Virtue, Liberty, and Independence = Fleury, Lupul, and the Igloo

Rivalries. Rivalries. Rivalries. The heated, intense, and always passionate rivalry of the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Each team has its strengths and each has its weaknesses, but who reined supreme today?

It may have been a frigid ice rink, but the boys sure were fired up as they skated out for the first twenty minutes of an exciting Atlantic division matchup. A few questions were being asked before the start of this game. What would each team need to win this very important contest? For the Penguins: The Pens needed to continue what they were doing as of late. They needed key plays from their top stars and they needed their special teams to excel. Now onto the Flyers: The boys in orange and black also needed their recent struggling special teams to find a bright spot and shine today at the Igloo. Philadelphia was also in need of another stellar performance from the recently consistent Marty Biron.

So to the first twenty minutes we go! Did the stars come out today? Turns out they didn’t, for the first time since April of 2007 both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin did not record a shot on goal. Now you may ask how this happened. Welcome Ryan Parent and Kimmo Timonen to the ice; they are your worst enemy of the day.
Now let’s get to the scoring, because we all know a great game needs some great goals. One of the teams playing today took advantage to what was given to them. Which one? Let’s find out. Hmm… when given a one man advantage why not score on it? It’s a much larger opportunity to score so let’s give it a try. Although each team scored today on the power play, one team did it more than once and that proved to be the difference maker.

Assistant captain Simon Gagne lit the lamp once again on Sunday. With the one man advantage in their favor the Flyers used the first-class wrist shot of Gags to start off the game on a good note. Next up, Scott Hartnell. Once again the Flyers capitalized on the PP and scored on a shot deflected off of Bird Dog’s skate. Now let’s be fair boys, let’s add some emotion, some suspense. We’ll let them have one. Then, we’ll take it right back from underneath their gleaming smiles. That’s exactly what the fly guys did. So Kris Letang got one back for the Pens.

With about ten minutes left to go in the third the Flyers pumped up the D and kept the Pens off the score sheet. Darroll Powe added a well hustled empty netter at the end to lock it up for Philly. All in all this was a well fought, aggressive, and extremely well played game by the Flyers. They will need to keep it up to secure their spot in the top eight. Next stop: New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers. The boys head home to the center to welcome another Atlantic division rival. Once again, this will be a hard fought and tough game for both sides. But like I say, we’ll see who’s on top tomorrow.

xoxo, Flyers girl

Sources:
Philadelphia Flyers [flyers.nhl.com]
National Hockey League [1][2]
Comcast SportsNet [csnphilly.com]
Flyers vs. Penguins Broadcast provided by NBC

Swept the Night Away

Ahh so it seems like the coach is always right, but do the boys lacing up the skates agree? New lines, new teammates, and new competitors came with spring this year. But will it stick? Will others fail as we succeed?

Let’s start with last night and see how things laid out. Everyone wants to show off when Mom and Dad are watching, and that didn’t change at all for Jeff last night. With his parents in attendance how could he not show off his wicked wrist shot? And in saying that, he did the exact thing tallying up with a goal.

For two players playing Buffalo, last night was like homecoming all over again. DB and B once were wearing the blue and yellow and they sure did hear it last night. Both players had standout performances, one added two goals to achieve a personal milestone with 200 career goals.Who else added to this sweet success you might ask? No one other then the captain himself, after hitting the post on a nerve racking penalty shot Mike gave it his all to get it right back on the PP.

How about we go to someone even younger then the captain. This person added 2 assists to his already blooming NHL career. Number 28 played another great game and showed all of the doubters that he is the real deal. Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble also added two huge goals to the score sheet. And once again number 44 had a great game and added 3 assists.

Next stop: Pittsburgh in a key matchup against our state rivals. Hmm… you may ask why this is such an important game? Take a look at the standings and you can see that both of these keystone state teams have the same amount of points. Confused? Think I’m kidding? Not a chance. We’ll see who’s on top tomorrow.

xoxo,
Flyers girl

Sources:
Philadelphia Flyers [flyers.nhl.com]
Flyers vs. Sabres Broadcast provided by Comcast SportsNet

And the Puck Drops

This blog is your prime site to find out the real stories behind those guys in orange and black. Beyond how they played and who they beat, we'll dive into player relationships, feelings, and maybe even some gossip (even though everyone knows the Fly Guys are never desperate enough to dive for their calls, like some other NHL players...). What's the latest tiff between Riley and another fighter? How are the guys getting along on their lines? And of course, what does Johnny REALLY say on the sidelines? I'll spill it all, everything except my identity. All you ever wanted to know about your favorite NHL team, and much, much more.

xoxo,
Flyers Girl