By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

With the NHL Entry Draft in his home town of St. Paul, Minnesota just two days away, Paul Holmgren is indeed a very busy man.

Matt Slocum / The Associated Press

While the Philadelphia Flyers’ GM is still dealing with some of the same issues that have weighed heavily on the organization over the past couple of decades, he has been pro-actively working to rectify his club’s shortcomings thus far.

Bryzgalov and the Flyers’ Goaltending

Already having acquired the negotiating rights to pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes, Holmgren is said to be close to solidifying his spot between the pipes.

Following years of neglect – mostly prior to the time that he took over the GM position from Bob Clarke - Holmgren has taken positive strides over the past year to upgrade his team’s last line of defense.

His first major venture into improving his net minders was at the end of last May, when he was able to sign a highly sought after UFA named Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Detroit Red Wings, in addition to several others, were seeking to ink the Russian youngster to a deal.  That Holmgren made the 22-year-old Bobrovsky a priority spoke volumes about his commitment to elevate the quality of his goalkeepers.

After a blistering start to the 2010-11 regular season, Bobrovsky cooled off somewhat over the season’s second half.  Although he yielded just one goal in a 1-0 loss to Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres in the first game of the postseason, he was basically banished to the press box by head coach Peter Laviolette after giving up three early goals in Game 2 of the series.

It appeared Laviolette didn’t feel that Bobrovsky possessed the confidence in himself at the present time.

Despite the turmoil surrounding the situation, Bobrovsky came back into the scene when both Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton, who had played just one NHL game all season long after being so instrumental in leading the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, faltered.

He got the start in Philadelphia’s final playoff game, Game 4 against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  He played well, holding his team in the contest until Boston broke open a 1-1 tie in the third period.

The fact that Holmgren would go after the premiere free agent goaltender available in Bryzgalov is a testament to what Ed Snider vowed would happen after the postseason rotating carousel of goalies.

Reports that the two sides have agreed upon terms for a deal is good news for Flyers’ Nation – but that only means that the 55-year-old GM’s job is about to get that much more difficult.

Before any deal can even formally be announced, Holmgren must first clear salary in order for his club to remain cap-compliant due to NHL tagging rules.  That is, no team can have more salary committed to a future season than what the cap limit is set at currently.

The Philly Trade Rumors

This has led to much speculation that a trade, or possibly multiple deals, could be in the cards – even with the realization that the upper cap limit will be raised beyond expectations to $64 million.

There have been many names that have come up in the rumor mill; forward Kris Versteeg ($3.083 million), and defensemen Matt Carle (just under $3.5 million) and Braydon Coburn ($3.2 million) have been the most-mentioned.  Perhaps not so coincidentally, all three will become UFAs next summer.

With the possibility of Bryzgalov being the main man in net for the foreseeable future, there has been talk that Bobrovsky ($1.75 million), the franchise’s acknowledged goalie of the future, may be dealt.  With the prospect of Bobrovsky seeing limited playing time and the probability that it will stunt his development, combined with the fact that he will have to clear waivers before being sent to the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms, “Bob” may be moved.

Some of the more wild rumors have included Jeff Carter ($5.272 million), who has led the Flyers in goal-scoring in each of the last three seasons (to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek and the 8th overall draft pick on Friday), and even the name of the club’s captain, Mike Richards ($5.75 million), has come up ( via TSN’s Darren Dreger on Twitter).

While neither is likely to leave town, the depth that Holmgren has built at forward will allow for someone to traded.  Scott Hartnell ($4.2 million) remains the best-case scenario, but possesses one of those pesky no-trade clauses that Holmgren gave out so freely early-on in his time as GM.  While Hartnell does hold the NTC card, just remember that long-time Flyer Simon Gagne also had one last summer – before being convinced by Philly management to waive it prior to being dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

With the benefit of having the excess room with the cap limit being higher than expected, there may be a chance to re-sign another pending free agent.

“There are some players that we have, Ville Leino, that are unrestricted and we want to keep in our mix,” Holmgren said via conference call on Monday.  “So, we are going to have to do some tinkering here.  It’s not like we are in a position where we absolutely have to move cap space or move people to make cap space.”

But Holmgren would love to keep Leino, who blossomed under Laviolette after being acquired from Detroit for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen last February.  With Leino on a line with Hartnell and Danny Briere, the trio formed one of the most-productive units in Philadelphia.

One of the good things about having to deal a higher-salaried player is that it could benefit the club in another area that it has experienced serious deficiencies in recent decades.

The Flyers and the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Another general area of failure that Holmgren is reportedly attempting to recify is Philadelphia’s propensity for dealing away high draft picks.  The perennial win-it-all-now-at-all-costs philosophy that the organization has employed is always much appreciated in the Flyers’ community, but it often comes with a price tag.  The cost for the immediacy of their acquisitions usually comes in the form of the team’s top drafting positions.

The skeletal remains of this years picks is exhibit one which puts an exclamation point on that fact.  Here are the picks that Holmgren and his scouting staff possess at the present time:

3rd Round – #84
4th Round – #116
4th Round – #118 (From Tampa Bay)
6th Round – #176
7th Round – #206

“Look at where we are at this year, we have five picks right now,” Holmgren pointed out.  ”Next year we are missing a couple already.   Obviously we can’t continue to do that.  We need to, especially the higher picks – we can’t keep giving them up.”

He cannot honestly hope to replenish the pipeline of the system with the availability of players that will be left at the five picks he owns this weekend.

Holmgren says even though this is not the deepest of drafts, there are some interesting players that can play next year.

“There are drafts that have been better, think back to the draft of 2003,” the GM said.  ”It’s not looking like that but there are a lot of good players and I think there are some players that if they are drafted on the right team, they will have the chance to play right away.”

“It’s funny,” Holmgren continued.  ”You go back to last year’s draft and you look at guys that you think are going to go in the first round and you look at what came out of that round and played right away.  I don’t think anyone would have said Jeff Skinner was ready to play in the NHL, and he gets drafted by Carolina, they put him in and he makes their team and has a tremendous year.  You just never know.”

Holmgren was asked if he thought any one player impressed him as being ready to step right into an NHL lineup for the 2011-12 season.

“Gabriel’s (Landeskog) name comes up early because he looks like he is physically ready right now,” he said.  ”I think that is why people say that about him being NHL-ready.”

And there is an obvious incentive to want to move up.

“It’s a fairly good draft, there are some good top-end guys and as I mentioned from 17 down, you might get the same player,” the GM noted.  “They are all good prospects, so it’s a considerable draft.  We’re drafting at 84 (third round) right now and we’d like to move up, absolutely.”

When asked if he could envision the Flyers making a move to get a pick in the first two rounds, Holmgren was optimistic.

“I don’t think it is out of the question, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Holmgren said.  ”It’s something we are certainly trying to stay involved with just to see what people are talking about, more than anything.”

As for what he could be looking for in building at a certain position, Holmgren referenced his blue line.

“I think if you look at our team right now, we are very strong down the middle and I think our NHL team we have a couple older guys on the back end, Kimmo (Timonen) and Chris (Pronger),” said the GM.  ”But we do have some good guys that are fairly young, Braydon (Corburn), Matt Carle and (Andrej) Meszaros, are still all still fairly young if you consider their age, but I don’t know if there is any none, obviously we are going to try to draft the best player available regardless of the position.”

But even if he cannot get a pick in the first two rounds, Holmgren may look to acquire multiple choices.

“We probably need to strengthen all areas, and that’s kind of where the open mind comes in,” Holmgren added.  ”When we get to that point we’re not just going to try for one position. If you look on our reserve list we could probably add something in every category.”

Which makes the Flyers’ allowing the rights to expire for top-ranked goaltending prospect Joacim Eriksson – and to a lesser extent defenseman Simon Bertilsson, goalie Nic Riopel, and forward David Lebrecque – all the more confusing.

There is no doubt that this will be an eventful week in the NHL universe.  The NHL Awards Ceremony.  The NHL Entry Draft.  But it will be even busier if your name is Paul Holmgren.

Taking a Flyer:  The 2011 NHL Awards are tonight in Las Vegas, and the only representative of the Orange-and-Black is forward Ian Laperriere.  ”Lappy” is up for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player that best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.  Laperriere goes up against two former-Flyers; goaltender Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks (returned after a grueling rehabilitation from surgeries to correct a degenerative hip ailment), and forward Daymond Langkow of the Calgary Flames (returned from a serious concussion that threatened his career).  Laperriere suffered two devastating concussions last year after being hit in the face with slap shots; the first by Buffalo’s Jason Pominville where he lost seven teeth and required 100 stitches to close up his face – and yet returned for the third period with a full face shield; and the second in the first round of the 2010 playoffs when then-New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Paul Martin’s slapper broke Lappy’s orbital bone.  Laperriere’s passion and dedication to his team saw him return – albeit, too soon – in the Eastern Conference Finals during Philadelphia’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  There is no doubt that both Emery and Langkow are very deserving nominees, but there should only be one possible winner tonight – and that is Lappy.

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

David Strehle – NHLHS Creative Editor

Hart Memorial Trophy – Corey Perry
Vezina Trophy – Tim Thomas
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Shea Weber
Calder Memorial Trophy – Jeff Skinner
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Martin St. Louis
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Ryan Kesler
Jack Adams Award – Dan Bylsma
Bill Masterton Memorial Tropy – Ian Laperriere
Ted Lindsay Award – Corey Perry
Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award – Nicklas Lidstrom
NHL Foundation Award – Dustin Brown
GM of the Year – Steve Yzerman

Jeff Quirin – NHLHS Associate Editor

Hart Memorial Trophy – Corey Perry
Vezina Trophy – Tim Thomas
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Shea Weber
Calder Memorial Trophy – Jeff Skinner
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Loui Eriksson
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Pavel Datsyuk
Jack Adams Award – Dan Bylsma
Bill Masterton Memorial Tropy – Ray Emery
Ted Lindsay Award – Daniel Sedin
Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award – Shane Doan
NHL Foundation Award – Dustin Brown
GM of the Year – Steve Yzerman

Alexander Monaghan – NHLHS President

Hart Memorial Trophy – Daniel Sedin
Vezina Trophy – Tim Thomas
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Shea Weber
Calder Memorial Trophy – Michael Grabner
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Nicklas Lidstrom
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Ryan Kesler
Jack Adams Award – Dan Bylsma
Bill Masterton Memorial Tropy – Ian Laperriere
Ted Lindsay Award – Corey Perry
Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award – Nicklas Lidstrom
NHL Foundation Award – Dustin Brown
GM of the Year – Steve Yzerman

Brandon Macdonald – NHLHS Copy Editor

Hart Memorial Trophy – Corey Perry
Vezina Trophy – Tim Thomas
James Norris Memorial Trophy – Zdeno Chara
Calder Memorial Trophy – Jeff Skinner
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Martin St. Louis
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Pavel Datysuk
Jack Adams Award – Alain Vigneault
Bill Masterton Memorial Tropy – Ray Emery
Ted Lindsay Award – Corey Perry
Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award – Nicklas Lidstrom
NHL Foundation Award – Dustin Brown
GM of the Year – Steve Yzerman

Agree? Disagree? Vote in the comments

Never before have the Predators held a 3-2 lead in a playoff series. With memories of Game 5 let downs all around, and last years Stanley Cup Playoff game 5 debacle as a season long motivator, the Predators looked to go into Anaheim and change history.

Nashville came out in the first period determined and showing high intensity.  The Predators were skating fast, hitting hard, and throwing pucks on net; something that was severely lacking in game 4.

Nashville struck first in the first period on a pass from Jordin Tootoo to Kevin Klein for his first career playoff goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway.  They maintained the lead until the 13:39 mark of the second period when Jason Blake capitalized on a Shane O’Brien penalty, netting a power play goal to tie the game at 1.

At just :40 into the third period, Bobby Ryan converted on a play that completely undressed David Legwand. The Predators center turned the puck over and, in an attempt to defend Ryan, lost his stick allowing Ryan to score and the Ducks to take the  2-1 lead.  After Ryan’s goal, momentum began to swing in favor of Anaheim until Joel Ward decided it was time to take it back for Nashville.  Ward then tied the game at 11:20 after getting his own rebound off of the end board, beating Emery on the glove side.

Just when Nashville thought things were turning their way, history began to rear its ugly head again when Teemu Selanne threw a no look pass to the front of the net to an uncovered Jason Blake.  Blake then netted the shot to give the Ducks a 3-2 lead with only 5:44 to play in regulation.  The Predators, however, decided it was time for history to change.  After an icing call with just over :40 left to play in regulation, center Mike Fisher won a crucial offensive zone face off back to defenseman Cody Franson, who quickly dumped the puck to captain Shea Weber.  Weber then blasted a shot through a host of Predators and Ducks and found the back of the net with just :36 left in regulation to tie the game at 3-3.

In what was just the first OT game of this series, the Predators decided to make even more history.  Jordin Tootoo broke into the Anaheim zone and blasted a shot on net.  Jonathan Blum was able to hold the puck in and send it to Nick Spaling, who found Tootoo behind the net.  Tootoo spotted Jerred Smithson drifting toward the net uncovered, and snapped a pass that Smithson flipped past Emery at 1:57 of OT to give the Predators their first ever playoff OT win in franchise history, and his first career playoff goal.

The attention now shifts back to Nashville for game 6 on Easter Sunday where, once again, for the first time in franchise history, the Predators have a chance to clinch a series in game 6.  They may not only win a series for the first time, but also have the opportunity to do it on home ice.

Tyler Davis
NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent
Twitter: @Trebek14
Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

For as long as many in the Philadelphia hockey community can remember, the Flyers have had a weak spot at arguably the most critical position in all of professional sports.

That one area of weakness is within the blue paint in the club’s goal crease, and more specifically, the player that occupies that spot.  Long ignored by the Orange-and-Black, the irony of it all is substantial.

Here was a team that had won two Stanley Cups in the mid-70′s on the back of one of the greatest goaltenders to ever play the game – Bernie Parent - and for the past two decades continually built a team with a devastating arsenal of forwards and a capable defense.  But they treated the crease as nothing more than an afterthought.

Another facet of the story that I could never get my mind around is the fact that the very architect of those Flyers’ clubs – Bob Clarke - was a teammate of Parent’s in the glory days of the franchise.  Clarke got to see firsthand exactly what an elite netminder could do for a team.

Unfortunately, the only goaltending that compared to that of Parent’s during Clarke’s tenure as GM was coming from the opposition side of the ice, in the form of Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, among others.

In his time as GM, Clarke had two goalies with Cup-winning potential – Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall - both of which were already Flyers’ property prior to the time Clarke took over the reigns.

With the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Hextall (second tour of duty), Garth Snow, Sean Burke, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Boucher (first tour of duty), Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Jeff Hackett, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, and Ray Emery, the past two decades have come and gone without a stellar number one.  And not so coincidentally, the Flyers went without a Stanley Cup during that time.

Clarke did try to rectify the Flyer goal with Burke and Vanbiesbrouck, but sadly both were past their prime and on the down sides of their respective careers by the time they came to the City of Brotherly Love.  Both experiments ended in failure.

Murmurs could be heard this past weekend from the main stream media questioning Philadelphia’s current playoff starter, Sergei Bobrovsky.  The 22-year-old rookie posted a sparkling 28-13-8 record, with a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.

Many are concentrating on the fact that “Bob” finished with losses in his last four decisions (0-2-2), and was pulled in two of his last nine starts.

Photo Credit: Rhys Asplundh / Getty Images

While the March 22nd game against the Washington Capitals was a game Bobrovsky would like to have back, head coach Peter Laviolette is realistic about the goals that were allowed in the regular season finale against the Islanders.  “When you go back and look at some of those goals and break them down, you have a breakaway, a 5-on-3, a puck that scrambled through a bunch of players, and a guy left uncontested in front of the net,” Laviolette said after the game.

Bobrovsky, as well as backup Boucher and Leighton (one game) failed to post one shutout during the 2010-11 campaign – the first time that has occurred in a Philadelphia regular season since 1980-81.

As a result, one statistic that will be brought up ad nauseum during Philadelphia’s stay in the postseason is the fact that only two teams in NHL history have ever won a Stanley Cup after going an entire regular season without recording a single shutout – the 1981-82 New York Islanders and the 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers.

Bobrovsky admitted yesterday to the Toronto Sun that he was “nervous”, and author Mike Zeisberger got a running start with the comment.  The article was titled ”Bobrovsky unnerved already?”, saying that “Flyers’ fans hope the rookie goaltender is not the reincarnation of Roman Cechmanek.”

Bobrovsky’s interviews come complete with an interpreter, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility to imagine that something could have gotten lost in translation.

Even if it didn’t, is it too much to ask a young goalie to not have butterflies entering his first playoff season in a new league in a foreign country?  Especially considering the result that the team had last year.

To say that there are the highest of expectations for Philadelphia over the next two months is an understatement.

Sometimes we expect professional athletes to be above feeling the normal range of everyday human emotion.

Those true fans of the Orange-and-Black had better get used to it, because the Toronto Sun article is bound to only be the beginning.

It’s critical that both Bobrovsky and the Flyers get a good start to this postseason, because the media has the microscope pointed directly at last year’s Cup runner-up – and specifically in the direction of the club’s blue paint.

Any type of loss that comes with a soft goal(s) will only fuel the doubting Thomases, as well as the call for the return to the Philly crease of the hero of last year’s Flyers season (Leighton).

There are already those in the Philadelphia area that are calling for Leighton to play.

Even though he has played just one NHL game all year – in December in a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings - Leighton did have a strong late-season run for the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms.

After Saturday’s season-closing game, Laviolette reiterated a familiar statement.  “I think that there’s a confidence and a belief in our team, in our goaltenders,” the coach said.  ”We’ve said that all year,” the coach said.

Make no mistake, Bobrovsky possesses that exact same confidence in his own game.  He has often carried the team on his back when their play has been subpar in front of him.

And hopefully that is what the media will see in plain view when they focus their microscope in on number 35 in the Flyers’ crease – a confident Bobrovsky.

_____________________________________________

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

After clinching a playoff spot with a win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Nashville Predators had to wait until the final day of the NHL season to discover their opponent in the first round.  AFter a loss from the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday afternoon, it was determined – the Nashville Predators will face off against the Anaheim Ducks starting on Wednesday night in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Nashville won the season series against Anaheim 3-1, while outscoring them 17-11 during those 4 games.

Why Nashville can win: Nashville’s top defensive pairing of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter finished the season at a combined +27. Pekka Rinne finished the season with a 3-0 record against the Ducks, as well as second in the NHL in Save Percentage at .930% and third in Goals Against Average at 2.12. For Anaheim, it looks like former Predator Dan Ellis will get the start in net due to Jonas Hiller still recovering from vertigo, and Ray Emery suffering from a lower body injury and is listed as questionable.

Why Nashville can lose: Anaheim enters the playoffs with a power play that ended the season third in the NHL at 23.5%, while Nashville enters the playoffs with a penalty kill that ended the season fifth in the NHL at 84.9%. It’s going to be a battle to see which team’s special team can conquer the others. The top defensive pairing for the Preds will have their hands full against a line that boasts the winner of the Rocket Richard trophy in Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. The top line in the NHL combined for a total of 103 goals.

Why Anaheim can win: It’s no question that the Anaheim Ducks boast the best line in hockey with Perry, Ryan and Getzlaf. They bring every aspect to the table that you look for in a line, power, speed and the ability to score the big goal. Not a lot of teams can match the tempo that these guys bring, which makes them tough to play against. Then they send out a line featuring two of the better veterans in the NHL in Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Selanne had another great year and will have to continue his success to help out the top line.

Why Anaheim can lose: With a young defensive core, led by Cam Fowler and Lubomir Visnovsky, who put up 50 assists for 68 points very quietly this year, the Ducks will have to play strong defence in front of their revolving door of net minders. Nashville is set in goal with Rinne and the Ducks will have Ellis starting the series. Ellis is not exactly someone that exudes confidence in the team in front of him, so if Ellis fails, it’s likely the Ducks will fail with him. The Ducks chances would be a lot better to move on if they had the likes of Hiller or Emery in net.

Tyler Davis
NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent
Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com
Twitter: @Trebek14

Brandon Macdonald
NHLHS Editor-in-chief
bmacdonald@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter @bMacdonald8

Coming into the final match up of the season with the Calgary Flames, the LA Kings needed a good performance after a sub-par game against the Ducks and the worst performance of the season against the Blues.  The Kings are again struggling to find the back of the net.  After a four goal performance in Nashville, the Kings managed only seventeen shots against the Blues and struggled to score on new Ducks goalie Ray Emery.  Finally, after almost five and a half periods, Dustin Brown beat Emery and got the Kings on the board.

Calgary came to Staples coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Ducks the night before with obtaining two points as their primary objective.  Coming into the game, the Flames found themselves two points out of the final playoff spot in the west despite having played two to three more games than everyone else in the Western Conference.

The game was, as expected, a very tight checking affair with few quality scoring chances.  The Kings had one power play in the first period with Jarome Iginla off for hooking, but failed to even muster one shot struggling to get set up.  Calgary had two power plays of their own, but posed no real threat.  Jonathan Quick made two key saves, and the teams went to the locker room with no score.

The second period was the same as the first, tight checking and little room to move for the skilled player.  Calgary had the best chance on an early power play where Iginla and Mark Giordano both hit the left goal post.  On their second power play, the Flames missed a golden chance to score as they held the zone for over a minute and had both Matt Greene and Anze Kopitar trapped on the ice without sticks. Michael Handzus was able to clear the zone on a diving play and allowed his teammates to get off the ice.    The Kings also had two chances with the man advantage, but failed to score.  Kings assistant coach Jamie Kompon called the Kings second power play” the best of the season” as they held the zone for over a 1:30.   However, they failed to score.  The period ended with the Kings getting their fifth power play of the night, which carried over to the 3^rd period.

The third started with the Kings having the power play for thirty-nine seconds.  The Flames were able to kill it off.  The period flowed a little more openly, and the teams exchanged several odd man rushes.  Finally, with just under six minutes remaining, Wayne Simmonds made what my coach growing up called a” hustle play” and drove from behind the net.  Miikka Kiprusoff made the save, but left a large rebound that Jarret Stoll converted for his 19^th goal of the season putting the Kings up 1-0.  Just sixty-five seconds later, former King draft pick Olli Jokinen converted a breakaway and tied the game at one.

Overtime was very tight as no team could take advantage of the open ice.  With 1:03 left in extra time, the Kings were called for a”too many men on the ice penalty, but were able to hold the Flames to just one shot.  The teams headed to the shoot out.

The shoot out opened with a miss by usually reliable, Handzus, and then, Alex Tanguay opened with a goal.  Next up for the Kings was Stoll.  He beat Kiprusoff with a wrist shot low, blocker side.  Calgary followed with a miss by Rene Bourque when he lost control of the puck on the way in.  Kopitar was up next.  He out-waited Kiprusoff and slid the puck five-hole putting the Kings up 2-1.  Curtis Glencross had to score, but missed the net high right. The Kings held on for the two huge points.

After the game, the Kings received bad news when it was announced that winger Justin Williams, the second leading scorer on the team, will miss the rest of the season and post season with a should injury.  The Kings recalled Oscar Moller from Manchester to take the roster spot.

Game Notes

Jonathan Quick improved to 9-0 in shoot outs this season.
The Kings had their 30^th sell out of the season, one shy of the franchise record.
Up next for the Kings is a match up with the San Jose Sharks in Los Angeles.

Mike Murangi
NHL Hot Stove Los Angeles Kings Reporter

The Los Angeles Kings donned their vintage “forum blue & gold” jerseys for the final “Legends Night” at Staples Center on Saturday night. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and Kings Legend Bob Pulford was honored before the game but it was the Anaheim Ducks who walked away with the 2-1 win in overtime.

Looking to bounce back from their poor performance on Thursday, the Kings came out strong and hoped to gain a larger lead in the infamous “Freeway Face-Off” series. Staples Center found itself packed with fans from both sides of the heated rivalry as these two teams met for the 100^th time. Fans felt a very strong playoff-like atmosphere as both teams played knowing fully that they each play a critical role in both teams making the playoffs this season. However, the Ducks fans celebrated first as Brandon McMillan gave the Ducks the first goal of the game.

Coming off of a bad bounce, McMillan got around Kings’ Jack Johnson and beat goaltender Jonathan Quick with a quick wrist-shot to the top of the net at 15:24 of the first period. The game would remain 1-0 until late in the third period but controversy plagued the second.

Wayne Simmonds scored in the second period but his goal was denied by the referees on what seemed to be a bad judgement call on their part. Moments before Simmonds’ goal, Alexei Ponikarovsky was driving to the net when he was cross-checked from behind by Ducks defenseman Lucas Sbisa. This resulted in Ponikarovsky colliding with goaltender Ray Emery a split second before Simmonds scored. Unfortunately for the Kings, the referee standing behind the goal only called goaltender interference on Ponikarovsky and waved off the goal. The crowd clearly let the referees know how they felt.

Kings Captain Dustin Brown would help tie the game and carry it to overtime though in the third period thanks to a quick pass from Michal Handzus.  A rocket of a pass from Handzus to Brown from the boards led to Brown making his 23^rd goal of the season, catching Emery out of position.

After a few more bad non-calls going each way, the two teams found themselves headed for overtime. The Ducks would gain the upper-hand though when at the half-way point of overtime, Anze Kopitar slipped and fell in the Ducks’ zone. Cam Fowler passed the puck to Corey Perry whose shot barely got past Quick. When asked if he got a piece of the shot, Quick replied, “Yeah. Not enough of it.”

The Freeway Faceoff shall meet two more times before the end of the season. Oddly enough, the games are back-to-back home finales for each team. With both teams playing an important role in each other’s playoffs hopes, something tells me this rivalry will only get hotter.

By David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

Just when you think they had learned all the lessons necessary to consistently be ready for their opponents, the Philadelphia Flyers come up with an effort that shows there is still much work to be done.

Philadelphia corrected the way they approached a long layoff with a convincing 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens prior to the All-Star break.  That effort was a huge improvement over the 5-0 goose egg they laid at home to the Florida Panthers just before the holiday break in late-December.

But the 4-0 white-washing at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday in the first game back from the All-Star weekend was reminiscent of the 6-2 drubbing by the Vancouver Canucks at the return from their last break.

This has to be a concern for GM Paul Holmgren and head coach Peter Laviolette, knowing there could be long layoffs between playoff rounds when the postseason rolls around.  So much momentum can be gained with an early-round lead and if the Flyers come out flat after long layoffs as they’ve shown this year, they could find themselves in a quick hole from which they might not be able to escape.

That’s why this stretch of games against top teams is so important for the club.  Not only are there positioning at stake in the standings, there may also be spots up for grabs on the roster.

With the February 28th NHL trade deadline just over three weeks away, Holmgren and Laviolette will no doubt be assessing their players in these tilts with upper-echelon clubs in the time leading up to the 28th.

Copyright David Strehle 2010

Of note is there has not been one shutout registered by Philadelphia’s tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher this year.  And while Philadelphia has one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the league it has to be disconcerting that the Flyers have now been shut out four times this season.

And looking at the teams that have blanked them – Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens, Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins, Tomas Vokoun and the Florida Panthers, and Dwayne Roloson and the Tampa Bay Lightning – three of the four are possible playoff foes come the Spring.

And these games were examples of goalies stealing games for their respective teams.  According to Flyers’ stats wizard Brian Smith, Philadelphia has put up 38 shots on goal or more in three of those four shutout loses.

Smith also notes that there have been 11 games this year in which the Flyers have posted 38 or more shots, but their record is just 6-4-1 in those contests.

Rumors abound that Holmgren will acquire a playoff-proven netminder, with names such as Toronto’s J. S. Giguere, Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff, and even Ray Emery making the rounds.

It just goes to show how much a hot goaltender can mean to the outcome of a game.

Tonight the Flyers meet another top NHL team with an elite pair of goaltenders patrolling the crease, as Pekka Rinne, Anders Lindback and the Nashville Predators come to town.

Nashville currently sits in the fourth slot in the uber-tight Western Conference standings, and the giant tandem of Rinne and Lindback have been a huge reason for their success.  While the Preds’ team defense has contributed to a conference low 122 goals allowed (tied with Vancouver), Rinne’s 2.10 goals-against average and .929 save percentage are both second in the NHL to Boston’s Thomas.  And he also has three shutouts on the season.  Rinne is much better than his 17-13-5 record.  As a matter of fact in his last 13 contests, he is 9-3-1, with a 1.67 GAA and .945 save percentage.

Lindback, who gets the call tonight at Wells Fargo Center against the Flyers, has a 10-4-2 record, with two shutouts, a 2.58 GAA and .915 save percentage.

They are the tallest set of goalies in the NHL, as Rinne stands six-feet, five-inches, topped only by Lindback at six-feet, six-inches.  Even when going to their knees to make a save, shooters are not left with much space with which to shoot.

As is the case with most NHL netminders, the key for Philadelphia will be to get traffic in front of the Nashville cage, and get as many pucks to the net as possible.

And the bottom line is that even though the loss to Tampa Bay was just one game, the Flyers are in desperate need of a statement game with which to show they can not only rebound, but beat upper-level teams.

Tonight is as good a time as any with which to make that statement.  And what better way for Bobrovsky to show that he is not only the goaltender of the future, but also the goaltender of the present.

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Taking a Flyer:  Having lost their first three to the Lightning this year, the Orange-and-Black are in danger of being swept in the season series.  They meet for the last time at St. Pete Times Forum on February 15, and the Flyers will be in need of a big showing for down the road with a potential postseason meeting looming.  Philly last went 0-4 against TB in the 2005-06 campaign, not-so-coincidentally the next regular season following the Philadelphia 2004 seven-game loss to the Bolts in the Eastern Conference Finals…

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

Even though the Philadelphia Flyers are sitting on top of the Eastern Conference standings at the moment, the team may not feel comfortable heading down the stretch and into the postseason with the goaltending tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher.

Always somewhat of a question mark throughout the past two decades (basically since the first stint of Ron Hextall with the Orange-and-Black), the team’s net seems to be under scrutiny once again.

Part of the intrigue of the Flyers’ crease situation is the rumors that GM Paul Holmgren may be interested in bringing in a veteran presence.  The names of Toronto Maple Leaf Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Florida Panther Tomas Vokoun, and Calgary Flame Miikka Kiprusoff have come up.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

And now a name from Philly’s recent past, Ray Emery, has been added to the mix.

TSN’s Darren Dreger mentioned in his “Dreger Report” that the Flyers are one of three teams that have shown interest in “Razor”, who last suited up in the NHL with Philadelphia last season.

Emery posted a 16-11-1 record before a hip injury and the resultant surgeries ended his 2009-10 campaign, and threatened to end his NHL career.

He has been training with former Ottawa Senators’ goalie coach Eli Wilson in preparation of a return to the league and according to Dreger’s post, and Wilson has announced Emery ready to return.

Philadelphia owns the sixth-lowest goals-against total in the Eastern Conference, but one strange statistic is that there has not been one shutout registered by Bobrovsky or Boucher this year.

Bobrovsky, a Russian rookie that was signed as a free agent last May, has posted a formidable 21-7-3 mark this year.  While his 2.49 GAA and .917 save percentage are also respectable, the talk continues that Holmgren is searching for a playoff-proven backup.

Boucher’s emotions have run the gamut since re-signing with the Flyers just prior to last season.  He was all but forgotten for a good portion early in the year, when Emery was the starter, then replaced by Michael Leighton after Emery’s first bout with injuries.

But Boucher became a hero in winning a shootout on the season’s last day just to get Philly to qualify for the playoffs, and catapulted the Flyers on an improbable postseason run.

This year, Boucher has been very solid.  With an 11-6-2 record, 2.38 GAA and .916 save percentage, he has proven to be a deserving backup to Bobrovsky.   The 33-year-old has even filled in for stretches, posting a 9-1-1 mark in spelling Bobrovsky when the rookie wasn’t at the top of his game.

But with the talk of the Flyers looking for another netminder not going away, it seems likely that head coach Peter Laviolette may have another goalie with which to choose from when finalizing his roster.

Photo courtesy of jbehindtheglass.com

Another name that could be a possibility may be Evgeni Nabokov.  The 35-year-old Russian could be the perfect compliment to bring Bobrovsky along, as well as maybe even taking over the club’s number one position.

As Nabokov is stuck in limbo, having attempted to sign with the Detroit Red Wings then claimed off waivers by the New York Islanders, “Nabby” has not reported and has been suspended by the Isles.

Could a trade to Philadelphia be the remedy for all involved?

Nabokov would need to once again clear waivers, so it’s doubtful that could work.

Or will the Flyers go with Emery?  He is an option that wouldn’t cost Holmgren any players off of his current roster, something that will be the case in acquiring any of the other above-mentioned goaltenders.

The NHL trade deadline is still just over three weeks away, and there is every indication that Holmgren will make a big splash.

Just how big and which positions are affected remains to be seen, but something is on the horizon.

Count on it.

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Special thanks to www.jbehindtheglass.com for use of the Nabokov photo.  Check out the site for some amazing NHL shots!

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

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