Ex-Rangers Betts and Shelley Loving Life on Broad Street

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Written on 11/09/2010 by Jim Cerny

Blair Betts wore Rangers red, white, and blue for four seasons, establishing himself as one of the top defensive forwards and penalty killers in the entire National Hockey League.

Jody Shelley (photo) is a rugged nine-year NHL veteran who played an important role last season for the Blueshirts when they made a late-season---albeit failed---playoff push, after being acquired in a trade from San Jose in early February.

Both heart-and-soul players made an impact on Broadway, and now both are playing key supporting roles on a Flyers team that is tied with Washington, Los Angeles, and St. Louis for the most points currently in the NHL with 20.

Betts signed with the Flyers last season as a free agent when the Rangers let him walk. Shelley followed the same path this past summer when the Rangers would not commit to a third year and Philly did.

I had a chance to catch up with both late last week when I was down in Philadelphia, and was able to touch on several interesting topics with Betts and Shelley.

On Playing in the Stanley Cup Finals Last Spring

Betts: "It was a great experience, exciting. I can remember watching the Stanley Cup Finals the last few years and just feeling the intensity just watching the games, but to actually be on the ice playing, it's a different experience, a lot different from the day-to-days of the regular season. The intensity just gradually got bigger and bigger. It was crazy. It was disappointing to not end up winning, but maybe we'll learn from it and get there again and win it next time."

On Patrick Kane's Overtime Cup-Winning Goal for Chicago

Betts: "Nobody realized it was a goal. I just remember Kane jumping up and down, but he was kind of by himself. I don't think their team realized it was in. We were just kind of looking at the refs and it was like time stood still for a second. I think when (Michael) Leighton came to the bench and said it was a goal it kind of hit us pretty hard, kind of a weird ending to the year."

Losing in Finals is Motivation for This Year

Betts: "Look at Pittsburgh, maybe that first loss to Detroit helped them win the Cup the next year. There's just so much emotion and intensity, it's just all about controlling your mind. You want to be prepared for the game, but at the same time not get so worked up that you can't play. It's a tough thing to do, but you learn from having done it now."

Shelley: "Things that have gone on, situations they were in over the last year, I betcha' I haven't heard 20 words about them this year. There are some groups where that's all they would be taking about. 'Oh, we did this. Oh, we did that'. In this room there is the sense that they accomplished nothing. I don't know if you put that on the leadership or the whole group or what. But I have been very impressed. You know, I walk in and think Wow, this is a team that's really good, I don't want to walk in there and chink it up or step on anyone's toes. But the mindset is that it's a totally new year, which is great for the new guys coming in."

Peter Laviolette, the Motivator

Shelley: "He's very good day-to-day. He's like (John Tortorella) in that sense. He's a great motivator, understands what we are going through on a day-to-day situation. He knows on a day's situation where we're at, and he's very good where his last words (in meetings) are the most important. And that's the way Torts is, a great motivator. It really gets beyond the X's and O's. It's more words that motivate you before you go out there, and (Laviolette) really keeps us focused that way."

On Rookie Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky

Shelley: "The Bob! That's what everyone calls him here. Bob! He's always smiling, great kid. He and (Brian) Boucher do a great job, and Bouch is the type of guy who helps another guy like that. Bouch is like that, too, one that smiles in all situations, which is good for Bob to see. I don't pay much attention to goalies (laughs), but seriously he's doing a really good job here."

Betts: "He's been great, a really big surprise. Nobody thought he'd push for a spot like he did, but he is so calm, so poised and relaxed. For a young goaltender that's a pretty tough job to jump into. He doesn't speak too much English so he doesn't have too many distractions, you know?! He's very quick side-to-side. It was a revolving door last year (when Philly used 5 different goalies). It seemed like when one goaltender went down, someone else would just be healthy in time to start and then would coming and play well. Even at the end of the playoffs, guys coming back from injuries probably sooner than they would have wanted to."

Follow Me On Twitter: @jimcerny and @thenyrangers

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Philly-Rangers Final War & First Round Predictions

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Written on 4/13/2010 by Jim Cerny

Now that we have all sixteen teams set for the two-month journey in order to determine the next Stanley Cup champion, I will join the expanding list of so-called "experts" in providing my predictions.

But first I digress.....

I was at Madison Square Garden on Friday and down in Philly on Sunday as the Rangers and Flyers battled for the final one of those 16 playoff berths. And I know that both teams are extremely flawed, and would not have even qualified if they played in the Western Conference as opposed to the East, but what great theater those two rivals provided.

MSG was electric on Friday as the Rangers kept their season alive with a 4-3 victory that was chock-full of plot twists and momentum swings and huge plays both ways.

Not to be outdone, the Wachovia Center was even louder and more raucous than The Garden for Sunday's contest, with the home team even dusting off a video of Kate Smith circa the mid-'70's singing "God Bless America". Simply great stuff!

Then Henrik Lundqvist plays one of the truely great games in goal for the visitors and nearly steals a playoff spot for his completely-outplayed team of Rangers. But the Flyers finally break through early in the third period to tie the game 1-1, and win it in the shootout with Brian Boucher somehow besting an exhausted Lundqvist ("I was dead tired...didn't have a good feeling heading into the shootout") for a 2-1 Flyers win.

Philly secures a playoff spot, one point better than the Rangers, who head for an early summer vacation.

Great theater. Whoever put that NHL schedule together and had Rangers and Flyers home-and-home to close out the season, well, give 'em a raise, or at least a Molson!

OK, prediction time. Well, wait, a second, before I get to that let's revisit how my pre-season predictions went (not so great):

In the East I had had six of the eight teams correct, though I opted for Carolina and the Rangers over Buffalo and Ottawa. Plus I had Philly as a lock, not to mention my Stanley Cup representative from the East (Yikes!).

Out West, I only nailed five of eight, though am proud to say I got LA right when many people did not think they would make it. Calgary, Anaheim, and St. Louis were my misses as Nashville, Colorado, and Phoenix made me look bad. For what it's worth, I had Vancouver heading to The Finals. That's got a better shot of happening than the Flyers, at least!

So now here we go:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Caps over (8) Canadiens in five games
(2) Devils over (7) Flyers in seven games
(3) Sabres over (6) Bruins in six games
(4) Penguins over (5) Senators in four games

Western Conference:
(1) Sharks over (8) Avalanche in five games
(2) Blackhawks over (7) Predators in five games
(3) Canucks over (6) Kings in six games
(5) Red Wings over (4) Coyotes in five games

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Carcillo's Fight with Gaborik Stirs Debate

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Written on 1/22/2010 by Jim Cerny


Last night and into this morning debates have raged on in the Blogosphere and on Twitter regarding Dan Carcillo's fight with Marian Gaborik in Philly last night.

Did Carcillo go out of his way to find Gaborik during a scrum beside the Flyers' net in the second period? Did Gaborik initiate the fight by being the first to drop his gloves once the two became entangled? Did Carcillo break an unwritten rule that noted pugilists should not throw down with noted non-fighters? Was Carcillo targeting Gaborik because he is the Rangers' best player? Why didn't any Ranger rush to Gaborik's defense? Did John Tortorella overreact on the bench and in his post-game press conference? Does Peter Laviolette condone Carcillo's actions whom he, of course, supported after the game, or was he a bit queasy by seeing Carcillo pummel Gaborik, as well?

Great debates, all of them.

If you have not seen the fight yet, check it out here.

Most likely your opinion on this will depend largely on if you are a Rangers' fan or a Flyers' fan. The Rangers' supporter will claim that the blood-thirsty Carcillo could have let Blair Betts pull Gaborik out of the scrum, but instead saw an opportunity to get at New York's best player. The Flyers' fan will retort that Carcillo just yanked the first guy out of the pile he saw, and only was willing to fight when Gaborik dropped his gloves first.

The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. I don't really think Carcillo is such an innocent here, but Gaborik was more than willing to have a go with him. In fact, while Tortorella sarcastically said that Carcillo "is a real brave guy" and added that there "was no honor" in what he did, Gaborik himself had this to say after the game:

"I think there was a little scrum in front and we got caught up and dropped the gloves. That’s what happens. Obviously, he got a few shots in on me but that’s hockey.”

So the guy most affected by what happened, the superstar who took a beating from a noted heavyweight, shrugged the whole thing off.

Of course Carcillo did not make himself look so good or innocent after the game when he said, "I was pretty much licking my chops" when Gaborik dropped his gloves.

As big a story as this fight is, there are two larger ones from last night's game the way I see it. The Rangers did not protect their best player, just as they have not protected their star goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, who has been repeatedly banged around by opponents this season. And if the Flyers play as they did last night the rest of the second half and into the playoffs, then they are going to be the threat I believed they could be when the season started.

Philly shut down the neutral zone, as well as the shooting and passing lanes in their defensive zone all night long. They created many more prime scoring chances with a diligent forecheck. As a result Ray Emery barely broke a sweat in a 2-0 shutout victory.

That is key for Philly moving forward. A strong team defense takes the emphasis off the team's weakest link, goaltending. Add in some opportunitstic offense last night against a hot goalie in Lundqvist, as well as some added swagger on home ice (5-0-0 last 5 at the Wachovia Center), and a real physical edge (four fights and some big bombs thrown against the Rangers), and these Flyers could certainly throw a scare into both Pittsburgh and Washington in the East.

When all is said and done regarding last night's game, that might be the most important fact, though right now, it is the most overlooked.

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Monday Musings on Flyers, Canadiens, and Goalies Valiquette & Howard

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Written on 12/07/2009 by Jim Cerny


After being smoked 8-2 by the Capitals in Peter Laviolette's debut behind the bench, the Flyers will look to show their new coach their better side tonight when they skate against the Canadiens in Montreal.

But what exactly is their better side right now?

The Flyers have lost four in a row---outscored 16-4 in the process---and seven of their last eight. They scored three goals or more twice in that span, and lost both games anyway.

They are having problems putting the puck in the net. Their goaltending with Ray Emery and Brian Boucher has been spotty. And their commitment to strong defensive-zone play comes and goes on a nightly---and sometimes shift-by-shift---basis.

Bu the biggest issue in Philly just might be in the dressing room. Though there are plenty of denials from the Flyers, I have heard from several reliable NHL sources that the mix may not be a good one in Philly. And if that is the case, that is a huge problem.

Already we have seen a very good man, and solid coach, in John Stevens lose his job. Word is that he couldn't handle the locker room issues that have arisen with the club. Laviolette, not as much of a player's coach, will do his damndest to get the players in line.

But the issues may run deeper than any one coach can correct. From what I saw on Saturday, these players sure didn't look like they gave a damn about trying to impress their new coach.

Laviolette has been a winner at his previous stops. He guided the Islanders to playoff appearances in both seasons he was their coach, and in 2006 he coached the Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Championship, which was secured with a Game 7 victory. Clearly he seems to have what it takes to get a very talented Flyers team back on track.

Or does he?

Check out Puck Daddy's take over at Yahoo! Sports.

Despite a strong case made by Puck Daddy, I still think Laviolette can turn things around in Philly. And I would not be surprised to see the Flyers right in the Eastern Conference mix when the playoffs roll around in April. They are too talented a bunch not to be.

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The Canadiens sure know how to throw a party, eh?

Saturday night's extravaganza to celebrate the organization's 100th birthday was both classy and memorable, plain and simple. The introductions of former greats, complete with the ex-Habs skating out on to the ice, was really just phenomenal.

To see Patrick Roy and the reclusive Ken Dryden not only skate out on to the Bell Centre ice, but do so with their full goaltending gear on, and then proceed to set up in their respective nets and face shots, was most definitely my favorite part of just a terrific night in Montreal.

Hats off to Les Habitants, as classy an organization as you will find in professional sports.

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And a tip of the hat to Red Wings netminder Jimmy Howard, who really showed me last night. Back on Friday I wrote right here in Rink Rap that I believe---and still do, by the way!---that Detroit needs to upgrade their goaltending situation. Part of the reason for that is the inconsistent play of Howard, the 25 year-old rookie.

Well, with me in the building at Madison Square Garden, Howard was simply terrific last night in a 3-1 win over the Rangers. It was more than the 28 saves he made. It was the quality of the saves, the timing of the saves. In short, Howard had himself a brilliant night.

Trailing 1-0 with less than 30 seconds to go in the first period, Howard exploded across his crease from left to right to stone Christopher Higgins on the doorstep. A 2-0 lead at home for the Rangers would have been huge, especially receiving a goal so late in the period. Instead Howard kept the deficit at one.

Then less than two minutes into the second period Ryan Callahan was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down on a breakaway by Detroit's Jonathan Ericsson. Callahan made an excellent move in-tight, switching from backhand to forehand and sending his shot to the far corner of the net. Howard dropped into the splits, and somehow got his left toe on the puck, stopping it along the goal line.

Yet again, Howard kept the deficit at one with an amazing save.

Then after the Red Wings had tied the game at one apiece, Howard made several more big-time saves, including at least a pair during a Rangers power play in the third that swung the game's momentum in favor of the Red Wings.

I still believe Howard needs to be more consistent. And I still think adding a Martin Biron, for example, would be the move to make. But give credit where credit is due. Howard was splendid last night, giving me and 18,200 at MSG a glimpse into the player he could be on a regular basis.

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I'll end on somehwhat of a downer today.

One of hockey's real good guys---and a long-time personal favorite of mine---Steve Valiquette was placed on waiver by the Rangers last week. Unclaimed, Valley was shipped to the club's AHL affiliate in Hartford.

In his first two games for the Wolf Pack this weekend, Valiquette struggled even worse than he had at the NHL level this season. On Friday, Valiquette started and was pulled in an unsightly first period. Restored between the pipes in the second, Valiquette ended his first game with the Pack having allowed five goals in a 7-1 defeat.

It didn't get any better yesterday. Valley was pulled early in the second period after having allowed five goals on 16 shots in what would turn out to be a 9-3 loss to the Hershey Bears.

Ouch!

First Valiquette struggles to the tune of a 3.74 goals against average and .852 save percentage in six appearances as Henrik Lundqvist's backup this season. Then after being strafed for eight goals two Saturdays ago in Pittsburgh, Valley is placed on waivers. When no one claims him, an indignity itself for a goalie who performed very well as a backup the past few seasons in New York, he is sent to the minor leagues, where he thought he had finally escaped back in 2006-07. Now Valley is rocked in his first two starts at Hartford.

It is very tough to sit back and watch this happen to a man who is among the most friendly, and funniest, I have known since working in the National Hockey League.

Valley and I first met when he was fourth or fifth on the Islanders depth chart, but was called up to the NHL level in 1999-2000 out of necessity anyway, and I was the team's radio broadcaster. We formed a friendship then, and rekindled it when I became the Rangers' beat writer for newyorkrangers.com and Valley had evolved into a capable NHL goalie with the Blueshirts.

Here's to hoping that Steve Valiquette can pull his game back together and escape the minors again at the age of 32.

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Hits by Richards and Scuderi Suspendable or Not?

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Written on 10/26/2009 by Jim Cerny


Frightening scene in Philly on Saturday where David Booth of the Panthers was laid out on a hit by Flyers captain Mike Richards.

Any time you see a player motionless on the ice and then being taken off, immobilized on a stretcher, it give you pause for how dangerous a game this great sport can be.

Fortunately Booth is already out of the hospital, being released yesterday after sustaining a concussion on the play. But it was still extremely scary to watch Booth absorb the hard hit after dropping a pass to his left, and then hit the ice head-first, and remain motionless thereafter.

If you have yet to do so, check out the hit here.

So what do you think? Clean hit by Richards? Or a dirty one, with intent to injure?

The referees called it one way and Colin Campbell saw it another, with the benefit of much video study, of course. The refs handed Richards a five-minute interference major, and a game misconduct for "intent to injure". Campbell, after much review, did not see reason to suspend Richards.

For the most part, the referees and Campbell were both right.

The refs were on the mark with the interference call, as Booth clearly had dished the puck before being leveled, and without the benefit of watching the replay, they had little recourse other than to toss Richards from the game with Booth out cold on the ice.

But with the benefit of studying the video at all speeds and from all angles, Campbell was correct not to suspend Richards. I do not think there was an intent to injure here. And I agree with Richards' post-game analysis that he was just trying to deliver a hard shoulder-to-shoulder check, which, unfortunately flipped Booth to the ice head-first.

"Everything happened so quickly," stated Richards. "I just wanted to separate him from the puck. Obviously, I am not trying to hurt him. I don't have a history of head shots, and I am not even sure it was a head shot."

I was in Montreal at the Bell Centre writing my final game story for the Rangers-Canadiens match that night, while also watching and listening to the reaction to Richards' hit on Hockey Night in Canada. It sounded as if the fellas agreed with my take, that it was interference, for sure, but not a suspendable hit.

In fact the HNIC on-air crew was more upset with a string of knee-to-knee hits that took place around the league that night.

Then last night, the Kings Rob Scuderi sent Columbus' Jason Chimera head-over-heels with a hip-check dangerously close to Chimera's knees. Chimera flipped over Scuderi and landed face-first on the ice,  suffering cuts on his face and inside his mouth.

You can watch that play here.

Scuderi was not penalized on the play, and claimed afterwards that he made a split-second decision on delivereing the hip-check and was not trying to injure Chimera.

Needless to say, Chimera did not agree.

''I don't care what you call it. It was a dirty hit,'' Chimera said. ''I've been hip-checked before, but this wasn't a hip check at all. It was a direct hit on the knees. I mean, I landed on my face on the ice, and my neck was squished against the ice. I'm lucky I didn't come out with a concussion or something."
I have to side with Chimera on this one. Scuderi went way too low, much lower than your normal hip-check. Whether that was his intention or not can be debated.

Ironically when the game was complete, Chimera had racked up 12 minutes in penalties, and Scuderi had zero.

Scuderi needs to pay a post-game penalty for that hit, I think, perhaps two games for going for the knees

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Eastern Conference Preview

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Written on 10/01/2009 by Jim Cerny


Goaltender Ray Emery (photo left) just might be the wildest of wild cards heading into the 2009-10 NHL season, what with his erratic background which led to a one-year stint playing in Russia last season.

But a focused on-point Emery just might be talented enough to backstop a deep Philadelphia Flyers team past Eastern Conference favorites like Washington, Boston, and the defending champs in Pittsburgh, this year.

So here's a look at how I see the East breaking down this season (with all teams listed in alphabetical order):

Playoff Locks (4): Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington.

These four teams are head and shoulders better than the remainder of the competition in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and have played in two straight Cup Finals against Detroit. That level of experience just can't be bought, especially with cornerstones Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury still so young. Pittsburgh will be a beast for years to come, and still very well may end up an NHL dynasty. This year, though, I think they will finish second in the tough Atlantic Division, and get bumped off in the playoffs. The popular bet to win the East, and the Cup, this year is Washington. The Caps will be looking to build upon two straight playoff appearances led by a hungry superstar in Alex Ovechkin and the immensely gifted offensive defenseman Mike Green. Goaltending will be the question mark here. Can Jose Theodore bounce back and reclaim the top spot? And if not, is rookie Semyon Varlamov prepared to shoulder the load throughout the regular season and the playoffs? It's a lot to ask, especially with the Caps defense still a question mark. Boston features a stifling defense anchored by Zdeno Chara and backstopped by Tim Thomas, with talented rookie Tuukka Rask expected to make 20-25 starts between the pipes, as well. The big question for the B's will be if they will score enough come playoff time, especially with Phil Kessel now in Toronto. The Flyers, quite possibly, are deeper---both up front and on the blueline---than any of the three other Beasts of the East. The play of rookie Claude Giroux, the ability for Emery to play well and keep his composure, and the health of oft-injured Danny Briere and Simon Gagne are vital for Philly this year. I love captain Mike Richards---even coming off double shoulder surgery. I love the addition of Chris Pronger---who will make defense partner Kimmo Timonen an absolute stud this year. And Scottie Hartnell is one of my favorite heart-and-soul players in the entire league. This team is going to be mighty good this year.

Playoff Teams (4): Carolina, Montreal, New York Rangers, New Jersey

The Canadiens and Rangers both completely made-over their respective teams this past off-season, even helping one another in that respect with the Scott Gomez-for-Chris Higgins trade. It will certainly take time for both clubs to jell, but I believe that both are good enough to remain playoff teams. Gomez and Brian Gionta are seeking bounce-back seasons in Montreal, and so, too, is young goaltender Carey Price. How he handles the off-ice pressures in Montreal will be nearly as important as how he stops the puck this season. The Rangers will be a more exciting team to watch this year, with John Tortorella fully implementing his favored up-tempo puck-control style of play, and with the additions of proven goal scorers like Marian Gaborik, Ales Kotalik, Vinny Prospal, and Higgins. Rookie defenseman Matt Gilroy will be fun to watch rushing and distributing the puck from the back end on Broadway, as well. But as has been the case for five years now, the Rangers fortunes will rest squarely on the play of goalie Henrik Lundqvist. There were very few changes made in Carolina during the off-season, the biggest news being goalie Cam Ward's multi-year contract extension. The 'Canes are a solid team, but they might have to struggle just a bit to finish in the Top Eight. Speaking of struggling, the Devils will do exactly that all year. Despite a really incredible run in the regular season a year ago---especially considering that Martin Brodeur missed most of the year due to injury---New Jersey is a team heading south. With Patrick Elias missing from the lineup to start the season, life will be even more challenging for the reigning Atlantic Division champs. I say 8th place, and just barely for the Devils.

Not Quite in the Playoffs (4): Buffalo, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto

I think all four of these teams will contend for a playoff spot, and just miss out in the final week or two of the regular season. My surprise team is Tampa Bay, and if I had more guts, I would have slotted them into a playoff spot. The Lightning made some solid moves over the summer, not the least of which were signing free agent Mattias Ohlund and drafting stud Viktor Hedman to play on the blueline this year. Don't forget that this club still has Vinny Lecavalier---free from trade rumors this season---and Martin St. Louis leading the offense. And the real key to this team's rise in the standings will be Steven Stamkos, the first overall pick from a year ago who erased a slow start with a very impressive second half to his rookie campaign last year and who is set to put up much bigger numbers in '09-'10. I like Ottawa to really make a run, as well. Free from Dany Heatley and his battle with coach Cory Clouston, the Sens still boast a very talented group of forwards. The addition of Pascal LeClaire in goal will provide a huge boost, too. Though I think the world of Lindy Ruff as a head coach, I just can't see his Sabres making the playoffs. They just are not good enough or deep enough. And though Toronto grabbbed quite a few headlines during the off-season and during training camp, the bottom line is the Leafs will be much tougher to play against this year, but they are still not a playoff team. Games between the Maple Leafs and Flyers, pitting the two most physical clubs in the NHL this season, will be must-see throwback-type events.

No Way Jose (3): Atlanta, Florida, New York Islanders

Many experts have the Panthers pegged as a playoff team. I do not see it. The Panthers made a spirited run into 9th place a year ago, but I see this team finding its own water level and slipping back in the pack this year. There's not enough depth up front, and losing Jay Bouwmeester on the back end really hurts. The Islanders---the NHL's worst club last season---will be more competitive and more fun to watch this year. Adding No. 1 overall pick John Tavares to a young mix that includes Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, and the recently-acquired Rob Schremp makes for something worth watching on the Island. And credit GM Garth Snow for picking up veteran goalies Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron so that a string of AHLers are not tending goal (like the past two years) while Rick DiPietro rehabs yet again from injury. There's a good chance Atlanta finishes behind the Islanders this year. The Thrashers have loaded up on Russian talent---perhaps to appease impending unrestricted free agent-to-be Ilya Kovalchuk---but it will be a sinking ship in Atlanta. It will be interesting to see where Kovalchuk ends up prior to the trade deadline.

Predicted to Represent the East in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals: Philadelphia Flyers

Like the West, this is not an easy call. But I feel the Flyers have so much quality depth, and Emery is like catching lighning in a bottle because this will be his last go of it in the NHL if he implodes. So to the surprise of many, I see the Caps and Penguins on the outside looking in come June.

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Flyers Could be Filthy Good This Year

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Written on 9/09/2009 by Jim Cerny

The Philadelphia Flyers were the most penalized team in the National Hockey League last year. So what did GM Paul Holmgren do in the off-season? Of course, he went out and acquired two of the grittiest---dare we say, dirtiest---players in the game in Chris Pronger and Ian Laperriere. Plus, he also added a feisty battler between the pipes with the signing of goaltender Ray Emery.

This Flyers team is going to be an absolute bitch to play against this year, adding Pronger and Laperriere to the rugged and abrasive group that consists of Daniel Carcillo, Scott Hartnell, Riley Cote, Arron Asham, and Braydon Coburn.

But like the Broad Street Bully Flyers of the mid-'70's, this group is not just filthy. They are filthy good.

The team toughness is there in spades. However, so is the explosive offensive talent.

Last year, the Flyers had the fifth most potent offense in the NHL, featuring four 30+ goal scorers on the roster, and six players who netted 25 or more. Though two of those players---forwards Mike Knuble and Joffrey Lupul---are no longer with the club, there is still plenty of offensive skill on this Flyers' squad.

Jeff Carter is emerging as one of the true superstars in the league. The 24 year-old exploded last season with career-high numbers across the board---46 goals, 38 assists, and 84 points---and surrounded by so much skill and muscle up front, he should be able to continue to meet and exceed those numbers again.

Captain Mike Richards is a powerful offensive force, as well, as his 30-50-80 numbers indicate. Plus he plays with an edge that belies his smallish (5'11", 195 pound) frame. He is the quintessential Philadephia Flyers player, cut right from the Bobby Clarke mold.

Richards did have off-season surgery on both shoulders, which raises some concern heading into training camp. But all in all, this crop of forwards---led by Carter and Richards, and assisted by Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, and the youthful pair of Claude Giroux and Darroll Powe---is as deep as any in the entire league.

And in my opinion, the Flyers made a quietly smart move that winning teams make the other day when they invited penalty killer extraordinaire Blair Betts to their training camp. Betts, who led the Rangers league-best penalty kill a year ago, is coming off a concussion in last spring's playoffs, but he is a tremendously hard-working player who is well respected by his peers. Teams with championship aspirations---like the Flyers---go out and add character players like Betts, and Laperriere.

If there is an achilles heel for Philly, as it has been for years and years, it is in goal where Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki have been replaced by Emery and Brian Boucher. Is that really an upgrade over last season?

Emery is the X Factor here. He has shown in flashes what he is capable of in the NHL, like when he helped lead the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals in the spring of 2007. But Emery has also proven to be a difficult talent who has had several run-ins with coaches and teammates, and who last year played in the KHL in Russia to reestablish himself.

He should be quite motivated to prove that he belongs in the best hockey league in the world. And he will benefit from a strong corps of defensemen playing in front of him, led by Pronger, who even at age 35, is a threat to win the Norris Trophy.

This could be a special year for Philadelphia. It is true that they still play in a tough division that features the Stanley Cup champs in the Penguins and the perenially good Devils, who won the division last year. But these Flyers seem poised to improve upon a 99-point regular season and first-round playoff ouster at the hands of the Penguins a year ago.

They look to be scary good.

Make that filthy good.

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