Blue Jackets LW Raffi Torres is an ideal spot-starter for Wednesday night's games.

The Blue Jackets host the Red Wings on Wednesday night, and I’m recommending a spot-start for Jackets LW Raffi Torres.

Here’s why:

1. He’s hot. He has four goals in his last four games — specifically, he scored twice at Atlanta Nov. 5 and twice at Washington Nov. 1.

2. He’s available. He’s only 2.8 percent owned in ESPN leagues and six percent owned in Yahoo! formats.

3. Other left wings are on the shelf. No one yet knows the availability of Stars LW James Neal or Caps LW Alex Ovechkin. Never mind the injuries to Kovalchuk, Sedin, and Gagne.

4. He has a strong track record against the Red Wings. In five games against Detroit last season, Torres scored two goals and tallied one assist. He also logged eight penalty minutes.

5. Jackets G Steve Mason can handle the Wings. In the regular season, that is. Last year, in five games, Mason went 3-2 with a .930 save percentage and a 2.38 GAA.

So get Torres in your lineup. If he doesn’t score Wednesday night, you can guiltlessly drop him.

photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Flyers avoided the league-wide injury plague long enough and now it’s time to pay their due

Danny Briere left Friday’s practice early with an apparent lower body injury that is likely to keep him out of Saturday’s contest against Carolina.  David Laliberte has been called up in case Briere can not go.  The official injury term is “lower body soreness.”

“It’s a tough break for Danny,” said general manager Paul Holmgren. “He was playing well. Early in the (Capitals) game he had an issue. He finished the game. We thought we’d give him one day off and it’s gone from there.”

The injury to Briere is the second major affliction hitting the Flyers’ forwards.  Just days ago, Simon Gagne was diagnosed with a double hernia and was placed on LTIR.  Briere has 5 goals and 2 assists in 10 games.

Laliberte, 23, scored 28 goals and 20 assists in 70 games with the Phantoms last season.  The Flyers have been impressed with Laliberte’s maturity and finishing capability after drafting him in the fourth round of the 2004 draft.

But when it gets this predictable, you get bored.

Through 11 games of this season, the Bruins’ record is as such: Loss, win, loss, win, loss, win, loss, win, (shootout) loss, win, loss. This leaves us with 11 points – fourth in the division, but only four points behind Buffalo, three behind Ottawa, and one behind Montreal.

It also puts us in a three-way tie for eighth in the conference right now with Philadelphia and Tampa Bay, but the Flyers get the edge based on that shootout win they had against us. Curse you, Ray Emery!

Last night’s game against the Devils was a heartbreaker – the boys had one of their best starts all season, only to lose the game on a Dainius Zubrus goal 18:34 into the third period. The Lunch-Pail Crew – Shawn Thornton, Steve Begin, and Byron Bitz – especially played well. An exchange between my friend and I during the game went as follows:

“No one remind Bitz that he is not supposed to play pretty.”

“Are our fourth-liners… oh my god, GOOD?”

“Shhhhhh. Don’t tell them that they are fourth-liners… they forgot.”

I love the Lunch-Pailers, past and present. They’re the guys who are going to get us through the injury-induced absence of Marc Savard. You can also call Daniel Paille and Vladimir Sobotka members of this prestigious group. These guys, the grit, heart, and soul of the team, are the ones who score the key goals for us and make the key plays, not the top six.

Why do I say that? Every team we need to beat has a solid top line (when healthy, ours is Marco Sturm, Savard, and Michael Ryder; Montreal’s features Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, and Brian Gionta; Philadelphia has Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, and Daniel Briere, et cetera). But not every team we need to beat has a solid fourth line. Come on, do you really think lines with Arron Asham and Georges Laraque stand a chance in matchups against our boys? I think not.

The Bruins play the Edmonton Oilers in a matinee tomorrow. Not to jinx the pattern, but I foresee a win…

After dispatching defenseman Randy Jones into AHL exile prior to the start of the season, the Flyers seem to have had second thoughts.

As of Wednesday, the Flyers have placed Jones on re-entry waivers in an attempt to get him back on the active roster.  If claimed, Philly would be responsible for half his $2.75 million salary, $1.37. All of which would remain on the salary cap.

However, this move isn’t intended to ship Jones away, rather to have him serve a purpose on the roster, possibly taking over for Danny Syvret as the team’s sixth defender.

If you are wondering where the Flyers suddenly have the money to take on Jones’ salary, the team is likely to announce shortly that forward Simon Gagne will undergo surgery for a double hernia and will be placed on the long-term injured reserve.  The move frees up Gagne’s cap hit of $5.25 million, giving the Flyers the ability to take on salary.

Alexander Semin scored a go-ahead goal in the 3rd period, also adding a pair of assists, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on Tuesday night.  Alexander Ovechkin scored a pair of goals, including an empty netter in the final moments.

Scott Hartnell and Braydon Coburn each scored powerplay goals in the 2nd period, but that was all the scoring the Flyers would get.  Jose Theodore was good in goal, saving 41 of 43 shots, including a penalty shot from Darrol Powe in the 3rd.

Kimmo Timmonen’s tough season has continued, as Semin’s shot in the 3rd appeard to hit off his knee and get past Ray Emery.

“I don’t know what I should do,” Timonen said. “Every time bad breaks happen, I’m on the ice.”

Simon Gagne missed the game and is considered day-to-day.  Gagne could possibly need surgery for pair of small hernias in his groin.  The Flyers medical staff will meet with Gagne later today.

It came as no surprise to hear that Simon Gagne is injured as he is having an extremely slow start this season, with 1 goals and 4 assists in 9 games.

News broke yesterday that Simon Gagne would not be traveling with the team to D.C. tonight because of a lower body injury. It was planned that he would be further examined. Today, the results came in as two hernias in his right groin.

After conducting an ultra sound that showed the hernias Gagne was examined by Dr. Alan Schurict from Pennsylvania Hospital. As of now, surgery is not definite but sounds like it will be an option. Gagne will meet with doctors tomorrow to discuss his options.

The injury is being said to not be connected to Gagne’s hip surgery during the off season or the groin injury he suffered while at the Team Canada camp.

WASHINGTON– Philadelphia Flyers left-winger Simon Gagne has finally found out what has been bothering him since his offseason hip surgery. That would unfortunately be two small hernia’s in his groin. Gagne may need surgery to repair the problem; however, that won’t be determined until possibly tomorrow.

GM Paul Holmgren revealed that this injury is unrelated to the groin and hip issues Gagne has been suffering from. Whether or not this is good news or bad news, the end result will still require Gagne to go on injured reserve. He will be out indefinitely.

“We’ve handled Simon very carefully this time, based on what happened at the hockey Canada camp in August,” Holmgren said. “Coming back to our training camp, we made an effort to give him more time than he even he thought was needed. This is just a totally different thing. From what I understand, this is not related to what happened during the summer.”

The club said he went through an examination today and found the hernia’s. But a decision on what’s next for the 29-year-old will probably come Wednesday.

“Simon Gagne was examined today by Dr. Allen Schurict from Pennsylvania Hospital after an ultrasound procedure (Monday) found two small hernias in Simon’s right groin area,” said general manager Paul Holmgren Tuesday afternoon.

“Our medical staff will meet with Simon tomorrow afternoon to discuss all options,” that may or may not include surgery to repair the hernias.

This hernia situation for Gagne is not the same issue fellow teammate Danny Briere suffered through last season.

“Is his a sports hernia or just a hernia, I guess they are different because that is what I was told,” Briere said. “My own experience, last year was tough. I only played one game after the first (injury). After the second time, it was almost four months and I felt I was way behind everybody.

“It was tough to catch up missing so much time. When you are rehabbing, you are rehabbing that area, you are not rehabbing working on your explosiveness and strength. There is only so much you can do.

Coming into this season, Gagne has had three surgeries to his hip and groin the past four years.

Quotes: CSNPhilly

VOORHEES, N.J.- According to Bucks County Flyers beat writer Wayne Fish, the Flyers are contemplating putting left-winger Simon Gagne on injured-reserve, due to the fact that he might need hernia surgery.

The newspaper received this news late Monday night from an NHL source.

Gagne, 29, didn’t practice Monday after only playing one shift in the third period of Sunday’s loss to the San Jose Sharks. Gagne underwent an ultrasound Monday afternoon.

As expected, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren denied the source’s findings.

“The exact path (of action) will not be decided until tomorrow (today),” Holmgren insisted. “Anything else reported would be wrong.” Holmgren also gave no updates on the results of the ultrasound, because there is none.

The problems Gagne is having so far this season in terms of production, could relate to the physical issues he’s experiencing now.

Gagne has netted one goal and four assists through nine games.

I will try to update this when news becomes available. If not right away, I will definitely have something up here by mid afternoon.

Also, check out this blog’s group page on Facebook and become a ‘Fan’. Everything that goes here will be added to that page.

Source: Wayne Fish-Bucks County Times

According to an official release from the Philadelphia Flyers, forward Simon Gagne is very questionable for Tuesday’s game in Washington due to a lower body injury.  The good news is —  it’s not his groin.

As it stands now, center Blair Betts is set to return off the IR on Tuesday, moving either Darroll Powe or Mika Pyorala to a top-3 line to replace Gagne.

More injury is the last thing Gagne needs.  After missing most of the preseason with a groin injury suffered in Team Canada’s conditioning camp, the 29-year-old winger has not been the same. Scoring 34 goals last year for the Flyers, Gagne has just one goal and four assists in nine games.

But it isn’t his statistics that are the issue — it’s his ice presence.

Gagne has noticeably floated aimlessly around the ice and has purposely not taken contact, to the point where many speculated a lingering groin problem.

PHILADELPHIA- To use a baseball reference i’ll throw out the most obvious. The Philadelphia Flyers ‘hit’ a home run last night defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 from the Wachovia Center, their second straight win.

The Flyers showed the hockey world what they can do when they perform at a high level for a full 60 minutes. Philadelphia outshot the Panthers 38-18.

Danny Briere continued his tear on the score sheet netting two goals and adding an assist. Arron Asham scored his third goal in as many games. Rookie James van Riemsdyk notched his first NHL goal on a pretty breakaway effort.

Simon Gagne finally got the monkey off his back ringing the red light for his first of the season. Before the goal, his seven-game goal-less drought was the longest of his 10-year career.

The alarming part of this game is the fact that nobody will remember the five goals and 38 shot performance the Flyers put on the cats. They will remember ‘the hit’.

Florida left wing David Booth was taken off the ice on stretcher after a hard hit from Philadelphia captain Mike Richards. With 2:55 left in the second, Booth had just made a pass in front of the Flyers’ blue line, and Richards skated across and drilled into him. Richards’ shoulder went straight to the head on Booth, who had his head down.

Booth seemed to be unconscious before he hit the ice. The impact when he hit the ice might have done more damage than the actual hit itself.

Booth, who scored the only Florida goal, was taken immediately to Pennsylvania Hospital. It was said that Booth has a concussion, a cut above his eye, and more importantly motion in all of his extremities. He will be held overnight.

What was the reaction from Richards about his hit on Booth?

“I’m never out there to hurt anyone,” Richards said. “I have respect for the game and respect for the players. My concern is with him. Hopefully, he’s fine and gets better. I just wanted to separate him from the puck. He dished it off and everything happened so quickly. I don’t have a history of head shots and I don’t even know if it was a head shot.”

GM Paul Holmgren believed it was a legal hockey hit. He does not think the hit was suspension worthy.

“I don’t see how they (NHL) can view it like that,” Holmgren said. “Mike was doing his job. His feet never left the ice. It was a shoulder hit. David Booth turned his head. It looks like he saw him at the last second, but turned his head and his head took the blow. It would have been shoulder on shoulder if not. It’s a physical game and sometimes these things happen. I feel bad for David Booth. He’s a good young player. Hopefully everything is going to be all right.”

Obviously, the Flyers have their certain; however, the other side had some thoughts on the situation.

“Richards knows (Booth) is in vulnerable position and goes after him,” said Panthers defensemen Keith Ballard. “He’s done it before. That’s the same stuff they’ve been trying to cut out. The thing with Mike Richards is he’s a good, honest player. I love a lot about him game. He does a lot of things well, but then he does that stuff.”

It shows how Ballard is mainly upset with the situation a fellow teammate is in. Although, he should know Richards isn’t the kind of player that goes head hunting.

The Flyers and Richards should find out sometime this morning if their captain will miss any game action due to a suspension. The issue has to be handled quick because the Flyers play San Jose tonight at the Wachovia Center.

Notes:

Jeff Carter had 11 scoring chances and won the faceoff battle for the second straight game….Briere’s two goals gave him his 28th multi-goal game of his career……Goaltender Brian Boucher will see regular season action for the first time this season. Yes, against his former team.

Quotes: Flyers

James Van Riemsdyk scored his first NHL goal, Danny Briere added 2 more, and the Flyers cruised to a 5-1 victory in South Philly on Saturday night.  The Flyers out shot the Florida Panthers 38-18.

Aaron Asham and Simon Gagne added goals, and Asham has now found the back of the net in 3 straight games.  Briere and JVR also added assists, while Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger, and Mike Richards had 2 assists each.  However, the big offensive night for the Flyers was overshadowed by a big, controversial, high hit.

Flyers captain Mike Richards laid a big hit in neutral ice on David Booth late in the 2nd period.  Booth, who scored the lone Florida goal earlier in the game on Ray Emery, laid motionless on the ice for some time before being taken off on a stretcher.  Booth, who has movement in his extremities, will be kept overnight in an area hospital for observations.  Richards received a 5 minute major for interference and a 10 minute game misconduct for the hit.

The Flyers will look for their 3rd straight win Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks in South Philly.  The Sharks (6-4-1) are coming off a 4-3 win in Atlanta against the Thrashers.  The Panthers will have some time off as they head home and prepare to take on Ottawa on Wednesday.

Source: rds.ca

Trouvez-vous qu’il y a suffisamment de joueurs québécois dans la LNH??? Bob Sirois affirme dans son livre “Le Québec mis en échec” qu’à talent égal, les équipes vont préférer un joueurs unilingue anglais plutôt qu’un québécois! Un document qui risque de faire couler beaucoup d’encre dans tout le Canada!!!

Je félicite le courage de M. Sirois qui a fait une recherche approfondie sur le sujet avec de nombreux tableaux représentants le déclin du nombre de québécois dans la ligue mais sérieusement…qu’est-ce que ça va donner? On est pas à l’époque de Maurice Richard quand même??? C’est un secret de polichinelle!!! Il n’y a que les équipes du Québec comme le Canadien et anciennement les Nordiques qui mettaient des joueurs québécois moyens à l’avant-plan!!! Maintenant, le hockey est une business et je comprends une équipe de Calgary qui choisira dans leur rang un gars de la région afin de vendre des billets plutôt qu’un québécois! ON FAISAIT LA MEME CHOSE À L’ÉPOQUE… Gilbert Dionne et André Racicot…est-ce que ça vous dit quelque chose???

Je crois sincèrement que ce livre révèle des choses importantes mais n’aidera en aucun cas la situation des québécois dans la LNH. Elle va plutôt les faire passer pour des “chiâleux“, des “boudeux” et des “brailleux“!!! Il faut s’adapter à la nouvelle génération de la ligue et son ouverture aux joueurs européens. Il y a moins de place pour tout le monde, c’est la loi de la jungle…seul les meilleurs survivent!!! Parlez-en à Martin Brodeur, Vincent Lecavalier et Simon Gagné…

Cessez de parler de scandales et de livre-choc SVP… C’est aussi réel qu’un Shane Doan qui traite un québécois de “fuck*** frog” pendant un match…et cela arrive plus fréquemment que vous le penser!!! Ça fait partie de la game…

During the latest rare occurence of a five-day break in between games, Coach John Stevens has had some time to watch and observe his team with quite a few practices. Changes were made. No, don’t get those thoughts, I meant line changes.

The past couple Flyers practices have looked a bit different.

Claude Giroux was taken off the Mike Richards-Simon Gagne line and will now be paired with James van Riemsdyk along with Ian Laperriere. “Things were clicking a bit, but it’s good to try new stuff, and we’ll see the next game how it goes,” Giroux said.

We just like the feel of it better,” said John Stevens. “I think Claude does good things with Richie and Gags, but I really like him in the middle of the ice. He gets the puck more, he’s a dynamic player in open ice, and he’s a playmaker.”

Arron Asham has been bumped up to the first line to play with Richards and Gagne. Asham who has been very effective since earning his spot back into the lineup, knows exactly what role he has to play.

“I know what my role is on that line,” said Asham. “I’m gonna give them the puck, crash the net, work in the corners and be a physical presence and make sure no one takes any liberties.”

Giroux will return to the same line he began the season with centering the same linemate JVR. Even though the Richards-Gagne-Giroux line created a lot of oppurtunites, change is sometimes a good thing especially to a team that has the depth to do so.

Stevens is very confident in his teams ability to adapt to any situation he puts them in and this one isnt’ any different.

“Richie is a very creative guy and has a lot of puck possession time, Gags is a shooter, and I do think you need a guy that goes to the net. [Asham] will get an opportunity and we hope he can provide that,” Stevens added.

The Flyers return to action Thursday when they faceoff against the Boston Bruins from the Wachovia Center.

Quotes: Flyers

Amid offensive inconsistency the past two games, in which the Flyers have only scored a total of four goals, coach John Stevens has mixed up the lines once again in an attempt to capture some depth production.

“It’s more because of lack of production,” said Stevens.  ”We had a three lines before that could all score and a fourth that could chip in and we liked the feel of it better.”

Two games after putting forward Claude Giroux on the right wing next to center Mike Richards and left wing Simon Gagne, Stevens has returned Giroux to third-line center next to James van Riemsdyk, where he began the season with the addition of Ian Laperriere as the other winger.  Giroux scored a goal and an assist in the two games up with Richards.

“Claude did some good things with Richards and Gagne but I really like him in the middle of the ice,” said Stevens, who loves matching up a playmaker with a shooter and net crasher.   “He gets the puck more, he’s a dynamic player in open ice.  Claude is a playmaker and Richards is a playmaker and together it seems like they are trying to pass the puck in the net in stead of shoot the puck or get the puck to guys who can shoot it.”

Giroux expressed that it doesn’t matter where he plays as long as it helps the team be successful.

“Things were clicking a bit [with Richards and Gagne] but it’s good to try new stuff,” said Giroux. “We’ll see going into the next game how it goes.  Playing with Laperriere and JVR, it should be a good line.”

Moving into Giroux’s spot on the top line is Arron Asham, who scored his first goal the season in the Flyers’ 4-2 loss to Florida last Friday.  Asham is one of the harder working players on the team and has better hands than most of the Flyers who could fill the net crashing role.

“Richards is a creative guy and Gagne is a shooter and we need a guy to go to the net,” said Stevens.  ”Hopefully Asham can provide that.”

Asham knows his role on the top line.

“I’m going to just go out and play my game and hope to create  some room and hopefully we can help turn the ship around,” said Asham, who was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season.  ”I know what my role is on the line.  To give them the puck, crash the net and work in the corners.  Be a physical presence out there and make sure no one takes liberties.”

The Flyers are hoping to generate more offense by simply throwing the puck on net and letting guys like Asham try to put it in.

“We need to get more pucks to the net,” said Stevens. “We’re doing a good job controlling the puck and spending long stretches in the offensive zone.  We’ve been getting a lot of chances we just need to start burying some of those chances.  To do that we need to shoot the puck more get to the net.”

Forward Blair Betts, who separated his shoulder against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 6, has recovered quickly from the injury but remains doubtful for Thursday’s contest against the Bruins.  Holding him out of the lineup seems precautionary.

“We want to make sure he’s fully rehabed and stable before we get him back in a game situation,” said Stevens.  ”I think it’s a stretch to get him back by Thursday but he’s certainly getting close.”