With less than 24 hours until the Flyers take on the Bruins in the TD Garden for the season opener, I would like to give my predictions on the Metropolitan division and playoff predictions. Also in this article, I will tell you who I think will the win the biggest awards at the end of the season. Lets get started with the last place team, leading all the way up to the first place squad.
Carolina Hurricanes - I feel bad for this team. They have young talent with the Staal brothers and Jeff Skinner, but just don't have the defense or a goalie to compete in this tough division. The best thing Carolina could have done this off season was part ways with longtime goaltender Cam Ward, but that didn't occur and that's one big reason the hurricanes won't be making any noise near the top of the standings.
Prediction: 8th in Metro, No playoffs, Must figure out goalie situation
New Jersey Devils - Jaromir Jagr is entering yet another season in the NHL, and hes coming off leading the Devils with 67 points. That's not something to be proud of if you're a member of the Devils and only player had 60 or more points. Cory Schneider is now the #1 netminder with Marty Brodeur exploring free agency, but even if Schneider plays his best, this team will not score many goals.
Prediction: 7th in Metro, No playoffs, Jagr finishes season in the West and retires after 21 seasons
New York Rangers - Getting to the Stanley Cup was all about luck for the Rangers in 2014. If it wasn't for Steve Mason being out for game 1 and 2 of the round one showdown, the Flyers may have been that team facing the Kings in the championship series. Ryan Mcdonagh was named the 27th captain in Rangers history and they do have one of the top goalies in the league (Lundqvist), but like the Devils they don't score enough goals to make the playoffs. Relying on Hank year after year will finally get to them this season, and the the Blue shirts will not be hosting any playoff games in the Garden.
Prediction: 6th in Metro, No playoffs, Hank comes back down to Earth
Washington Capitals - Washington had a late push last season but fell short of making the playoffs, and they could be in a similar position this year. Ovechkin has another new coach (Barry Trotz) and will score 50 plus goals, but the guys around him won't produce nearly enough. They did add Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen who were linemates for the Penguins a season ago, and very well could be paired again. Braden Holtby struggled a little bit, recording only 23 wins and losing 15 times. Holtby is getting better, but that big season will not happen this year.
Prediction: 5th in Metro, Miss playoffs by 4 pts, Ovechkin records 112 points
New York Islanders - Adding Jaroslav Halak between the pipes this year and a healthy John Tavares will be the reason the Isles are back in the playoffs for 2015. Garth Snow did everything right in the off season adding forwards Nikolay Kulemin, and Mikhail Grabovsky, but then addressed what was needed most with the final game in the preseason by trading for Blackhawks defender Nick Leddy, and Bruins right-handed point man Johnny Boychuk. Before the Islanders head to the Barclays center for the 2015-2016 season, the Nassau Coliseum will have at least 2 more playoff games.
Prediction: 4th in Metro, Playoffs, Halak fights for Vezina and Tavares finishes in top 5 of MVP voting
Columbus Blue Jackets - Ryan Johansen is signed, Scott Hartnell has been acquired, and Sergei Bobrovsky is playing extremely well for the city of Columbus. Last year I said the Blue Jackets would miss the playoffs, but be a threat for the future. The future is now for Columbus as they reached the playoffs but lost to Pittsburgh in 6 games. This year I see them making it out of the first round, and possibly reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. This team is going to be good for awhile. Mark my words!
Prediction: 3rd in Metro, Playoffs, Johansen hits 90 points and is named captain
Philadelphia Flyers - Steve Mason in net, Mark Streit running the point, and Claude Giroux leading the offense, yea this team is going to be fun to watch. Giroux will be centering Brayden Schenn, and Jake Voracek and they could produce as one of the top lines in the Eastern Conference. Wayne Simmonds is coming off a career year and will look to to expand those numbers even more this season. Vinny Lecavalier will look to bounce back after having a rough season and not even reaching 50 points. He is locked in as the second line center and will be complimented by Simmonds and Umberger, and should get back into Vinny Lecavalier form. The 3rd and 4th line consist of the young guns, Matt Read, Sean Couturier, Michael Raffl, Zac Rinaldo, Blair Jones, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. On defense, the pairings will likely be Streit and Coburn, Macdonald and Del Zotto, and the final pairing of Luke Schenn and Nick Grossmann. This team looks solid on paper and should have no problem getting back into the playoffs.
Prediction: 2nd in Metro, Playoffs, Exciting year for the Flyguys
Pittsburgh Penguins - Crosby, Malkin, Letang. Need I say more? The Penguins lost Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik to free agency, but still have 6 defensemen who can easily make fans forget the names of those 2. Crosby is coming off an MVP year and Malkin is always producing. Even if Marc-Andre Fleury isn't at the top of his game, the guys in front of him score so much, they're going to have no worries making it to the playoffs.
Prediction: 1st in Metro, Playoffs, Acquire a big scorer at the deadline
Last season I only correctly picked 9 of the 18 teams to make the playoffs, but I'm looking to bounce back and be in double digits this time.
Eastern Conference
1st - Boston Bruins
2nd - Pittsburgh Penguins
3rd - Philadelphia Flyers
4th - Tampa Bay Lightning
5th - Columbus Blue Jackets
6th - Montreal Canadiens
7th - New York Islanders
8th - Ottawa Senators
Western Conference
1st - St. Louis Blues
2nd - Chicago Blackhawks
3rd - Colorado Avalanche
4th - Anaheim Ducks
5th - Dallas Stars
6th - Los Angeles Kings
7th - Minnesota Wild
8th - San Jose Sharks
East Matchups:
Bruins defeat Senators in 5 games
Islanders defeat Penguins in 7 games
Flyers defeat Canadiens in 6 games
Blue Jackets defeat Lightning in 7 games
Bruins defeat Islanders in 6 games
Flyers defeat Blue Jackets in 7 games
ECF: Bruins defeat Flyers in 7 games
West Matchups:
Blues defeat Sharks in 6 games
Blackhawks defeat Wild in 6 games
Avalanche defeat Kings in 7 games
Stars defeat Ducks in 6 games
Blues defeat Stars in 7 games
Avalanche defeat Blackhawks in 7 games
WCF: Avalanche defeat Blues in 7 games
STANLEY CUP FINAL:
Bruins defeat Avalanche in 6 games to win Stanley Cup
Awards:
MVP - Steven Stamkos
Vezina - Semyon Varlamov
Norris - Erik Karlsson
Coach - Ken Hitchcock
What's your predictions?
Thanks for viewing!
-Jimmy Forte
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Philadelphia Sports Fans Have A Reason to Smile
Philadelphia Sports Fans Have A Reason to Smile
Back in October the Phillies were watching the MLB playoffs from their couch. The Sixers were getting ready to start their season knowing they had little chance to make it back in the NBA playoffs, and the Eagles were off to a brutal 3-5 start and couldn't find a way to stop the opposing offense. The Flyers started their season off 3-8, which led to former coach Peter Laviolette getting fired after losing the first three of the new campaign. After missing the playoffs in the 2012-13 lockout shortened season, it seemed as if the Flyers were ready for a long disappointing year. Then magic happened!
November arrived and all of a sudden the Flyers were a reborn hockey team. Racking up nine wins in the month, and moving up in the standings, the Flyers had life again. Craig Berube had this team turned around and headed in the right direction. It was the start of good things for the Flyers and the city of Philadelphia.
The Flyers started playing their best hockey in the month of December, and what better way to have your team succeeding than captain Claude Giroux leading the way? Giroux had a rough start to the season, not registering a goal until the ninth of November, which led to frustration and a lot of broken sticks. The commitment and sacrifice he showed on the ice every night in this month truly pointed out that he was the right choice to be named Captain. The team went on to have eight wins in 14 games and had managed 18 points out of a possible 28.
A very cold month of January in the city didn't fare well for the team as they finished with six wins, seven losses, and two overtime losses, making this their first month since October where they weren't over .500 for that month. However, with these losses Giroux seemed to get better and better every night. Whether it was scoring a goal, feeding a player with a beautiful pass, drawing a penalty, or making a big hit, the team could count on G giving 110% every game.
"Snubbed" was the word used when Giroux wasn't picked by Steve Yzerman to play on team Canada in the 2014 Sochi Olympic games. A tough start to the year probably led to the Flyers captain not being selected, but still many media members believe he should have represented his country on the ice. Giroux was very upset with the diss and I believe this fired him up even more, which led to his seven point month in five games, where the team only lost one decision.
As March approached, there was still uncertainty that this team had what it takes to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. The Flyers had the toughest month in the NHL looking them right in the eye, with home and home series games against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals, and then against MVP favorite Sidney Crosby and the first place Penguins. The Flyers took one of two from Washington, and played their best games of the season in both Penguins match ups taking all four points. The schedule got even tougher with a four game home stand against the West, starting with the Cup champs Blackhawks. Securing a point and forcing overtime, the Flyers looked sure to be heading to a shootout. But with 4.2 seconds left in overtime Claude Giroux put the puck past Antti Raanta with a blazing wrister for the victory. Thursday brought in the Stars and the Flyers scrapped all night for a 4-2 win. On Saturday the Best of the West St. Louis Blues came into town, and the Flyers dominated all game long picking up a hard fought 4-1 victory.
With 12 games left in the season, the Flyers are in sole possession of 2nd place in the Metropolitan division and currently hold a one point lead over the Rangers with two games in hand. Philly looks bound for a playoff berth and could be destined for a big playoff run. In my early season prediction, I had Pittsburgh and St. Louis in the Final. I have changed my prediction and have put the home team back in the Cup for the first time since 2010 against the team that broke all of our hearts that year-the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be a rematch of the series that went six games and then all of a sudden "disappeared". In the final 12 games, look for the Flyers to keep winning and gaining momentum into the postseason, giving Philadelphia sports a reason to smile once again.
Monday night, I will be on the Sports Goombahs podcast talking all about Flyers hockey and where they stand. So if you have an opinion and want to be apart of the show, give us a call and tell me how you feel about this hockey team with only 12 games left before the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Thanks for reading!
-Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Sports Goombahs Blogger)
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Preview of the Metropolitan division and Who Will Win Lord Stanley's Cup?
With the 2013-14 NHL season underway, I will preview all 8 teams in the Metropolitan division, with their strengths, weaknesses, and my prediction for that squad. During the off season, the NHL and NHLPA approved the division realignment, which has shook up the conferences quite a bit. Instead of 6 divisions (3 in each conference), there is now only 4. Columbus and Detroit has moved to the East, and Winnipeg has moved to the West. Lets take a look at where the eight competitors stand, and who will bring home Lord Stanley's Cup this year.
The Metropolitan division consists of 5 former Atlantic division contenders and now 3 new teams.
Carolina Hurricanes - The Staal brothers come to mind when you think of the Hurricanes. A team that missed the playoffs in the lockout shortened season, and could very well miss out this year because of there defensive struggles. Losing Joni Pitkanen to injury in the off season will play a big part, and now Carolina looks to Cam Ward as their savior, who could be out by the trade deadline if the team is not performing well.
Prediction: 8th in the division, no playoffs, and Cam Ward is out as goalie.
New Jersey Devils - Acquiring Corey Schneider at the draft shocked the NHL world, as the Devils possibly have the best 1-2 tandem in the league, unless Marty Brodeurs' age slows him down and New Jersey misses the playoffs. They signed Damien Brunner, and Ryan Clowe during the off season, along with Jaromir Jagr, but I just don't see this team as contenders and they sit second to last in the division in my prediction
Prediction: 7th in the division, no playoffs, and Jagr is traded to a contender at the deadline.
Columbus Blue Jackets - This team is so close to playing in late April they can taste it. But the taste won't be too sweet this year. The reason for that is, they are in a new conference in a new division playing tougher opponents, and need to adjust which will take them a year. The talent on this squad is off the charts, but they will not have success until late in the season which will prove to be too late. Next off season they will build up their defense and become a dominant team in the East.
Prediction: 6th in the division, no playoffs, dangerous threat for the future
New York Rangers - A team that will rely on their goalie to bail them out in a ton of games tells you one thing, they have trouble scoring. I know i'll get questioned on why I have them 6th in the divison, considering they have Nash, Stepan, Callahan, Richards, and Hagelin, but they lost Gaborik who is a dominant scorer. Their defense is good, but you can't win games if you don't get goals. With new teams joining the division, I can see New York falling in the bottom of the standings simply because of not enough goals scored.
Prediction: 5th in the division, no playoffs, bounce back year in 2014-15
New York Islanders - This is a team that should be in the playoffs for the next 5 years, because sooner rather than later they will have a goalie that is consistent, and I believe Ryan Miller will one day be that guy. They have the potential to be good, and this season is exactly what they will be.
Prediction: 4th in the division, playoff bound, Tavares has huge year as captain
Philadelphia Flyers - A healthy defense, new goalies, added veteran leadership, and one of the top 5 players in the NHL (Claude Giroux) will prove to be what the Flyers needed to get back into the playoffs. The addition of former Tampa captain Vincent Lecavalier, former New York Islander captain Mark Streit, and rejoining the Flyers for his second stint goaltender Ray Emery, who is coming off a 17-1 year backing up Corey Crawford for the Blackhawks, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions. With these additions brings a veteran presence to the locker room, something the Flyers can definitely build off. I look for the young studs Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, and Matt Read to have solid years and be a big reason they make the playoffs.
Prediction: 3rd in the division, playoff bound, Peter Laviolette does not get fired, but rather gets a contract extension when the season is over with
Washington Capitals - Ovechkin and company lead the Caps back into the playoffs, as Braden Holtby has a career year. Mike Green and John Carlson both have good arguments to be the Norris trophy winner, and could this be the year the Capitals finally make it out of the first round?
Prediction: 2nd in the division, playoff bound, Ovie scores 60
Pittsburgh Penguins - Easily the best team in the East, if not the whole league. Led by Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Sutter, Letang and Orpik, the Penguins will win the division, and possibly the President's trophy. However, things could go terribly wrong for the Pens if they don't figure out their goalie situation. Marc-Andre Fluery is not the goalie he used to be, and Tomas Vokoun is coming off the back surgery which might force Pittsburgh to get a backup, which could be former Flyer Ilya Bryzgalov. The Penguins should have no problem scoring, but if they get in a slump, they might be looking up in the standings instead of down.
Prediction: 1st in the division, playoff bound, Crosby plays all 82 and wins MVP
With the division set, I'd like to give my prediction for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and ultimately who will win it all.
Eastern Conference:
1st - Pittsburgh Penguins
2nd - Detroit Red Wings
3rd - Washington Capitals
4th - Boston Bruins
5th - Ottawa Senators
6th - Philadelphia Flyers
7th - New York Islanders
8th - Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference:
1st - Chicago Blackhawks
2nd - Los Angeles Kings
3rd - St. Louis Blues
4th - Vancouver Canucks
5th - Minnesota Wild
6th - San Jose Sharks
7th - Edmonton Oilers
8th - Nashville Predators
East Playoffs:
Penguins defeat Maple Leafs in 5 games
Islanders shock Detroit in 7 games
Flyers beat the Capitals in 6 games
Senators beat the Bruins in 6 games
Penguins defeat Islanders in 6 games
Flyers defeat Senators in 5 games setting up "Battle of Pennsylvania" ECF matchup
Penguins defeat Flyers in 7 games to advance to Stanley Cup
West Playoffs:
Blackhawks defeat Predators in 4 games
Kings defeat Oilers in 5 games
Blues defeat Sharks in 7 games
Wild defeat Canucks in 6 games
Blackhawks defeat Wild in 5 games
Blues defeat Kings in 7 games
Blues defeat Blackhawks in 6 games to advance to Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup Final:
St. Louis Blues defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games to hoist their first Stanley Cup as a franchise!
Thanks for reading!
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Associate producer for the Sports Goombahs radio show)
The Metropolitan division consists of 5 former Atlantic division contenders and now 3 new teams.
Carolina Hurricanes - The Staal brothers come to mind when you think of the Hurricanes. A team that missed the playoffs in the lockout shortened season, and could very well miss out this year because of there defensive struggles. Losing Joni Pitkanen to injury in the off season will play a big part, and now Carolina looks to Cam Ward as their savior, who could be out by the trade deadline if the team is not performing well.
Prediction: 8th in the division, no playoffs, and Cam Ward is out as goalie.
New Jersey Devils - Acquiring Corey Schneider at the draft shocked the NHL world, as the Devils possibly have the best 1-2 tandem in the league, unless Marty Brodeurs' age slows him down and New Jersey misses the playoffs. They signed Damien Brunner, and Ryan Clowe during the off season, along with Jaromir Jagr, but I just don't see this team as contenders and they sit second to last in the division in my prediction
Prediction: 7th in the division, no playoffs, and Jagr is traded to a contender at the deadline.
Columbus Blue Jackets - This team is so close to playing in late April they can taste it. But the taste won't be too sweet this year. The reason for that is, they are in a new conference in a new division playing tougher opponents, and need to adjust which will take them a year. The talent on this squad is off the charts, but they will not have success until late in the season which will prove to be too late. Next off season they will build up their defense and become a dominant team in the East.
Prediction: 6th in the division, no playoffs, dangerous threat for the future
New York Rangers - A team that will rely on their goalie to bail them out in a ton of games tells you one thing, they have trouble scoring. I know i'll get questioned on why I have them 6th in the divison, considering they have Nash, Stepan, Callahan, Richards, and Hagelin, but they lost Gaborik who is a dominant scorer. Their defense is good, but you can't win games if you don't get goals. With new teams joining the division, I can see New York falling in the bottom of the standings simply because of not enough goals scored.
Prediction: 5th in the division, no playoffs, bounce back year in 2014-15
New York Islanders - This is a team that should be in the playoffs for the next 5 years, because sooner rather than later they will have a goalie that is consistent, and I believe Ryan Miller will one day be that guy. They have the potential to be good, and this season is exactly what they will be.
Prediction: 4th in the division, playoff bound, Tavares has huge year as captain
Philadelphia Flyers - A healthy defense, new goalies, added veteran leadership, and one of the top 5 players in the NHL (Claude Giroux) will prove to be what the Flyers needed to get back into the playoffs. The addition of former Tampa captain Vincent Lecavalier, former New York Islander captain Mark Streit, and rejoining the Flyers for his second stint goaltender Ray Emery, who is coming off a 17-1 year backing up Corey Crawford for the Blackhawks, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions. With these additions brings a veteran presence to the locker room, something the Flyers can definitely build off. I look for the young studs Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, and Matt Read to have solid years and be a big reason they make the playoffs.
Prediction: 3rd in the division, playoff bound, Peter Laviolette does not get fired, but rather gets a contract extension when the season is over with
Washington Capitals - Ovechkin and company lead the Caps back into the playoffs, as Braden Holtby has a career year. Mike Green and John Carlson both have good arguments to be the Norris trophy winner, and could this be the year the Capitals finally make it out of the first round?
Prediction: 2nd in the division, playoff bound, Ovie scores 60
Pittsburgh Penguins - Easily the best team in the East, if not the whole league. Led by Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Sutter, Letang and Orpik, the Penguins will win the division, and possibly the President's trophy. However, things could go terribly wrong for the Pens if they don't figure out their goalie situation. Marc-Andre Fluery is not the goalie he used to be, and Tomas Vokoun is coming off the back surgery which might force Pittsburgh to get a backup, which could be former Flyer Ilya Bryzgalov. The Penguins should have no problem scoring, but if they get in a slump, they might be looking up in the standings instead of down.
Prediction: 1st in the division, playoff bound, Crosby plays all 82 and wins MVP
With the division set, I'd like to give my prediction for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and ultimately who will win it all.
Eastern Conference:
1st - Pittsburgh Penguins
2nd - Detroit Red Wings
3rd - Washington Capitals
4th - Boston Bruins
5th - Ottawa Senators
6th - Philadelphia Flyers
7th - New York Islanders
8th - Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference:
1st - Chicago Blackhawks
2nd - Los Angeles Kings
3rd - St. Louis Blues
4th - Vancouver Canucks
5th - Minnesota Wild
6th - San Jose Sharks
7th - Edmonton Oilers
8th - Nashville Predators
East Playoffs:
Penguins defeat Maple Leafs in 5 games
Islanders shock Detroit in 7 games
Flyers beat the Capitals in 6 games
Senators beat the Bruins in 6 games
Penguins defeat Islanders in 6 games
Flyers defeat Senators in 5 games setting up "Battle of Pennsylvania" ECF matchup
Penguins defeat Flyers in 7 games to advance to Stanley Cup
West Playoffs:
Blackhawks defeat Predators in 4 games
Kings defeat Oilers in 5 games
Blues defeat Sharks in 7 games
Wild defeat Canucks in 6 games
Blackhawks defeat Wild in 5 games
Blues defeat Kings in 7 games
Blues defeat Blackhawks in 6 games to advance to Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup Final:
St. Louis Blues defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in 7 games to hoist their first Stanley Cup as a franchise!
Thanks for reading!
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Associate producer for the Sports Goombahs radio show)
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Will Things Turn Around?
With just 18 games remaining left in the shortened 48 game NHL season, the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs are heating up. Philadelphia is currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and sit 5 points back of the eighth and final playoff spot. It seems like whenever things start to go right, everything goes wrong. The Flyers are winning one game, and then losing two or three in a row. If they want a shot at the playoffs, they must find a way to rack up consecutive wins, and this five game home stand would be the perfect start.
After Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, the Flyers will be home for five straight games with match ups against the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and the home stand ends with a big game against the Montreal Canadiens. Out of those five games, only two are in the top eight, and the rest are fighting for the final spot just like the Flyers. A win on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (winners of 11 straight) could really bring some momentum to the team when they take on the Rangers on Tuesday. There is no question the Flyers need at least four in these next six crucial games, and even that may not be enough to get them where they want to be.
Although many people want a splash trade to happen, with the deadline coming up its likely that Philly stands pat, and plays out the rest of the season with the crew they've had all year. The main reason is because they do not want to trade players on the roster for a rental player who will only play maybe 10-15 games in orange and black. If they were to make a trade this year, It would make more sense if they traded for a player, but got that mans word that he would sign an extension to stay in Philadelphia for years to come. The only man I see the Flyers trying to bring in is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff is a right handed d-man with a laser for a shot. He could easily be paired with Kimmo Timonen, especially for the power play. Many fans in Philadelphia probably still don't like Buff because of the big role he played when Chicago beat us to win the cup in 2010, but they would get over it by watching this kid play his heart out every night. So if the Flyers become "buyers", Byfuglien is the only guy that makes sense to bring in for the final games of this lock out shortened season.
Will it be a struggle for the Flyers to make the playoffs? Yes. Will it be tough to play consistent hockey for the final 18 games? Yes. But with these questions, anything can happen. Just remember what happened in 2010 when Philly beat New York on the final day of the season. They got hot, made a historic comeback, and missed the Stanley Cup by 2 wins. If the Flyers get in, they will be have the momentum, and could run wild on teams, and make another big playoff run.
-Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
-Coming soon: Will the Flyers try to bring Weber to Philly?
After Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, the Flyers will be home for five straight games with match ups against the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and the home stand ends with a big game against the Montreal Canadiens. Out of those five games, only two are in the top eight, and the rest are fighting for the final spot just like the Flyers. A win on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (winners of 11 straight) could really bring some momentum to the team when they take on the Rangers on Tuesday. There is no question the Flyers need at least four in these next six crucial games, and even that may not be enough to get them where they want to be.
Although many people want a splash trade to happen, with the deadline coming up its likely that Philly stands pat, and plays out the rest of the season with the crew they've had all year. The main reason is because they do not want to trade players on the roster for a rental player who will only play maybe 10-15 games in orange and black. If they were to make a trade this year, It would make more sense if they traded for a player, but got that mans word that he would sign an extension to stay in Philadelphia for years to come. The only man I see the Flyers trying to bring in is Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff is a right handed d-man with a laser for a shot. He could easily be paired with Kimmo Timonen, especially for the power play. Many fans in Philadelphia probably still don't like Buff because of the big role he played when Chicago beat us to win the cup in 2010, but they would get over it by watching this kid play his heart out every night. So if the Flyers become "buyers", Byfuglien is the only guy that makes sense to bring in for the final games of this lock out shortened season.
Will it be a struggle for the Flyers to make the playoffs? Yes. Will it be tough to play consistent hockey for the final 18 games? Yes. But with these questions, anything can happen. Just remember what happened in 2010 when Philly beat New York on the final day of the season. They got hot, made a historic comeback, and missed the Stanley Cup by 2 wins. If the Flyers get in, they will be have the momentum, and could run wild on teams, and make another big playoff run.
-Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
-Coming soon: Will the Flyers try to bring Weber to Philly?
Thursday, February 7, 2013
It's Only a Matter of Time
Injury reports have been happening ever since the NHL season started on January 19, but the team suffering the most from players hurt is the Philadelphia Flyers. The flyers didn't have Danny Briere for the first four games, where the team went 1-3. When Briere came back, Scott Hartnell went down with a broken foot, and will be out for another three to four weeks. Andrej Meszaros hurt his left shoulder a few days after Hartnell, and he will miss a month of hockey. Zac Rinaldo also missed four games due to a puck striking his ankle in the second game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres. The latest injury is forward Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds was elbowed in the head by Washington Capitals defenseman John Erskine, who was suspended for three games by the NHL safety committee. Simmonds was ruled with a concussion but is looking to return for the weekend. With all these injuries, Paul Holmgren has been on the phone with GM's, and in a couple weeks look for someone new rocking the Orange and Black sweater. Lets take a look at some players that Holmgren could possibly make a play for.
Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) - Iginla is a name that has been floating around the Flyers organization since 2010. He would bring energy to a team that isn't scoring alot of goals. From 1998 to present time, Iginla has scored 25 goals or more including six seasons with 35 or more, two seasons with 40 or more, and two seasons with 50 or more goals. At the age of 35, Jarome can still skate fast, score plenty of goals, and would be a nice presence in the locker room. How could the Flyers get him? Back in 2010 it may have taken a big package to acquire the sniper, but now it may only take a young guy and a draft pick. Scott Laughton was sent to juniors after five games in the NHL. His time in Philly may be short, as he is said to be apart of the package to deal to bring in a scorer. In my opinion, I'm pulling the trigger and getting Iginla to Philly, especially if Brayden Schenn, or Sean Couturier isn't included in the trade.
Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) - Perry is a goal scorer at ease, and would easily get along with Giroux and Briere on line 1. Perry is another right handed sniper that has great puck movement, and could fill the stat sheet every night. I think the Flyers should wait to get Perry, considering he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and he would probably cost a little more than what it would take to get Iginla, being that he is only 27 years old. Perry would be a nice mid-season pickup, but if i'm Paul Holmgren, I get someone that will cost less, and then go for Perry at the end of the year.
Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks) - Corey Perry's teammate and a Cherry Hill, New Jersey native. Ryan, like Iginla has been on the Flyers radar for quite some time. You could compare Ryan to Jeff Carter by the way he skates, and how hard of a wrist shot he has. He's a play maker that the Flyers need. A man who can open up defensemen and get Claude Giroux and company the puck, with his finesse passing. Ryan is only 25 years old, and it would probably take Brayden Schenn, Scott Laughton, and a draft pick to acquire him. Although the package is high, if Paul Holmgren made a risk it all trade, he could bring Ryan and Perry to Philadelphia for the price of Schenn, Laughton, high draft pick, and probably Matt Read. Ryan hasn't proved that he is a top player in the NHL, so with that being said the Flyers should only go for him if the price is right.
There are a few other names out there. Brenden Morrow of the Dallas Stars, Ryan O'Reilly of the
Colorado Avalanche, and Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks. Getzlaf would be the easy choice here, given that he is tall, big, and can score from all angles. Morrow is the captain of the stars, and his shown capability of winning an MVP, but injuries have hurt his value. O'Reilly is a young prospect that hasn't had a chance to show the NHL what he's all about, because of a contract dispute.
Jarome Iginla is the best choice for the Flyers at this point. There's no need to trade your two top sophomores for a guy that will be a free agent at the end of the season. A defenseman may be added this season to help out, but don't expect any big named star. The main goal is getting Shea Weber to Philly at the end of this season. With all this being said, I expect in a week or two for Paul Holmgren to announce a trade that will help the offense, and get this team on the right track to the playoffs.
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
- Twitter: @jimmyforte28
- Facebook: Sports Goombahs
Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) - Iginla is a name that has been floating around the Flyers organization since 2010. He would bring energy to a team that isn't scoring alot of goals. From 1998 to present time, Iginla has scored 25 goals or more including six seasons with 35 or more, two seasons with 40 or more, and two seasons with 50 or more goals. At the age of 35, Jarome can still skate fast, score plenty of goals, and would be a nice presence in the locker room. How could the Flyers get him? Back in 2010 it may have taken a big package to acquire the sniper, but now it may only take a young guy and a draft pick. Scott Laughton was sent to juniors after five games in the NHL. His time in Philly may be short, as he is said to be apart of the package to deal to bring in a scorer. In my opinion, I'm pulling the trigger and getting Iginla to Philly, especially if Brayden Schenn, or Sean Couturier isn't included in the trade.
Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks) - Perry is a goal scorer at ease, and would easily get along with Giroux and Briere on line 1. Perry is another right handed sniper that has great puck movement, and could fill the stat sheet every night. I think the Flyers should wait to get Perry, considering he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and he would probably cost a little more than what it would take to get Iginla, being that he is only 27 years old. Perry would be a nice mid-season pickup, but if i'm Paul Holmgren, I get someone that will cost less, and then go for Perry at the end of the year.
Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks) - Corey Perry's teammate and a Cherry Hill, New Jersey native. Ryan, like Iginla has been on the Flyers radar for quite some time. You could compare Ryan to Jeff Carter by the way he skates, and how hard of a wrist shot he has. He's a play maker that the Flyers need. A man who can open up defensemen and get Claude Giroux and company the puck, with his finesse passing. Ryan is only 25 years old, and it would probably take Brayden Schenn, Scott Laughton, and a draft pick to acquire him. Although the package is high, if Paul Holmgren made a risk it all trade, he could bring Ryan and Perry to Philadelphia for the price of Schenn, Laughton, high draft pick, and probably Matt Read. Ryan hasn't proved that he is a top player in the NHL, so with that being said the Flyers should only go for him if the price is right.
There are a few other names out there. Brenden Morrow of the Dallas Stars, Ryan O'Reilly of the
Colorado Avalanche, and Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks. Getzlaf would be the easy choice here, given that he is tall, big, and can score from all angles. Morrow is the captain of the stars, and his shown capability of winning an MVP, but injuries have hurt his value. O'Reilly is a young prospect that hasn't had a chance to show the NHL what he's all about, because of a contract dispute.
Jarome Iginla is the best choice for the Flyers at this point. There's no need to trade your two top sophomores for a guy that will be a free agent at the end of the season. A defenseman may be added this season to help out, but don't expect any big named star. The main goal is getting Shea Weber to Philly at the end of this season. With all this being said, I expect in a week or two for Paul Holmgren to announce a trade that will help the offense, and get this team on the right track to the playoffs.
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
- Twitter: @jimmyforte28
- Facebook: Sports Goombahs
Monday, January 21, 2013
Prediction is a Rematch
EAST
PENGUINS (1)
BRUINS (2)
CAPITALS (3)
FLYERS (4)
SABRES (5)
RANGERS (6)
CANADIENS (7)
HURRICANES (8)
WEST
BLACKHAWKS (1)
SHARKS (2)
BLUES (3)
KINGS (4)
WILD (5)
CANUCKS (6)
OILERS (7)
STARS (8)
PITT DEF CAR - 5 games
BOS DEF MON - 6 games
WSH DEF NYR - 7 games
PHI DEF BUF - 5 games
PHI DEF PITT - 7 games
WSH DEF BOS - 6 games
PHI DEF WSH - 5 games
EAST CHAMPS - FLYERS
CHI DEF DAL - 5 games
SJ DEF EDM - 4 games
STL DEF VAN - 7 games
MIN DEF LAK - 6 games
CHI DEF MIN - 6 games
SJ DEF STL - 7 games
CHI DEF SJ - 7 games
WEST CHAMPS- BLACKHAWKS
PHI DEF CHI - 6 games
CUP CHAMPS - FLYERS
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
- Twitter: @jimmyforte28
- Facebook: Sports Goombahs
PENGUINS (1)
BRUINS (2)
CAPITALS (3)
FLYERS (4)
SABRES (5)
RANGERS (6)
CANADIENS (7)
HURRICANES (8)
WEST
BLACKHAWKS (1)
SHARKS (2)
BLUES (3)
KINGS (4)
WILD (5)
CANUCKS (6)
OILERS (7)
STARS (8)
PITT DEF CAR - 5 games
BOS DEF MON - 6 games
WSH DEF NYR - 7 games
PHI DEF BUF - 5 games
PHI DEF PITT - 7 games
WSH DEF BOS - 6 games
PHI DEF WSH - 5 games
EAST CHAMPS - FLYERS
CHI DEF DAL - 5 games
SJ DEF EDM - 4 games
STL DEF VAN - 7 games
MIN DEF LAK - 6 games
CHI DEF MIN - 6 games
SJ DEF STL - 7 games
CHI DEF SJ - 7 games
WEST CHAMPS- BLACKHAWKS
PHI DEF CHI - 6 games
CUP CHAMPS - FLYERS
- Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
- Twitter: @jimmyforte28
- Facebook: Sports Goombahs
Thursday, January 17, 2013
NHL Gearing Up for Big Weekend
On Friday, training camps in the NHL will end and the race to the Stanley Cup will begin. The 48 game season starts on Saturday, January 19th and ends on Saturday, April 27th. From start to finish, it is 98 days or three months and eight days before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lets take a look at the weekend games that will get this season underway.
The NHL on NBC returns on Saturday when new captain Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the battle of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh will be looking for revenge as they were knocked out by Philly in six games last year in the first round of the playoffs. On the West Coast, the Los Angeles Kings will raise their Stanley Cup banner as the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Staples Center. The Kings went into the playoffs last year as the eighth seed in the West and were able to upset the number one Vancouver Canucks four games to one. They then went on to defeat the number two seed, St. Louis Blues, with a clean sweep of four games. In the Western Conference Finals, they breezed by the number three seed, Phoenix Coyotes, four games to one. In the finals, it took six games to prove that whenever the playoffs start anyone can raise that cup, even if you did barely make it into the playoffs. These two games will have a pregame show at 3 p.m. and then FINALLY at 3:30 p.m., the puck will be dropped for the first time this season.
Some other rival-type games consist of the Boston Bruins hosting the New York Rangers in TD Garden. That game can be seen on the NHL Network at 7 p.m. The battle of Canada starts with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Ottawa Senators, and the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. Another Atlantic Division rival game features the Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils visiting Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. In the Southeast division,, the Washington Capitals take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Carolina Hurricanes with newly acquired Jordan Staal take on the Florida Panthers. The remaining games on Saturday are Detroit vs St. Louis, Columbus vs Nashville, Phoenix vs Dallas, Colorado vs Minnesota, and to top off opening night, the Anaheim Ducks head to Vancouver to take on the President's Trophy winner Canucks.
Having broadcasted games on both Saturday and Sunday will be the first time in TV history that NBC has done this. The Sunday game once again consists of the Philadelphia Flyers making the trip to Buffalo to take on the Sabres. This game will start at 12:30 p.m. and will be Buffalo's season and home opener. San Jose takes on the Calgary Flames at 6 p.m., and Pittsburgh travels to New York to take on the Rangers at 7 p.m. in Madison Square Garden. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter play their first game in Minnesota as the Wild take on Jaromir Jagr and the Dallas Stars. Edmonton plays their first game of the season when they take on the Vancouver Canucks in British Colombia. Opening weekend ends when resigned captain Shane Doan takes on Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks in the Jobing.com Arena.
The season is just one day away and fans have been anticipating this moment since early October. The wait is finally over and hockey is ready to return to the ice with no labor negotiations for at least eight years. I'm going to make a bold prediction for the season that every local fan wants to hear. Eastern Conference Finals will be the Flyers vs Capitals with Philly winning in six games. In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the San Jose Sharks, with Chicago winning in five games. In a Stanley Cup Final rematch from 2010, the Philadelphia Flyers will defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in six games with Claude Giroux winning the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup in his first year as captain.
-Jimmy "the Fish" Forte (Beat writer for the Sports Goombahs)
-Twitter: @jimmyfort28
- Facebook: search Sports Goombahs
- Thanks for reading!
-Twitter: @jimmyfort28
- Facebook: search Sports Goombahs
- Thanks for reading!
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