OrangeBlood

Yer welcome! LET'S DROP THE PUCK!!!!!

Scores StL 2, Chi 1 | Pho 4, Ana 3 OT | Fla 4, TB 0 | Nas 4, CBJ 1 | NYR 3, NJ 2 Canada.com summary of NHL play Saturday Rumors and Other Stuff Flyers Podcast Spector's Trade Rumors Єklund (2.3% accurate) (2.3% accurate)'s Blog Season/Team Overviews Team Capsules - Eastern Conference. Philly.com article Team Capsules - Western Conference. Philly.com article NHL at a Glance. Daily News article Buccigross Western Conference picks. ESPN article Our picks for the season, Part I. ESPN article NHL team-by-team previews. MSNBC article Atlantic Division preview: Power shifts elsewhere. CBS Sportsline article Central Division preview: It's still all about Hockeytown. CBS Sportsline article Individual team listings. CBS Sportsline page Conference preview - West. CNNSI article Conference preview - East. CNNSI article A dozen predictions for a tough-to-call NHL season. USA Today article Western predictions. Hockey News article 2005-2006 New Jersey Devils preview. Hockey News article 2005-2006 Dallas Stars preview. Hockey News article 2005-2006 Los Angeles Kings preview. Hockey News article 2005-2006 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim preview. Hockey News article 2005-2006 Phoenix Coyotes preview. Hockey News article 2005-2006 San Jose Sharks preview. Hockey News article Around the League Penguins convinced Crosby's time has come. Philly.com article Almost 40, Lemieux not slowing down yet. Philly.com article Stars' Modano embraces his role as captain. Philly.com article NHL Old faces scattered around 'new' NHL. Daily News article D.C. welcomes young Russian with big yawn. Daily News article Calgary Flames enter 2005 season as one of the early favourites for Stanley Cup. Canada.com article Line of Sedin twins and Anson Carter already finding chemistry for Canucks. Canada.com article Coach Mike Babcock shakes up the Detroit Red Wings with intense style. Canada.com article Esche takes rule changes as they come. Daily News article Leafs try new forward combinations, drop Steve Thomas from practices. Canada.com article Nieuwendyk, Jokinen questionable for opener. ESPN article Rangers give 'C' to Kasparitis. ESPN article Jackets send pair of vets to minors. ESPN article Former Av Moore has Monday court date. ESPN article Coyotes to 'un-retire' Bobby Hull's No. 9 for son. ESPN article NHL ondemns Avery's 'insensitive' remarks. ESPN article Groin might sideline Wings' Yzerman for opener. ESPN article House bill calls for standardized tests, fines for leagues. ESPN article Top Players. ESPN article (historically perspective) Top Rivalries. ESPN article (historically perspective) Top Teams. ESPN article (historically perspective) Top Games. ESPN article (historical perspective) No more Mess. ESPN article Flyers pile up more injuries in win over Devils. Dailey News article Forsberg and Carter excited to be linemates. Flyers home page article Now, it starts for real. SLAM! article NHL veterans looking to move up all-time lists. CBC Sports article Calgary Flames to finish 1st according to Sports Illustrated. CBC Sports article A matter of when, not if, Crosby conquers NHL. MSNBC article NHL's back, but with far different look. MSNBC article Shootouts in, obstruction out in new NHL. MSNBC article Ranking skaters, goalies in shootouts. MSNBC article Gretzky's move has great risk. MSNBC article If healthy, Hasek lifts Sens to Cup. MSNBC article Calder entries. CBS Sportsline article Shortened roster may be an option. Newsday article Flyers' preseason was a medical marvel. Daily News article Year lost, but Cup is still full. Newsday article Isles need fine tuning. Newsday article Pens ship Fleury to minors. USA Today article Blues move closer to sale of team. Hockey news article Penguins' Roy suspended for season's first two games. Hockey News article Leschyshyn retires. TSN article Habs send Latendresse back to junior. TSN article Wild send down O'Sullivan. TSN article Singing the Blues. Globe and Mail article Flyers Knuble to have stress test. Daily News article

Spector's rumors reports that the Caps have acquired Bryan Muir from LA for futures.

Every day? Uhhhh....no. It takes upwards of an hour to do and I can't commit that kind of time on any kind of regular basis. I just do it sporatically. I can, if you like, give you a list of a bunch of links that I use to compile the Blurbs and someone else can do it with regularity. It's certainly something that people like to have done, but it just takes too much time to commit to.

Around the League Lindros lands with Leafs. ESPN article Moore: It's difficult to see Bertuzzi play again. ESPN article Thornton with Bruins for long haul. ESPN article Islanders lure Lukowich away from Lightning. ESPN article Pens acquire Thibault from Hawks. ESPN article Panthers take record-setting goalie Luongo to arbitration. ESPN article Crosby-mania hits Pittsburgh but 19-year-old is cool as a cucumber. Canada.com article Swedish goalie Tommy Salo signs with Swedish club Frolunda. Canada.com article Luongo and Korolyuk summoed to arbitration by Panthers and Sharks. Canada.com article Pasi Nurminen among five restricted free agents to re-sign with Thrashers. Canada.com article Anaheim Mighty Ducks sign Leclerc, DiPenta to one-year deals. Canada.com article Esche nets Flyers deal. USA Today article Sharks give contract extension to McLaren; re-sign Dimitrakos. Canada.com article Steve Moore still waiting to see if he will play in NHL again. Canada.com article Canadiens re-sign 3 players. CBC Sports article Canucks get Sedins under contract. CBC Sports article Samsonov, Axelsson back with Bruins. CBC Sports article Havlat, Fisher return to Senators. CBC Sports article Leafs ink Khavanov, Belak, Berg. CBC Sports article Bruins bring back Girard. CBC Sports article 'Dream come true'. MSNBC article Coyotes avoid arbitration with D Morris. CBS Sportsline article Goalie among 5 to stay in Atlanta. CBS Sportsline article Flyers agree to terms with Esche, Seidenberg. CBS Sportsline article Four Flyers agree to qualifying contracts. CBS Sportsline article Hinote, Svatos and Finger sign with Avalanche. CBS Sportsline article Canucks re-sign Bouck, finalize deal with Park. CBS Sportsline article Blackhawks re-sign Tyler Arnason. CBS Sportsline article Blackhawks resign Mark bell. CBS Sportsline article Predators sign veteran forward Scot Hartnell. CBS Sportsline article Veteran defenseman Andrew Ference re-signs with Calgary Flames. CBS Sportsline article Islanders sign center Wyatt Smith. CBS Sportsline article Wild re-sign defenseman Zyuzin. CBS Sportsline article Hurricanes sign Williams to one-year deal. CBS Sportsline article Capitals sign Ds Biron, Majesky. CBS Sportsline article Columbus signs veteran center to one-year contract. CBS Sportsline article Sharks re-sign Primeau, Preissing. CBS Sportsline article Lightning sign Burke, Boyle and DiMaio. CBS Sportsline article Sharks re-sign Nils Ekman. CBS Sportsline article Wild re-sign Mitchel, Bouchard, give White multiyear deal. CBS Sportsline article Flames goalie Turek announces retirement. CNNSI article Hossa leads arbitration filings. USA Today article Huselius, Weiss to remain with Panthers. Hockey News article Flames' Reinprecht accepts qualifying offer. Hockey News article Lecavalier, Lightning talk long term deal. Sporting News article Lindros looks to make up for lost time. Globe & Mail article Gretzky makes Coyotes relevant again. Philly Inq article Other Q&A with NHLPA president Ted Saskin. ESPN article Hocky Canada presidnet doesn't rule out Crosby being part of Olympic team. Canada.com article NHL involvment at Torino Olympics almost confirmed. CBC Sports article NHL agrees to cable deal with Comcast. CBC Sports article Rumors Spector's Rumors Єklund (2.3% accurate) (2.3% accurate)'s Rumors CBS Sportsline Rumor Mill

The goalie thing is retarded, IMO. The sport has been revolutionized by goalies that will play the puck. If you want to curtail it a bit, simply STOP protecting goalies when they leave the crease. If the goalie is outside the crease, he should be just like any other player - open to being hit if he has the puck or has recently played the puck. If the puck handling goalies want to pay the price for doing it, let them. If a goalie doesn't want to play that style of game, he doesn't have to, but he can help his team by doing so. Let the talents of the guys be used in whatever way they can best help their team...including goalies! The no-touch icing idea is bad. It takes away a reason for hustle. One of the things ruining the sport is the guys who collect big paychecks, but refuse to hustle. The restoration of a team's ability to clear the offensive zone after going offsides is a good one. I always liked that one. It allows a team to reapply pressure faster. It should cause more turnovers.

In other words, everyone giving their best effort is still not enough to beat the Flyers? If Esche plays like that all the time, yes. Esche doesn't play that well all the time. He's a good goalie with signs of getting better over time. There are, however, pertubations in his performance...in both directions. Last night, he played an extraordinary game. Down the stretch of the regular season, he played some crappy games. It goes back and forth and is tough to predict. That's the nature of goalies. I cetainly know that I wasn't predicting a mediocre performance from Brodeur in this series...I've come to expect much more of him. I also know that I don't discount the possibility that the pendulum will swing the other way and Martin will become a wall that even a bullet can't get past. That's why we play the games rather than give out Cups based on stats. The series isn't over until one team has four wins. Let's go Flyers!

The Stevens thing is annoying, isn't it? The Flyers went through the same goofy thing with Lindros the last time we faced each other. It's sad when the media invents storylines that just seem to actually become the series.

NJay - I'd recommend being quite careful and avoid anything resembling provocation. I went to the April 2nd Flyers-Sens game and there was a few Sens jerseys in my section. They were ridiculed (normal) and then they decided to react to it and give it back. A bunch of guys in the area starting chanting "U S A" and the Sens fan gave the finger to the crowd. That started a brawl. I'm certainly not advocating that you don't support your team, but just be careful. It's an emotionally charged atmosphere when we play the Devils and the playoffs come with block parties that start before the game....so lots of people will already be drunk just walking in the door.

Well, things have certainly changed. Not so long ago, facing the Devils was Philly fans' purest nightmare. Now, I'd have to say that Jersey was the team I wanted to face more than any other in the first round. The ole' "let's just get it on and see what happens" attitude. If we can beat the Devs in the first round, I see that as a huge psychological boost for the Flyers, so the sooner we face you, the better. And now, we're in for some great hockey. I agree with the sentiments put forth... early in the series will dictate the outcome. Either team goes down 2-0, it'll be over in a hurry. I think either team can overcome losing Game 1, though. I don't see a physical series. The Devs know how to survive the playoffs and they're not going to initiate a physical war and the Flyers just don't play that physical anymore, not to mention that a first round war is how they lost in the second round last year. This series will be about patience and methodical play. Conservation of energy, positional soundness and work along the wall. The Devs have had that type of series mastered for the better part of a decade now. The Flyers are more up and comers in that arena. The Flyers, though, do have more overall talent depth in each area, IMO, except in net. This is a change from previous years. It used to be that the Devs could shut down a handful of individual Flyers and that was all she wrote. Now that won't work. I see it as a low scoring affair, with the non-heavies doing most of the scoring (Handzus, Primeau, etc). Flyers in 6.

Yes, he could. He could be a Ranger!

From what I've been reading, many of your injured players are trying to come back for these games.

The Eastern Conference giants will clash in a battle of wills. The number one team in the League versus the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The teams that have shared the Atlantic Division title over the past 9 years. Bad blood. Honor. Respect. It's all on the line, now. DROP THE PUCK!

Please. It's called picking your team and sticking with them through thick and thin. The Flyers home stadium is closer to my house (I live in central Jersey) and the coverage for them is better down here than that of the Devils. People are entitled to their opinions and their loyalties. Get over it.