You pay premium prices to attend the Flyers game and sit right behind the opposing team's bench. You're thinking, man, this is going to be sweet. I'm really going to impress my wife/girlfriend. The game is going well... the Flyers jump out to an early lead and, even though they can't seem to hold a lead at first, the Flyers finally put the pedal to the metal and finish off the Columbus. You're witness to great hits by OKT, shut-down defense of Nash by Pronger, Carter pocketing 2 unassisted goals, and - not the least - a magical pass by Claude "Look Ma, no hands" Giroux to Asham for the game winner. What could be more engaging? So what went wrong for this poor fellow?

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The Flying P Blog

Adirondack Phantom and part-time superhero Jonathan Matsumoto had a good start to the week. After winning the shooting accuracy contest during the skills competition on Monday he assisted on a NOLAN BUMGARTNER goal on Tuesday as Team Canada won the AHL All Star Game! It don't get no better than that.   Even though the now 23 year old former third round pick seems to be getting better every year it just doesn't look like Matsumoto is really in the Flyers plans anymore. He scored 63 points in 78 games last season but still took the back seat when the Flyers looked to the Phantoms for replacement players. And then again this season when Andreas Nodl, David Lalibertie, and Jonathan Kalinski were up with the club. As a center he's most certainly also behind Jared Ross on the depth chart and I'm basically going to shit my pants if Stefan Legein doesn't get called up at some point.   So if any of those trade rumors from last week were true, or even if they weren't, I think you can expect to see Matsumoto go the way of Ryan Potulny and Triston Grant, meaning elsewhere, at some point this season or summer. Does a guy's stock get higher than "he just won the all star accuracy competition?" No it does not

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View original blog post here: Flyers Goal Scored By... - A Philadelphia Flyers NHL Blog

The recent Mike Richards exchange with the Philadelphia media members brings up some interesting points in a continuing conversation concerning bloggers and traditional reporters. What the back-and-forth and the subsequent articles and posts concerning it have highlighted are the different angles that traditional journalists take versus bloggers when covering your favorite teams. It is in the journalist's creed to report accurately and without bias, which is maybe the opposite of the bloggers creed that resembles more of an evolving Wikipedia entry than a concrete statement on ethics. Why it becomes difficult to compare the work of journalists and bloggers is that while the former consider themselves a type of public servant providing objective truth to their readers, bloggers pride themselves on their blatant subjective fandom in many cases. We started writing this blog because we're Flyers fans, not as an avenue to a writing career. So whereas a reporter might feel the obligation to write about the Flyers going out and partying 5 times last season I can decide I just don't give a shit and not write anything on it. But there's the main difference - they're trying to find the truth, I'm trying to find what's interesting as a fan.

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The Flyers got their lengthy homestand off on the right foot with their effort last night. The club did exactly what it needed to do against a struggling opponent. Philly grabbed a quick lead and forced Columbus into a slew of turnovers by pressuring the puck. They scored goals in both the first and last minute of different periods, and that usually means victory. Apart from the two unassisted

View original blog post here: HockeyBuzz.com: Bill Meltzer

PHILADELPHIA- The are in the midst of the most important stretch of their season. They need to go at least 4-2 in this six-game homestand to even have a chance of making an impact in this playoff race. Because of Jeff Carter’s two goals, one being a drop-of a-puck surprise wrister, beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 at the Wachovia Center. The Flyers took game one of this homestand and did it rather convincingly. At this very moment, Columbus starting goalie last night Martin Garon still has no explanation on how the Carter shot went through him.

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Ryan is away at the beginning of this 4 day week, so that means you get soo much Fran it's practically illegal.  So how should we do this post-game?  Should we do a grading system?  An intense post game where I copy and paste quotes from the MSM's articles onto my own to make it sound like I was there?  Easy there sailor....  Lets stick a good ol' fashioned list! Pros, Cons and the wierd from last nights win over Columbus. - Mike Richards was a ghost.  I thought he'd score and really carry the play.  Can't even remember one shot that he took.  I'm an idiot. - Jeff Carter was playing with a purpose, at both ends of the ice.  Two goals, great faceoff percentage and backchecking?  I'll have another! - Those orange hats looked terrible and I wish either Carter or Cheeseburger woulda potted their third to let the fans toss those hunter's dream onto the ice.  - Speaking of Cheeseburger, both his goals were of the "greasy" mucking and grinding variety.  Would look pretty good in Orange & Black about now, eh? - Sexiest pass of the night:  Giroux to Asham - Sexiest goal of the night: Carbomb's snipe from the top of the circle - Unsexiest play of the night: With the Flyers on the PK, Richards and Gagne break out on a shorthanded 2-on-1 and instead of firing a shot, Richards tries a pass against a well covered Gagne, Columbus heads back and scores on the ensuing counterattack where Richards was stuck on the ice, out of gas. - Best ex-Flyer coach on the opponent's bench: Ken Hitchcock. - Ray Emery gives up a ridiculous amount of rebounds - Ray Emery looks like he's about 85% - Ray Emery will get beat by good teams because of his lack of control - Ray Emery is going to come to my office and give me a purple nurple - Powerhouse on the 1st line really gives some forechecking presence, although they are probably the most uncreative group of forwards we got.  Gagne needs someone who can get him open looks.  Richards and Powe are grinders and once they get into the zone work the boards for an opening, causing Gagne to pinch down low to assist when he should be circling the waters waiting for a snipe.

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1/19/10 5-3 Win SCORING 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total CBJ 0 2 1 - - 3 PHI 1 3 1 - - 5 _______________________________ SHOTS 1st 2nd 3rd OT SO Total CBJ 10 11 7 - - 28 PHI 12 11 14 - - 37 *** PostGame Interviews & Coach’s Press Conference *** _______________________________________________________________________________ Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -- Jeff Carter scored twice and added an assist to lead the Philadelphia Flyers in a 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chris Pronger, Dan Carcillo and Arron Asham also

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