Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn: Second Line of the Already Bright Future?

Sean Couturier was acquired by the Flyers this offseason when we traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Bluejackets(We used a draft pick acquired in the trade).  So far this seems like a very favorable move that will help tremendously in the future.

I'm not a hockey scouting expert, but last year I heard about some of the players that were going to be drafted high at the entry draft.  Sean Couturier was near the top of every list I saw.  The fact that we were able to draft him at #8 still astounds me.

Couturier is already a solid two-way forward at the NHL level.  He has great vision and hockey sense and is a stalwart in the defensive zone.  He is a good passer who makes the players around him better and he has an underrated wrist shot.  He is a big kid (6'4") who reminds me of a more rounded version of Jeff Carter.

Brayden Schenn was acquired in the Mike Richards trade on the same day as the Carter trade during the offseason.  Brayden was a top 5 pick in the NHL Entry Draft in 2009 and is very highly coveted.  He projects to be a possible franchise player, possibly to the level of now-King Mike Richards and Blackhawk Jonathon Toews.  He possesses all the qualities of a leader that you want on your team.  Even though he is only 20 years old, he isn't afraid to get in the dirty areas or make a big hit.  He likes scoring goals and he can do that from anywhere on the ice. 

Like Couturier, Schenn is also listed as a center who can play the wing.  For the future of the team, I think it would be better if Schenn played more right wing so he use his shot from a better vantage point which can lead to more goals in his career.

These two players are the new future of the Philadelphia Flyers.  If everything goes according to plan, these two men can anchor the second line of the team for the next 10-15 years.  Claude Giroux, already a superstar, is the top line center and James vanRiemsdyk will likely play his wing.  All of these players play with an edge that you don't see in everyone.  These guys show that they have toughness and are willing to compete with anyone, confidence goes a long way.  With these four players (none of which are 25 years old yet), the Flyers look to take over the NHL in the next couple of years.

These four players are all very marketable to the public.  All four are good kids who simply enjoy playing the game of hockey.  They make the fans want to pay more attention to the team, which will lead to continuing the proud tradition of Flyers hockey.

Follow the Flyers on twitter @NHLFlyers and myself @PhillySteve15

Bryzgalov Broken Foot: Blessing in Disguise?

On Monday, March 26, the Flyers took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.  During the pre-game warm ups, it appeared that Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers starting goaltender, took a shot that hit an unprotected part of his foot.  It seemed like he was in pain, but it wasn't enough to keep him out of the game. 

During the game, it was clear Bryz wasn't quite at his best as we lost 5-3.  We all panicked when we heard that after the game, Bryzgalov was seen limping badly to the locker room.  Could this be the end of our goalie's impressive streak this month?  Will he be ready for the playoffs?  Can backup goalie Sergei Bobrovsky play effectively even though he has been minimally used lately?

There were a lot of questions being asked that night.  The next day, the team announced that Ilya Bryzgalov had an MRI on his foot to see if there was any major damage.  The team was acting confident that the injury, if any was actually sustained, wasn't too serious.  However, the fans wanted the truth.

It was announced that Bryz had suffered a bone fracture in his foot.  This may sound bad, but the bone in question isn't a weight bearing bone.  This means that even though it may hurt a lot, and there may be some limping, it won't keep Bryzgalov out of play too long.

The team claims that Ilya will miss at least one game with the team.  In my opinion, this couldn't have come at a better time.  The Flyers recently secured a playoff spot, a spot that is not likely to change.  Because of that, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the team allowed some players to rest up before the playoffs. 

Bryzgalov has been absolutely dominant since the All-Star break, and because of that, he deserves a break so he can get back some energy.  It's an unfortunate situation, but this injury doesn't really hurt the team too badly.  No one (who is a Flyers fan) wants Bryzgalov to be worn out when the playoffs start.  This gives him an opportunity to rest up and relax and get ready for the important games.  Sergei Bobrovsky will also get some playing time that he hasn't had much of lately will be important if he needs to play a game here or there in the playoffs.

The most important thing is keeping Bryzgalov at his currently dominant run.  He needs some time to rest up before the most important games of the season, and the best part is that the Flyers are basically already penciled in for the fifth spot in the playoffs.  One may think this is a lose-lose situation, but if you delve deeper, it's not so bad.

Personal Playoff Opinion: If the Flyers play the Penguins in the first round, as expected, and they manage to win that series, there's no doubt in my mind the Flyers will make the Stanley Cup Finals. Whether they win that is another story.

Follow the Flyers on twitter @NHLFlyers and you can follow me @PhillySteve15

Athletes on Twitter

Twitter is a great thing.  It allows anyone to interact with anyone, athletes included.  There are many Philadelphia athletes who tweet regularly and who interact with fans.  Here is a list of some of the more notable athletes on twitter.

@28CGiroux - Claude Giroux
@Hartsy19 - Scott Hartnell
@Simmonds17 - Wayne Simmonds
@RinaldoZac - Zac Rinaldo
@JVReemer21 - James vanRiemsdyk
@BryzGoalie30 - Ilya Bryzgalov
@BernieParent - Bernie Parent
@ShaneVictorino - Shane Victorino
@HunterPence3 - Hunter Pence
@ryanhoward - Ryan Howard
@thekidet - Evan Turner
@minofAI9 - Andre Iguodala
@MikeVick - Mike Vick

It is really cool to see the athletes in a more good natured setting.  It is always interesting to see different athletes from different sports talking to each other.  For example, one day Claude Giroux challenged Shane Victorino to a home run hitting/slap shot contest.

@BernieParent is a former Flyers goalie.  He is the greatest goalie in team history and is one of the teams best players of all time.  He supports a charity my Uncle founded called the Bethesda Project which helps homeless people in Philadelphia.  It is really awesome to see him tweet about what a great cause it is.

Until next time,
Steve

Bryzgalov Sets Flyers Record

Ilya Bryzgalov, the enigmatic Russian goalkeeper of the Flyers has certainly turned a corner as of late.

Bryz started the year off strong, registering the first Flyers shutout in over a year against the Devils in the second game of the season.  As the season started to get rolling, Bryzgalov started to stutter.  He didn't seem to have a lot of confidence, Captain and star defenseman Chris Pronger was injured and the defense started to fall apart, and Bryz just didn't seem to fit in with the team.  He was even benched for the Winter Classic game, the most anticipated game of the regular season.

Fans wanted Bryz gone.  It was as simple as that.  People felt he would bring the team down, especially considering he signed a nine year contract this past summer.  Bryz seemed annoyed by the media and it didn't look like he had what it takes to be a goaltender in Philadelphia.

Then came the All-Star Break.  With a few days off, the whole team had a chance to rest.  Bryzgalov started to look a lot better in net, he seemed more comfortable.

On February 25th, Bryzgalov did something that he hasn't done much of this year; win in a shootout.  He seemed on point and that was when things started changing for the entire team.  Alternate Captain Danny Briere mentioned in an interview that Ilya has been a better teammate as of late.  He knows it's not just about him and the media, it's about the team and winning games.

Ilya Bryzgalov used to play for the Phoenix Coyotes and knows what it's like to carry a team to the playoffs.  He is used to a humongous big work load and it seems he will get another chance to make a big difference down the stretch into the playoffs.

Just three games after the Flyers defeated Calgary in the shootout, Bryzgalov posted a shutout against the high-powered Washington Capitals, just his third of the year.  This was the official turning point for Bryz.  He went from a "Bryzaster" to being "strictly Bryzness" as he put up 4 shutouts in 5 games.

Just yesterday against the New York Islanders, Ilya Bryzgalov set a new Flyers record for longest streak by a goalie without letting up a goal.  He surpassed John VanBiesbrouck by going 249:43 scoreless minutes.

Congratulations to Ilya Bryzgalov for turning this team around and for etching himself into the Flyers record books.

Follow the Flyers, Bryzgalov and myself on twitter @NHLFlyers @BryzGoalie30 and @PhillySteve15

NHL Trade Deadline

The NHL trade deadline past this past Monday (2/27).  This year was surprisingly quiet in terms of blockbuster trades.  Columbus Bluejackets Captain Rick Nash, who is reportedly unhappy with how the organization is being run, requested a trade, but it never went through.  Most insiders feel that the price for Nash, a franchise player, was simply too high.  There were plenty of rumors between Nash and the Flyers, but luckily nothing happened.  If the Flyers were to trade for Rick Nash, we would get a highly skilled player, but he would cost the team part of its future and it would give the team even less financial flexibility then before.

While the Flyers didn't make any moves the day of the deadline, the team made two trades in the past two weeks for a couple of big defenseman.

Nicklas Grossman was aquired from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a second round pick.  Grossman is a big, stay at home defenseman who should help stabilize the opposing offense as he can help clear the puck and keep it out of the crease.  His skill set, while not nearly as impressive, is comperable to that of Chris Pronger, the teams captain and heart and soul, who has only played 13 games this year due to severe post concussion syndrome.  Grossman is only 27 years old and if resigned could help the blueline for a long time.

The Flyers sent a second and fifth round pick, along with low level prospect, Jon Kalinski to Tampa Bay for defenseman Pavel Kubina.  Kubina, 35, has Stanley Cup experience who has the rare combination of size, defensive ability and he can move the puck.  The fact that he is a right-handed shot, something the Flyers have not had in a defenseman in a long time, can really help out on the powerplay.  His experience in quarterbacking the pp can also take some of the burden off of Kimmo Timonen, who has been fantastic this whole year, but needs a break.

Paul Holmgren, the general manager of the Flyers was able to add two quality and experienced defensemen this year while not moving any players from the main roster.  These were two low-risk, high reward moves that will definitely help the team, hopefully en route to a Stanley Cup victory.

Until next time,
Steve

Follow the Flyers on twitter @NHLFlyers

Flyers Wives Fight For Lives Carnival

For the past 35 years, wives and girlfriends of Flyers players, past and present, hold a family-fun carnival to raise money for charity.  While I've never been to one, this is truly a great event that shows the class of this organization and that they care about others.

Back in the 1970's, the Flyers had a defenseman named Barry Ashbee.  He sustained a career ending eye injury in 1975.  After signing on as an assistant coach for the team, Ashbee found out he had leukemia in 1977.  The entire team was behind Barry, but he sadly passed away at age 37, just one month after his diagnosis. 

Soon before Ashbee's passing, the Flyers Wives started an annual carnival; where families can go and have fun and interact with the players while also supporting a good cause.  Once Ashbee died, the event took on a heartfelt focus.  As the years have past, Comcast Spectacor has donated over $23 million dollars to various Philadelphia-area charities.  This is so nice to see in a world full of greed. 

All of the players and a lot of the staff attends the carnival as well as the charities that are being supported.  The event is a day of fun including autographs and pictures from the players and alumni, games like the dunk tank (where fans can drop their favorite players into the water) and fans even get the chance to score on the teams goalie on the ice.

The Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival was held yesterday, February 19th and it was an enormous success, yet again.  On TV, you can see all of the players interacting with the fans and having a genuinely good time.  In fact, forward Max Talbot was showing off his dance moves with some of the fans, it was quite funny.

This is truly a great event where the players and fans interact in a great environment for a great cause.

Here is a link to some of the great pictures from the day. Check it out.
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/gallerylanding.htm?id=27927

Are the 76ers the Real Deal?

Are the 76ers the Real Deal?

The Philadelphia 76ers improved their record to 19 - 9 last night with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The season so far has been a surprise to most basketball fans after the Sixers went 41 - 41 last year while not making any big changes over the off season.  Leading the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division by four games, 28 games into this lockout-shortened 66 game season, proves that this team is able to compete with the top teams in both the Eastern Conference as well as the entire league.  

Before the season started, many insiders and analysts didn't think the Sixers would improve a whole lot over last season for a few reasons.  For one, the Sixers lack a "superstar."  Sure, players like Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner are young, cornerstones of the team, but neither is at the level of Chris Paul or Dwyane Wade.  The Sixers also didn't make a big splash in free agency this year either.  The only notable signings were of Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes, both of which were already on the team.

This lack of change hasn't hindered the Sixers at all.  They play hard, with teamwork and defense that is second to none.  Every player carries his weight, and any player can go off on any night.  The opposition needs to take every player seriously or they can get blown out.  And so far, that's what the Sixers have done, blow teams out.  

Considering the youth and explosiveness this team has, don't be surprised if the Sixers keep this winning up all year long.  They have a very real chance of obtaining a high playoff seed this season.  Will the Sixers be able to get past the first round this year?  Can they manage a win over the Heat this year (0-2 so far)?  Will the team be able to reach the finals for the first time since 2000-2001?  We'll just have to wait and see.

On a side note, congratulations to Andre Iguodala for making his first All-Star game this year.  Only two players in the league average at least 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.  They are Iguodala and LeBron James who I think is the best overall player in the world.  Iguodala deserves this honor as he is a consistent hard worker who routinely shuts down his man with his impeccable defense. Way to go Iggy!

Until next time,

Steve

Follow the 76ers on twitter for updates if you are interested @Sixers