PSP Staff
12-02-2011, 09:55 AM
By. PSP Staff Writer George Remaily
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette just hopes that this early season break of five days during Thanksgiving will bring back some of the injured Flyers who have been out for a few games back into the lineup at full strength because they are going to need it. The Flyers also hope that the leaders on this team will begin to pick up their play a notch, especially during the next four to six weeks that the team will be playing without their captain, defensemen Chris Pronger who will be out after another surgical procedure.
The Flyers this past Saturday before going on this short early season break were shutout by their divisional rival New York Rangers, 2-0. The team looked out of sink and also looked very tired. This mini Thanksgiving break could not of come at a better time for the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach Laviolette hopes to get back into the lineup for Friday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, Jaromir Jagr and James Van Riemsdyk who have been out of the lineup for the past few games due to injuries.
The Flyers on Friday night start a short three game road trip with them going from Anaheim to Phoenix and then ending the road trip in Buffalo. The Flyers have to definitely pick up their play. This mini break will definitely help the Flyers with rest, healing of injured players, and head coach Peter Laviolette to really start focusing on his goaltending issues that the Flyers still have at this point of this young NHL season. Jagr and Van Riemsdyk
are huge important players for the Flyers success, especially in the next four to six weeks which the Flyers will be playing without their team captain.
The Flyers also announced this past Monday that Chris Pronger would be having surgery again. This time on his left knee, which will keep the team captain out of the Flyers lineup for the next four to six weeks. This is Pronger’s fifth surgery in the last 16 months. General Manager Paul Holmgren has down played the severity of this surgery and has called it a maintenance procedure that will give Chris Pronger more comfort. Holmgren has also said
that the structure of the knee is fine. Pronger has missed ten games already this year. The Flyers are 5-4-1 without him in the lineup. In the past two seasons Pronger has missed a total of 42 regular season games and the Flyers have just won 21 of those games.
The Flyers really right now need there other veteran players on the team to pick up for the lose of Pronger especially in the next six weeks that they will be playing without their captain. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn are going to have to lead the young defensemen and lead by their play on the ice and also show some veteran leadership in the locker room. The
two rookies on the defensive unit, Kevin Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdin will also have to pickup their play during this time period without the captain.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette also has concerns on his last line of defense and that is with his goalie situation. The off season signing of Ilya Bryzgalov was suppose to be a signing of a goalie this team has been lacking for a few seasons. Bryzgalov has had games of bad play and games of good play. He is 8-5-2 with a goals against average of 2.82. He needs to show more leadership on and off the ice. He needs to live up to the off season contract that he signed with the Flyers. The Flyers do have a capable backup in Sergei “Bob” Bobrousky who Laviolette will not think twice about going to. To be successful though and reach the goal this team has they need Bryzgalov to play better.
The Flyers also need to pick up their offensive play as well. Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Jagr are going to have to pick up their game a notch. The team needs this veteran leadership to show it on the ice and they totally need it in the next six weeks. Laviolette is going to put a lot more on these guys shoulders to keep the team going in the right direction.
It is very important that the team stay on the course without their captain. The head coach is not going to just ask one player but each guy on the team to pick up their play as long as Pronger is out. They do need to show that they can play without their captain in the lineup.
The Philadelphia Flyers hope that this mini Thanksgiving break will get them healthier and more energized for the run to the All Star break. The team needs to show fire and drive and especially in the next six weeks. Without Pronger in the lineup we are going to find out a lot about this Philadelphia Flyers team. We are going to find out really quickly too. Can this team play without Pronger, well they are going to have to and their leadership will need to lead on the ice and off the ice. This is an important period of time for this team. Can they answer the bell, well let’s see.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette just hopes that this early season break of five days during Thanksgiving will bring back some of the injured Flyers who have been out for a few games back into the lineup at full strength because they are going to need it. The Flyers also hope that the leaders on this team will begin to pick up their play a notch, especially during the next four to six weeks that the team will be playing without their captain, defensemen Chris Pronger who will be out after another surgical procedure.
The Flyers this past Saturday before going on this short early season break were shutout by their divisional rival New York Rangers, 2-0. The team looked out of sink and also looked very tired. This mini Thanksgiving break could not of come at a better time for the Philadelphia Flyers. Head coach Laviolette hopes to get back into the lineup for Friday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, Jaromir Jagr and James Van Riemsdyk who have been out of the lineup for the past few games due to injuries.
The Flyers on Friday night start a short three game road trip with them going from Anaheim to Phoenix and then ending the road trip in Buffalo. The Flyers have to definitely pick up their play. This mini break will definitely help the Flyers with rest, healing of injured players, and head coach Peter Laviolette to really start focusing on his goaltending issues that the Flyers still have at this point of this young NHL season. Jagr and Van Riemsdyk
are huge important players for the Flyers success, especially in the next four to six weeks which the Flyers will be playing without their team captain.
The Flyers also announced this past Monday that Chris Pronger would be having surgery again. This time on his left knee, which will keep the team captain out of the Flyers lineup for the next four to six weeks. This is Pronger’s fifth surgery in the last 16 months. General Manager Paul Holmgren has down played the severity of this surgery and has called it a maintenance procedure that will give Chris Pronger more comfort. Holmgren has also said
that the structure of the knee is fine. Pronger has missed ten games already this year. The Flyers are 5-4-1 without him in the lineup. In the past two seasons Pronger has missed a total of 42 regular season games and the Flyers have just won 21 of those games.
The Flyers really right now need there other veteran players on the team to pick up for the lose of Pronger especially in the next six weeks that they will be playing without their captain. Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn are going to have to lead the young defensemen and lead by their play on the ice and also show some veteran leadership in the locker room. The
two rookies on the defensive unit, Kevin Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdin will also have to pickup their play during this time period without the captain.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette also has concerns on his last line of defense and that is with his goalie situation. The off season signing of Ilya Bryzgalov was suppose to be a signing of a goalie this team has been lacking for a few seasons. Bryzgalov has had games of bad play and games of good play. He is 8-5-2 with a goals against average of 2.82. He needs to show more leadership on and off the ice. He needs to live up to the off season contract that he signed with the Flyers. The Flyers do have a capable backup in Sergei “Bob” Bobrousky who Laviolette will not think twice about going to. To be successful though and reach the goal this team has they need Bryzgalov to play better.
The Flyers also need to pick up their offensive play as well. Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, and Jagr are going to have to pick up their game a notch. The team needs this veteran leadership to show it on the ice and they totally need it in the next six weeks. Laviolette is going to put a lot more on these guys shoulders to keep the team going in the right direction.
It is very important that the team stay on the course without their captain. The head coach is not going to just ask one player but each guy on the team to pick up their play as long as Pronger is out. They do need to show that they can play without their captain in the lineup.
The Philadelphia Flyers hope that this mini Thanksgiving break will get them healthier and more energized for the run to the All Star break. The team needs to show fire and drive and especially in the next six weeks. Without Pronger in the lineup we are going to find out a lot about this Philadelphia Flyers team. We are going to find out really quickly too. Can this team play without Pronger, well they are going to have to and their leadership will need to lead on the ice and off the ice. This is an important period of time for this team. Can they answer the bell, well let’s see.