Suspension Scandals

After an entire day of patiently, then impatiently waiting, a verdict finally came for the suspensions to be handed out to Aaron Asham and James Neal. Final result: Asham gets 4 games and Neal gets 1 game. The fact that both were given suspensions is a good thing, but I don’t agree at all with what was handed out. Do you want to hear my opinion? Well, here it is…with a side of venting.

When Brendan Shanahan was a player, I loved him. As the NHL Senior VP of Player Safety, not so much. The NHL is a business. I understand that. And every business has some inside scandals and corruption…okay, corruption might be a little excessive. But you see what I’m getting at. My true belief is that this situation calls for a much harsher penalty for Neal, and a much less harsh penalty for Asham. But if that would have happened, there would have been a greater chance for a decrease in ratings for the remainder of the series. Typical.

The reason I don’t believe these suspensions were handed out correctly is the history of each player. Asham has never been fined or suspended for any type of dirty play in his career. For an enforcer to go thirteen seasons without any type of suspension or fine shows a lot about his character. He is getting four games for his first offense. The first offense was pretty bad, but not as bad as it seemed on live television. The cross check Asham threw on Schenn was in his chest, not his face. The intent was still there, but no real connection. The punch at the end…overboard. Definitely deserving of a suspension. And he got one. First offense: 4 games.

On the other hand, we have James Neal. He is up for suspension for not one, but two head-hunting hits. One on Couturier and another on Giroux; both on the same shift. Anyone in the world could have seen that he lost his head out there on that shift and was deliberately trying to injure anyone he could. That forty-some seconds was enough to get him multiple games, regardless of his history. But unlike Asham, Neal DOES have a history. In his brief career, he has been fined twice and suspended once for similar acts. When you put all of this together, there is no doubt he gets at least four games. If not for sheer punishment, then for the simple fact that you do not want someone like that to even have a chance to come back to play in this series. It would lead to high emotions and more situations where players would attempt to injure him. Not good for the game. So the chances of seeing him again are slim. But he gets…wait…one game! That’s it! Hmm. I wonder why.

Let’s look at one of the blatantly obvious reasons why Asham gets four games and Neal gets one. Reason: Sidney Crosby. The longer Sidney Crosby is in the playoffs, the better ratings the NHL (thinks they) will have.  Neal has been quite a contributor this series, and has been all season, for the Penguins. Asham hasn’t. So to keep the chances of a Pittsburgh comeback alive, Neal can’t be absent for every game. It just can’t happen.

So what do Shanahan and the NHL do? They flip flop the suspensions. Flyers fans, as well as many other NHL fans aware of the situation, would be livid if each player only got one game suspensions. Someone had to get hit hard so the NHL saves face. So Asham was the one who was thrown under the bus. Now everyone will be happy. Three players were suspended, and one was for four games. Good job, Shanny! But not really.

The league really needs to reevaluate which they cherish more: money, or the history and the pride of the NHL playoffs. The second one is at stake, simply because everyone wants more of the first one. It’s almost sickening to watch a sport I’ve loved my whole life turn into a manipulated league, catered to certain players.

As far as tonight’s game goes? Of course I’d love to see the Flyers win and sweep Pittsburgh. What Flyers fan wouldn’t? But honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing a game 5 with Neal in the lineup, just to show Shanahan that he made a mistake. Because every time Neal steps on that ice, Rinaldo and Simmonds will be looking for him. And those are two boys you don’t want to mess with. Good luck, James.

Another Keystone State Battle?

“Philadelphia Flyers to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round,” has been the scenario for a while, and now it seems almost imminent. Both teams have held the fourth and fifth spots in the Eastern Conference since January 25^th. No one would have expected it to stay that way, but it has. When you go back and look at recent history, a Flyers/Penguins matchup is a frightening one for Flyers fans. Will this year be different?

The previous two playoff matchups between these two teams have led to two Pittsburgh wins; and both of those Pittsburgh teams have gone on to the Stanley Cup, winning once. Granted, this year’s Flyers squad is a completely different one from the 2008 or 2009 teams. The offensive production from this team is like no other. On any given night, one player can put the team on his back and take over the game. That is exactly what you need from a team come playoffs. And if Bryz comes back playing the way he did in March…look out.

Although the Flyers seem like a scary team, every Philadelphia fan knows how dangerous the Penguins can be. They were hot before Crosby, and now he’s back. Yes, he is a weasel. And yes, he does whine more than anyone in the history of the game. But for some reason he finds ways to produce; especially against the Flyers. With the history of production against the Flyers by both Malkin and Crosby (I cringe when I hear either of those names, too), the Penguins are a dangerous opening round competitor.  

Alright, I might be getting ahead of myself with all this Flyers/Pens talk. Nothing has been set in stone. There is still a chance that the Devils could play the Penguins, which would leave the Flyers playing the Panthers. Let’s all pray for that one. But even if the Flyers play Pittsburgh, the Flyers are 4-1-0 against them this year. Although I don’t see a Flyers/Penguins series ending in 5 games, the numbers look good for Philly going into mid-April.

Streak? Or Streaking?

The Flyers had a complete day off from practice today as a reward for their recent performance. There hasn’t been much reason to celebrate over the past few months, but now things are starting to look up. They have won four straight games and are looking like the team that started off the first twenty games of the season red-hot. They are finally starting to play as a complete team; and that begins with the goaltender.

For the first three quarters of the season, Bryzgalov has been the center of much negative attention, and deservingly so. He was supposed to be a savior for the Flyers; the first consistent goaltender since Ron Hextall. For the first three quarters of the season his play had been below average. But considering his salary, a better word to describe his play would be ‘pathetic’. For this recent stretch of games, though, his play has tremendously improved. And with only sixteen games remaining in the regular season, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Aside from the obvious two shutouts in his last three starts, Bryzgalov’s play has clearly been improving. It shows in his demeanor. I’m not sure how it sparked or what sparked it, but his confidence has rapidly soared and it is proven in his play. He seems to be more focused on the ice. He is seeing pucks, regardless of obstacles in his way. And that agility he is so well-known for is finally starting to take form. We’re beginning to see the real Ilya Bryzgalov.

Besides Bryz, there are other members of the team stepping up. At the beginning of this year, no one would have expected three of the top four defensemen to be out with lengthy injuries. But it happened. And people like Grossmann, Gustafsson, and (even though he has only played one game) Daniel Manning. Although Manning has only played in one game, he definitely showed signs that he can be an everyday player in the NHL. And Grossmann has proven his premiere status as a shot blocker.

Have you heard this before? “Where will the Flyers goal scoring come from with Richards and Carter gone?” That topic has been beaten to death since draft day last year. And I’m going to beat that dead carcass a tiny bit more.

Rookies. Plain and simple. Without the play of the rookies, I honestly don’t believe the Flyers would be where they are right now. With the amount of rookies on the Flyers roster, this season seemed like it would be a scary one. But it has been the complete opposite. Obvious future talents like Couturier and Schenn seem to have found their stride much earlier than anticipated and Matt Read has been possibly the biggest surprise in the league. Eric Wellwood is also beginning to make a name for himself.

The newly acquired Flyers have also been stellar. Led by the surprising production of Wayne Simmonds and Max Talbot, the new faces are making themselves known, and liked, throughout Philadelphia. And with all the chaos that went on throughout the offseason, the returning Flyers managed to step up and be great leaders, as well as point producers.

Altogether, the Flyers are finally starting to play as a unit. Players are sticking up for one another, scoring is coming from all different areas, special teams is finally starting to find itself and, once again, the goaltending is finally starting to be the goaltending the Philadelphia Flyers have needed to bring the cup back to Philly after 37 years.

Trade DEAD-line

So the trade deadline has come and gone. And the buzz, of course, surrounding the Philadelphia area is, “Why no moves?” It’s understandable. It’s the trade deadline. Everyone wants to see something drastic happen and when it doesn’t, everyone voices their opinion. And with the way things have been going the past few months (since the Winter Classic, really) for the Flyers, a little bit of panic also comes into play.

After weeks of multiple trade rumors, it is only natural to get excited. Especially when names like Luke Schenn and Dustin Brown are thrown out there. Both of these players would be perfect in orange and black. They’re both big hitters; grinders. The definition of Flyers hockey. But neither came.  And for everyone who wanted Nash: seriously? At this point in the season, the Flyers are #1 in the league in scoring. Bringing in Rick Nash would do nothing. The Flyers would have had to give up way too much young talent. One name that would certainly be on that list is Brayden Schenn. No thank you. I think I’ll keep him.

The Flyers problem is with their goals against. And when you have a problem giving up goals, what do you do? You look for a goalie. But wait. I think…yeah, I’m pretty sure the Flyers have the highest paid goalie in the league. So there is no way you’re going out and getting another no. 1 goalie. The only thing you can do is put the best defense you can in front of him and pray to the heavens that he will start stopping the puck. And that’s exactly what Paul Holmgren did.

The additions of Grossman and Kubina were good pick-ups. Believe me, I was begging and pleading for Luke Schenn to come here just as bad as anyone else. But to pick up veterans like Grossman and Kubina without giving up a single active player is outstanding. Both of these players are big bodies; they can block shots (which apparently Bryz can’t do). They each also have their own specialties. Grossman brings a large body to help block shots on the penalty kill, and Kubina brings his monster shot from the point on the power play, which the Flyers always seem to lack. The Flyers special teams has been brutal in recent weeks and that issue was just addressed. So to add these players without subtracting any team chemistry is an A plus for Holmgren in my book.

My advice: Relax everyone. The Philadelphia Flyers are still very much in the hunt for home ice advantage in the first round. It’s a long shot…a very long shot…to catch the red-hot Rangers and the beast that is Henrik Lundqvist. But they still have a chance when it comes to playing the Devils and Penguins, who will most likely be the two other teams battling for the no. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. The only thing to do now is hope. Let’s hope Bryz can make some saves. Because regardless of his play, we’re going to be seeing him in a Flyers uniform for a long time. Uh oh.