PuckUpdate .: The Hockey Blog
Reusse Not Wild About Wild: Patrick Reusse has a great column blasting Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough for not doing enough to improve the team. Reusse attributes cheapness to a lot of Risebrough's moves, but with a salary floor, there's really not a huge advantage...... , posted on July 09, 2008 more
NHL Keeps on Waiving and Trading: The Flyers continue to revamp their defense, trading for Janne Niskala from Nashville. Unlike previous seasons, Philadelphia doesn't seem to be going after the big free-agent names (although we'll see what happens with that next week). Instead, the Flyers, who...... , posted on June 25, 2008 more
You Can't Avoid the Draft: Wow. Kind of an exciting draft weekend. Although I am with Jeff Z. Klein in that I too find it a little annoying that you don't know if a team had a good draft for something like five years. That's...... , posted on June 23, 2008 more
Tampa: 'Hey Flyers! Do You Want Insurance on that Rental?': I don't know if anyone in the NHL head office is actively looking for a new project, but if anyone is, he should look into boomerang trades (where an NHL team trades a player away, only for the player to...... , posted on June 19, 2008 more
Malkin Sick; Stevie Y Stays Classy: My favorite part of the end of each round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is when the losing team reveals its injuries. It's like a big mystery is solved each round. Over in Pittsburgh, the big reveal was Evgeni Malkin...... , posted on June 06, 2008 more
Flyers Don't Fly: OK. So I guess the Flyers were more out of gas than we thought. What can you say about a 6-0 loss? It's just a horrible way for the Flyers to end their season. Moving onto other things, Larry Brooks...... , posted on May 19, 2008 more
Flyers Win One for the Timonen-er: In my head, Flyers coach John Stevens and Stars coach Dave Tippett have been on the phone all week, convincing each other not to get swept. After Dallas avoided the sweep, I imagined Tippett running to the phone and telling...... , posted on May 16, 2008 more
Flyers Raise Expectations, Then Crush Them: The Flyers are so frustrating. They overperformed through two rounds and now, in the Eastern Conference finals, once everyone thinks they're ready to make a game of it, they revert to their in-season form. They lost 4-1 last night, putting...... , posted on May 14, 2008 more
Pennsylvania: 'Let's Get Physical, Physical!': Before the playoffs started, I would have laughed at the idea the Penguins could play as physically as the Flyers. But one thing about the Penguins is they've really allowed their game to evolve in the post-season. While their series...... , posted on May 07, 2008 more
A Tribute to the Beat Writers: Today is dedicated to the beat writers, the unsung heroes of the NHL. And honestly, the guys who supply most of my content. Tim Panaccio says the worst thing about covering Peter Forsberg in Philadelphia was all of the medical...... , posted on May 05, 2008 more
Bob Barker: 'The Halak Is Not Right, Either': I don't quite understand the Canadiens goalie situation. Last night, they started backup Jaroslav Halak over rookie Carey Price, presumably their future franchise goalie. Price has struggled in the playoffs, but he's also had some great moments. In other words,...... , posted on May 01, 2008 more
Habs Pay the Price for Flyers Defense: The role of defense in the playoffs is such an interesting thing. The Devils, with no offense to speak of, left in the first round of the playoffs when their defense wasn't enough to keep them in games. The Ducks,...... , posted on April 29, 2008 more
No Goalie Fights? Are You Sure?: I know we're all very busy people here, so I'm going to cut right to the chase. Chris Osgood says there's not going to be a goalie fight between the Avs and the Wings. I'm glad Mitch Albom thought to...... , posted on April 25, 2008 more
Roenick Rises: When aging NHL superstars sign with teams in nice climates, I tend to think they're career is pretty much over. Look at Brett Hull in Phoenix. Look at Jeremy Roenick in Phoenix. Of course, Roenick decided his career wasn't over...... , posted on April 23, 2008 more
Ovechkin Forces Game Seven: Obviously, Alex Ovechkin was having kind of a quiet series against the Flyers. Of course, when this guy finds an opportunity, he really finds an opportunity. He scored the game-winner off a turnover in the Caps end. The Flyers had...... , posted on April 22, 2008 more
Thornton Steps Up: The book on Joe Thornton, to a certain extent, has always been that he's not a leader. That he's not a big game guy. There was never any denying his talent, but there were always rumblings about his impact in...... , posted on April 16, 2008 more
Hot Goalies, Cold Coaches: Here's a fun fact: Peter Forsberg has yet to play three consecutive games this season. The Avs have got to love that. Actually, the Wild probably do find that a fun fact, seeing as how they're meeting in the playoffs....... , posted on April 08, 2008 more
When I Say Freeze, You Just Freeze One Time...: So after last night's games, it looks like the Western Conference playoff picture is all set. I'm most excited about the Calgary-San Jose match-up, which pits two great, uptempo, puckmoving teams against one another. I'm thinking that series is really...... , posted on April 04, 2008 more
Southeast Gets Hot; Shockingly Not Humid: It's so funny that the Southeast division champion will basically be determined by Tampa Bay and Florida. Washington and Carolina's final games are against those two teams. Last night, Carolina beat Tampa Bay to keep them in the playoff hunt....... , posted on April 03, 2008 more
NBC Does Hockey Well!: I know I often complain about the quality of US hockey telecasts, so in the spirit of being constructive, I should probably say I've really been loving NBC's Sunday coverage. I'm not a huge fan of Doc Emrick's work for...... , posted on March 31, 2008 more
Penguins More Powerful Without Crosby?: Well this is a little bit interesting: The Penguins struggling power play was actually more efficient with Sidney Crosby out of the lineup. Dave Molinari chalks some of this up to Crosby and Evgeni Malkin often deferring to each other...... , posted on March 12, 2008 more
Huet Who?: OK. I think this is it for trade deadline stuff. I've just been slow going through all of it. Much like the rest of the hockey world, Caps goalie Olie Kolzig's agent is a little confused as to why the...... , posted on February 29, 2008 more
Flyers Refuse to Win: So the wheels have really come off in Philly, eh? They've lost nine in a row (login info.). What's going on with the Flyers? A lot of things. Injuries (Simon Gagne has shut it down for the season and I...... , posted on February 22, 2008 more
Goalie-ality: Tim Panaccio says the NHL needs more exciting goaltenders like Ron Hextall (login info.). Hextall likes Miikka Kiprusoff, Robert Luongo, Martin Biron, Antero Niittymaki, and Martin Brodeur, in terms of excitement. I'd throw Rick DiPietro into the mix. He once...... , posted on February 11, 2008 more
Sabres: 'What? It Takes Us Like Six Years to Sign Guys. Is That Such a Big Deal?': Crazy stuff in Buffalo. Other than their inability to win. The NHL is investigating accusations Daniel Briere started negotiating with the Flyers before he was officially a free agent. So far, the NHL has nothing indicating anything below-board went down....... , posted on January 22, 2008 more
Lucky 13: I guess pretty much everyone has heard Alex Ovechkin signed some kind of contract extension? Thirteen years is pretty insane, though. I understand the desire to get one of the NHL's best young players locked up, especially before other teams...... , posted on January 14, 2008 more
Flyers Continue to Rampage: Who Will Stop Them?: I know I joke about the Flyers being a crazed street gang, but it's kind of not a joke. I know the NHL says says there's no proof Flyers defenseman Derian Hatcher bit Travis Zajac's finger, but I know who...... , posted on January 07, 2008 more
Iron Joe: Joe Sakic is crazy. Every time I look at his stats, I find something new and horribly impressive. Tonight he'll miss his third game in a row. The last time he missed more than one regular season game? 2002-03. And...... , posted on December 05, 2007 more
Flyers Continue to Hurt Everyone: Rich Hoffman writes about what most hockey fans are probably thinking: the Flyers are a bunch of thugs (login info.). Well he doesn't really say that. He mostly talks about Scott Hartnell as the latest Flyer suspended for a rough...... , posted on November 29, 2007 more
Legion of Doomed: Big night for the Flyers' Legion of Doom line. Eric Lindros announced his official retirement from hockey. John LeClair was charged with drunk driving. I'm guessing Mikael Renberg is hiding somewhere. Tim Panaccio has a great Lindros quote from Rick...... , posted on November 08, 2007 more
Who Can Stop the Flyers? Seriously. Help!: So what happens first? Do the Flyers just run out of players to suit up or do they hurt everyone else in the league until there's no one left to play? While I'm reasonably sure Randy Jones didn't mean to...... , posted on October 29, 2007 more
No Captain Kapanen: So Jason Smith, aka not Sami Kapanen, is the new captain of the Flyers (login info.). Obviously, I wasn't consulted on this. I guess it's better than Buffalo's Captain of the Month Club. The C comes with a nice mustard,...... , posted on October 03, 2007 more
Islanders Find a Clue: Charles Wang, who owns the Islanders, is such a weird guy. His franchise is synonymous with insanely bad contracts. And yet, Wang does have some genuinely good negotiation instincts. Forward Sean Bergenheim stalled signing his contract with the Islanders last...... , posted on September 25, 2007 more
Free Sami!: Terry Frei revisits Eric Lindros' career, wondering if Lindros was truly the NHL's biggest bust. The piece is actually nicer and more balanced than that, but it just goes to show you, more than anything else, that performance is really...... , posted on September 24, 2007 more
Devils: 'Duck!': Wow. I'm never going to coach the Devils. They're freaking tough. From Larry Brooks: With [GM Lou] Lamoriello attending to administrative duties and therefore absent from his usual perch at the rink, one of the veterans intentionally shot a puck...... , posted on July 16, 2007 more
Reshuffling the Deck and Deck Chairs: Wow. Crazy night. The Rangers got both Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, somehow. Gomez is pretty interesting since his dangling style is a little bit like Michael Nylander's. Interestingly, TSN sees Drury on the top line. Obviously, a big concern...... , posted on July 01, 2007 more
Second!: Tim Panaccio looks at the illustrious history of number two draft picks (login info.): guys like Chris Pronger, Brad Park and Petr Nedved. Of course, this year's draft is supposed to be pretty thin, so I'm not sure there'll be...... , posted on June 22, 2007 more
Foppa Flies Off: I don't know why the Predators gave up so much for Peter Forsberg (login info.). Two draft picks and a prospect for a rental? A rental who announced "Today is not a good day... . It's been a really bad...... , posted on February 16, 2007 more
Fun With Headlines: From TSN: Forsberg Continues to be Optimistic Continues? Was he OK with playing on a lousy team with a messed-up foot? Did I miss the part where Forsberg was feeling good about that? I'd love to see who else TSN...... , posted on February 01, 2007 more
Foppa Fight: Obviously, a lot of teams want Peter Forsberg and his magic foot, but how cool is it that the Avs and the Wings are both interested in him? A rivalry within a rivalry. It's brilliant....... , posted on January 26, 2007 more
Evolutionary Hockey-ology: So the Flyers are having a tough year. But don't worry. They have a plan. They're going to try and sign some big free agents next season (login info.). You know. Because Derian Hatcher and Peter Forsberg and Petr Nedved...... , posted on January 19, 2007 more
York: 'I Put the York in New York...I Mean Philadelphia': Goodbye, JABS. Congrats to JABS mastermind Chris Young, though. He's moving into a new gig at The Toronto Star. On an even sadder note, the Flyers have got to love this little tidbit from Ed Moran: "If [the Flyers] play...... , posted on December 21, 2006 more
Soft Ice, Hard Times: After two years of an insane amount of injuries (even not counting the ever-fragile Peter Forsberg), the Flyers are starting to realize it might not just be bad luck (login info.). One possible cause of the injuries? Soft ice at...... , posted on December 19, 2006 more
The Culture of Fans, Part II: Yesterday, I talked about the culture of fans and how it's something GMs might want to consider. Today, I have more proof: the Ducks, one of the NHL's best teams right now, isn't drawing fans (login info.). If you look...... , posted on November 21, 2006 more
Panic Button: Wow. Could the Coyotes be pressing any more panic buttons? I'm not saying they're scared, I'm just saying if Jody Foster ever does a sequel to one of her movies, she might want to hang out by the Coyotes' bench...... , posted on October 30, 2006 more
Quick Hits: The Fox glow puck comes to life! The Flyers realized they can get the same quality coaching and general managing with no one doing it (login info.). Jay McKee does a mean Carl Pavano impression....... , posted on October 23, 2006 more
Flyers: 'Nah. We're Good': Flyers in no hurry to trade for goalie... since they haven't had a good one since John Vanbiesbrouck....... , posted on September 28, 2006 more
If I Ran the NHL: Bigger nets? Nah. I'd get smaller goalies. That's right. If I ran the NHL, goalies could be no taller than 4' and could be no older than 10 years old. Bigger nets? What the heck is that? Fans don't want...... , posted on September 12, 2006 more
'stache Talk: This is writing about hockey in August: Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock looks younger without a mustache (login info.). The crazy thing is, and I have no idea how this happened, but Hitchcock's mustache found its way to New York Yankee...... , posted on August 21, 2006 more
Neil Smith: 'It Ain't Easy Being Me': The New York Daily News had a very cool story looking at Neil Smith's post-Ranger career. It's interesting, because Smith speaks super candidly about his six years without a GM job. He talks about almost getting the GM gig in...... , posted on August 14, 2006 more
Sinden: 'Wait. There Are Other Teams in the League? Is That a New Thing?': OK. Not a ton of hockey news this week and still, I've been delinquent: Harry Sinden resigned as president of the Bruins, leaving a legacy of being a cost-conscious manager (login info.). Right. Which is why he gave then-rookie Joe...... , posted on August 11, 2006 more
Skating Back to Cali: I know the Flyers are crazy deep with centers, and I know Kyle Calder is supposed to have a ton of upside, but I'm still shocked the Flyers traded away Michal Handzus knowing Keith Primeau seems a long way off...... , posted on August 08, 2006 more
Hockey Smorgasboard: First, some non-Stanley Cup stuff: Larry Brooks runs some interesting scenarios, trying to figure out what it takes to keep Patrik Elias in New Jersey (login info.). Brooks suspects Elias is looking for a deal that will let him play...... , posted on June 19, 2006 more
Ain't No Cake Like a Johnny Cake: Larry Brooks thinks the OLN/NBC studio shows are boring (login info.). He's pitching Jeremy Roenick as a talking head. I think it would be cool to pair him with Brett Hull. They even kind of look alike. Brooks' point is...... , posted on May 22, 2006 more
The Olympics Are Never Over; Hockey Guys Are Nice: Yesterday's Times had an interesting take on the Rangers' implosion, blaming the Olympics. So here's my updated Olympics vs. Playoffs chart: The chart still says that the Olympics didn't negatively impact all teams. Colorado did just fine with their 10...... , posted on May 03, 2006 more
Where's Recchi?: So everyone seems to agree the Penguins are looking to move Mark Recchi. The question is, where is he going? Tim Panaccio says it's not to the Flyers (login info.). Larry Brooks doesn't know either, but he says Recchi is...... , posted on January 16, 2006 more
Flying Low Again: A lot of people are wondering how Philadelphia Flyer Simon Gagne is managing to score at will this season. The answer is pretty obvious, though. He's just about the only healthy Flyer. Who else is going to score? Or sharpen...... , posted on December 08, 2005 more
Comrie Benched: Mike Comrie has always fascinated me. He was so dynamic in Edmonton. Then, he sat out and ended up a Flyer, which was a bad fit for him and his more freewheeling style. His having sat out a few months...... , posted on October 25, 2005 more
Cablevision Blacks Out Again: Here in New York City, OLN is making the October 5 NHL opener, featuring Flyers-Rangers, available to any cable system that wants it. How come? Great question. Cablevision, which owns the Rangers, doesn't think OLN has an exclusive right to...... , posted on September 28, 2005 more
Hatcher Still Suspended: This is sort of weird/interesting. Philadelphia's Derian Hatcher said he was told that his suspension for elbowing Matthew Lombardi during the playoffs would be null and void after the lockout (or at least reduced) (login info.). Now he's being told...... , posted on September 26, 2005 more
A Three Asterisk Kind of Morning...: Interesting. Larry Brooks says there's a rumor the Thrashers might be low-balling Ilya Kovalchuk at the suggestion of NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman (login info.). I really do love the idea of a sport where the commissioner chases his best players...... , posted on September 12, 2005 more
Things I Never Thought I'd See: Here is a list of things I never thought I'd see: Peter Forsberg in a Flyers sweater. I guess you can go home again. A team made up entirely of centers, aka the Toronto Maple Leafs. An awful team actively...... , posted on August 16, 2005 more
Capped in the Head: I'm not sure if Brendan Shanahan has political aspirations, but if he doesn't, he might want to consider it as a second career. The guy is pretty smart. He's in yesterday's Times, talking about what a good deal the new...... , posted on August 15, 2005 more
Too Many Numbers: Sure the lockout is over, but now with the salary cap in place, we're still force to wade through numbers. Painful numbers. Kevin Paul Dupont looks at the Bruins and how the unexpected free agency of Joe Thornton and Sergei...... , posted on August 08, 2005 more
Trading Everyone!: Too. Much. Hockey. News. Every time I click over to a hockey news site, I'm gasping. It's a rollercoaster. Brian Leetch is a Bruin. Why? Because that's where he wanted to play. I firmly believe Leetch was only looking for...... , posted on August 04, 2005 more
Something to PuckUpdate About: Wow. I go on vacation for a week and the whole lockout gets solved. I should have done that months ago. I was really happy to see the NHL didn't get any smarter while I was basking in the beauty...... , posted on July 18, 2005 more
Hockey Groundhogs: How do you know hockey is almost back? Jeremy Roenick has emerged to start complaining again. Once we hear from Brett Hull you can expect hockey to re-start in a matter of days. It's a rule. Those two only talk...... , posted on June 27, 2005 more
Hey Cap!: Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer must be getting bored. He figured out the Flyers' cap situation, if and when the players and league settle on one (login info.). I don't know. It's slim pickings out there for hockey news....... , posted on May 03, 2005 more
If Larry Brooks Falls in the Forest: So there's no hockey, but at least I can find out what Flyers goalie Robert Esche has on his iPod. Rather scarily, we both have Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." I'm trying really hard not to think about what that says...... , posted on April 12, 2005 more
Watching Hockey: Shockingly, the less the NHL plays, the more people seem to write and think about it. Flyers goalie Robert Esche is actually talking about miking goalies to let the fans see what goalies go through during a game (login info.)....... , posted on February 28, 2005 more
What Happened at the Zero Hour?: Wow. How about those rumors that Jarome Iginla, Jeremy Roenick, and Chris Pronger were working with the owners to get the players to accept a cap? How crazy is that? Of course, Iginla says it's not true. I wouldn't blame...... , posted on February 18, 2005 more
Ray of Hope: I love Rob Ray saying he'd become a replacement player. I'm sure the fans at home can't wait to see Rob Ray, age 96, return to the ice. I'm sure that'll scare the players into agreeing to a deal with...... , posted on November 01, 2004 more
World Cup: US Needs a Starter and Canada Gets the Point: I'm finally starting to get psyched for the World Cup. Team USA's coach Ron Wilson isn't naming a starting goalie. His options are Flyer Robert Esche, Oiler Ty Conklin, and Islander Rick DiPietro. All three are young and unproven. Esche...... , posted on August 24, 2004 more
Yawn. Roenick Gambles: The big non-story of the week is shaping up to be Jeremy Roenick and his admitting he bet on sports, but not hockey (login info.). The Philadelphia Inquirer article on it is excruciatingly long and doesn't reveal much of interest....... , posted on August 16, 2004 more
I Don't Get It: So remember Jeremy Roenick's bit about wanting to play in Phoenix? Now he's saying he was just having some fun (login info.). Um. Yeah. That's fun and funny. Either Roenick really does have a weird sense of humor or he...... , posted on August 05, 2004 more
Roenick Misses Phoenix; Nashville Loves Sullivan: Wow. The Arizona Republic reports that Jeremy Roenick told a radio host he wants to return to the Coyotes. The Republic points out it's not very likely given Roenick's contract and salary, but can you imagine Roenick and Brett Hull,...... , posted on August 04, 2004 more
Flyer Class=Bear Wings: Wow. It must be fun to work for the Flyers. If you're part of the broadcast team, they tell you they can't sign you to a contract until the lockout is settled (see below). Then they sign Keith Primeau to...... , posted on June 15, 2004 more
No Hockey, No Announcers: I'm trying not to write about the upcoming lockout, but it's kind of hard. There's so much stuff tied up in it. Like what about the announcers. In Philadelphia, it seems the broadcast teams aren't getting their contracts renewed if...... , posted on June 14, 2004 more
Robert Esche: Good or Lucky?: Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that even though the Flyers won't be competing for the Stanley Cup, at least they learned they have a top goalie in Robert Esche (l:philly@cheesesteak.com; p:philly). In his column, Smith touches on...... , posted on May 24, 2004 more
Lecavalier Succeeds in Failure: Going this deep into the playoffs might be the best thing that ever happened to Tampa's Vinny Lecavalier. Prior to this series, he was best known as a talented-if-lazy player who tended to disappear when it counted. About the only...... , posted on May 21, 2004 more
Flyers Win the Cup! Or They Did. 30 Years Ago.: Tonight the Flyers are simply trying to extend their series with Tampa one more game. Then it becomes a best of one series. Who knows if Flyers GM Bobby Clarke, never the most balanced fellow, talked to the team about...... , posted on May 20, 2004 more
Sloppy Play Finally Shocks Bolts: It's not really shocking the Flyers beat Tampa Saturday. It's shocking it took so long. As good as Tampa's been, they've had long, long periods of sloppy play. In the first round series against the Islanders, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin kept...... , posted on May 17, 2004 more
The Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day: I've never been the biggest Vinny Lecavalier fan. I've always thought he's lazy and one-dimensional. And he is. But geez. How amazing was his third period goal? He was typically out of position, chilling near the red line when Martin...... , posted on May 14, 2004 more
Here Comes Your 2nd Nervous Breakdown: Phil Sheridan credits Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock with the Flyers huge 6-2 win last night. Specifically, he credits Hitchcock's insulating John LeClair from the media's criticism and putting Sami Kapanen, my favorite Flyer, back on the blue line, where he's...... , posted on May 11, 2004 more
Kap on D: I have to admit it. I'm a big Sami Kapanen fan. I don't know what it is. I just dig the Flyer. He's tough. He works hard. He contributes. And I love him on the power play. So it was...... , posted on April 23, 2004 more
Brodeur Looking Human: Have you noticed how the Devils are down three games to one to the Flyers? The Devils aren't scoring, which never helps in the playoffs. But goalie Martin Brodeur also hasn't been looking sharp: He's playing like he's not seeing...... , posted on April 16, 2004 more
Canadiens Caneed to Win: Philadelphia got their groove back, beating Montreal 2-0 last night. What's up with the Habs? They haven't won a game since Mar. 20, which to be fair, was over the pretty good Devils. Although to be even more fair, the...... , posted on April 02, 2004 more
Flyers Flagging: The Flyers never do things the easy way. Whereas most teams chooses to heat up as they transition into the playoffs, the Flyers are out of gas. They're taking two days off after a couple of rough games, including a...... , posted on March 30, 2004 more
Flyers Grab Zhamnov: So apparently there isn't any kind of NHL deal that doesn't go through Philadelphia. They've made some big grabs in the past few weeks. Danny Markov. Mike Comrie. Sean Burke. And now Alexei Zhamnov. Sadly for the Flyers, Zhamnov doesn't...... , posted on February 20, 2004 more
Burke a Flyer; Comrie a Coyote: Geez. After all the denials and the rumors and the intrigue, Phoenix goalie Sean Burke is a Flyer. The Flyers also got forward Branko Radivojevic and prospect Ben Eager. In return, Phoenix got Mike Comrie. I almost hate to point...... , posted on February 10, 2004 more
Goalie Drought Ending: EJ Hradek of ESPN.com has a great overview of the players likely to move before the trade deadline. Interestingly, there are a lot of veteran goalies ready to be moved. It's kind of a symbol that the NHL's goalie drought...... , posted on February 06, 2004 more
Flyers Out of Goalies: Geez. Philadelphia hasn't been exactly deep in goal in years, and now things are getting even worse. Goalie Robert Esche sprained his MCL. Jeff Hackett, the Flyers other goalie, has been out with a mysterious dizziness. This is the Flyers...... , posted on February 04, 2004 more
Your Night Comes with a Night Off: I love the NHL's new program of honoring active players who aren't playing that night. First, the Devils had Scott Stevens Night without him (he's out with some sort of post-concussion syndrome). Now, the Phoenix Coyotes are having Brian Boucher...... , posted on January 28, 2004 more
Flyers Get Markov: So the Flyers traded Justin Williams for Carolina's Danny Markov, in their quest to actually have defensemen. And while I kind of doubt Flyer GM Bobby Clarke's assertion that Markov is a top four defenseman, Markov is a warm body,...... , posted on January 21, 2004 more
Wanted: Defenseman. Anybody. Please?: The Flyers are so crazy. With defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Eric Desjardins injured (Desjardins was actually taken out by teammate Jeremy Roenick), the Flyers are in the market for a defenseman. A top defenseman. I don't know. There just aren't...... , posted on January 20, 2004 more
Flyers Flying Low: Yo. What the heck is going on in Philadelphia? Four losses in a row? Monday night to the horrible Penguins and Tuesday to Buffalo, 6-2. Not only is there no defense in Philadelphia, something deadly to a defensive-driven team like...... , posted on January 15, 2004 more
Tortorella In Trouble?; Flyers Still Not Ready to Say Uncle on Goalie: Hot on the heels of my post that Lightning coach John Tortorella is safe and sound in Tampa comes a New York Post report that Tortorella has fallen out of favor with management. The Post claims Tortorella's in-your-face style has...... , posted on January 05, 2004 more
Flyer Goalie Issues Revealed!: Tim Panaccio over at the Philadelphia Inquirer has a huge, huge scoop — something I've often wondered about myself: Why do the Flyers refuse to hire a decent goaltender? Panaccio finally got to the bottom of it. Apparently Soviet goalie...... , posted on December 29, 2003 more
Comrie: New Team, No Deal: Mike Comrie. Mike Comrie. Mike Comrie. I just can't get enough of him. The Flyers are still trying to work out a deal with him. His deal with Anaheim would have paid him $1.5 million for the rest of this...... , posted on December 19, 2003 more
Comrie Almost a Flyer: Could this whole Mike Comrie thing get any crazier? The Flyers traded defenseman Jeff Woywitka and a first-round draft pick to the Oilers for the rights to Mike Comrie. No word on if Oilers GM Kevin Lowe made Comrie pay...... , posted on December 17, 2003 more
Flyer Line Seeks Name: The Philadelphia Inquirer got in some hilarious suggestions for what to name the since-temporarily-disbanded line of Jeremy Roenick, Mark Recchi and Tony Amonte. My favorite? The "We Won't Be Scoring At This Pace in March Line." Writer Tim Panaccio's favorite?...... , posted on December 08, 2003 more
Achilles' Heels in Boston: So two of the Eastern Conference's best teams met. There could be only one winner. Unless overtime ended in a tie. But there was no tie. There was no overtime. The Flyers beat Boston 3-2. Interestingly, Flyers coach Ken Hitchock...... , posted on November 24, 2003 more
Roenick Ready for WHA: Jeremy Roenick said that if there's a strike next season, he would consider going to the World Hockey Association. Is there another player (other than Brett Hull) who's a better fit for the WHA? Roenick is all attitude. He's a...... , posted on November 20, 2003 more
Clarke: 'And Another Thing. No More Shooting the Puck': Philadelphia GM Bobby Clarke is freaking crazy. He's submitting a proposal to the NHL calling for goalies to be forbidden from moving behind their goal lines or to the faceoff circles to play pucks. In other words, he doesn't want...... , posted on November 03, 2003 more
LeClair Hurt. Again.: For a big guy, John LeClair sure is fragile. He fractured his toe and will miss two to four weeks. He missed over half of last season with a shoulder injury. Plus, after the All-American line of LeClair, Tony Amonte...... , posted on October 09, 2003 more
Amonte Needs To Breathe: Pity Tony Amonte. He's playing in a defensive system but expected to be a real offensive force. He was brought in to play with Jeremy Roenick, but so far they haven't had the same spark they had in Chicago. This...... , posted on September 29, 2003 more
LeClair Admits Injury; Recchi and Primeau Defer: Tim Panaccio has some great Sunday hockey news. Like did you know John LeClair was playing injured during the playoffs? Probably not. No one on the Flyers did. LeClair kept the information to himself, and Flyer management is a little...... , posted on September 08, 2003 more
Flyers Hope LeClair Gets LeClaimed on LeWaivers: Wow! According to the Courier-Post, the Flyers are considering placing John LeClair on waivers. If no one claimed him, the Flyers could buy out his contract. Or they could send him down to the minors, which is pretty freaking degrading...... , posted on August 18, 2003 more
Bruins Not Ready to Pick a Goalie: The Bruins, like the Flyers, don't seem to put much stock in goaltenders. They still haven't really picked a number one to replace the mediocre Jeff Hackett, who bounced over to the aforementioned Philadelphia. Or if they have, they haven't...... , posted on August 04, 2003 more
Leetch Rumors: Is Ranger defenseman Brian Leetch going to Philadelphia? According to the New York Post, he might be. The Flyers are supposed to be trying to clear salary room for him. The Post reports that Ranger coach/GM is basically waiting for...... , posted on July 14, 2003 more
Hackett Not Enough for Philadelphia: Not that it's so incisive, but Tim Panaccio says Jeff Hackett isn't enough of a goalie to take Philadelphia to the Stanley Cup. Of course Panaccio supports his theory with stats — mostly the fact that Hackett is injured a...... , posted on July 07, 2003 more
Hackett Flying: So the Flyers have a goalie. They signed Jeff Hackett away from the Bruins. And for less than he made last season, which is a pretty neat trick. The Bruins were digging Hackett. They were set to make him their...... , posted on July 02, 2003 more
Flyer/Duck Notes: I'm very glad the Flyers listened to me and signed defenseman Eric Desjardins to a two-year deal with a third-year option. They also gave role-player Claude Lapointe a two-year deal. I didn't request that one, though. Lapointe is fine, but...... , posted on July 01, 2003 more
Flyers vs. Desjardins: OK. Yesterday we busted Dallas for letting Derian Hatcher go without a fight. Today we condemn the Flyers for quibbling with defenseman Eric Desjardins. A Flyer for almost nine years, Desjardins is supposedly looking for a three year contract while...... , posted on June 25, 2003 more
New Sheriff in Philadelphia: Was there a coup in Philly? I don't know. I'm kind of curious. Ron Ryan was named president of the Flyers, replacing GM Bobby Clarke. Clarke is still the team GM. But you have to wonder. Is this the first...... , posted on June 16, 2003 more
Flyer Moves: Philly had a pretty good season. And they're getting ready to get even better. First, they got John LeClair to waive his no-trade clause. Rumors say he's agreed to go to the Rangers, the Kings, the Stars, and the Red...... , posted on June 11, 2003 more
Cechmanek Traded. For Real. Seriously.: There's a sucker born every minute. Don't believe me? The Kings traded a second-round draft pick for Flyers goalie Roman Cechmanek. Cechmanek is a strong-enough regular season goalie (he had a 1.83 goals against average during the regular season, but...... , posted on May 29, 2003 more
Defending Roman: This is just too weird not to link to. It's Kara Yorio defense of Roman Cechmanek. Her point is that the Flyers goalie got a raw deal being publicly dumped by Philly after giving them a great regular season performance....... , posted on May 20, 2003 more
Cechmanek Canned: From the "What Took Them So Long" File: The Flyers have let goalie Roman Cechmanek go. They're going to try and trade him, or more likely, release him. Coach Ken Hitchcock seemed surprised by the news which sort of surprised...... , posted on May 16, 2003 more
Dom Back?: As usual, Larry Brooks over at the New York Post has some great Sunday dish. This week, he reports that the Canucks and the Flyers should go after the retired Red Wing goalie Dom Hasek. Our Mr. Brooks has sources...... , posted on May 12, 2003 more
Philadelphia: 'We Won't Leave Our Zone Next Year. We Promise': Philadelphia got bounced by Ottawa, but coach Ken Hitchcock already has a plan for next season. And the veterans aren't going to like it. Hitchock wants to use the Flyer vets as role players while giving younger player more offensive...... , posted on May 09, 2003 more
Flyers Tie It: So maybe tonight was a little less about hockey and a little more about finding a picture of a topless Catherine Zeta-Jones smoking while pregnant (allegedly). Does that make me a bad person? I don't think so. The Flyers beat...... , posted on May 02, 2003 more
Dirty Senators: Ken Hitchcock is pretty pissed at the Senators. He stormed out of a press conference and called them dirty. Apparently some of Ottawa's stick work is cutting a little close to Flyer bone. Literally. Ottawa have so far carved up...... , posted on April 30, 2003 more
Starless Flyers: Weird column out of Philly arguing that the Flyers don't have any superstars. I guess that depends what your definition of superstar is. But a lot of small market teams would be pretty happy with players like Jeremy Roenick, Tony...... , posted on April 28, 2003 more
Wild, Wild Win; Flyers Grounded: So I guess Colorado managment is regretting paying the players by the game. Yup. Colorado is facing another game seven. They lost in overtime to the Wild. This will be Colorado's fifth trip in a row to game seven of...... , posted on April 22, 2003 more
Running On Empty: Saturday's Flyers win over Toronto was a great game. Lots of checking, fighting, and pushing followed by tremendous odd-man rushes. It was breath-taking. And if Toronto's Alexander Mogilny and Mats Sundin had aimed a little differently a couple of times...... , posted on April 21, 2003 more
About Last Night: You know, you can sum up the Ottawa-Islanders series with a simple concept. One team is better than we thought and the other is worse than we thought. So whoever wins the series, the real winner, it seems, will simply...... , posted on April 15, 2003 more
Crazy Flyers: Yesterday we talked about how schizophrenic the New York Rangers are (and let's be honest — any team in the fight of their lives for a playoff spot who can't finish off Atlanta is a little bit loopy). Today let's...... , posted on April 01, 2003 more
Family Off to War: And now, for your reading displeasure, the absolutely saddest, saddest, saddest installment of PuckUpdate. Ever. EVER. Robert Esche, the Flyers goalie, has a lot on his mind. His team is about to enter the playoffs. He spent some time in...... , posted on March 28, 2003 more
Amonte Lonely: Very sad. Tony Amonte misses his family. Trades are always so exciting, but they also kind of stress me out because I tend to identify with the player being traded. I start thinking about how hard it is to up...... , posted on March 27, 2003 more
Good News-Bad News: Good News: Marty Turco is ready to go back in goal for Dallas. He could be back as soon as Tuesday. Nothing helps a Stanley Cup run more than a genuine starting goalie. Bad News: The streaky Islanders have found...... , posted on March 21, 2003 more
Flyers Flying For Once: How sad is it that it's so shocking when high-price rentals work out really, really well. It seems that at best the rental is fine and at worst the rental is a dud. But the way Tony Amonte is clicking...... , posted on March 19, 2003 more
Reunited And It Feels So Good: Tony Amonte is no stranger to Jeremy Roenick, his new teamamte. Back in the day, they played together in Chicago. Before that, they played together in high school. Amonte seems genuinely happy to be playing in a hockey town and...... , posted on March 14, 2003 more
Amonte Goes East: Hmmm. One more trade I forgot to mention. Tony Amonte to Philadelphia. How crazy is that? I heard Amonte's name popping up for a lot of different teams, but I didn't think anyone would want his contract. And the fact...... , posted on March 11, 2003 more
Boston Eats Badly; Roenick Feels Special: Feel free to congratulate me. I figured out what's going on with the struggling Bruins (solid, but not secure, in the East's number eight postion). According to Bruin P.J. Stock's online journal, he got food poisoning right before Boston lost...... , posted on March 03, 2003 more
Fleury Benched: Are you shocked? The Blackhawks are 3-11-2 since Theo Fleury and two unnamed teammates got in some sort of scuffle in a Columbus strip club. Just Tuesday night, sputtering Philadelphia managed to blank the stalled Hawks, 2-0. Theo Fleury sat...... , posted on February 27, 2003 more
Roenick Roars. Again.: I missed some of this, but apparently Islander backup goalie Garth Snow made some comments about Flyer Jeremy Roenick not going to college, so Roenick, who entered the NHL right after high school, took some verbal shots at University of...... , posted on January 28, 2003 more
Credit: Grant Kerr of the Globe and Mail is giving GM Bobby Clarke credit for Philadelphia's current success. Give credit where credit is due. The Flyers success this season is due to coach Ken Hitchcock. The team isn't appreciably different from...... , posted on January 22, 2003 more
Future Flyers: Wow. The Flyers are deep as hell. At least long-term. Two of their best prospects just kicked butt in the World Juniors — Finn Joni Pitkanen and Canadian Jeff Woywitka. One of these defensemen might even be playing for the...... , posted on January 13, 2003 more
Dear Ken, I'm Sorry: Once again I find myself apologizing to Ken Hitchcock and the Philadelphia Flyers. I've criticized Hitchcock's oppressive defensive system a lot. But the Flyers seem to have turned a corner with it. They're now a scoring machine. First, four goals...... , posted on January 10, 2003 more
Flyers Looking to Trade: Wow. According to the New York Post, the Flyers are trying to move Eric Desjardins and the once-slumping Keith Primeau. No one is interested yet, but the Flyers told their equipment managers to bring along some blank jerseys — just...... , posted on January 06, 2003 more
Flyers' Special Teams Just Are Not Very Special: Just how bad is Philadelphia's special teams? Phoenix blanked them 4-0. That's not a score. That's cry for help. In Philadelphia's defense (not that they know what defense means...), it was an emotional night for Phoenix, what with goalie Sean...... , posted on December 30, 2002 more
NHL: Safety First (Unless You're a Big Name): Jeremy "Big Jerk" Roenick (and no, there's no meaning behind the "Big Jerk" — I just really dislike him) only got two days for his attack on Mike Modano (see below for more on this). Two days seems a little...... , posted on December 19, 2002 more
He Punches and Scores: Philadelphia boxer Donald Brashear scored against Buffalo as Philly took them 2-zip. Everyone in Philadelphia seems happy, but I'd be a little nervous if my offense needed an enforcer to score. Where are the guys who are paid to score?...... , posted on December 16, 2002 more
Who Needs Goals?: Ken Hitchcock was mad at his slumping Flyers, angry that no one would step up offensively. This is kind of weird since his system is so, so, so, defense-oriented. To the point where Hitchock seems to worship the smothering New...... , posted on December 11, 2002 more
As the Puck Turns: Ouch! Philadelphia has taken a turn for the worse! John LeClair is hurt and the team is in a five game skid, most recently capped with a 7-2 thwacking by Pittsburgh. It's a discipline problem — the Flyers took too...... , posted on November 29, 2002 more
Philadelphia: Making Dullness Work: I know I go back and fourth on the Flyers, calling them disciplined one day and calling them a potential time bomb the next. But today I'm liking their attitude. They took Tampa Bay very seriously, and they return home...... , posted on November 20, 2002 more
1,000 Games for JR: Jeremy Roenick played his 1,000th NHL game. He says it's nice, but he wants the Cup. He might have one if he wasn't so impossible to play with and deal with. In fact, everyone is watching the Flyers and waiting...... , posted on November 18, 2002 more
Ghostbusting: Philadelphia beating Ottawa is a big win for the Flyers. Ottawa embarassed Philly in the first round of last year's playoffs, so they really needed to stand up and show they're a different team. Philadelphia scored twice in one game,...... , posted on October 30, 2002 more
Is It a Hat and Scarf Trick?: I guess John LeClair's back surgery was successful. He scored four goals on five shots against last year's former Vezina/Hart Trophy winner. If only LeClair (and Mark Recchiand Éric Desjardins) could play their former team all season. LeClair has 28...... , posted on October 16, 2002 more
Philly Fill-In: Good morning. I can't speak for the world, but I really expected the Flyers to be a freak show this season. A coach and star who already don't get along. A goaltender who's as shaky as a three-legged table. These...... , posted on October 15, 2002 more
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