Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – March 30, 2012 FLYERS Headlines 1. Philadelphia Daily News- Flyers roll past woeful Maple Leafs 2. Philadelphia Daily News- Surprise! Lindros skates with Flyers 3. Philadelphia Daily News- Success in March good omen 4. Philadelphia Daily News- Managing Bryzgalov's pain 5. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers' rookies shine in rout of Maple Leafs 6. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers shoot to overtake Pens, seize 4-seed 7. CSNPhilly.com- Lindros surprises Flyers at morning skate 8. CSNPhilly.com- Hartman: Flyers, Lindros friends once again 9. CSNPhilly.com- Should Sean Couturier be a Calder Finalist? 10. CSNPhilly.com- Hillary: Flyers gearing up for playoff push 11. Delaware County Times- Flyers' Schenn chips in as rookies roll over Leafs; ESPN.com - Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds spark Flyers' romp 12. Bucks County Courier-Times- Flyers overpower Leafs' rookie goalie 13. Camden Courier-Post- Candy from a baby: Flyers help Leafs add to home skid 14. Philadelphia Flyers- The Big E skates with Flyers 15. NHL.com - Lindros joins Flyers for morning skate Toronto Maple Leafs Headlines (FLYERS Last Opponent) 1. Toronto Sun – Toronto’s goaltending follies 2. Toronto Sun – Leafs hit new low, if that’s possible 3. Toronto Sun – Blue-white disease takes toll on Leafs 4. Toronto Sun – Gustavsson unsure about future 5. Toronto Star – Feschuk: Leaf fans can’t take it any more 6. Toronto Star – Toronto Maple Leafs lose 11th straight home game, 7-1 to Philadelphia Flyers 7. Toronto Star – Maple Leafs all-star Ron Stewart was on three Stanley Cup teams 8. Globe and Mail – Leafs embarrassed by Flyers 9. Globe and Mail – Concussions have played a role in Leafs’ slide 10. Globe and Mail – Leafs’ Gustavsson suffers injury in warmups 11. Globe and Mail – Leafs may shut James Reimer down 12. TSN.ca – Flyers hand Maple Leafs 11th straight loss at home Ottawa Senators Headlines (FLYERS Next Opponent) 1. Ottawa Sun – Puempel pumped about pro debut 2. Ottawa Sun – A Swede Sen-sation 3. Ottawa Sun – 5 reasons Sens are way ahead of Leafs 4. Ottawa Sun – Murray: Sens need 3 more wins 5. Ottawa Sun - Tough blow for Wideman 6. Ottawa Sun – Veteran defencemen step up for Senators 7. Ottawa Sun – Murray says 94 points will make playoffs 8. Ottawa Sun – Gauthier: Hockey’s International Man of Mystery Phantoms Headlines

1. Glens Falls Post-Star – Phantoms’ playoff push continues with game against Syracuse 2. Glens Falls Post-Star – Trade for Ford a win for Phantoms NHL Headlines 1. ESPN.com – Sidney Crosby struck by puck 2. ESPN.com – John Grahame agrees to deal 3. NHL.com - Art Ross Trophy race: Malkin scores 100th point 4. TSN.ca – Canadiens fire Gauthier and begin search for new GM 5. TSN.ca – Canucks GM Gillis expects Sedin to be ready for the playoffs FLYERS Articles 1. Philadelphia Daily News- Flyers roll past woeful Maple Leafs Frank Seravalli TORONTO - The Flyers invaded Canada with a new, unforeseen worry in their crease, with Sergei Bobrovsky set to replace the injured Ilya Bryzgalov for at least one game. They just didn't expect to face a Maple Leafs team with a bigger question mark in net. Toronto starter Jonas Gustavsson went down with an injury during warmups, relegating him to the locker room for the first period before warming the bench. Gustavsson's injury paved the way for the Maple Leafs' fourth-string goaltender, Jussi Rynnas, to make his first career NHL start. The Flyers made sure to welcome Rynnas to The Show. Behind two-goal efforts from Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, the Flyers shellacked the country club-bound Maple Leafs, 7-1, Thursday night in front of a half-full, library-quiet Air Canada Centre. Toronto, which hasn't won at home since Feb. 6, apparently had little to play for after being formally eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday night. And the Maple Leafs certainly had no interest in rallying around their surprise starter. It was their 11th straight loss at home - only three shy of the NHL record. Bobrovsky, making his second start in 22 games, was seldom tested, facing 17 shots, but seemed to quell some fears as he knocked off the rust. Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, Bryzgalov did not skate on Thursday, but continued to rehab the chip fracture in his right foot with treatment and conditioning. Bryzgalov is "doing better," according to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. He could return to the ice as soon as Friday - when the Flyers will take their annual team photo at the Wells Fargo Center.

With the win, home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is suddenly within reach for the Flyers. It was something that seemed like a pipe dream just after Monday's 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay, but fourth-place Pittsburgh's home-and-home losses against the 13th-place New York Islanders have put it back within reach. To add insult to injury, Penguins star Sidney Crosby took a puck in the face on Long Island. Crosby required treatment, but returned to finish the game. With five games remaining for both teams, the Flyers now trail Pittsburgh by only two points, with two head-to-head collisions remaining - including one on Sunday in the Steel City. The Flyers hold both of the first two tiebreakers with the Penguins, including regulation wins (41) and head-to-head record (3-1-0). Against Toronto, Schenn opened the scoring for the Flyers with two goals in the first 11 minutes, 1 second. His older brother, Luke, a Toronto defenseman, might have even assisted on the first one. Brayden Schenn now has 11 goals on the season and three against the Maple Leafs in four games. He has only eight goals against 22 other opponents this season. Schenn is the Flyers' 10th double-digit goal scorer. Matt Read reclaimed the NHL's rookie scoring lead with his 23rd goal of the season, a shorthanded marker in the second period. Eric Wellwood, Jake Voracek and Simmonds piled on for the Flyers in the third period, at which point raucous "Let's go, Blue Jays!" chants mockingly echoed throughout the arena. 2. Philadelphia Daily News- Surprise! Lindros skates with Flyers Frank Seravalli TORONTO -- The hulking body looked familiar, in a way, with his oversized shoulders and a few unpretentious wraps of tape around his stick. At first glance in the bright Air Canada Centre, it appeared as if the Flyers added a giant to their lineup for the morning skate. The only thing that stood out for Eric Lindros on Thursday was his black helmet, the one contrast between himself and the rest of the Flyers’ white domes. Everything else looked the same as it ever did, in an orange jersey with the Flyers crest. Lindros, 39, was a surprise on-ice guest at the Flyers’ morning skate with the team, in preparation for Thursday night’s contest against the dreadful Maple Leafs.

Lindros received an invitation from Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren to join the team in his hometown. Once estranged from the organization not so long ago, those fences were mended and polished during the Winter Classic celebrations in January. He dressed in the Flyers’ main locker room with everyone else. Big E’s presence was a welcomed and exciting. And his size, even to the Flyers’ current players, is still astonishing. “I’m a midget compared to him,” Scott Hartnell said. “He’s just so thick.” “We could use his size,” said Danny Briere, who really is a midget compared to Lindros, with a smile. “He’d be a nice addition, that’s for sure.” Lindros participated in all of the Flyers’ drills. He stayed out on the ice with the Flyers’ scratches, Jody Shelley and Andreas Lilja, for extra skating. Not surprisingly, the former Flyers superstar looked good. His passes were crisp. His skating was impeccable. And his shot was accurate. “He can still play,” Hartnell said. “He’s a good man. I think he was just out there for fun. It was cool to see him in this dressing room. I remember him being a Flyer and just absolutely dominating out there - big presence, big checks, big goals. Just to see him out there was pretty cool. Needless to say, some of the current Flyers grew up playing in their driveways pretending to be Lindros. Zac Rinaldo, 21, said he owes a lot of his style and drive to play hockey to Lindros. He used to play as Lindros in video games as a kid. Rinaldo’s jaw likely hit the floor when Lindros entered the dressing room with his equipment. “He’s a big part in the way I play hockey,” Rinaldo said. “I was kind of surprised to see him here.” “He was a guy that I idolized,” Claude Giroux said. “So it was pretty cool to see him out there.” So, does that mean Lindros could still play in the NHL? He retired in 2007 at the age of 34 due to multiple injuries, including a wonky wrist and concussions. “I think he could do a comeback,” Giroux said. “I grew up watching him play, he was dominating for a long time. He still has it.” Lindros is actually one year younger than one of the Flyers’ leading scorers, Jaromir Jagr. “If I can play, why not?” Jagr asked. “He’s younger than me. He would have to lose some pounds. Maybe 20. But that’s easy to do.”

Alas, Lindros has no plans to return to playing. Thursday’s twirl on the ice was just that, a chance to get in a workout with a few familiar faces. It was just so much more real than any Winter Classic alumni game. “I realized there was more to life than playing the game,” Lindros said. “The game is fantastic, but there are many more things to do. I’ve had the opportunity to explore a few of those. It was great to get back out there.” FACING THE LEAFS: The media coverage in Toronto has been, well, interesting. The Flyers face the Leafs just two days after being officially eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race. They also have a 10-game losing streak (0-7-3) at home, just 4 losses away from the NHL record set by Pittsburgh in 2003-04. One headline in the Toronto Sun: “WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!?! Series... Part 1 in a series so long, even we don’t know when it’s going to end.” Nice work. With Florida set to win the Southeast division, the Leafs - the NHL’s richest franchise - will now hold the NHL’s longest streak of postseason inactivity since the 2004-05 lockout. They haven’t made it since being bounced by Jeremy Roenick and the Flyers in 2004. That said, the Flyers aren’t planning on taking their last non-playoff opponent this season lightly. “You never know what kind of team you’re going to face,” said defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon, who will play his first game with the Flyers since Feb. 18. “Even on a bad team, guys are always playing something, whether it’s a spot in next year’s lineup or a new contract.” Bourdon will re-join the lineup in place of Kimmo Timonen, who did not make the trip to Toronto to rest a chronic lower-back problem. Andreas Lilja and Jody Shelley will be scratched. 3. Philadelphia Daily News- Success in March good omen Frank Seravalli TORONTO -- With their silky-smooth victory over the Maple Leafs, err Laughs, the Flyers pushed their impressive record in the month of March to 11-3-1. That’s a good omen for playoff success.

Overall, it’s just the 12th instance the Flyers have ever posted 11 or more wins in any month (out of 308 months over 44 seasons), but it’s just the 5th time they’ve done it in March. They’ve rolled to the Stanley Cup finals in 3 out of the previous 4 times: 1973-74: 12-1-2 in March (April: 3-1-0) - Won Stanley Cup 1974-75: 13-1-1 in March (April: 2-0-1) - Won Stanley Cup 1978-79: 11-4-2 in March (April: 2-2-0) - Lost in Quarterfinal to N.Y. Rangers 1984-85: 13-3-0 in March (April: 3-0-0) - Lost in Stanley Cup Final to Edmonton The Flyers still have one game left in March, hosting Ottawa on Saturday, before the calendar flips to April on Sunday with a game in Pittsburgh. Even the Penguins, with their recent hot streak, don’t have as many wins as the Flyers in March. They are 10-3-1 in March. Pittsburgh has followed up their 13-0-1 streak with a 1-3-0 run after back-to-back losses to the Islanders. That’s why home-ice advantage in the first round is up for grabs again with the Flyers. ROOKS ROLLIN': It’s no secret that the Flyers’ rookies have been a huge part of their success this season. Even so, the numbers can be a bit staggering. The Flyers’ rookies have accounted for 59 goals and 57 assists this year, a total of 116 points. Their 116 points by rookies lead the NHL and the 57 assists account for 24.1 percent of their scoring output (259). Matt Read reclaimed the rookie scoring lead with his 23rd goal of the season on Thursday, the most by any Flyers rookie since Jeff Carter in 2005-06. CHIRP, CHIRP: Here’s a stat you don’t see very often. Zac Rinaldo (13:18) played more minutes than Claude Giroux (13:08). Rinaldo is from nearby Mississauga. Rinaldo (@RinaldoZac) made sure to let Giroux (@28CGiroux) know about it on Twitter after the game: “Had more ice time tonight than @28CGiroux. #nobigdeal #takeaseat great effort by everyone tonight huge two points” Speaking of Twitter, Giroux was shamelessly stumping for votes in the contest to be EA Sports' NHL '13 cover boy. You can vote for only one of the Flyers' gingers at EASports.com/NHL. LEAFING STOCK: With their 7-1 shellacking of the Leafs, the Flyers completed their first-ever four-game season series sweep of Toronto. They once went 4-0-1 against

Toronto back in 1973-74. The Flyers have also swept two and three-game series with the Leafs. Toronto will be watching the playoffs for a franchise record 7th straight season since the 2005 NHL lockout, as many call for general manager Brian Burke's head. Thursday was Toronto's 11th straight loss at Air Canada Centre, where they haven't won since Feb. 6. "There's not a lot we can say," said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, who is 4-8-2 since taking over for Ron Wilson. "We've said everything we can say. You're really looking to the inner self of the individuals to say 'Hey, how can we continue to allow this to happen?' " T.G.I.F: The Flyers will take their annual team photo on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center, where they are also hoping Ilya Bryzgalov will be able to return to practice. 4. Philadelphia Daily News- Managing Bryzgalov's pain Frank Seravalli TORONTO — For the Flyers, it is undoubtedly a good sign that Ilya Bryzgalov felt well enough on Wednesday to be riding an stationary bike at their practice facility. Paul Holmgren remained optimistic on Tuesday that Bryzgalov would be able to begin skating on Thursday back in Philadelphia, while his mates are busy preparing for the Maple Leafs here in Toronto. For Bryzgalov, getting his right foot - with that chip fracture - back into his goalie skate will be the biggest test. According to Holmgren, Bryzgalov’s return date is based on his pain tolerance and swelling level, more than anything else. Simply: the more the area is swollen, the more it will hurt. Thus, it may take an extra day or two until Bryzgalov is fully comfortable in his clunky skates again - which do offer a thick, plastic protector around the edge of the skate. One avenue the Flyers are unlikely to go down, according to a Philadelphia-area orthopedist, is a cortisone-type shot to numb the area and allow him to play. “I think very rarely would a shot be used to manage the pain,” Dr. Steven Raikin, a foot and ankle specialist at Thomas Jefferson Hospital, told the Daily News. “It would especially not be used in the foot itself. “Depending on the pain level, the best way to treat a chip fracture is with ice and protection.”

Dr. Raikin, who recently operated on James van Riemsdyk’s foot but is not monitoring or treating Bryzgalov, conceded that Bryzgalov has little risk of damaging his foot by returning too quickly. “Goaltenders, as you know, need a lot of side-to-side movement,” Dr. Raikin said. “That will put a lot of pressure on the area.” If you recall, there is a historical precedent of treating chip fractures with pain-killing shots - especially around this time of year. Back in 2002, former Flyer Dave Babych - who also suffered a fracture in his foot in April, 1998 - brought forth a law suit against the Flyers, parent company Comcast-Spectacor and then-team doctor Arthur Bartolozzi. Babych said the Flyers pressured him to play in the playoffs that year and he was given pain-managing injections, which he argued shortened his career. The Flyers and Comcast-Spectacor were dismissed from the case. Babych, 41 at the time when the Atlantic City jury ruled, was awarded $1.02 million in compensation and $350,000 for pain and suffering. BROWN SIGNS: The Flyers did not play on Wednesday, but it marked the second time they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning this week. That's because prized University of Minnesota-Duluth prospect J.T. Brown signed with the Tampa Bay. The Flyers had invested considerable time and resources into signing Brown, including hosting him at their prospect camp last July in Philadelphia and scouting him heavily throughout the last two seasons. They were one of the finalists to sign him, along with Boston. Brown, 21, just wrapped up his sophomore season at Minnesota-Duluth with 47 points in 39 games, good for 12th in the nation in scoring. He was named the “Most Outstanding Player” at the 2011 Frozen Four as a freshman, when the Bulldogs won the national title. With players signing entry-level deals, as Brown did, a decision like that rarely comes down to money. There are maximums for entry-level deals. Turns out, the country club-bound Lightning could offer something the Flyers could not: a chance to join the NHL lineup immediately. Brown is expected to play for Tampa Bay against Winnipeg on Saturday night. By playing in the final games of this season, Brown will already burn one year off his two-year deal, allowing him to become a free agent after next season. That was another incentive. “Definitely exciting,” Brown told the Tampa Bay Times. “It came down to having the right opportunity and the right fit.”

I’m told the Flyers have other irons in the fire with undrafted college free agents, though Brown would have been their big catch. 5. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers' rookies shine in rout of Maple Leafs Tim Panaccio TORONTO -- Peter Laviolette has been saying novenas that he’d find a line combination for Danny Briere that worked before the playoffs began. Looks like he found it, draping Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds around Briere for the past four games as they’ve developed some instant chemistry just in time. That line amassed four goals and nine points Thursday night at Air Canada Centre as the Flyers humiliated the Maple Leafs, 7-1. Schenn and Simmonds each scored two goals while Briere had four assists, making for a frightful first NHL start for Leafs rookie goalie Jussi Rynnas. Coupled with yet another Pittsburgh loss to the Islanders, the Flyers drew to within two points of the 4th-seeded Penguins, who have 100 points, setting up a fascinating Sunday showdown in Pittsburgh. “We had a couple of bounces and we’ve found some chemistry with Simmonds and Briere,” said Schenn, who delighted his parents and two sisters in attendance. “We’ve been playing pretty well of late and didn’t get bounces. We got some tonight.” Their line has seven goals over the last four games. “The Briere line, you could see it coming,” Laviolette said. “For me, that’s always the first step. It doesn’t necessarily have to translate to the score sheet. “But you can see the line is getting opportunities and you go back and watch the quality chances for and against and their line is involved a lot. “They’re generating a lot of good things in the offensive zone. Now they get that opportunity to actually cash in and make things happen. That’s nice to see.” Now, the Flyers lost starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov this week because of an injury during warm-ups. Same thing happened to the Maple Leafs during warm-ups tonight when veteran Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson took a shot off the left knee, forcing Rynnas into action.

For the umpteenth time, it was the rookies who carried the Flyers’ scoring load, in this case, four goals. “They were really good,” Laviolette said. “[Sean] Couturier’s line against the other team’s top line for 8-9 games now has been really terrific. “Matt Read jumped in and had a big night. The two, young defensemen [Erik Gustafsson, Marc-Andre Bourdon] did a great job. Schenner comes in and scores some big goals. It was a good contribution from everybody.” It allowed Sergie Bobrovsky, making only his second start this month, an easier path. He faced just 17 shots. Defensively (one Leafs shot in 13 minutes at the start), and offensively, the Flyers made it easy on Bobrovsky, who may have to carry the load if Bryzgalov (chip fracture/right foot) is out longer than expected. “It’s tough and challenging, but I just went out and played,” Bobrovsky said via a translator. “My job is to catch the pucks when they’re going my way. When the game starts, it’s 0-0. But yes, the [goal] support is important.” Laviolette framed it perfectly. “We wanted to make sure we gave Bob a fighting chance,” he said. “We talked about it to make sure guys were dialed in on the right side of the puck …” They were, right from the get-go. With older brother Luke playing for the Leafs, Brayden gave his family a bit of a show with two goals in the first period. That’s 11 goals this season. “When Gustavsson got hurt, I just wanted to fire pucks,” Schenn said of his game plan. His first goal was odd as a blocked shot saw the puck go high in the air. It fell at Schenn’s feet before anyone else knew it. He quickly rifled it past Rynnas. Thanks to a double-minor to Jay Rosehill, the Flyers got a four-minute power play and Schenn capitalized again at 11:01. This time, it was Jaromir Jagr springing Briere into the Leafs’ zone on a 2-on-1 with Briere giving way to Schenn on an easy tap-in. "Our line has been playing well lately and hopefully, we can keep that going," Briere said. "It can help out offensively if all the lines are scoring."

Three minutes later, however, on just their third shot, Tim Connolly gave Mikhail Grabovski a stretch pass just beyond the reach of Sean Couturier. The Russian got it in full stride for a breakaway backhander. Simmonds, who broke a 16-game goal drought against Tampa Bay, picked up his second in as many games at 3:58 of the season period with both teams skating 4-on-4, making it 3-1. His two goals left him with 25 for the season. “It’s nice to have good game at home and I have a lot of people here,” said Simmonds, who grew up in Scarborough, Ont. “The last game we came in here and didn’t so much. To show them I can actually play hockey is nice.” If you’re going to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, it helps to play well in front of the Toronto media – arguably the most influential voters around. Read did just that with a shorthanded goal that period to reclaim the rookie lead over Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog (22 goals). It was also Read’s second shorthanded marker this season, tying him with Couturier and the Rangers’ Carl Hagelin for second place among first-year players. “We had the first goal tonight, played with the lead, had two quick goals and besides that, Bob shut the door and played very well for not seeing the ice for so long a time,” Read said. In the third period, rookie Eric Wellwood scored his fifth goal before Jakub Voracek notched his 15th and then Simmonds nailed his second. “We really tried to harp on defense more than anything,” Laviolette said. “A good defensive effort. “Sometimes you do that, you get offensive chances. Guys were blocking shots and doing what we needed to do on the defensive side of things.” 6. CSNPhilly.com- Flyers shoot to overtake Pens, seize 4-seed Tim Panaccio TORONTO -- If first place in the Eastern Conference weren’t already out of reach for the Flyers, it got a little farther away on Wednesday night.

The Rangers' victory over Winnipeg pushed them to nine points ahead of the Flyers, who meet the Maple Leafs on Thursday evening. The Flyers have six games left -- a potential 12 points to be reaped -- but the focus clearly has shifted toward the fourth-seeded Penguins, where it’s rightly been for a while now. Pittsburgh (100 points) has stumbled lately, leaving the Flyers still with the Pens’ reach, sitting four points behind. At the same time, the Flyers (96 points) need to be wary of sixth-seeded New Jersey, which remains four points behind them. The task gets tougher because goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is temporarily removed from the equation, while very rusty backup Sergei Bobrovsky goes into the net. For how long, no one knows. This much is certain: the Flyers can still catch the Pens with two head-to-head matches in the final week of the season, starting Sunday. “There is so much parity in the league,” Danny Briere said. “There are no ‘for sure’ games anymore like there were in the 1980s. “Even the teams that are near the bottom. Toronto and Montreal are not easy targets. Look at the Islanders beating Pittsburgh. There are no easy games anymore. “We don’t know what can happen. We’re four points back and we have to play them twice. There is still a chance.” While the Pens have lost a couple, so have the Flyers, who dropped two games recently to two Southeast Division opponents -- Florida and Tampa Bay -- they should have beaten. There’s the four points that would have catapulted the Flyers over Pittsburgh based on wins in regulation/overtime. “It’s still there,” Claude Giroux said. “We have to make sure these points don’t fall away. That last game [Tampa], those kind of games hurt you. “We have to find a way to motivate ourselves to get those points. Those are big points, too. You can’t let those points get away from you this late in the season.” Several Flyers have commented recently about failing to overtake Pittsburgh because of poor play against lesser teams, like the Panthers and Lightning.

“It’s just frustrating to think we could have been [tied] with them,” Giroux said. “During the season, there were a couple games we could have won. Points got way. “At this point we realize it. It’s the same story every year. These final six games are pretty important.” It starts tonight at Air Canada Centre. 7. CSNPhilly.com- Lindros surprises Flyers at morning skate Tim Panaccio TORONTO -- The Flyers got a neat surprise and maybe a bit of a morale boost at their morning skate on Thursday when Eric Lindros showed up – on the ice. “It was very cool,” Matt Carle said. “He was in the locker room before we went out and rumors were swelling that he would come out and skate with us.” General manager Paul Holmgren invited the Big E to skate and he did, taking drills with the team, and even playing a little 3-on-3 shinny with the coaching staff long after the players left the ice. “That was a lot of fun,” Lindros said. “Any time you can wake up and head to this building to go on the ice, it’s a blast, it really is. Hockey is a great game. I really enjoy hockey. “Homer gave me a call and said come down to the room and say hello to the guys and go out for a skate. It was good time.” Both Carle and Braydon Coburn played against Lindros near the end of his career. “We got a lot of young guys in here and who grew up looking up to Eric Lindros and I’m one of those guys myself,” Coburn said. “It was a nice surprise seeing him here.” Added Carle: “He still seems like he can play. His hands are there, his shot is there.” Scott Hartnell spent a bit of time on the ice passing pucks around with Lindros. “He can still play, he’s a big man,” Hartnell said. “He was out there for fun. It was kind of cool seeing him in the dressing room. I remember him as a Flyer out there absolutely dominating with big checks, big goals. “Just to see him wheeling around with us was cool. I am midget compared to him. He is just so thick.”

Lindros played in the Alumni Game at this year’s Winter Classic. “Here we are, but what brings everyone together is the game of hockey,” Lindros said. “The purity of the sport. It can branch off into several different areas, but at heart is the game itself. It’s wonderful around here.” The Flyers have had other guest skaters over the years, among the more famous: Jerry Bruckheimer and David Boreanaz. 8. CSNPhilly.com- Hartman: Flyers, Lindros friends once again Neil Hartman It was late summer 2001 and I was at a press conference at Madison Square Garden when Eric Lindros was introduced as the newest member of the New York Rangers. Bob Clarke unloaded Lindros for three players and a draft pick, none of which turned out to be very productive for the Flyers. It was that bad at the end of Lindros’ eight years in Philadelphia. The relationship between player and front office was about as bad as I have ever seen. I knew Lindros casually, but the day I attended his press conference I was like the plague to him. Eric avoided me because I was representing Comcast SportsNet and he told me, “I am not talking to anyone from Comcast”. Comcast-Spectacor, of course, owned the team then and still does. Fast forward to January 2012 and the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park, Lindros was treated like royalty by the fans and the Flyers organization. Elevan years has truly healed all wounds. On Thursday, word comes out of Toronto that Lindros was invited by General Manager Paul Holmgren to skate with the current Flyers in his hometown (see story). Lindros dressed in the team’s locker room and participated in all of the Flyers’ drills. And get this, players said he looked good. Jaromir Jagr said that if he could still play professional hockey, why not Lindros, who is a year younger at the age of 39? Lindros has no plans to return to the ice on a permanent basis, he’s been retired since 2007, but I never thought I would see the day when the organization would encourage No. 88 to wear the orange and black again. 9. CSNPhilly.com- Should Sean Couturier be a Calder Finalist? John Boruk Of all the NHL postseason awards that will be handed out in June, the Calder Trophy will likely be presented to the rookie with one of the three highest point totals. Even worse, don't be surprised if the three finalists finish 1-2-3 in rookie scoring.

That's about the depth of the voters' knowledge. There's just not much thorough evaluation when it comes to the overall performance of a first-year player in the NHL. I'll contend that Sean Courturier has had a much greater responsibility within the Philadelphia Flyers than any rookie, probably outside of New Jersey's Adam Henrique (who would be my Calder Trophy winner). If Peter Laviolette elected to do so, he could be playing Couturier on a more skilled second line, averaging 17-18 minutes per game, while padding his stats on the power play, but that's not Couturier's greatest value to the Flyers. More highly touted rookies like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Oilers) and Gabriel Landeskog (Avalanche), selected No. 1-2 in the draft, have produced more points simply because they've been put in a position to do so while playing on inferior teams. Landeskog is a tremendous talent who has developed into a well-rounded player, but Couturier's numbers would be comparable to both his and Nugent-Hopkins' if he had been taken by one of their teams. Couturier was coming off back-to-back 96-point seasons at the junior level. Clearly, he has an offensive game, but today's NHL has become so much more defensive-oriented, which makes Couturier's contributions that much more impressive. Here's what voters won't consider: Couturier ranks 11th among all NHL forwards and first among rookies in short-handed ice time. He is second among rookies in faceoffs at 47 percent, taking crucial draws during the game's final minutes. How many rookie centers are asked to match-up against Evgeni Malkin in the third period of a one-goal game? Laviolette has given Couturier more responsibility than most NHL coaches would dare give a teenage rookie. They just don't have the maturity, the hockey smarts or the discipline to handle it. In games against top-tier teams, when the Flyers have needed to rely on Couturier's presence, his ice time has reflected that: 20:45 vs. Pittsburgh, 18:04 at N.J., 21:30 vs. Boston. If 25 points is what separates Landeskog and Nugent-Hopkins from Couturier at season's end, break it down, it averages out to one more point per week. Should that really be the deciding factor? Unlike say, Malkin, it's difficult to quantify a rookie's contributions when it comes to the success of a team, but if the Calder Trophy is awarded to "the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition" -- proficient meaning well-advanced or complete -- is there a better rookie that fits that description than Couturier? I'm not saying he deserves to win the Calder Trophy. In fact, I'd go Henrique, Landeskog and Couturier, in that order. And I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't even mentioned Matt Read, who has been a phenomenal story this season. I know Read leads all rookies with 22 goals, but take away the power-play points and Read has 31 to Couturier's 27.

Then ask yourself which player has been more vital to the success of the Philadelphia Flyers? It's too bad (but not surprising) that Couturier hasn't even been mentioned as a potential finalist for the Calder Trophy, because that would require digging a little deeper than just glancing at scoring totals. 10. CSNPhilly.com- Hillary: Flyers gearing up for playoff push Lisa Hillary For a fifth consecutive season, the Flyers have clinched a playoff spot. The city of Philadelphia has a long and storied history of pro sports teams, but lately those teams have fallen short of postseason expectations. The 2011-2012 season started out well, but things began to unravel as the team approached the Winter Classic. Ilya Bryzgalov was inconsistent and not living up to his big contract. But in early March, Bryzgalov turned a sharp corner and settled in as the teams number one goalie and now has the fans thinking Stanley Cup once again -- should he stay healthy. 11. Delaware County Times- Flyers' Schenn chips in as rookies roll over Leafs Associated Press TORONTO — The Flyers’ rookies have proven their worth all season. They were at it again Thursday night, combining for four goals and two assists in what became a 7-1 blowout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brayden Schenn scored the first two goals of the game, and Matt Read and Eric Wellwood each had one, running the total number of goals by Flyers rookies to 59 — best in the NHL. “If you look at the rookies we have on the roster, they’re all very highly touted,” said Danny Briere, who had four assists playing on a line with Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. “You know that it’s going to come at some point. You have guys like Brayden Schenn and what he’s done in junior and at the world junior championships. Sean Couturier was a very high draft pick. Matt Read was highly touted, and everybody wanted him last summer.

“There’s a lot of guys we were expecting good things from. It’s a surprise, but it’s not at the same time. You know those guys have a lot of talent and sometimes it’s going to go their way.” Last season, the Flyers didn’t get a single goal from a rookie and only three saw any ice time. In 2011-12, the Flyers have iced 12 rookies. Read leads the way with 23 goals, Sean Couturier has 12, and Schenn 11. “I don’t remember having so many rookies on the team,” Briere said. “And now, not even just rookies taking spots — they’re playing key roles on the team. It’s fun to see them contributing. Nobody expected this, but it’s a very nice surprise. They keep getting better, so all the credit goes to them.” Simmonds also scored twice to help the Flyers hand the Maple Leafs their 11th straight home loss. Jakub Voracek also scored for the Flyers, and Sergei Bobrovsky, who would have started for only the second time in 21 games even if Ilya Bryzgalov hadn’t suffered a chip fracture of the right foot Monday, made 16 saves. Mikhail Grabovski scored for Toronto. The disgruntled Toronto fans chanted “Let’s Go Blue Jays!” on a couple of occasions, a clear sign most have already turned their attention to baseball season. Injuries have played a role in Toronto’s struggles and popped up again when starting goalie Jonas Gustavsson took a shot off his left knee in warmups and had to be helped to the dressing room. That left Jussi Rynnas to make his first NHL start against the NHL’s third-highest scoring team. An emergency AHL call-up because of James Reimer’s upper-body injury, Rynnas stopped 23 shots but didn’t have much of a chance with a dispirited team playing in front of him. Two of Toronto’s four remaining games will be played at home — Saturday against Buffalo and next Thursday against Tampa — where the Leafs haven’t won since Feb. 6. The 11-game home losing run is four games longer than the previous mark for futility, set in 1984 when the franchise still called Maple Leaf Gardens home. Schenn scored twice in the opening 12 minutes — the first came with brother Luke, a Toronto defenseman, on the ice — before Grabovski got Toronto on the board with a beautiful breakaway goal. Simmonds extended the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 at 3:55 of the second period and Read added to it with a short-handed marker at 12:03. The “Let’s Go Blue Jays!” chants started before the period was out and resumed in the third just as Wellwood made it 5-1 at 5:49.

NOTES: Toronto fell to 4-8-2 since Randy Carlyle replaced Ron Wilson as coach March 2 ... The Leafs have more wins on the road (17) than at home (16) ... Read leads all NHL rookies with 23 goals ... Three of Brayden Schenn’s 11 goals on the season have come against the Leafs. 12. Bucks County Courier-Times- Flyers overpower Leafs' rookie goalie Wayne Fish TORONTO — Talk about coincidental misfortunes in goal. The Flyers lost starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov because of an injury during warmups earlier this week off an errant shot. The same thing happened to the Maple Leafs during warmups Thursday night at Air Canada Centre. So instead of facing veteran goalie Jonas Gustavsson, the Flyers roughed up Finnish rookie Jussi Rynnas during a 7-1 blowout — the 11th straight home loss for the Leafs. It was Rynnas’ first NHL start. Coupled with yet another Pittsburgh loss to the Islanders, the Flyers drew within two points of the fourth-seeded Penguins, who have 100 points. Sergei Bobrovsky made his first start since March 11 and played well, while facing just 17 shots. For the umpteenth time this season, it was the rookies who carried the Flyers’ scoring load, in this case, four goals. With older brother Luke playing for the Leafs, who won’t be going to the playoffs once again, Flyers’ rookie Brayden gave his family a bit of a show with two goals in the first period. Peter Laviolette’s club made it a rout with two more in the second stanza. Schenn’s two markers gave him 11 for the season. That’s 10 Flyers with double-figure goals. His first goal was odd as a blocked shot saw the puck go high in the air. It fell at Schenn’s feet before anyone else knew it. He quickly rifled it past Rynnas. Thanks to a double-minor to Jay Rosehill, the Flyers got a four-minute power play and Schenn capitalized again at 11:01. This time, it was Jaromir Jagr springing Danny Briere into the Leafs’ zone on a 2-on-1 with Briere waiting to the last instant before giving it to Schenn an easy tap-in, making it 2-0.

Three minutes later, on just their third shot, Tim Connolly gave Mikhail Grabovski a stretch pass just beyond the reach of Sean Couturier. The Russian got it in full stride for a breakaway backhander. Wayne Simmonds, who broke a 16-game goal drought against Tampa Bay, picked up his second in as many games at 3:58 of the season period with both teams skating 4-on-4. He had two goals in the game, giving him 25 for the season. And if you’re going to win the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, it helps to play well in front of the Toronto media — arguably the most influential voters around. Matt Read did just that with a shorthanded goal that period to reclaim the rookie lead over Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog (22 goals). It was also Read’s second shorthanded marker this season, tying him with Couturier and the Rangers’ Carl Hagelin for second place among first-year players. In the third period, rookie Eric Wellwood scored his fifth goal before Jakub Voracek notched his 15th, making it 6-1. Gustavsson severely injured his left knee after being struck with a shot from teammate Clark MacArthur. Rynnas played 39 minutes in relief on Tuesday in making his NHL debut against Carolina. Defenseman Andreas Lilja, who practiced at the morning skate, did not play. He has missed three games with an upper body injury. 13. Camden Courier-Post- Candy from a baby: Flyers help Leafs add to home skid Associated Press TORONTO — Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds each scored twice as the Flyers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-1 Thursday night, handing the Leafs their 11th straight home loss. The disgruntled Toronto fans chanted “Let’s Go Blue Jays!” on a couple of occasions, a clear sign most have already turned their attention to baseball season. Matt Read, Eric Wellwood and Jakub Voracek also scored for Philadelphia, Danny Briere had four assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 16 saves. Mikhail Grabovski scored for Toronto.

Injuries have played a role in Toronto’s struggles and popped up again when starting goalie Jonas Gustavsson took a shot off his left knee in warm-ups and had to be helped to the dressing room. That left Jussi Rynnas to make his first NHL start against the NHL’s third-highest scoring team. An emergency American Hockey League call-up because of James Reimer’s upper-body injury, Rynnas stopped 23 shots but didn’t have much of a chance with a dispirited team playing in front of him. Two of Toronto’s four remaining games will be played at home — Saturday against Buffalo and Thursday against Tampa — where the Leafs haven’t won since Feb. 6. The 11-game home losing run is four games longer than the previous mark for futility, set in 1984 when the franchise still called Maple Leaf Gardens home. Schenn scored twice in the opening 12 minutes — the first came with brother Luke, a Toronto defenseman, on the ice — before Grabovski got Toronto on the board with a beautiful breakaway goal. Simmonds extended the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 at 3:55 of the second period, and Read added to it with a short-handed marker at 12:03. The “Let’s Go Blue Jays!” chants started before the period was out and resumed in the third just as Wellwood made it 5-1 at 5:49. • Capitals 3, Bruins 2: In Boston, Brooks Laich scored in the first round of a sudden-death shootout to give Washington a victory and help the Capitals keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Washington is tied with Buffalo with 88 points in pursuit of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Sabres remain ahead because they have five games remaining and the Capitals have four. • Devils 6, Lightning 4: In Newark, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marek Zidlicky scored in a 1:11 span to cap a four-goal second period and the New Jersey Devils put themselves on the doorstep of a playoff berth with the victory. Dainius Zubrus, Jacob Josefson, Alexei Ponikarovsky and David Clarkson also scored as New Jersey matched its season high for goals in posting its second straight victory and overcoming a hat trick by Ryan Malone of Tampa Bay. The Devils can return to the playoff for the 14th time in 15 seasons by earning one more point in their final four games or having the Washington Capitals fail to earn a point. • Islanders 5, Penguins 3: In Uniondale, N.Y., Sidney Crosby left briefly in the second period after being bloodied when he was struck in the face with the puck, but his return wasn’t enough for the suddenly slumping Pittsburgh Penguins, who were beaten again by the New York Islanders.

The Islanders, who began the night in 13th place in the 15-team Eastern Conference, dealt Pittsburgh another big blow as the Penguins try to catch the New York Rangers atop the East. The Islanders knocked off the Penguins in Pittsburgh 5-3 on Tuesday night and completed the home-and-home sweep Thursday. • Wild 3, Panthers 2: In St. Paul, Minn., Mikko Koivu split two defenders and beat former teammate Jose Theodore 15 seconds into overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a victory over the Florida Panthers. Erik Christensen tied it for Minnesota with 31 seconds left in regulation. Kyle Brodziak also scored for the Wild. The Panthers, inching toward their first Atlantic Division title, are four points ahead of Washington Capitals with a game in hand and five to play. Tomas Fleischmann had a goal and an assist for Florida, • GM fired: The Montreal Canadiens have fired general manager Pierre Gauthier after a dismal season. The Canadiens are last in the Eastern Conference with a 29-34-14 record. Gauthier was hired as GM and executive vice president in February 2010, taking over from Bob Gainey. • Sharks add collegian: The San Jose Sharks have signed Western Michigan defenseman Matt Tennyson to an entry-level contract. The 21-year-old Tennyson was an unrestricted free agent who just finished his junior year in college before signing the deal Thursday. 14. Philadelphia Flyers- The Big E skates with Flyers: No. 88 skates with his former team at the morning skate in Toronto Joe Siville Nearly three months ago, the Flyers welcomed 'The Big E' back to the ice and join the Alumni team that would face off against the Rangers in the official Alumni Game at the 2012 NHL Winter Classic. Today the Flyers had their regular pre-game morning skate at the Air Canada Centre, but this skate turned out to be anything BUT regular. Eric Lindros suited up in Orange and Black, donned his No. 88 on his black helmet to go along with his orange practice jersey and joined his former club out on the ice for an informal skate around. Lindros currently resides in the Toronto area and was invited to join the Flyers by general manager Paul Holmgren.

During his practice session he participated in drills, taking shots on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and Jason Bacashihua, and had conversations with several players and coaches. "He's a big man. I watched a lot of his highlights growing up when he played," said Scott Hartnell. "I was excited to be on the same ice and it was pretty cool for all of the young guys that we have that looked up to him and have him come out here and skate." One person who not only watched him play, but took to the same ice as him as a teammate is Flyers assistant coach Craig Berube, who admits that he can still shoot the puck. "He was a great player for the Flyers for a long time and I thought it was good for him and for the organization to have him out there, skating around and talking with the guys. I thought it was really good." His presence on the ice was welcomed by the team and likewise with Flyers fans. Photos of him posted by the Flyers on the ice spread rampantly through Twitter and Facebook, and Eric Lindros quickly became a trending topic on Twitter in Philadelphia. Fans of course need no reminder of Lindros' accomplishments with the club during his stay in Philadelphia. Lindros ranks fifth on the Flyers' all-time scoring list (third among centers) with 659 points (290G-369A) and 946 penalty minutes in 486 games. His 290 goals are eighth all-time, while his 369 assists are fifth all-time in their respective categories.

15. NHL.com - Lindros joins Flyers for morning skate

Neil Avharva TORONTO -- The Flyers had a special guest on the ice at their morning skate Thursday here at Air Canada Centre -- Eric Lindros, who skated onto the ice in his old black and orange colors, wearing a black helmet, emblazoned with No. 88. "It was a lot of fun," said Lindros, who spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Flyers. "Anytime you can wake up and head to this building and go have some fun on the ice, it's a blast." He joined the club at the behest of Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. "(Holmgren) gave me a call, said come down to the room, say hello to the guys, go out for a skate," said Lindros.

Philadelphia is back at Air Canada Centre for the second time this month in hopes of sweeping the season series with the Maple Leafs. Philadelphia currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the Penguins for the final home-ice slot in the playoffs. On March 10, Philadelphia came up with a 1-0 victory on the strength of a beautiful shootout goal by Claude Giroux. Ilya Bryzgalov earned the shutout victory that night, but will not play and is not with the team due to a chip fracture in his right foot suffered Monday. Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the start in goal, with Jason Bacashihua recalled from AHL Adirondack to serve as the backup. Defenseman Kimmo Timonen also did not make the trip for the Flyers, with Marc-Andre Bourdon called up from the AHL on Wednesday to play in his place.

Toronto Maple Leafs Articles (FLYERS Last Opponent) 1. Toronto Sun – Toronto’s goaltending follies Mike Zeisberger TORONTO - When Jeremy Roenick’s overtime goal in Game 6 allowed the Philadelphia Flyers to eliminate the Maple Leafs from the post-season in 2004, who could have guessed there would not be another NHL playoff game at the Air Canada Centre in the next eight years? On that note, who would have predicted that Ed Belfour, the man Roenick beat for the series-clinching goal, would be the most-recent goalie to have played a post-season contest for the Leafs? With Philadelphia in town Thursday night, Flyers media and team officials were in disbelief when it was pointed out that Belfour, since appearing in that May 4, 2004 contest, would eventually move on to the Florida Panthers, end up retiring, then be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last November. Over that same span, the Leafs have yet to qualify for the post-season. Awful. Much like the Leafs’ humiliating 7-1 loss to the Flyers Thursday night. We bring up Belfour’s name because the Leafs have yet to find a dominating No. 1 goaltender since the 2004 edition of Belfour. In what can only be described as the latest chapter in the team’s production of Goaltending Follies, Jonas Gustavsson was clunked in the knee during warmup Thursday, causing Jussi Rynnas to make his first NHL start.

The numbers are ugly, sure — Rynnas was beaten seven times on the Flyers first 28 shots. But even more heinous was the fact that his teammates hung him out to dry over and over again. The second Flyers goal was a prime example. Breaking in on a two-on-one, Daniel Briere fed a wide-open Brayden Schenn, who had a two-foot putt for the goal. Belfour couldn’t have stopped that. Neither could Curtis Joseph. Not with leaky defence like that. Give Rynnas credit. On yet another night the Leafs were booed off the ice, he came out to face the music afterward when the media entered the dressing room. “There are no excuses,” Rynnas said. “Allowing seven goals in your first NHL start is not the way you want things to play out. “You have to have a short memory and move on.” Those things will be tough to do for a bitter fan base that is getting uglier with every loss. GLOOMY GUS According to Gustavsson, upon being clunked in the knee by a Clarke MacArthur wrist shot during the pre-game skate, “I could not move my leg for a while.” After going in to get checked, Gustavsson was on the bench but could not confirm if he would have been able to go back in if Rynnas had been injured ... Gustavsson said he hopes the knee will be better on Friday. If it keeps him out long term, however, you might not see him in a Leafs jersey again. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and is not expected to be back ... At one point, someone asked Leafs radio colour man Jim Ralph, an outstanding junior goalie with the Ottawa 67s, if he would strap on the pads again in case Rynnas got hurt. Ralph said no, his reasoning being that they would not let him put an ash tray on top of the net. Ralph was joking, of course. SCHENN-SATIONAL Brayden Schenn is feasting on the Leafs this season, scoring a pair of goals in the first 11:01 of play. “I don’t know what it is but they just seem to go in versus Toronto,” he said ... With his parents and sisters on hand to watch the game, Brayden admitted the Leafs’ slide has been tough on big brother Luke. “Not just on him but the whole team and the whole city,” Brayden said. CROSS CHECKS We’ll give long-haired Flyers forward Scott Hartnell the benefit of the doubt for not dropping the gloves with an ornery Mike Brown in the second period. Hartnell’s ankle

was still stinging from being nailed by a slapshot when Brown came calling, looking to chuck the knuckles. The two players ended up taking wild hacks at each other before the officials stepped in ... Classy move by Wayne Simmonds and the Flyers. After scoring Philly’s final goal, he kept his arms by his side and went straight to the bench. “In a 7-1 game, there is no reason to celebrate (a goal),” the Scarborough native said. 2. Toronto Sun – Leafs hit new low, if that’s possible Rob Longley TORONTO - Maple Leafs defenceman Cody Franson tried to do the impossible after the latest shameful night at the Air Canada Centre. He tried to put into words what really has no explanation. After an all too predictable and ultimately pathetic effort, the Leafs extended their franchise-record home winless streak to 11 in front of a crowd that alternated from indifferent to angry and finally to mocking. The players may have worn their uniforms in a 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, but acted like they couldn’t care less about the Maple Leaf on the front or the rookie goalie who was making his first career start. “It’s adversity at its worst right now,” Franson said. “We’re having a tough time with it.” He wouldn’t be the only one. Franson could have subbed “apathy” for “adversity” and he would have been just as accurate in his assessment. Flyers rookie Brayden Schenn showed up older brother Luke with a pair of first-period goals on Jussi Rynnas, in for Jonas Gustavsson who was injured in the pre-game warmup. The rout was basically on from there in as stress-free a win as you can find in the NHL. “For a goalie to play his first full start in the NHL, I would have expected more from our group from a protection standpoint,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. “I was anticipating more of a pushback from that standpoint to make sure Jussi had a chance to shine.” Turns out, that was overly optimistic for a group that has long since mailed it in. There wasn’t much that you haven’t seen over the past six weeks from a group of highly paid athletes who appear to have lost all drive and sense of pride, but we’ll run through the low lights just the same.

-- The home-ice routine of getting into an early hole continued as the Flyers had themselves a 2-0 lead 11 minutes in and the Leafs have nowhere near enough offence right now to make up for it. -- Showing far more creativity than their team, pockets of fans began loudly chanting “Let’s go Blue Jays” muted only temporarily after Philly’s fifth goal. -- That putrid Leafs power-play? It managed one shot on net in its first two attempts and surrendered a short-handed goal to Flyers rookie Matt Read. -- On the Flyers’ third goal, the Leafs showed the lack of will in their own end and the absence of fight Carlyle has been pleading for over the past week. Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds took the puck behind the Leafs net, glided untouched out in front and put it up high behind a helpless Rynnas for his first of two. There wasn’t a Leafs defender within five feet at any time. -- The Leafs didn’t manage a second shot on net until almost 14 minutes in and had just five in the first period. For five of their past seven games, the Leafs have had less than 20 shots on the opposition net, finishing with just 17 on Thursday. We could go on, but what would be the point? With the loss, the Leafs are now on pace for a shade over 78 points, a seven-point regression from last season and only four more than what was hoped to be the bottoming out two years ago. It’s probably the worst thing you could suggest to a professional athlete, but you almost have to feel sorry for the Leafs, who can’t will themselves to do anything more than play out the string. Of course, it’s tough to feel sorry for a group that can’t stop disappointing. Carlyle certainly resisted a show of empathy late in the second period. Perhaps steamed at a Phil Kessel turnover that led to the Flyers fourth goal, the coach sent his leading scorer to the box to serve a minor for Mike Brown, who engaged in a sword fight with Philly’s Scott Hartnell. “We’re having a tough time with it,” Kessel said of the struggles and the high-volume razzing from their fans. “We aren’t playing well, so what do you expect? I can’t remember the last time we won a game in this building.” That would be Feb. 6 and with two home games remaining, there’s not much sign that there will be another until next October. 3. Toronto Sun – Blue-white disease takes toll on Leafs Lance Hornby

TORONTO - Is there a doctor in the house qualified to treat Blue and White Disease? That was the clever phrase Brian Burke and former coach Ron Wilson used to slam the culture of entitlement they believed almost every Leaf they’d inherited was stricken with. As long as fans filled the rink at top dollar, as long as people drove up TV ratings, bought team baubles and the Leafs owned the front page of the sports section, then losing every year need not be so traumatic. Remember the Muskoka Five? Mats Sundin, Bryan McCabe, Darcy Tucker, Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle, all clinging to their no-trade clauses on a non-playoff team to stay in a comfortable situation? Taking life as a Leaf for granted irked Burke — and rightly so. How could any player in good conscience accept the attention and hero worship, with no championship credentials and given a free pass for their past foibles? Many came here as free agents, saying they welcomed the scrutiny in the self-aggrandizing “centre of the hockey universe,” for the potential payoff of beatification if the Leafs ever did get near a Cup. But four years into the blotchy Burke blueprint and despite the dynamiting of the roster, the symptoms of the malady linger, the Air Canada Centre remains dark in April. And the man who vowed to eradicate BWD is often the most guilty of spreading it. It began in training camp when Burke thundered about fans unfairly hanging 44 years of Stanley Cup failure on the present team when none of them were alive in 1967. Fair enough. But then the Leafs chose hot-selling 1967 sweaters as their third jersey. Until taking a total vow of silence after the trade deadline, Burke often used his public soapbox to complain how his players were being wronged in the media. A case in point was the James Reimer head injury, when the Leafs went weeks with-holding routine medical information that other teams would have released. They kept Reimer in a bubble while slagging reporters for doing their jobs. On the subject of the players being overwhelmed by the media, give it a rest. The Yankees, Red Sox, Giants and Lakers are trailed just as closely and by as many outlets and somehow remain focused and competitive. The Leafs’ own TV station and web site takes up more individual player time than the few minutes a day the mainstream media is allotted. And some of those cameras and microphones belong to the stations that paid the Leafs millions for broadcast rights. But never was the coddling of the Leafs more evident than Burke’s comments after an inactive trade deadline. He warned of imposing his own earlier February trade deadline to keep out the inevitable rumours that he thought harmed his players. Never mind the Leafs had been showing signs of going off the rails for a few weeks before Feb. 27, eight losses in nine games, Burke tried to shift the blame to outside forces.

“I think it’s remarkable that the players have kept their focus throughout this time,” Burke said. “I think the trade deadline is hard on players (around the league), but I think it’s murder on players in Toronto. “When we go to get a player, we don’t talk about whether he’s a National Hockey League player, we talk about whether he can play in Toronto. It is different here. That’s our life. It’s part of why people love this team, because of the (media) coverage and part of why it’s so special to play here. But there are times of the year where it’s a big millstone. For the peace of mind it (a Leaf-exclusive deadline) might be worth it.” But having one rule for the Leafs and one for the rest of the NHL is part of a problem that goes back to the Ken Dryden-Pat Quinn days. Quinn, who played here in the late 1960s, expressed the proper sentiments when he arrived as coach in 1998. He thought it a shame that the dedication fans had shown for decades had gone unrequited. No one could accuse Quinn’s teams of sitting back, with two trips to the conference finals and many high points during the regular season. Before that, the gaunt Doug Gilmour and his team pushed themselves to the limit in their back-to-back conference finals. Yet Quinn was in charge when the Leafs moved to the Air Canada Centre, which became one of the most restricted dressing rooms in the league. The sprawling complex afforded the Leafs an escape hatch off the ice after games and practices, out of sight, where they were not always accountable to the media, or more importantly, to each other. To this day, access is carefully controlled and despite the efforts of the staff, only a few Leafs make themselves available after a game, particularly a loss. The irony next year is the Leafs volunteering to be part of the Winter Classic with the Red Wings, when a documentary crew has traditionally followed both participants around 24/7. The teams will play outdoors in front of more than 100,000 people at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich., raising the Leafs’ profile in the U.S. and around the world. Response indicated the game would be sold out in minutes. For now, some departing players will be getting off the Leaf roller coaster and excited new ones will take their place. Some are from the Greater Toronto Area and know what to expect, others from across Canada who grew up on Don Cherry lauding “Trawna” every Saturday. Some are from distant shores and none the wiser. Many were tired of playing in a small market or places where the rink is barely half full on many nights and can’t wait to get here. A few — Phil Kessel and Tim Connolly come to mind — are just shy or uncomfortable in the spotlight. “The way I look at it, every general manager, coach, player and trainer should spend time with the Leafs in Toronto,” former Marlie and Leafs assistant coach Mike Kitchen told the Toronto Sun in 2009. “When you win it’s terrific, when you lose there’s lots of pressure. Some can handle it, some can’t. But you have to experience it.”

Just don’t forget the blue and white pills. 4. Toronto Sun – Gustavsson unsure about future Terry Koshan Jonas Gustavsson could be as well as gone when the Maple Leafs’ season ends on April 7, but the goaltender is not thinking that far ahead. Asked whether he wants to make a final good impression before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, Gustavsson didn’t bite. I try not to think about that,” Gustavsson said on Thursday morning. “It’s not the first time I have been in that situation, whether it is the last five games or the first five games, you always want to make an impression. “What’s going to happen next year is going to wait for a while.” And never mind Gustavsson’s long-range future. He suffered a leg injury during the warmup on Thursday night and was replaced by Jussi Rynnas for the game against Philadelphia. Signed to a one-year contract in 2009 by the Leafs and later to a two-year pact, Gustavsson made it clear he enjoys life in Toronto. “I like it here,” Gustavsson said. “It is not like I feel like a stranger. I can find my way. I really like the city. It has been almost three years and it has been really good. And the organization has always been great.” There’s no guarantee Gustavsson will be re-signed, as it would make sense for the Leafs to acquire a steady veteran to work with James Reimer. That decision might have been made already, meaning it might not matter what Gustavsson does in the next eight days. Where Reimer is involved, there’s a strong possibility he is done for the season. Reimer is out with an upper-body injury. The goalie missed 18 games after he suffered a concussion against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 22, and it’s thought his new injury is related. “There will be probably a point where there will be a decision made if he is going to return or not,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. “That is in the medical people’s hands right now. We just have to wait from clearance from everybody involved to put the player back on the ice. “The time frame, I can’t give you that because I don’t know it. Is there a drop-dead date? I am sure there is going to be something. When that is, I don’t know.” 5. Toronto Star – Feschuk: Leaf fans can’t take it any more

Dave Feschuk Tom Anselmi, the chief operating officer of the corporate entity that owns the Maple Leafs, ducked his head into Thursday night’s blowout loss to the Flyers. Standing in the tunnel that leads to the Bay St. seats, Anselmi found himself surrounded by the quietest crowd on the Canadian side of the NHL, an announced gathering of 19,415 that sat through most of a 7-1 defeat in a depressed hush. Along with no joy, there were no-shows all around, even in the expensive areas. Two rows up from the home goal net, there was a chunk of four platinums sitting unoccupied. Two rows above those, another foursome of empties. At a face value of $458.50 apiece, that added up to $3,668 in paid-for rinkside real estate. Those gaping holes in the crowd represented a season ticket holder or four who’d footed the bill for the ducats but decided they’d rather pass on watching a dead season’s final throes over $15 beers and $36 glasses of Pinot Grigio. It was hard to argue with the decision. The Maple Leafs continued their abysmal slide with a gutless lambasting at the hands of the playoff-bound Flyers. Officially eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday night, the Leafs played with a institutional listlessness that suggested the organization had ordered the tank job that Brian Burke, the president and GM, has so sternly spoken against. Whatever the motivation, or lack thereof, the late-season no-shows suggested the club’s fan base has grown as apathetic as its on-ice employees. On a night when the crowd broke into late-game chants of “Let’s Go Blue Jays!”, Anselmi said the mood is to be expected. “Late in the season when you’re not in the playoffs — (the empty seats) are disappointing, obviously. I’m disappointed for our fans,” Anselmi said. “We’re seven years into it.” It’s actually going on eight years since the Leafs last played a post-season game. If Leaf fans are patient by nature — one grey haired supporter wore a No. 67 home-team jersey emblazoned with the words “STILL WAITING” to Tuesday’s game — this season appears to have tried the collective patience of Leafs Nation more than the run-of-the-mill journey to nowhere. “Right now the fans are upset, and the fans should be upset. Because everyone’s upset. We’re upset,” Anselmi said. Still, Anselmi expressed faith in Burke. “You’ve got to stick with the plan and assess things and figure out where you are. Obviously there’s some holes in the team. So you’ve got to plug those holes. But you

stick with the plan, don’t do anything rash and hopefully get it turned around,” Anselmi said. “Brian’s got lots of credibility. His track record speaks for itself. He and his whole management — no one saw this coming, obviously. But now they’ve got to step back and take stock. We believe in the plan, but obviously some parts of it haven’t come together.” The COO was asked to offer his interpretation of Burke’s plan. “The plan is to build through the draft. They’ve had three drafts.” It was pointed out that the idea to build through the draft must be a new one for a franchise that traded its first-round picks in 2010 and 2011 for sniper Phil Kessel, forfeiting to Boston the rights to current star Tyler Seguin and future star Dougie Hamilton in the process. “You can pick apart any piece of it. You can debate the Kessel trade. It’s not my job to sit here and assess,” Anselmi said. “You look at where we were four years ago with prospects in the system versus where we are today, we’ve taken a step forward. The Marlies are a better team. There are people in the system now that these guys believe are NHL players. Have we taken a step back in the last five weeks? Absolutely. But I also think you have to look at things from 30,000 feet and say it’s not just about this year. It’s about accumulating assets and developing those assets. And development takes time.” Tell that to Randy Carlyle. Fourteen games in as head coach, the Leafs have four wins. Team practices have been longer than they were under predecessor Ron Wilson, and Carlyle’s non-attacking style has made the hockey far duller, but the results, in the short term, have been ever more dismal. Walking into the Air Canada Centre on Thursday night, it was easy to find a scalper hawking tickets for, as the saying goes, “cheaper than the box office.” Judging by the infrequency of cash changing hands, takers for this season’s dregs were apparently in short supply. “If it’s as bad as people paying for tickets and not wanting to go to the game — it’s sad,” Carl Gunnarsson, the Leafs defenceman, said. “I like (the arena) louder, and I guess they like (the hockey) better.” As Anselmi acknowledged, Leafs fans are entitled to expect better. “This is Toronto ... the disappointment is about seven years,” Anselmi said. “We’ve got a management team that’s only been here 3½ years, so you can’t blame them for all of it.” Who, exactly should take the blame? Burke has gone mute. Team captain Dion Phaneuf spreads it around. It was suggested Richard Peddie, the retired CEO who presided over the hiring of both Burke and Burke’s predecessors, would be an apt target.

“Well, (blaming Peddie) would be the easy thing to do, I guess,” Anselmi chuckled. “But at the same time, accountability in any team game — there is no one person to point fault at. It’s a group of people and it’s a whole bunch of things. Obviously things have gone a little haywire. They’ve got to get it fixed.” 6. Toronto Star – Toronto Maple Leafs lose 11th straight home game, 7-1 to Philadelphia Flyers Mark Zwolinski It’s gone beyond embarrassing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. First, they suffered a loss even before they took the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night. Would be starting goalie Jonas Gustavsson took a shot in the warm-up in an almost impossible-to-hit area of his knee and was lost for the game. Then, in the third period of what would be a 7-1 blowout loss to the Flyers, Leaf fans began chanting “Let’s Go Blue Jays! … Let’s Go Blue Jays!” Toronto has now lost 11 straight on home ice. There have been longer losing streaks in hockey, but in Toronto, the spiral has not only equalled the franchise record of 11 games without a win on home ice, it’s crushing players and management into the depths of despair. “It’s tough, we’re not playing well, so what would you expect,” Leafs sniper Phil Kessel said of the Jays chants. “I can’t remember the last time we won a game in this building … we’ve got four games left and it’s gotta come from this room, we gotta prove we’re better than this.” The last Leaf win at the Air Canada Centre came on Feb. 6. And with a string of 11 home ice losses since then, the refrain in Leafs Nation was what more could go wrong. Well, Gustavsson’s injury for one thing. Gustavsson initially appeared to be in a great deal of pain as he lay sprawled on the ice while the warm-up continued around him. Eventually, he left the ice with the aid of trainers and was treated in full equipment in the dressing room. He returned for the second period in backup service. That thrust rookie Jussi Rynnas into the starting role, a no-warning call that marked his first NHL start.

“I knew almost right away. When I saw that shot I knew,” said Rynnas, who was beaten by Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds twice each, while finding out first-hand just how bad things are going for the Leafs. “I was ready to play, it doesn’t matter when it happens, you have to be ready. You never want to let in seven goals, and I’m not happy with that. I try to take the good things from this and leave everything else behind.” Pretty stoic stuff from the tall Finn, who was called up from the Marlies in a backup role with James Reimer suffering an upper body injury and possibly shut down for the remainder of the season. Coach Randy Carlyle wasn’t about to pick holes in Rynnas’s game. “I really looked at it as a situation we were put in with the goalie … it was a young guy put in for his first full start, I would have expected more protection from our group,” Carlyle said, referring to another stunningly poor defensive effort, and the fact the Leafs were outshot by another wide margin, this one 30-17. “Philadelphia is a big, strong team, and I was expecting more of a push back from us to help Jussi shine.” With so much hopelessness gripping his group, Carlyle continues to stress pride, passion and the need for sound defensive play. So far, his club has shown only threadbare evidence of the improvements the new coach wants. Prior to Thursday’s game, he also admonished his group on the importance of raising its level of play in front of the home crowd, which has been arguably unparalleled in pro sports in terms of its relentless support. Amazingly, even that inspiration was lost on a team that is in perhaps the most difficult position any team could be: the realization that nothing they do is working. “We’re not creating chances, we’re not playing good defence … how many shots did we get, 12, 15 … when you play like that, how do you win a game,” a candid Kessel said. “We expect better of ourselves. But I wouldn’t expect many teams have gone through this. It’d be different if we would have won a game or two here, but we haven’t won anything … what else can I say, I don’t have any answers.” 7. Toronto Star – Maple Leafs all-star Ron Stewart was on three Stanley Cup teams Richard Goldstein Ron Stewart played 21 seasons in the NHL, was an all-star winger and was on three Stanley Cup championship teams with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played for the

New York Rangers and coached them. From the 1950s to the 1970s he had 276 goals, but he did a lot more than score. “He was one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL,” said Emile Francis, who coached Stewart for the Rangers and later, as their general manager, turned the coaching over to him. “He was an excellent penalty-killer, one of the best in hockey.” But for all his achievements, Stewart, who died on March 17 at 79, was shadowed by a moment away from the rinks: a “tragic, senseless, bizarre” incident, in the words of the Nassau County district attorney, William Cahn, that led to the death of a Rangers teammate, the Hall of Fame goalie Terry Sawchuk. On the evening of April 29, 1970, after the Rangers’ regular season had ended, Stewart and Sawchuk were preparing to close up a house they rented in East Atlantic Beach on Long Island, N.Y. Before they did, they went to a bar, where they got into an argument. Shouting soon turned to shoving. After they returned to the house, the dispute resumed, and they pushed each other on the lawn, witnesses said. Sawchuk fell and injured his gallbladder and liver. He underwent surgery three times, but died of a blood clot on May 31 at a hospital. He was 40. Precisely how the fight started and how Sawchuk incurred his injuries remains murky, but a Nassau County grand jury found the death to be accidental, absolving Stewart of blame. Sawchuk, who was notably a star with the Detroit Red Wings, was one of hockey’s greatest goalies in his prime despite a life plagued by emotional and drinking problems. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the year after his death. Stewart retained his ties to the Maple Leafs. He had planned to attend a 50th anniversary reunion of their 1962 champions but could not because of failing health. He died of cancer in Kelowna, B.C., said his wife, Linda. The Leafs paid tribute to him on Saturday night with a video scoreboard presentation at their game with the Rangers. Ronald George Stewart was born on July 11, 1932, in Calgary. He made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in 1952 and played 13 consecutive seasons for them. He played in four all-star Games and with the Leafs’ three consecutive Stanley Cup champions, from 1962 to 1964. After stints with the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues, he played for the Rangers, the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers again and the Islanders before retiring as a player in 1973. Francis hired Stewart to succeed him as the Rangers’ coach for the 1975-76 season. He had a 15-20-4 record when John Ferguson replaced Francis as general manager in

January 1976 and then took over the coaching as well. Stewart coached the Los Angeles Kings in 1977-78, taking them to the playoffs. Recalling the Stewart-Sawchuk fight in an interview on Wednesday, Francis said that when he visited Sawchuk in the hospital, “He said: ‘It wasn’t Ron Stewart’s fault, don’t blame him. I was the aggressor in the whole thing.’ ” By Sawchuk’s account, Francis said, the arguing began when Sawchuk told Stewart that he owed him $8 on a phone bill. But Dr. Denis F. Nicholson, a physician for a number of Rangers families, said at the time that Sawchuk had told him that he punched Stewart at the bar because he “had been bugging him all year” and that he jumped Stewart at the house “and I fell on his knee.” Francis said Stewart never spoke to him about the incident. In addition to Linda Stewart, his second wife, Stewart is survived by his sons, Terry, Jeff and Robert, from his marriage to his first wife, Barbara, which ended in divorce, and three grandchildren. Stewart visited Sawchuk at least twice while he was in hospital. He was an honorary pallbearer at Sawchuk’s funeral in Pontiac, Mich., which Francis and several other Rangers players also attended. “I told him, ‘You’re coming with us,’ ” Francis recalled. “ ‘You’ve got nothing to hide from.’ ” 8. Globe and Mail – Leafs embarrassed by Flyers James Mirtle If it can get worse than this for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s hard to imagine how. They’ve won just five times in their last 25 games, including a franchise-record 11 losses in a row at home, and been embarrassed night after night en route to a seventh straight playoff miss. And in the latest ignominy, during Thursday’s night 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Air Canada Centre crowd was chanting “Let’s go Blue Jays” several times. It’s gotten to the point that the Leafs are completely out of ways to explain their horrible play. “I don’t have any answers for you,” Phil Kessel said. “It’s disappointing. "I don’t know if you guys [in the media] have seen something like this before because I haven’t. We just can’t figure it out.”

Making Thursday’s loss even more difficult was the fact it was the first career start for Finnish rookie Jussi Rynnas, who was mainly on hand to simply open the bench door but was pressed into action when Jonas Gustavsson was injured in the warm-up. Gustavsson took a puck off a spot without any padding on his leg just 20 minutes before the opening faceoff and had to be helped off the ice. The injury isn’t expected to keep him out long term, but the damage was certainly done to a shell-shocked Rynnas, who faced 30 shots on the night. He received a brief pep talk from Leafs goalie coach Francois Allaire in the dressing room after the game. “You never want to give up seven goals,” Rynnas said quietly. “I’m not happy about that.” Several of Rynnas’s teammates remarked how they felt terrible for leaving him to fend for himself on many of the goals, which came evenly spread out with two in each of the first two periods and three in the third. Toronto, meanwhile, managed just 17 shots on goal on the night, part of a trend of late where they’ve been badly outpaced on the shot clock. “It’s probably between our ears,” defenceman Carl Gunnarsson said. “It’s just no confidence in ourselves, in each other. That’s what it feels like.” “It’s not like we’re going out there trying to lose,” Cody Franson added. “Guys are playing for jobs, guys are playing for pride more than anything. We hate it when our fans boo. We want to give them something to cheer about but right now we’re just having a tough time finding that.” With only four games left in their season, the Leafs currently sit fifth last in the league and are within four points of having the second worst record overall. If nothing else, they’re improving their draft pick nightly, as they’ve picked up just 13 points in a nearly two-month span and been passed by 14 teams in that time frame. Kessel has become somewhat of a voice for his team of late, meeting with the media every day this week and attempting to articulate his frustration and disappointment with the situation. After Thursday’s loss, he held court with reporters for four minutes, often repeating himself in the process.

“We’re having a tough time with it,” Kessel said. “It’s disappointing to come into our building and play like this all the time.” He was then asked about the recent boos and catcalls from the fan base, which was particularly unruly at the ACC on Thursday, with one fan even throwing a jersey on the ice late in the game. “We’re not playing well so what do you expect?” Kessel said. “I don’t remember the last time we won a game in this building. It’s a tough situation. It’s going to have to come from this room; how to get out of this. We have four games left and we got to battle. We’ve got to win some games here. “I don’t know what our record is here in the last how many games. We just... we’re not playing a good game. We’re not creating chances, we’re not playing good defence, we’re not doing the little things to win hockey games. I mean, how many shots did we have tonight? When you play like that, and they have 35, 40, I mean how do you win a game? We’re just not doing anything right. “We expect better of ourselves. Hopefully in the last four games, we can prove that we’re better than this because it’s not what we want to be.” 9. Globe and Mail – Concussions have played a role in Leafs’ slide James Mirtle They are injuries that have affected dozens of NHL teams – from the contenders to the bottom feeders – and a considerable chunk of the league’s 963-member player base. So it should come as little surprise that concussions have also played a role for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their tumble down the standings. Not that head injuries have taken out their top players, as has been the case in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Claude Giroux, Chris Pronger and others. No, what’s been remarkable in Toronto is how head injuries have weakened four players who were able to return to their lineup after being deemed healthy. It’s a trend that shows just how unpredictable – and difficult to manage – concussions can be. The most prominent example has been netminder James Reimer, who was off to a 4-0-1 start when Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta’s elbow clipped him in mid-October and took him out of the next 18 games.

Reimer’s numbers have been well down since, across the board, with a .912 save percentage before the injury having become an ugly .898 after. There are less obvious examples on the Leafs, too, with veteran John-Michael Liles – projected as the team’s No. 2 man on the blueline in training camp – labouring mightily since missing 16 games with a concussion. Liles’s before-and-after numbers are even more alarming than Reimer’s, as the 31-year-old was on pace for a career year with 21 points in 34 games before going down. Since his return, however, he’s been remarkably out of sorts, recording only four points and a minus-18 in 28 games as the Leafs have crashed and burned in the standings. Add in career worst seasons for teammates Matt Lombardi and Colby Armstrong, both of who are coming off head injuries, and the impact of concussions even on players in the lineup is hard to ignore. None of that’s to say the Leafs’ record-setting fall in the standings – which continued with an ugly 7-1 loss to the Flyers on Thursday – is directly attributable to their players suffering blows to the head. That’s too hard an argument to make when other teams, led by the Flyers, Penguins and St. Louis Blues, have all weathered concussion after concussion to put together strong, playoff-calibre seasons even as bodies have come in and out of the lineup. (Philadelphia, in particular, has had a remarkable year – with their 45th win Thursday – given seven players have missed time with concussions.) What it does highlight, however, is that how the league measures the damage done by head injuries should extend well beyond simply the man games spent on the sidelines. Not everyone is a Crosby, who has come back and excelled twice, as many concussed players will admit they simply aren’t quite the same when they return to the game – with a loss of timing or split-second reflexes likely at fault. Nowhere has that been more evident than with Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller, who has had a stunning resurrection after being bowled over and concussed by Milan Lucic in mid-November. It really wasn’t until two months later that Miller began to start to look like himself again, a shift that has helped the Sabres rack up a 19-5-5 run to put them on the cusp of an unlikely playoff berth. Recovery, in other words, is possible – and that’s what the Leafs will be hoping for when it comes to Reimer, who at this point appears unlikely to play again this season after his symptoms have mysteriously returned.

But concussions have definitely already made their mark on Toronto’s season – just as they have for so many other teams around the league. 10. Globe and Mail – Leafs’ Gustavsson suffers injury in warmups The Canadian Press Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson was helped off the ice prior to Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers after suffering an apparent leg injury. Trainers rushed to Gustavsson's aid after he went down while taking shots during warmups. Gustavsson took a shot from Clarke MacArthur off his left knee and was favouring that leg as he limped to the dressing room. Instead of taking his scheduled start against the Flyers, Gustavsson began the game with the Leafs' trainers, receiving treatment for the injury while staying in his full equipment. He is considered Toronto's backup goalie for the game. Jussi Rynnas, on emergency recall from the American Hockey League because of an upper-body injury to James Reimer, took the crease in his place. 11. Globe and Mail – Leafs may shut James Reimer down James Mirtle A difficult season for James Reimer may have reached its end. Toronto Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said Thursday the organization may be faced with shutting down the young goaltender for the rest of the season as the result of his recurrence of concussion-like symptoms. Reimer missed his scheduled start on Tuesday when he began to feel unwell after the morning skate. "There will be probably a point that there'll be a decision made if he's going to return or not," Carlyle said. "That's in the medical people's hands right now. We just have to wait for clearance from everybody involved to put the player back on the ice." Reimer was out 18 games earlier in the year after taking a Brian Gionta hit in the Leafs seventh game of the season. When healthy, however, his numbers have sharply declined from where they were in his rookie season, which earned him a three year contract at $1.8-million a season.

At this point, with Toronto's remaining five games essentially meaningless, shutting Reimer down to give him the maximum amount of recovery time makes a lot of sense. In Reimer's absence, Jonas Gustavsson will get the start against the Philadelphia Flyers and could end up playing the majority of the Leafs remaining games. Carlyle also spoke Thursday about the Leafs recent goalie carousel at the backup position that saw Jussi Rynnas join the team Tuesday night, go back to the Marlies in favour of Ben Scrivens for Wednesday's practice and then have the two switch places again on Thursday. The move was made to give Scrivens, the franchise's top minor-league netminder, an NHL payday, something Carlyle said he had earned. The team's brass want Scrivens playing for the Marlies rather than backing up in the NHL, however, which is why Rynnas is back in a Leafs uniform. "The player deserved an opportunity to earn NHL dollars for a day," Carlyle said. "A little bit of a reward." Scrivens earned roughly $2,800 more on Wednesday practising with the Leafs instead of the Marlies. That's what players call "Show Money." Notebook - Eric Lindros took part in the morning skate with the Flyers, after GM Paul Holmgren invited him down for a skate at the Air Canada Centre. The Big E looked a little like The Really Big E but seemed to have a good time going through the NHL paces. Fellow "old guy" Jaromir Jagr had a couple good lines on Lindros afterwards. "If I can play, why not? He's younger than me," Jagr said of Lindros potentially making a comeback. "He would have to lose some pounds. Maybe 20. But it's easy to do." - David Steckel left practice early Wednesday with a lower body injury and is a game-time decision against the Flyers. Carlyle said his checking line would consist of Tim Connolly, Carter Ashton and Joey Crabb if Steckel is a no-go. - Carlyle on Nazem Kadri, who remains with the Marlies: "You can see that Kadri's not that far away, for sure. If we weren't in the emergency [call-up] situation, he would be a guy that would be getting a lot more of a look right now. But we cannot bring people up and down because of the four recall [rule after the trade deadline]." - The Leafs burned their four recalls almost right away, using them to send Jake Gardiner and Matt Frattin down and up (and make them eligible for the AHL playoffs) and to recall Jay Rosehill and Ashton.

In hindsight, the organization should have used one of those spots for someone like Kadri, to give him more experience at the NHL level heading into the off-season. Ashton isn't playing much and doesn't appear to be benefiting from his time with the big club. 12. TSN.ca – Flyers hand Maple Leafs 11th straight loss at home The Canadian Press TORONTO -- At last there is nothing left to say. With their exasperated fans chanting "Let's Go Blue Jays!" and their home losing streak having plunged to a new low, the Toronto Maple Leafs were completely out of answers. "There's not a lot we can say," coach Randy Carlyle concluded after an embarrassing 7-1 loss to Philadelphia on Thursday. "We've said everything we can say. You're really looking to the inner self of the individuals to say 'Hey, how can we continue to allow this to happen?"' The season can't end soon enough. A group of players who played well enough to have the Leafs in playoff position through 60 games has completely imploded down the stretch. On Thursday night, it took about 12 minutes to see that all of the pre-game talk about playing for pride was nothing more than that -- talk. The playoff-bound Flyers completely had their way with the Leafs. "How many shots did we have tonight -- 12, 15?" said forward Phil Kessel. "When you play like that and they have 35 or 40, how do you win a game? We're just not doing anything right. "We expect better of ourselves." The actual shots total was 30-17 for Philadelphia, but Kessel can be forgiven for thinking it was worse. The team's normally camera-shy sniper has emerged as an unlikely spokesman over the last week, with the atmosphere in the dressing room worsening considerably. In the midst of a career year offensively, Kessel can't see any silver lining after a 5-17-3 stretch over the last two months. "We just can't figure it out," he said. "We're trying. I don't know what else to say, it's not a good feeling."

Injuries have played a role in Toronto's on-ice struggles and another one popped up Thursday when starting goalie Jonas Gustavsson took a shot off his left knee in warmups and had to be helped to the dressing room. That left Jussi Rynnas to make his first NHL start against the league's third-highest scoring team. An emergency AHL callup because of James Reimer's upper-body injury earlier in the week, Rynnas stopped 23 shots but didn't have much of a chance with a dispirited team playing in front of him. Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds each scored twice while Matt Read, Eric Wellwood and Jakub Voracek added one apiece for the Flyers (45-24-8). Danny Briere chipped in four assists on a night when 11 Philadelphia players registered at least a point. Prior to boarding a plane home, the Flyers extended some sympathy to their opponents -- an unintended insult in itself. "I've been on their side, too, early in my career," said Briere. "It's tough when you feel the pressure from the fans. When you're out of the playoffs, it's tough to get motivated. "Especially when you have a team that's hungry that comes in." Mikhail Grabovski replied for the Maple Leafs (33-36-9). Two of Toronto's four remaining games will be played at the Air Canada Centre -- Saturday against Buffalo and next Thursday against Tampa -- where the Leafs haven't won since Feb. 6. The 11-game losing run in their own building is four games longer than the franchise's previous mark for futility, set in 1984 when it still called Maple Leaf Gardens home. They had no chance of ending the streak on this night. Schenn scored twice in the opening 12 minutes of the game -- the first came with brother Luke, a Leafs defenceman, on the ice -- and Toronto still didn't find life after Grabovski scored a beautiful breakaway goal. Simmonds extended the Flyers lead to 3-1 at 3:55 of the second period and Read added to it with a short-handed marker at 12:03. The "Let's Go Blue Jays!" chants started before the period was out and resumed in the third just as Wellwood made it 5-1. Philadelphia kept coming, too, as players seized the chance to add to their offensive totals. They didn't receive much pushback, either. "It doesn't get much more embarrassing than that," said Leafs defenceman Cody Franson. "It's one of those situations right now where it seems like no matter what we try to do it's just not working. We're having a tough time getting through it right now."

One thing that angered Carlyle was that the team didn't respond at all after having Rynnas unexpectedly thrown in for his first NHL start with just 20 minutes to prepare. He was left to fend for himself. It's been a troubling trend over the last seven weeks -- arguably among the toughest in franchise history. As the situation has gotten uglier, an explanation for the collapse has become tougher to find. "I don't have any answers for you," said Kessel. "It's disappointing. We're not playing well, I mean guys are trying but it's just not working. "We're having a tough time with it." Ottawa Senators Articles (FLYERS Next Opponent) 1. Ottawa Sun – Puempel pumped about pro debut Aedan Helmer With his Peterborough Petes out of the OHL playoff picture, Senators prospect Matt Puempel got a jumpstart on his pro career, making his debut with the AHL Binghamton Senators on Sunday. For Puempel, it was the first hockey he'd played at any level since absorbing a devastating head shot from the Kingston Frontenacs' Alex Gudbranson on Jan. 5 that left the Sens first-rounder (No. 24 overall, 2011) with a concussion. "It was a lot of fun," Puempel told the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin after the game. "It will take time to adjust, coming off an injury and then up to this level. It's a really good league, and you can't take that for granted. "There was definitely an adjustment period, but it was a ton of fun. It felt good to get the first one out of the way and felt good for a first pro game." Newly signed forward Cole Schneider, who completed a standout sophomore season with the UConn Huskies, also suited up for Binghamton on an amateur tryout. After helping his Miami (Ohio) Redhawks twice reach the Frozen Four and capturing the school's first CCHA title, defenceman Chris Wideman inked a two-year entry-level contract with the Senators. After being named MVP of the Swedish Elite League, Jakob Silfverberg has only upped his pace. Through seven playoff games, Silfverberg led the SEL with five goals, nine points and a +9 rating.

2. Ottawa Sun – A Swede Sen-sation Bruce Garrioch OTTAWA - Erik Karlsson has a chance to be one Super Swede. While the Senators’ blueliner has already rewritten the franchise record book for points and is one goal shy of breaking Steve Duchesne’s mark (20) for goals by a defenceman, he is closing in on another significant mark. With five games left in the regular season, Karlsson, who has 76 points, is only five points from breaking Nicklas Lidstrom’s all-time record of 80 in one season by a Swedish defenceman, set in 2005-06 with the Red Wings. Karlsson, 21, has already moved into a third-place tie among Swedes with former Maple Leafs great Borje Salming, who had 76 points in 1977-78 and set the mark with 78 points in 1976-77 until Lidstrom broke it. “(Getting the record) would be a great thing to accomplish and would feel pretty good to do, actually,” said Karlsson, who enjoyed Thursday off. “If I get there, it’s probably something I’m going to take a lot of pride in. “Right now, it’s still a race for the playoffs. We’ve still got to win two or three more games. If we do that, I don’t really care if I stop at 76 points.” The record would be significant for Karlsson. As a kid and a defenceman, he grew up idolizing Lidstrom, was thrilled to meet him at the NHL all-star game last year in Raleigh and received one of his sticks from the 2010 Olympics as a gift from captain Daniel Alfredsson. As for Salming, he was one of the pioneers for Swedish hockey when he joined the Leafs in 1973. Karlsson didn’t get to see him play, but he knows who Salming is and appreciates what he did for his country. “Every Swede who draws an NHL salary should send a portion to Borje Salming,” broadcaster Harry Neale once said. Karlsson was born in 1990. That’s the same year Salming was wrapping up his 17-year NHL career with the Red Wings before playing parts of three seasons with AIK in the Swedish Elite League. “(Lidstrom and Salming) are great players and have been for such a long time,” said Karlsson, who met Salming during a trip to Toronto earlier this season. “To be able to be up there is such a great accomplishment.

“It’s something I want to keep doing for a number of years, not just this year. If I get (the record), it’s obviously going to feel really good.” Even Lidstrom, 41, the Wings captain who was 35 years old when he scored 80 points, marvels at the way Karlsson has played this season. “He’s been producing the whole year, he’s very skilled, he plays so many minutes. He’s getting better and better,” Lidstrom told the Detroit News. “At that age, it’s impressive what he’s done. He’s a smart player, he’s a good skater, sees the ice real well. Obviously, he’s been producing the whole season.” Lidstrom said he believes Karlsson certainly has to be a top candidate for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenceman. “He has to be in the mix. He’s playing so well,” said the six-time Norris winner. “He’s a major reason Ottawa got off to such a good start and they’ve played so well,” said Lidstrom. 3. Ottawa Sun – 5 reasons Sens are way ahead of Leafs Bruce Garrioch The Battle of Ontario wasn’t supposed to shape up this way this spring. With eight days left in the regular season, the Maple Leafs are officially eliminated from the playoffs and the Senators are two victories away from clinching a return to the post-season for the first time since 2010. While the Senators have missed the playoffs two out of the last three seasons, the Leafs haven’t played a post-season game at the Air Canada Centre since 2004. GM Brian Burke was hired by the board of directors at MLSE to turn the Leafs into contenders. Now, he’s under the same kind of heat Senators GM Bryan Murray felt last spring. Every move Burke has made is under the microscope and analyzed. So, what happened? Depending on what takes place around them, the Senators can book a spot in the spring dance as early as this weekend with road wins over the Flyers and Islanders. The Leafs? It’s almost golf season. Here are five things that have gone the Senators’ way:

No. 1: Centre Jason Spezza He has bought into the Senators’ rebuild since Day 1. He has 81 points in 76 games — 41 of those on the road — and has taken his game to another level. The Leafs don’t have that kind of game-breaker. Burke failed in his bid to land Brad Richards last July in free agency and then signed Tim Connolly, who’s been hurt most of the season and hasn’t produced when he’s played. Spezza has shown maturity, has made a difference when the Senators have needed him and he’s led by example. “He’s had a Hart Trophy candidate year,” said former Columbus GM Doug MacLean, a Rogers Sportsnet analyst. “He’s made the young kids better and he’s thrived on it.” No. 2: The resurgence of Daniel Alfredsson The Senators can count on their captain. The same can’t be said for Toronto’s Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf’s leadership capabilities have always come into question and the Leafs are going to have to take a hard look at the ‘C’ this summer. It’s Randy Carlyle’s right to change his captain. Phaneuf was chosen by Ron Wilson. At age 39, Alfredsson had his eighth 25-plus goal season. It’s first since 2007-08 — when he scored 40. Alfredsson can communicate with teammates, coaching staff, media and fans alike. He gets the job done on all fronts. “Alfredsson is their leader and he’s been great. He was a piece the franchise had in place and he’s a guy everybody respects,” said MacLean. No. 3: Erik Karlsson’s incredible season The Super Swede is a candidate for the NHL’s Norris Trophy as top blueliner. The Leafs haven’t got anybody close in that category.

Jake Gardiner is a strong prospect and a player any other franchise would take. He will not be moved. Luke Schenn was supposed to be that kind of player, but his confidence has been beaten down in the difficult Toronto market. Schenn could get a ticket out of town as Burke continues his rebuild. Karlsson, a pending restricted free agent, is going to be in for a big raise this off-season and Senators will have to pay The 21-year-old is a franchise player. He is a game-breaker. The Leafs still need one in this area badly. No. 4: The play of Craig Anderson This is the best move Murray made during the re-tool last spring. The Senators identified Anderson as the guy they were going to chase on the free-agent market. Murray, assistant GM Tim Murray and chief scout Pierre Dorion knew the relationship between Anderson and the Avalanche had soured. Dealing the struggling Brian Elliott to Colorado turned out to be a brilliant move. If it hadn’t been for an accident in his kitchen, Anderson likely would have played 70 games this season. He’s been reliable and strong. This is the area where the Leafs have struggled the most because neither James Reimer nor Jonas Gustavsson has gotten the job done. If Burke doesn’t address this area, the Leafs won’t be any better next season. No. 5: The hiring of coach Paul MacLean It didn’t take long for Ron Wilson to wear out his welcome after getting a contract extension for Christmas. The players stopped listening to Wilson after the all-star break. The fans started calling for his head in the stands. The situation was such that Burke had no choice but to make a change and turn to Randy Carlyle. MacLean had no NHL head-coaching experience, but he had plenty of work with a strong program in Detroit and is a former NHLer. He has the respect of his players.

“I really underestimated what a difference MacLean would make for that room,” said Doug MacLean. “The respect those players have for him in replacing Cory Clouston has been huge. I didn’t know the impact that could have.” 4. Ottawa Sun – Murray: Sens need 3 more wins Bruce Garrioch Bryan Murray warned the work is not done. As the Senators wrap up a four-day break in the schedule and go back to work Saturday against the Flyers in Philly, the Ottawa GM thinks it will take three more victories in the team’s final five games to secure a playoff spot. Though Murray couldn’t be more pleased with the way the Senators have performed, he won’t be satisfied until the club has returned to the post-season for the first time since 2010. “The way we’ve played the last couple of games I’m really positive that good things are going to happen here,” Murray said in a conference call Thursday. “You have to count on getting around 94 points. “That means we have to win three hockey games and it’s not going to be easy, but the way that we’re playing, I feel good about it.” Though the Senators weren’t picked by many to make the playoffs, Murray said he feels like this team belongs. “A lot of veteran guys who we talked about had down years last year,” said Murray. “It goes hand-in-hand overall with team performance and situations a year ago that we didn’t handle very well. “With the changes that we made, if we can get in to (the playoffs), we can do anything if we get in.” This season has been a roller-coaster ride for the Senators, especially after they started with a 1-5 record. The club’s young players like Erik Condra, Zack Smith, Bobby Butler and Kaspars Daugavins have struggled at times. Murray said it’s no surprise that veterans Daniel Alfredsson, Filip Kuba, Chris Phillips, Chris Neil, Sergei Gonchar and Craig Anderson have stepped up their games. Of course, Erik Karlsson remains a dynamic force. The Senators have also struggled with consistency at times this season.

“If you don’t play your best it’s difficult to win,” said Murray. “For the most part, teams are very competitive and there are a lot of factors that go into winning. “You have to have goaltending, you have to get everybody playing and, as we have the last couple of games, the veteran guys carrying the ball most of the time. I just think when you get off the fine line of being the best that you can be, it’s hard to win unless everybody is on board.” STATUS QUO IN GOAL The Senators aren’t going to make any changes with their goalies with Ben Bishop nursing a lower-body injury. Alex Auld will dress as Anderson’s backup on the weekend and rookie Robin Lehner won’t be recalled from AHL Binghamton. Murray said the freak injury to Anderson (cutting his tendon while separating frozen chicken in his kitchen) that forced him to miss a month could be a blessing in disguise because it forced him to take some rest. If Anderson hadn’t been hurt, he would have likely played 70 games this season. There was concern if that was the case, Anderson might not have anything left for the post-season. He has looked good in his past two appearances. “That was one of the things we talked about after it happened: If we could just tread water, play .500 until he gets back, it might be (good) that he gets some rest,” admitted Murray. “One of the things I’d heard in the past is that if he played 70-some games, he’d be tired getting in the playoffs. So I think long-term, we can benefit from it, but we sure didn’t like it at that time, there’s no question at the time. Hopefully, if we get in, it will pay benefits then.” 5. Ottawa Sun - Tough blow for Wideman Ken Warren Turns out that Chris Wideman suffered an upper body injury in the final game of his collegiate career with the Miami Redhawks. Wideman, selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft (100th overall) by the Senators, officially signed a two-year contract with the Senators on Wednesday. He was originally expected to finish out the season with Binghamton of the AHL, but he won’t play for the rest of the season because of the injury. 6. Ottawa Sun – Veteran defencemen step up for Senators Ken Warren

As the upstart Ottawa Senators aim to secure a playoff berth in the next few days, Chris Phillips is offering his share of advice to the club’s younger defencemen. He knows his mutterings only go so far, though. “Those are just words and if they listened that well, I would be telling them to score more goals,” Phillips said, with a laugh, when asked about dressing room conversations with 21-year-olds Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen. “You try and say the right things, but ultimately, it comes down to wanting to lead by example and then you want guys to follow along.” Indeed, the club’s veteran leaders on defence – Phillips, Filip Kuba and Sergei Gonchar – certainly shouldn’t be overlooked in the Senators’ surprising season. While Karlsson has received plenty of fanfare in his run for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman and Cowen has delivered a solid first season – he should receive some consideration for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie – the experienced blueliners have also rather quietly done their share. Maybe it’s because coach Paul MacLean has loosened the leash on his veteran players, compared to the hard-nosed approach of former coach Cory Clouston. Perhaps it’s due to improved health or being surrounded by so much youth in the dressing room. Whatever the reasons, the trio has experienced a dramatic turnaround from a year ago. Phillips, 34, has four goals and 14 assists and is sporting a plus five in the plus/minus department. Those are decent numbers for a stay-at-home type, but the statistics also represent a remarkable improvement when compared to his dismal totals of 2010-11: one goal, eight assists and a ghastly minus 35, a number which only looks good on the PGA Tour. Kuba, 35, who has been paired with Karlsson for most of the season, has six goals and 25 assists. Most impressive, however is his plus/minus figure of plus 29, which ranks fourth in the NHL. A year ago, when he dealt with leg and shoulder injuries and never became comfortable, he sported a chilly minus 26, to go along with his meagre two goals and 14 assists. Then there’s Gonchar, who has served as Cowen’s partner for much of the season. Gonchar, who turns 38 in two weeks, still leaves fans wanting for more offence (he has four goals and 31 assists), but he has been a steadying influence on Cowen. Last season, his first as a Senator, Gonchar appeared lost under Clouston’s coaching. The way coach Paul MacLean sees it, all three have been pivotal to the success of Karlsson and Cowen.

“(Phillips) has played real well all year,” said MacLean. “His play and Filip Kuba’s and Sergei Gonchar’s play and the leadership they’ve provided has been real good. It has allowed Karlsson to be the player he is. It has allowed Cowen to come in and play like he has.” In turn, general manager Bryan Murray gives MacLean credit for giving his veteran players some “ownership of the team” and the motivation for their turnaround seasons. It’s funny what a difference a year makes. Last April, Murray was facing criticism for signing Phillips to a three-year, $9.25 million extension. If anyone was willing take Kuba off the Senators hands, they would have traded him away for virtually nothing. While there’s little chance the Senators will keep Kuba when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer – the Senators need the cash to re-sign Karlsson to a lucrative new deal – his presence has allowed Karlsson to flourish. Gonchar is still overpaid at $5.5 million per season, but he also has the most playoff experience of any defenceman on the team as the post-season approaches. During the crucial stretch to the post-season, MacLean has also increased Phillips ice time significantly – he has played 23:45, 22:32 and 20:42 in the past three games – while Cowen has seen a reduction in ice time. Phillips has been here countless times, including his first taste of the post-season in 1997 when Jacques Martin used him sparingly as a left winger. Accordingly, he has become more than simply a voice of experience as the pressure rises. “That’s why we play, to make it to the playoffs and (if) you get there, you have a chance….anything can happen,” he says. “It’s about that goal, that dream of winning the Stanley Cup and we’ve all had that since we were little kids.” 7. Ottawa Sun – Murray says 94 points will make playoffs Ken Warren Encouraged by the victories over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray is cautiously optimistic that his team has what it takes to make the final push to make the playoffs. But Murray, speaking before Thursday night’s crucial match-up between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, believed that 94 points would be necessary to qualify for the post-season. “We have to win three hockey games,” Murray said Thursday afternoon, before the crucial match-up between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins. “It’s not going to be easy with the opponents we face.” The Senators have five games remaining and leave Ottawa Friday for a pair of afternoon games on the road – Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers and Sunday versus the New

York Islanders. The Senators return to Scotiabank Place for games against the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday and Boston Thursday before closing out the season in New Jersey on April 7. While the Senators can back into the post-season if Washington and Buffalo struggle to the finish line, the easiest way in is to keep winning. Murray says many of his veterans have raised their games as the stakes have increased – Daniel Alfredsson has four goals in his past two games, including two in the third period against Winnipeg and Jason Spezza had moments of dominance in both games – but he insists that victories only come when everyone contributes. “You have to give credit to the whole team. Every night it’s a real battle to win and if your younger players don’t handle it and play real well, maybe that’s the difference.” The Senators lineup includes eight players who have no NHL playoff experience whatsoever, but Murray believes the experience of winning the Calder Cup as American Hockey League champions last season was a huge benefit. Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, Zack Smith, Bobby Butler, Erik Condra, Kaspars Daugavins and Jim O’Brien all went through four rounds of the post-season, including being down three games to one in the opening round, to win the title. “A lot of these guys lived it,” said Murray. “They know pressure. They rebounded a couple times from real tough situations.” CARKNER MAKES MINUTES COUNT: After being a healthy scratch for 12 consecutive games and for 18 of 19 games, defenceman Matt Carkner is hardly complaining about seeing limited ice time in the Senators victories over Pittsburgh and Winnipeg. Carkner, who replaced Matt Gilroy as the club’s sixth defenceman, played 8:16 and 8:45 in the two games. “It’s awesome, we’re getting wins,” said Carkner. “That’s what it’s all about now, so being a part of it is special for me. I was working hard to get an opportunity. It’s great to have that winning atmosphere.” Carkner knows his role is to play a simple defensive game and to protect his teammates whenever necessary. If Spezza stole the show Monday in Winnipeg for stickhandling his way through the Jets, Carkner isn’t about to try and copy him. “I’m not trying to dangle or do anything crazy. I’m making easy passes and defending and when I have the chance, to shoot the puck, and obviously being a physical presence.” 8. Ottawa Sun – Gauthier: Hockey’s International Man of Mystery Staff

From afar, it was bizarre to see Pierre Gauthier’s Montreal Canadiens spin out of control this season. As a hockey general manager, control was Gauthier’s modus operandi. He was controlling to the enth degree. Here in Ottawa, media members still talk about the time Gauthier put them on a one-cookie limit after arena meals (in retrospect, we need you back, Pierre). Like so much of Gauthier’s strict protocol, the tough love was ‘for our own good.’ When he was assistant GM of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1993-94, Gauthier slapped a $100 fine on any employee or player who used the word “expansion” in reference to the fledgling Ducks. Why? Because he didn’t want to hear it used as an excuse. Happily, Gauthier told the story of head coach Ron Wilson using the word twice in one sentence – a $200 slip of the tongue. In Ottawa, Gauthier bristled at the sight of all those trendy big digits on the Senators jerseys. Radek Bonk wore #76. Alex Daigle was #91. Stan Neckar was #94. Not for long. In 1997, by Gauthier’s decree, they found slightly more traditional numbers, and so Bonk became 14, Daigle switched to 9 and Neckar, 24. Neverthless, that sense of order and control was timely medicine for a Senators team looking to take the step beyond expansion laughing stock toward becoming a decent team. As he replaced Randy Sexton in December, 1995, Gauthier’s moves helped shift the organization from the former to the latter, and he didn’t mind if he was perceived as cold, bordering on ruthless, to achieve that end. Some were stunned by the blunt manner in which coaches Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn were fired in Montreal this season by Gauthier, both on the day of a game, rewriting the handbook pre-game routine. In Ottawa, when he first arrived, Gauthier’s moves were just as brash, but the Senators were such a low profile organization at the time, few outside of this region took notice. Within weeks, Gauthier fired a head coach, assistant coaches, gutted the scouting staff and later released a dozen veteran players that didn’t fit into Gauthier’s plans. Whatever his shortcomings, Gauthier brought stability to the Senators with the following moves, many of which still contribute to the roster of today: – hired Jacques Martin as head coach. Martin’s calm direction was the salve to predecessor Dave (Sparky) Allison, a desperation internal pick after the classy Rick Bowness was let go. Allison thought a seance was the answer. Martin opted for getting the puck out of the freaking defensive zone. With Martin behind the bench, the Senators

reached the playoffs for the first time, starting a postseason run from 1997-2004 that included a conference final in 2003. – Hired Marshall Johnston as director of player personnel. Another smart hockey man, Johnston went on to become the Senators general manager, engineering the best trade in team history – Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders for defenceman Zdeno Chara and a second round pick used to draft centre Jason Spezza. – Traded Bryan Berard, who did not want to sign with Ottawa, to the New York Islanders for Wade Redden. Until his skating declined around 2006, Redden helped anchor the Senators defence, along with a fellow westerner drafted by Gauthier, Chris Phillips. Ahead of his time in recognizing the value of European players, Gauthier oversaw the 1996-97 drafts that brought Marian Hossa, Karel Rachunek, Magnus Arvedson, Andreas Dackell, Jani Hurme and Sami Salo. Considering Gauthier was gone from the scene in 1998, selecting so many players that would go on to play for the Senators from those two drafts alone was a tribute to Gauthier and Johnston. Quietly, mysteriously, Gauthier left Ottawa, citing family reasons and a wish to get away from hockey for a while, despite rumours he was going back to the Ducks. Less than three weeks later, he was re-hired by Anaheim, lasting until 2002. He joined the Canadiens in 2003 as an assistant to GM Bob Gainey, replacing Gainey in 2010. Gainey stayed on as an advisor. Now, they’re both gone. Did he get a fair shake, considering most GMs have a five-year window? Different yardstick in Montreal, where glory was once the norm. Brian Burke has had twice as long as GM to effect change in Toronto as Gauthier got in Montreal. And Burke carries on, while both storied teams miss the dance. So many of the impactful decisions of the past several years – big free agent deals, trades — were made under Gainey’s watch, Gauthier didn’t get the fresh slate, the true power, he inherited in Ottawa. His personality also cost him. While he was here, Gauthier was nicknamed ‘The Ghost’ as he drifted in and out of sight. Not surprisingly, Montreal’s media madhouse was less accepting of Gauthier being invisible in both official languages. It’s his way. The man is a bird dog at heart. When the Senators would go on the road, Gauthier would, too, but in a different direction, to scout talent. He isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, Gauthier, a vegeterian in a steak-and-beer fraternity. But he’s a decent hockey man, regardless of the mess he just left.

Phantoms Articles 1. Glens Falls Post-Star – Phantoms’ playoff push continues with game against Syracuse Tim McManus GLENS FALLS -- At this point of the season, each new game becomes the biggest one of the season to date for the Adirondack Phantoms. But Friday’s game against Syracuse is something more. It’s the biggest hockey game at the Civic Center since the AHL returned here three years ago. For the first time in their history in Glens Falls, the Phantoms are competing for a playoff spot this late in the season. They trail Syracuse and Manchester by three points for the final playoff spot. “It’s a big game for the organization,” Phantoms coach Joe Paterson said. One made even bigger by Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout loss in Syracuse. That extended the Phantoms’ late-season point streak to four games, but it also cost them a valuable point in the race to catch Syracuse. Manchester is idle Friday. “There’s still a gap there,” Paterson said. “The positive thing is we can close it. (We’re playing) the right team. We have the opportunity.” Syracuse is one of the hottest teams in the league and has an eight-game point streak at 7-0-1 and are also 10-1-1 in their last 12 to move from near the bottom of the conference into their current position. The Phantoms came close to breaking the Crunch’s point streak Tuesday as Ben Holmstrom had a shot go off the iron with about 14 seconds left in regulation. The Phantoms could be without center and fourth-leading scorer Garrett Roe in this one. Roe, who typically centers the line of Denis Hamel and Matt Ford, left Wednesday’s game in the first period and didn’t return. If Roe is unable to go, he may be replaced by Andrew Rowe — who had a strong game at winger on Wednesday, according to Paterson — or Luke Pither could return to the lineup for the first time since March 11.

Another intriguing choice is 18-year-old Nick Cousins, who joined the team this week, Cousins was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers last year. “We’ll make a decision (Friday) morning if Roe can’t go,” Paterson said. “We have some options.” With Jason Bacashihua remaining in Philadelphia, Michael Leighton is likely to make his sixth straight start in goal for the Phantoms. He had 42 saves on Wednesday. It’s expected to be a goalie rematch as Iiro Tarkki is likely to go for Syracuse. 2. Glens Falls Post-Star – Trade for Ford a win for Phantoms Tim McManus Matt Ford sat in the Phantoms’ locker room Sunday evening clutching a pack of ice to his arm. He scored twice in Adirondack’s 5-4 win over Binghamton, including the shorthanded game-winner in the third, but the lasting imprint on his body came courtesy of a stinging shot block in the third period. The pair of goals are why Ford has gotten plenty of attention since his February trade to the Phantoms. But the ice bag is just as much a reason why his trade for defenseman Kevin Marshall has been such a smashing success for Adirondack. When Ford arrived, it seemed likely he’d be an instant offensive upgrade. He’s certainly filled that role and then some, putting up 14 goals and six assists in 23 games with the Phantoms. Where Ford was a complimentary offensive piece in Hershey, he’s thrived here when given the chance for more ice time and a larger role. But the real revelation has been his play in all areas of the ice. He’s helped fill the penalty-killing role of Jon Kalinski and is one of the team’s leading shot blockers. It’s not a stretch to say that Ford may have been the team’s best all-around forward since his arrival and it’s hard to imagine the Phantoms still being in the playoff race without him. The best part is that the Phantoms were able to deal from a position of strength. Marshall was a fan favorite here and one of the team’s most recognizable players. But Adirondack has plenty of gritty defensemen: from the veteran Matt Walker and the emerging Oliver Lauridsen, to more offensive players like Marc-Andre Bourdon and Brandon Manning, who still have plenty of snarl.

Ford’s arrival has also has made others better. He’s helped the top line defensively and there’s a trickle-down effect of having a strong scoring presence on the right side. Eight of Shane Harper’s 13 goals have come since Ford arrived. Last week, I critiqued the Flyers’ approach to the AHL. It angered some who read it solely as a condemnation of the current players. Perhaps a more delicate way to make my point is to say that players like Ford are what wins at the AHL level. Guys who are in their later 20s, who’ve been around some and have leadership qualities. You don’t necessarily have to have a team full of AHL mercenaries, but a couple of players like him acquired in the offseason can go a long way toward helping the product on ice and setting a tone for the younger players. In Ford’s case, however, I think the Flyers have stumbled onto something more. I think they have a player who deserves a shot to compete for an NHL role next season. Too often in sports we give up on people who aren’t in the show by a certain age we deem appropriate. That would be a mistake to do here. Re-signing Ford should be a no-brainer for the organization this summer. If he doesn’t get the chance here, someone else will surely give it to him. Tim McManus covers the Phantoms. He may be reached at tmcmanus@poststar.com. Follow him on Twitter (@PSPhantoms) and read his daily updates on the Phantoms Forum blog online. NHL Articles 1. ESPN.com – Sidney Crosby struck by puck Associated Press UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Sidney Crosby was bloodied after being struck in the face by a puck shot by New York Islanders defenseman Dylan Reese. The Pittsburgh captain, playing in the ninth game of his second comeback of the season after recovering from concussion symptoms, was hit 1:43 into the second period. Reese was trying to clear the puck out of the lower left corner in the New York end when he hit Crosby, who was standing a few feet away from him. Crosby stayed down on his stomach for about a minute before gathering himself and getting back up on his skates. He then skated off toward the tunnel leading to the dressing

room. He returned to the bench with 10:13 left in the period, and was back on the ice moments later. A pool of blood was on the ice where the 24-year-old Crosby went down. Play resumed moments later after the ice was cleaned. Crosby entered the game with four goals and 21 assists in 16 games this season. He missed the first 20 games, returned Nov. 21 and played eight games before leaving the lineup again. After sitting out 40 more games, Crosby returned on March 15. 2. ESPN.com – John Grahame agrees to deal Katie Strang It appears Evgeni Nabokov's season is over. With six games remaining, including Thursday's matchup against the Penguins in New York, the Islanders have agreed to terms on a contract with 36-year-old journeyman goaltender John Grahame. The move is an indication that Nabokov, who left Tuesday's game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury, will rest for the remainder of the season. Nabokov, also 36, suffered the injury less than a week after signing a one-year, $2.75 million contract extension with the Islanders. The veteran has battled groin issues on multiple occasions this year. The Islanders are missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Goalie Kevin Poulin has been recalled from AHL Bridgeport on an emergency basis to back up Al Montoya Thursday night. Grahame, who has played in 224 NHL games with stints in Boston, Tampa Bay and Carolina, most recently played for the AHL Lake Erie Monsters. He has not played in the NHL since the 2007-08 season, when he was with the Hurricanes. 3. NHL.com - Art Ross Trophy race: Malkin scores 100th point NHL.com The NHL awards the Art Ross Trophy annually "to the player who leads the League in scoring points at the end of the regular season." During a 21-year stretch from 1981-2001, the award was dominated by Wayne Gretzky (10-time winner), Mario Lemieux (6) and Jaromir Jagr (5), one of whom captured it each season. No player has won the Art Ross more than once since, but Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins, who claimed it in 2009, has the opportunity to change that -- he's locked in a three-way battle with Claude Giroux

of the Philadelphia Flyers and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning heading down the stretch. Here's an up-to-date look at the race: Evgeni Malkin (100 points) -- The Penguins' star had a late goal on Thursday, but it wasn't enough as the New York Islanders completed a home-and-home sweep of Pittsburgh with a 5-3 victory on Long Island. Malkin became the NHL's first 100-point scorer this season. He and the Penguins play again Friday night in Buffalo. Steven Stamkos (91 points) -- Stamkos was limited to a single assist in Tampa Bay's 6-4 loss at New Jersey on Thursday night. He still leads all scorers with 55 goals, eight more than Malkin. Stamkos and the Lightning head home from a three-game trip to host Winnipeg on Saturday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Claude Giroux (86 points) -- On a night when his team rolled to a 7-1 victory in Toronto, Giroux was one of the few Philadelphia Flyers who didn't have a point -- coach Peter Laviolette gave him just 13:08 of ice time in the blowout win. Giroux and the Flyers host Ottawa on Saturday afternoon before visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday. 4. TSN.ca – Canadiens fire Gauthier and begin search for new GM TSN.ca Staff Pierre Gauthier's tenure as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens is over, as Canadiens owner and team president Geoff Molson announced on Thursday that the club has relieved him of his duties. "We need to remember that our fans want us to win, period," Molson told reporters at the team's practice facility in Brossard. "Our organizational culture is to support and adopt this passion for victory. Nothing else matters." The club also parted ways with former general manager Bob Gainey, who was working as Special Advisor to the General Manager. Former Canadiens player and general manager Serge Savard returns to the team in an advisory role and will assist with the search for a new GM. Larry Carriere, who was Gauthier's assistant GM for the last two seasons, has stepped down as assistant coach to Randy Cunneyworth and will return to his front office role full time until a new general manager is named. The Canadiens are last in the Eastern Conference with a 29-34-14 record and were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday. "It goes without saying that we're all very disappointed in our performance this season," said Molson.

"Everyone in this organization, including our players, expected better. Our fans care deeply about our team and want nothing more than a winning team, one that follows in the tradition of our storied past. This season did not deliver on those expectations. Our fans can trust that ownership will accept nothing less than a winning culture in this organization." Gauthier was promoted to the role of executive vice president and GM in February 2010 after Gainey stepped down. In his first full season as GM, Gauthier's Canadiens finished sixth in the East and made the playoffs but were eliminated in seven games by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins in the first round. The team took a step back this year, stumbling out of the gate and losing their first three games on home ice for the first time since 1938. Montreal continued to struggle through the early portion of the season and head coach Jacques Martin was eventually fired in mid-December. Cunneyworth was appointed as interim head coach by Gauthier in a move that caused a stir in the Montreal media due to Cunneyworth's inability to speak French. The coaching change also failed to spark the team on the ice as the Canadiens continued to struggle under Cunneyworth. Gauthier originally joined the Canadiens organization as Director of Professional Scouting in 2003. "The process starts today," Molson told TSN after the news conference. "We're an open book today. I'm assuming a lot of people would be calling. I'm also assuming we're reaching out to people in the right way and Serge Savard will be with me throughout the process." When Savard was contacted by the media, he made it clear that in his mind, the next general manager of the club would have to speak french. "That's easy to understand when 80 per cent of your fan base is French and you have to be able to communicate with them," he said. "It doesn't have to be a French person, but it has to be someone who can communicate in French." Savard said playing experience in the National Hockey League would be a plus and so perhaps was being a former Canadiens' player. However, he also stated that finding a candidate with good judgment was to the top priority. "I'm one who started in the NHL with no experience and I believe I did fairly well," said Savard, who won Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993 and reached a final in 1989 as a GM. "Bobby Clarke is another."

5. TSN.ca – Canucks GM Gillis expects Sedin to be ready for the playoffs TSN.ca Staff According to Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis, injured forward Daniel Sedin should be ready to return to the lineup for the opening of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Sedin suffered a concussion on March 21 when Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith elbowed him in the head. Consequently, Keith was handed a five-game suspension for his actions. "It's risky to make projections with these things because one day the player just may not feel right, but he's going in the right direction," Gillis told The Vancouver Sun. "He's feeling a little better each day. We're hopeful if things keep going the way they are that he'll be available [for the first round]." According to The Sun, Sedin has been resting and getting treatment, including on his neck, and his post-concussion symptoms have been improving. Defenceman Keith Ballard, out since early February with a concussion and neck injury, is also aiming to return for the start of the playoffs. "We all know how badly those two guys want to play," Gillis told The Sun. "Daniel's on the right track."

-FLYERS-