Results tagged “hockey”

The 2008 Phillies were a surprising and welcome departure from the Philly sports norm. Let's face it: We've gotten used to coming up short—whether short or barely short. Not long after the Phillies paraded down Broad Street last Halloween, the Eagles returned the cosmos to their rightful balance. (Villanova's Final Four appearance was an unexpected bonus that threatened to upset the recently-restored natural order of things. Fortunately for the universe, North Carolina did not allow the end of days to come about.)

The Inquirer reported on Saturday that Slovakian hockey player Scurko, a 23 year-old center who was a sixth-round draft pick for the Flyers in 2004, has confessed to killing a referee last year and burying the body in a forest. There's no word on a motive yet, but Scurko, whose team took the Slovak Ice Hockey League championship earlier this month, may serve as many as 20 years for the killing. He had never actually signed with the Flyers.

Okay, so the Flyers are still on the brink of elimination, but if they keep bringing hits like this, they might be able to do a good ol' fashioned comeback. (We've got to admit, we're more than a little disappointed that Crosby popped back up after this hit.)

Despite the flurry of playoff wins and losses and analysis pouring in this week, I have managed to keep a steady eye on one Inquirer feature: a Sunday poll that gauged what the "biggest event for Philadelphia fans" was this upcoming weekend. I gave the poll a few days to mature and, as of today at three p.m., these were the results:

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So the Phillies are just getting spring training underway. The Sixers are hovering right around .500, but let's face it, they're dead in the water when it comes playoff time. So that means it's time to pay attention to the Flyers.

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend.

Things got hot in LA this weekend and it looks like we may have a real series on our hands. A few head-seeking fastballs, a little bench-clearing, and a whole lot of jawing just turned this NLCS into a tense and competitive slugfest. Game 4 is tonight. Joe Blanton is winless in Chavez Ravine this season. Derek Lowe is pitching on 3-days rest. Gear up, Philly, this could get good as the Phils try to take control in a 3-1 series, or allow the Dodgers to knot it up at 2-2.

But clearly not Philadelphia's.

We hate to mention the guy’s name at all, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the recent T.J. Simers piece in the LA Times lambasting Philadelphia and it’s fans, but giving only a cursory glance at the actual baseball that is scheduled to be played over the next week. We will not link this failure’s column because that is exactly what he wants, and in all fairness, we were conflicted on even giving this ass more publicity, but he needs to be called out.

Last night proved that defense wins games. Wait…wait, no. It proved beyond doubt that Brian Westbrook is the ethanol that makes the Eagles Hybrid car of mediocrity run. No, hold on. Last night’s game proved that Andy Reid calls plays during a 2-minute drill as well as Sarah Palin articulates.

 

In a move that surprised pretty much nobody, Mike Richards was named Captain of the Flyers, the 17th in club history (they count Bobby Clarke twice the way Americans count Grover Cleveland). While the move was wholly expected, it remains the best and most logical choice for a team that is poised to stake a claim to elite status in the NHL. Since Keith Primeu’s 5-year run as captain ended in 2006, the team has had a different player stitch on the “C” in each subsequent year, and the coronation of Richards will add a sense of longevity and stability in that leadership vacuum.

 

Here’s the scenario: It’s a beautiful summer day at Citizens Bank Park. The sun is shining, the air is still, and the scent of hot dogs, peanuts, and beer wafts through the crowd. There’s really not much to complain about on such a picturesque afternoon. Our beloved Fightin’ Phillies, however, are down by one run in the 6th inning and we all know what comes next.

What to Watch: It's the Flyers vs. the Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at 7:30pm on Versus. Bad news for the Orange and Black: Kimmo Timonen has a blood clot in his left ankle. The Flyers' best defensemen will likely miss this series and possibly the remainder of the playoffs, a huge blow to the Flyers' chances of shutting down Sidney Crosby and the high-flying Pens. But hey, they've dealt with injuries all season—just another speed bump for the 2K8 Broad Street Bullies.

If they don't win tonight, they're out of the playoffs. So we'll have our fingers crossed.

The Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime last night, advancing to the second round of the NHL playoffs. You knew that, right? What’s that, you’re not a hockey fan? This is the best time of year to start! Don’t worry, there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon. Here are 10 reasons to get Flyered Up, teeth optional.

The much-ballyhooed match-up between Cole Hamels and Johan Santana took place at a sold-out Citizens Bank Park. Santana baffled the Phils bats, fanning 10, and David Wright went 4-4 with 2 RBI’s as the Mets nipped the Phils 6-4.

Guess we know who Ringling Bros. is cheering for...

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The Sixers are still motoring along, posting a win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night (101-89), and fueling… playoff fever? We’ve felt this before, haven’t we Philly? Breathe through it. It’s not worth the morning after remorse. They’re not home again until March 7; hopefully they’ll keep up the winning away against Golden State (tonight 10:30PM), Phoenix (tomorrow 9PM), and the LA Clippers (Monday at 10:30PM); you can catch all on SportsNet.

The Sixers are still going (for now) as they seek to match their season-high four game winning streak (they’ve won at home against Washington 101-96, Miami 101-84, and the LA Clippers 101-80) with a win over the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 7PM at the Wach (get tickets or watch here). They will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday at 7PM at the Wach (get tickets or watch here). If you’re going to that game, get there early: they’re honoring Marc Iavaroni (member of the ’83 Championship Team) by giving away a Mr. Potato Head to the first 5,000 fans.

The Sixers lost to the Orlando Magic Saturday in an excruciatingly close game (108-106). They will try to regroup tomorrow night against the Washington Wizards at 7PM at the Wach (get tickets or watch here), and the Miami Heat on Thursday at 7PM at the Wach (get tickets or watch here).