Prolotherapy helps Flyers' Gagne recover

I read this on the Flyers webpage on ESPN and it sounds like Gagne is all ready to go once the season starts. Time will tell whether he's able to become the same player he was before he got hurt, and if does, than that will dramatically improve the Flyers' offense. Imagine if Gagne can score 40 goals again, Briere puts up the numbers he did when he was with Buffalo, Scotty Hartnell has a career high season and gets 30 goals, Lupul gets 35, Richards scores 35, and Knuble scores 30. Carter has the chance to also score 35-40 goals, and Upshall should get around 20 this year. And to think that that we still have Claude Giroux coming up this season and James VanRiemsdyke next seaon. Hey Red Bandit and Dos Equis, who do you think Giroux and JVR are going to turn out like. I've heard alot of people say that Giroux is another Danny Briere and JVR is possibly the next Joe Thornton.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: The Flyers were the comeback kids of the atlantic division and the eastern conference last season, going from dead last in the 2006-07 season to a 6th place finish in the conference, a 39 point turnaround, two consecutive upset performances, in which they defeated Washington in a thrilling game 7 Overtime, and then foiled the top seeded Canadiens in 5 games, in 2007-08. They capped off their season with a disappointing 4-1 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Penguins, but went far beyond everyone's expectations that they still had a successful season. Now, coming into the 2008-09 season, the Flyers are poised to take the next step, and become a Cup contender.

Goaltending: This has been the Flyers' longstanding issue, since they've not had a legitimate no.1 goalie since the Ron Hextall days. Although Martin Biron had a stellar postseason, and was a major reason why the Flyers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, not many people, including myself, believe that he's got the goods to be the man guarding the cage. Biron finished with a 2.59 GAA, although, his two final games were both shutouts, helping him go from a 2.75 GAA to a 2.59. His Save percentage was a .915. Those numbers are okay, but he suffered stretches of inconsistency, as the Flyers are hoping that last season was simply a break-in year for him. As for Niitymaki, he has not been the same since he injured himself in the 2006 Olympics. For now, he is an okay backup, but doesn't have it what it takes to be a true no.1 goalie. What the Flyers really need is to look into getting a true, legitimate franchise goalie (Brodeur, Lundqvist, Luongo, Backstrom, Nabokov...etc). Biron will need to be consistent this year and be able to steal games when the Flyers offense is stale.

Key Offseason additions and Losses:
The Flyers added more depth to their offense, by locking up underappreciated, hard-working forward, Glenn Metropolit, hardnosed winger Arron Asham, defenseman Ossi Vaananen, and questionable, yet promising defenseman, Steve Eminger. Metropolit will give the Flyers a 4th line center that can score about 10-14 goals per during the season, and basically, a younger Jim Dowd. Arron Asham will work well with Metropolit and Riley Cote, as an enforcer, and a winger who can grind with other forwards. Ossi Vaananen is a defensive defenseman who sacrifices himself alot to block shots and will be a welcomed addition to the Flyers improving defense. Steve Eminger, despite his lack of progress with the Capitals, is still a promising young defenseman that was highly touted out of the draft, and if it happens as I believe it will, he will turn into another Braydon Coburn and give the Flyers a threat on the second line defense with Randy Jones. The two key losses for the Flyers was Jason Smith and RJ Umberger. Smith's toughness and leadership will be missed, but his slowness and ineptitude with the puck, will not, as this was a necessary loss. The loss of Umberger will sting a little more since he was a versatile forward that could play on any line and he elevated his game in the postseason and scored 10 goals, 8 of which were in the second round against the Canadiens. But, the Flyers' depth is so great that they are ready to replace him with talented youngster Claude Giroux, who enjoyed a successful playoff run in the Quebec League, in which he scored 51 points(19 goals) in 17 games...that's 3 points per game. He's definitely ready to crack the roster, as will second overall 2007 pick James VanRiemsdyke, next season when Knuble is traded or retires. Also, the Flyers were able to select Luca Sbisa in the 2008 draft, which will pay dividends in the future, as the flyers' most pressing issue was getting faster and more skilled on the blue line.

By the way, i'm beginning my in-depth analysis of each team.

Defense: The Flyers most pressing issue going into the offseason was improving their defense. And if they can convince Hatcher to retire or they can put him on LTIR, they will have succeeded 100%. The Flyers gave Randy Jones a contract extension, with a 2.75MM cap hit, so he'll need to earn his paycheck and prove he's worth that amount once the season starts. The Flyers also added Steve Eminger, who will flourish with an offensive-oriented team like the Flyers. This is going to look like high-way robbery if Eminger becomes a stud like Coburn did when he came from Atlanta. They also added Ossi Vaananen, whom although spent some time out of the NHL, he's a welcomed addition to the 3rd line of the defense, and will help Kukkonen in the shot blocking category. Besides that, they also have stud defensemen Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn. These two were very important during the playoffs and their absenses were felt in the Penguin series. Both players will need to produce more offensively, especially Timonen, who is now accustomed to John Stevens' coaching style. As of now, the only thing the Flyers lack on defense is a player who has a booming shot from the blue line and can be puck-moving D-man, but if Steve Eminger proves he's the man to do that, then they wont need another player.

Offense: The flyers are blessed, with having one of the deepest, most balanced lineups in the league. It starts with their strength down the middle(Daniel Briere, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Glenn Metropolit). Briere is ready to return to his dream season he had in 2006-07, Mike Richards is poised to break 90 points, and Jeff Carter could be looking at a breakout season, where he scores 40 goals, 25 assists. Indeed, on the Pittsburgh Penguins have a better lineup down the middle with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as their 1-2 punch. However, the Flyers also boast some special wingers in Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble, Claude Giroux, Scottie Upshall, Mike Knuble, Scott Hartnell, and Joffrey Lupul. Lupul, Knuble, Hartnell, Briere, Richards, and Carter all had 20+ goals and Briere had 30+. With Gagne coming back this season, and apparently at full strength, he's ready to return to his 40-goal ways and help the team. Right now the Flyers lines look as follows:
Lupul-Briere-Gagne
Giroux-Richards-Hartnell
Upshall-Carter-Knuble
Cote-Metropolit-Asham

Those lines are already potent but take away Hatcher's 3.5MM, take away Knuble and Upshall, add JVR and a great winger, and you have possibly the best offense in the league, depending on what Pittsburgh does next summer with Free Agency.

Goals for the season:
1.)Briere needs to return to his offensive prowess he showed in Buffalo and break 90 points this season. He also needs to work on his defense, so his +/- isn't horrendous as it was last season.
2.)Scottie Upshall will need to improve this season and join the list of 20-goal scorers, to lift some of the weight left by Umberger.
3.)Lupul needs to have a breakout season and earn his check, as he will be counted on to become even better than the player he was with the Ducks.
4.)Defense needs to be smarter with the puck in their own zone
5.)Biron needs to become more consistent.

If all these goals are met, the Flyers will be on the cusp of a championship opportunity.

Prediction: The Flyers will finish first in the Atlantic Division and first in the Eastern Conference.

That's all for now, i'll do my next analysis later.

No.4 is the big question. Can the defence take care of their own zone and get the puck out without turning it over.

Red Bandit wrote:

No.4 is the big question. Can the defence take care of their own zone and get the puck out without turning it over.

Yes that'll be a big question but i think they'll be more successful with accomplishing that, now that Jason Smith is gone, since he's not that great of a puck-handler and with the hopefully retiring hatcher(or traded or put on LTIR). If 1 of them already gone, and the probability of the other one gone, it all comes down to not making knuckle-head plays(like Randy Jones making a no-look clear attempt out of zone in that game against the Leafs in Toronto back in March. Steve Downie was a victim of that too in the postseason and even Marty was when he tried to pass the puck up the boards but it was intercepted by Hossa and it turned into a goal. If the flyers can eliminate defensive errors like that and are smarter with the puck in their own zone, that will lead to less goals given up and more wins.

Alright, time for my second analysis.

NEW YORK RANGERS: The Rangers have been flirting with Cup contender status for past 3 years, but still were bounced in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom eventually won the Eastern Conference Title before losing in 6 games to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. In an attempt to solve their playoff problems, the Rangers are once again became players in the market and acquired some new players. However, some of their players come with questions and this season will prove whether the Rangers are really better than they were this past season.

Offense: The Rangers, surprisingly, were offensively challenged, even with the likes of Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan, Petr Prucha, and Martin Straka. In an attempt to better their offensive woes, the Rangers acquired Dan Frietchze, Nikolai Zherdev from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Markus Naslund from the Vancouver Canucks. Although Naslund is still a good player, he's not the force he once was, as his point production has steadily decline since his 104 point total in the 2001-2002 season. Plus, he's 35 now, and not in his prime anymore. However, the Rangers have always been willing to throw money at old veterans, in order to help their team, even if those certain players don't produce like the Rangers want them to. Dan Frietzche(23)will provide some depth, and is young, so if they decide to develop him, he could turn out to be a nice checking center since he doesn't put up big numbers(10 goals,12 assists last season)...unless he could be a sleeper. Nikolai Zherdev is the most talented acquisition the Rangers acquired, and if he plays with Gomez or Drury, his numbers will inflate as a result of playing with good playmakers like the fore-mentioned centers. Last season, Zherdev put up 25 goals, 35 assists, and 61 points in 82 games for the Blue Jackets, but he's never been above zero in the +/- category, so that could be a concern. And yet, he's only played for one team, who has never had a solid defense, so in fairness to Zherdev, a change scenery may be just what he needs, since the Rangers defense is significantly better than Columbus'. But there is also the "russian factor," where teams sometimes complain about their russian players' work ethic, and that may become a problem if the Rangers don't have a good first half. But overall, this was a great pickup for the Rangers and he's talented enough to where he could break 100 points if he gets good chemistry with Drury or Gomez.

GOALTENDING: The Rangers are blessed with having one of the best, if not the best, goaltenders in the league. Henrik Lundqvist, or King Henrik, had a terrific season, posting a 2.23 GAA and a .910 save percentage. He is the only reason the Rangers were able to overcome their offensive ineptitude in the beginning of the season, and if he was not stellar in the opening 20-30 games, the Rangers most likely would not have made the playoffs. Only Martin Brodeur(2.17), Evgeni Nabokov(2.14), JS Giguere(2.12), and Chris Osgood(2.09) had better GAAs than Lundqvist, who is set to have another outstanding season. He's their franchise player and will once again be asked to stand on his head when the Rangers fail offensively.

DEFENSE: Alright, this is an interesting topic for the Rangers because they block alot of shots and have players that will lay their bodies out, but it's hard to say whether or not their defense will be signficantly better than last season. Mikael Roszival played very well for the Rangers and is a good puck-moving defenseman. Other than that, there really aren't any other players that were with the Rangers last season, that scare anyone defensively. In order to solve that issue, the Rangers went out and got Wade Redden from the Senators and Dmitri Kalinin from the Sabres. Kalinin wasn't a fan favorite in Buffalo and does not do anything great, but he's a solid defensive defenseman that should provide the Rangers D with a little depth and help Lundqvist. As Redden, he'll be entering the 2008-09 season with a big contract and even bigger question marks. Many people feel this will be a bust for the Rangers since his stock has gone since the 2005-06 season. He scored 38 points last season(10 and 28)...those numbers are good, but for a 1st round, second overall pick, more will be expected of him, and the Rangers are hoping the 31 year old can return to his best years(2003-2004/2005-2006). However, despite the nay-sayers, Redden will be an upgrade to the Ranger defense, especially if put with Roszival.

Key additions: Nikolai Zherdev, Wade Redden, Markus Naslund, Dan Frietchze, and Dmitri Kalkin.
Key Losses: Martin Straka, Jaromir Jagr, and possibly Brendan Shanahan(who was one of their leading scorers).
Back in the fold:Henrik Lundqvist, Nigel Dawes, Frederick Sjostrom.

Goals for the Blueshirts:
1.)Develop the chemistry needed to succeed with the new players acquired...this has been a problem for the Rangers, since alot of the players they acquire tend only to play for themselves.
2.)Drury and Gomez need to earn their paycheck...Drury needs to break 30 goals, 50 assists and Gomez needs to put up about 75 points...however, Gomez has never really been a prolific scorer, even with the Devils(as he has only broke 20 goals once (2005-06 when he score 33 goals, and 51 assists). Those were career highs for him.

Prediction: With Pittsburgh losing Hossa, Malone, and their grit and swagger(Ruutu, Laraque, and Roberts), the Rangers are in a position to make a move in the Eastern Conference and have a chance at going to the Stanley Cup Finals this season...however, there are too many questions with this Rangers' team and I'm not convinced that they have what it takes to overcome the top 3 teams in my power rankings (Philadelphia, Montreal and Pittsburgh).
-The Rangers will finish 3rd in the Atlantic Division and 5th in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers I think could be the sleeper team in the East. Even if they start out slow,I think they can make the playoffs and do some damage. It will depend on if Drury takes the team on his back, now that Jagr's gone, and makes this his team like he did in Buffalo.

Having fun Debbie? Can't post so you got to use the judge it. Technically you are still posting and that is a violation. So consider yourself warned. Any more judge it from you makes you a worthless piece of sh*t.

I'd give it a pass on this Red, it's not technically a post and we didn't really care about its opinions before. Why care now?
I think this is the better learning experience, it's like really wanting that ice cold beer, but only being allowed to sniff the bottle cap.
A week of it, maybe.
A month of it, ouch.
A YEAR of it? Well, if someone was unstable before the bet, imagine what it will be like by next April.
The trailer better have rubber wallpaper.

Dos Equis wrote:

I'd give it a pass on this Red, it's not technically a post and we didn't really care about its opinions before. Why care now?
I think this is the better learning experience, it's like really wanting that ice cold beer, but only being allowed to sniff the bottle cap.
A week of it, maybe.
A month of it, ouch.
A YEAR of it? Well, if someone was unstable before the bet, imagine what it will be like by next April.
The trailer better have rubber wallpaper.

I'm going to disagree. By doing the judging he is still posting and letting his thoughts be heard in some way. It's a principal thing. If you promised to stay off for one year I think that means not replying in any form. That goes for the judge it section as well. If Topix didn't have the judge it, I'm sure he would have broke down by now and posted. The judge it section just gives him a way of posting with out putting his name to it. That is still posting.

Red Bandit wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm going to disagree. By doing the judging he is still posting and letting his thoughts be heard in some way. It's a principal thing. If you promised to stay off for one year I think that means not replying in any form. That goes for the judge it section as well. If Topix didn't have the judge it, I'm sure he would have broke down by now and posted. The judge it section just gives him a way of posting with out putting his name to it. That is still posting.

LMAOROF. I can't believe you dudes are still at it.

PDG in Carolina wrote:

<quoted text>
LMAOROF. I can't believe you dudes are still at it.

Trust me, Red Bandit, Dos Equis, and I have been at it with this tool(Dev) since July, 2007. And it will be continue for a while as long as he keeps posting. We made a bet with him that if the Flyers made the playoffs, then he couldn't post on this thread for 1 year(we meant judging comments as well, but I guess we didn't clarify that). He's probably got April 6th circled on his calender because that's when the Flyers clinched a playoff birth. He still has a looong time until he can post...i wonder what bullshit he'll have for us when he's able to come on.

Pffft. It's made itself irrelevant(like it was ever relevant). Was the "judging" option even operating last April? I always thought it was a goofy option anyway, But it does give the less-than-intelligent an opportunity to add cutesy little pictures that usually don't correlate to the conversation (myself, I'd take "funny" as a compliment, but I doubt it knows the definition of the judge icons anyway)
Back to business: Stevens is signed for another two years.Personally, I think he very nearly coached his way out of a job last year with that late season tailspin, but maybe he'll benefit from more experience next year. Do I think he'll coach the Flyers to a cup? No. Thoughts?
PDG, where have you been all summer? I usually get more 'Canes news from you than the media, what the hey is going on down in Carolina? It seems awful quiet next to the weird and wacky Lightning and the ambitiously awful Panthers. Any status report?
I regret that I have to disagree with the Reds on the judging thing though. I can't help it, I just don't care. I know we had our fun and it was a cool ride, but we won. Hard. I don't care what it has to say, when it has to say it, or even if it's still alive by April. It's a popcorn fart in a windstorm, and should be treated as such.
I am curious as to whatever became of James (AOL). He had some good points and seemed a genuinely polite poster. Any of you seen or read him anywhere? And where is DMC? She's got to be at least a little satisfied with the Leafs moves.

By the way, I've never learned "text-message" lingo. What does LMOAROF mean? Doesn't anyone type english anymore? I don't want to have to ask my kids what it means.

I'm still around, or am now, anyway. Sorry to dissappear.

Dos Equis wrote:

By the way, I've never learned "text-message" lingo. What does LMOAROF mean? Doesn't anyone type english anymore? I don't want to have to ask my kids what it means.

LMAOROF=Laughing my ass off, rolling on the floor. It's actually ROTFLMFAO=Rolling on the floor laughing my f**king ass off.

Jim wrote:

I'm still around, or am now, anyway. Sorry to dissappear.

Hey Jim, how's everything going? So, what are you thoughts on the Flyers this upcoming season?

alright this is ridiculous...how can those types of questions be marked as clueless or nuts? Since when is it to clueless and nuts to ask a person how he is doing and what their thoughts on a team is?

When you're a jobless shut-in, those could be considered as clueless or nuts, isolation can have some severe negative effects on the mind, that's why solitary confinement is considered such a serious punishment. That private Idaho sure ain't gettin' any more populated (props to the B-52's).

Ans a shout out to Jim, good to see your still around. Any Eastern Conference predictions?

Still no word from DMC though and no 'Canes news from PDG.