Archive for March, 2010

  We all know and hate the trap. But most fans don’t know exactly what it is, how to recognize it, and most importantly, how to get past it. So here’s a basic explanation of the beast. What is it: A defensive system used to create turnovers in the neutral zone Zone coverage, not man to man How to recognize it: One forechecker, follows the puck wherever it goes 3-4 players standing on defensive blue line, somewhat converging on the puck carrier If 3 on blue line, 1 person either along the right or left boards near red line All [...]

  Nothing is as sweet as beating the Devils. And after last night, the Flyers completed their 5th win in 6 games against them. Seeing as how it was fan appreciation night, I decided to check out the game in person. Also, with the teams recent struggles, I felt that my will power wasn’t working through the TV, so I needed to be a little closer.  With a pre-game meal of roast pork and chips, I was feuled up and ready to go. And it seemed to work right away, as the Flyers took control in the first minute, and [...]

 Referee’s are human and they screw up all the time. Then again, referee’s are also bias, and they screw teams all of the time too.  I don’t blame the Flyers recent slide on the zebra’s, but I completely blame them for yesterday’s loss. The evidence: Leino follows the puck to the net, Fleury comes out of his crease, the two collide, and Leino falls on him. There is a scramble in front, and Gagne knocks the puck in. After initially ruling it a goal, the refs confer, and decide that it does not count. I still have no idea what the [...]

E-mail I received: Hi there,   Hockey has been a very big deal for us here at Upper Deck over the years, and I wanted to share some great news we announced today. Check it out here: http://upperdeckblog.com/2010/03/upper-deck-renews-hockey-card-license/. It’s a great summary of what this means for our industry, and shows some of our newest, innovative products and programs. I think your readers will find it interesting, so feel free to share!   Thanks!   Toby Wachter Online Media Content Manager The Upper Deck Company

  So after humiliating effort against Ottawa, the Flyers come out strong from the first faceoff, and completely dominate.  Not even 5 minutes into the game, they’re up 2-0.  Bartulis got his first NHL goal after the Flyers stole the puck, and went on a 4 on 1 rush. Lappy carried the puck, took a shot, and the rebound caromed off Oskars and in.  A few good things about this play: 1)Turnover in neutral zone lead to fast transition; 2)Everyone recognized this and took to the offense, making it that much harder for the goalie; and 3) at least 2 [...]

  So the offense has gone from bad to worse.  They didn’t manage to get one damn shot past Brian freaking Elliot.  Not ONE!  Jeff Carter is our best scorer, but not our only one.  It didn’t help that a ridiculous set of circumstance lead to Gagne missing the entire third period because of 19 penalty minutes.  What the hell happened to this team.  They were torching everyone heading into the Olympic break.  Since then, they’ve looked like complete and utter shit.  They have no heart, no ambition, and nothing at all is working.  To top things off, the war [...]

With the injury to Jeff Carter, the biggest change will be line combo’s. Some guys that are natural centers have been playing the wing this season, most notably Daniel Briere.  After a few decent seasons in Phoenix, he was a standout player in Buffalo.Since coming over here a few seasons ago, he has not lived up to the hype at all. He’s a player with good vision and passing ability, that needs to have the puck on his stick to produce.  If he gets back to playing center, his production should go up. Anyway, here’s how I would make the [...]

In the words of the immortal Jackie Moon, “Everybody panic!…There will be no refunds! Your refund will be escaping this deathtrap with your life!” Jeff Carter has a broken foot, and is out for the next 3-4 weeks. He leads the Flyers in goals and points.  Now we’ll see how much depth this team really has.  A few seasons ago, when Richards went down with injury, Carter stepped up.  His play completely removed him from the trading block.  Let’s see if Captain Richards can return the favor. Here’s what a few others are saying: ESPN Comment: satanbringsusluv (3/22/2010 at 2:28 [...]