The schizo Flyers continue. They beat the leading team of the Northwest Division, the Calgary Flames (a rather tense 0-0 game decided by a shootout), then lose to the Edmonton Oilers who will need a miracle to make the playoffs this season. They finally put in some intensity on the Minnesota Wild to win with a minute to go.
The Penalty Kill is still dead last while the teams above them in the 26th thru 29th spots shifted around. Despite two victories out of three games, they’re still giving up too much. All of Edmonton’s three goals were on special teams, sadly two were shorties by the same forward. Here I must disagree with Tim of the Philly paper, Nittymaki still isn’t ready to be the starting goalie due to all the easy shots he gives up. The Flyers should stand behind Esche until the end of the season unless he becomes a total disaster as Jeff “I can’t” Hackett did. Clarke and Hitchcock stayed with the psycho Cechmanek for two whole seasons before he demanded a trade. Ever since Ron Hextall, there has been a big question mark in goal and every time they come close to solving it, their next Bernie Parent turns into a chump. Personally, they should’ve stayed with Brian Boucher but no, we had to assure Cechmanek he’d be number one and then he took a number two on the team twice in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the injuries continue. As soon as Forsberg returns, Gagne is out and he went cold so the 50 in 50 probably won’t happen. But should the Gagne-Forsberg-Knuble line return physically and performance-wise, I think Simon Gagne will have a 50+ goal season and his own Todd MacFarlane action figure!
Only eight days until Team USA for the Olympics in Turin is announced!