UNIONDALE, N.Y. _ I like those TV spots when the guy from pirate stock asks, "Do ya gotta little Captain in ya?"
After today's 3-1 Flyers win over the Isles in which coach John Stevens actually benched Scott Hartnell the entire third period, I found myself wondering if Stevens has a little Hitch in him? Ya, know Capt. Hitchcock.
First, it was Joffrey Lupul who felt Stevens' wrath by being demoted to the fourth line. Now Lupes Garous' Center City buddy, Hartnell gets the raz from the coach because he wasn't moving his feet.
It's about time Stevens got a little angry with his players after the club's up 'n down, inside-outside, complacent form that marked a recent 3-game skid which ended today. Maybe Stevens is starting to change as a coach.
“It didn’t look like he wanted to play tonight so, we went another direction,” Stevens said after the game. “I didn’t like his game. I didn’t think he was moving his feet. I thought [Andreas] Nodl was going. And then [Arron (cq)] Asham moved up and we got more jump in our game."
After initially playing coy with the media, Hartnell owed up the fact the coach may have had cause to bench him, but what I found really interesting was Hartnell basically accusing Stevens of playing favorites by not singling out everyone on the team.
“I just hope he holds everyone accountable and it doesn’t matter what number they’re wearing on the back," Hartnell said.
Read between the lines ... And hear what the GM, Paul Holmgren, has to say ...
For more on this hot button issue, here's my story on CSNPhilly.com:
Click Here
And BTW: Holmgren told me this evening that Danny Briere (likely groin pull), did not return to Philadelphia but flew to Pittsburgh with the team for Thursday's game against the Penguins. Briere will be re-evaluated tomorrow in the 'Burgh:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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