Because you have to do something after you lose a game in the playoffs -- it's a rule or something -- it appears as if Flyers coach John Stevens is preparing to dress aggressive/sharp elbowed winger Steve Downie for Game 2 on Sunday night.
"He's always been a possibility," Stevens said, though he declined to say the move was a certainty. "...It seems like the bigger the game, the better he plays. He's going to get some consideration."
Downie is the embodiment of the to-the-edge style the Flyers want to play. The problem comes when he strays over the edge and ends up in the penalty box. Everybody knows it, but this obviously an important game if the Flyers are to have a chance in this series.
"I'm going to do my job, get in hard on the puck," Downie said. "That's why I do, try to help out."
Meanwhile, the Flyers continued to say they could play better than they did in Game 1. Their coach essentially challenged them on the off-day to prove it.
"We're going to have to play a lot better," Stevens said, adding that when you get this far into the playoffs, into the conference finals, "I don't think you can play even 85 percent and win. You have to play 100 percent."
And there was this, about the Kimmo Timonen-less defense: "We can talk about our defense but we need a more more from our forwards," Stevens said.
One other note: Derian Hatcher had the day off. "Just a day of rest for the big man," Stevens said. Hatcher is still only about 2 months removed from a broken leg that kept him out of the lineup until the middle of the first round of the playoffs.
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Old pal Ron Cook, a columnist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, got the Flyers' attention with his morning-after column today. After viewing Game 1 of the series, Cook wrote:
Is it too late to pick the Penguins in three games?
OK, enough with the wise-guy stuff, but, really, is there any reason to think the series with the Philadelphia Flyers will go more than four?
I don't see one.
Reality hit the Flyers hard at Mellon Arena last night when the Penguins swarmed them with their world-class talent and won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, 4-2. It will rock 'em even harder this morning when they wake up and realize it won't be any easier in the three games ahead without their best player, defenseman Kimmo Timonen.
Talk about your one-two punches.
It's hard to imagine the Flyers getting back up.
Other than that, Cook thought the Flyers were swell in Game 1. Here's the rest of the column. And, well, let's just say that the fellas were made aware of Cook's opinions at practice.
For his part, Stevens downplayed it.
"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion," he said. "I'm sure there's a lot of optimism here. Why wouldn't there be? They're 9-1 in the playoffs, going along pretty good. It's up to us to create the adversity for them.
"I was more upset that the monkey didn't pick us -- he's 1-1," Stevens added, referring to the monkey that picks games on TSN, the Canadian sports network. "He picked up in Round 1 and we won, then he didn't pick us in Round 2. We were hoping he would pick us again..."
Rich Hofmann has been at the Daily News since 1980. He previously blogged the Eagles' postseason run in 2006. 
Ed Barkowitz was the first Philadelphia Newspaper journalist to write a blog, starting back in 2002.
Comments (10)
Did anyone else read that Rich Hoffman article yesterday in the paper that stated that the loss of "Kimmo Timonen" was NOT the main reason the Flyers loss game #1.
I always thought his knowledge of hockey was poor at best, but this smacks of a mind who is totally out of touch with how the modern NHL game is currently being played. he is a throwback to the Bobby Clarke era.
the Daily News needs to invest some serious thought into replacing him after this season; an NHL sports beat writer can NOT be permitted to be that incompetant or out of touch with a game that is radically been changed since the lockout; he was not only wrong, but 10 years behind the times.
the loss of Kimmo Timonen is a perfect example of how the new NHL is being built around speed at the blue line with faster and longer passes thru the neutral zone..this was NOT the case years ago. (I have been Flyers fan for 35+ years).
BTW, who made that 3 line pass that sprung Malkin for the 4th goal?
That's right their defensemen at the other end of the ice. You will never see Hatcher do that. Players like Hatcher (a leftover from the Bobby Clark era) are killing this team; his removal fron the lineup is mandatory and will help the team via addition thru subtraction, or at the very least demote him to penalty killing ONLY, which is all he is physiclaly able to handle anyway in today's new NHL, since he has no lateral movement left in his legs or any burst of speed. Its like watching Drew Bledsoe play QB in the pocket--MR STATUE ON THE ICE. Mr Hatcher is the worst player on this team IMHO, and should havee been released before the season started.
And Mr Hoffman please consider retirement, you are totally out of touch with the way the "new" NHL game is being played sir, and that article was a professional embarrasment that I am sure your collegues in the Pittsburge press are scratching their heads over...their articles I have read state just the opposite postion you have taken.
Hoffman and Hatcher BOTH need to be removed.
Posted by sdeens | May 11, 2008 2:07 AM
Maybe I'm in the minority, but my thoughts are that Hatcher is having a pretty solid playoffs, especially considering the guy just got over a broken leg. I feel a lot more comfortable with him back there as opposed to Parent.
Also, yes, everyone misses Timonen, but if you're going to attack Rich Hoffman's article and him personally, you should give some reasons why the loss of Timonen, and his argument in the article, was the primary reason for the game 1 loss. For example, if Timonen's absence was the reason for Briere being more or less non-existent or if Timonen's absence caused Biron to pass the puck to Hossa, then the argument that Timonen not playing would have some credibility. But the Flyers had a pretty bad game all around.
Let's hope for a better effort tomorrow.
Posted by tomorrowneverknows | May 11, 2008 3:32 AM
Hatcher is indeed having a fine playoff. He's probably the Flyers 3rd or 4th best defenseman, depending on whether or not you want to count Timmonen at this point.
Posted by Anonymous | May 11, 2008 6:30 AM
Hatcher's doing fine. Jason Smith is not. What little speed Smith had during the regular season has been hampered, as has his physical edge. He's having a hard time keeping up on the outside. We need him to be 100 percent, but he's playing at about 80% with his injuries. I don't see the Flyers renewing his contract this off-season.
Posted by Brian | May 11, 2008 8:42 AM
Hofmann's doing a fine job, especially when you compare him to other hockey analysts. All of the guys on ESPN.com not named Melrose and Buccigross are total idiots. This is especially bad when you consider that Buccigross's day job is as an anchor on sportscenter! I haven't seen one intelligible comment about the Flyers on The Hockey News website this entire season. The of the Canadian national press is generally better, but that's not unexpected. Looking at local columnists in other cities, would you rather have someone like Mike Wise or Ron Cook? No, Hofmann and the other DN and Inqy writers do a good job. Keep it up!
As far as our D goes, I agree with Brian. With Timonen in the lineup, the only guy I wasn't satisfied with was Smith. Check out their +/-:
Jones +7
Hatcher +5
Timonen +5
Coburn +4
Kukkonen +3
Parent +1
Modry -4
Smith -5
It's clear Smith's injuries have caught up with him this year. I think we need to keep him in the lineup for the playoffs, just because he wears the C and benching him would really screw up the team chemistry. But we shouldn't resign him. Let him go and put the C on Richards.
That being said, I hope that Stevens benches Modry. He hasn't been good in coverage, and he is way too slow to every loose puck. I know that Parent is young, but I think this is a good time to bring him out.
The one thing that really disappointments me regarding the D is passing out of the defensive zone. They really need to work on sending crisp passes to forwards who already have a full head of steam heading out of the zone. When they do that, the offense moves quickly and the forecheck is far more effective. When they don't, other teams have been standing us up at the line and taking pucks off our sticks. Also, we have to work on two areas of expertise that would normally belong to Timonen: a calm point on the power play and limiting the star player (in this case, Malkin).
LET'S GO FLYERS!!!!
Posted by Mike P | May 11, 2008 9:27 AM
The problem is not derian hatcher. he has been fine. the reason malkin was sprung for a breakaway was because richards went in deep to take the body and left his point position thinkin randy jones (who wouldnt be out there if timonen wasnt hurt) would slide over and cover the middle, which he didnt do and hence the breakaway.
the team must get physical today and must play the body or they are in big trouble. the pens have a ton of scoring weapons we must look like limit their chances, and play sound dump and chase hockey. and get the puck by taking the body, and HARD
Posted by jdigae01 | May 11, 2008 10:54 AM
To sdeens:
You're just pretending to be a Flyers fan right? You're really a Pens fan, right?
Hatcher is not our best defenseman, but he is having a solid series.
And, your comments about Mr. Hofmann....shame on you, he is, in my opinion, one of better sports writers.
Wait, are you really Mike Wise from the Washington Post?
Posted by Annie | May 11, 2008 12:26 PM
Nice spot on WIP, Rich.
Posted by Dave | May 11, 2008 12:27 PM
Let them think this thing is over! WE LOVE THAT! We thrive on it. Pens in 3 games, those guys are hilarious! Great bulletin board material for the boys!
Agreed, Hatch is having a good playoffs, Smith is the weak link. Cant bench the captain during the playoffs, but rumor has it hes going to Jersey next year and I say good riddance! Gives us alot of room under the cap for a fast moving, agile defenseman and to place the C on the chest it belongs: Mike Richards!
I also say sit Modry and use either Parent or Sammi back there, it cant hurt! Fill that slot back with Thoreson or even Cote.
Bring the PASSION tonight boys! We believe in you! And in the immortal words of Reg Dunlop: "Put a stick into em, let em know your there!
LETS GO FLYERS!!!!!!
Posted by TNFlyerFan | May 11, 2008 12:59 PM
1. i love the flyers, don't get me wrong
2. timonen's absence was huge - the first goal was a direct result of modry being horribly out of position, leaving sykora all by himself in the slot (if you catch a replay, watch how modry actually skates away from sykora to double-up on malkin in front of the net - watching that made me sick). the second malkin goal was a direct result of randy jones playing the point on the PP instead of timonen.
Posted by lerris | May 11, 2008 6:23 PM