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Flyers Gameday: 12-5-09 vs. Caps |
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Update (11:30 AM)
Tonight's starting lineup for the Flyers.
Hartnell - Richards - Briere
JVR - Carter - Giroux
Carcillo - Pyorala - Asham
Nodl - Kalinski - Laperriere
Carle - Pronger
Coburn - Timonen
Bartulis - Parent
Emery
[Boucher]
ABBREVIATED PREVIEW (9:45 AM)
Peter Laviolette will make his debut behind the Flyers' bench tonight as the underachieving team (13-11-1) takes on the Washington Capitals (17-5-6) at the Wachovia Center. The Flyers have lost six of their last seven games in regulation, while the Caps have won four in a row. Washington, however, will be without the services of Alex Ovechkin. Ray Emery will be back in goal for Philadelphia. Kimmo Timonen is expected to play, despite a broken toe and back issues.
The firing of John Stevens will not in and of itself correct the problems on this Flyers' team. Until the club starts playing with a consistent degree of urgency -- something that Stevens was never able to instill -- it will continue to be the same streaky team it has been for the last three seasons.
Without the benefit of a couple practices to evaluate personnel and set lines, Laviolette may just start the game with the combos the club practiced with for the final time under Stevens. That's just my own speculation, however.
Starting lineup (based on Stevens' practice combos)
Carcillo - Richards - Briere
Hartnell - Carter - Pyorala
JVR - Giroux - Asham
Nodl - Kalinski - Laperriere
Carle - Pronger
Coburn - Timonen
Bartulis - Parent
Emery
[Boucher]
****
I spoke my piece on John Stevens yesterday several hours before his firing was made official. The only thing I will add is that if the move was going to be made, I'm glad it happened now. It would have been worse if Stevens were left twisting in the wind for several more weeks, and the club went through the usual song-and-dance that always ends with the coach being fired anyway. It's better for everyone, including Stevens, to get it over with and move on.
I'm also glad the Flyers chose an experienced outside candidate in Laviolette rather than making Craig Berube the assistant head coach. In addition, the Flyers have been wanting to bring in Kevin McCarthy -- a former Flyers teammate and friend of Paul Holmgren's -- for years. He's worked together with Laviolette in Carolina, and the decision to replace Jack McIlhargey with McCarthy was clearly one that both the GM and new head coach were comfortable making. "Bucky" will land on his feet, too. He's a hockey lifer.
****
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Chester County Book Company to meet me last night. The main attraction was Glen Macnow and Ray Didinger siging their new book on sports movies, but it was an honor to be there with them and to talk hockey with those who stopped over.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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