Today is a sad day at NHL Hot Stove as we close up shop.

I would like to thank every one who has ever contributed, commented and read our site. It was a fantastic ride which unfortunately we can no longer keep up.

Myself and David Strehle are taking on bigger roles at RLDHockey.net while Dustin Leed and The Hockey Guys has been generous enough to give a home to our other excellent contributors. Please be kind enough to give both sites a read.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

The old saying “You can never go home again” may just apply to Philadelphia Flyers’ forwards Jaromir Jagr and Max Talbot as the team heads to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins tonight at CONSOL Energy Center.

Both Jagr and Talbot have experienced the biggest successes in their respective NHL careers in the ‘Burgh, each having been a part of a Stanley Cup championship Pens squad. The pair were key pieces in all three Penguins’ Cup victories over two different generations — – Jagr in both 1991 and 1992, and Talbot in 2009 — but both will likely feel the unbridled wrath of the Pittsburgh faithful, beginning when they come out to take part in the pre-game skate.

Al Bello / Getty Images

Jagr had actually been courted by GM Ray Shero and the Pens early in the summer, and a possible return to the scene of his greatest triumphs seemed all but a foregone conclusion for the future first ballot Hall-of-Famer, who had spent the past three seasons playing in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

After both Jagr and Talbot signed with the Flyers as unrestricted free agents on July 1st, outraged Penguins’ fans voiced their obvious displeasure all across every social media platform available over what they felt were acts of traitors.

“When I was making the decision, I never thought that Pittsburgh fans would want me back,” Jagr said in a September conference call with the media. ”Every time I played there, they were booing me every time I touched the puck. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal that I didn’t sign with Pittsburgh.”

The connection to the Penguins is not nearly as fresh for Jagr as it is for Talbot, who played in Pittsburgh through last season. Jagr last played for the Pens more than a decade ago, with the 2000-01 campaign being his last with the organization. His status as the second best player ever to don the Black-and-Gold is still intact, as he is still the runner-up in every significant offensive category to the undisputed greatest Penguin of them all, Mario Lemieux.

As stated above in his own words, Jagr has heard the boos before, when he returned to the Civic / Mellon Arena as a member of the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. He is expecting much of the same in his first visit to the CONSOL Energy Center, especially wearing the colors of one of Pittsburgh’s most hated rivals.

In fact, it’s likely going to sound a lot like when playing the Chexx dome hockey arcade game, when your opponent hits the ‘boo’ button. It’s pretty much the same noise as anytime a Canadiens’ player falls to the ice at Bell Centre, or each time a visiting captain touches the puck at MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Just imagine that sound magnified 18,600 times, each and every time Jagr or Talbot touch the puck. That’s probably a pretty fair assessment of how tonight will be in Pittsburgh.

Jagr has been an important cog in the Philadelphia offensive machine this season, anchoring the right side of a line with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. With 11 goals and 30 points in 31 games, the 39-year-old Jagr is still averaging nearly a point per game. He may have lost some of his explosiveness, but he is always a threat to score when on the ice.

At the tail end of Jagr’s September conference call, he tried to soften the blow for those hockey diehards who live on the western side of Pennsylvania.

”I had a chance to do what I thought was best for me. If I hurt anybody, I apologize, because I didn’t want to, but on the other side, I just don’t understand why people can be that mad about my decision.”

It’s a fairly safe assumption to say that Pens’ fans will attempt to make Jagr see their reasoning, and in an extremely vocal manner, tonight in Pittsburgh.

Even though he didn’t play nearly the all-encompassing role with the team as Jagr had during his time there, the very fact that Talbot inked a pact with the Penguins’ cross-state rivals still wreaked of treachery in Steel Town.

Photo credit: Paul Bereswill / Getty Images

The agitator had shifted momentum in meetings with Philadelphia in Pittsburgh’s favor through the years, none as evident as his fight with Dan Carcillo during Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. On the ensuing faceoff after Danny Briere scored to give the Orange-and-Black a commanding 3-0 lead and a Game 7 began to appear on the horizon, Talbot challenged Carcillo to a fight. “Mad Max” was beaten badly, but gave the half-delirious Philly fans the now infamous ”Shhhh” with index finger raised to his lips on the way to the penalty box. Ex-Flyer Ruslan Fedetenko scored just 14 seconds later, and the ice tilted in Pittsburgh’s favor the rest of the way en route to a 5-3, series clinching victory.

The Pens went on to win the Stanley Cup less than two months later.

That’s the type of player Talbot has been, one who will do anything to help his team win, and that endeared him all the more to Penguins’ fans.

Talbot has brought some of the grit and veteran presence that was lost in making the forwards corp a much younger group. He adds some of what had been missing since winger Ian Laperriere was lost with a skull fracture and severe concussion.

He has also thrown in some unexpected offense, having already surpassed his entire 2010-11 goal total – nine this year in 35 games, eight in 82 contests last year. On a club that came into the season with many question marks as to where the goals would come from after trading away Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, the importance of this kind of production cannot be stressed enough. 

Even though he had left, nothing could prepare supporters of the Pens for what Talbot said shortly after becoming a Flyer.

“It’s nice to be on the right side this time,” Talbot said via Flyers On The Fly on the club’s official site, regarding the ongoing bitter rivalry in the affectionately monikered ”Keystone Klash”. That’s right, apparently he now bleeds Orange-and-Black, also.

And don’t think for a second that the CONSOL Energy crowd will forget that, either.

Some have said the reason Pittsburgh is spelled with an “h” at the end is because it stands for ”home”. For Jagr and Talbot, two players who called Pittsburgh their home for so long, we shall see if that, indeed, holds true tonight.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

Last night’s 5-1 debacle in Tampa Bay, in which the Philadelphia Flyers outshot the Lightning, 32-16, raised numerous questions to explore regarding the recent play of the orange-and-black.

Sure, there are a number of injuries, but just about every team is going through the same situation as Philly. After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins constant rotation of players between Wilkes Barre-Scranton and the ‘Burgh over the past two seasons, injuries cannot be used as an excuse.

After playing perhaps their most complete game of the season in a 5-1 win over the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center on December 13, the Flyers barely held on for a 4-3 victory in Montreal two nights later. Things have gone downhill ever since.

Following a seven-game winning streak that pushed them to the apex of the Eastern Conference standings, the team has now dropped four of its last five contests (1-3-1). In the process, the New York Rangers have passed them for first place in the Atlantic Division, and with a win last night, those pesky Pittsburgh Penguins have tied them with 46 points. Philadelphia still maintains fourth place for the moment as a result of playing one fewer game than the Pens, but that could become a moot point when they face off against each another tomorrow night at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

Along with a drop in the general level of team defense, the top-ranked Flyers’ offense has been almost non-existent in the last five outings. Philly has been collectively outscored, 18-9, during that stretch.

Bryzgalov Blows His Cool

The case of Ilya Bryzgalov’s first-year in Philadelphia has been a rather odd one, marred by wild streaks of inconsistency. After starting out the year with three straight wins – which included a shutout, something the Flyers failed to get from any netminders all of last season — the Russian goaltender dropped his next five decisions (0-4-1).

An unfettered Stamkos backhands the puck past Bryzgalov to give Tampa a 2-1 lead in the second period last night. (Photo credit: Chris O'Meara / Associated Press)

Bryzgalov then went on an 11-1-1 stretch and appeared to be coming out of the woods, but has proceeded to go 0-3-1 in his last four.

Last night’s performance against the Lightning may have been his worst outside of the ridiculous 9-8 horror show against the Winnipeg Jets in late-October. While the team exhibited several breakdowns in defensive zone coverages, Bryzgalov seemed out of position on many of the goals. He appeared to misplay angles, and Tampa shooters were able to hit their marks. This was particularly evident on Vincent Lecavalier’s snipe in the last minute of regulation in the third period, when the Bolts’ captain flipped a quick shot from the right circle that Bryzgalov appeared to be cheating too far the the near post. Lecavalier’s shot sailed over Bryzgalov’s stick side and hit the far corner.

The 31-year-old native of Togliatti, Russia has gone on record earlier in the year as saying he plays much better when “he’s more involved in the game”, or in other words, when he faces more shots on goal. Having yielded just 16 to the Lightning, Bryzgalov appeared to almost be hindered by rust, unprepared to aggressively take on the opposition’s shooter.

“I’m very comfortable,” Bryzgalov said of facing more shots after a 25-save December 8 home win over the Penguins. “Because during the game, you’re moving and facing the shots…your body is in action and your blood is pumping. Your body, you just know, you want the shots, you want to battle. Instead of when you’re just frozen. You can feel you’re toes and you’re like ‘oh my God.’ It’s a big difference. Sometimes you see the goalie, like, it’s tough to play for the goalies who don’t face lots of shots. It’s really tough. I know the difference (having played in Phoenix).”

After last night’s game at St. Pete Times Forum , Bryzgalov was noticeably irked, especially when asked what he thought of his play. His sarcastic “OUTSTANDING…”, then dropping an “F-bomb” on live cable television said more than enough about where his head is right now.

He’s frustrated, and it may be that he cannot get comfortable with seeing a paltry number of shots each night. Some goalies are like that, handling a 40-shot night much better than somewhere in the mid-teens. Martin Brodeur thrived in a situation where he saw few shots each night when he had the likes of Scott Niedermayer, Scott Stevens, and Ken Daneyko patrolling the New Jersey Devils blueline. The number of shutouts he recorded where he was called on to make less than 20 saves were numerous.

Another aspect that may be distracting the franchise goaltender is all of the camera time on HBO’s “24/7″ documentary lead-up to the Winter Classic on January 2. Bryzgalov has been called the “star” of the show so far, contemplating subjects as far-reaching as tigers and the meaning of life, all caught on camera for all to see. Maybe it will be a blessing when all of the hoopla surrounding the Classic ends early next week, and the team can just go back to concentrating on hockey, and Bryzgalov to doing what he does best, which is stopping the puck.

When all seems lost, the best course of action is to just go back to basics, and that point may be here for Bryzgalov.

JVR Playing Through Pain

Along with Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk was supposed to take his game to the next level and help offset some of the offense lost with the departures of scoring leaders Richards and Jeff Carter. With his play down the stretch last season and through the playoffs, the hope did not seem too far-fetched.

While JvR has shown signs of that player from time-to-time this year, he has struggled mightily as of late. With just one goal in his last six contests and three points in the last 11 (1 G, 2A), the second-overall pick in the 2007 draft has nine goals and 19 points in 30 games — a pace for 23 goals and 48 points, which would still be career highs.

But after missing four games at the beginning of the month with an abdominal injury, there could be reason to be concerned about the 22-year-old winger.

Remember the case of Mikael Renberg, the third member of the “Legion of Doom Line”, along with Eric Lindros and John LeClair. Renberg burst onto the scene in 1993-94, scoring 38 goals and 82 points as a 21-year-old rookie, then followed that up with a 26-goal, 57-point sophomore year in just 47 games during a lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign.

He endured an abdominal injury in his third season, and was never the same player again. No longer did Renberg cut to the net with reckless abandon, and he ended up being dealt after a couple more mediocre years.

This is not to say that van Riemsdyk will end up the same way, but more to point out that the Flyers would be wise to handle JvR with ultra-cautious care. Players with the combination of size and speed that he possesses do not come along every year, and it would be a shame to see van Riemsdyk follow the same course that Renberg tread.

(More after the page break)

Schenn Also Struggling

One of the biggest acquisitions in a summer of change for Paul Holmgren’s squad was snagging highly-regarded forward prospect Brayden Schenn, along with Wayne Simmonds, from the Los Angeles Kings in the Mike Richards trade.

After beginning the season in the AHL due in part to a shoulder injury suffered in preseason, as well as a clause in his contract where his salary was better able to fit into Philadelphia’s constrained cap situation, Schenn tore it up in Adirondack to the tune of 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in just seven games before being recalled to the big club in late-October.

His time in Philly ever since has been tenuous, at best. Schenn played in only four games before breaking his foot after blocking a shot in Montreal on October 26, causing him to miss the next 11 games. He was assigned to the Phantoms on November 22 for a rehab stint, then returned to the Flyers at the start of December. He saw action in just two more games before suffering a mild concussion, playing in his last game on December 3, and missing the next nine contests before returning last night.

Schenn has failed to produce a single point thus far, and has been on the minus side of the ledger in five of the seven games in which he has been healthy enough to appear. His -8 rating is second only to fellow rookie Harry Zolnierczyk’s -9.

The fifth overall selection in the 2009 entry draft has to not only attempt to create some offense soon, but also must try to do something he may not have any control over, and that is to remain healthy.

It would seem Schenn will not get any kind of positive momentum going with the constant movement in and out of the lineup, especially with nagging injuries tempering his effectiveness. His confidence has more then likely taken a hit since the good feeling of the summer and early stages of training camp as a result.

Let’s hope as the calendar turns to 2012 next week, it brings a healthier and more productive year for the 20-year-old that holds the key to how the Richards deal will ultimately be judged. While the now does not hold nearly as much as the future does where Schenn is concerned, his fragility may raise some concerns in the Flyers’ camp.

Where’s Danny?

Well, he did show up on the scoresheet with a game-high seven shots on goal, but Danny Briere was held without a point once again last night. It was the fourth time in his last five games the 34-year-old went without recording a point, and has registered just five in his last nine outings (3 G, 2 A).

Like the rest of his teammates, Briere has been banged up from time-to-time, missing three combined games with an upper body injury and a bruised hand. As the club’s highest-paid player at $6.5 million annually, the Flyers obviously need more from the Gatineau, Quebec-native than what they have been receiving.

After playing to mixed reviews in his first three campaigns following his signing as a free agent in 2007, things seemed to come together for Briere after being moved from the wing back to center. Playing between Scott Hartnell and Ville Leino, the line became the club’s most consistent offensive producers.

It was during Philadelphia’s improbable run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, in which he set a team record with 30 points (12 G, 18 A), that Briere really seemed to come into his own with the Flyers. He had been that player before in Buffalo, but it took him until that moment in time in Philly to justify the giant contract, which still has three seasons remaining after this year.

Last year’s totals of 34 goals and 68 points were a continuation of the output he put forth in the 2010 postseason, even if he did take the occasional bad stick infraction at the worst possible time of a game.

He has improved that part of his game of late, but once again has fallen on hard times offensively this year. With 10 goals and 15 assists in 32 games, Briere is on pace for 24 goals and 61 points — which would be his lowest totals since the inconsistent regular season of 2009-10.

Consistency has been lacking this season. Briere has eight different multiple point games, but has failed to string together any more than three consecutive contests with at least one point, which has occurred just once so far (early-December). He has failed to put up a point in 17 of the 32 contests in which he has played.

Which leads into the next point…

Struggling to Score Goals, the Flyers Are Becoming a One-Line Team

In addition to those slumping players referred to above, there are others that have played well without seeing the desired results:

• Jakub Voracek – After scoring goals in two of his first three games with the Flyers, it appeared the 22-year-old winger was just what the doctor ordered for a club that might have some difficulties putting the biscuit in the basket. But even though the seventh-overall pick in the 2007 entry draft has been creative with the puck and set up glorious scoring chances, he has managed to score just three more times himself over the last 32 contests. His 21 points rank Voracek sixth in team scoring, but more is expected of him, especially in the goal-scoring department.
• Matt Read – The preseason Calder Trophy prediction of TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Read has been excellent during his rookie campaign. His 11 goals tie him with Jaromir Jagr for third on the team, and he has scored at very opportune times, with the Flyers in need of a goal. But the 25-year-old former captain at Bemidji State has seen a drop off in production, as well. Read hasn’t scored a goal in the last nine games, totalling just three assists during that span. The good news is he is still getting numerous quality scoring chances, as was the case when he was robbed on a couple of great opportunities last night by Mathieu Garon.

Another rookie that has been out of the lineup, and the recent five-game skid has coincided with his absence, is Sean Couturier. The 19-year-old centerman started off the year at a much better scoring clip than expected. He is not only one of the more responsible players in his own end, Couturier had also been very creative in the offensive end of the rink. Even though he went through a 15-game drought with having failed to pick up a point and recorded just one assist in the last 17 contests before being struck in the head with a Kimmo Timonen slap shot, he had been promoted to the top line when Giroux suffered his concussion.

Couturier’s loss has been one of the biggest in a long line of injuries sustained by key Philadelphia skaters, and the 1-3-1 mark since he left the lineup may not be much of a coincidence.

With so many players failing to contribute, Philadelphia has become a one-line team, allowing opponents to key even more than usual on the line of Hartnell, Giroux, and Jagr.

Take all of the above factors and mesh them together, and it adds up to a bad stretch. Every team is subject to these skids, going through rough patches during a long regular season. As long as many of the issues resolve, Philadelphia should be just fine. Imagine how everyone would have felt knowing in advance the Flyers would be 21-10-4 after a summer overhaul. You would have to say people would have been elated.

And finally, some good news…

Giroux’s Was An Epic Return From Concussion

There are numerous ’return games’ referred to throughout the NHL, and most of them revolve around two players from the Western side of Pennsylvania.

The mere mention of a player having a great game when coming back from an injury conjures up all kinds of images of Mario Lemieux doing something once thought to be impossible. Most of Super Mario’s exploits are amazing, but his performances after returning from long layoffs — back injury, Hodgkins Disease, even retirement – are the stuff of legend.

This season, Lemieux’s Penguins’ protege, Sidney Crosby, pulled off something similar. After missing over 10 months with a concussion, ‘Sid the Kid’ made a triumphant return to the Pittsburgh lineup against the New York Islanders on November 21st. Scoring two goals and adding two assists, Crosby carried the Pens on his back to a 5-0 victory over the Isles.

The heroics of Crosby’s comeback in late-November have since been overshadowed by his recurrence of concussion-like symptoms that have again placed him on the shelf, and his future is in doubt.

A team from the other side of the ‘Keystone State’ had a strikingly similar occurence last Wednesday night in Dallas. That’s when the Flyers decided to bring their leading scorer, Giroux, back after sitting out the previous four games with a concussion suffered in a freak accident when clipped by Simmonds’ knee during a 5-2 win at the Wells Fargo Center on December 10.

Though not injured as seriously as either Crosby or Lemieux and not out of the lineup for nearly as long, the diminutive Giroux still gave fans in Philadelphia quite a thrill in his first game back.

The rest of the field used Giroux’s absence to tie him for the NHL’s scoring lead — Toronto’s Phil Kessel, Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin, and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin had all tied Giroux for the top spot with 39 points as of the time of his return.

After watching Michael Ryder give the Stars a 1-0 lead in the game’s first minute, the rest of the night belonged to Giroux and the Flyers. The 23-year-old wizard scored the next goal, then proceeded to assist on three others as Philadelphia skated to a 4-1 victory.

The game further cemented Giroux’s status as one of the game’s rising young superstars, as well as pointing out the fact that he is just as important an offensive cog to the Flyers attack as any other player is to their respective team in the League today.

On a night where Giroux turned Dallas into ‘Big G’ for just a few short hours, his four-point night in a comeback game will be a part of Flyers’ lore for years to come.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

As camera crews for Home Box Office’s ”24/7″ series have made their way through the Philadelphia Flyers’ locker room for the past month in anticipation of the NHL Winter Classic, there is an expectation of something special. It’s a showcase for not only the League, but also the Flyers, their opponents on January 2nd, the New York Rangers, and the respective players and coaching staffs.

(Photo credit: Len Redkoles / NHLI via Getty Images)

Amid all of the ballyhoo, defenseman Matt Carle tries not to act any differently with all of the extra attention.

“It’s a little different having those guys around as much as they are,” the 27-year-old rear guard said after Saturday’s loss to the Boston Bruins. ”But you just try to go about your business and do things as you would normally. Just act like they’re not there, just kind of a fly on the wall.”

While Carle’s philosophy as HBO is filming seems to be just to blend in, his play in recent weeks has forced everyone to take notice.

This is the second straight year that the team has had to endure a prolonged Chris Pronger  absence, and it has perhaps been the most trying on Carle, Pronger’s usual partner.

Carle, a user of the social media platform Twitter, sent out his feelings after it was announced that the Flyers’ captain would miss the rest of the season.

“Tough news about Prongs yesterday…really just hoping the big guy is able to get healthy, not just for hockey, but everyday life #beast“

The loss of Pronger for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, along with the injuries to Erik Gustafsson and Andreas Lilja, has understandably affected the way head coach Peter Laviolette has been utilizing his defensive pairings.

Subtracting the club’s top defender and leader in ice time, alone, will do that. With the three blueliners out of the lineup, Laviolette’s top four defensemen — Carle, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros — have seen a noticeable increase in their amount of ice time.

Through the first 19 games of the 2011-12 campaign, Carle’s TOI hovered in the range of 20 minutes per game. Included in that time frame were five different contests in which he stayed below the 20-minute mark. Maybe not so coincidentally, the 19th game of the season was in Winnipeg, which just so happened to be Pronger’s last appearance for the year.

Since Pronger’s departure, Carle has been averaging closer to 25 minutes a night, topped off by a season-high 27:44 December 7th in a 5-4 overtime victory in Buffalo.

(Photo credit: UPI / Matthew Healey)

In the 2010 Classic, Philadelphia traveled to Fenway Park in Boston. Carle played 21:49 and finished the afternoon with a -1 rating, and the Flyers dropped a 2-1 overtime decision. Carle said his team, which was wildly inconsistent during the first Classic experience, will have a better idea of how to handle things this year. And maybe even savor it some more.

Though he tries to act as though nothing is different with the added exposure, Carle does like the idea of the documentary-type format. He believes it’s an important medium for hockey fans to identify with their heroes, and maybe even further appreciate their daily grind.

“I think it’s (“24/7″) something that needs to be done every year, whether there’s a Winter Classic or not,” Carle said. “It’s a great opportunity for fans to get an inside look at what our daily lives are like, trying to get to know some personalities and players a little bit more.”

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

The devastating news was reported early Thursday evening by Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos via Twitter, and confirmed by the team later during the first period of last night’s Philadelphia Flyers contest in Montreal — the club’s top defenseman and team captain, Chris Pronger, will miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs due to severe post-concussion symptoms.

(Photo credit: Paul Bereswill / Getty Images)

It’s just another hard dose of adversity for the Eastern Conference-leaders, especially for their beleaguered blueline.

Already missing Erik Gustafsson (wrist surgery) and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) for several weeks, Peter Laviolette has had to juggle defensive pairings for some time. The big four of Matt Carle (Pronger’s usual defensive partner), Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Andrej Meszaros have been eating up a ton of minutes, with AHL call ups Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall also seeing time.

Philadelphia’s injury predicament is becoming more worrisome with each passing game, and concussions are at the top of the list. In addition to Pronger, Claude Giroux, the NHL’s leading scorer, and youngster Brayden Schenn, acquired from Los Angeles in the Mike Richards deal, remain out indefinitely with head injuries.

While only time will tell how these players fare in hopes of a return, the question for now becomes what will Paul Holmgren do now that Pronger is officially done until at least next fall, if he is able to return at all.

The Flyers are buying their GM some extra time because they simply refuse to lose. Even with all of their injury woes, the team defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-3 at Bell Centre last night, running their current winning streak to seven games. This is a huge development, because there is no reason for Holmgren to get sucked into making any type of a panic move.

There’s no doubt that the excellent results in recent games are helping in the club’s decision-making process as to exactly what to do with their next move. With both Gustafsson and Lilja set to return sometime early in the New Year, and Matt Walker another option as a healthy body, Philadelphia could make do with their current roster.

Burning The Candle At Both Ends

The exhorbitant amount of ice time being logged by the big four has to eventually become a concern for team management.

• Timonen played a game-high 26:36 last night, with 8:03 of that time on ice in shorthanded situations. The other three ranged from 22:53 (Meszaros) to 24:21 (Coburn). Conversely, Bourdon was on for 10:48, and Marshall just 4:42.
• Tuesday night in Washington, Carle logged a game-high 25:27, while the three played between 21:39 (Meszaros), and 23:14 (Coburn). Carle’s TOI in the first period alone that night was 10:13, or better than half the frame. Lucky for the Flyers that they had a big lead and were able to give Bourdon (16:29) and Marshall (10:17) more minutes when the outcome was no longer in doubt, allowing the fab four to rest down the stretch.
• Carle also played 26:27 last Thursday at home against Pittsburgh, and 27:44 the previous night in Buffalo. Coburn also churned out a gruelling 25:48 against the Sabres that night.
• Coburn logged 28:03 against the New York Rangers at MSG in late-November. Timonen saw 24:28, and Carle had the least amount of TOI at 22:14.

That’s a ton of ice time for all four, especially Timonen, who is constantly banged up. The physical pounding is definitely taking a toll, and Philly will need the soon to be 37-year-old Finn to be fresh when the postseason commences if they want to have any kind of shot at a deep run.

Looking at the numbers Laviolette seems to be, for the most part, rotating the member of the group that will log the most ice time, thereby avoiding a complete burn out of any one defenseman.

So far, it’s working pretty well, but the long-term affects could prove costly down the road.

(Photo credit: Photo by Jim McIsaac / Getty Images North America)

Other Possibilities At Home

Gustafsson’s return should help to lighten the load somewhat, and will signal Marshall’s departure to Adirondack. Bourdon has been solid since his recall from the Phantoms, but his ice time ranges anywhere from 10-16 minutes, dependant upon how close of a contest the Flyers find themselves. Lilja was just starting to become more reliable when he was hurt, so Bourdon may stick around a bit when both Gustafsson and Lilja are back. Just in case.

Walker remains an enigma in Philadelphia. Having to bring him back through re-entry waivers and taking the risk of another club claiming him and leaving the Flyers footing $875,000 (pro-rated) of his contract, it’s strange that he hasn’t dressed for a game since clearing.

Oskars Bartulis played well when he got into the lineup last season before a shoulder injury, and looked to be in the team’s plan for this year. But after being sent to Adirondack before the end of training camp, the 24-year-old native of Latvia would have to clear re-entry waivers. With the probability of another club claiming him, Bartulis will almost certainly be relegated to the Phantoms all year long.

Who Will Holmgren Consider in Trade?

If Holmgren decides to go the trade route, let the Shea Weber-to-the-Flyers rumors begin. Having won an unprecedented $7.5 million arbitration award this past summer and set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, Nashville may not be able to afford their captain and he may end up on the trading block.

He’s one of the most complete defenders in the entire League, and would most certainly attract interest from Philadelphia – especially with the uncertainty of Pronger’s situation. He’s a right-handed shot, something (other than Walker) the Flyers’ defense does not possess at this time. Weber also plays a physical game, and brings a booming, heavy shot that would aid the power play.

In other words, he could be the perfect fit.

While fitting his contract within the club’s salary cap limit this season may be within the realm of possibility (depending on who goes the other way), his asking price moving forward will likely be the killing point for the Flyers. With what will end up being Nashville’s asking price — young players off the current roster as a starter, no doubt — and the likelihood that he could end up being a rental player, Weber isn’t a probable candidate. But you can still prepare yourself for the barrage of never-ending rumors sure to be attached to this storyline.

(Photo credit: Frederick Breedon / Getty Images North America)

Another Predator’s blueliner could be a possibility. Ryan Suter stands to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and if GM David Poile decides to make sure Weber stays, he likely will not have enough money left to sign Suter.

That’s not to say that the Preds are at the cap ceiling, because they’re not even close. At $48.6 million — or just above the mandatory $48.3 million cap floor – Nashville owns the lowest payroll in the NHL. Their restrictions are related to the club’s budget, and Suter is in the last year of a $3.5 million deal.  He will be expecting a hefty raise and with the recent contract inked to keep goaltender Pekka Rinne from testing free agency (his current $3.4 million deal becomes a $7 million salary next year), Suter will probably be dealt prior to the trade deadline.

Stop Gaps

Both Weber and Suter are more on the high-end of the line of defenders, and another of Holmgren’s options would be to get a stop gap guy — likely a veteran presence, a la Sean O’Donnell last season — to be able to log a decent amount of ice time.

Teams that are falling well below the eighth spot in each conference may well be looking to deal a blueliner at some point. Depending on how Ottawa fares over the next two months, Sergei Gonchar (signed through next year at $5.5 million annually) may be available. Many remember how effective he was playing with a group of offensive players in Pittsburgh — especially on the power play – but he also has a tremendous amount of downside. He will turn 38 years old by the time the playoffs begin, has a gigantic contract, and has missed a significant amount of games over the last four years due to his body breaking down. Holmgren would be wise to stay away from Gonchar.

The same rings true for Tampa Bay (Brett Clark — $1.5 million, UFA after this year), Carolina (Jaroslav Spacek — $3.833 million, UFA after this year), Calgary (Scott Hannan — $1 million, UFA after this year), and Anaheim (Toni Lydman — signed through next year at $3 million annually). All may be looking to make changes in the next couple of months, and Holmgren could end up finding a trade partner.

Of this group, only Hannan should be a consideration. He is strictly a defensive defenseman, but he blocks a lot of shots and would help in shutdown situations.

Built More For the Longer Haul

The Flyers would be wise to proceed as if they know Pronger will not return at all, and pick up a defender who will not only be around the rest of this season and next, but for the next several years, as well — especially considering Carle is scheduled to become an UFA next summer, with Timonen’s contract expiring the following year.

Some players of interest that may become available if their respective teams fall out of the playoff hunt:

• Marc-Andre Bergeron (TB — signed through next year at $1 million annually) is a smaller option but is decent in the defensive end, and has a heavy point shot that would help take away the sting of Pronger’s absence on the power play.
• Travis Hamonic (NYI — signed through next year to entry level deal at $875,000 annually) is just 21 years old and plays a robust style of game. He plays the PP, hits, and gets involved physically. He racked up over 100 PIMs as a rookie last year and after a slow start this season, has been playing better of late. With his age and potential, Hamonic probably won’t be available, but this is the Islanders we’re taling about. Anything is possible.
• Milan Jurcina (NYI — $1.6 million, UFA after this year) is an interesting case. Though he didn’t find a home in Boston or Washington and is on a sometimes very bad New York club, the 28-year-old could be attractive to Holmgren. He has great size (6′ 4″, 253 pounds) and tools to excel in the League. His motivation is often in question, but much the same was said about another native of Slovakia currently on the Flyers’ roster — Meszaros — and he’s working out pretty well right now.

Bergeron and Jurcina would come much cheaper than the Weber and Suter options. Hamonic would, also, but would cost Holmgren at least a young roster player.

There is no reason to say anything will actually happen in the trade arena in Philadelphia, at least not for the time being. The team continues to win, so there is nothing even close to an air of panic within the Flyers’ organization.

Over the next couple of seasons, there is the possibility that a Brandon Manning or Colin Suellentrop or another prosepect in the system will be ready to make the big club.

It never hurts to plan ahead. So maybe the best course of action at the moment would be to not count on Pronger coming back at all, and maybe make a couple of deals for the future, as long as the young assets and current team chemistry are not compromised.

If Pronger does eventually come back next season, it would just be icing on the cake.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

Already with top defenseman Chris Pronger absent from the lineup with concussion-like symptoms, many had their eyes on the Verizon Center in Washington Tuesday night to see how the Philadelphia Flyers would react to the loss of Claude Giroux. After all, the NHL’s leading scorer has been one of the central keys to the team’s success thus far. 

The question of just how these Flyers would deal with yet another bout of adversity in a season looking as if it will test the very boundaries of their resiliency were answered quite emphatically with a dominating 5-1 victory in the nation’s capital. 

(AP Photo / Nick Wass)

In winning their sixth straight contest, the Flyers increased their lead to three points over both the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, who both lost, for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conferences leads.

It helped the cause that Washingon goaltender Tomas Vokoun had a brutal night between the pipes for the Capitals, but he was the only one bearing gifts. Only garnering one power play on the night, Philadelphia did all of their damage at even strength.

GM Paul Holmgren has from time to time come under some amount of scrutiny for his constant battle with staying within NHL mandated salary cap limits, including from yours truly on the odd occasion. But unlike many other general managers that find themselves in a similar situation, Holmgren seems to have the attained a near-perfect offensive balance with his roster. Last night’s contest was proof-positive:

• There were five different goal scorers and 13 different skaters recorded at least one point in the triumph, with only Matt Carle and James van Riemsdyk picking up more than one. Both had two assists.
• 16 of the 18 skaters registered at least one shot on goal, with Jaromir Jagr and Kimmo Timonen being the only two not to send a puck onto the Washington net.
• Three of the five goals were initiated with a shot by a defenseman from the point, with two being deflected in by Flyers, and Marc-Andre Bourdon picking up his first career NHL goal.
• Scott Hartnell scored a goal in his sixth consecutive game, tying Nashville’s Patric Hornqvist for the League’s longest streak of the season. A rejuvenated Hartnell now has 15 goals and 27 points in 29 games, and leads the club with a +18 rating.
• Wayne Simmonds scored a goal in a career-high third straight game. After going through a seven game goalless drought, the big winger has goals in four of the last five contests.
• Even the oft-scratched Jody Shelley got into the act last night, picking up an assist for his first point since January 14, 2011 in Atlanta.

One of the biggest components to the Flyers’ success has been the speed added to the forward position by Holmgren over the summer, and the fit with Peter Laviolette’s system is like hand in glove. The youth and jump of Matt Read, Sean Couturier, Harry Zolnierczyk, and Zac Rinaldo, along with the tenacity exhibited by all has been a much-welcomed change from last season. Offseason acquisitions Jakub Voracek and Simmonds also have been invaluable.

While the absence of Giroux will most-certainly sting, it appears as if the Flyers’ scoring attack will be just fine as he takes time to recover.

Did Holmgren Sign The Correct UFA Goalie?

It was a tremendous team effort all the way around, and nearly resulted in a shutout for Ilya Bryzgalov. The first-year Flyer stopped 31 of 32 Caps’ shots, yielding a late third period tally by Jeff Halpern with the outcome of the game already determined. Having won 11 of his last 13 decisions (11-1-1) since October 27th, Bryzgalov has run his record to a stellar 14-5-2 on the season.

Having gotten out of the gates slowly this year, many pundits panned the Bryzgalov signing. At $51 million over nine years, many experts lambasted Holmgren for not going with a much cheaper option in Vokoun, who ended up inking a one-year, $1.5 million pact over the summer.

The Czech-born netminder’s shaky performance last night accentuated what Washington has endured for most of the season, the fact that Vokoun — who has had some decent starts and currently has a 12-8-0 record – has been inconsistent all year. The weak goals allowed on shots from Hartnell and Max Talbot were absolute back-breakers for a team in desperate need of big saves. The Capitals had won their last two games for new head coach Dale Hunter, but Vokoun’s tendency for allowing soft goals didn’t give them much of a chance against the Flyers.

While Bryzgalov and Vokoun have very similar goals-against averages (2.75, 2.70, respectively) and save percentages (.901, .910, respectively), the quality of the goals yielded have differed greatly. Bryzgalov was the victim of numerous pinball goals early in the year, leading to an inflated GAA and poor save percentage. Last night’s showing is typical of the types of goals that Vokoun has allowed.

For all of his critics, it looks like Holmgren made the correct choice. Except for one 0-4-1 stretch in mid-October Bryzgalov has been solid for the Flyers, and for a team that underwent so much change in the offseason, that is a necessity. Especially with the poor history of the position in recent years in Philadelphia.

The Road Warriors

With the win in D.C., the Flyers now boast the NHL’s best record away from home at 11-3-1. 

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the Flyers’ PR department:

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Flyers have never had 11 wins in their first 15 road games before this season. The previous high was the 1979-80 season, when the Flyers were 9-1-5 through the first 15 road games. The Flyers are on pace for 30 road wins, which would shatter the franchise record of 24 road wins set in 2002-03. That year, the Flyers were 8-4-3 through their first 15 road games.

Hard to imagine that with the storied history of the club’s franchise that the team would be on such a pace in a year viewed by many experts to be a season of transition in the City of Brotherly Love.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

The Flyers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-2 tonight, but there should be a guarded enthusiasm that goes along with the victory. NHL leading scorer Claude Giroux and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov each left the game early with injuries.

Giroux, who assisted on two second period goals, was accidentally kneed in the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds, who tried to jump over the center to avoid a collision. Giroux stayed on the ice for some time, holding his head, before skating slowly to the bench. He remained at the end of the bench until there was approimately one minute left in the middle stanza, then headed down the tunnel to the locker room.

“Yeah, he kind of fell and he was right in front of me so I tried to jump over him,” Simmonds said after the game.  “I couldn’t really feel it, you know,  it was kind of fast. I just kept trying to go, and then I turned around and he was still on the ice there. So, obviously I was worried about him.”

Linemate Jaromir Jagr wasn’t seeing the possibly dire situation regarding Giroux.

“I think he’s going to be OK, he’s a tough guy,” Jagr said after the game. “I don’t worry about him, I think he’s going to be back.”

The 39-year-old Jagr continued.

“I don’t think he’s going to be out,” he said. “I don’t even want to think about it, but I don’t think he’s going to be out. That’s my prediction. If he is, maybe  one or two games, no more. I think maybe one or two just to be careful, hopefully. When I asked him I thought he was going to play, I didn’t know he was going to sit the third period. But, of course, you have to be careful with players like that, but I think he should be fine. Hopefully I’m not wrong.”

GM Paul Holmgren addressed the media after the game. “Claude was obviously injured late in the second period,” he said. “He was evaluated by our doctors and held out for precautionary reasons in the third period, and we’ll evaluate him tomorrow and see how he is.”

When Giroux did not return for the third period, rookie Sean Couturier skated in Giroux’s vacant spot centering Jagr and Scott Hartnell.

After the game, Peter Laviolette spoke about the job done by Couturier.

“Well right now, anything involving Claude is just speculation, but to comment on Sean’s game I thought that he did a really nice job in the third period,” the coach said of his 19-year-old rookie. “We double shifted him between that line and his line; you know young kid, lots of energy. He played extremely well, and I think that’s a real positive for our team.”

Couturier had numerous quality chances, but was robbed several times by Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon.

“I thought young Sean stepped in and did an admirable job,” Holmgren said. “He probably could have had a hat trick during that third period.”

With both Chris Pronger (concussion-like symptoms) and Brayden Schenn (mild concussion) already out with head injuries, and defensemen Erik Gustafsson (wrist surgery) and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) out for an extended period, the sick ward is filling up rapidly in Philly.

Bryzgalov may just be joining the group in the M*A*S*H unit. The club’s number one netminder left the game during a television timeout with 13:01 left in the third period, and the Flyers leading, 4-2.

“Ilya, it’s an injury issue, lower body, (it happened) during the third,” said Holmgren. “We don’t think it’s anything serious.  It’s an off-day tomorrow for the player I would assume that he will be fine for our next game.”

While there is much to be concerned with regarding the club’s injury woes, Holmgren kept things in perspective.

“It is a part of the game,” he said. “Pittsburgh played their game tonight without (Kris) Letang, without (Sidney) Crosby, without (Jordan) Staal.  I mean, everybody goes through injury issues, we’re just through our share right now.”

The Game

Briere celebrates first period goal with Voracek and Meszaros. (AP Photo / Matt Slocum)

The game, itself, was a typical contest for the Orange-and-Black lately. They got off to an extremely slow start in the first period, falling behind on a Ryan Shannon goal, then came out like gang-busters to commence the second.

Simmonds made a nice play at center ice to create a turnover that led to a two-on-rush with Danny Briere the other way. Briere finished off the sequence, beating Mathieu Garon top shelf for his ninth goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1.

Just 34 seconds later, Hartnell sent a pass over to Giroux, who hit Jagr. The Czech superstar ripped a one-timer high over Garon’s glove for his 10th of the year to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. It was also the 656th of his career, tying him for 11th place on the NHL’s all-time leading goal scoring list with Brendan Shanahan.

With just over five minutes left in the middle frame, Simmonds would strike for one of his own with Vincent Lecavalier in the sin bin. After taking a pass from Giroux to the right of Garon, Simmonds attempted a hard backhand pass out in front. The puck hit off of defenseman Brett Clark’s skate and caromed past his goaltender and into the net for a 3-1 Philadelphia lead heading into the third period. After a recent nine-game goalless drought, it was the second in three games for Simmonds, and seventh of the season.

“Yeah, you know he (Simmonds) doesn’t play in an easy area,” Laviolette said. “It usually comes with a cross-check and a punch to the head, and you’ve got to be willing to take that. So you have to give him credit for standing in the tough areas, but he was able handle the pass, bring it to the net.”

Laviolette said the Simmonds goal is a designed play. Well, sort of.

“We’ve actually been working on that play, not necessarily to bank it off the defenseman’s skate, but you know when you bring pucks to the net, good things happen and he got the reward of that.”

Lecavalier would tally a power play goal of his own — his 11th this year — just 55 seconds into the third, but Matt Carle answered with a man advantage goal, his fourth goal of the year, four minutes later to restore the two-goal lead for the Flyers.

Hartnell iced the game with 28 seconds remaining in regulation, hitting the empty net with Garon pulled or an extra attacker. Jagr had a chance to pass Shanahan on the list, but instead hit Hartnell.

With the five goals, Philadelphia became the first team to top the 100-goal mark for the year (101).

Giroux’s two assists increased his lead in the scoring race to three points over Toronto’s Phil Kessel. Giroux now has 39 points for the season.

Bryzgalov held the Flyers in the game during a lopsided first period, and even though he could not finish out the game, won for the 10th time in his last 12 decisions (10-1-1). His season record is now an impressive 13-5-2.

Most importantly with the win — their fifth consecutive, by the way — Philadelphia stayed one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference leads.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

With captain Chris Pronger and forward Brayden Schenn already out with head injuries, the last thing the Philadelphia Flyers needed was another headache.  The very last thing the team needed with their top defenseman on the shelf indefinitely was to have the NHL’s leading scorer, Claude Giroux join him on the sidelines.

But that may be exactly what happened Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Already having notched two assists in helping the Flyers to a 3-1 lead late in the second period, Giroux was shaken up in a collision with teammate, Wayne Simmonds. Giroux had fallen to the ice, and the big winger attempted to jump over Giroux to avoid him. But Simmonds’ knee hit Giroux in the head, and Philadelphia’s MVP stayed on the ice for a few moments before skating slowly to the bench.

Giroux stayed on the end of the bench — obviously shaken up — until there was about one minute left in the middle frame, at which time he went down the tunnel to the locker room.

Giroux did not come out for the start of the third period, and rookie Sean Couturier skated in his place on the line with Jaromir Jagr and Scott Hartnell. There has been no official word on any injury from the club.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

You just knew the dreaded term was about to rear its ugly head, and it was getting very close.

As Ilya Bryzgalov continued to struggle in what amounted to a platoon situation with goaltending partner, Sergei Bobrovsky, the phrase ‘goalie controversy’ was about to get thrust into the usual crush of Philadelphia media mayhem.

It’s common knowledge that the crease has been a major area of concern for the Flyers for the better part of the past two decades, but it wasn’t supposed to happen this year. Not after the team had finally gotten their number one guy this past summer, after years of repeated shortcomings and postseason disappointments.

(Photo credit: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images North America)

When Paul Holmgren inked the former Phoenix Coyotes standout to a monster nine-year, $51 million deal in late-June, there was to be no more issues regarding who was to be manning the area between the pipes for Philly.

Yet it looked like the very controversy was about to begin to brew right around Thanksgiving. Bryzgalov, who was coming off a 4-2 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, was pulled after yielding three first period goals on just nine shots to the New York Islanders on November 23rd, and Bobrovsky came on in relief to begin the second. He shut the door on the Isles the rest of the way, allowing the Flyers to mount a comeback in an eventual 4-3 overtime win.

Bobrovsky was rewarded with starts in the next two games, a 3-1 Black Friday matinee victory over the Montreal Canadiens, and a 2-0 loss defeat at Madison Square Garden the next day. Even during the loss in New York, the second-year netminder was solid, stopping 30 of 32 Rangers’ shots.

The second-year netminder was playing well, and looked to be the more reliable backstop at the time.

Following a rare five day break in the schedule after the loss to the Rangers, Peter Laviolette made the decision to come back with Bryzgalov against the Ducks when the club began a short West coast swing in Anaheim.

Once again Philadelphia fell behind, 2-0 after the opening period, and 3-0 early in the second. Laviolette stuck with his 31-year-old veteran, hoping the team could turn things around.

And they did. Bryzgalov didn’t allow another goal the rest of the way, and the Flyers fought their way back, pulling out another 4-3 game in overtime.

Laviolette’s vote of confidence shown for his struggling goaltender went a long way, and he’s been red hot ever since.

As a matter of fact, after an 0-4-1 stretch that ended in late October, Bryzgalov has posted a 9-1-1 record. Beginning with the win in Anaheim,  he has now won four straight. Bryzgalov owns an excellent 12-5-2 mark for the year, and his once bloated goals-against average and save percentage are now respectable (2.84 and .898, respectively).

Ilya Bryzgalov makes pad save on point-blank deflection by Matt Cooke. (Photo credit: Paul Bereswill / Getty Images)

Last night, he played a large role in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a huge game for the club, going up against one of its biggest rivals, with first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference on the line. Bryzgalov made 25 saves, and looked very sharp — especially in stopping 13 of 14 Pittsburgh third period shots – in holding off a late Pens’ charge.

“You know, that’s why we love hockey,” Bryzgalov said after last night’s victory over Pittsburgh, also referring to the previous night’s comeback against the Sabres in Buffalo. “It’s an unpredictable game. Sometimes you’re down three nothing, then win the game. Some games you’re up and by the end of the game you have t battle hard to protect a one goal lead.”

The head coach was very pleased with Bryzgalov’s play.

“I thought he was very steady, especially at the end he shinned in the last 10 minutes of the game, 12 minutes of the game when it seemed they were starting to press a little bit and the puck was coming at our net more,” Laviolette said in his post-game press conference. “I thought that he did a good job at staying focused and making the saves that we needed to in order to walk out with the two points.”

When asked why he chose to give Bryzgalov the start, Laviolette was very clear as to his intent for the Flyers’ net.

“Maybe had it been a different opponent, maybe I would have considered something different,” the coach stated. ”But we want to get him going and get him playing. Get him some games. And it was a big game. It was for first in the conference tonight. And we wanted to make sure that our guys were ready, and our goaltender was ready, and we put the lineup on the ice that we wanted to. And we wanted to go after a win and make sure we got it.”

There is no doubt that Laviolette has been trying to get Bryzgalov on a roll, and that’s why he played him in both ends of two sets of back-to-back games over the last week.

Bryzgalov has answered the call, and is feeling much better with the increased work load.

“I’m very comfortable,” he said. “You want the shots, you want to battle. Instead of when you’re just frozen … It’s a big difference. Sometimes you see the goalie, like, it’s tough to play for the goalies who don’t face lots of shots. It’s really tough. I know the difference.”

On a follow-up question, he was asked if seeing so many more shots in Phoenix than he does here was an adjustment. Bryzgalov just nodded in the affirmative.

Leave it to Scott Hartnell to sum up Bryzgalov’s journey in Philadelphia so far this season.

“Well, obviously I think he’s our number one (goaltender),” the left winger said last night. “I know he had a little confidence issue — he was lost in the woods there for a while — but he’s been great for us, and we have all the confidence in the world in him.”

And that is the one thing any team with a shot at winning it all can ask of its starting goaltender.

Philadelphia has two goalies performing very well this season, a nice change from the usual scenario they have endured since Ron Hextall’s first tenure in the City of Brotherly Love.

The all-Russian tandem is the first ever in the NHL. Call them ‘The Orange Curtain’, if you will, and there is nothing wrong with having a backup who is able to perform should an injury strike.

Bobrovsky will get his starts, but there is no controversy as to who is the number one netminder in Philly. It’s Bryzgalov, and he is making it perfectly clear that he’s much more comfortable with the increased work load. Expect him to play a good portion of the Flyers’ remaining 55 games, and to elevate his level as the season progresses.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

The NHL announced tonight that they will change their current six-division setup into four conferences. For the first time since 1998, the League’s board of governors reached an agreement that not only alters the current outlook but also will allow every team to play a home-and-home series. The NHLPA will still need to approve the realignment but that appears to be a formality at this point.

These four conferences break down as the following:

Conference 1

Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Anaheim Ducks
Colorado Avalanche
Phoenix Coyotes

Conference 2

Winnipeg Jets
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
St. Louis Blues
Nashville Predators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild

Conference 3

Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

Conference 4

Pittsburgh Penguins
Philadelphia Flyers
New York Rangers
New York Islanders
New Jersey Devils
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals

The current playoff configuration will also change with the first two playoff series coming within the Conference. However, eight teams will still make the show but there should be much more parity. For example, a team in a ‘weaker’ division would not be allowed to grab the third seed if they narrowly make the playoffs.

Furthermore, the schedule works out well for all teams. Home-and-home series should account for roughly 44-46 games with the remaining games getting played in rivalries within the conference. This change, as well as keeping natural rivals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia; Chicago and Detroit; Calgary and Edmonton; should pave way for more excitement and interest around North America.

Now that we have the details down, let’s get to the fun part. What do we name these conferences? Do they get the old names: Norris, Campbell, Adams and Patrick? Do we rename them something more current like Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe and Orr? Put your vote in below and give some write-ins into the comments.