Flyers Have Skills

The Draft last night was pretty fun. The players all had a great time. Who else saw Ovie snapping a picture of Kessel being the only one left to be drafted.

Here's where the Flyers will be participating:
Briere (passing) - McDonald's NHL Accuracy Shooting™
Giroux (group 2) - G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay™
Briere (group 2) - G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay™

I can't stop laughing at the fact Briere will be passing. He'll probably try to wrap it around the net.

Either way the Skills is always entertaining.

2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh

The All-Star Game is coming up this weekend. I will watch it, as I have every year (post-lockout). What I'm looking forward to most is the Skills Competition tomorrow and the Guardian Project during the second intermission on Sunday.

Here's a few facts about this ASG:
-Chicago and Vancouver each have 3 forwards in the game, CHI also has 1 D-man (the most among individuals represented).
-Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, and NYI have only 1 rookie participating this weekend.
-Calgary, with Iginla's withdrawl, have no players represented in Raleigh.
-Peter Laviolette will not coach former coachee Eric Staal, Ward still a possibilty.
-Chara has won the Hardest Shot three years in a row (MacInnis holds 4 in-a-row record).
-The last ASG two brothers played in at the same time; 2000 (Pavel, Valeri Bure).
-Two former ASG MVPs are playing in this years game, Briere and Eric Staal.
-Just five goalies and two defenseman have been named MVP since it's 1962 inception.
-Philadelphia has had one MVP; 1980, Reggie Leach.
-Panini will release Score redemption cards at the game; the cards have special ASG2011 logos on them.

Two Players in the News

Two stories about former NHLers have hit recently and I will decide who is right in their respective arguments.

First off, Evgeni Nabokov. Nabby was a mainstay in the Sharks
crease for a decade and was recently signed by Detroit. The Islanders being douchebags, understandable douchebags (but douchebags nonetheless), claimed him off waivers. Here's an idea Snow, it's called using your own scouting team and finding your own damn goalie. Evgeni was in the right, he wanted to go to Detroit (that is probably why he signed there in the first place), and he's not gonna find himself a Ring on the Island. Sure it was a little disrespectful, but let's look at this on the bright side, at least he's not Avery.

Evaluation: Nabokov 1 - Islanders 0

Next one. Peter Forsberg, former Flyer, is attempting yet another NHL comeback. Pete, I love ya, but seriously. If you are gonna comeback and it's not just another 'maybe, maybe not', then I can't wait to see you back where you belong. But when you're foot is healthy enough for NHL ice-time remember one thing, Garth Snow might snatch you up on the waiver wire.

Evaluation: Forsberg 1 - Garth Snow -2

In all of my yelling I forgot Snow was at one time a Flyer. But he was also a penguin and a mistake as a GM. All in favor to move the Islanders to Quebec, say I.

2nd-Half Predictions

So I was already proven wrong by "The Great 8", Doughty, and Stamkos. Yet Carey Price is still playing great (I hope I predicted that one wrong).

West:

1 - Vancouver*
2 - Dallas*
3 - Detroit*
4 - Chicago
5 - San Jose
6 - Los Angeles
7 - Colorado
8 - Anaheim

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9 - Nashville
10 - Phoenix
11 - St. Louis
12 - Minnesota
13 - Calgary
14 - Columbus
15 - Edmonton

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East:
1 - Philadelphia*
2 - Washington*
3 - Montreal*
4 - pittsburgh
5 - Tampa Bay
6 - Boston
7 - Carolina
8 - Atlanta

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9 - New York Rangers
10 - Buffalo
11 - Ottawa
12 - Florida
13 - New York Islanders
14 - Toronto
15 - new jersey

So there ya go. Last year I predicted only 7 correct teams in the second half, and the year before, 14. I already see problems with it, but it's on paper (and the internet), so be it.

Pre-Game Report

I've sort of not been a Flyers blogger lately, so...



Tonight the Flyers face Boston for the third time this season. So far, the Flyers have been outscored 4-2. Yet, this has turned out to be a road-winning series thus far, which bodes well for Philly. The Flyers stank Power Play is tied at 17.2% with the Bruins this season. Also, Philly hasn't lost this calendar year.



Chris Pronger has been cleared to practice and is looking to get back into game action on Tuesday versus the Caps. Nik Zherdev didn't play Tuesday and is day-to-day. Milan Lucic is still out and will not play tonight.

The Guardian Project

The NHL has sold out, yes. But this is just a weird idea, as is the Fantasy Draft (which I'm still not sure what it is). But, as a Flyers blogger I feel obligated to link this video. The 'Penguin' and the 'Blackhawk' are neither a penguin nor a blackhawk. The King looks like a solid character, but the hair on the 'Hurricane' is just... The 'Flame' could be cool and so could the 'Thrasher'. The 'Duck' I'm sure is going to be lame and so is the 'Maple Leaf'. The 'Devil' could actually be kinda cool. While the 'Islander' and 'Ranger' will be the worst superheroes since She-Hulk and the Funky Flashman. The 'Flyer' looks funny, yet badass. So, I don't even know anymore.

Jim Jackson Gave us a Shoutout

During the first period against the Devils tonight, Jim Jackson mentioned that Sestito was from Rome, NY and followed up with, "... which is near Utica, NY," Jones then said, "That's where you're from isn't it?" J.J. said it's nice in the summer. Jones- I've been there in the winter, and it was cold. A nice little shoutout from one of our Hometown braodcaster, Jim Jackson.