Philadelphia Flyers Goaltending: 2010-11 Season Preview

Departures: Ray Emery

Arrivals: Sergei Bobrovsky

Well that’s the million-dollar question…

Every year, fans, media and the entire hockey world asks, “Do the Flyers have the goaltending it takes to challenge for a Stanley Cup?” The team hasn’t had a franchise goaltender since Ron Hextall and before that, you’d have to go all the way back to Bernie Parent to find a superstar goaltender that had the talent to lead a team to a championship. But for once, the Flyers rode a stallion to the Stanley Cup final, as the Leighton-Boucher duo helped bring the team to their first final appearance since 1997.

The good? Leighton was second to Jaroslav Halak with a .916 save percentage in the playoffs and led the league with a 2.46 goals against average. Boucher was sixth with .909 and second with 2.47. So the two-headed monster indeed provided great goaltending.

The bad? During the regular season, Leighton was 33rd in the league with a .905 save percentage. Boucher was 43rd with .899, while Ray Emery had the same statistic as Leighton. One can argue that Boucher’s incredible performance in the shootout against the Rangers at the end of the season was the epitome of great goaltending. But another could argue that it was one of the only bright points of the Flyers’ goaltending throughout the season.

Will the Flyers see Goaltending 1.0 or Goaltending 2.0 this year as they try to defend their Eastern Conference title?

Watch out for…

Johan Backlund. Though he only played two-thirds of one game in the NHL before falling to injury, he looked good. His positioning was superb, he showed great speed and an acute sense for the game, including his angles and anticipating the shot and the pass. In that one game with the Flyers, Backlund posted a .917 save percentage. If Leighton and/or Boucher go down, look for Backlund to step it up when the spotlight is shining on him.

Also look out for Sergei Bobrovsky. He had a dominating preseason, but because of his inexperience with the North American game, he most likely will stay in Adirondack for the remainder of the season. Since Boucher’s contract runs out at the end of the season, though, look for him to be in the NHL in 2011-12.

What’s the outlook?

Not too good. Though I’d like to believe, along with the rest of Flyers’ Nation, that the team’s backstoppers have all the talent needed to bring the Orange and Black back to the brink of a Stanley Cup, it seems crazy to believe it. Yes, Leighton and Boucher had great stats during the playoffs, but when you watch the tape again, notice the number of difficult shots each goaltender had to face – not many. The defense contributed more to the statistics than the goaltenders themselves. Of course, the defense could again keep the Wells Fargo Center open until June. But just ask Patrick Kane – eventually a poor goaltender will be shone up. Specfically when it matters the most.

Positioning: B+

Reflexes: C+

Speed: C+

Hockey Sense: B-

Game-saving ability: B-

Overall Ratings:

Forwards: A-

Defense: A

Goaltending: B-

Coaching: B+

Toughness: A-

Prediction: Lose in Eastern Conference Final

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News, he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.

Philadelphia Flyers Offense: 2010-11 Season Preview

Departures: Simon Gagne, Arron Asham, Mika Pyorala, Riley Cote

Arrivals: Jody Shelley, Nikolai Zherdev

The 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers featured some of the greatest offensive depth in the league. Seven players hit 40 points, while 10 players reached the 10-goal plateau. Captain Mike Richards led the team with 62 points, while Jeff Carter led the Orange and Black with 33 goals. First year player James van Riemsdyk was among league rookie leaders with 35 points, while defenseman Chris Pronger anchored the blue line offense with 55 points—45 of those being assists. The Flyers’ toughness was also summed up with four players surpassing 100 penalty minutes and six with over 70.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs featured breakout campaigns from Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, and Ville Leino, who put up 30, 23, and 21 points in 23, 23, and 19 games, respectively. The trio also came up big in the Stanley Cup finals, helping lead the team within two games of a Stanley Cup.

Look Who’s New in the Neighborhood!

Left winger Jody Shelley, formerly a member of the rival New York Rangers (and the San Jose Sharks before that), joins a deep Flyers’ offense that has three lines of capable scoring forwards and a line of energetic toughness, mixed with excitement and leadership. Though Shelley will not contribute much at all with regards to points (his career high is 10, attained in 2005-06 with theColumbus Blue Jackets), the 34-year-old will contribute to the team in the locker room and with his ability to throw a body check here and there and give the top lines some rest. A responsible forward, Shelley had a plus-four rating in 21 games with a New York Rangers squad that missed the playoffs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thought they hit a home run when they selected Zherdev with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, but they quickly realized that he needed work. His point totals jumped from 34 in his rookie year to 61 in 2008. But after posting 58 in 2009 with the Rangers, he bolted for Russia, after not receiving the contract offers he thought he was worth. Posting 39 points in the Kontinental League last season, Zherdev returns to a Flyers squad that has one of the greatest supporting casts in the league. Though Zherdev can put up close to a point per game, his defensive game must improve drastically if he hopes Coach Peter Laviolette will play him with the amount of ice time he believes he deserves (Zherdev is a career minus-46 in five seasons).

You’ll Be Sorely Missed

Left winger Simon Gagne was the longest-tenured Flyer before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason. Though he regularly posted over 20 goals and 50 points at the beginning of his career, his totals dropped due to concussion problems in 2007-08 and though he bounced back in 2008-09, his numbers continued to drop due to injury last season. Gagne still has the talent to post 50 points (if he can stay healthy), but his cap hit of over $5 million was too much for the cash-strapped Flyers to handle. By moving him to Tamp Bay, the team saved over $3 million (after accounting for the Zherdev signing). Gagne’s leadership and offensive numbers will be missed, but his recent troubles playing defensively will be noted when weighing the pros and cons to this transaction.

Watch Out for…

Claude Giroux and Ville Leino. Both players are young and have some of the best potential of any young player in the league—and both had breakout years in the Flyers’ Stanley Cup run. Giroux scored three points in Game Five against Chicago. His 21 points in 23 games with the team ranked among team leaders, while his true contribution was his ability to draw defenders toward him then thread the needle with a cross-ice pass, creating a scoring chance almost every time he was on the ice.

Leino scored nine points in the Stanley Cup finals, including five in the final two games. He was consistently one of the Flyers’ top players, regardless of the fact that he was injured during the series. Look for him to be able to post at least 40 points this season, perhaps more if paired with the right players.

What’s the Outlook?

The Philadelphia Flyers have the best depth in the NHL. Though their top line may not be as glamorous as that of the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Washington Capitals, their top three lines have as much scoring ability as any other team’s lines. With incredible depth at center, plus some versatility (Briere, Giroux, Carter, and Richards have all shown they can play the wing when needed), in addition to great players on the wing, the Flyers are a threat to score for 60 minutes every game. A possible fourth line consisting of Jody Shelley, Blair Betts, and Ian Laperriere will scare the crap out of any team facing them—and might even draw a standing ovation from the Philadelphia fans after each shift.

Centers: A-

Wingers: B+

Stars: B

Depth: A

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News, he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him atBergHockey24@gmail.com.

NHL Prospect Watch: Philadelphia Flyers’ Marc-Andre Bourdon

The Philadelphia Flyers, coming off a run in which they were two games from their first Stanley Cup championship since 1975, have few weaknesses in their depth chart. However, one of the largest deficiencies in their organization is the amount of prospects in the farm system – and the talent those kids posses.

With the team’s prospect conditioning camp in the books, there was one player on the ice who looked like a man among boys. He’s been called one of the most physical players to ever play in the Quebec League. He is defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon.

Hailing from St. Hyacinthe, Que., the 6-foot, 206-pound defenseman showed incredible potential playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Rimouski Oceanic from 2006 to 2009. His point totals jumped from 28 in 2006-07 to 59 in 2007-08 and 60 in 2008-09. His penalty minutes also jumped from 80 in ’06-07 to 114 and 112 in the final two campaigns.

But the real jump came this past season when he made his professional debut for the American League’s Adirondack Phantoms. The 2008 third round pick (67th overall) posted 19 points in 61 games, including 53 PIM. Bourdon definitely noticed a difference, though, between major junior and professional hockey.

“At first, I felt it was a lot faster and much quicker for the first 15 games,” Bourdon said. “But I worked hard and I did extra time in practice and in the gym to improve my speed. At the end of the season, I had some good times before my injury. But overall, I’m very happy about it.”

Don Luce, the Flyers director of player development, saw good things, too.

“I thought it was a typical rookie season for a player coming out of junior,” Luce said. “It’s a harder step than players realize and competition is much tougher than they realize. He didn’t get to play right off the bat, but he worked hard to get back into the lineup. At the end of the year, he started to come around.”

Bourdon’s strengths include his foot speed, hands and vision. His hockey sense is through the roof, as Luce points out, as he is able to see the ice well and consistently make the right decision – something that was apparent during prospect camp scrimmages.

Another plus in Bourdon’s game is his physical play, an aspect he prides himself on. 

“I think physical play is a good asset for me,” Bourdon said. “I’ve got good vision and can do good stuff with the puck. There are some that can’t really hit or fight, but I can, so it helps me out.”

Numerous times during prospect camp Bourdon made big plays that would impress any NHL coach or executive. In fact, his play seemed to improve when the game truly mattered – even though it was simply a scrimmage at a training camp.

But rising to the occasion when the stakes are high is something Bourdon has done his entire life. His output increased in the 2008 and 2009 post-seasons, as he posted a combined 31 points in 30 games, a much higher average than he had during his regular seasons. 

“For sure it is the best time to play in the playoffs,” Bourdon said. “In the playoffs, it’s where you see the real players. I guess it’s a good sign if I can play better in the playoffs.”

But for now, Bourdon is concentrating on playing better in the 2010-11 season with the Phantoms. Or perhaps he can even make the NHL squad with enough work. 

“It think it takes a little bit of time,” Bourdon concluded. “I have to get more mature, like everyone. But you just have to take the advice your coach gives you and work at it.”

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News, he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.

This article was originally featured on TheHockeyNews.com. For the original article, click here.

NHL Backchecking: Little-known Hab big part of Cup run

The Montreal Canadiens won four Stanley Cups in five seasons from 1965-69. Every hockey fan knows the big names on those teams: Jean Beliveau, Yvan Cournoyer, Henri Richard, Serge Savard and others.

However, it is often the depth players on a roster who help win championships.

Terry Harper, one of the team’s best stay-at-home defensemen, was such a player.

Harper, who played in four NHL all-star games and won five Stanley Cups, was born and raised in Regina, Sask. He played three seasons in the now-defunct Eastern Professional League before being brought up to the NHL by the Canadiens.

“It was fantastic, like a dream come true,” Harper said of playing for the legendary franchise. “The Canadiens had that mystique to them, that history of always being a top organization and a very competitive one. They didn’t win every year, but they were in the battle all the time.”

His first NHL game, though, was more a funny than a triumphant story.

“On my first shift in the league,” Harper recalled, “I fell down and Gordie Howe scooted right around me. I was so damn nervous. I still remember falling over backwards. In some ways, it must have been a good thing, because it got rid of my stage fright right away, playing against the best player in the league at the time.”

Despite his stumble, Harper was off and running; beginning a successful NHL career. Known more for his aggressive, physical play as opposed to posting points, Harper’s style of play was based on the Habs’ needs on the ice.

“It got me a job,” Harper said of his play. “Why not give myself the opportunity to be someone who can kill penalties and be defensive? You know, someone who can play in the last minute of a period and things like that.”

After brief stints with the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Colorado Rockies, Harper retired from hockey in 1981, finishing with 35 goals, 256 points and 1,362 PIM in 1,066 NHL games.

Life after hockey for Harper included a 10-year stint in real estate. 

“Then I felt like I’d had enough,” Harper said, “and decided it was time to do something different.”

Harper began working for Little Caesars Pizza, the business founded by Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch. After many years of running stores, he sold them and moved into semi-retirement.

After his time in the pizza business, Harper briefly moved back into hockey.

“A fellow came over and said, ‘Can you help us try to get this roller hockey thing started here?’ And so I was sort of in hockey for a little bit,” Harper said.

Harper worked in roller hockey for a few years until the league folded, but he enjoyed it much more than if he had been working in the pros.

“I didn’t have to be away as often as if I were in ice hockey,” he said. “Also, the seasons were short and I enjoyed it.”

However, Harper does still cherish his NHL days and keeps in touch with many former teammates.

“The ones close by, they’ll stop by, we’ll maybe go skiing or something,” Harper laughed. “Jean-Guy Talbot, I talk to every year. He was my first partner, so I have to keep in touch with him.”

But Harper lived by one major piece of advice, which he hands down to anyone who is looking to be successful.

“The only advice I’d ever give someone is to never give up; don’t quit. It’s that simple. Keep working on it until you find a way to get there. That’s your goal. You want to do it and there’s a way somewhere.”

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News, he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.

This article was originally featured on TheHockeyNews.com. For the original article, click here.

NHL Backchecking: Dave Feamster flips NHL career for pizza profits

“What do you do in life? You learn to tie your shoes, then you play hockey.” – Dave Feamster

Dave Feamster sums up his life with that simple, yet brilliant quote.

The youngest of five boys, Feamster grew up in Detroit living and breathing hockey. Every winter, his father would flood their backyard so he and his friends could play.

“Every afternoon after school we’d have a big game,” Feamster recalled. “Everyone in the neighborhood would come over and we’d have the draft, pick the teams; my dad would bring hot chocolate out between periods. It was kind of like the neighborhood hangout, built around the rink in our backyard.”

Feamster joined his first team at nine years old, the Little Caesars hockey club. At 14, he was awarded a scholarship to play hockey at Colorado College and, in 1978, was drafted in the sixth round (96th overall) by the Chicago Black Hawks.

In college, Feamster enjoyed great success, scoring 184 points in 150 career games. After staying an extra year to obtain a business degree, he played a season in the Central League with the Dallas Black Hawks before turning pro in 1982.

But Feamster did not enjoy the same success as an NHL defenseman.

“I just never had a coach who gave me the confidence to (let me make plays),” he said. “I always thought of myself as an offensive guy in college, but when I got to the NHL, I became a penalty killer. I never saw one minute of power play time in the NHL, yet in college, I was on the power play every shift.”

Nerves also played a big factor in his pro game.

“You play a little bit more reserved and don’t want to make any mistakes, because you may not get another shift,” Feamster explained. “That pressure of not allowing yourself to make a mistake was bad. I always wanted to move the puck and never get too far out of my position; where in college, I could take chances and if you didn’t succeed, well, you’re going to go out there the next shift.”

His NHL career was short-lived. In a game against the North Stars in his third season, Paul Holmgren hit Feamster from behind, slamming his head and back against the boards.

“I was kind of dazed,” he said.

Feamster didn’t think much of the injury and wound up finishing the 1983-84 season. However, during the 1984 Canada Cup training camp, he started to lose the power in his legs. After a visit to the hospital, he was informed that he had a stress fracture of his L5 vertebrae.

“If you were my son,” the doctor told him, “I’d tell you to go out and get a real job.”

After taking a year off to rehab his back and attempt a return, Feamster realized there was no hope of returning to the NHL. He tried to make a transition into management, but after two years of scouting for the Detroit Red Wings, he realized it was not the field for him.

“The only thing scary about working in hockey is that you’re only a phone call away from getting the gas pipe,” Feamster said. “If a new regime comes in and your GM is out the door, you’re going to be, too. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny.”

In a strange twist of fate, Feamster entered the business that gave him his first opportunity in hockey – Little Caesar’s.

“The transition was very tough, because I was forced to leave the game, I didn’t choose to leave,” Feamster said. “I was feeling like I wasn’t at a good place with my confidence.”

Feamster spoke with Little Caesar’s and Detroit Red Wings owner Marian Ilitch, who he said was “very positive and very encouraging.”

The Ilitchs, along with their son, Mike Jr., started Feamster on his second career with his own Little Caesar’s pizza store in Denver. Today, he owns seven additional stores in the state.

“You have to follow your passion,” Feamster said. “If you don’t have passion, you’re not going to be able to take it to the next level, you’re going to limit yourself. You won’t have the fire to show up at six in the morning for practice.”

However, Feamster recognizes that his success stemmed mainly from the generosity of his bosses.

“The Ilitchs have just been so kind and generous to me, from the time I was a kid, to helping me get started in the pizza business, to financing my first store, to letting me work with the Red Wings for a couple years scouting,” he said. “I am nothing but grateful to them; they’re great people.”

Alan Bass is a writer for The Hockey News and THN.com. In addition to writing for Inside Hockey and Pro Hockey News, he has also worked for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the General Manager of the Muhlenberg College hockey team as well. You can contact him at BergHockey24@gmail.com.

This article was originally featured on TheHockeyNews.com. For the original article, click here.