PREVIEW (10:30 AM)

The Flyers are lucky that the Eastern Conference is so mediocre. If the conference were as deep as the West, the club would probably wind up missing the playoffs this season. Right now, the Flyers aren't exactly staggering toward the finish line but they are hardly sprinting either. Playing .500 hockey doesn't cut it this time of year.

Today, the club gets another crack at an Atlanta team that has won all three games of the season series and handled Philly yesterday, 5-2. The Thrashers are now one point behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot in the East.

Heading into last night's game, I noted that the Flyers would have the edge if special teams were a key factor in the outcome. Instead, Atlanta scored five even-strength goals to two by the Flyers. Atlanta isn't exactly a stalwart defensive team at even strength, but they outworked Philly yesterday.

It would be nice if either Claude Giroux (0 G, 1 A, -5 in his last 6 GP) or James Van Riemsdyk (0 PTS in his last 10 GP, 2 G, 2 PTS in his last 19 GP) would return to the land of the living and make some contributions again. Just because they are young players, they don't get an automatic excuse for disappearing down the stretch drive. In addition, the third defensive pairing (Braydon Coburn with Ryan Parent) was awful yesterday and has been inconsistent since the break.


LINEUP (Subject to change)

Gagne- Richards- Carcillo
Hartnell- Carter - Briere
JVR - Giroux - Leino/Asham
Powe- Betts- Laperriere

Carle - Pronger
Timonen - Krajicek
Coburn - Parent

Boucher
[Duchesne]

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