyers Fans
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday Morning Coffee Break: June 29
Hey hey, another coffee break, another day to wonder about what else is going on in the hockey world. Guess what, DGS has the answers, check them out below.
- Grades on the Draft: Brought to you by Puck Daddy at Yahoo sports. He handles this with his normal style and flair, good draft day post, also, saves me the time of grading NHL teams not based in Philadelphia.
- The Hall of Fame: Our Blogging Idol, Down Goes Brown looks at the cases for the Hockey Hall of Fame, he comes with interesting conclusions, hilarity ensues.
- Meet Guy Boucher: DGS's blogging brother, Don't Trade Vinny, helps Bolts fans get to know new coach Guy Boucher by comparing him to previous coach Rick Tocchet. First time I read this, I legitimately almost choked to death on the pizza I was eating.
- Source of NHL Trade Rumors Revealed: Coming to you with Intent to Blow, err..from Intent to Blow, yeah, they have how NHL trade rumors get made, Eklund is again, the worst source ever.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Flyers Draft Review
Round 1: Yeah, about that, we got Chris Pronger last July so this pick went to Anaheim.
Round 2: Hey hey, no picks here either, looks like Homer wanted Burkie to have a friend.
Round 3: 89th overall: Flyers take C Michael Chaput
Quotable: “I’m very excited. I actually never talked to the Flyers before the draft or anything so it was quite a surprise,” said Chaput when hearing his name called. “I can bring energy and a lot of work to this team. I think I’m an energy guy pretty much on the ice I can go out there and give 100 percent on every shift. I’m also able to score some goals, so maybe [I am] a third line guy that can bring some offensive game also.”
Size:6'2'' 194
Shoots: Left
DGS Thoughts: 3rd line energy center/forward...could spell the end of Arron Asham or Dan Carcillo in a couple years, I assume Asham will resign for another 2 years at 700k-800k and Carbomb will get a similar deal, only in the 1.1-1.3million cap hit range.
Round 4: 119 overall: Flyers take LW Tye McGinn
Size: 6'2" 205
Shoots: Left
DGS Thoughts: McGinn has some offensive potential, good size at 6'2" 205. He doubled his offensive output in the Q this last year. I like what I've heard on the kid, hopefully this year wasn't a fluke and he can develop. Could be a good depth forward, sort of comparable to David Laliberte in terms of game style.
Round 5: 149th Overall: RW Mike Parks
Size: 5'10 188lbs
Shoots: Right
Quote: “I’m going to play another year in the USHL with Cedar Rapids and then I’m going to attend the University of North Dakota in the fall of 2011 and just start my college career then,” added Parks. “Then I will just take it year-by-year and see how it goes.”
Decent stats, decent size, decent all around, but nothing that really jumps out at me. He talks about playing all 3 zones well, his size compares him to Mike Richards (5'11 195) his willingness to grind it out as a defensive forward screams Blair Betts to me. I see him fitting in like Blair Betts/Sami Kapanen/Darroll Powe in a couple years, developing into a solid 3rd line checker who can be a good PK guy at best, and at worst, he plays out his entry level contract and is a no harm no foul low risk pick.
Round 6: 179th Overall: Nick Luukko D
Size: 6'2" 185lbs
Shoots: Right
The son of the owner, no wonder why. Honestly, though, we could have a gem in the rough here. Also, I like that we finally have a right shooting D-man somewhere in the system, (David Sloane is the other), both are local kids. Luuko will get a few more years to develop when he hits the U of Vermont in Fall 2011.
Round 7: 206 overall Ricard Blidstrand D (Pick acquired from Carolina for AHL C Jon Matsumoto) and 209 overall Brendan Ranford LW
Blidstrand
Size: 6'2" 206lbs
Shoots: Left
Swedish junior player. From what little I've seen on this guy, he reminds me of Lasse Kukkonen...*GULP*
Ranford
Size: 5'10" 182lbs
Shoots: Left
Nephew of former NHL goalie Bill Ranford. Put of decent offensive numbers in the WHL last year. 29G 36A 65P, 83PIMS 72GP. Was a PP threat up there too. Kinda small, comparable in size to Claude Giroux (5'11" 172) but doesn't have Giroux's hands. Another guy who I could see being an NHL depth player, AHL mainstay.
Trades during Draft:
1. AHL C Jon Matsumoto to Carolina for a 7th round draft pick in 2010: (206 overall)
2. D Dan Hamhuis (we're writing you a letter later this week Danny boy) to Pittsburgh for a 3rd round draft pick in 2011
3. 7th Round draft pick in 2011 to San Jose for G Evgeni Nabokov (trade conditional on Nabby signing a contract before July 1)
4. Flyers also apparently talked to Dallas G Marty Turco, offered him 3 yr/$2 cap hit. Turco turned it down...more to come.
Biggest Surprise: Hamhuis being traded to the Pens
Most Obvious Selection: Nick Luukko D, he's the son of Comcast-Spectacor chairman Peter Luukko, yeah, that's why he got taken.
Biggest Disappointment: Not signing Dam Hamhuis
Biggest Win: *If we get Nabby for a 7th rounder, than Homer pulled off a another steal, if not, then dumping Parent and getting a 3rd rounder from the Pens is still a win, even if they sign Hamhuis, more later on the Curious Case of Dan Hamhuis.
So there you go, Flyers thoughts on the draft. All things considered, the lack of picks in the first 2 rounds left the Flyers with the only option of going for depth which they did. Expect most of these guys to possibly get a look at the AHL Phantoms this season, because the Phantoms were horrible this past season and therefore should be retooled.
Where the Flyers go from here:
GOALTENDING!!!!!! Nabby or Turco are the best bets, if they can sign reasonable contracts. I'll rank goalies later this week in detail because of how important this is to the Flyers. I can't remember who said this, but I think this quote hits the nail on the head,
"The Flyers Defense is great, and can make average netminders like Leighton and Boucher look like Vezina winners when they their top game, but the Flyers NEED a goalie who can pick up the D when they have an off night"
Until next time...GO FLYERS!
Round 2: Hey hey, no picks here either, looks like Homer wanted Burkie to have a friend.
Round 3: 89th overall: Flyers take C Michael Chaput
Quotable: “I’m very excited. I actually never talked to the Flyers before the draft or anything so it was quite a surprise,” said Chaput when hearing his name called. “I can bring energy and a lot of work to this team. I think I’m an energy guy pretty much on the ice I can go out there and give 100 percent on every shift. I’m also able to score some goals, so maybe [I am] a third line guy that can bring some offensive game also.”
Size:6'2'' 194
Shoots: Left
DGS Thoughts: 3rd line energy center/forward...could spell the end of Arron Asham or Dan Carcillo in a couple years, I assume Asham will resign for another 2 years at 700k-800k and Carbomb will get a similar deal, only in the 1.1-1.3million cap hit range.
Round 4: 119 overall: Flyers take LW Tye McGinn
Size: 6'2" 205
Shoots: Left
DGS Thoughts: McGinn has some offensive potential, good size at 6'2" 205. He doubled his offensive output in the Q this last year. I like what I've heard on the kid, hopefully this year wasn't a fluke and he can develop. Could be a good depth forward, sort of comparable to David Laliberte in terms of game style.
Round 5: 149th Overall: RW Mike Parks
Size: 5'10 188lbs
Shoots: Right
Quote: “I’m going to play another year in the USHL with Cedar Rapids and then I’m going to attend the University of North Dakota in the fall of 2011 and just start my college career then,” added Parks. “Then I will just take it year-by-year and see how it goes.”
Decent stats, decent size, decent all around, but nothing that really jumps out at me. He talks about playing all 3 zones well, his size compares him to Mike Richards (5'11 195) his willingness to grind it out as a defensive forward screams Blair Betts to me. I see him fitting in like Blair Betts/Sami Kapanen/Darroll Powe in a couple years, developing into a solid 3rd line checker who can be a good PK guy at best, and at worst, he plays out his entry level contract and is a no harm no foul low risk pick.
Round 6: 179th Overall: Nick Luukko D
Size: 6'2" 185lbs
Shoots: Right
The son of the owner, no wonder why. Honestly, though, we could have a gem in the rough here. Also, I like that we finally have a right shooting D-man somewhere in the system, (David Sloane is the other), both are local kids. Luuko will get a few more years to develop when he hits the U of Vermont in Fall 2011.
Round 7: 206 overall Ricard Blidstrand D (Pick acquired from Carolina for AHL C Jon Matsumoto) and 209 overall Brendan Ranford LW
Blidstrand
Size: 6'2" 206lbs
Shoots: Left
Swedish junior player. From what little I've seen on this guy, he reminds me of Lasse Kukkonen...*GULP*
Ranford
Size: 5'10" 182lbs
Shoots: Left
Nephew of former NHL goalie Bill Ranford. Put of decent offensive numbers in the WHL last year. 29G 36A 65P, 83PIMS 72GP. Was a PP threat up there too. Kinda small, comparable in size to Claude Giroux (5'11" 172) but doesn't have Giroux's hands. Another guy who I could see being an NHL depth player, AHL mainstay.
Trades during Draft:
1. AHL C Jon Matsumoto to Carolina for a 7th round draft pick in 2010: (206 overall)
2. D Dan Hamhuis (we're writing you a letter later this week Danny boy) to Pittsburgh for a 3rd round draft pick in 2011
3. 7th Round draft pick in 2011 to San Jose for G Evgeni Nabokov (trade conditional on Nabby signing a contract before July 1)
4. Flyers also apparently talked to Dallas G Marty Turco, offered him 3 yr/$2 cap hit. Turco turned it down...more to come.
Biggest Surprise: Hamhuis being traded to the Pens
Most Obvious Selection: Nick Luukko D, he's the son of Comcast-Spectacor chairman Peter Luukko, yeah, that's why he got taken.
Biggest Disappointment: Not signing Dam Hamhuis
Biggest Win: *If we get Nabby for a 7th rounder, than Homer pulled off a another steal, if not, then dumping Parent and getting a 3rd rounder from the Pens is still a win, even if they sign Hamhuis, more later on the Curious Case of Dan Hamhuis.
So there you go, Flyers thoughts on the draft. All things considered, the lack of picks in the first 2 rounds left the Flyers with the only option of going for depth which they did. Expect most of these guys to possibly get a look at the AHL Phantoms this season, because the Phantoms were horrible this past season and therefore should be retooled.
Where the Flyers go from here:
GOALTENDING!!!!!! Nabby or Turco are the best bets, if they can sign reasonable contracts. I'll rank goalies later this week in detail because of how important this is to the Flyers. I can't remember who said this, but I think this quote hits the nail on the head,
"The Flyers Defense is great, and can make average netminders like Leighton and Boucher look like Vezina winners when they their top game, but the Flyers NEED a goalie who can pick up the D when they have an off night"
Until next time...GO FLYERS!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ways DGS is Surviving Until July 1
Ok, July 1 is still a few days a way. And with that, DGS has a list of things you can do to survive until then without going crazy, and still getting your hockey fix.
- Sporcle's sports section: A gaming site for trivia and brain teasers, a lot of fun ways to kill time playing the hockey, or other sports related games. A favorite of the DGS Staff when killing time.
- Ctrl/Alt/Del or XKCD : Yes I know, not quite hockey related, but still, a good way to relax and have a laugh, especially useful for players just drafted by the Oilers.
- Photoshopping fun: Ask Don't Trade Vinny about that, seriously funny, and almost always leads to a good time.
- World of Warcraft: Seriously, it works for me, that is until I want a girlfriend...(Amy's Note: This can be dangerous for anyone in a relationship.)
- Start Your Own Hockey Blog: In all fairness, you can talk to the world about the sport, and have your views heard...err..read.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Things to Do in Anticipation of NHL 11
So, with some new features of NHL 11 being announced, we at DGS got really excited in anticipation of the game's release. After reading that article, we noticed that several things were missing from this game that should be included. Luckily, we have the list right here. So EA Sports, if you're reading, here is what you need to make NHL 11 totally awesome
First off: Mini Games! We all love the, like the mini shoot out game and such, but branch out a little guys seriously. We have a couple ideas for you
Buffet Wars:
Have Tim Thomas, Martin Brodeur, and Kyle Wellwood in line at a buffet table, most food consumed in a set amount of time wins.
Sloppy Seconds:
Basically a game where Sean Avery picks up your favorite players ex, then unleashes a series of silly comments about it.
Auger Mode aka Ref Mode
Basically, you become the referee, if you want to go out and get someone, but don't feel like fighting them, bingo, you have an alternative.
Also, for more realistic game play:
The following things should happen:
-Players refuse to sign contracts with Edmonton
-Marian Gaborik should be injured every time he touches the puck
-Moving Rick DiPietro out of the goal crease results in his receiving a crippling knee injury
-Mike Green will NOT play defense
Have "playoff attributes" for when your team in GM mode hits the post season, this will result in the following changes:
-Any player on the San Jose Sharks having their rating drop from 90 to 0
-Joe Thornton actually ends up with negative attributes in the playoffs
-Jaroslav Halak's rating is equal to those shooting against him
-Ville Leino and Danny Briere get perfect ratings in the playoffs only,
-Alex Semin disappears
Bring in a "dive mode"
Basically, instead of deking, certain players, like Crosby, Carcillo, Max Lapierre will all dive rather than deke around checks.
More Realistic GM Mode:
Need to unload a horrible contract: Don't worry, MTL will trade for it.
Need to acquire first round draft picks: The Maple Leafs are selling.
Need to acquire NHL talent for Vesa Toskala: Calgary's here to help
Need to throw out NTCs like candy: JFJ is in the house
More Realistic Crowds:
ACC is empty
Habs fans riot after games
#ThrowTheSnake
During Senators/Leafs games in Ottawa, Senators players get to hear the Boos
Southern US Markets get next to nil attendance
If we missed something, include it in the comments please.
First off: Mini Games! We all love the, like the mini shoot out game and such, but branch out a little guys seriously. We have a couple ideas for you
Buffet Wars:
Have Tim Thomas, Martin Brodeur, and Kyle Wellwood in line at a buffet table, most food consumed in a set amount of time wins.
Sloppy Seconds:
Basically a game where Sean Avery picks up your favorite players ex, then unleashes a series of silly comments about it.
Auger Mode aka Ref Mode
Basically, you become the referee, if you want to go out and get someone, but don't feel like fighting them, bingo, you have an alternative.
Also, for more realistic game play:
The following things should happen:
-Players refuse to sign contracts with Edmonton
-Marian Gaborik should be injured every time he touches the puck
-Moving Rick DiPietro out of the goal crease results in his receiving a crippling knee injury
-Mike Green will NOT play defense
Have "playoff attributes" for when your team in GM mode hits the post season, this will result in the following changes:
-Any player on the San Jose Sharks having their rating drop from 90 to 0
-Joe Thornton actually ends up with negative attributes in the playoffs
-Jaroslav Halak's rating is equal to those shooting against him
-Ville Leino and Danny Briere get perfect ratings in the playoffs only,
-Alex Semin disappears
Bring in a "dive mode"
Basically, instead of deking, certain players, like Crosby, Carcillo, Max Lapierre will all dive rather than deke around checks.
More Realistic GM Mode:
Need to unload a horrible contract: Don't worry, MTL will trade for it.
Need to acquire first round draft picks: The Maple Leafs are selling.
Need to acquire NHL talent for Vesa Toskala: Calgary's here to help
Need to throw out NTCs like candy: JFJ is in the house
More Realistic Crowds:
ACC is empty
Habs fans riot after games
#ThrowTheSnake
During Senators/Leafs games in Ottawa, Senators players get to hear the Boos
Southern US Markets get next to nil attendance
If we missed something, include it in the comments please.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
It is official
Guess what readers: DGS is taking on a 5th person!
Amy D. has officially joined the DGS crew, she's gonna help us out with writing and we look forward to seeing what her creative energy will bring to the team. If you want to reach her, send an Email to DownGoesSpezza@yahoo.com and put "For Amy" in the subject line.
For anyone who's wondering, #DGSDateWatch is NOT over.
-Bio-
Name: Amy D.
Age: 22
Favorite Current Flyer: Simon Gagne, the face of the franchise and longest tenured player
Favorite All Time Flyer: Bernie Parent, the man who gave us our Cups
Favorite Sport Other Than Hockey: Gymnastics, because I was a gymnast in my youth
From: Born in NJ, now in CT, soon to be off to VT
Random Fact: My favorite food is shrimp scampi made with inhuman amounts of garlic.
Amy's comments:
"I'm really happy to be joining the DGS team, I love the Flyers and support the, even though I live Connecticut and am surrounded by Bruins and Rangers fans. This
Yes, we are total losers who hold "press conferences" for our changes in the team
Amy D. has officially joined the DGS crew, she's gonna help us out with writing and we look forward to seeing what her creative energy will bring to the team. If you want to reach her, send an Email to DownGoesSpezza@yahoo.com and put "For Amy" in the subject line.
For anyone who's wondering, #DGSDateWatch is NOT over.
-Bio-
Name: Amy D.
Age: 22
Favorite Current Flyer: Simon Gagne, the face of the franchise and longest tenured player
Favorite All Time Flyer: Bernie Parent, the man who gave us our Cups
Favorite Sport Other Than Hockey: Gymnastics, because I was a gymnast in my youth
From: Born in NJ, now in CT, soon to be off to VT
Random Fact: My favorite food is shrimp scampi made with inhuman amounts of garlic.
Amy's comments:
"I'm really happy to be joining the DGS team, I love the Flyers and support the, even though I live Connecticut and am surrounded by Bruins and Rangers fans. This
Yes, we are total losers who hold "press conferences" for our changes in the team
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Things Ryan Parent Could Have Been Traded For
Ok DGS back today, with a post from the Real DGS, rather than Amy, who was filling in for me while I was under the weather.
It seems that the Nashville Predators overpaid a bit for Ryan Parent. I mean, talent-wise Dan Hamhuis is far and away above what Parent is, Hamhuis could be a future top d-man on a team, Parent, if he stays healthy and plays to the top of his potential, could be a #3/#4 D-man who sees PK duty.
Parent's kinda useless, sure he's an decent PK guy, but his even strength numbers are kinda scary bad. Also, he handles the puck with the same skill, poise and dexterity as Sean Avery handles words and maturity.
Parent also is shaping up to rival Rick DiPietro for the most injury plagued career. For any NY Yankees fans out there, think about the $39,950,000 mistake called Carl Pavano.
But enough with that, should the Predators attempt to move Ryan Parent, I have a list of things that would be fair compensation.
It seems that the Nashville Predators overpaid a bit for Ryan Parent. I mean, talent-wise Dan Hamhuis is far and away above what Parent is, Hamhuis could be a future top d-man on a team, Parent, if he stays healthy and plays to the top of his potential, could be a #3/#4 D-man who sees PK duty.
Parent's kinda useless, sure he's an decent PK guy, but his even strength numbers are kinda scary bad. Also, he handles the puck with the same skill, poise and dexterity as Sean Avery handles words and maturity.
Parent also is shaping up to rival Rick DiPietro for the most injury plagued career. For any NY Yankees fans out there, think about the $39,950,000 mistake called Carl Pavano.
But enough with that, should the Predators attempt to move Ryan Parent, I have a list of things that would be fair compensation.
- A bag of pucks
- Any NJ Devils backup goaltender (only thing in hockey that sees less ice time than Parent)
- Vesa Toskala
- Anyone half as good as Alex Daigle
- A spare water bottle
- Anyone JFJ thinks is good
- Joe Thornton Playoff Edition
- Michael Leighton, Road Stanley Cup Finals Edition
- Lee Stempniak: Maple Leafs Edition
- Andrew Raycroft
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Analyzing the Hamhuis for Parent trade
So Parent is gone and Dan Hamhuis is in...another Dan to worry about...but a good deal for the Flyers. Parent was expendable and his back problems are now Nashville's problems. Hammer if he signs, will be a good addition to an already strong blueline, and if not, well a 7th round draft pick for Parent is still overpaying for him. If the Flyers keep Coburn, then i would say that the Flyers have the best defense in the NHL next year. Pronger, Kimmo, Coburn, Hamhuis, Bartulis and whoever gets that 6th spot, candidates include Danny Syvret, Joonas Lehtuvuori, and any number of possible draft/free agent/trade pickups.
All in all, DGS likes. So do many Flyers fans all over the world.
-Amy
All in all, DGS likes. So do many Flyers fans all over the world.
-Amy
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Curious Case of Ilya Kovalchuk
Editor's Note: This post is written by Amy, NOT DGS.
Ilya Kovalchuk, where will he end up. Well, the DGS SuperSpies have tried to find out, and they have some interesting ideas, as well as what this means for Flyers fans. So with the help of me, the Amazing Amy, DGS made a list of 10 possible destinations and what Flyers fans should think of them.
Team: NJ Devils
Odds: 4:1
Reasons to Go: Will be backed by a Hall of Fame caliber goalie and a great Defensive system
Reasons to Not Go: The Devils aren't exactly known for opening the bank for offensive talents
Meaning to Flyers: If he's in NJ, we're fucked.
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Odds: 10:1
Reasons to Go: Kovy and Kessel on the top 2 lines, it's bound to work, right?
Reasons to Not Go: Does Toronto have a D that can allow Kovy a chance to win
Meaning to Flyers: Only facing Kovy 4 times a year instead of 6 is a bonus, but I'd fear Kovy in the playoffs
Team: Boston Bruins
Odds: 500:1
Reasons to Go: Kovy/Hall/Savard top line, that's amazing
Reasons to Not Go: Will be traded to Toronto for a decade's worth of first rounders and Luke Schenn
Meaning to Flyers: Kovy in Boston=Bruins as favourites for the Cup in 2011
Team: Washington Capitals
Odds: 25:1
Reasons to Go: An all Russian top line of Ovy-Semin-Kovy sounds nice
Reasons to Not Go: Mike Green would then be the Caps top D-man causing every game to be decided by a score of 9-8
Meaning to Flyers: Really isn't one until the playoffs roll around...
Team: Edmonton Oilers
Odds: 100,000:1
Reasons to Go: I heard Edmonton feels like Russia in winter.
Reasons to Not Go: I heard Edmonton feels like Russia in winter
Meaning to Flyers: It's second best option.
Team: San Jose Sharks
Odds: 85:1
Reasons to Go: "Thornton to Kovalchuk...SHARKS SCORE" would guarantee another San Jose President's Trophy
Reasons to Not Go: Cap issues, lack of playoff success, risk of having to get a ride with Dany Heatley all come to mind
Meaning to Flyers: Again, it's nice to have Kovy out of the east...but I sure wouldn't mind having Kovy on another continent.
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Odds: 100:1
Reasons to Go: A skilled sniper would give the Habs a legit scoring threat
Reasons to Not Go: Other Habs players may be afraid of a giant 6'2" 230lb Russian
Meaning to Flyers: When Habs fans riot after wins against Toronto, the Flyers may have to give up their reputation as the "most brutish fans in hockey, or sport for that matter"
Team: Chicago Black Hawks
Odds: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000:1
Reasons to Go: After the Hawks implode this team in order to gain cap space, they could restock with Kovy-Toews-Kane as their top line
Reasons to Not Go: Kovy would then need to work for free.
Meaning to Flyers: Hey, at least it keeps him OUT of the Eastern Conference...
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Odds: 150,000:1
Reasons to Go: Great chance to win a cup
Reasons to Not Go: Flyers already have 8 top-6 caliber forwards
Meaning to Flyers: He becomes our weapon on offense, at the expense of having a goalie next year, seriously, Kovy=Boucher/Backlund in net
Team: Anyone in the KHL
Odds: 3:1
Reasons to Go: $14 million and a chance to be close to home why NOT take it.
Reasons to Not Go: I heard it's cold in Russia...
Meaning to Flyers: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!
Hope you guys like it.
-Amy
Ilya Kovalchuk, where will he end up. Well, the DGS SuperSpies have tried to find out, and they have some interesting ideas, as well as what this means for Flyers fans. So with the help of me, the Amazing Amy, DGS made a list of 10 possible destinations and what Flyers fans should think of them.
Team: NJ Devils
Odds: 4:1
Reasons to Go: Will be backed by a Hall of Fame caliber goalie and a great Defensive system
Reasons to Not Go: The Devils aren't exactly known for opening the bank for offensive talents
Meaning to Flyers: If he's in NJ, we're fucked.
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Odds: 10:1
Reasons to Go: Kovy and Kessel on the top 2 lines, it's bound to work, right?
Reasons to Not Go: Does Toronto have a D that can allow Kovy a chance to win
Meaning to Flyers: Only facing Kovy 4 times a year instead of 6 is a bonus, but I'd fear Kovy in the playoffs
Team: Boston Bruins
Odds: 500:1
Reasons to Go: Kovy/Hall/Savard top line, that's amazing
Reasons to Not Go: Will be traded to Toronto for a decade's worth of first rounders and Luke Schenn
Meaning to Flyers: Kovy in Boston=Bruins as favourites for the Cup in 2011
Team: Washington Capitals
Odds: 25:1
Reasons to Go: An all Russian top line of Ovy-Semin-Kovy sounds nice
Reasons to Not Go: Mike Green would then be the Caps top D-man causing every game to be decided by a score of 9-8
Meaning to Flyers: Really isn't one until the playoffs roll around...
Team: Edmonton Oilers
Odds: 100,000:1
Reasons to Go: I heard Edmonton feels like Russia in winter.
Reasons to Not Go: I heard Edmonton feels like Russia in winter
Meaning to Flyers: It's second best option.
Team: San Jose Sharks
Odds: 85:1
Reasons to Go: "Thornton to Kovalchuk...SHARKS SCORE" would guarantee another San Jose President's Trophy
Reasons to Not Go: Cap issues, lack of playoff success, risk of having to get a ride with Dany Heatley all come to mind
Meaning to Flyers: Again, it's nice to have Kovy out of the east...but I sure wouldn't mind having Kovy on another continent.
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Odds: 100:1
Reasons to Go: A skilled sniper would give the Habs a legit scoring threat
Reasons to Not Go: Other Habs players may be afraid of a giant 6'2" 230lb Russian
Meaning to Flyers: When Habs fans riot after wins against Toronto, the Flyers may have to give up their reputation as the "most brutish fans in hockey, or sport for that matter"
Team: Chicago Black Hawks
Odds: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000:1
Reasons to Go: After the Hawks implode this team in order to gain cap space, they could restock with Kovy-Toews-Kane as their top line
Reasons to Not Go: Kovy would then need to work for free.
Meaning to Flyers: Hey, at least it keeps him OUT of the Eastern Conference...
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
Odds: 150,000:1
Reasons to Go: Great chance to win a cup
Reasons to Not Go: Flyers already have 8 top-6 caliber forwards
Meaning to Flyers: He becomes our weapon on offense, at the expense of having a goalie next year, seriously, Kovy=Boucher/Backlund in net
Team: Anyone in the KHL
Odds: 3:1
Reasons to Go: $14 million and a chance to be close to home why NOT take it.
Reasons to Not Go: I heard it's cold in Russia...
Meaning to Flyers: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!
Hope you guys like it.
-Amy
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Welcoming a Guest Poster
Hey DGS readers,
Just a quick note, for the next couple weeks, and possibly longer if this catches on, DGS will be written by a close friend of the real DGS, see I've taken ill and I have not had the energy to come up with anything clever regarding this huge NHL issue, so in order to get the word out on it, I'm having my friend Amy take over this post. Enjoy it, or hate it, you, the DGS readers determine Amy's fate as a poster on this blog.
-DGS
Just a quick note, for the next couple weeks, and possibly longer if this catches on, DGS will be written by a close friend of the real DGS, see I've taken ill and I have not had the energy to come up with anything clever regarding this huge NHL issue, so in order to get the word out on it, I'm having my friend Amy take over this post. Enjoy it, or hate it, you, the DGS readers determine Amy's fate as a poster on this blog.
-DGS
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Flyers Summer 2010 Offseason Needs, Part 2
Today, I'm gonna look at the defense and goaltending, and think about what this offseason has in store for the Flyers.
Goaltending: (Note: I'm gonna use every goalie who appeared in a game this year)
Ray Emery: UFA
Johan Backlund: Resigned til 2012, terms undisclosed, tho I'm guessing it's around 800k he made this year
Brian Boucher: Contract til 2011, cap it of 925k
Mike Leighton: UFA
Jeremy Duchesne: RFA
Ok, now to go through what I think is gonna happen to each of these guys...
Jeremy Duchesne: If he's resigned, he'll be on the Phantoms at the highest
Ray Emery: Real simple, call me when his health situation is taken care of
Brian Boucher: Possibly trade bait
Mike Leighton: In Leighton We Trust...possibly, I don't know, part of me wants to see the best in him, part of me remembers the guy who was in net in a December 2008 game who blew a 5-1 lead to the Flyers, a game the Flyers won 6-5 in OT...I've done a lot of thinking about Leighton, a lot of watching of videos on the Flyers website or YouTube or www.NHL.com and I see a very bipolar kind of goalie, yeah, I don't know what to think of Leighton anymore
Johan Backlund: I think he's the AHL Phantoms starter next year, could make a run at being the backup though, I'll wait til training camp to make a better prediction.
Oh dear, I just realized, the only thing that's concluded is that the Flyers have a LOT of goaltending questions....gahhh...Bernie Parent can be cloned, right?
Defence:
Chris Pronger: 6.25 million cap hit, will be back
Kimmo Timonen: 6.33 million cap hit, will be back
Matt Carle: 3.438 million cap hit, will be back
Oskars Bartulis: 600k cap it, will be back
By the way: Mike Rathje's 3.5 million comes off the cap! THANK GOD!
Probable D-pairs
Pronger-Carle
Timonen-Coburn?
Bartulis-????
RFA's
Braydon Coburn: 1.3 million cap it for 09-10, probably gonna be asking for 2.5-3million
Ryan Parent: 855K cap hit for 09-10, he's the wild card here
Lukas Krajicek: 700k cap hit for 09-10, could go either way
Danny Syvret: 575k cap hit for 09-10, could go either way as well
Now personally, I think Krajicek and Syvret are expendable, neither really impressed me this year and Bartulis has really shown some flashes of talent, as well as making some rookie mistakes. Parent's interesting, he's never played a full season for the Flyers due to his back problems, and while he has a lot of potential, is really worth the risk of a guy who can only give 50-60 games a year? To me, no, but Paul Holmgren's made a lot of moves that I disagreed with and have worked out well for the Flyers, hence why he's the GM and I'm some (SINGLE) guy sitting in New Jersey behind a computer and hoping to be right.
Im Homer we trust...
Back to the Flyers needs:
The Flyers need a depth D-man, AHL Phantoms had a weak D corps this year, the Flyers don't have a first round (lost in Pronger trade) or second round (lost in Leino trade) draft choice, so the solution for this is trade or Free Agency.
Speaking of D-man Needs, Here's a list of D-man free agents and here's my thoughts on a few of the more noteworthy guys who I feel could possibly fit in Philly.
A friend of mine recently came up with the idea of reuniting Pronger and Niedermayer in Philly, but I doubt that is the solution.
Anton Volchenkov would be nice, but I don't think he's worth the $5million he is as asking for.
Toni Lydman is a possibility if Buffalo doesn't resign him.
Dan Hamhuis is quite possibly the leading candidate, apparently the Flyers aggressively pursued him at the trade deadline, if Nashville lets him walk, I wouldn't mind seeing him in Orange come October.
Also: Free Agent goalies and some notable names and my thoughts
Marty Turco: the DGS head writer/owner tossed his name around the DGS Staff more than a few times during the season out of frustration with Brian Boucher. Turco probably is gonna get ~$2million which makes him affordable to platoon with Boucher, assuming Leighton is allowed to walk. (Leighton's a UFA and it can happen).
Evgeni Nabokov: If the Sharks let Nabby walk, and letting him walk could be the kick that San Jose needs, then Nabby is my top choice for the Flyers net (budget is a problem, but moves can be made) fact is, Nabby could fit in the eastern conference, where I readily admit, there's less competition than out West.
Vesa Toskala: Oh sorry, I meant to talk about NHL caliber goalies.
Martin Biron: He was here once, had some success, but honestly I can't see the Islanders letting him walk with DiPietro's health situation. Seriously, that guy get's MRI's every season at a rate that rivals the 09-10 Flyers net minders.
Dan Ellis: He's another guy the Flyers have been reportedly interested in, could be another option.
Chris Mason: With St. Louis trading for Halak, he's on the market and might be a cheap fit.
I don't know, as I've said before, after Leighton's showing against the Hawks, I'm not sold on him as a #1 guy, and maybe I'm still bitter about the 2000-02 runs, but I don't like Boucher either.
Either way, with no 1st or 2nd round picks Homer's got a lot of work ahead of him with the trade market to make this work. He's done it in the past though, he practically stole Leino from the Red Wings and the Zhitnik for Coburn deal turned out golden for the Orange.
Goaltending: (Note: I'm gonna use every goalie who appeared in a game this year)
Ray Emery: UFA
Johan Backlund: Resigned til 2012, terms undisclosed, tho I'm guessing it's around 800k he made this year
Brian Boucher: Contract til 2011, cap it of 925k
Mike Leighton: UFA
Jeremy Duchesne: RFA
Ok, now to go through what I think is gonna happen to each of these guys...
Jeremy Duchesne: If he's resigned, he'll be on the Phantoms at the highest
Ray Emery: Real simple, call me when his health situation is taken care of
Brian Boucher: Possibly trade bait
Mike Leighton: In Leighton We Trust...possibly, I don't know, part of me wants to see the best in him, part of me remembers the guy who was in net in a December 2008 game who blew a 5-1 lead to the Flyers, a game the Flyers won 6-5 in OT...I've done a lot of thinking about Leighton, a lot of watching of videos on the Flyers website or YouTube or www.NHL.com and I see a very bipolar kind of goalie, yeah, I don't know what to think of Leighton anymore
Johan Backlund: I think he's the AHL Phantoms starter next year, could make a run at being the backup though, I'll wait til training camp to make a better prediction.
Oh dear, I just realized, the only thing that's concluded is that the Flyers have a LOT of goaltending questions....gahhh...Bernie Parent can be cloned, right?
Defence:
Chris Pronger: 6.25 million cap hit, will be back
Kimmo Timonen: 6.33 million cap hit, will be back
Matt Carle: 3.438 million cap hit, will be back
Oskars Bartulis: 600k cap it, will be back
By the way: Mike Rathje's 3.5 million comes off the cap! THANK GOD!
Probable D-pairs
Pronger-Carle
Timonen-Coburn?
Bartulis-????
RFA's
Braydon Coburn: 1.3 million cap it for 09-10, probably gonna be asking for 2.5-3million
Ryan Parent: 855K cap hit for 09-10, he's the wild card here
Lukas Krajicek: 700k cap hit for 09-10, could go either way
Danny Syvret: 575k cap hit for 09-10, could go either way as well
Now personally, I think Krajicek and Syvret are expendable, neither really impressed me this year and Bartulis has really shown some flashes of talent, as well as making some rookie mistakes. Parent's interesting, he's never played a full season for the Flyers due to his back problems, and while he has a lot of potential, is really worth the risk of a guy who can only give 50-60 games a year? To me, no, but Paul Holmgren's made a lot of moves that I disagreed with and have worked out well for the Flyers, hence why he's the GM and I'm some (SINGLE) guy sitting in New Jersey behind a computer and hoping to be right.
Im Homer we trust...
Back to the Flyers needs:
The Flyers need a depth D-man, AHL Phantoms had a weak D corps this year, the Flyers don't have a first round (lost in Pronger trade) or second round (lost in Leino trade) draft choice, so the solution for this is trade or Free Agency.
Speaking of D-man Needs, Here's a list of D-man free agents and here's my thoughts on a few of the more noteworthy guys who I feel could possibly fit in Philly.
A friend of mine recently came up with the idea of reuniting Pronger and Niedermayer in Philly, but I doubt that is the solution.
Anton Volchenkov would be nice, but I don't think he's worth the $5million he is as asking for.
Toni Lydman is a possibility if Buffalo doesn't resign him.
Dan Hamhuis is quite possibly the leading candidate, apparently the Flyers aggressively pursued him at the trade deadline, if Nashville lets him walk, I wouldn't mind seeing him in Orange come October.
Also: Free Agent goalies and some notable names and my thoughts
Marty Turco: the DGS head writer/owner tossed his name around the DGS Staff more than a few times during the season out of frustration with Brian Boucher. Turco probably is gonna get ~$2million which makes him affordable to platoon with Boucher, assuming Leighton is allowed to walk. (Leighton's a UFA and it can happen).
Evgeni Nabokov: If the Sharks let Nabby walk, and letting him walk could be the kick that San Jose needs, then Nabby is my top choice for the Flyers net (budget is a problem, but moves can be made) fact is, Nabby could fit in the eastern conference, where I readily admit, there's less competition than out West.
Vesa Toskala: Oh sorry, I meant to talk about NHL caliber goalies.
Martin Biron: He was here once, had some success, but honestly I can't see the Islanders letting him walk with DiPietro's health situation. Seriously, that guy get's MRI's every season at a rate that rivals the 09-10 Flyers net minders.
Dan Ellis: He's another guy the Flyers have been reportedly interested in, could be another option.
Chris Mason: With St. Louis trading for Halak, he's on the market and might be a cheap fit.
I don't know, as I've said before, after Leighton's showing against the Hawks, I'm not sold on him as a #1 guy, and maybe I'm still bitter about the 2000-02 runs, but I don't like Boucher either.
Either way, with no 1st or 2nd round picks Homer's got a lot of work ahead of him with the trade market to make this work. He's done it in the past though, he practically stole Leino from the Red Wings and the Zhitnik for Coburn deal turned out golden for the Orange.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Flyers Summer 2010 Offseason Needs, Part 1
So, with the season over, and sometime to digest the second place finish in the NHL. I will once again say this, congratulations to the Philadelphia Flyers, winners of the Prince of Wales trophy.
Well, with the season officially over, one must now look at the upcoming offseason, so I’m going to post what the Flyers need. For the record, I get all of my salary cap numbers from here so if you need to dispute me on something, that’s my source.
Now in order to start this, I'm gonna look at the 09-10 forwards based on the last lineup the Flyers dressed:
Gagne-Richards-Carter
Hartnell-Briere-Leino
JvR-Giroux-Asham
Powe-Betts-Lappy
Scratches: Carcillo, Cote, Laliberte, Nodl, Ross
How I think 10-11 will shape up:
Hartnell-Briere-Leino (Seriously, after their Finals showing, how can this NOT be the top line)
Richards-Carter-Giroux (Giroux's pretty goals IMO bump him up)
Gagne-JvR-Asham (JvR's been taking shifts in practice at center, like Giroux in 09-10, third line reps will get him experience)
Powe/Nodl/Laliberte-Betts-Lappy
Asham's UFA but if he resigns for say...2 years 750K, I'd be really happy
Carcillo's an interesting case, I have an up and down relationship with him. Asham does everything Carbomb does, with more discipline and better hands, but Carcillo's got a unique energy about him that lends itself to playing in Philly, I'm willing to keep him around for no more than 1.3 Million, at the same time, if we can trade him and land someone like a true #1 goalie
That's right, I peg 11 or all 12 of the forwards to return next year. Scott Hartnell saved his butt by having the Finals that he did, that being said, in my humble opinion, I think he's also the most likely to be moved. More on that later.
Who's expendable
The Player: Scott Hartnell
Why Expendable: Didn't perform well during the season and doesn't fit Lavi's up tempo system
Why He'd Be Wanted: His postseason numbers
Possible Destination: Toronto for Tomas Kaberle, Boston for Tim Thomas, Montreal for a first round draft pick or PK Subban, San Jose (Assuming Nabby stays and Marleau walks) for Thomas Greiss
The Player: Brian Boucher
Why Expendable: His regular season numbers
Why He'd Be Wanted: His 5 playoff games against the Devils
Possible Destination: Montreal, Dallas, San Jose, Chicago
To Montreal: For Carey Price in order to allow the Habs the cap space to keep Halak
To Dallas: for a 2nd round draft pick and a decent prospect D-man
To Chicago: For Dustin Byfuglien, I might be dreaming here but as WWEh noticed, the 'Hawks have massive cap problems next year and they could save ~$2 million
To San Jose: Assuming Nabby leaves and Marleau stays, the Sharks need a goaltender who comes cheap, that's Boucher, the Flyers could hopefully get a 4th round pick and a decent D-man for him
The Player: Andreas Nodl
Why Expendable: Too much depth at forward
Why He'd be Wanted: Solid depth forward, never will be above third line status, comes cheap
Possible Destination: Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Florida
To Toronto: oh wait, sorry, Burke won't trade for a European
To Montreal: The Habs DID trade for Scott Gomez...so, yeah...maybe Nodl goes here
Tampa Bay: Matt Smaby could play D for us, but honestly, TBL has nothing I'd really be interested in...other than Vinny, but a package of Hartnell, Nodl and Boucher for Vinny...seems fair to me...DTV is gonna shoot himself now...
The Needs:
this is easier to look at:
A real third D-pair
a real goalie
Later this week, I plan on doing a free agency based post with where the Flyers should go
Well, with the season officially over, one must now look at the upcoming offseason, so I’m going to post what the Flyers need. For the record, I get all of my salary cap numbers from here so if you need to dispute me on something, that’s my source.
Now in order to start this, I'm gonna look at the 09-10 forwards based on the last lineup the Flyers dressed:
Gagne-Richards-Carter
Hartnell-Briere-Leino
JvR-Giroux-Asham
Powe-Betts-Lappy
Scratches: Carcillo, Cote, Laliberte, Nodl, Ross
How I think 10-11 will shape up:
Hartnell-Briere-Leino (Seriously, after their Finals showing, how can this NOT be the top line)
Richards-Carter-Giroux (Giroux's pretty goals IMO bump him up)
Gagne-JvR-Asham (JvR's been taking shifts in practice at center, like Giroux in 09-10, third line reps will get him experience)
Powe/Nodl/Laliberte-Betts-Lappy
Asham's UFA but if he resigns for say...2 years 750K, I'd be really happy
Carcillo's an interesting case, I have an up and down relationship with him. Asham does everything Carbomb does, with more discipline and better hands, but Carcillo's got a unique energy about him that lends itself to playing in Philly, I'm willing to keep him around for no more than 1.3 Million, at the same time, if we can trade him and land someone like a true #1 goalie
That's right, I peg 11 or all 12 of the forwards to return next year. Scott Hartnell saved his butt by having the Finals that he did, that being said, in my humble opinion, I think he's also the most likely to be moved. More on that later.
Who's expendable
The Player: Scott Hartnell
Why Expendable: Didn't perform well during the season and doesn't fit Lavi's up tempo system
Why He'd Be Wanted: His postseason numbers
Possible Destination: Toronto for Tomas Kaberle, Boston for Tim Thomas, Montreal for a first round draft pick or PK Subban, San Jose (Assuming Nabby stays and Marleau walks) for Thomas Greiss
The Player: Brian Boucher
Why Expendable: His regular season numbers
Why He'd Be Wanted: His 5 playoff games against the Devils
Possible Destination: Montreal, Dallas, San Jose, Chicago
To Montreal: For Carey Price in order to allow the Habs the cap space to keep Halak
To Dallas: for a 2nd round draft pick and a decent prospect D-man
To Chicago: For Dustin Byfuglien, I might be dreaming here but as WWEh noticed, the 'Hawks have massive cap problems next year and they could save ~$2 million
To San Jose: Assuming Nabby leaves and Marleau stays, the Sharks need a goaltender who comes cheap, that's Boucher, the Flyers could hopefully get a 4th round pick and a decent D-man for him
The Player: Andreas Nodl
Why Expendable: Too much depth at forward
Why He'd be Wanted: Solid depth forward, never will be above third line status, comes cheap
Possible Destination: Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Florida
To Toronto: oh wait, sorry, Burke won't trade for a European
To Montreal: The Habs DID trade for Scott Gomez...so, yeah...maybe Nodl goes here
Tampa Bay: Matt Smaby could play D for us, but honestly, TBL has nothing I'd really be interested in...other than Vinny, but a package of Hartnell, Nodl and Boucher for Vinny...seems fair to me...DTV is gonna shoot himself now...
The Needs:
this is easier to look at:
A real third D-pair
a real goalie
Later this week, I plan on doing a free agency based post with where the Flyers should go
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Flyers 2010 Eulogy: A season to remember
As DGB and Bloge Salming did for the Habs, I will eulogize the Flyers. Here we go.
Philadelphia Flyers Eulogy 2010
Flyers Season 09-10 Campaign:
Born October 1, 2009
Died June 9, 2010
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to remember, or possibly forget, a season that was magical, and sucktastic, all at the same time.
We had our ups, trading for Chris Pronger, signing Ray Emery, beating the Rangers in a shootout to earn a playoff birth, spotting the Bruins 3 game and 3 goal leads before crushing their dreams and aiding and abetting riots on the streets of Montreal, having Lavi call the perfect timouts, losing Stevens, Danny Briere and Ville Leino’s post season play, and Dan Carcillo meeting Marian Gaborik for the first time
Word Just In: Montreal riots would have happened anyway…
Then there were the downs: Having to look at Sidney Crosby, listening to Pierre McGuire during the Finals on tv, wondering what happened to the offense, losing Stevens, the regular season play of Leino and Briere, seeing Rick Tocchet on my TV.
And of course, the downright wacky: the goaltender situations…Emery, Boucher, Leighton, Backlund, Duchesne, will be remembered for getting onto the ice, while, Hutton, Caron and Teslak will be remembered for dressing, Pittsburgh’s video guy not sending in the goal, Stephane Auger getting Carcillo, Pronger waving at Eager, Leighton tossing 3 SOs against the Habs, Lavi magically turning games around with a timeout, Chris Pronger stealing pucks and Dan Carcillo flopping around like a fish out water, Cindy Crosby.
But with all that said, it doesn’t surprise me that the Flyers bowed out the way they did. Coming so close, teasing us the whole way with great comebacks and pulling miracles out of helmet-masks. I guess it’s time to talk about some of the memorable moments from birth to death of this season. So without further ado, let’s run down [DAMMIT CARCILLO, NOT THAT WAY!] the biggest moments of the season.
Opening Night:
To be honest I didn’t know what to expect, I knew we had Pronger on D and that made me happy. We had Ray Emery in net, a huge risk and a backup in Boucher which I thought was a huge mistake. Razor had a shutout to open the season and I was happy.
And then it unraveled rather quickly, December rolled around and Stevens was out. Hartnell was sucking, Emery got hurt and Boucher sucked a lot. But then Leighton was claimed on waivers and I felt like the towel was tossed in on this year.
Boucher went down and there was Leighton and, he’s not bad…he’s winning…WE HAVE A GOALIE! Leighton is here to save us all…and OH MY GOD HE’S DEAD! Err…crippled. NO! NO! NO! NOT BOUCHER! Please NOT BOUCHER! Give us Backlund please! Hell, give us Toskala…wait, I’m not gonna say things that I cannot take back. Granted, I think Toskala had a higher save percentage than Jeremy Duchesne...so...but Duchesne stopped every shot from over 150ft.
The ultimate highlight...what if Broad St didn't fight back?
Humor aside, it was a great year, and to everyone else, I leave this season with a few questions.
1. What if Carter didn’t have 2 broken feet during the post season?
2. What if Gagne didn’t have 2 broken toes during the post season?
3. What if the goalies were healthy?
Fact is, we’ll be back next year. BACK WITH A VENGEANCE! LOOK OUT NHL, Flyers will win it all in 2010, and starting next week, I will explain why.
Philadelphia Flyers Eulogy 2010
Flyers Season 09-10 Campaign:
Born October 1, 2009
Died June 9, 2010
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to remember, or possibly forget, a season that was magical, and sucktastic, all at the same time.
We had our ups, trading for Chris Pronger, signing Ray Emery, beating the Rangers in a shootout to earn a playoff birth, spotting the Bruins 3 game and 3 goal leads before crushing their dreams and aiding and abetting riots on the streets of Montreal, having Lavi call the perfect timouts, losing Stevens, Danny Briere and Ville Leino’s post season play, and Dan Carcillo meeting Marian Gaborik for the first time
Word Just In: Montreal riots would have happened anyway…
Then there were the downs: Having to look at Sidney Crosby, listening to Pierre McGuire during the Finals on tv, wondering what happened to the offense, losing Stevens, the regular season play of Leino and Briere, seeing Rick Tocchet on my TV.
And of course, the downright wacky: the goaltender situations…Emery, Boucher, Leighton, Backlund, Duchesne, will be remembered for getting onto the ice, while, Hutton, Caron and Teslak will be remembered for dressing, Pittsburgh’s video guy not sending in the goal, Stephane Auger getting Carcillo, Pronger waving at Eager, Leighton tossing 3 SOs against the Habs, Lavi magically turning games around with a timeout, Chris Pronger stealing pucks and Dan Carcillo flopping around like a fish out water, Cindy Crosby.
But with all that said, it doesn’t surprise me that the Flyers bowed out the way they did. Coming so close, teasing us the whole way with great comebacks and pulling miracles out of helmet-masks. I guess it’s time to talk about some of the memorable moments from birth to death of this season. So without further ado, let’s run down [DAMMIT CARCILLO, NOT THAT WAY!] the biggest moments of the season.
Opening Night:
To be honest I didn’t know what to expect, I knew we had Pronger on D and that made me happy. We had Ray Emery in net, a huge risk and a backup in Boucher which I thought was a huge mistake. Razor had a shutout to open the season and I was happy.
And then it unraveled rather quickly, December rolled around and Stevens was out. Hartnell was sucking, Emery got hurt and Boucher sucked a lot. But then Leighton was claimed on waivers and I felt like the towel was tossed in on this year.
Boucher went down and there was Leighton and, he’s not bad…he’s winning…WE HAVE A GOALIE! Leighton is here to save us all…and OH MY GOD HE’S DEAD! Err…crippled. NO! NO! NO! NOT BOUCHER! Please NOT BOUCHER! Give us Backlund please! Hell, give us Toskala…wait, I’m not gonna say things that I cannot take back. Granted, I think Toskala had a higher save percentage than Jeremy Duchesne...so...but Duchesne stopped every shot from over 150ft.
The ultimate highlight...what if Broad St didn't fight back?
Humor aside, it was a great year, and to everyone else, I leave this season with a few questions.
1. What if Carter didn’t have 2 broken feet during the post season?
2. What if Gagne didn’t have 2 broken toes during the post season?
3. What if the goalies were healthy?
Fact is, we’ll be back next year. BACK WITH A VENGEANCE! LOOK OUT NHL, Flyers will win it all in 2010, and starting next week, I will explain why.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday Morning Coffee Break: June 8
So, in following the tradition of many other sites, mainly Friday Funnies from Down Goes Brown, and Making Babies with Other Blogs from Blades of Funny as well as #FollowFriday on Twitter, Down Goes Spezza would like to present you with your Tuesday Morning Coffee Break, every so often, I'll post links to some of the best hockey humor that I've found scouring the internets. Who knows maybe I'll end up giving up World of Warcraft for this. In related news: DGS is still single.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Now get back to work before you get fired for reading too much hockey humor!
- Blades of Funny investigates the Flyers/Habs Sandgate incident. He has quite a few suspects and all of them seem rather interesting. Check it out before sand ends up on your skates
- Down Goes Brown tells us what Ron Maclean was thinking when he saved a drowning man. DGB is comedic gold for anyone who hasn't seen his site yet.
- Stay Classy has the exclusive transcript of a conversation between Jason Spezza and Bryan Murray. Spezza is kind of important to me you know....
- Don't Trade Vinny, my blogging brother, good friend, and all around good (single) guy checks in this week as well, ladies, visit his site and help him out. Anyway, DTV shows us the NHL's charitable side with a post on heroism in hockey.
- Intent to Blow spends a day with Chris Pronger, something that I would love to do but have not been able to.
- Wings Win Eh has an interesting take on life without hockey. Check out these Red Wings fans getting into another sport, competitive spelling. I enjoyed it.
- Bloge Salming's video "How To Pronounce Byfuglien" finally explains many things...
Anyway, thanks for reading. Now get back to work before you get fired for reading too much hockey humor!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Caption Contest 6
Ok loyal DGS readers, cheer me up with funny comments about Hossa trying to kick Matt Carle in the junk...Hossa: "And you think Sami Salo got it bad..."
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Game 5 Stanley Cup Finals: Flyers @ Blackhawks Liveblog
Hey everyone! DGS is live blogging this one.
Follow me on twitter as well for more updates and stuff during the game.
7:45pm:
Probable Flyers lineup for tonight:
-Forwards-
Gagne 12-Richards 18 (C)-Carter 17
Leino 22-Briere 48-Hartnell 19
JvR 21-Giroux 28-Asham 45
Powe 36-Betts 11-Laperriere 14
-Defense-
Carle 25-Pronger 20 (A)
Coburn 5-Timonen 44 (A)
Krajicek 2-Bartulis 3
-Goalies-
Leighton 49 starting
Boucher 33 on the bench
-Scratches-
LW Riley Cote 32: Coach's Decision
D Ryan Parent 77: Coach's Decision
D Danny Syvret 26: Coach's Decision
LW Dan Carcillo 13: Coach's Decision
RW David Laliberte 9: Coach's Decision
G Johan Backlund 30: Coach's Decision
G Ray Emery 29: Hip Injury
Blackhawks Lines
Probably will be juggled beyond belief, so I won't even try their forwards
-Defense-
Keith/Seabrook
Campbell/Sopel
Hjallmarsson/Boynton
Yes, if I were Joel Q. I'd drop Hjallmarsson down after that disaster of a Game 4.
DGS Prediction: Flyers 4 Blackhawks 3
Pronger continues to own Byfuglien, Niemi's continues to play like Toskala.
8:09PM I turn on my tv to see Pierre McGuire and Jeremy Roenick...find myself wishing JR spears McGuire.
8:11PM Jeremy Roenick still loves being on tv, Pierre McGuire is still a creepy douche...some things never change.
8:25PM Pierre hasn't talked about the "monster" battle between Byfuglien and Pronger, something may be wrong with Pierre...
8:34PM Down Goes Brown talked about missing NHL items well, one more has been found from that list
The item: A Philadelphia Flyers playoff-caliber goaltender
Missing since: 1996
Case details: Oddly enough, the team's front office seems completely unaware that anything is missing.
Investigation status: If we can't solve it now, there's always next year. And the next. And the next..
Paul Holmgren scoured the Waiver Wire and found Michael Leighton, problem solved
8:40PM Hartnell's hair takes a tripping penalty, cavemen everywhere sue.
8:45PM I will end this live blog because of how the Flyers play when I do this sort of thing...at least later...
8:49PM Pierre still hasn't said monster...
8:51PM The Flyers do this when I live blog...peace out til the intermissions
Follow me on twitter as well for more updates and stuff during the game.
7:45pm:
Probable Flyers lineup for tonight:
-Forwards-
Gagne 12-Richards 18 (C)-Carter 17
Leino 22-Briere 48-Hartnell 19
JvR 21-Giroux 28-Asham 45
Powe 36-Betts 11-Laperriere 14
-Defense-
Carle 25-Pronger 20 (A)
Coburn 5-Timonen 44 (A)
Krajicek 2-Bartulis 3
-Goalies-
Leighton 49 starting
Boucher 33 on the bench
-Scratches-
LW Riley Cote 32: Coach's Decision
D Ryan Parent 77: Coach's Decision
D Danny Syvret 26: Coach's Decision
LW Dan Carcillo 13: Coach's Decision
RW David Laliberte 9: Coach's Decision
G Johan Backlund 30: Coach's Decision
G Ray Emery 29: Hip Injury
Blackhawks Lines
Probably will be juggled beyond belief, so I won't even try their forwards
-Defense-
Keith/Seabrook
Campbell/Sopel
Hjallmarsson/Boynton
Yes, if I were Joel Q. I'd drop Hjallmarsson down after that disaster of a Game 4.
DGS Prediction: Flyers 4 Blackhawks 3
Pronger continues to own Byfuglien, Niemi's continues to play like Toskala.
8:09PM I turn on my tv to see Pierre McGuire and Jeremy Roenick...find myself wishing JR spears McGuire.
8:11PM Jeremy Roenick still loves being on tv, Pierre McGuire is still a creepy douche...some things never change.
8:25PM Pierre hasn't talked about the "monster" battle between Byfuglien and Pronger, something may be wrong with Pierre...
8:34PM Down Goes Brown talked about missing NHL items well, one more has been found from that list
The item: A Philadelphia Flyers playoff-caliber goaltender
Missing since: 1996
Case details: Oddly enough, the team's front office seems completely unaware that anything is missing.
Investigation status: If we can't solve it now, there's always next year. And the next. And the next..
Paul Holmgren scoured the Waiver Wire and found Michael Leighton, problem solved
8:40PM Hartnell's hair takes a tripping penalty, cavemen everywhere sue.
8:45PM I will end this live blog because of how the Flyers play when I do this sort of thing...at least later...
8:49PM Pierre still hasn't said monster...
8:51PM The Flyers do this when I live blog...peace out til the intermissions
Where in the world is Dustin Byfuglien?
So I was reading some Puck Daddy earlier and I noticed that he said that Dustin Byfuglien is the "proud new owner of a t-shirt that reads 'Property of Chris Pronger'". Which, for anyone who's watched this series so far, has been kind of true. Pronger has completely nullified Byfuglien's effectiveness in the offensive zone. Earlier today though, I saw something more shocking, a missing person's report asking for the safe return of Byfuglien. This got me thinking, where in the world is Dustin Byfuglien. Well, Down Goes Spezza called the DGS SuperSpies together and we sat down, got some coffee, played some World of Warcraft and then came up with possibilities of where Dustin could have gone. Now, our list is possibly incomplete and therefore if you know where Byfuglien is, please inform us.Option 1: Dustin Byfuglien caught Hossa Syndrome and is therefore completely useless in the Stanley Cup Finals
Likelihood: Moderate, time will tell if Byfuglien is the new Hossa.
Final Verdict: Possible, we need to see how Byfuglien plays in Toronto next year when, in order to free up cap space, the Hawks send Byfuglien to the Leafs for a century's worth of first round Draft Picks
Option 2: After closing out the Sharks, Byfuglien decided to do something nice and let Joe Thornton suit up for the Hawks in his place
Likelihood: Very Likely, this Byfuglien impostor has been about as useful as Jumbo Joe is during the playoffs.
Final Verdict: I have yet to see a distinct choking motion, and after having watched McNabb play for the Eagles, I know what those look like.
Option 3: Byfuglien is too busy running BP and trying to stop the Gulf Oil Spill
Likelihood: Miniscule, because quite honestly nothings working on either side here.
Final Verdict: Is Chris Pronger keeping the cap from working? If so, then we found Byfuglien
Option 4: Pierre McGuire creeped out Byfuglien causing Byfuglien to pay more attention to McGuire than the game.
Likelihood: Honestly, who hasn't McGuire creeped out.
Final Verdict: McGuire is creepy....
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Other things Chris Pronger has Stolen
At the end of Games 1, 2 and 4, Chris Pronger walked off with the game pucks from the ice. He supposedly tossed 2 of them in the garbage. What many people don't realize is that Chris Pronger actually has had a habit of stealing things for a long time. In fact, we here at Down Goes Spezza scored the list of items Chris Pronger has stolen, credit the primary assist to Don't Trade Vinny for this one.
- Dustin Byfuglien: Pronger stole him from the Blackhawks bench before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals and sent him one way to an undisclosed location. The Hawks deny anything is missing, but an analysis of the player who wears Hawks #33 in the series shows that Byfuglien is nowhere to be found.
- Marian Hossa's luck: Pronger stole this from Hossa in the summer of 2007 while on vacation with the cup, when asked why he did this, Pronger replied, "I didn't know there's a rule against that. Show me that in the rulebook."
- Kyle Wellwood's Diet Planner: Pronger was bored one day during a trip to Toronto and noticed that Wellwood had left his diet planner out, Pronger decided as a prank to swipe it, and replace it with another Diet Planner that contained meal ideas such as, "Twinkies with melted butter sauce" and "Fried Chicken and Bacon"
- Alexandre Daigle's Spotlight: During the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Daigle was taken first, and Pronger second, Pronger was so angry that he stole the spotlight from Daigle by actually being a good NHL player.
- Joe Thornton's ability to swallow: When playing in the Western Conference, Pronger stared angrily at Jumbo Joe for minutes on end, since then Thornton has routinely choked every postseason because he remembers Pronger's words.
- Jonas Gustavsson's Heart: During a preseason game against the Maple Leafs, Pronger reached into the chest of Gustavsson and removed his heart in order to replace the one that Pronger lost when he was hit in the chest by a Boris Mironov slapshot, because of this, Gustavsson's heart has routinely exploded during the season. Lee Stempniak was supposedly the only person to see how Pronger did it, however, no witnesses can actually place Stempniak anywhere the Maple Leafs during the time of the crime. Oddly Stempniak turned up in Arizona in March 2010, but has been afraid to say what he saw.
- Tomas Kopecky's Helmet Padding: See Don't Trade Vinny's caption to my previous post.
- Ville Leino: Apparently Pronger was the secret behind Paul Holmgren's absolute steal of Leino from the Detroit Red Wings, Pronger called up Ken Holland and threatened to elbow every Red Wings player in the face and cross check Jimmy Howard into another dimension during the Wings April visit to Philly if Holland didn't agree to send Leino to Philly for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen.
- Happiness in Boston: Pronger convinced the Flyers to spot the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the series just to screw with Boston, but then, in a realm of douchebaggery and thievery that set a new bar even for Pronger, he then convinced the Flyers to spot the Bruins a 3-0 first period lead in game 7 only to come back and destroy the Bruins dreams by winning 4-3.
- Dean McCammond's brain: In order to protect his own brain from Chris Chelios, Pronger removed McCammond's brain and sent it to Chelios to appease him.
- Joffrey Lupul's Security of a Steady Home: Pronger as a joke likes to keep Lupul on his toes by occasionally making Lupul move back west. Luckily for Lupul, the first move was the cruelest and Pronger sent him to Edmonton.
- The hair clippers of Scott Hartnell's barber: Seriously, how else would Hartnell look like that?
- Dan Carcillo's Dignity: Pronger told him that the 'Stache looks good.
- Profits from the Construction Industry in Montreal: Pronger slowed down the need for construction in Montreal, Quebec by ending the Habs playoff run in 2010.
- Armando Galaragga's Perfect Game: Pronger grew a beard, ran to Detroit to umpire a game between the Indians and the Tigers, then decided to steal perfection away from Galaragga by calling Jason Donald safe. Now we know why Pronger doesn't have a beard.
Caption Contest 5
Hey readers, DGS has a caption contest today! Have fun!
Our Take- Kopecky: Oh God, Hossa really is cursed...
Friday, June 4, 2010
Peter Laviolette's Pregame Speech for Game 4
In order to make sure that the Flyers stayed motivated and were prepared for Game 4. Coach Lavi sat the team down in the lockerroom before the morning skate and delivered an important message. Lavi has a way with words, just look at what his timeout during game 7 against Boston did. Anyway, unbeknown to the Flyers, the DGS SuperSpies were hiding in the Flyers lockerroom during this speech and they got it all on tape. So without further ado, here's the video of what went down this morning:
Thursday, June 3, 2010
NHL Blown Calls and the Truth Behind the Almost Perfect Game
Last night, Jim Joyce shocked the baseball world when he blew a call costing Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Many were outraged and saddened at the kid's loss of perfection. However, as a huge NHL fan, seeing poor officiating is nothing new to me. As a matter of fact, I can readily come up with a few examples of NHL officiating gone wrong.
Spoiler alert: Kerry Fraser isn't our only offender.
Now there's also slightly more to this story than meets the eye. See Jim Joyce is in fact, NOT that umpires real name. That's right it's an alias of Stephane Auger, and in fact, the DGS SuperSpies overheard a top secret conversation between Auger and his own reflection in the mirror in the hotel before the game. In fact, we have the transcript of it right here:
Auger: Oh baseball, how I hate thee, all these non-French-Canadiens really bug me.
Auger's Reflection: You know what, you should GET SOMEONE tonight.
Auger: Any idea who?
Auger's Reflection: No, but when the opportunity arises, you will know what to do.
Auger: Sounds fantastic, tonight, I am out to get the Detroit Tigers in someway.
Auger's Reflection: Yes, and when you do, it will be fantastic.
Anyway, during the game, Auger decided it was time to get Armando Galarraga and therefore, with the game on the line, Auger pulled out a safe call from nowhere.
Spoiler alert: Kerry Fraser isn't our only offender.
- 1993 Conference Finals: Kerry Fraser blows, and then lies about a high sticking call on Wayne Gretzky which keeps the Leafs out of the Stanley Cup finals.
- 2009 Playoffs: Brad May goal overturned because of the "intent to blow" rule.
- March 2008/Jan 2010: Flyers fall victim to the Sabres/Bruins because opponents had too many men on the ice while scoring
- 1999 Stanley Cup Finals: Brett Hull ends the Finals with a skate in the crease, replays could have overturned this one but for some reason, they did not.
Now there's also slightly more to this story than meets the eye. See Jim Joyce is in fact, NOT that umpires real name. That's right it's an alias of Stephane Auger, and in fact, the DGS SuperSpies overheard a top secret conversation between Auger and his own reflection in the mirror in the hotel before the game. In fact, we have the transcript of it right here:
Auger: Oh baseball, how I hate thee, all these non-French-Canadiens really bug me.
Auger's Reflection: You know what, you should GET SOMEONE tonight.
Auger: Any idea who?
Auger's Reflection: No, but when the opportunity arises, you will know what to do.
Auger: Sounds fantastic, tonight, I am out to get the Detroit Tigers in someway.
Auger's Reflection: Yes, and when you do, it will be fantastic.
Anyway, during the game, Auger decided it was time to get Armando Galarraga and therefore, with the game on the line, Auger pulled out a safe call from nowhere.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Flyers Strategies for Winning Game 3
As we have seen, the Flyers dropped 2 out in the Windy City to fall into a 2-0 situation. However, in order to come back, the Flyers have devised a slightly devious strategy for coming back. Just like the Boston series, the Flyers have a few tricks up their sleeves, and we here at DGS know just what they are. So, loyal readers, here is your list of Flyers strategies for Game 3.
- Dan Carcillo will now only hit members of the Blackhawks.
- Flyers goaltenders finally were told that Patrick Sharp and Ben Eager no longer play on their team, also Mike Leighton finally was informed that he doesn't play for the Blackhawks anymore.
- Will confuse Chicago scorers by having every goalie that dressed this season suited up and on the ice during pregame warmups.
- Chris Pronger will confuse the Hawks by bringing the extra pucks onto the ice.
- When getting his ride to the game, local Cab Drivers have been instructed to not give correct change to Patrick Kane
- The team will remind Marian Hossa that he is in fact, still Marian Hossa
- Super secret agents kidnapped opposing Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi and replaced him with another famous Finnish goaltender, Vesa Toskala. (DGS Note: This also happened during the Game 7 Timeout in Boston).
- Since we have hockey in June, the Flyers, stealing a Habs idea, will put sand in the tunnel from the Hawks bench to the locker room to remind them that it's almost beach front vacation time.
- Ruined Duncan Keith's morale by saying "hey, I'm real happy for you and all, and Imma let you finish but I just want you to know that Lappy came back from the best injury ever, best injury ever"
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It's not so bad, is it...
I think the title says it all. The question of course is, "Is being down 2-0 the nail in the coffin?" The answer is "it might be, it could very well be, but as the Flyers proved against the Bruins, it ain't over until the last game is played"
The Flyers have the talent to come back, they have the tools and Lavi has shown he's can rally the troops with the right timeouts and at the right times.
Is a change in goal the answer?
Maybe, just maybe the team can be sparked by Boucher in net, stranger things have happened, see Flyers 2009-2010 season.
Now, before I bow out into a pit of despair and depression from being down 2-0 and the fact that I'm still single...I do have some humor for today. A bunch of possible situations that are worse than what the Flyers are in right now...
1. They could have finished in last place and not had a draft pick to show for it...luckily that award went to the Toronto Maple Leafs
2. They could have had a season characterized by horrible goaltending and drama caused by changing Captains midseason....that honor went to the Carolina Hurricanes
3. They could have no idea where there home games are being played next year due to the impending sale of their team to an unknown buyer....that winner of that prize, the Phoenix Coyotes
4. They could tease us every year with a team that looks stacked and owns everything in sight during the regular season only to choke horribly in the playoffs...I'm looking at you San Jose
5. They could play in a city that riots after every single win...Est cette vraie, Montréal?
Also, when it comes to the players:
Mike Leighton and Brian Boucher COULD be Robert Esche and Roman Cechmanek or Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, of course, the way injuries went this season, there were 50/50 odds of us entering this series with Backlund/Duchesne in net...
Chris Pronger COULD be Randy Jones
Playoff Briere COULD be Not-Playoff Briere
Mike Richards COULD be NOT BOBBY CLARKE 2010
Simon Gagne COULD be Eric Lindros 2.0
Anyway, hopefully something turns around for the Flyers back in this city...
The Flyers have the talent to come back, they have the tools and Lavi has shown he's can rally the troops with the right timeouts and at the right times.
Is a change in goal the answer?
Maybe, just maybe the team can be sparked by Boucher in net, stranger things have happened, see Flyers 2009-2010 season.
Now, before I bow out into a pit of despair and depression from being down 2-0 and the fact that I'm still single...I do have some humor for today. A bunch of possible situations that are worse than what the Flyers are in right now...
1. They could have finished in last place and not had a draft pick to show for it...luckily that award went to the Toronto Maple Leafs
2. They could have had a season characterized by horrible goaltending and drama caused by changing Captains midseason....that honor went to the Carolina Hurricanes
3. They could have no idea where there home games are being played next year due to the impending sale of their team to an unknown buyer....that winner of that prize, the Phoenix Coyotes
4. They could tease us every year with a team that looks stacked and owns everything in sight during the regular season only to choke horribly in the playoffs...I'm looking at you San Jose
5. They could play in a city that riots after every single win...Est cette vraie, Montréal?
Also, when it comes to the players:
Mike Leighton and Brian Boucher COULD be Robert Esche and Roman Cechmanek or Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, of course, the way injuries went this season, there were 50/50 odds of us entering this series with Backlund/Duchesne in net...
Chris Pronger COULD be Randy Jones
Playoff Briere COULD be Not-Playoff Briere
Mike Richards COULD be NOT BOBBY CLARKE 2010
Simon Gagne COULD be Eric Lindros 2.0
Anyway, hopefully something turns around for the Flyers back in this city...
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