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Rob Riches

Sports Editor

Articles by Rob Riches (464)

Hakstol’s Happenings: Flyers manage to escape wrath of the injury bug

Embed from Getty Images   As the Flyers began a five-game road trip that essentially continued a make-or-break portion of their schedule, they did so without a few key cogs of the lineup in Michael Del Zotto and Sean Couturier. It was noted that those two injuries provided a significant setback for the Flyers, and […]

Rob Riches  •  22 Feb 2016
Shayne Gostisbehere continues point streak with OT winner against Toronto Maple Leafs

Embed from Getty Images   As the Flyers braced for a matchup with the NHL-worst Toronto Maple Leafs, they were dealt a significant blow. Claude Giroux, their captain and leading scorer, was ruled out with an upper-body injury just hours before puck drop. Giroux's injury was just one break that they could not catch. They […]

Rob Riches  •  20 Feb 2016
Game 58 Preview: Giroux-less Flyers look for 2 points against Toronto Maple Leafs

Embed from Getty Images   The Flyers have entered the phase of their season where every point matters if they want a playoff spot this spring, and have been dealt some significant blows in injuries to Sean Couturier and Michael Del Zotto.   Add another injury to the list. Claude Giroux will not play in […]

Rob Riches  •  20 Feb 2016
Hakstol’s Happenings: Moving on without Sean Couturier and Michael Del Zotto

Embed from Getty Images   As the calendar turned to 2016, the Flyers found themselves in familiar territory — on the outside looking in, yet still flirting with the possibility of a playoff spot.  They have been playing some Jekyll and Hyde-like hockey since then, looking like a decent and playoff-caliber team one week yet […]

Rob Riches  •  15 Feb 2016
Offense sputters in 3-1 loss to New York Rangers

The Flyers kicked off their Eastern Conference road trip with a visit to Madison Square Garden in search of points, and came up short.  They were not able to generate much offense in the Garden — a rink that has been a notorious house of horrors for them since the beginning of the decade — […]

Rob Riches  •  14 Feb 2016
Game 55 Preview: Flyers close out series with Rangers

Embed from Getty Images   Today may be Valentines' Day, but there will be no love between the Flyers and New York Rangers in their season finale tonight.  While the Flyers-Rangers rivalry is usually intense, tonight's game has an added element. After a skirmish between Wayne Simmonds and Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh led to McDonagh […]

Rob Riches  •  14 Feb 2016
Strong second period lifts Flyers to 5-1 win over Buffalo Sabres

Embed from Getty Images   PHILADELPHIA — For much of this season,  the Flyers' struggles in the second period have been well-documented. They've played sloppily, they've turned the puck over, they've taken dumb penalties and they've been shaky. More often than not, it's come back to bite them in the rear, and ultimately cost them […]

Rob Riches  •  11 Feb 2016
Game 53 Preview: Flyers, Buffalo Sabres look to end skids

Embed from Getty Images     With the Flyers fighting ardently for a playoff spot, one of the biggest thorns of their side has been their lack of consistency, and their willingness to play down to teams lesser than them. Those struggles have been well-documented for over a season now, and has essentially become routine. […]

Rob Riches  •  11 Feb 2016
Happy 50th anniversary, Flyers!

Embed from Getty Images   Fifty years ago today, Ed Snider received a brief, yet important phone call as NHL owners wrapped up a series of meetings in New York City. Courtesy of the NHL Expansion Committee boss Bill Jennings, it was about as brief a phone call as one can get.  "You're in." And […]

Rob Riches  •  09 Feb 2016
Alain Vigneault furious with league for lack of Wayne Simmonds response

Embed from Getty Images   Well, this was bound to happen soon enough. After New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh missed the remainder of Saturday's game following his first-period skirmish with Wayne Simmonds — a skirmish that unjustly saw the 'Wayne Train' receive a game misconduct — the team announced Monday that McDonagh will miss time […]

Rob Riches  •  08 Feb 2016