Sports Talk Philly: Philadelphia Sports News and Rumors

Blue Jackets hold off Flyers, 5-3

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By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Over the past few games, one of the Flyers' chief concerns has been an inability to play a full 60 minutes. Decent play for the first two periods, until a collapse in the 3rd.

Thursday's game was a bit of an exception to the rule, as the Flyers got off to (yet came close to recovering from) a sluggish start, one that saw them yield two goals in an 11-second span. Cam Atkinson also helped sink them with a hat trick, giving the Blue Jackets a tight 5-3 win.

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Over the past few games, one of the Flyers' chief concerns has been an inability to play a full 60 minutes. Decent play for the first two periods, until a collapse in the 3rd.

Thursday's game was a bit of an exception to the rule, as the Flyers got off to (yet came close to recovering from) a sluggish start, one that saw them yield two goals in an 11-second span. Cam Atkinson also helped sink them with a hat trick, giving the Blue Jackets a tight 5-3 win.

Over the past few games, one of the Flyers' chief concerns has been an inability to play a full 60 minutes. Decent play for the first two periods, until a collapse in the 3rd.

Thursday's game was a bit of an exception to the rule, as the Flyers got off to (yet came close to recovering from) a sluggish start, one that saw them yield two goals in an 11-second span. Cam Atkinson also helped sink them with a hat trick, giving the Blue Jackets a tight 5-3 win.

Flyers-Blue Jackets: Game 71 Preview

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

With the regular season winding down, the Metropolitan Division is in an absolute dogfight to the finish. In the third playoff spot, the Flyers sit four points behind Pittsburgh and Washington with 81 points, while New Jersey (80 points) and Columbus (79) sit right on their heels in both wild card spots.

For the Flyers, they have a chance to gain some ground, hosting that same Blue Jackets team that can tie them with two points. Though the Flyers snapped a five-game skid last weekend, they took a step back with a home loss to Vegas, so they'll take all they can get here.

Game time is set for 7 p.m.

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

With the regular season winding down, the Metropolitan Division is in an absolute dogfight to the finish. In the third playoff spot, the Flyers sit four points behind Pittsburgh and Washington with 81 points, while New Jersey (80 points) and Columbus (79) sit right on their heels in both wild card spots.

For the Flyers, they have a chance to gain some ground, hosting that same Blue Jackets team that can tie them with two points. Though the Flyers snapped a five-game skid last weekend, they took a step back with a home loss to Vegas, so they'll take all they can get here.

Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Flyers toppled by Lightning in shootout, 7-6

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

As the Flyers played out of their minds over the month of February, they were humbled in their last game by Carolina. Not the prettiest game, but they had a quick chance to bounce back in a tough measuring-stick game against a vaunted Tampa Bay team.

Through two periods and part of the 3rd on Saturday, it looked like the Flyers could keep pace with a tepid-paced Lightning offense. A three-goal period, from JT Miller, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, nearly sank them, but Claude Giroux's goal tied it late in the 3rd period helped get them a point in a wild 7-6 shootout loss.

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

As the Flyers played out of their minds over the month of February, they were humbled in their last game by Carolina. Not the prettiest game, but they had a quick chance to bounce back in a tough measuring-stick game against a vaunted Tampa Bay team.

Through two periods and part of the 3rd on Saturday, it looked like the Flyers could keep pace with a tepid-paced Lightning offense. A three-goal period, from JT Miller, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, nearly sank them, but Claude Giroux's goal tied it late in the 3rd period helped get them a point in a wild 7-6 shootout loss.

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

As the Flyers played out of their minds over the month of February, they were humbled in their last game by Carolina. Not the prettiest game, but they had a quick chance to bounce back in a tough measuring-stick game against a vaunted Tampa Bay team.

Through two periods and part of the 3rd on Saturday, it looked like the Flyers could keep pace with a tepid-paced Lightning offense. A three-goal period, from JT Miller, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, nearly sank them, but Claude Giroux's goal tied it late in the 3rd period helped get them a point in a wild 7-6 shootout loss.

As the Flyers played out of their minds over the month of February, they were humbled in their last game by Carolina. Not the prettiest game, but they had a quick chance to bounce back in a tough measuring-stick game against a vaunted Tampa Bay team.

Through two periods and part of the 3rd on Saturday, it looked like the Flyers could keep pace with a tepid-paced Lightning offense. A three-goal period, from JT Miller, Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, nearly sank them, but Claude Giroux's goal tied it late in the 3rd period helped get them a point in a wild 7-6 shootout loss.

Williams, Hurricanes down Flyers, 4-1

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Over the course of his NHL career, Justin Williams has solidified himself as a decent, serviceable player, and seemingly always finds a way to produce against the Flyers -- getting revenge time and time again for them trading him in 2004.

Fourteen years after that fateful trade, Williams continued that trend yet again on Thursday, scoring two goals and picking up an assist along the way en route to a 4-1 Hurricanes win.

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Over the course of his NHL career, Justin Williams has solidified himself as a decent, serviceable player, and seemingly always finds a way to produce against the Flyers -- getting revenge time and time again for them trading him in 2004.

Fourteen years after that fateful trade, Williams continued that trend yet again on Thursday, scoring two goals and picking up an assist along the way en route to a 4-1 Hurricanes win.

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Over the course of his NHL career, Justin Williams has solidified himself as a decent, serviceable player, and seemingly always finds a way to produce against the Flyers -- getting revenge time and time again for them trading him in 2004.

Fourteen years after that fateful trade, Williams continued that trend yet again on Thursday, scoring two goals and picking up an assist along the way en route to a 4-1 Hurricanes win.

Over the course of his NHL career, Justin Williams has solidified himself as a decent, serviceable player, and seemingly always finds a way to produce against the Flyers -- getting revenge time and time again for them trading him in 2004.

Fourteen years after that fateful trade, Williams continued that trend yet again on Thursday, scoring two goals and picking up an assist along the way en route to a 4-1 Hurricanes win.

Flyers-Hurricanes: Game 64 Preview

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It's no secret that the Flyers have been playing outright incredible hockey over the month of February, and they were rewarded after Monday's win against Montreal with first place in the Metro Division.

Because of the idiosyncrasies involving the NHL's schedule, they've lost that along the way to Washington, but sit just one point away. They have a chance to reclaim first place tonight against Carolina, and with Washington out of commission until Saturday, it could last a bit longer. 

Game time is set for 7 p.m.

It's no secret that the Flyers have been playing outright incredible hockey over the month of February, and they were rewarded after Monday's win against Montreal with first place in the Metro Division.

Because of the idiosyncrasies involving the NHL's schedule, they've lost that along the way to Washington, but sit just one point away. They have a chance to reclaim first place tonight against Carolina, and with Washington out of commission until Saturday, it could last a bit longer. 

Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Voracek, Flyers top Canadiens in OT, 3-2

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

It's always a given in hockey that you can try and dominate possession, get shots to the net and do everything needed to win the game, but still come up quite short. 

 

For the Flyers, that was about 85 seconds away from happening on Tuesday, but they pulled through.

 

Jakub Voracek tied the game late in the 3rd period, and followed up 1:26 into overtime to give the Flyers a dramatic 3-2 win.

 

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

It's always a given in hockey that you can try and dominate possession, get shots to the net and do everything needed to win the game, but still come up quite short. 

 

For the Flyers, that was about 85 seconds away from happening on Tuesday, but they pulled through.

 

Jakub Voracek tied the game late in the 3rd period, and followed up 1:26 into overtime to give the Flyers a dramatic 3-2 win.

 

It's always a given in hockey that you can try and dominate possession, get shots to the net and do everything needed to win the game, but still come up quite short. 

 

For the Flyers, that was about 85 seconds away from happening on Tuesday, but they pulled through.

 

Jakub Voracek tied the game late in the 3rd period, and followed up 1:26 into overtime to give the Flyers a dramatic 3-2 win.

 

It's always a given in hockey that you can try and dominate possession, get shots to the net and do everything needed to win the game, but still come up quite short. 

 

For the Flyers, that was about 85 seconds away from happening on Tuesday, but they pulled through.

 

Jakub Voracek tied the game late in the 3rd period, and followed up 1:26 into overtime to give the Flyers a dramatic 3-2 win.

 

Flyers-Canadiens: Game 60 Preview

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

There's no such thing as a convenient time for injuries to mount. And when you're a team looking to extend a point streak to nine games, you'll have to shake things up to have a chance to do that.

The Flyers changed several things up on Monday, acquiring Petr Mrazek from Detroit and recalling Oskar Lindblom from Lehigh Valley. Lindblom replaces Wayne Simmonds, who will be sidelined from 2-3 weeks, while Mrazek provides stability in net for the next few weeks as Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott recover.

Off the heels of an exciting 7-4 win against the Rangers on Sunday, the Orange and Black have a chance for points in their last nine games. That opportunity comes against the Montreal Canadiens, who six just six points away from the Eastern Conference's basement. This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Flyers and Habs, as they move through their season series pretty quickly.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

There's no such thing as a convenient time for injuries to mount. And when you're a team looking to extend a point streak to nine games, you'll have to shake things up to have a chance to do that.

The Flyers changed several things up on Monday, acquiring Petr Mrazek from Detroit and recalling Oskar Lindblom from Lehigh Valley. Lindblom replaces Wayne Simmonds, who will be sidelined from 2-3 weeks, while Mrazek provides stability in net for the next few weeks as Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott recover.

Off the heels of an exciting 7-4 win against the Rangers on Sunday, the Orange and Black have a chance for points in their last nine games. That opportunity comes against the Montreal Canadiens, who six just six points away from the Eastern Conference's basement. This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Flyers and Habs, as they move through their season series pretty quickly.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

There's no such thing as a convenient time for injuries to mount. And when you're a team looking to extend a point streak to nine games, you'll have to shake things up to have a chance to do that.

The Flyers changed several things up on Monday, acquiring Petr Mrazek from Detroit and recalling Oskar Lindblom from Lehigh Valley. Lindblom replaces Wayne Simmonds, who will be sidelined from 2-3 weeks, while Mrazek provides stability in net for the next few weeks as Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott recover.

Off the heels of an exciting 7-4 win against the Rangers on Sunday, the Orange and Black have a chance for points in their last nine games. That opportunity comes against the Montreal Canadiens, who six just six points away from the Eastern Conference's basement. This will be the second of three meetings this month between the Flyers and Habs, as they move through their season series pretty quickly.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Couturier, Flyers top Blue Jackets in overtime, 2-1

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By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Since the Flyers last beat the Blue Jackets in Columbus, so much has changed for them and the NHL landscape. Claude Giroux was still several months away from being drafted, five people have served as head coach, Wells Fargo Center was still called Wachovia Center and fans were still acclimating to the new rules favoring speed and skill. Just one player on the roster, Valtteri Filppula, was playing in the NHL -- and even he spent the bulk of the year in the American League. 

 

One thing remained the same, though, and it's that they could never, for whatever reason, defeat the Blue Jackets in Columbus. They finally snapped that skid on Friday, however, earning a tough 2-1 win in overtime.

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Since the Flyers last beat the Blue Jackets in Columbus, so much has changed for them and the NHL landscape. Claude Giroux was still several months away from being drafted, five people have served as head coach, Wells Fargo Center was still called Wachovia Center and fans were still acclimating to the new rules favoring speed and skill. Just one player on the roster, Valtteri Filppula, was playing in the NHL -- and even he spent the bulk of the year in the American League. 

 

Flyers-Blue Jackets: Game 58 Preview

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While the Flyers have been playing superbly since their 10-game losing streak, that mileage has certainly varied for other teams in the Metropolitan Division. The Columbus Blue Jackets, a team many thought would be a contender this season, find themselves on the outside looking in (just by a point), and have won just three out of their last 10 games -- a stretch that also includes a five-game losing streak.

It's the second meeting between both teams this season, and a chance for the Flyers to make some ground up after a shootout loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. One thing the Flyers should be prepare for? A lot of shots to the net. With a staggering 57 shots on net on Wednesday (a 6-3 loss to Toronto), the Blue Jackets became the first team since 1967-68 to record three consecutive games of 50 or more shots. John Tortorella's getting simplistic these days, having his team throw everything but the kitchen sink on net.

The game is also a chance for the Flyers to exorcise one of the weirdest demons in the NHL. The Orange and Black have not won at Nationwide Arena since December 2005, amassing a 0-5-6 record along the way. It's a building they've only won in twice -- for perspective, they have as many ties there as they do wins. Not something you see every day in the NHL, but a weird stat nonetheless.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

While the Flyers have been playing superbly since their 10-game losing streak, that mileage has certainly varied for other teams in the Metropolitan Division. The Columbus Blue Jackets, a team many thought would be a contender this season, find themselves on the outside looking in (just by a point), and have won just three out of their last 10 games -- a stretch that also includes a five-game losing streak.

It's the second meeting between both teams this season, and a chance for the Flyers to make some ground up after a shootout loss to New Jersey on Tuesday. One thing the Flyers should be prepare for? A lot of shots to the net. With a staggering 57 shots on net on Wednesday (a 6-3 loss to Toronto), the Blue Jackets became the first team since 1967-68 to record three consecutive games of 50 or more shots. John Tortorella's getting simplistic these days, having his team throw everything but the kitchen sink on net.

The game is also a chance for the Flyers to exorcise one of the weirdest demons in the NHL. The Orange and Black have not won at Nationwide Arena since December 2005, amassing a 0-5-6 record along the way. It's a building they've only won in twice -- for perspective, they have as many ties there as they do wins. Not something you see every day in the NHL, but a weird stat nonetheless.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Brian Elliott's Injury Situation is Rough, but Manageable

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff 

Just when it looks like the Flyers have been putting together some momentum for a playoff run, they find themselves in the midst of a drastic setback.

Brian Elliott, their go-to between the pipes for the better part of the season, is out for five-to-six weeks after undergoing successful core muscle surgery. Elliott's been dealing with some injury woes this season, and with the Flyers currently occupying the third playoff spot in the Metro Division, it's a tough blow.

Sure, it's more adversity for the Flyers to deal with this season, in a campaign which has seen them deal with plenty of it. But as rough as it is, it's something they'll be able to work through.

(Kate Frese/SB Nation)

By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly staff