Heard in the Cheap Seats

Last night’s game against the Bruins was a perfect example of why I do not want to see the Flyers make a move as the trade deadline approaches in the next 2 hours.  The only way a trade would make sense to me is if the Flyers did not have to give up more than one player from their current roster.  The Flyers went into Beantown last night and left with a huge 4-2 victory over the Eastern Conference leaders.  The line of Richards, Gagne, and Knuble contributed 3 of the 4 goals against the Bruins.  The best goal of the night came in the 3^rd period.  With the Flyers clinging to a 2-1 lead, Simon Gagne was able to make a backhanded pass to Knuble in front of the net and Knuble beat Manny Fernandez for the goal.  It was an amazing play by Gagne, who also had 2 goals of his own.  He had the proverbial “eyes in the back of his head”.  The Richards line is clicking on all cylinders and it’s impressive stuff to watch.

I would argue that the Flyers defense is just fine as long as Kimmo Timonen is in the lineup.  He has missed time with the flu recently, but with Timonen back along with Briere back and healthy, the Flyers are the healthiest they have been all year.  When this Flyers team is healthy, it can beat anybody in the NHL, as evidenced by the win over the Bruins.  As good as Richards and Carter are, you could make the argument that Timonen is more indispensable than any other Flyer.  Now, that the Flyers are completely healthy, I would love to see this team continue to gel.  Most likely, any big trade would involve giving up too many roster players.  I think one of the strongest parts of the Flyers team is their depth and balance.  All four lines can contribute.  I love the current makeup of this team!  If they head to the playoffs as they are currently constructed I would be very confident.  Either way, it was a great win for the Flyers last night, and they will need more of the same in the month of March, as this is the toughest part of their schedule.