Well, based upon the Flyers' morning skate, here is how the loss of Kimmo Timonen will manifest itself in the Flyers' Game 1 lineup:
The top defense pairing is now Braydon Coburn and Derian Hatcher, who played together earlier this season. Next will be Jason Smith and Randy Jones. After them will be Lasse Kukonen and Jaroslav Modry. One other wrinkle: Jones will get the first shot at trying to replace Timonen on the power play.
For Modry, this has been a surreal post-season -- he didn't play well early in the Washington series and was benched. At the same time, his father died in the Czech Republic and Modry left the team to attend the funeral. Now, he is back and looking at significant minutes against the Penguins.
"It's special," Modry said, of the team's opportunity. "It's not every year where you get this far. You have to grab the chance and enjoy it."
Among the Flyers, no one was minimizing the lost of Timonen but there was a lot of talk about pulling together and such. As for the Pens, coach Michel Therrien wasn't minimizing the loss, either.
"Well, obviously, this is a huge loss for them," Therrien said. "With all the respect for the other defensemen, he is their best defenseman and their shut-down guy, and was playing really well. But in the meantime it is giving an opportunity for another player to step in. But in the meantime for us, our philosophy hasn't changed. It's not about them, it's about us. How are we going to play, how are we going to handle ourselves on the ice? And we know how they play, and we're well-prepared. We're excited about tonight. But in the meantime, you know, we're not focusing on who is going to be there and who is not going to be there."
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 (14)
Modry should change his number to -4
Thats what he is going to be tonight.
Posted by Modry? | May 9, 2008 2:01 PM
THE REST OF THE FLYERS HAVE TO STEP UP
Posted by DARRIN .F | May 9, 2008 2:04 PM
THE REST OF THE FLYERS HAVE TO STEP UP
Posted by DARRIN .F | May 9, 2008 2:04 PM
I just hope that it is a well officiated series. As a Flyers fan, I'm not going to say Crosby isn't good. He is remarkable in fact, I just don't want the Pens or the Flyers to get a power play on a soft call. I know this is the "new" NHL, but c'mon, it's the Conf. Finals. Swallow the Whistles! It's going to be hard w/o Kimmo, but hey, after Gags went down, people thought that would stop the Flyers.
Posted by Robert | May 9, 2008 2:14 PM
To be honest, remove any thoughts from your head that this game is going to be officiated "fairly". It has been clear in the 2 previous series that the NHL wants its "stars" to make it to the finals. Not a team like the Flyers. It's just more adversity that the team is going to have to overcome
Posted by bully broad | May 9, 2008 2:54 PM
I'd just like to say thanks to Phil Sheridan for his "What you might have missed" article. I felt Kimmo going down came out of nowhere and just punched me in the gut. It just took the wind outta my sails.
The article reminded me that only punks drop out when the going gets tough. The tougher the challenge the sweeter the reward. Also it's better to be faithful to something you want to suceed, than being "right" about something you don't.
The Flyers can pull it together. They have pulled it together. There's not just one guy out there, it's a freakin team. A team that lives at the short end of the stick. We're going to win, not despite this, but because of it. We love adversity. BRING IT!
Go Flyers!!!
Posted by flyler | May 9, 2008 3:28 PM
losing kimmo is tought...but the flyers can still win! one player is not the whole team.....and the team will just have to play extra hard...and we all know they can win!! GO FLYERS!!!
Posted by flyers rule | May 9, 2008 4:01 PM
@bully broad
Give up the ref thing. It has been sung from the heavens on NHL on XM, and other media units, that the Flyers fans are the biggest bunch of whiners in the country. You in the East Finals. Your posts are giving your fan base a big pacifier in their mouths. You are a goon...When the Pens sweep you can blame it on whatever you want....Might as well start on the refs now...
I will eat out of my toilet if you actually say the Flyers got beat fair for once. YOU BULLY BABY!
Posted by PENS NATION | May 9, 2008 4:19 PM
@ Pens Nation
Easy big fella, remember every few years the Flyer fans and the rest of the league have to hear about how the Pens might be moving cause they aren't supported bla bla bla.....One of these days you will probably have to change your handle to be the "Vegas Nation", " Oregon Nation" or perhaps the "Quebec Nation"
Posted by Vich | May 9, 2008 4:29 PM
Thanks for coming out of your cave to blog with us PENS NATION! Nice writing, your english is about the 1st grade level! Congrats! You must already eat out of your toilet because it sounds like you have a mouth full of sh..!
The refs are just a part of the adversity we have overcome. We are ready for this challenge too, Timmo is a huge loss, but as I said before, WE SHALL OVERCOME!!
Just one comment on the lineup, I think is a big mistake not to add speed to the backend for this series with the loss of Timmo. Hatcher, Coburn (and i think Coburn is our future star d-man) is not making the 1st pair faster, it is making it considerably slower. The only way we can add speed back there, and we need speed against them, is to switch Sami Kapinen to the D. He played great on the D a few years ago when he was called upon. He does nothing flashy, just keeps it simple, makes no mistakes and can skate with Cindy Crybaby and Malkin. This will also allow us to add both Cote and Downie on the fourth line to bring the toughness that you know the Pens will bring on their 4th line.
We can do this, adversity is our Red Bull! We need to slow them down, play physical on the forecheck and Marty stand Tall!
LETS GO FLYERS!!!!
Posted by TNFlyersFan | May 9, 2008 5:33 PM
Forget all that. Now its just time to lace em up and play, baby. LET'S GO FLYERS!!!!!!!!
Posted by Joe@@ | May 9, 2008 5:50 PM
Hey Pens Nation, if you were smart at all, you would have actually read what I wrote. I said BOTH teams, call it even, I never singled out the Penguins. Officiating, prior to the lockout, in the playoffs was maybe a whistle for every period. You're obviously a 16 yr old high school kid who knows jack about hockey. It's going to be a great series, I just don't want a power play to happen in the dying minutes of the third or OT unless their is blood or a serious penalty.
P.S. After sucking for six straight years, how does it feel to be this far in the playoffs? Flyers are here almost every other year. Four trips in ten seasons.
Posted by Robert | May 9, 2008 7:00 PM
Robert,
How does it feel?
It feels great to win Game 1.
It will feel even better when we win in your building and send you fat fuckers back home to whine some more with Steve Coates and Jim Jackson's ball-less crotch.
"OOO.....penalties.....it's not fair....."
Posted by Anonymous | May 10, 2008 12:35 AM
Hey Robert,
How does it feel?
It feels great to win Game 2.
Especially since the Refs cost you Philthy losers the game. It's even better when the Fly boys lose a game because of the Refs. That way, the league's greatest fans don't have to admit defeat. Oh, what, every game lost by the Flyers is because of officiating? You punks.
You made the playoffs, then beat the Caps thinks to your same referees. Oh, and defeated poor Carey Price.
Buy your tickets for next year when your team can start more fights and cheap shots without the referees costing you a game.
Posted by Flyers Favorite Refs | May 12, 2008 12:01 AM