[SBN Philadelphia Flyers blog - Broad Street Hockey]
Given the day off in between games for travel purposes, not much is really going to change for the Penguins other than the sheet of ice they play on. For the Flyers however, there could be a few changes in the works.
As our friends at Broad Street Hockey expressed Wednesday afternoon, confidence and morale of the Philly Faithful is anything but prime. Travis, who runs the show over at BSH, suggested this isn't just a result of the demoralizing 6-1 loss to the Pens on Tuesday, but instead the end result of a long series of up and downs (mostly downs) over the past month or so. I still find the timing of such a poll a bit suggestive.
Former Hurricane Michael Leighton is working out with the Flyers since the team picked him up off waivers Tuesday afternoon. I don't know whether or not this means we'll see him tonight against the Pens, but it would appear he may be the Flyers' backup-to-the-backup option in the wake of Ray Emery's injury. I just wonder if Peter Laviolette is ready to throw Brian Boucher out there against the wolves again. But, according to the Flyers' web site, Leighton isn't exactly game-ready yet either.
Returning tonight for the Flyers is what I assume, only from his quotes, is a still-injured Blair Betts. When saying something like, "I think I just have to be a little conscious of not using that arm to reach for pucks or anything like that," I think it's pretty obvious that he's not playing at 100%. Let this also be an example as to why injuries to an arm/shoulder/chest are listed as inconspicuous lower-body injuries, and why injuries to the lower body are listed as upper-body injuries.
After tonight's game the Pens won't be seeing the Flyers again until January 2010. Let's see if the boys in black and gold can give them a little something more to remember them by in 2009.
Puck and thread drop at 7pm. Come by and share in the fun.