For the Philadelphia Flyers it is a seemingly never-ending search, a generational attempt to find that one franchise netminder with which to call their own.

Through the years, we have seen the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Maxime Ouellet, Brian Boucher (in his first stint with the club), Roman Cechmanek, Antero Niittymaki, and Robert Esche anointed as the heir to the throne.

And when the younger guys have failed, then-GM Bob Clarke would delve deeply into the other end of the spectrum.

Sean Burke (twice) and John Vanbiesbrouck come to mind as two of Clarke’s desperate attempts to get the much-needed net presence to man the crease for the Orange-and-Black.

But all that ended up doing was handsomely rewarding an aging, unrestricted free agent for their previous performances with other teams, but not doing much in the way of helping the Flyers’ cause.

It’s a search that has been going on since Ron Hextall’s initial tenure in Philadelphia, which ended when he was dealt to the Quebec Nordiques after the 1991-92 season in the Eric Lindros trade.

It is coming up on the 20th season of that deal, and the Flyers have still not been able to find that one netminder to put between the pipes for the long haul.

Last season was a nightmare for the Orange-and-Black between the pipes, as the Flyers’ netminders were decimated by injuries, as they used seven goaltenders throughout the year.

Ray Emery, signed as a free agent out of the KHL prior to the season, would sustain two serious injuries that required surgery.  The hip injury that struck him in early March may even be career-threatening.

Boucher is signed for the 2010-11 season and Johan Backlund was recently re-signed for two more years.  But with Michael Leighton set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, the position is once again in a state of flux.

Philly GM Paul Holmgren, fresh off acquiring defenseman Dan Hamhuis from Nashville on Saturday, is set to tackle the ongoing goaltending issue.

Including bringing Leighton back, there are many avenues for Holmgren to explore.  Here are some of those options:

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Leighton – Picked up off the waiver wire by Holmgren in early-December, Leighton was a Godsend for a struggling team that could not find its way.  All he did was proceed to go 16-5-2 before succumbing to a high ankle sprain in March.  When he returned during Philly’s improbable postseason run, Leighton went 8-3.

The only problem was that he let in several goals of the “soft” variety in the Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Leighton has stated on the record that he wishes to return, and head coach Peter Laviolette has voiced his support for bringing Leighton back, but Holmgren has sounded a bit less-thrilled about Leighton returning after the loss in the Finals.  Days after the final loss on game six, Holmgren said that he still hadn’t seen the replay of Patrick Kane’s Cup-winning overtime goal.  He hasn’t seen the puck enter the net, and just couldn’t bring himself to see it.

Leighton’s agent Mike Liut has stated that he is seeking a deal worth between $2-3 million, which isn’t breaking the bank.

Leighton fingerprint:  Depending on how much is required to get Hamhuis signed and how much of the $8+ million surplus there is left to work with and given the fact that Leighton has proven to work well with his team, Holmgren may, indeed, be bringing Leighton back into the fold when all is said and done.

Marty Turco:  Turco has long been considered one of the top ten netminders in the NHL.  But the soon to be 35-year-old, nine-year veteran of the Dallas Stars saw a significant dropoff in play in 2009-10.

His six year streak of 30 or more wins came to an abrupt halt, as he struggled to a 22-20-11 record.

Taking a Flyer on Turco: Coupled with the salary that Turco most-likely will be demanding (he made $5.7 million last year) and his dropoff in play, a Turco signing would appear to be in the same avenue of the Vanbiesbrouck signing a decade ago.  I find this option very doubtful.

Evgeni Nabokov:  The San Jose Sharks have had a label of being “playoff underacheivers”, and Nabby has been front-and-center in the blame game.

The 10-year vet has been a workhorse for the Sharks in the regular season, registering 40+ wins in each of the past three seasons.

But it’s the postseason failures that most people will be looking at when considering Nabokov when July 1st rolls around.

Lowdown on Nabby:  Nabokov is in the same boat as Turco.  He will also be turning 35, and drew a salary of $5.375 million last season.  If he is looking for a big payday (i.e. a hefty raise), the chances that he will be wearing Orange-and-Black come training camp are slim-to-none.

Jose Theodore:  Theodore is another in this year’s 30-something, big contract netminders.  Theodore, who turns 34 in September, had one of his best regular seasons in the NHL last season.  His 30-7-7 record led the way for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals.  But after being given the nod over Semyon Varlamov as the starter in the postseason, the Capitals fell in seven games to the Montreal Canadiens.  The play of Habs’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak was the difference, as he outplayed Theodore.

The theory on Theo:  Theodore has overcome great personal tragedy and succeeded, but with his $4.5 million salary in 2009-10, he will be expecting another huge payday.  Given his age and asking price, it’s almost a sure bet that Holmgren will pass on Theodore.

Chris Mason:  The 34-year-old Mason had his best year in the NHL last season for the St. Louis Blues, reaching the 30-win mark for the first time in his career.  A late-bloomer, Mason has 20+ wins in three of his last four seasons.

The markup on Mason:  While Mason has shown no signs of slowing down, he is still 34.  Add in the fact that he made $3 million last season, and he will probably be looking for a significant raise.  This will probably be the last chance to make the big money for Mason, so it isn’t likely that he would take less for an opportunity to win.

Dan Ellis:  Drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2000, Ellis saw action in just one game (a win in 2003-04 season).

Ellis was signed by the Nashville Predators as a free agent in 2007 and had actually taken the starting job away from Chris Mason, posting a 23-10-3 mark during the 2007-08 campaign.  But in 2008-09 Ellis dropped to just 11-19-4, prompting the call-up from the minors of Pekka Rinne.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Down low on Dan:  Ellis may be just what the Flyers are looking for…a netminder that just turned 30 and made just $1.75 million last season.  Depending on the salary neighborhood Ellis is hoping to move in to, he may be a good possibility.

Antero Niittymaki:  Originally drafted by Philly in 1998, Niitty was always the good soldier.  A fantastic goaltender and Olympic Silver Medal winner in 2006, he was never really given the opportunity to become the number one guy for the Flyers.  There always seemed to be another guy promoted or brought in and given the job…Boucher, Cechmanek, Esche, Martin Biron.  The only time that Niittymaki was given the bulk of starts for any stretch was during the Flyers franchise-worst 2006-07, in which they finished last overall in the NHL standings.  Niitty was given the reigns as the team played out the string, and his 9-29-9 mark was abysmal.

Notes on Niitty:  When Niittymaki was allowed to walk away as an UFA and Holmgren went to the KHL to lure Emery back from his exile, it continued a pattern of the Flyers looking elsewhere when they may have had their answer right under their noses.  Niitty was signed to a one-year, $600,000 contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning, then wrestled the starting job away from incumbent Mike Smith.  He finished with a more than respectable 21-18-5 record for a non-playoff team.  At $600k, the 30-year-old goalie could be the perfect fit to come back and take the starting job for Philadelphia.

Vesa Toskala:  Not nearly on the same level as either Turco or Nabokov over the course of his career, Toskala nonetheless had four consecutive 20+ win seasons with the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs heading into the 2009-10 campaign.  But the 33-year-old Finnish goaltender fell off dramatically this past season, recording a 9-12-3 mark with Toronto and the Calgary Flames.

The Toskala total:  Despite a 129-82-5 record over eight NHL seasons, Toskala has largely spent most of that time as a backup.  In San Jose, he was second fiddle to Nabokov.  When given the reigns for a less-than great Toronto team, he managed a 62-54-20 record before being shipped to Calgary, where he was again backup, this time to Miikka Kiprusoff.

But if he is looking for a raise on his 2009-10 $4 million salary, he will be looking in cities other than Philadelphia.

The Unrestricted Free Agent Dark Horses (i.e. the rest):  Johan Hedberg (37-years-old, $1.087 million in 2009-10), Peter Budaj (28 in September, $1.25 million), Alex Auld (29, $1 million), Andrew Raycroft (30, $500,000), Patrick Lalime (36 in July, $1 million), Manny Legace (37, $500,000).

Trade Possibilities:

Los Angeles:

There have been a number of trade rumors that Holmgren could opt to take if he chooses not to go the route of unrestricted free agency.  One that is making the rounds is that he is interested in either Jonathan Quick or Jonathan Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings.

With the connection that Philadelphia and L.A. share, with L.A.’s GM Dean Lombardi and Assistant GM Ron Hextall being former employees before heading west, there may be some meat to this one.

Quick is 24-years-old and his 2010-11 salary will be $1.8 million, a nice fit for Homer’s cap room.  The 6′ 1″, 223 pound netminder is coming off a stellar season in which he put up a 39-24-7 mark, leading the Kings to the number six seed in the Western Conference and a playoff spot.

In his first NHL postseason, Quick’s Kings lost in six hard-fought games.

Bernier, who will turn 22 in August, will likely make a push in training camp to unseat Quick as the starter.  L.A. management is very high on the first round pick from 2006, and with good reason.

With 28-year-old Erik Ersberg as backup, the Kings may be ready to move either Quick or Bernier for the right return.

With the Kings having room under the salary cap, forward Jeff Carter may be a return being sought after by Lombardi and company.  They were rumored to be in the bidding for Ilya Kovalchuk prior to the Atlanta Thrashers moving him to New Jersey, and their desire to bolster their forward slots has been made known.  They could go the unrestricted free agent route and sign Kovalchuk, but they will need to dole out approximately $10 million annually.

Minnesota:

Josh Harding – The 26-year-old restricted free agent made $1.1 million last season, and may be moved to a team where he has a chance to be the starter.  With Niklas Backstrom signed for three more seasons, playing time will be scarce for Harding if he remains with the Wild.

Minnesota can always use help at the forward position, and even though forwards have been sacrificed to fit the team’s salary into the cap limit, the Flyers still have a wealth up front with which to deal.

There had been rumors that Philadelphia was ready to offer up Carter to the Montreal Canadiens for either Halak or Carey Price.  But with the shocking trade that sent Halak to the St. Louis Blues, any deal with Les Habitants appears to have been quashed, as Price will undoubtedly take the reigns in the Montreal crease.

Conclusion:

Holmgren will have a busy week ahead of him leading up to Friday night’s commencement of the Entry Draft.  He needs to get Hamhuis signed, and is rumored to be talking to several clubs about acquiring a goaltender via trade.

If nothing comes to fruition, he can fit an unrestricted free agent into his salary structure.

As mentioned above, Holmgren would do well to avoid any long-term deals with the aging, high-money netminders.  This would wipe Turco, Nabokov, Mason, Theodore, and Toskala off of Homer’s list.

The UFA options the Flyers may want to explore if a trade is not consummated are Ellis and Niitymaki.  Outside of Leighton, these two would seem to have the best fit, both age-wise and monetarily.

And if this is the route Holmgren chooses, whichever goalie he signs will be a hold-over until hopefully Sergei Bobrovsky (see previous story on him here) or Joacim Eriksson will develop and be ready as the long-term netminder this franchise has lacked for so long.

If possible, either Bernier or Quick from the Kings would be the best-possible move for Holmgren.  Both goaltenders are young, and could alleviate the constant state of flux in the Flyers’ crease.

Either one would be considered a franchise goaltender.

Whichever goaltender ends up between the pipes for the Flyers when the season opens will definitely benefit from the work being done by Holmgren to shore up the Philadelphia blue line.

By week’s end, we may just know the identity of that masked man.  And along with that move comes the opportunity for Holmgren to put his permanent stamp on the franchise.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

The Philadelphia Flyers are your Eastern Conference Champions for the 2009-10 NHL season. That is correct.  A team that once held the 14th seed in the Conference on lock, have defied the odds, skated through adversity and are on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Thank you Ray Emery? No. Thank you Brian Boucher? Somewhat.  Thank you waiver wire? YES!

Wait, waiver wire?

On December 15th, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers were in a bad place.  They had lost starting goaltender Ray Emery and backup netminder Brian Boucher to injuries and neither the team nor youngster Johan Backlund were confident enough to move forward together.

They sat in fourteenth place in the Eastern Conference and for a team that was predicted to appear in the Stanley Cup Finals by many, if not most, of the experts, things were looking bleak.

Enter a claim from the waiver wire.  That claim was for a journeyman netminder who now has his name as a part of history and has gained an opportunity to play for the greatest prize in all of sports, the Stanley Cup.

Michael Leighton was born on May 19, 1981 in Petorlia, Ontario, Canada. Currently, he is providing Philadelphia with a game that no netminder since the days of Robert Esche have been able to give.

Being part of seven different NHL organizations, he is known as a journeyman. Traded and waived throughout most of his career, his 16-5-2 regular season record helped Philadelphia climb out of the basement in the East and it came as a pleasant surprise.

Who?

Yes, the same Michael Leighton that has played a grand total of 103 NHL games since being drafted during the sixth round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.

His transaction history report is quite long:
On 12/15/2009: Claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
On 06/23/2007: Montreal Canadiens traded Michael Leighton to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 7th round selection in 2007.
On 02/27/2007: Montreal Canadiens claimed Michael Leighton off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers.
On 01/11/2007: Philadelphia Flyers claimed Michael Leighton off waivers from the Nashville Predators.
On 11/27/2006: Claimed by the Nashville Predators off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.
On 07/13/2006: Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Anaheim Ducks.
On 04/10/2005: Chicago Blackhawks traded Michael Leighton to the Buffalo Sabres for Milan Bartovic.
On 06/26/1999: Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 6th round (165th overall) in 1999.

Do you think the Blackhawks will regret letting Leighton escape from their system? Time will tell.

Funny, Leighton is a man that the Flyers and owner Ed Snider pay only $11,000.00 USD. The man who currently has helped the Flyers close out the Eastern Conference Finals four games to one, makes eleven-thousand dollars as a waiver claim. Yes, you are reading that correctly.

The waiver wire claim was a blessing in disguise for Philadelphia. Right now, it is the best 11k that team owner Ed Snider has ever spent.

To think that this is Leighton’s first time appearing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is mind boggling. The man who turned 29 recently, posted a glorious victory in his first playoff start against the Boston Bruins, a 30-save performance in a gut wrenching 2-1 victory for Philadelphia in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series (after stepping in for the injured Brian Boucher during Game 5 and combining for the shutout).

Two nights later, after a rocky opening to the first period, Peter Laviolette called the “timeout” that would continue to help turn this Flyers season around. Telling Leighton during the timeout to simply “shut the door, we will get a goal and chip away at this lead, and with that we can win this game”, were words that will run through the hearts of the Philadelphia faithful for many, many years.

And just that the Flyers did, completing one of the most historic comebacks in all of professional sports history. Only three times prior has any one team in any major sport come back from being in an 0-3 hole. Welcome to history, Philadelphia.

And welcome to being part of history, Michael Leighton.

But who is this Michael Leighton you ask?

During these playoffs Leighton, who faced one of the most historic franchises in this fine sport, is the first goalie to post back-to-back shutouts against Montreal since Buffalo’s Bob Sauve did it in 1983.

He is also the first goaltender since J-S Giguere did it for Anaheim during the 2003 Western Conference Finals against Minnesota. ‘Giggy’ got on with it posting three straight shut outs that year.

Giguere went on to win the Conn Smythe trophy that year, even though the (Mighty) Ducks fell to New Jersey in seven.

Leighton is also the first Flyers goaltender to post back to back shutouts in the playoffs since, yes you guessed it, Bernie Parent did so in 1975.

You know what else happened in 1975? The Philadelphia Flyers went on to win the Stanley Cup that year.

He had a shut out streak that ran for 172 minutes and 55 seconds during this current playoff run the Flyers are on.

The only reason the Habs are not mentioned as a team who regret moving Leighton is due to the fact that the finger can not be pointed in the direction of Jaroslav Halak.

He is a man who stands by the quotes that rests within the Flyers locker room which reads: “you play for the crest on the front of your sweater, not the name on the back”.

In Game 1, he did not have a lot of work facing only 28 shots, though most were routine saves or visible shots.

The Flyers defense has truly stepped up in front of Leighton, helping the first-time playoff performer in earning his victories.

As of this writing, #49 has stopped 133 or 140 rubber discs shot in his direction during the Eastern Conference Finals alone, with a few top-notch game-savers in the mix.

Throughout these playoffs, he’s faced a total of 210 shots and has stopped 199.  Again, all this from a waiver wire claim.

Thirty-five years ago, only the lord saved more than Bernie Parent.

This year, only the Lord saves more than Michael Leighton.

So much for the waiver wire, eh?

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

It was a waiver-wire move that Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren made five months ago, and it barely registered a blip on the NHL radar at the time.

But it’s hard to imagine just where the 2009-10 edition of the Flyers would be without Michael Leighton.

With #1 goaltender Ray Emery out of the lineup with surgery to repair a tear in his abdominal wall, backup Brian Boucher took over the starting duties.

A backup for “Boosh” was needed, and on December 15th, 2009, the Flyers picked up a familiar face, one that had been here before.

Leighton, who had spent some time here during the Flyers’ nightmare season of 2006-07, would be Boucher’s understudy.

In Leighton’s first stint wearing the Orange-and-Black, the former-Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators property appeared in just four games, recording a 2-2 record, with a 3.69 goals-against average and .882 save percentage.

Since that time, he had played in the Carolina Hurricanes system.  Making just 29 appearances over the course of the past three seasons in Carolina, Leighton was a modest 8-12-2, with a 3.20 GAA average and .889 save percentage.

Starting the year off with the Hurricanes, Leighton registered less-than stellar numbers, with a 1-4 mark, a 4.29 GAA and an .848 save percentage.

When he came to Philadelphia in mid-December, it looked like just another stop gap assignment for the journeyman netminder.

He would more than likely back up Boucher until Emery recovered then be placed on waivers, either being claimed by another team or being sent to Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms.

But fate has a crazy way of working sometimes.

In a December 21st contest against the Florida Panthers, Boucher suffered a lacerated finger and would be lost for two to three weeks.

The ugly 4-1 home loss that night to the Panthers was their fourth in a row and 14th in the last 17 games.  Holmgren’s move to fire Head Coach John Stevens and replace him with Peter Laviolette didn’t appear to have any affect on the team.  After the loss to Florida, Laviolette’s record was just 2-7-1.

Added to the laundry list of bad news was that the club was about to embark on a six-game road trip.

A season that started out with so much promise for the Flyers was spinning out of control and getting bleaker by the moment.

A pre-season pick by many hockey experts to make the Stanley Cup Finals, Philadelphia was now languishing in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

But with Leighton now starting, something strange began to happen.  The Flyers started to win.  They won four games in a row and ended their trip 4-1-1.

Leighton was playing with a never-before-seen confidence, and he would go on to record an 8-0-1 record in his first nine decisions before his first loss, a 4-0 shutout to Vesa Toskala and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Leighton would run his record with Philly to 16-5-2, with a more-than-respectable 2.48 GAA and .918 save percentage.

What’s even more incredible about his record is that in his five losses, he received just three goals of total support.  The Flyers were shutout twice, and on the other three occasions, scored one goal towards Leighton’s cause.

Then came a March 16th game against the Predators in Nashville.  After yielding two Pred’s goals, Leighton suffered a high ankle sprain midway through the first period.

After the game, Leighton explained how the freak injury occurred:   “I went out to get the puck and it got away from me and I just went back on my leg and felt my ankle pop.  It was just the way I fell backwards.  I felt something pop, and it didn’t feel good.”

After undergoing an MRI, the prognosis was not good.  Leighton would miss 8-10 weeks.

This meant that his season, in all likelihood, was done.

Two months from that point was somewhere in the neighborhood of late-second, early third round of the playoffs.  Even if Philadelphia could somehow make it that far with Boucher in net, it would be Boucher’s team by that point.

As destiny would have it, the team did make it to the latter stages of the second round.

Boucher was spectacular in leading the Flyers past the New Jersey Devils in the first round, 4-1.

Trailing 3-1 in their round two series with the Boston Bruins and with Johan Backlund acting as Boucher’s backup, Leighton was again practicing with the team.   Leighton said:  ”I’ve been practicing for a week but that’s the first time I’ve replaced Johan Backlund as the backup in practice.”

Leighton dressed for game five in Philadelphia last Wednesday, and little did he know that fate was not done with him yet.

Early in the second period with Philadelphia clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Bruins were putting some sustained pressure on the Flyers net.

Boucher made a save in the butterfly and as he reached back to stop a rebound, Philly defenseman Ryan Parent, tangling with Boston forward Miroslav Satan, fell onto Boucher’s legs.

In immediate agony, Boucher flung the blocker off of his right hand and stayed down.

After Boucher was helped off of the ice, Leighton was brought into the game.  It was the first NHL playoff action of his career.

He would go on to shut the door on the Bruins the rest of the way, making 14 saves.  Boucher and Leighton had recorded just the second combined shutout in NHL history, 4-0.

The only other time two goalies had shared a shutout was in 1955 when Jacques Plante and Charlie Hodge did it for the Montreal Canadiens against Boston.

Philadelphia had avoided elimination for a second straight game, the first time in franchise history that they had made it to a game six after trailing a best-of-seven series 0-3.

In game six, Leighton made his first-ever NHL playoff start.  He would protect a 2-0 Flyers lead in a 2-1 victory.

He weathered a tremendous Bruins onslaught in the third period, when Boston outplayed Philadelphia badly and outshot them, 10-6.  Leighton lost his bid for a shutout with only 1:00 left, when Milan Lucic was able to get a rebound past him.

Leighton made 30 saves in all.  He and the Flyers had forced a game seven, becoming only the sixth team in NHL history to do so when trailing in a best-of-seven series 0-3.

History can be made with a Philadelphia victory.  The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders are the only two teams that have ever erased an 0-3 deficit to win.

And it seems that if history is to be made, Leighton is meant to be the Flyers goaltender that leads the way.

In holding off the Bruins in a game and nearly two-thirds of action, Leighton has a microscopic 0.63 GAA, and has stopped 44 of 45 Boston shots for an eye-popping .978 save percentage.

From the time of his arrival in mid-December, Philadelphia has played their most consistently good hockey of the year with Leighton in the crease.

Was it destiny that Holmgren picked him off of the waiver wire?  How about the fact that Boucher just happened to get injured in Leighton’s first game back with the team?

I am a firm believer in the adage that ”everything happens for a reason”, that there is no such thing as something occurring by chance or coincidence.

And it appears that Leighton and the 2009-10 Flyers may just be the perfect precedent of such an axiom in action.

Game seven is at 7:00 p.m. tonight at TD Garden in Boston.  Will Leighton and his band of Flyers make history?

It almost seems destined.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

After weeks of leaked rumors that a deal was already in place, the Philadelphia Flyers announced Thursday that they have signed 21-year-old Russian netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to a two-way, three-year contract that will pay him $1.75 million annually.

There was much NHL interest in Bobrovsky, who was also reportedly being pursued by the Detroit Red Wings.

Bobrovsky compiled a 16-42-5 record over the course of two seasons with Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, which was the worst team in the league.  Bobrovsky faced a high number of quality shots every night, but had a decent goals-against-average of 2.63, and an excellent .923 save percentage for the combined two seasons.

Checking Bobrovsky’s scouting report on Hockey Futures (which was last updated as of June 14, 2008), it reads:

Bobrovsky is a hybrid goalie who prefers more of a butterfly down lower style than stand-up.  The young netminder has above average reaction time and a slightly above average glove side.  He has good lateral quickness in the crease, Bobrovsky has impressive quickness and he needs it since he does not take up as much of a net as even his U20 Team Russia teammate Gaiduchenko.  The young goalie also tends to skate out far to challenge opponents, though he didn’t do this as much outside of Russian hockey when competing internationally.  An average puck handler, Bobrovsky rarely plays the puck outside the crease and tends to make safer and more conservative decisions with it.  Another area that the young netminder does need to work on is his rebounding, as he tends to give up a lot of them and some dangerously close in front of him.  It is impressive that he is capable of blocking some very difficult first shots, but he does himself and his team a disservice by leaving the rebound and allowing the opposing team second and third chances at the puck.  Still, his competitiveness and ability to stop the first shot have been key to his success thus far in his career and he can learn proper rebound control if given more coaching opportunities.  Maturity wise, the young 88 born netminder is probably one of the most mature young netminders currently playing in Russia.  He took on a lot of responsibility last year and even though handled it very well, especially when backstopping Russia to the bronze medal at the U20 World Junior Championships.  His ability to remain composed in difficult situations and remain competitive has been key to his success.

Also of note in the Hockey Futures page was this blurb:

During the 2007-08 season the young prospect was invited to join Russia’s U20 team that competed in the Super Series against the Canadian teams.  There, Bobrovsky was clearly Russia’s best goalie, performing better than Semen Varlamov or Sergei Gaiduchenko.

With 20-year-old Swedish prospect Joacim Eriksson high on the Flyers’ futures list,  and 21-year-old Nic Riopel already playing with the Adirondack Phantoms, it’s an interesting situation with Bobrovsky added into the mix.

The Flyers Sudden ”KHL Konnection”

General Manager Paul Holmgren has made a habit recently of scoping the KHL for help in the nets when available money is running low within the NHL salary cap limits.

Last July, he signed troubled goaltender Ray Emery to a one-year, $1.5 million free agent deal.  The now 27-year-old Emery had played one season for Atlant Moscow Oblast of the KHL, just one year separated from a nightmare season for the Ottawa Senators.

That experiment went wildly wrong, as Emery battled two major injuries / surgeries, and his play was highly inconsistent when healthy.

Then came Holmgren’s strange move of signing former NHLer John Grahame to a professional tryout contract in mid-December, 2009 during Emery’s first surgery.

Grahame, a year removed from being kicked off of his KHL club for reportedly being publicly intoxicated and hauled off to a detox center by police, played in a total of 12 games in Adirondack, registering a horrible 2-10 record.

Moving into 2010-11

But the signing of Bobrovsky was Homer’s first inking of a native-Russian goalkeeper.

And it looks like this one could be the best of the three.

Bobrovsky should open next season as the Adirondack Phantoms’ starting goaltender.  But the Flyers’ net situation is so up in the air heading into next season that anything is a possibility.

Emery probably will not be re-signed and his career may be in jeopardy with the surgery for the hip injury from which he is attempting to recover.  Current starter Brian Boucher is signed through next year, so he is the probable backup for whomever Holmgren gets to be the starter.

Michael Leighton could be the wild card here.  His two-year, $1.2 million deal expires at the end of the season, but he had the most success of any Philadelphia netminder this year.  Leighton complied a 16-5-2 mark with a 2.48 goals against average and .918 save percentage for the Orange-and-Black after being picked up off of the waiver wire back in early December.  Leighton was the goalie that the team played best in front of, and Holmgren could ink the soon-to-be 29-year-old to a new deal this summer.  That would give the team some stability and continuity heading into the 2010-11 season, with Leighton as the starter and Boucher as his backup.

But Holmgren could follow his predecessor Bob Clarke’s actions from the 1986-87 season and go with the young rookie Bobrovsky, as Clarke did with Ron Hextall.  Like they were with Hextall at that time, the team is very high on Bobrovsky.  But the more likely scenario will see the young Russian get some seasoning in Adirondack, allowing some time for him to adjust to the North American style of play and the difference in the smaller ice surface size.

Philadelphia’s playoff run is becoming more interesting by the day but even after that is over, the summer will see many decisions to be made by Holmgren regarding his goaltending situation.  And Bobrovsky could come into play in that thought process.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Rookie stand-out, turned journeyman, turned AHLer, back to the spotlight known as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is the story summarized for Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender, at least in these playoffs, Brian Boucher.

Where to begin?

From the beginning…

Brian Boucher was born on January 2, 1977, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA.

Over the course of 13 NHL seasons, Boucher has played for six different teams.  Currently, he is back with the team that originally drafted him.  To think that this is his third stint with the Flyers might make some of the newer fans of this fine sport scratch their head.

Boucher was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Flyers. After a stand out rookie season with the club the Flyers felt that the black cloud that has purchased a permanent lease over the organization since the death of Pelle Lindbergh would finally remove it’s ugly head from over the club.

Although they were wrong, today brings positive light.

But getting back to where things started…

Boucher began his NHL career with the Flyers during the 1999-00 season, stealing the starting position from veteran netminder John Vanbiesbrouchand which helped the team secure the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division regular season titles while leading the NHL in goals against average with a stunning 1.91 mark. In the playoffs, he backstopped his team to the Conference finals which they lost in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

After a weak start to the 2000-01 season, Boucher would lose his starting role with the organization to unorthodox style netminder Roman Checkmanek.

The following season would witness the trade of Brian Boucher to the Phoenix Coyotes. On June 12, 2002, he was traded, along with draft picks, to the Coyotes for Michal Handzus and Robert Esche. A trade that would help the Philadelphia Flyers more than the Coyotes as Esche won the starting role in Philadephia and carried the Flyers on his back. Though they never were successful in winning a championship with Esche, they sure came close.  The problem stood as that sick black cloud that remained over the Flyers could not be removed.

Although, while with Phoenix, Boucher broke the modern-day NHL record for the longest shutout streak by a goalie, going unscored upon for 332 minutes, or the equivalent to five and a half games. On February 1, 2006, Phoenix traded him to the Calgary Flames along with Mike Leclerc for Steven Reinprecht and goaltender Philippe Sauve.

His tenure with Calgary was brief, only appearing in three games over the course of his season there.

Boucher began the 2006-07 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He appeared in 15 games for the Hawks that year, posting a dismal record of 1-10-3.

On February 27, 2007, Boucher was acquired via waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. This would be the fifth team that Boucher would suit up for during his playing career.  As it is labeled within the NHL for players that often change teams, Boucher was becoming a journeyman goaltender within the league and his stock would continue to fall.

Boucher arrived hours prior to the Blue Jackets-Colorado Avalanche game that evening. During the game, he wore Ty Conklin’s jersey – yes, even his number, just to keep uniform. On March 3, 2007, Boucher made his Blue Jackets debut against his former team the Phoenix Coyotes. His first game was a successful 4–3 win. However, the story does not get much better than that.

During the off-season of 2007, after pretty much losing any NHL opportunity possible, the Philadelphia Flyers organization gave Boucher an opportunity to redeem himself and find his game again. The Flyers signed Boucher and automatically place him with their AHL affiliate, the Philadephia Phantoms (now known as the Adirondak Phantoms. 

After playing most of the 2007–08 season with the Phantoms, Boucher signed a one-year contract with the San Jose Sharks on February 26, 2008. That season would help earn Boucher the backup role in San Jose.  He appeared in only five games for the Sharks but posted a 3-1-1 record with a 1.76 goals against average and one of the victories came by means of a shutout.

On June 25, 2008, stating how much he liked the San Jose atmosphere, he signed one-year contract with the Sharks worth only $650,000 USD. That year, Boucher recorded consecutive shutouts in each of his first two games for the Sharks, before finally allowing a goal in his third game. He went 12-6-3 for the Sharks that year with two shutouts to his credit.

On July 1, 2009, Boucher agreed to a two year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers who were in search of a capable, veteran back up goalie to fill in if project signing Ray Emery did not work out.

The 2009-10 season was a roller coaster ride for Boucher. Starting the season as the back-up behind Emery was the expected role for the three time Flyers goalie. An injury to Emery would shut him down after approximately a quarter of the season, forcing Boucher into the starting role.  Things did not go well for Boucher as the starter as it appeared there was an issue with his mechanics and his focus.  Not to mention that fact that head coach Peter Laviolette was not comfortable playing Boucher.

An injury to Boucher would lead to the Flyers acquiring yet another journeyman netminder, and another goalie who had been a part of the organization in the past, Michael Leighton. Leighton would take the position by storm and earn the number one role for the team heading into the crucial playoff drive.

As if the inconsistent season full of injuries could not get any worse, it did. Leighton suffered a high ankle sprain forcing the Flyers to turn to Boucher again.

Game number 82 showed the Flyers and their fans something they were not prepared to witness.  An outstanding 2-1 shootout victory over the New York Rangers which gave the Flyers the seventh seed heading into the playoffs.

After appearing in thirty-three games for the Flyers and posting a record of 9-18-3, the Philadelphia faithful felt as if the playoffs would end as quick as they began. Even after his outstanding performance on the final day of the regular season.

Boucher had other ideas.

With all the negativity a positive mark must arrive, right?  Correct we are.

Today Brian Boucher, through the first round of playoff play, is proving all the doubters wrong. Although he has not been called upon to stand on his head, as we hear so many times about goalies in this league, Boucher has been one of the best goaltenders in these 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Through six games in two rounds, Boucher has posted a 4-2 record with a 2.07 goals against average to go along with a .928 save percentage and one shutout. His mechanics have been on point as well as his focus.  He helped the Flyers eliminate the number two seeded New Jersey Devils in just five games in the first round of playoff action. Though debatable, there were plenty of mentions about Boucher outplaying future hall of fame goalie Martin Brodeur.

Tonight will be the seventh playoff game for Boucher.  He will attempt to bring the Flyers back home for game three tied in their series at one game a piece.

Something to be said about the veteran journeyman.

Will history be made for Boucher and the Flyers? If he continues to play the position as perfect as he has, the thought is not impossible.

Philadelphia Flyers by David Strehle

The Philadelphia Flyers survived a tumultuous season, beating the New York Rangers in a shootout on the season’s final day to qualify for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot.

Philadelphia had success against the New Jersey Devils, their first round opponents, taking five of the six contests.  They outscored the Devils 20-13, with Claude Giroux and Chris Pronger (seven points apiece), Jeff Carter (three goals), and James van Riemsdyk, Simon Gagne, Darroll Powe, Mike Richards and Matt Carle (all with two goals each) leading a balanced attack.

Ray Emery (2-0), Michael Leighton (2-0) and Brian Boucher (1-1) all registered wins against New Jersey.  With Emery and Leighton gone for the year with injuries, Boucher will take the playoff reigns in the crease.  He recorded a 2.51 GAA and a .918 save percentage against the Devils, and must be at the top of his game for the underdog Flyers to compete with New Jersey.

The most crucial aspect of Philadelphia’s game plan is to play aggressively, but in a disciplined manner.  The disparity in power play opportunities was 32-17 in the six games, favoring the Devils.  While the Flyers PK was able to short circuit all but five Devil’s man advantages, giving a power play unit that boasts Ilya Kovalchuk an inordinate amount of chances would be suicide.  If the Orange-and-Black can stay out of the penalty box, they could move on to the second round.

New Jersey Devils by Jose Simoes

The New Jersey Devils finished the season by going 5-2-3 in their last 10 games and 4-1-1 in April.  They finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference and locked up a playoff spot weeks ago.  Nothing new for them.

Granted, Philly might have had Jersey’s number during the regular season, but you needn’t look too far north to  Ottawa or Toronto, to realize that the post-season is an entirely different game.  A game in which New Jersey holds a 2-1 advantage.  Philly can not rely on their regular season dominance of New Jersey to win them this round.  After a season of ups and downs, the Flyers ended theirs on a down, needing to win on the last day to make the playoffs.  How much will that play in the minds of the players wearing Orange and Black?

Ray Emery, Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher.  Three goalies who combined for 41 regular season wins in ’09-’10.  Martin Brodeur had 45 wins on his own this season.  Who would you place your money on?  After a shaky start, Marty went on an incredible run mid season to post 6 shut outs in December and January to pass the once thought of as untouchable record of 103 shutouts by Terry Sawchuk and finish the season with 9.  Philly’s trio had five, with Boucher accounting for only one of those.  I am pretty sure the edge in net goes to New Jersey.

Up front the Devils only have one of the best American-born players in Zach Parise, who finished better then a point a game for the second straight season and 4th straight season with 30+ goals, as well one of the most feared goal scores in Ilya Kovalchuk, 6 straight seasons with 40+ goals, and Patrik Elias who missed 24 games, yet still managed to put up 48 points.  On the Back end, the Devils allowed 191 goals this season en route to winning their 5th Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed.  If that doesn’t speak for a defensive-minded team, I don’t know what does.

Gone are the days of the Devils beating you with the trap and their defense and only scoring on turnovers.  I think this season’s version accompanied by the trade deadline acquisition of Kovalchuk is prepared to score when needed, not just on turnovers, to win those 5-4 games and take some of the pressure of off Brodeur who has carried this team for so long on his shoulders.

New Jersey finally seems balanced enough to make another long playoff run.

Before the game, many said that the Penguins caught a lucky break with both Ray Emery and Michael Leighton out with season-ending injuries and rookie goaltender Johan Backlund starting in nets.

After Philadelphia’s Backlund made some early saves and Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury let in a bad goal onlya minute into the match, that notion was smashed to shreds.

Others blamed the Flyers’ loss on the absence of star forward and leading scorer Jeff Carter due to foot surgery, but what really happened was that the Penguins defense stepped up and the offense got help from secondary sources.  Key parts of the offense and defense were missing as both Sergei Gonchar (flu) and Evgeni Malkin (bruised foot) were out. The team really had to step up in order to win this game against the offensively deep Flyers roster.

Goals from second and third line players Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke (who has been playing phenomenal hockey even while the rest of the team played asleep) and Ruslan Fedotenko and a defense who stepped up–particularly Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik–pushed the struggling Penguins past the Flyers.

A second Flyers goal was disallowed five minutes into the second period. Ville Leino interfered with goaltender Fleury who was consequently unable to make a play on the smack-in goal from Simon Gagne. The play was non-reviewable but the referees took away the goal citing “incidental contact” on Fleury by Leino. No interference penalty was given.

So while some may say the Penguins caught a lucky break, the team has started to play better. The defense is giving support to Fleury, secondary scoring is a key to the Cup and it always helps when your Captain plays out of his mind (Sidney Crosby had 3 assists).

Erika Zimmerman
NHLHS Pittsburgh Penguins Correspondent
ezimmerman@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @simmerdown17

The nightmare season for Philadelphia Flyers netminders continues.

GM Paul Holmgren revealed today that Michael Leighton’s high ankle sprain is severe and that he is likely to miss 8-10 weeks.  33-year-old Brian Boucher, whom Leighton had taken over for when Boosh suffered a lacerated finger in a game against the Florida Panthers on December 21st, will again take over the #1 spot.

It has been an injury-riddled year for any goalie wearing the Orange and Black.  The season began on a high note with Ray Emery as the Flyers’ #1 goaltender, but when Razor required surgery to repair a tear in his abdominal wall, Boucher took over. It was at that time that Holmgren made the waiver wire move to pick up Leighton from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Leighton and the Flyers thrived and Boucher didn’t see another start.  When Emery came back and was declared healthy, coach Peter Laviolette inserted him into the starting job when Leighton finally lost a decision.  Emery started eight straight games and the team was inconsistent in their efforts from one night to the next.

Emery went down again after a shutout of the Calgary Flames on February 1st.  This time it was a hip injury that, after shutting Razor down during the NHL’s Olympic break in hopes that the rest would be enough to heal him, instead required season-ending surgery.  The starting job would be Leighton’s the rest of the way.  That is, until Leighton was injured in Nashville on Tuesday night.

With Leighton out until probably the third round of the playoffs, Philly’s playoff hopes fall squarely onto the shoulders of Boucher.  And even if Philadelphia can qualify for the playoffs and make it to the third round, Leighton would likely be done for the season anyway.  For the Flyers to go that far, Boucher would likely be the man for the duration of Philly’s run.

23-year-old Jeremy Duchesne, a Flyers 4th round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, has been recalled to backup Boucher on an emergency basis from the Adirondack Phantoms.  Duchesne was recently recalled from the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings due to a lower body injury to Johan Backlund, the Phantoms’ starter for much of the season.  Backlund had been called up to backup Boucher and Leighton for 8 games during the current season.  This is Duchesne’s first time to be called up by the Flyers.

The Flyers will be in Dallas to play the Stars tonight.  It should be interesting to see how the rest of the year plays out in Philly, and who will stay healthy enough to keep hold of the Flyers’ goaltending reigns.  Stay tuned…

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Atlantic Division

• First place in the Atlantic Division may be slipping away from the Devils and it could force general manager Lou Lamoriello to look for help well before the March 3 trade deadline. With their power play continuing to flop, the Devils fell to the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1, last night at the Prudential Center, their fourth loss in five games.
• Philadelphia’s mustachioed pugilist got the blood boiling on the ice and in the postgame dressing rooms last night by dropping the gloves with Marian Gaborik, the Ranger superstar who in 10 NHL seasons has 248 goals and now two fighting majors. The brief and predictably one-sided scrap came 5:43 into the second period of a fight-filled 2-0 Ranger loss.
• It made perfect sense to assume that goalie Michael Leightonwould start Saturday afternoon against visiting Carolina, so….Flyers coach Peter Laviolette has decided to stay with Ray Emery. Leighton was expected to get the nod because Emery has had three straight starts since returning from his abdominal injury _ and because Emery figures to start Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
• First recall, first game, first goal, first defensive error, first return trip to Wilkes-Barre. Nick Johnson has endured a busy 48 hours. And make no mistake, his first impression with the Penguins was a good one. Although the organization decided to send Johnson back to Wilkes-Barre on Friday, he has become a winger that will be vying for playing time in the future.
• Rick DiPietro, who shut out the Devils, 4-0, on Monday, gets another crack at them Saturday night. It will be the third game in eight days for the comebacking goaltender. Although the Islanders are looking for wins, they’re also looking out for their one-time franchise player. DiPietro has won two straight starts, but Scott Gordon isn’t going to get crazy and start over-using DiPietro.

Northeast Division

• Usually, if there’s a sheet of ice, Mike Grier is eager to get on it. He’s the epitome of a rink rat, the guy who ignores the first word in “optional skate.” Not today, though. Grier doesn’t want to be anywhere near HP Pavilion.
• It’s time for the Canadiens to recognize that Jaroslav Halak is the key to the team’s playoff hopes, just as he was last season. Halak made 31 saves Friday night as the Canadiens beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1.
• Rewind the clock nine days. Back then, the Ottawa Senators were on the ropes, barely clinging to a playoff position following lopsided losses to the Carolina Hurricanes and Atlanta Thrashers. They had dropped five straight games. They were deadlocked with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, only three points up on 12th place.
• The message from above for the Bruins is a bit of a dichotomy: Yes, it’s critically important that they start winning again, preferably today at TD Garden against the Ottawa Senators. But they also have to relax and stop feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders.
• Leafs general manager Brian Burke left no doubt in a sweeping state of the union address yesterday that his team’s roster will include Tomas Kaberle and coach Ron Wilson. But if the rest of the roster continues to disappoint him, the GM will certainly weed out the underachievers.

Southeast Division

• One day after playing without half of his regular defensive corps, Washington Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau hopes to have Mike Green, John Erskine and Brian Pothier back in the lineup for Saturday’s home game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
• It’s time for Kari Lehtonen to play hockey again. The Thrashers goaltender, out all season recovering from two back surgeries, left Friday for the team’s AHL affiliate in Chicago to begin a two-week conditioning assignment. Lehtonen will play for the Wolves against Peoria on Saturday.
• The Panthers, who’ve recorded at least one point in six of their past seven games, have lost both matchups against the Leafs this season. …Starting with this game, they’ll play five of their next six at home. …The Leafs are 2-6-1 since beating the Panthers and are coming off an overtime loss Thursday in Tampa.
• If Lightning players are worried about reports the team twice needed help to meet payroll, it is buried under the normal stress of the season. No surprise, then, defenseman Mattias Ohlund said it does no good to fret about things you cannot control. And while captain Vinny Lecavalier said, “Obviously, you take notice,” the focus is on “the guys in the room.”
• They’re killers and proud of their dirty work. Nothing malicious about it, really. But these killers need to be tough, wily, mobile, able to work well in small groups and willing to give up a body part, if necessary. In hockey, being a penalty killer can seem like a thankless job. You’re outmanned, the pressure is relentless, and you may be asked to, say, step in front of an Alexander Ovechkin slapshot and take the pain

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Atlantic Division

• Rod Pelley likely will not play Friday night, coach Jacques Lemaire said after Thursday’s practice. “I don’t think he’ll be ready to play,” Lemaire said of Pelley, who missed Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Florida with a lower body injury. Pelley did not skate on Thursday.
• Those juggernaut Rangers? That was a short-lived interlude, because the goal total dropped back to zero  - which, coincidentally, is exactly how much brain power the Rangers feel is in Daniel Carcillo‘s possession.
• Matt Moulson and the New York Islanders are making themselves right at home at Nassau Coliseum. Moulson scored the decisive goal in a shootout and the Islanders beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night for their sixth straight home victory.
• In a game that seemed like a throwback to a bygone era, the Flyers continued making strides in their playoff quest Thursday night with another shutout victory over the New York Rangers. James van Riemsdyk and Mike Richards scored goals, and Ray Emery notched his second shutout of the season as the Flyers blanked the Rangers, 2-0, in front of a sellout crowd at the Wachovia Center.
• Play the first two periods like they did Thursday night, and the Penguins probably could count on taking two points from most NHL teams. Unfortunately, the Washington Capitals might just be the best NHL team – and they fired a salvo at the defending Stanley Cup champions with  a 6-3 victory at Mellon Arena, a win fueled by four consecutive goals from Washington to close the contest.

Northeast Division

• Southern California has been under a deluge all week, with rain dominating the news. The Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings did their part to keep folks indoors.
• The Ottawa Senators were worried about a letdown game, two days after beating the Chicago Blackhawks. With reason. Easing up after gaining a 2-0 lead nearly cost Ottawa against the St. Louis Blues. The Senators survived two quick goals by the visitors and a 15-3 shot disadvantage in the third period to extend their winning streak to five games. Five in a row, which goalie coach is next to go?
• RDS reports are confirmed: Georges Laraque is no longer a Canadien, his salary to be paid through the rest of this season before he is bought out at season’s end. Laraque has told TSN’s Darren Dreger that the move is “classless.” Blunt words from Laraque, and no one can blame him.
• The Bruins last night committed one of the cardinal sins of team sports: They let a team they should have been put away much earlier hang around and hang around – allowing a dreadful officiating call to decide the game at the end.
• So many inventive ways to lose. That will be part of the inscription on the epitaph of this Maple Leafs season when it ends without a playoff berth, as most certainly will be the case.

Southeast Division

• The Washington Capitals waited eight months for the opportunity to avenge their disappointing effort in last season’s biggest game. Goals by Tomas Fleischmann and Nicklas Backstrom less than a minute apart early in the third period made certain they got what they came to Mellon Arena seeking Thursday night.
• The Panthers and Nathan Horton thought they found a cure for their recent offensive woes: Take a trip to Long Island and make sure Stephen Weiss is healthy.
• Throughout his career, Marty St. Louis has certainly scored bigger goals than his overtime winner Thursday night. But in the scope of this season, with the Lightning having lost three of four, getting whipped by the Rangers on Tuesday then ripped by its coaches the following day, Tampa Bay was in big need of a lift.
• This is not how the Thrashers are going to get back into the playoff race. Win one, lose one. Win one, lose one. Thursday it was lose one — to the team with the worst record in the NHL, no less.
• The Carolina Hurricanes took the ice Thursday with a new captain, Eric Staal, wearing the “C” for the first time as a Cane. A historic night, perhaps, for the Hurricanes and a huge night for Staal, who had a hat trick. Just as important for Carolina, the Canes picked up a needed “W.”

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC